Clinton Fiscal Court accepted bids on two new ambulances at its regular monthly meeting last Thursday, October 15, with all members present.

Both bids were submitted by the same company and the court approved each bid package separately after the sealed bids were opened and explained by Clinton County Disaster Energebct Services Director Lucas Abner.

Both bids were submitted by Select Tech out of Tennessee, a company the county has dealt with before on ambulance equipment purchases.

The bid on the first truck was a McCoy Miller remount vehicle, 2021 model 3500 4wd in the amount of $102,840 with all details, with the exception of radios to be installed locally, included.

The company guaranteed delivery within 120 days after receiving the chassis, and the vehicle has a 36,000 mile three-year warranty and 100,000 mile power train warranty.

The motion to accept the bid on that truck was made by magistrate Mickey Riddle and passed by unanimous vote.

The second truck was for a medics remount for a current 2009 truck that has over 200,000 miles, according to Abner. It is also a 2021 model with gasoline engine.

The cost of the vehicle would be $97,916, bringing the total cost to a little over $205,000. However, the company offered a trade-in on the second truck and would sell both trucks, with the trade in for $200,00, 756, thus saving the county approximately $5,500 total.

Magistrate Jerry Lowhorn made a motion to accept the trade-in proposal and purchase both trucks at $200,756 with the motion passing unanimously.

Abner also noted, in line with the ambulance discussion, that one current truck was being repaired and also, once both new ambulances are in service, bringing the fleet to six total, the local EMS would go on a “rotation” system for use of each of the ambulances to avoid wear and tear and road miles on the vehicles.

The court, during the half-hour session, also took action on several other items of business.

After receiving the treasurer’s report, they voted to approve the monthly report, voted to pay claims and bills and approved the following cash transfers: money from the general account to the DES account; $5,000 from the federal checking account to the ambulance account; $22,000 from the occupational account to the jail account; $18,000 from the occupational account to the ambulance account; and $6,000 from the general account to the ambulance account.

Without the necessity of a vote, the court acknowledged receiving the DLG first quarter Financial Statement for budget submission; received the Industrial Development Authority budget, the Tourism Commission budget and acknowledged receiving the school district tax rates.

The court also approved an appointment to the Clinton County Library Board, approving Patti Crouch for a four-year term on that board, replacing outgoing member Jamie Sparks.

They then approved a sheriff’s budget amendment for the current year.

Sheriff Jeff Vincent noted the amendment was for radio equipment and new repeaters. He also noted that now that the SRO (School Resource Officer) salary is no longer in the budget, his overall budget was lower and thanked the court for a $20,000 allotment they made to the sheriff’s office earlier this year that he said paved the way to help with the purchase of the new equipment.

The sheriff also noted that tax bills would begin going out the first of next month.

The sheriff further stated he would present a claim for equipment cost early next year in relation to funds from the CARES Act and again thanked the court and the judge’s office staff for their assistance.

The court also approved first reading of a 2020-21 year budget amendment to include a $5,000 grant for election expenses and final use of the CARES Act funds received in response to the federal stimulus money received due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

County Clerk Nathan Collins also told the court the county had about 20 old voting machines that needed to be removed, with the court discussing possibly putting the items up for bid or scrap or sell as surplus, but took no official action last week.

Jailer Tracy Thurman then gave his monthly report, turning over monthly inmate phone and booking fees.

Magistrate Ray Marcum again asked if anything had been done by department heads to do any type of employee evaluations. Both Abner and Thurman indicated they would be willing to work on such an evaluation form for employees, saying they would have no problem with it.

The employee evaluation idea has been discussed in the past, but no action has been taken on the measure to date.

Magistrate Terry Buster then told the court that a landowner at the end of Upchurch Road in the third district wants to close a small portion at the end of that road due to problems with trash dumping and other trespassing issues.

Buster said both sides of the road were owned by the same person and was only about two-tenths of a mile line.

The court agreed to have Buster begin the official legal steps in closing a portion of a county road, including having the road foreman to also view it.

The next regular meeting of Clinton Fiscal Court is scheduled for November 19 at 5 p.m. Due to COVID-19 and health mandates, the meeting will be streamed live on the County Judge/Executive’s Facebook page.