19 January 2010 Dearborn County Commissioner Meeting Notes
Present: Hughes, President pro tem, and Orschell.
ABSENT: Thompson- illness
Also present: Pickens, Auditor, and Witte, Attorney.
NEW BUSINESS:
Donna Thacker CASA (Citizens Against Substance Abuse) received approval for their budget overview and13 grant recommendations for 2010.
Mary McCarty and Susan Craig of SIRPC (SE IN Regional Plan Commission) - gave commissioners an overview of all the services they can provide, noting disaster recovery, community focus funds for infrastructure, and local elected official training. They are also working with Monica Opps for Hogan Water Corp to get a CFF grant for their infrastructure- based on 51% moderate to low income beneficiaries. Witte reminded them that Hogan had to come back to commissioners to get their support approval.
Susan Craig also received a commissioner signature (Hughes as President pro tem) on the paperwork verifying the 8th of 10 years that the YES HOME has to show that it is being used for YOUTH Services.
Luan Male of Lifetime Resources received approval for a community development block grant (CDBG) application for $157,970 for seven homes to be rehabbed.
Michelle Bowman of Region 9 Workforce- asked commissioners to sign a letter of support for the YHCC (Young Hoosier Conservation Corps) to get the program expanded to cities and counties. They are part of the economic stimulus recovery. They provide up to 16 weeks at $8.50 per hour for ages 16-24 for summer jobs. In the area 40 youth worked at Versailles State Park and 5 at Whitewater Canal. Commissioners each signed a letter.
Sean Kimble from Liberty National out of Birmingham AL gave an overview of services and wants to provide group term life insurance for employees up to age 100 and those wanting to buy insurance for their grandchildren. They only do life insurance- no cost to county. Rated AM BEST etc. They will get rate sheets to Pickens and the Commissioners to review. No decision.
No Highway Report- Listerman not present.
Claims were approved pending Hughes’s review.
Minutes were tabled to fix the motion regarding Happy Hollow to include the amendment for clearing the ROW that is not on maintenance on an annual basis.
Lawrenceburg EMS contract signed for $40,000.
LATE ARRIVALS:
Carl Fryman- Building Dept.- received permission to go to Council Tuesday to request $8,000 in part time funds to be restored.
Sandy Carley received permission to present PAWS proposal on the animal shelter for discussion at the Tuesday Council meeting. PAWS on January 12th meeting drew up a proposal (which is a work in progress) She also requested to have her name removed from the County account for the shelter at UCB. She gave a memo regarding that to Pickens.
Witte- Attorney- gave a report on Hughes question regarding purchasing agent authority for services. Witte said: Per IC – the only authority allowed to bind the county to a contract is the Board of Commissioners. The dept. heads can negotiate and do leg work- but the final approval rests with commissioners. Any extended contract (beyond a year) is regarded as putting the county in a position of debt. The only way to take on debt is thru the bonding process. Extended contracts can be signed ON THE CONDITION that the county COUNCIL funds it. (That should be part of the contract) These contracts should come back to commissioners and county attorney for review and decision. The current ordinance is NOT written that way. He will consider rewriting it if the board of commissioners directs him too. This decision will be made when all three commissioners are present.
Hughes- Has no problem with a 9-member animal control board. Witte informed them that the ordinance allows only for 7-member board now. Since one member- Schroeder from PAWS has resigned, they are down to 8. Two members are set to be reappointed- Carley from PAWS and Schneider. Carley said she is willing to step away and if they want to they can reappoint Schneider- that will make a 7-member board. Approved with Schneider appointed.
Orschell- gave a brief summary of the PAWS proposal for the new animal shelter. This proposal will be discussed at the Tuesday Council meeting. Council will have ideas to add or subtract. Funding will be discussed. [NOTE: PAWS needs to develop a business plan for this shelter with the advice of an accountant or CPA. Council should insist on this prior to finalizing any funding and Commissioners should too before they sign any contracts. The county has limited funds, the volunteers of PAWS will be busy with the shelter and may not have much time to raise more funds, and there needs to be a firm idea of what the costs will be to maintain and staff their portion of the shelter. The county also needs to have a clear idea of who is caring for animals during their initial entry to the shelter prior to the PAWS people taking over their care. Euthanization duties need to be spelled out. Lastly, there needs to be a fall back plan should PAWS be unable to continue their services on behalf of the county. Ownership of the shelter and the land it is on should be addressed in this fall back plan as well.]
PUBLIC COMMENT:
Cliff Eibeck thanked Witte for his statements regarding the commissioners being the ones running the county. He also asked Hughes again to speak up at meetings, saying that the people elected him and they have a right to hear what he is saying at meetings.
Bill Black-EMA Director- received commissioners’ signatures for the $14,000 GIS grant for a GIS website for homeland security. This was approved in Sept 2009. The website will be managed for 2 years by 39 degrees.
Meeting adjourned at 10:15 AM
Christine Brauer Mueller
Lawrenceburg Township
