Dougherty County commissioners OK EMS laptops, additional employee holiday

ALBANY — Other than District 6 Commissioner Jack Stone’s questions about the cost of laptop computers for county EMS usage, the Dougherty County Commission breezed through its business in near-record speed Monday morning.

Stone, who had missed last week’s work session during which the items on the commission’s agenda were initially discussed, said he was surprised that 13 laptops from Dell came with a bill of $64,025.91.

“Excuse me for asking this, but are those some special kind of laptops?” Stone said. “Because 13 laptops shouldn’t cost near that much.”

Commission Chairman Jeff Sinyard told Stone the laptops are “specific to what they do” at EMS, and the issue passed without further discussion.

Commissioners also:

— OK’d the purchase of a John Deere front-end loader from Flint Equipment Co. of Albany at a cost of $160,150 using special-purpose local-option sales tax VI funds;

— Approved the purchase of a John Deere backhoe from Flint at a cost of $81,841, also in SPLOST VI funds;

— Gave blanket approval for 2015 alcohol license renewals for establishments in the county that serve or sell alcoholic beverages; and

— Signed off on a proposal that will allow county employees to take an additional paid holiday Dec. 26.

Stone lauded the proposal and the county workers.

“I think I speak for the whole commission when I say anything we can do for our employees is a good thing,” the 28-year commissioner said. “We’d like to give everyone raises, but that’s just not feasible right now. I hope this is something they’ll appreciate.”

County Administrator Richard Crowdis doled out a little more holiday good news for the county’s employees when he reminded commissioners that a one-time $600 lump sum distribution per eligible employee would be part of the employees’ Dec. 5 paychecks.