Editor’s Note: This is the lastest in a multi-part series concerning a lengthy County budget meeting last weekend.

Hamblen County Emergency Management Agency Director Ricky Purkey came to Saturday’s Hamblen County Commission meeting representing the four volunteer fire departments: North, South, East and West.

Purkey, himself a former fire chief, spoke for the county Volunteer Fire Departments, who had no representatives Saturday because many of the departments were parking cars and taking donations at the Morristown Strawberry Festival, an event that would have not been held had the volunteer fire departments not stepped forward to help with parking.

Each VFD is asking for $5,000 from the commission to help with operating costs.

“The fire service has been more demanding of the volunteers every day,” Purkey said. “The call span and scenario base is expanding all of the time. Their training is increasing and I’ve recently trained a lot from every department. For weeks at a time so they can stay certified.”

Firefighters pay roughly $2,900 for their jackets and pants. Helmets are $400, boots cost $500, gloves are $200. Air tanks to go into a toxic fire cost $11,000 and the bottle that goes with it are $1,200. This does not include insurance that is purchased for the firefighters and the vehicles themselves. Most fundraisers go either to buy equipment for the firemen or vehicles to stay updated on fighting fires.

“Unfortunately, you need it, the firemen need it, so they’re going to put their dollar down on it,” Purkey said. “What money is put into the bucket at the festival is not nearly enough.”

Purkey said that the operations inside the county VFDs are “second to none.” Seventy percent of firefighters in Tennessee are volunteer firefighters. All four VFDs received state grants for purchase of fire equipment this year, the first time ever that this has happened.

A firefighter has a 64% increased chance of getting cancer while performing their job due to particles in ashes, Purkey said.

“You have the best team in your back yard,” Purkey said. “I’m very pleased with it and you should be, too.”

Purkey requested a $1,200 increase for emergency ser- vice officers, for 12 part-time EMA officers for 80 hours a year.

“These folks are blocking a downed tree for hours. My personnel can sit on those and reroute traffic. Depending on how big that tree, we could clear that tree,” Purkey said. “If there is a fire, the county can benefit by putting those deputies back into service.”

Purkey also asked for an increase of $252 for travel as he gets up to speed on his new director’s responsibilities.

Don Baird represented the Probation Services and the Work Release programs. Baird mentioned that most of the probation department is located in a house near the former Hamblen County Jail and he is in the new Justice Center, which sometimes makes it tough logistically.

“I think Judge Collins has seen more completions of probations than he has in a long time,” Baird said. “Our staff works really hard.”

Baird said that there are roughly 400 people on probation, which means that many people who are not in jail, which saves the county money.

“I think having probation in place helps our cost of finance,” Baird said. “We’ve got people collecting in the probation office collecting $14,000 a month. We’re helping to supervise.”

Hours of operation for Probation Services are from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday.

UT Agriculture Extension Hamblen County Director Mannie Bedwell said that he was excited about his soonto- be opening office at the Oak Tree Plaza at the end of June. Bedwell said that his office’s budget must be approved by UT before being presented to the county. A 2% COLA has been figured into their budget, but will get adjusted as soon as the budget is approved.

Bedwell said adjustments have been made on supplies, but extra funds will be needed for furniture for the new office. His preference is for the health department to become totally functionable before the Agriculture Extension Office moves into their part of the complex.

Clerk and Master Teresa Carey requested budget increases due to court clerks, maintenance agreements. She announced that her office is collecting $100 more per case thanks to an increase in the clerk’s fee by the state. The fee will also increase by $25 per year for the next two years.

County Mayor Chris Cutshaw spoke about increases in the Juvenile Court. A $6,000 budget increase will allow for new updated computers for Juvenile Court. Due a change in personnel, there will be a $12,000 reduction in healthcare costs.

Cherokee Park Director David King asked for an increase of $2,000 over two budget lines due the cost of repairs and maintenance supplies.

Hamblen County Road/ Sanitation Superintendent Jeff Wisecarver and Commissioner Mike Richardson approached the commission asking for an increase in the lubricants line item due to the newer vehicles taking more lubricants. Wisecarver asked for an increase in the line items on uniforms.

The Sanitation Department budget is $680,000, an increase of $202,000. Requests include new automated sideloader and a non-CBL truck to replace the recycle truck, which would be moved to backup use.

The Sanitation Department collects around 23,000 tons a year at this time. So far, around 500 tons of recycling have been collected this fiscal year. Both agencies pick up a total of around 20,000 cans/ bins per week. In the last two years, more than 800 new side loader-compliant cans/ bins have been delivered to county residents. This is attributed to many bins being 20-plus years old, plus new residents coming into the county.

The county runs five garbage trucks weekly, three rear-loading trucks and two side-loader trucks. The county has one recycling truck that is used. There are three spare trash trucks, including a 2009 model.

Over the last five years, an average of $8,000 per truck was spent in fuel costs, Wisecarver said. Due to the war in Iran, fuel costs have doubled in the last two months.

Wisecarver said that it is unreal how much bulk waste there are in Hamblen County.

“One of the problems is that we’re down three truck drivers on the garbage side,” Wisecarver said. “We had to move the brush drivers over to the garbage side so we continue that. Problem two is that we’re having people to retire or go to other places.”

Wage rates for CBL Drivers are not competitive with private industries, Wisecarver said. Drivers for the county are getting $18 per hour with other places paying $24 an hour.

With training for brush truck drivers lasting three weeks, Wisecarver said that brush pickup will suffer in the short term.

“We’re going to be down on brush pickups for three months,” Wisecarver said.

The Highway Department is paving 13.5 miles of roads, according to Wisecarver.

There are 864 work orders for road patching work amounting to $1.2 million.

“Next year, we’re going to have to start a lot earlier on our prep work,” Wisecarver said. “That is a fact.”

Out of the 407 miles of roads the Highway Department maintains, the amount of mowing increases when maintaining those roads. With two tractors, the county has mowed four times minimal. Roadsides are cleaned up from Christmas to spring.

The department is asking for $392,000 for the two-non CBL dump trucks with plows and salt spreaders.

County Budget Director Amanda Hale asked for a full-share of salary and benefits for a Grant Assistant for the Finance Division. This position was added at the middle of this budget year.

A rate increase from 7% to 7.32% is mandated for those on the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System, according to Hale.

The Health Department has a line item for a $200,000 Dental loan repayment to the state for a dentist, as well as a $5,000 increase for utilities in anticipation of the new Health Department opening in June.

The Soil Conservation and Veterans’ Services departments have increases due to longevity and benefits pay.

In Capital Projects, Maintenance Director Terry Myers asked for a $75,000 increase to cover costs for roofing on the older side of the Courthouse. The ceiling in the Hamblen County EMA office near the courtroom fell in last week. Some of the money will also go towards resurfacing and restriping the parking lot outside the courthouse.

In Public Safety, there is $174,000 in the budget for three new Ford Explorer vehicles that the Hamblen County Sheriff’s Office is requesting.

Cutshaw wrapped up the session by citing an increase of $1,000 in Audit Services, a $2,500 cost in travel costs for commissioners who have served two terms or less to attend a conference; a $2,000 increase for public notices; a 2.56 state-mandated increase in the County Mayor’s salary; a $3,400 line item for the Commission’s annual Christmas breakfast for county employees; a unspecified salary increase for the Medical Examiner and a $3,000 increase for AT&T phones/hot spots to be able to do their work in the field.

A $15,000 item for the State Disc Golf Tournament and the July 4 Celebration was also included for consideration.