27 July 2004 County Council Notes

County Council

Present: Bill Ullrich, Acting Chairman, Mark Mitter, Dennis Kraus, Bo Lansing, and Aaron Negangard. Cary Pickens, Auditor, and Lorie Howard, County Administrator, also present.

1. Bob Gravogel – Harrison Soccer Ass’n located in West Harrison, IN with about 45% of their kids from Dearborn County requested money for a $16-21,000 playground to serve the needs of families attending the games. After a lengthy description of their history and program, Negangard motioned and Mitter 2nd to grant $10,500 out of youth services. Passed.

2. Mike Kraemer of Pinnacle Advisory Group reported on the current status of the medical benefits program. The county has about twice the normal rate of “shock claims.” Med Ben had some possible solutions to help cut this cost. Instituting a wellness programs with voluntary individualized care plans is one possibility.
The other is starting HRAs- Health reimbursement accounts for employees opting out of the family plan because a spouse already has it. This would give them some tax-free money to pay for their out of pocket medical expenses, such as copays, deductibles, eye care etc. This could save $7,000 per employee in county costs, while giving an additional benefit to the employee. [NOTE: Some of these HRA plans are a “use it or lose it” type plan. If you don’t use or submit the expenses for reimbursement from the account, it stays in the administrator’s account as “profit.” It was not clear from the discussion, what the details of this plan would be.]
 
3. Mike Hankins- Sewer Board Chairman came accompanied by Rodney Dennerline, Brett Fehrman, Vera Benning (advisory board chair), Lisa Lehner (attorney), and Joe Tierney (GRW consultant).
Requested $357,600 in a “forgivable loan” to cover them to the construction phase of the sewer district. They have applied for a rural development grant and also trying for a dept. of commerce grant. These will be used to pay back part of this loan. [NOTE:Included in this estimate are legal fees for possible condemnation proceedings for about 30 properties (10% of houses). IN law allows for group filings of these condemnations.]
Kraus motioned and Negangard 2nd to TABLE this until budget hearings pending a contract for a LOAN of this money. TABLED.

4. Mike Davis- Highway Dept.- Updated Council on road repairs and on equipment repairs. Chuck- from the county garage gave a summary with examples of parts and costs of some of the vehicle repairs. It was decided to try to standardize vehicles so as to get parts they can keep in stock for rapid repairs. This will be phased in over the next several years as equipment is replaced. Gov’t gets a 35% discount on trucks.
Negangard motioned and Kraus 2nd to:
Deny for now with the intent to readvertize for the Cum Cap Fund for $1,003 for OSHA tank and $5,500 for furnace replacement.
PAY out of 203 account $45,000 for maintenance and repairs to the year’s end, $5,000 for Lexington Rd. slip repair,
TABLE $4,400 for GIS training until August.
All agreed.
Davis gave council a heads up on the Guilford deck replacement and also the triple whipple bridge.
The Phase 2 Road paving list was passed out and discussed. Lorie and Mike both detailed the process that was used to prioritize the roads and justify each as being placed on the list. Three foremen drove the roads TOGETHER to further clarify their status on the list. Negangard asked about whether the commissioners were all in agreement on this. He was told the vote was 2-0, Karen Shell was absent, but had indicated agreement throughout the process. Vera had stated that she likes money equally divided, but that she would vote for the list, and did.
Kraus motioned and Mitter 2nd to approve.
Negangard motioned and Krause2nd to delete the $$ estimates until after bids have arrived.

5. Lorie Howard- Administrator – requested $28,161 to finish out social security for the year, and $3,000 for employee physicals.
Negangard motioned and Kraus 2nd to approve both out of county general and deny it from Riverboat Revenue. Approved.

6. Sheriff Department- presented by Bill Ullrich- requested $20,000 to repair older vehicles. Negangard motioned and Mitter 2nd to approve from Riverboat revenue, but deny from county general. Approved.
 
7. Courthouse- copier- $8,000. Kraus motioned and Lansing 2nd to deny from cum cap. DENIED.
 
8. CMHC – requires $96,912 because the state didn’t set their levies properly. Kraus motioned and Lansing 2nd. Approved with Negangard NAY. (Didn’t want to vote on something he didn’t understand)
 
9. Minutes approved. Lansing abstained, because he was absent last month.
BUDGET HEARINGS at the end of AUGUST.

Meeting adjourned at 9:15 PM

Christine Brauer Mueller
Lawrenceburg Township