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Board approves sheriff-run background checks for county recreation volunteers; HR to retain results
Summary
After reviewing options, commissioners authorized using the Meriwether County Sheriff’s Office GCIC code E background check at $10 per person and directed HR to securely retain records; staff will run contract language by legal for any national checks and sex-offender database searches.
Meriwether County commissioners voted May 5 to use the Meriwether County Sheriff’s Office to run volunteer background checks for recreation coaches and volunteers at a cost of $10 per person. Staff explained the sheriff can run Georgia Criminal Information Center checks under GCIC code E, which produces state-level results; national sex-offender checks and certain national background services would require a different vendor or HR processes.
Staff said the volunteers are not county employees and, under GCIC rules, county law enforcement can run state-only checks for volunteers. Human resources will collect and retain results confidentially; staff said if the board wants national-level searches (including national sex-offender registries), HR must either run those under a different code for paid employees or contract with a national vendor. Board members directed staff to run the proposed arrangement with the sheriff through legal review and proceed so long as confidentiality and compliance requirements are met.
Staff noted options considered included a national provider (Nays) that would perform national checks and a county contract that would let the county recoup the $10 fee; the board selected the sheriff-office option with HR custody of files as the practical approach recommended by staff.
