Local News
Bastin: Presidium bringing more jobs to Pulaski
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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LCADTF could lose big bucks
Lake Cumberland Area Drug Task Force officials estimate that the City of Somerset’s lack of involvement in the task force could lead to a loss of some $250,000 in federal funding per year — a chunk which could easily force the task force to close its doors.
David Keller, deputy director of Appalachia HIDTA, a major funding source for the local drug task force and the reason why federal and state law enforcement officers are able to be a part of the agency, says the agency’s current situation is more serious than many people realize.
Keller says HIDTA has made a “huge investment” in the LCADTF, but that folks shouldn’t get too comfortable with the agency’s ability to obtain grant money at the federal or state level.
“This is not entitlement money. ... Our grant is performance driven, and it’s sought after by competitive forces,” Keller said. “If this agency doesn’t produce, they stand a risk of not having the task force funded. That money will go someplace else — to another county that would love to have it.” -
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