20 July 2010 Dearborn County Commissioners Meeting Notes

20 July 2010 Dearborn County Commissioners Meeting Notes

Present: Ralph Thompson, President, Tom Orschell, and Jeff Hughes
Also present: Gayle Pennington, Auditor, and Jack Gay, Attorney.

This meeting was preceded by an executive session on a personnel issue. Commissioners voted to take no action with Hughes voting Nay.

OLD BUSINESS:

Sidwell Contract- Bill Ewbank reported that 3 months ago Margaret Minzner came and requested withholding the final $12,000 on this contract. He said we are still short some items requested- most significant are the county road ROWs. They had arbitrarily set 40 ft ROW. There will be a 4 week delay in ability to update as this is fixed. This is part of contract. Also some work for assessment use is needed on farmland assessment overlay, website for 1 year, and 3 days training. Total value is $16,000 and so we still are $4,000 over what we owe versus what has been paid. They are still withholding money.

RQAW- Brett Dodd- providing a repeat performance of the charette information for Council members who are present. (Cheek, Messmore, Morris, and Barrett.) Cheek wanted to be sure we address our needs but NOT do something to get under the referendum amount. Wants to keep it in the public eye. Thompson said the original was $40 million and we needed to get it down to something affordable. Cheek agreed and said that when we find out the cost, we need to sell it to the public. Then they vote. Barrett asked if the total amount would require referendum, but we paid part of it out of savings and the rest was under that limit do we go to referendum. Umbaugh and associates told the county per Thompson that it could go to referendum even if under the limit.

Dodd said that they need details of what is needed before we get price. It depends on materials used, etc. As in building a house or remodeling, you decide on granite or other materials. Barrett said it also depends on minimum security or maximum security or how many beds are needed etc. Lots of decisions regarding kitchen expansion, laundry, and dispatch moving or not, for example are still out. Dodd is suggesting they do the preliminary design phase to help get these costs nailed down.

The charette was the first step in setting the goals of the project. There were 18 people there representing the departments. Consensus was that the JAIL was the first priority. Hoosier Square made sense as it was available and it provided relief to the courthouse.
Barrett said this also has to be fluid so that if the state changes sentencing guidelines for judges, we won’t need as much jail space. Dodd agreed that alternative programs would require classroom space instead of jail space. GED programs also are being used to get detainees back to productive citizens.

Cheek said we need to get what we need- not what we want. When the taxpayers pay this sometimes gets forgotten. Dodd said that you have to go thru initial versus life-cycle costs to decide on the durability of materials.

Orschell asked if this next stage was to design and find the needs. Dodd said they were to do this and also provide some drawings to show design. Dodd passed out the proposal for preliminary design and costs. RQAW is deferring about half of the predesign for jail and Hoosier Square is pretty minimal in predesign fees. These predesign fees are offset by the next stage of development. Orschell asked about having citizens reviewing this – or on the committee. Dodd agreed. He referred a couple times to not doing any work on this and the ramifications being legal issues, as in getting sued about the jail space issues. Dodd wants to do a summary of the scope of work for Hoosier Square also. Orschell quoted the costs as: $102,000 for jail $12,000 for Hoosier Square, $ 45,000 billed monthly to county,$ 45,000 paid one year after completion. There are also reimbursables for travel, print etc. Part of this cost is also a public awareness program. Orschell asked about the list on page 6 #1-14. Typically printing $5,000, travel $500 for example. They can do a website with Powerpoint presentation for the public. You have to do this during an election year. That leaves 2011, 2012, and then 2014. Longer this goes on- more expense. Dodd noted that this is a low cost environment now. This can be a 14-28% reduction in costs per Dodd.

Hughes asked about appraisals on Hoosier Square. On in and one still out. He said not to put expense there until we are sure we have it. He also said we have to look at how much revenue we will have coming in. Hughes wanted to look at financials first before we do design. Dodd said this will be preliminary- not detailed design.
Dodd also told him with the state sentencing guidelines it will probably increase the number of inmates as the state will no longer be holding them. This would not be good news for the county.
Morris asked about the jail addition and if they are attached then does the existing facilty have to be brought up to current standards and codes. Dodd told them about fire suppression system codes etc. Morris persisted in other areas like 14 versus 12” spacing. Dodd went on about guidelines versus ordinance. He said they would not compromise anything that would get us in certification issues.

Cheek said the 2011 budget per the state would be the toughest since the great Depression.
Thompson said that Dodd had commented on adequate per diems for jail space rental. He said that our current per diems were not adequate. Thompson asked if the CAD drawings were the county’s property. The county needs a snapshot of where the county is. RQAW would have to alter contract agreement language to accommodate this. Thompson said square footage was OK but needed operation and use.

Carl Fryman- building Commissioner of Lawrenceburg. He asked if anyone had done a site analysis on this jail site. Site prep is first. He can help on that. The footer design that goes under this building is necessary first. It could cost more. He said they need to do soil tests etc. Dodd said- they had done soil borings on the original and it wasn’t good. They had to do additional caissons etc. This was done in the 80’s. Joe Mrak – project mgr on the original told Dodd that a couple pods might be able to have 4th floor on.

NEW BUSINESS:

Bryan Messmore- Prosecutor’s Office- Ordinance approval for dishonored checks for merchants and citizens- based on Johnson County’s ordinance. REQUESTED TO BE TABLED per Messmore. TABLED

Animal Control fee Structure- TABLED.

HIGHWAY DEPT- Todd Listerman- actually went first on the agenda due to meeting with INDOT at 10 for the ITS signage on i-275. He gave a 15 minute report.

Working to get signage on US 50 also to get motorist info prior to getting on I-275 if accidents or road closures.

North Hogan and North Dearborn recently striped and chip seal/fogseal and ready to schedule pre-final inspections on stimulus project. Hughes said there had been complaints about tar on vehicles. Contractors are getting names and addressing those complaints per contract. He has a list of people who have called in so far.

Have old Cole Lane access to Laughery Creek completed.

Salt purchases this year are being prepared and getting better prices at about $60 per ton from the old price of nearly $100 per ton. Using the state bidding process is saving money.

Working with OKI on the sign reflectivity requirements to be in effect by 2013. Has to have a sign inventory to show how to do this. $39,000 (with 20% match) available to the county perhaps and he will see if this will help to place a layer in GIS system of this sign inventory. He is trying to have a staggered replacement pattern so as not to have a huge budget item in one year. This is similar to the system they use for equipment replacement. Estimate about 5,000 signs in the system.

Working on quotes for striping, maintenance trucks, and things for the new Randall Ave facility.

AUDITOR- Gayle Pennington- Claims and Minutes- paid the claims- including Witte’s final fee held from last meeting.

ATTORNEY- Jack Gay- nothing to report

COUNTY COORDINATOR- Bill Ewbank – Lawrenceburg Public Library District – Board appointment- 2 resumes received.

Opened bids for Courthouse roof- York $42,650 lowest bid out of 4 received.

Bill Black EMA- informed him that they were eligible for $6,000 grant to improve surveillance around the Courthouse via Homeland security. After review by the committee, they think they can do this within that budget. It is a federal grant project and has to reply by July 26 and complete by Sept 30. Commissioners approved to complete the application and signatures and to complete the project.

Ewbank yielded to Bill Shelton with a request on personnel. They need to fill the vacancy that exists for 2nd inspector after he was promoted. He will use the part time fund for this. Thompson said Kraus Sr. said this was funded already- so no problem for this. He has 15 applications already. Approved for him to review and hire.

COMMISSIONERS:

Jeff Hughes- asked about 10% increase in budget and was told it was merely a placeholder per Ewbank.

Ralph Thompson- trying to make ACOs ( Animal Control Officers) into special deputies so as not to have to have sheriff’s deputies accompany them on citations. Lusby agreed. They had a special agreement drawn up that the ACO and sheriff signs. This will solve that problem.

PUBLIC COMMENT:

Mike Hornbach- Extension Office. One of three educators resigned and he is looking to fill that position. Kraus Sr said it was appropriated and within the budget with no increases. Purdue pays for benefits on these per contract. He does not need commissioner’s approval. He will proceed with hiring.

Meeting adjourned at 10:40 AM

Christine Brauer Mueller
Lawrenceburg Township