Tuesday, June 19, 2012

19 June 2012 Dearborn County Commissioners Meeting Notes


19 June 2012 Dearborn County Commissioners Meeting Notes
Present: Jeff Hughes, President, Tom Orschell, and Shane McHenry
Also present: Teresa Randall, County Administrator, and Andy Baudendistel, Attorney.
ABSENT: Gayle Pennington, Auditor
OLD BUSINESS:
Payroll Schedule Changes-TABLED
Maintenance for Dearborn county vehicles –TABLED
Consulting Services Agreement- Auditor- Baudendistel reviewed the agreement and Pennington was to get a termination clause added. Tabled.
NEW BUSINESS:
Suellen Cauble HR- Handbook Changes- Nepotism- due to upcoming legislation becoming effective July 1st, the handbook needs to be revised to reflect these new laws. She passed out the ordinance on nepotism. Baudendistel said that there may be a change to the Council’s Resolution adopting this at the council meeting tonight. This has to be passed by Council. The Commissioners signed off on this. Passed.
Handbook Changes on Sick Leave- sixty donated changes are reduced to 20 and an advisory board approves these. This was adopted previously but needs to be revised in the handbook. Commissioners approved the handbook changes.
Dearborn County Hospital Board of Trustees- Reappointment- Kent Abram was appointed to the board for a four year term.
Candy Yurcak- Whitewater Canal Scenic Byway-Randall said she had talked to Candy Yurcak and let her know what the commissioners had done the last meeting.  She had gotten a ruling saying it was allowed from someone higher up in INDOT. Listerman and Randall met with Yurcak and decided to meet with Audra at INDOT to see what is the real decision. They requested tabling until the next commissioners meeting, so they can meet with INDOT together. TABLED.
Harrison Fire/EMS Contract –Hughes wants to find a way to renegotiate this so that county departments can meet the need up there. There is a large sum of money involved compared to what we spend on the others. ($108,000) This 3 year contract ends Jan 1st. We need to have something done by then so as not to have a lapse in service. He wants this to be brought up at budget time. They will get a team from St.Leon, New Trenton, Bright perhaps to look at this. Orschell will be the commissioner on this and Terri Randall will set this up.
Dearborn County Board of Health Appointment – replacing Rodney Dennerline who passed away. This board has to be balanced politically and this spot is open for either party as it’s balanced at this point. They have no recommendation from the board of health. They will do some recruiting on this. TABLED.
HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT: Todd Listerman, Highway Engineer-
Bid opening for Bridge 224 on Lower Dillsboro Road- all over $250,000 and he asked permission to reject all the bids due to wage rate concerns. He will get this rebid. Approved to reject and rebid..
Program that came to their attention at highway engineers conference in Indy. Kansas and five other states have started a bridge program that gives an equal distribution to the counties of their federal funds. They then give them state money instead and they don’t have to do the fed rules so that they can have more flexibility in how they spend the funds. It takes about 5 years for Kansas to implement this and get it passed thru the state legislature. This allows funds to be used for maintenance too. This allows a steady revenue stream for each county and you can bank the money for larger projects from year to year. He is asking the commissioners to help support the passage of this. He expects they will hear this at their commissioners meetings. This way you really can put a bridge program together. Monies will be distributed based on bridge footages for each county. Counties with more and longer bridges will get more funding.
Eric Wathen- commissioner of Hendricks County and a consulting engineer with Shrewsberry and Associates - also spoke in back up for this. He noted that you don’t have to follow fed rules on ROW etc. They are also trying to work on gas tax funding.
Tim Grieve, Highway Superintendent- Weisberg Road project is proceeding as is Benning road. We are not on the agenda for the Council meeting as they were passed the time for advertising. They can be there if they have a July meeting or else they will do this at August budget hearings. This is OK as he is booked up into July with work anyway. This chip seal just has to be done before leaves start dropping.
ADMINISTRATOR: Teresa Randall- letter requested by DC Hospital to send to FDA to state how the hospital functions under the ownership of the county and the governing of their board. This is required periodically. Approved and Hughes signed the letter.
Storm drain work began on Hoosier Square. Staircase project went out to bid and only has one bid- so they are extending it one more week. Plumbing and electrical has to move for this project.
Jail architects had 6 response and 5 are asking to go thru the interview process. They anticipate that the interview team will have a recommendation by the next meeting.
They are using standard AIA contract for the Construction Manager (Maxwell) but modifying some of the language. She is working with Maxwell on that and Baudendistel reviewing. Hughes has permission to sign this and it will be ratified at the next meeting once prepared.
AUDITOR: Emergency services contract for Greendale for $20,000 was signed. Claims approved.
ATTORNEY: Andy Baudendistel- presented esarly and left early as he has a hearing this morning. Saw Mr Irwin on the ROW and expects that to come in later this week. Still trying to get things worked out on Bright businesses and the ROW for Stateline before the August 5th hearing.
He has not had the OKI contract yet to review- but will come over and get that from Gayle Pennington this afternoon.
COMMISSIONER COMMENTS- none
LATE ARRIVAL INFORMATION- none
PUBLIC COMMENT- Eric Wathen Commissioner for Hendricks County said they increased their wheel tax- Hughes said- we don’t like wheel taxes here. Laughter.
Meeting adjourned at 9:52 AM
Christine Brauer Mueller
Lawrenceburg Township

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

nepotism now that should stop alot of B.S.in the county.

Anonymous said...

Anon 1- I hope your right, but I, being a bit of a pessimist, worry stopping nepotism depends on how many ways the word "nepotism" can be massaged by office holders. Not just here, but elsewhere too.

Anonymous said...

your right you are only as good as your word .....