7 August 2007 Dearborn County Commissioner Meeting Notes

7 August 2007 Dearborn County Commissioner Meeting Notes

Present: Hughes, Chairman, and Thompson
ABSENT: Fox

Also Present: Pickens, Auditor, Ewbank, Attorney, and Messmore, Administrator.

A uniformed police officer was present.

1. Commissioners denied the Med Ben Appeal from their executive session.

2. Mark McCormack- Planning Director presented two Zoning Ordinance Changes.
Article 3 Sect 315 on Conditional Use Requirements was approved including the change of wording from worse case scenario to maximum allowable use.

Article 5 Section 520 on zone map amendment requirements was approved.

McCormack will return with more ordinance changes at the Sept 4 meeting.

Comp Plan Advisory Committee is reviewing the draft of the future land use segment with comments due by August 27th so the PC can review them. Public hearing will probably be in September. McCormack encouraged commissioners to submit their comments.

3. OKI Contract- Hughes will bring up the dollar amount as being about $1000 more due to increased population estimates. The contract price is based on population. $15,000 was in the budget- they need a little more than $16,000.

4. Mike Fogle of the Sheriff’s Dept- presented grant application request to seek money again from the Criminal Justice Institute for their traffic safety partnership with cities and towns in the county. Of the $41,000 last year they used $20,000 for dui enforcement and $21,000 for seat belt patrol. They issued 1000 warnings and 1500 citations this year so far. 903 crashes were in county response records last year and they hope to reduce that this year. Commissioners approved grant to be requested. Last year money was spent on digital cameras at $5700 each and intoxilyzers at $900 each.

5. Jeff Smith- Weights and Measures- gave a report and asked for money to be in the budget for a new(er) truck. (His is 1997 with 247,000 miles on it and unreliable) He said he inspects 577 devices annually and did 656 this year- actually thinks 1300 need to be done. He listed a bunch of devices he thinks should be tested to “protect the public” including weight equipment at the high schools, and grocery scanners to see if they are scanning the correct prices etc. He said it takes about 15 minutes per device plus adm. time. He puts in 7-9 hours per week now.

Pickens and Thompson questioned the hourly rates and costs. Pickens had figures from Hamilton County where they pay $28/hour ($30-43,000 per year range) Smith said he’s part time- his pay translates to $38.hour. Smith pays his own insurance and his own home office (he lives in Bright) and truck. Smith said he couldn’t afford to keep working at this rate. Pickens asked if that was his resignation. Smith said NO. Thompson suggested using part of the EMA Building for his office- if they get rid of junk stored there.
[NOTE: Smith overplayed his hand here. If Smith is an independent contractor and we are outsourcing- then they just need to put the job out for bid. If they put him on the county payroll- and he has office space here- he’ll have to drive here to get his truck etc. Smith is apparently trying to get the county to buy the truck and pay for a home office and/or insurance or whatever. All were mentioned as part of his presentation. By contrast- the Council gets insurance, benefits, and the commissioners do also- and they are part time. Is there a “rule” on this?]
TABLED until Commissioners and Smith can review. Smith wanted to be paid for his review time. That was not approved. Messmore to help research.

6. Emergency Management- Bill Black- updated commissioners on SOSINK (Southern OH, SE IND, and Northern KY), NIMS training (Thompson to get his also) , Homeland Security purchases with grants, and stated he was trying to get rid of old junk.
He doesn’t agree with Thompson that he should move to Randall Ave if the HWY Dept takes on the big building out there. Black said he’d have to move radios etc. Thompson was concerned about pouring more money into the EMA Building.
They decided to put a “band aid” on it and approved the wider garage door for $8,000 for the Mobile Command Unit to arrive soon. Black will look at the DLZ study as will Thompson to see what upgrades to the building might cost.

Old cars metal, military vehicles, computer monitors etc are going to salvage or trash. None has been bought at any sales. [NOTE: Some of this could perhaps go through solid waste at their hazardous waste pick up (Computer parts) or to scrap metal dealers.]

7. Todd Listerman- Transportation Director gave a 20-minute report.
Commissioners signed off on the Cook Road cul de sac to have ROW recorded.

Commissioners approved Haag Ford‘s bid for three ¾ ton p/u trucks at $71,814.39.

Commissioners approved Kaffenberger’s bid for salt spreaders, dup beds, and plows at $47,340.

Paving for 2007 will be finished in a week or so with Dutch Hollow, Stewart, Hill, Kuebel and Bonnell. (Some are just sections)
Berming will be continued.

Listerman will request Council to transfer $50,000 from striping fund (bid came in lower than budget) to be used for equipment for other dump trucks (spreaders) and plate compactor for small jobs.

Listerman is looking for a pick-up truck for his ass’t hwy supervisor who is currently driving a ’97 Taurus and it doesn’t have 4-wheel drive.

Morgans Ridge- Maxwell’s sub’n on Mt Pleasant is repairing the hump in the road per their agreement.

Listerman is getting appraisals for Randall Ave Building.
[NOTE: Solid Waste may have looked at this building several years ago- and they may have appraisals. If so those could perhaps be upgraded- to save tax dollars.]

Commissioners approved starting the process for getting interlocal agreements with L-bg and Aurora to do small county sections of a few roads next to their jurisdiction. (Elizabeth Tower, David Dr, Gnawbone, Stony Lonesome were mentioned)

Listerman announced that he is an official county resident- moved into his new home.

8. Pickens- Claims and minutes

9. Messmore- Ok’d Aurora/Lawrenceburg libraries to use Courthouse Memorial Site for Sept 13 1 PM kick off reading program.

10. Ewbank- Attorney- explained the reason the county is losing out on the Anchor Glass personal property tax payments- the gist of which has something to do with bankruptcy laws that differ from state to state, Fed law pre-empting state law, and the unintentional violation of a stay that a judge ordered (County apparently certified and sent tax bill and this was viewed as a violation of the stay.) We get $8,000 in real estate tax and $27,000 in personal property tax, which is only 8% of the total bill.
[NOTE:So much for getting industry in to pay taxes- First PSEG and now this!]

11. Hughes presented budget itemization from 36-2-5-7-which Ewbank says is an old law on the books still. Apparently there are several forms Messmore has to fill out and get finished in the next 2 days. These show where money in the budget actually goes.

Meeting adjourned at 8:20 PM

Christine Brauer Mueller
Lawrenceburg Township