Calhoun County consolidates departments

In a move that  Calhoun County Commissioners say will increase efficiency, the commissioners voted Thursday to consolidate three departments into a new environmental division.   Environmental enforcement, recycling and the county landfill will now all fall under the umbrella of the environmental division, which will be overseen by David Pirritano. The commission appointed Pirritano, formerly the county’s environmental enforcement officer, to the newly created environmental programs manager position on a one-year contract. Pirritano will be compensated $2,219 bi-weekly for the job.  Pirritano said a recent fine levied against the county by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management related to the county’s handling of a stormwater runoff system played a small role in the consolidation, but the merger had been discussed before the state’s sanction was handed down.  In September, ADEM fined the county $14,500 for failure to provide and update reports on its storm-water drainage system. Mark Welsh, the county’s landfill manager, who also oversees the storm runoff system, said at the time the deadlines for documentation were missed because of an oversight.  As part of the consolidation, the county appointed Theodore Smart as Pirritano’s replacement as environmental enforcement officer, also on a one-year contract. Barbara Hardcastle was appointed to the environmental programs clerk position and Danny Lakins, pending finalization of his contract, will become the manager of the county’s recycling center.