Buildings, facilities, and even equipment on Orange County property are supposed to be smoke free for about the last year. The Commissioners Court met Tuesday to consider posting signs on county property stating that smoking is not permitted within 25 feet of any entrance to county owned buildings.
Human Resource Director Lori Ardoin explained the Personnel Policy #415 covers the prohibition on smoking. Kurt Guidry the director of the Maintenance Department would be involved with getting the signs made and with installing them. Guidry pointed out a problem with the wording that uses premises as where smoking is prohibited.
Assistant County Attorney Doug Manning suggested to Commissioner Jody Crump the wording on Policy #415 would be clearer if it just said buildings and not premises. Manning added that identifying the buildings where the signs would be posted could be included in an exhibit A for Policy #415.
The wording and the number of signs will be determined at the next Commissioners Court meeting. The department which will pay for the signs to be made will also be decided at next week’s meeting.
Tax Assessor Collector Karen Fisher presented the latest collection report for her department. Through May the county has collected over $2,455,000 which represents a 95.7 collection percentage.
County Auditor Pennee Schmitt had a special budget certified for $129,585.42 to cover the March 2016 flooding recovery in Orange County. FEMA provided the special budget revenues which were divided about evenly between debris removal and street repairs and improvements.
The Commissioners approved paying this week’s bills as presented by the auditor’s office. The over one million dollars in bills included $914,699.00 paid to Way Service as the fourth payment for its work on performing environmental improvements to the courthouse and other county buildings.
Lisa Reeves with the MIS Department requested the purchase of 180 Microsoft licenses and was approved by the Commissioners. The licenses will cost $37,404.40.
The Election Department and Tina Barrow were approved a line item transfer of $849.73 from the Contingency Fund to help pay election expenses. Barrow indicated the cost will be re-paid by various municipal and school entities her department assisted with their elections.
Sheriff Keith Merritt was approved to apply for a 2017 grant with a 50 percent reimbursement to purchase bullet proof vest for his deputies. The request for another grant was tabled until next week because the wording in the request asked for a resolution which was found out later not to be necessary. This grant will have a 25 percent match and will be used to help pay for a replacement patrol boat for the Sheriff’s Office.
Emergency Management Coordinator Missy Pillsbury received approval to receive a gift of ham radio equipment and antenna tower from the Dupont Company. The ham radios will be used in the Emergency Operations Center. Pillsbury informed the antenna will remain being stored at Dupont until it is necessary to be erected at another location. All the items were given at no cost to Orange County.
-Dan Perrine, KOGT-
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