A supplemental appropriation to cover expenses for the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office will be considered by committees of the Quorum Court when they meet Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
Coroner Chad Kelley has asked the county’s legislative body for $15,000 which he said would allow the office to continue operations until the end of the year.
In a letter to County Judge Mike Holcomb and members of the court, Kelley said he currently did not have enough money in his budget to finish out the year.
The requested funding was broken down into several categories including $1,000 for office supplies, $4,000 for fuel, oil and lubricants, $1,000 for the county service center, $1,000 for telephone expenses, $2,000 for mobile phones and pagers, $1,000 for dues and subscriptions, $3,000 for coroner and autopsy, $1,000 for miles, meals and lodging, and $1,000 for training and continued education.
Explaining some of the requested funds, Kelley said the coroner’s office has seen an increase in the number of deaths worked this year, and because of that, toxicological samples have to be sent to the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory at Little Rock, requiring frequent trips which increases the amount of fuel used. Also because of the increased workload, the three vehicles used by the office are seeing increased mileage, requiring more maintenance that normal.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Regarding the request for funds for dues and subscriptions, Kelley said this includes connection to the Internet, allowing the Coroner’s Office to stay in contact with the crime laboratory, including the downloading of body submission, evidence and toxicology forms that are used on a regular basis by the office. The requested amount also would cover the monthly fee for the security system at the office.
A $3,000 segment of the request is listed as Coroner and autopsy and Kelley said those funds would be used to pay for body bags, heavy duty latex gloves, syringes with needles which is required for the extraction of vitreous fluid, blood and urine for toxicological testing that has to be submitted to the crime lab, as well as cooler expenses since individuals that are held at the coroner’s office for an extended period of time have to be kept under refrigeration at a certain temperature to slow the decomposition process. Both of the cooling units at the office are serviced twice yearly.
Kelley also indicated that in addition to covering 11 nursing homes, they cover five detention centers, and are notified of all deaths at Jefferson Regional Medical Center where individuals from throughout Southeast Arkansas are brought because the hospital is a regional medical center.
Also on the agenda Tuesday night is a request for a supplemental appropriation of $12,500 to pay for an independent audit of federal grant funds received by various county departments.
Office of Emergency Management Coordinator Karen Quarles said in a note to Holcomb that because the county received over $300,000 last year, the independent audit is required by federal authorities.
Previously, a portion of that cost was covered by the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program, but that funding is no longer available.
A resolution re-appointing Linda Johnson-Banks to a five-year term on the Pine Bluff-Jefferson County Library Board will also be considered. Johnson-Banks’ current term has expired.