Bastin: Presidium bringing more jobs to Pulaski

Local News

March 11, 2010

By HEATHER PYLES, Staff Writer The Commonwealth Journal Thu Mar 11, 2010, 09:14 PM EST

Somerset — There may be a few more job opportunities on the horizon for Pulaski County workers.

During Tuesday’s Pulaski County Fiscal Court meeting, Mark Bastin with the Somerset-Pulaski County Development Foundation stated that leaders with Presidium Learning Inc., a 24-hour a day, help-desk center for academic institutions and their students, are in the process of applying for another contract through the state for a batch of new hires.

“This is a brand new contract, it pertains to new hires, moving forward,” Bastin said.

That contract is similar to the one that brought Presidium to Somerset in the first place. The 1 percent occupational tax required to be paid by businesses in the county will be waived for the next ten years for the new employees Presidium plans to hire. Presidium is now in year three of its first contract with the state and county, and it’s employing some 300 individuals — a sharp increase from the 63 employees the business expected to have employed within the first three years of the company’s location to Somerset.

Bastin said Presidium now pays occupational taxes on those employees who number above the original 139 expected to be employed by the original contract’s end — in about seven years.

Presidium’s employment numbers are varied depending on the time of year and how heavy the workload is, but Bastin emphasized that part-time, temporary positions are not counted by the development foundation.

Bastin said the number of full-time, permanent employees at the company should be between 500 and 600 by next year.

Presidium offers technical and student services support 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It’s located in Valley Oak Technology Park on Ky. 461.

Bastin said the foundation is also working with several other local businesses in an effort to bring a few more jobs to the area.

“I like the idea that we’re already working with what we’ve got here,” Fourth District Magistrate Glenn Maxey said.

In other news from Tuesday’s fiscal court meeting:

• The court approved beginning the process of issuing a bond for a planned Eubank Baptist Educational Center.

The bond amounts to around $1.4 million, and Pulaski County Attorney Bill Thompson explained that the county inherits no liability from the transaction.

Thompson said state law allows local governments to issue bonds for projects meant to improve the economy during “peace time,” and he said those projects, such as the educational center, must pass strict requirements from the state to qualify for the bond.

“This building or structure ... has certain criteria they have to meet,” Thompson said.

• The court passed a resolution allowing for the transfer of delinquent tax claims from the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department to the Pulaski County Clerk’s Office in compliance with a newly passed bill that allows the state’s counties to suspend the sheriff’s sale of delinquent tax bills.

• The court approved a request from the road department for 600 tons of cold mix.

• Road requests were approved by the court.

• A rock request of 2,500 tons was approved.

• The county finance report, bill list and nunc pro tunc bill list were approved.

The next Pulaski County Fiscal Court meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 23 at 10 a.m. The public is encouraged to attend.

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