As of last week, the Barrow County Fire Department was at least five workers short of a full staff, according to documents sent from Interim Chief John Skinner to the Board of Commissioners.

Skinner is scheduled to address the board at its meeting Tuesday evening to provide an update on the department.

According to the report he submitted for the meeting, the department has four full-time openings, one person on medical leave "and the department is constantly fighting the battle of coverage for PTO and Kelly days, not to mention the staff call-outs that the Battalion Chiefs must deal with about every shift."

Kelly days are days firefighters are required to take off. According to Skinner’s report, each Barrow County firefighter must take off a Kelly day every third month to prevent over time.

The fire department relies on part-time employees to fill openings when full-time employees are off for Kelly days and paid time off (PTO).

But when the department has no one to fill those vacancies, one or two of the engines become operated by one firefighter each.

"This happens more than anyone would like, but it is our only option when we cannot find anyone to work," Skinner wrote.

The county hired four new full-time employees earlier this month, but is still working to fill the remaining full-time positions and approximately six part-time positions.

According to Skinner’s letter, 14 people showed up for testing last week and once those are processed and scored, he hoped to bring the part-time staff up to a minimum of 20 people.

The Board of Commissioners is scheduled to vote on ending the two-month temporary extension with its inmate healthcare provider and signing on to a new agreement with CorrectHealth that will cost $44,457.65 per month.

That price comes to about $4.87 per inmate when the jail population is at 300. And if the population reaches 360, that cost will increase to about $5.16 per inmate. If the population surpasses those numbers, the county will pay $1.99 per inmate per day.

According to the agreement, the per diem cost is intended to cover additional costs in "those instances where minor, short-term changes in the inmate population result in the higher utilization…of routine supplies and services."

The agreement also includes an aggregate cap of $2,500 per month.

Medical staffing at the jail when the population is at 300 inmates will include LPNs covering 20 hours a day, seven days a week, a medical doctor visiting weekly, and mental health providers, psychiatrists and dentists visiting multiple times throughout the month.

Wastewater Services Director Mark Whiddon is also scheduled to request the approval of a service task order for the Highway 211 sewer project.

HSF Engineering would provide the design for the 12-inch wide gravity sewer along the highway from Beaver Dam Road to the proposed pump station at Freeman Johnson Road, coordinate surveying, prepare bid documents, review and approve shop drawings, and prepare and furnish digital drawings, according to the task order.

The design phase would cost $32,400, according to Whiddon’s proposal.

The surveying would be done by W.T. Dunahoo and Associates and would cost no more than $15,000.

HSF Engineering would also assist the county in acquiring wetlands delineation and various permits. That would cost $7,500.

The total project costs $54,900 and is funded through the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST).