Perry County to appoint members to ethics commission

County Clerk Josh Gross told the board a committee has been working on a policy and procedures manual for the county. As part of that, he has put together job descriptions for appointed office holders such as Solid Waste Coordinator, EMA Coordinator and County Engineer. Each office holder has looked over the descriptions. He is waiting for one more and will ask the board to look them over, make any changes they deem necessary and then approve them. Once approved, the job descriptions will become part of the policy manual. More job descriptions will be compiled in the future.

Gross also said he is working on a form for county employees to request paid time off. Currently, office holders oversee vacation, sick and personal time for their employees. The county's auditors compile the information at the end of each year.

The forms would be submitted monthly to Gross to be entered in a spreadsheet which board members and auditors can use to keep an eye on PTO liability.

Gross' final discussion item was to explain that the ethics commission is not inactive. It is an active board with no membership. He suggested the County Board appoint members to the commission.

Commissioner Sam Robb said the ethics commission is a good first step in averting problems with electioneering and campaigning.

Robb cited two incidents in which employees of Treasurer Bill Taylor engaged in electioneering. The first was the wearing of campaign t-shirts to work.

Robb said that there is no ordinance on Perry County's books to prohibit wearing campaign shirts before Sept. 25 of this year. Taylor apologized and said he takes full responsibility for his employees' actions. It will not happen again.

The same rule would prevent anyone parking vehicles within 100 feet of the front door of the Government Building after Sept. 25.

The second incident involved Taylor's employees blocking in a truck with campaign signs on it.

Taylor said he had no knowledge of the incident, but had seen the truck parked there all day for several days.

Robb suggested adopting an ordinance to prevent electioneering all year and designating the parking lot for visitors only.

Taylor suggested setting a time limit on parking. Robb said no overnight parking should be sufficient.

Neither Robb nor Taylor named the owner of the truck or the candidate it supports. Presumably the candidate in question is Republican Mary Jane Craft who is running against Democratic incumbent Taylor for Perry County Treasurer.

In other business, the board:

• passed a resolution issuing a deed of re-conveyance for a trustee-owned delinquent tax parcel. Taylor also announced that the book with delinquent tax properties up for auction is for sale in his office. The minimum bid this year is $678.

• heard a complaint from Kathy Prusacki of Tamaroa about the county's Animal Control office. Prusacki's blue Pit Bull named Sheriff was picked up July 9. The dog was running loose and had not received a recent rabies vaccination. Prusacki said she called Animal Control to explain that she could not pay to retrieve her dog immediately. The dog was euthanized two weeks later. Prusacki told the board Animal Control Officer Danny Queen agreed to allow her to make payments. Queen then called to tell her she had to pick up her dog on a Tuesday. She arrived at the office at 2:30 p.m. and no one was there. She called Queen at 2:37 p.m. and received no call back. She then contacted Sheriff's Department employee Tim Russell who oversees Animal Control. Russell initially agreed to a payment plan then called back to say her dog had already been euthanized. Russell told the board Prusacki is a habitual offender and that her dog was kept twice the length of time required by the county's ordinance and that Queen set a deadline of 12 noon to pick up her dog that Tuesday. Prusacki disputes the specified time, as well. He also told the board Queen picked the dog up after being called by the Village of Tamaroa because they were having trouble catching him. Prusacki disputed that the village called for help. Board Chairman Bobby Kelly said he would be happy to hear from employees of the Village of Tamaroa about the matter. Russell said the situation could have been avoided if Prusacki had not allowed her dog to run loose and had gotten the required rabies vaccinations.

• passed a resolution approving raffle licenses for Jason Houghland/VHL Benefit and Friends and Family of Lisa Hottes.