Limestone County’s 230 employees got good news from county commissioners Monday — a 5-percent cost of living pay raise beginning Oct. 1.

“We’ve got some good employees, and we want to keep them,” said Commission Chairman David Seibert. “This will increase the starting pay for new positions and allow us to get more and better people for those jobs.”

It has been years since the county upgraded its pay plan for newly hired employees. The plan was adopted by unanimous vote.

In other action, commissioners voted to accept a $100,000 grant from the federal Homeland Security program to sponsor a weapons of mass destruction exercise and to purchase a trailer for a mobile command post in times of emergencies.

Daphne Ellison with the Limestone County Emergency Management Agency said last week that the drill will take place sometime around the first of the year and will be viewed by Homeland Security experts.

“We don’t have a site set up as yet, but hopefully we can do it at one of the local schools,” she said.

Ellison said funds from that grant will also be used to purchase radio equipment for the city school system so officials could communicate with law enforcement and other agencies in times of a disaster.

Commissioners also approved an increase in garbage pickup rates in the county by 11 cents per month, effective Oct. 9. The new rate will increase the pickup fee to $10.96 per month.

Limestone County has 19,000 households. Garbage is picked up once a week by BFI.

Commissioners also approved the sale of approximately one acre known as Lanny Rose Way to William Prince for $100,000.

Prince now owns the DHR building. Commissioners said Prince plans to construct a new building and lease it to the state DHR.

Commissioners adopted the 2006-07 budget and approved three new subdivisions, including Quail Ridge in District 1 at Johnson Road and Lewis Road; Mull Park Subdivision in District 2 at Old Railroad Bed Road south of Capshaw Road; and Kingston Place Addition 2 in District 2 at Mooresville Road and U.S. 72.

The commission hired two new corrections officers — Paul Snider and Jeffery B. Cantrell — and also gave County Administrator Pam Ball the authority to approve departmental budget revisions for end-of-year procedures.

Jennifer Barnett and Anna Lee Owens were approved for merit salary increases.