BOCC approves EMS contract with HSA

POMEROY–The Garfield County Board of Commissioners (BOCC) approved Homeland Security Emergency Management Services Contract SCM-2115, and signs audit amendment at the February 7 meeting.

The SCM-115 contract replaces the previous contract and provides the Garfield County Emergency Management Department with $17,160 for a year’s service. The amount is very close to last year’s contract.

The BOCC also signed an amendment to the estimate for the ongoing audit that adds $4,800 to the price. The audit was originally estimated to cost $57,200 but is now estimated at $62,000. It is projected to end in March of 2022.

In other business, the commissioners approved Sheriff Drew Hyer’s request to increase the payment to Civil Service Examiner Charles Millspaugh from $25 a month to $200 a month. Millspaugh organizes and administers civil service tests for emergency communication workers and Sheriff’s Deputies. His workload has increased dramatically, according to Commissioner Jim Nelson. “It used to be there would be a test once every couple years,” Commissioner Nelson said. “But now they’re testing all the time.” Commissioner Nelson credited the high turnover rate the County is experiencing with the increase in testing.

Garfield County Auditor Mackenzie Lueck and Sheriff Hyer addressed the board, seeking clarification on the logistics of paying a bill from the Corps of Engineers. The Corps contracts with the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office for patrol and law enforcement services at the Dunes on the Snake River. They overpaid their 2021 bill by $3,600 and recently caught their mistake. The extra money will be refunded to them as a line item in the Sheriff’s Office budget, covered by the County’s Current Expense Fund.

The BOCC approved Auditor Lueck’s request to surplus a 15-year-old file cabinet and three telephones that were replaced by the Courthouse’s voice-over-IP phone system, installed in 2021. They also approved the changes made to the inter-local agreement with Asotin County for their administration of the Developmental Disabilities Program. Asotin now has charge of the administration and financials of the program and will provide Garfield County with reports on the numbers of people they help. There are no changes that apply to the providers or clients.

The Garfield County Sheriff’s Office will participate in a driving training simulator provided by Washington Counties Rural Insurance Program through Clear Risk Solutions at the Fairgrounds on March 3.