By KEN de la BASTIDE
Tribune enterprise editor
July 21, 2008 11:46 pm
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A bargain for Howard County officials has historically been the ability to hire six inmate workers to perform various tasks for a combined $35 per hour.
The Howard County Sheriff Department makes a work crew of six inmates and one deputy available to perform work with the main emphasis on maintaining county-owned property.
The county commissioners on Monday began considering raising the hourly rate to $45 per hour starting in August. A vote on the increase is expected at the Aug. 4 meeting.
Sheriff Marty Talbert said the $35 hourly rate has remained the same since 1997.
“The biggest expense is the gasoline to operate the power equipment,” Talbert said. “It’s time to raise the rate.”
“The crew can get a lot of work done,” Talbert said. “They are using commercial grade equipment. We can’t continue to absorb the field costs.”
Inmates working on the crew receive $1 per day for the work performed.
Talbert said the funds are used to help pay maintenance costs for the equipment and the cost of operating the program.
Any citizen of Howard County can request the inmate crew perform work, but the county-owned property is the priority, he said.
In other business, the commissioners approved the purchase of a new 12-passenger van for Kinsey Youth Center. The commissioners approved spending up to $25,000 for the purchase.
Brent Kelley, director of the youth center obtained three price quotes for the purchase of the van. Kelley said because the vans are not in the stock of the local dealerships they have to find one that is available.
The lowest quote was received from Eriks Chevrolet for $22,835, but that van was sold before the county could make the purchase. Kokomo Auto World may have a van available for $23,859 and Button Motors quoted a price of $51,780.
Kelley said the existing van will continue to be used as a maintenance vehicle.
• The commissioners approved the purchase of a 2008 Ford Explorer for the Surveyor’s office at a cost of $19,848 from Brad Howell Ford for a four-wheel drive vehicle.
The truck used by the Surveyor’s office is being given to the Howard County Health Department.
• A contract in the amount of $7,931 was awarded to Bergman Concrete Construction for the installation of a concrete pad on the west side of the Howard County Courthouse to park the transport van from the Sheriff Department.
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