The Floyd County Commission expects to be advertising for a new county manager within a week.

Commission Chairman Eddie Lumsden said Tuesday that plans are to accept applications for 30 days, then start narrowing down the list of candidates for interviews.

“Hiring someone sooner rather than later is our preference, but I don’t know if we can complete the process before Kevin leaves,” he said.

County Manager Kevin Poe is resigning effective Dec. 4 to be the manager for Jackson County in Northeast Georgia. Assistant County Manager Blaine Williams would serve as interim manager if necessary.

The Floyd County manager position will be advertised through the Association County Commissioners of Georgia, the National Association of Counties and the county website.

“The process is similar to any new hiring we have to advertise, except ultimately the commission is the one that makes the decision instead of the county manager,” Lumsden said.

Also on Tuesday, the board approved Floyd County Prison Warden Jeff Chandler’s request for two more van drivers to the work release center staff, to take inmates to and from jobs. Residents currently pay for outside transportation, but Chandler said it’s sometimes unreliable.

“The employers we work with are taking a chance … if we can’t guarantee them attendance, it costs them,” he told the board.

Having a van and driver for the center would eliminate the unpredictability, address the issue of possible contraband and provide a relief-factor for the tightly stretched staff, Chandler said.

The operation would cost $72,528, but fees would bring in an estimated $90,000.

The commission also approved reorganization at the Floyd County Prison and neighboring work release center expected to save a combined $75,424 a year.

“Sometimes you can do more with less people, if you have the right people doing the right things,” Poe said.