County OKs probate court post
♦ There will be a new associate probate judge to help out at Judge Richie Parker’s request.
Several items were approved by the Gordon County Board of Commissioners at Tuesday night’s regularly scheduled meeting, including establishing a new probate court position.
The Associate Probate Court Judge position was approved by a 5-0 vote from the board.
“Due to COVID court, we need to have somebody on deck as an associate,” County Administrator Jim Ledbetter said of Judge Richie Parker’s Request to create the position.
According to Ledbetter, the position is expected to be filled from within the probate court’s current staff pool.
Also approved in separate votes by the board were a pair of county property items to be made surplus, including a Sheriff’s Office radar unit to be donated to the City of Adairsville Police Department, and a vehicle acquired by civil asset forfeiture to be sold with funds going into the Sheriff’s asset forfeiture account.
An amendment to the Ambulance Service Agreement with Advent Health System of Georgia, up for renewal July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022, was tabled by the board until the May 4th meeting so more information could be attained.
The board also unanimously approved a budget amendment to make room for a forthcoming equipment grant to the Gordon County Fire Rescue, and a managed system radio service agreement bid was approved with Dalton Communications Inc.
“Dalton Communications was the only proposal,” Ledbetter said. “They’re really the only ones in the region that provide a radio system that’s a managed service in the region, so that’s not too surprising.”
Finally, commissioners voted 5-0 to hire a new Meals on Wheels driver for the senior center in order to fill an existing open position.
“Our Meals on Wheels driver quit during COVID,” Ledbetter said. “With things loosening up now, we’ll be able to start delivery service again.”
Also discussed by members of the board was acquiring equipment to make it possible to live stream commission meetings to make it easier for members of the public to view proceedings.
An update to the county’s Emergency Operations Plan was discussed by the board as well Tuesday night.
“We’re supposed to update this every four years, and it doesn’t have to be updated until 2022, but we’ve come out with a new template, so we’re basically rewriting the whole plan,” said Gordon County Emergency Management Courtney Taylor, who discussed items for the board’s consideration, including line of succession as well as procedures and authority required to activate the EOP itself.
The next meeting of the Gordon County Board of Commissioners will be Tuesday, May 20, at 6 p.m. at the County Administration Building, 201 N. Wall St.
Meetings are open to the public.