COUNTY LOOKS AT CHANGES TO DRUG POLICY

A proposed amendment that would make the drug-testing policy for Coahoma
County workers less penalizing was carried over to the next Board of
Supervisors meeting. "We need to look at making some adjustments to our
program," said County Administrator Hugh Jack Stubbs. "Right now . . . if
you test positive, you're gone." Stubbs said the present policy states that
if an employee tests positive for use of an illegal substance, immediate
termination follows.

Only one person, a Road Department worker, has been fired for failing a
random drug screening, Stubbs said. Only county workers in areas of public
safety and those who have commercial driver's licenses are subject to
random screenings, Stubbs said. He said that routine county employees do
not face drug tests after hired, unless they are involved in an accident or
under suspicion. The proposed amendment states, "Employees having a
confirmed positive test result will be subject to disciplinary action, up
to and including termination." Board Attorney Tom Ross Jr. said this
amendment, if passed, would "allow this board to refer the person to an
employee assistance program and determine disciplinary action." Ross also
added that this is "the trend" in most other counties. Deciding that the
penalties need more clarity, as in, who should pay for the employee
assistance program (the employee or the county?), the board carried the
issue forward to its next meeting, May 1. In other board business: * The
board received six bids on a new trash truck.

Prices ranged from Watson Quality Ford's $67,272 to MidAmerican
International's $92,544.44. * Emergystat reported its response times
summary for the past quarter, January to March. They had 838 emergency
calls, 724 emergency transports and averaged 3.4 minutes per hospital
transport within the city of Clarksdale, according to Mark Niday,
Emergystat communications manager.

They averaged 9.75 minutes for transports from outside a five-mile radius
of the city, but within a 10 mile radius.