New chief updates council on measures to cut overtime, training costs

Bardstown Police Chief Steve Uram provides the council with updates on his work to contain overtime and training costs.

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2016, 11:45 p.m. — Bardstown Police Chief Steve Uram provided the council an update regarding department policies, including overtime and training.

“We’re making drastic changes to the way we do business regarding how training is done,” Uram said.

Training will be tracked regarding its impact on the budget, as will overtime — which is running over budget.

To minimize overtime caused by training, Uram said officers schedules will be modified to allow time for the training and travel time to minimize overtime. Those changes are effective Dec. 1, he said.

The department has made verbal employment offers to two police officers. The new officers will go to Eastern Kentucky University for 20 weeks of training in January. They won’t be on the streets of Bardstown until later in the year, he said.

New police department employees will now be required to sign a contract that they will stay for a certain length of time. Newly hired officers will be required to stay a minimum of two years. If they decide to leave prior to the end of the contract, the city will expect repayment for the cost of training — about $40,000 for new officers, $10,000 for lateral hires, Uram said.

Uram said he is still reviewing the department policies manual first before tackling the procedures manual.

DISTILLERY ANNEXATION. The council held first reading on a move to annex the property that will be home to the new Lux Row Distillers distillery. The distiller is locating on a 68.344 acre tract located on KY 245 south of Spencer Mattingly Lane.

In other business, the council:

— authorized the sale of 10 acres of land in the Wilson Industrial Park to Johnan America. The price tag on the sale was $148,000. The property is located on the south side of the company’s existing building on Wilson Parkway.

— approved a donation of $500 to the Nelson County Grief Support and Suicide Survivors group. The money will come from the city council’s contingency fund. Councilman Fred Hagan voted against the donation.

— gave final approval of changes to the city’s classification and compensation plan. The changes add a recruitment and retention coordinator as the 17th firefighter. The salary for the position will be funded by a grant for the next four years. The grant also funds purchase of personal safety equipment.

— delayed approving the city’s proposed social media policy to the next regular meeting in December.

— approved recommendations from the Historic Review Board and Design Review Board.

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