911 dispatch center renovations get green light

The Pulaski County Dispatch Center was given permission by the county commissioners to pursue renovations to their office space during a regular meeting on July 20. Pulaski County Community Development Commission (CDC) Executive Director Nathan Origer was present with Sheriff Chris Schramm and 911 Director Angie VanArsdale to make the request. The renovations would update three aging workstations and repair the flooring. Origer played a short video to show the current state of the office. Schramm commented later that books have been propped up under the desks to try to accommodate the heights of each dispatcher. He said this is both a safety hazard for the dispatchers and a risk for the expensive equipment it supports. Origer explained that it can be seen in the video where there are places where the tile is coming up or is broken and commented that the overall layout of the room is not particularly efficient. The project is anticipated to cost about $125,000 maximum. Origer explained that he came to the meeting with Schramm and VanArsdale because the funds would come from the excess interest generated by the courthouse project bonds, which is above the threshold that they are allowed to spend on the courthouse.