Thursday, November 30, 2006

Ambulance director placed on leave

by Kenneth Lassiter

County commissioners confirmed the suspension of ambulance director Don Haynes Monday and said Haynes is currently on administrative leave with pay for another developing situation within his department.

Commissioners met with Haynes and county counselor Jan Hayes in a 30-minute executive session Monday but emerged into open session without taking any action.

After an appointment with Undersheriff Jeff Herrig, commissioner David Christy moved to suspend Haynes without pay for one week for allowing a violation of the county’s computer policy that governs the sites visited by county employees on county equipment or on county time.

Christy also noted the suspension came for Haynes’ “failure to implement” the policy and failure to enforce it. Christy noted Haynes has already served the suspension voluntarily. He said James Tweed is acting as head of the ambulance department in Haynes’ absence.

When asked what Haynes’ current employment status is, Christy said Haynes is on administrative leave with pay from the department for a situation separate from the violation of the computer policy. Christy said the administrative leave went into effect Nov. 13.

Christy said he is acting unofficially to keep tabs on the emergency management department but is not making any administrative moves in the department. He said John Gordon would be acting in that role. Christy said his role is mainly to check the mail and keep up on other day-to-day activities as necessary.

Tweed met with commissioners later in the meeting to ask for permission to advertise to fill three part-time paramedic positions to help as fill-ins to help cut overtime expenditures in the ambulance department. Commissioners approved the move.

Tweed also proposed the county switch to cable television from satellite service at the ambulance department to help cut costs. Commissioners took no action on that matter.

Commissioners also Monday accepted a $1.10 million bid from Midwest Construction Co. for county bridge projects on bids that were opened Nov. 8. Midwest was the low bidder by nearly $50,000 on the projects. George Pogge, road and bridge superintendent, said the engineer’s estimate on the projects was $1.28 million, so the bids came in almost $200,000 lower than expected.

In other business Monday, the commission:

• Signed tax change orders and county vouchers.

• Heard an update from Eloise Tichenor, planning and zoning director.

• Heard an update from Pogge. Commissioners voted to pledge funds for construction work and engineering on joint county and Kansas Department of Transportation bridge projects along Linn Road, 175th Street and 5th Street.

• Adopted financial policies for the county. Linda Buttron, county clerk, said the policies simply put into writing the county’s current financial policies that before hadn’t been in the official county policy handbook. The move was made at the suggestion of the county auditor. Buttron also reported a recent benefit fair for employees went well.

• Approved resolutions authorizing the budgeted transfers of funds from equipment reserve to various funds to cover 2006 expenditures. The transfers included $130,000 from equipment reserve-miscellaneous to the general fund, $100,000 from equipment reserve-health to the employee benefit fund in that department and $50,000 from equipment reserve-law enforcement to law enforcement.

• Approved a resolution allowing for the bi-weekly payment of compensation allowed to the county treasurer for administration of the motor vehicle program and the county clerk for administration of elections as is allowed by the state.

• Approved a one-year food service agreement with Consolidated Correctional Food Service for inmate meals. The company will provide inmate meals for a minimum charge of $271 per day with an additional fee of 81 cents per meal.

• Met with Susan Newell, 911 director, in executive session for 30 minutes to discuss matters of non-elected personnel. Hayes was also present in that session and Christy recused himself from the session for 15 minutes of its duration.

• Met in executive session with Jan Hayes and county counselor Mike Hayes for 45 minutes to discuss matters of attorney-client privilege. Chris Schmeissner, geographic information systems and information technology director, also was present for the last 30 minutes of the session.

• Signed a contract with Blue Lab Connections for drug and alcohol testing required by the state for road and bridge employees with a commercial driver’s license.