Supervisors approve 2 vehicles for Sheriff

The Board of Supervisors gave Sheriff Eric Clark the go-ahead to purchase two new vehicles during Monday’s meeting.

Supervisors approved the purchase of a 2022 SUV Ford Explorer police vehicle for $33,975, and a 2021 Dodge 4x4 Crew Cab pickup truck at the cost of $36.900.

“We tried to make an emergency purchase of three SUV fleet vehicles but that didn’t work out,” Sheriff Clark said. “So, we opted for these vehicles.”

The Sheriff said manufacturers have told him they have stopped making police vehicles, and probably won’t start back until October.

“That came from the manufacturers,” Clark said. “Ford and Chrysler have stopped making fleet vehicles at this time. They are not expected to open their fleet line until October at the earliest. This is creating a crisis in getting these cars.”

Clark said he had to shop around to find these vehicles.

“There are some that have been ordered and they are completing them,” Clark said. “If you find a fleet vehicle now, it is because someone ordered it (and didn’t accept it) and you got in line to get it.”  

In other matters, supervisors voted to:

• Accept resignation of one jail employee and approved the hiring of Davirius Miller as a full-time correctional officer at the rate of- $11 per hour. Supervisors also accepted the jail’s April 2022 meal log and detailed billing report;

• Agree to the temporary easement on County Road 226 for the Road Department;

• Approve a service agreement for the county and Alliance Health Center;

• Approve recognizing Monday, May 30, as the Memorial Day holiday for county employees;

• Approve two employee terminations in the Emergency Management department.  Supervisors also approved a travel request for employees to attend the state Fire Coordinator Meeting at the Fire Academy today. Supervisors received an update on the Statewide Mutual Aid Compact (SMAC) account;

• Approve the county payroll totaling $186,973 and ending May 2;

 Approve the elected officials pay roll totaling $41,246 and ending May 15;

• Approve the claims docket and accept the report on the VISA travel card; and,

• Approve the payment of $1,151 to Pryor Morrow for work on the Taylor building project in the Industrial Park. 

• Approve the payment of $183,514 to Century Construction Group for its work on the Taylor building,