20 December 2005 Dearborn County Commissioner Meeting Notes

20 December 2005 Dearborn County Commissioners Meeting Notes

Present: Benning, Chairman, Fox and Hughes.
Also present: Pickens, Auditor, Messmore, Administrator, and Ewbank, Att’y

1. Messmore asked for a moment of silence for some employees who were sick and or hospitalized.

2. Annual bids were awarded with respective departments making recommendations for approvals.
Jail Food: Ellenbee Leggett and Garden Food Service were both approved.
Highway: Rohe and O’Mara both approved for asphalt, CPI for guardrail and pipe, gravel- Harrison Sand and Gravel, Newpoint Stone, and Hanson Aggregates all approved. Fuel: Johnny Resner and Laughery Valley approved. Petroleum Traders deleted for incomplete bid.

3. Todd Listerman and Mark Seiler presented a request to revert the overtime pay rules for highway workers back to the original rules that were in effect pre 2005. These rules would allow sick and vacation time to figure into overtime calculations due to the sporadic nature of highway worker’s overtime. Approved pending Ewbank’s review.
Listerman also presented an ordinance regulating parking on the county right of way, exceptions being made for government workers. Farmers may also be exempt per Ewbank. Ewbank will review this and the fine for January meeting. No decision.

4. INDOT land acquisition from last meeting was signed. The pipe work is already finished with Listerman review.

New business:
Lewis and Kappes lobbyist contract renewed and signed by commissioners. This lobbyist is shared with other county entities.

Minutes for Oct 18, Nov 1, and Nov 15 approved.
Claims approved except for one Pickens held on Health seminar catering that can’t come out of travel expense fund.

Ewbank advised commissioners of suit by Carlton vs. Sheriff’s Dept. He also is reviewing documents for Comcast buyout of Suscom. He is sending a letter requesting info on services and rates etc.

Hughes wants to put the GIS under the commissioner’s supervision with the County Administrator functioning as the supervisor. He felt that GIS affects all county offices and should be under their review rather than just the planning Dept. They were also concerned that Planning is in transition now that Travis Miller has resigned effective the end of December and a new Director has to be selected by the Plan Commission. It was thought that it would be easier on the new director to be able to do planning only and not GIS also. [NOTE: This sounds good, except one wonders if there is anyone else in the county who really knows enough to supervise GIS.]

Per last month's request by teh commissioners, Bill Black presented the Lawrenceburg agreement and a letter from Charlie Fehrman for Council showing they backed him going to Lawrenceburg Bond Bank to request the loan for the 800 mgHz radio system up to a limit around $35,000 per year for a 20 year loan. Now the commissioners asked him to get more info and also Ewbank has to check the Local Gov’t Finance Board to be sure we aren’t exceeding our debt ceiling. [NOTE: Are they worried there won’t be enough to borrow for the jail expansion? Much discussion here- but the bottom line is they are either stalling or giving Black the runaround. The only other option is that they don’t really know what they want to do. After several years of hearing about this and all intentions seemed to direct Black to go forward, it seems ludicrous to keep playing this game. If they don’t want radios, just say no. If they want to be on the same system as adjoining counties, then proceed. If Lawrenceburg’s numbers aren’t in the Council budget, then don’t sign. How come other counties have achieved this collaboration and we can’t seem to get the deal done? This could have been approved PENDING Ewbank’s determination of the debt ceiling number. They did that for highway overtime rules.]

Meeting adjourned 7:45 PM

Christine Brauer Mueller
Lawrenceburg Township