The Guthrie County Board of Supervisors met yesterday in the first of their two sessions this week.

The Supervisors began the meeting in a public hearing to discuss minor budget amendments for the 2013-14 fiscal year budget in relation to numerous entries from county departments.  Following the public hearing, the Board voted 4-1 to approve the budget amendment resolution and an appropriations resolution.

Supervisor Jerry Caraher provided the “nay” vote on both resolutions.

Next, the Supervisors heard an update from Guthrie County Public Health Administrator Jotham Arber.

With a nurse slated to leave the department, Arber says Public Health has been considering whether to hire another full-time nurse or two part-time nurses to fill that void.  The department has elected to hire the two part-time nurses, with Arber saying it will result in some savings down the road.

Arber says he’s working to balance Public Health’s budget over the next five years so that they’re “at least breaking even.”  The department has typically had more annual expenditures than revenues in recent years.

Arber says a productivity measure for nurses has also been installed in his department, as he’d like to see 60% of their hours worked deemed “billable hours.”  He says productivity is increasing.

To conclude his update, Arber voiced his desire to purchase an agency vehicle and implement it as a pilot project for next fiscal year.  He estimates the cost of the vehicle would be around $5,000, which would not hit Public Health’s budget next fiscal year if purchased soon.

Arber estimates the department could save $2,000 annually over the five-year life of the car by using the vehicle, as opposed to reimbursing nurses for miles driven in their personal cars.

The Supervisors were all onboard with Arber’s agency vehicle idea and asked him to compile some more pricing figures in the weeks ahead.