Pulaski County officials approve routine minutes, schedule tax public hearing and advance administrative code changes

Pulaski County officials met and approved routine minutes, scheduled a public hearing on the county tax rate, and advanced several administrative and operational items, including a first reading of changes to the county administrative code that officials said are intended to secure a drug-free workplace certification.

The meeting included formal approvals for road additions and removals, several new hires for county departments, authorization to surplus a fire department vehicle with proceeds to be retained for equipment, and routine purchases and services for public safety and road operations.

The administrative-code revisions presented by county staff include language asserting that Pulaski County will comply with federal and state laws and “all regulatory requirements of 803 KAR AR25:280,” additions to the county drug-testing list to include “synthetic narcotics” and “propoxyphene,” and clarifications to lodging and meal reimbursement rules. Under the proposed changes, lodging would be reimbursed at actual expense (taxes not reimbursable per federal guidelines) and meals for out-of-county training or meetings would require a detailed receipt showing location and date/time; employees must write the employee name and purpose on the back of the receipt to qualify for reimbursement. County staff also proposed changing an employee leave-exchange availability date from July to June.

Bridget Bender, representing the Pulaski County Health Department, presented the department’s tax rate request and said the department is seeking to maintain a rate of 3 cents per $100 of assessed property value; she told the board this is unchanged…