MARSHALL COUNTY — Due to the difficulty in obtaining vehicles; the Marshall County Council held a Special Meeting on Thursday morning for the purpose of approving Marshall County Sheriff Matthew Hassel’s much needed vehicle purchase to replace two vehicles that have been totaled.
One replacement vehicle was ordered last August for the vehicle that was totaled last year; but production on that vehicle was disrupted before completion.
Sheriff Hassel explained to the Council that he received word that Ford was no longer producing the 2023 Police Package; he requested approval to purchase two 2023 Dodge Durangos – Police Package.
Sheriff Hassel informed the Council that production of the 2023 Dodge Durango could stop any day now; though no date has been set to cease that production. Sheriff Hassel anticipated that the vehicles could take four to five months to build and receive.
Insurance reimbursed Marshall County in the amount of $57,538.25. An additional appropriation will be needed from the General Fund in the amount of $27,870 to cover the cost of both vehicles for a grand total of $85,408.
The Commissioners previously approved Sheriff Hassel’s request to purchase the vehicles.
The Council approved his request to purchase the vehicles on Thursday morning.
In other news, Sheriff Hassel asked if the Council needed anything further from him regarding his request to increase the work week for his Turnkey / Dispatch and Civilian Staff to a 40 hour work week.
Sheriff Hassel met with the Council’s Personnel Committee about a month ago, as the Council had requested, to follow the proper protocols for making changes to job descriptions or salaries. “I was just wondering what do you need me to do from here to move that forward? Or are we going to move that forward?”
First Contact for the MCSD Will Patterson said he was still working on that.
Sheriff Hassel asked Patterson to let him know if anything further was needed; including a financial illustration of how the increase in hours would be fiscally responsible. Hiring one new person would cost more than the cost of increasing his staff’s hours to 40 for half a year.
Sheriff Hassel noted that it would also require a change in the Salary Ordinance.
Patterson said that nothing further would be needed from Sheriff Hassel at this point; but that he needed to do more work on his end.
