The Pulaski County Commission feeling a pinch to meet year-end financial obligations, met with the Public Facilities Board during session Thursday to discuss an intragovernmental loan and then issued three construction bids, two of which to the same company.
“State statute mandates that we have a balanced budget at the end of the year, and that’s just not going to happen” without an infusion of cash, Pulaski County Presiding Commissioner Bill Ransdall said after the meeting.
Ransdall told visiting Facilities Board members the Commission may be seeking a $150,000 to $175,000 year-end loan that would help to balance the budget.
Ransdall explained the budget is stretched because of expenses for prisoners – medical and otherwise –  paid at the County Jail for inmates, some of which is reimbursed, much of it not.
After the discussion, Facilities Board members toured the jail with Rex Freeman of Piney River Contractors so he could explain the renovation work for which his company was the sole bidder.
After the tour, the Facilities Board recommended approval of the $70,486.57 bid to the Commission, which it approved.
The project involves new tamper-proof ceiling tile, lighting, skylights and various replacement and demolition of light fixtures.
“Now we can place some orders,” said Rex Freeman of Piney River Contracting. “We’re anxious to get moving on this.”
Reportedly, the Facilities Board also has recommended the Commission seek more conventional loans – through a bank – than a funds transfer to be borrowed against future tax receipts. The Commission did not make a decision on the loan.
The Commission on Thursday also awarded two bids for electrical and concrete work to accommodate the new generator at the Courthouse. The Commission received five bids for the construction of a concrete pad and electrical work. Two bids each were received for concrete and electrical work and a fifth was a combination for both.
Bids unsealed Thursday included:
• Piney River Contracting of Devil’s Elbow for concrete, site preparation and misc., at $4,926.
• Porter Enterprises of St. Robert for concrete site preparation and misc., at $10,357.61.
• K. York Electric of Crocker, a combination of concrete and the electrical work, at $15,900.
• Quality Electric of Brumley for the electrical hookup to the generator, $16,110.
• Lighthouse Electric of Crocker for the electrical hookup to the generator, $4,302.16.
Commission members approved a two-bid combination of Piney River Contracting and Lighthouse Electric for a combined $9,228.16.
“I think we go with the two bids – to Piney River and Lighthouse – as it’s $6,672 less than the combined bid,” said Commissioner Bill Farnham, who made the motion to accept that was seconded by Commissioner Dennis Thornsberry.
The two-bid package does not include a fee for off-loading the generator upon arrival, which Commission members estimate to be $400.
“We’ll be ready to go as soon as we can get approval from Dig-Right,” Piney River’s Freeman said. “We’re thinking Monday; Tuesday at the latest (to get started).”
In other action, the Commission . . .:
• County Clerk Diana Linnenbringer said she would conduct a swearing-in ceremony for newly elected county officials at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 31, in the Courthouse Commons area. Terms of officials, such as Thornsberry, who did not seek re-election, expire at midnight Dec. 31.
• In a related item, Linnenbringer received a clarification on election recount statutes from Secretary of State Robin Carnahan’s Office that states petitions for a recount may be filed for 30 days after an election. State statutes were unclear as to the length of time a petition may be requested. Petitioners have until the end of business 30 days after an election to file, which would be Dec. 6. Linnenbringer was queried as to whether she had heard of any petitions for recount – specifically by former Sheriff J.T. Roberts – and said she had heard of none. A call to the Roberts’ home Thursday got only a response that the former sheriff was out of state.
• Agreed to allow Sheriff J.B. King use revenue from the Civil Fee Fund to pay for grading to the road leading to Willard Quarry. The unnamed road is an access to the old quarry where the Sheriff’s Department and other law-enforcement officials shoot firearms. “I’m sure the sheriff will say this is for training purposes,” Ransdall said. “The Civil Fee Fund is used at the sheriff’s discretion.” The question arose about using the fund for improvements to the unnamed road that is a private drive.
• Agreed to continue for 2009 the county employee contribution to the County Employee Retirement Fund (CERF) at 4 percent, which is what new employees paid this year. Employees before Jan. 1, 2003, paid just 2 percent but subsequent hires have had to pay the additional 4 percent.