Pulaski Commissioners Expect Final Say in Plan Director Hire

Pulaski County Commissioners (L to R) Bud Krohn, Jr., Terry Young and Larry Brady
Pulaski County Commissioners (L to R) Bud Krohn, Jr., Terry Young and Larry Brady

The Pulaski County Commissioners have action planned for Monday that may lead to the naming of a new county building inspector.

Interviews for the position will be conducted after the job was made vacant earlier this month. The comments announcing a potential hire come via Commission President Terry Young. He says plans currently call for keeping the building inspector position and plan director combined under one department head.

The Pulaski County Community Development Commission discussed a proposal during their most recent meeting which would name CDC Executive Director Nathan Origer the county’s plan director. According to Origer, members believed the change would allow better communication between economic development entities and land use decisions managed by the county.

The proposal was brought before the Pulaski County Plan Commission earlier this week – something Young says was not the purpose of the meeting. Any action on a hire was ultimately deferred to the discretion of the County Commissioners.

Young commented that state statute says the Pulaski County Board of Zoning Appeals “may” appoint a plan director: different from legal language such as “shall” which allows an Area Plan Commission to make the decision. Young says the CDC may have addressed the incorrect board about the recommendation.

“The Commissioners have no intent to let this out to another entity,” says Young.

By keeping the plan director and building inspector position combined, it allows the county to save on costs in certain areas, such as sharing staff.

The Pulaski County Commissioners will meet Monday to perhaps finalize a decision.