18 December 2012
Dearborn County Commissioners Meeting Notes
Present: Jeff Hughes, President, Tom Orschell, and Shane
McHenry
Also present: Gayle Pennington, Auditor, Teresa Randall, County
Administrator, and Andy Baudendistel, Attorney.
Commissioner-elect Lynch was in the audience. Art Little was not.
Shane McHenry asked
to observe a moment of silence for Councilman Jim Hughes who passed away .
Baudendistel
thanked commissioners for taking a chance on him as county attorney and wished
them well. He will be leaving the meeting early for court hearings. Commissioners
also thanked him and wished him well. Orschell told a funny story about asking
Baudendistel for his support in his first election but saying he wasn’t sure he
was old enough to vote yet.
OLD BUSINESS:
OKI Citizen appointment tabled until January
NEW BUSINESS:
Planning and Zoning-
Mark McCormack- Zone Map Amendment request from Hirlinger Motors, Inc.-
McCormack presented the information showing maps of the area and the adjoining
Highway Interchange zoning that Hirlinger requested as well. They want to get
their M-2 with restrictions changed to H-1. They don’t need a full blown
traffic study per McCormack . They may need some variances if the rezone is
granted- concerning landscaping requirements. The one neighbor sent a letter
saying they had no problem – but please don’t run water on me. ( this area is
in the flood plain)
Public hearing was opened
but no one spoke –so it was then closed.
Commissioners had no questions. Jeff Lyness of Maxwell noted
for the record that they were not part of that development- just contracting
for the construction. Orschell motioned
and McHenry seconded to approve the zone change to H-1 saying it met all the
considerations of a zone change without specifying how it did. Approved. The ordinance was signed.
Hughes said he wanted Mark to pass along
his thanks to the Plan Commission after having served on it for many years.
Assessor- Gary
Hensley- PTABOA Board –wants to
reduce the board to 3 persons. It will cost less and be easier to convene. He
wants to spend more on his appraisals. He gets independent appraisals on
commercial properties. He said he’ll use about $20,000 for that next year. He
said they were getting beat up at the state on appraisals and he wants to beef
up their evidence on this. Baudendistel agreed that a 3 or 5 member board is
possible. McHenry asked if he was comfortable that 3 members is enough. Hensley
was and noted the commissioners are a 3 member board. And then someone piped up
that Council is 7 members. Baudendistel pointed out an
independent appraisal is helpful in hearings. Hensley said sample size can be a
problem showing statistical results from the neighborhood. Hensley wants 2
Level 2 appraisers on this board. They plan to have the next board decide this with an ordinance
prepared by Baudendistel. Tabled for January and also asked Baudendistel t o
prepare the ordinance. ( as if it is already decided)
2013 Commissioner Meeting
Dates – Randall asked them to have the first meeting moved so it’s not on
the day after New Years. The first
Commissioner meeting will be Thursday Jan 3rd at 6 PM. The new
board will figure out their meeting dates for 2013 after that.
Emergency Management
– Bill Black- Contract with Greater Cincinnati Hazmat- this is their usual
contract- $6,380.99 – which is actually lower than in previous years.
Baudendistel had seen it. Commissioners approved. Bill Black said it had been
great working with Orschell and Hughes who are leaving office.
LATE ARRIVAL
INFORMATION- Bryan Messmore- DC Prosecutor Office- $8,000 additional to their
grant Indiana Family and Social Services Division of Aging used for Adult Protective services . The
grant runs from July 1 2010 and concludes June 30 2013. They will use it to
cover office supplies, travel etc. thus relieving the county general fund.
Salary ordinances stay the same- it is not used for that. McHenry said they
have a lot of attacks on the elderly with scammers. Commissioners signed the grant agreement amendment to get the
additional $8,000.
DC economic
Development director asked for permission to go to Council to ask for money to
purchase land in West Harrison TIF and this deal has to close before Dec 31.
$550,000 has already been appropriated to buy this Stone Property. They will
sign this over to redevelopment after they give the one piece to new business.
HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT:
Todd Listerman, Highway Engineer- there is a public hearing on the Collier
Ridge Bridge- Thursday at 6 PM at EMA building.
Collier Ridge Bridge- amendment to original design contract
and was approved by INDOT. It’s all 80/20. $25,800 is the additional. The total
is now $355,610 to American Structurepointe for design. Commissioners approved.
Separate contract with Structurepointe for ROW for not to
exceed for $24,375 for acquisition of ROW on Collier Ridge Bridge. Commissioners approved and signed.
Listerman thanked Hughes who hired him during his 8 years in
office and he thanked Orschell for all his support of the highway dept.
Orschell thanked Listerman for doing all he did to keep our roads safe.
Tim Grieve, Highway Superintendent- no business- he just
thanked them for their support and appreciated the commissioners. He wished
Orschell and Hughes good luck.
ADMINISTRATOR:
Teresa Randall-
Shumway Contract- asked to table this until after Council
meets and hopefully funds this. TABLED until January.
Vehicle policy Update- worked with the Auditor and she
thinks they need to tighten procedures on mileage documentation logs. She
thinks this will save in fuel costs etc. She wants to table this also until
next year. TABLED. She also added to the “farewell party.” She said she’d try
not to get emotional saying this but she said that they spent hours with her
getting her up to speed. She appreciates what they did for her career and the
county. Orschell thanked her also.
AUDITOR: Gayle
Pennington- set first check date for vendors on Jan 17th with claims
schedule cut off at Jan 11th to start her claims schedule.
State policy says they have to have disclosure of contracts
with relatives. The next Board of Commissioners will have to sign the affidavit
saying they will not contract with relatives. This is part of the Nepotism
bill.
Claims signed. No minutes were presented for signature.
Hughes said he appreciated her organization and efficiency.
She thanked Orschell for keeping her straight. And noted to Hughes that she
wasn’t so sure about the efficiency since she didn’t get the minutes done!
ATTORNEY: Andy
Baudendistel- see above- he left early for court.
COMMISSIONER COMMENTS-
Orschell expressed sympathy to
Hughes on the untimely death of his brother, and said that he knows how bad
that feels. He also said that serving 8
years- is unusual and to be noted.
Orschell said also- Shane – pleasure to work with you and I
always took your comments to heart.
Orschell – IAC ( Indiana Association of Counties) asked for nominations for Auditor of the Year and we put
Gayle Pennington up for this. Randall wrote up the recommendation. She started
with the sudden death of Cary Pickens in 2010- she left treasurer and took up
the task. Leader in expense reduction and efficiency. She cross trains her
staff. Leads by example. Ready to run with any assignment- taking on GIS and Human
resources. She also had to change payroll for state law and she did it in
pieces across several pay periods to mitigate the effects. Even though she
didn’t win- the county recognized her. Randall had flowers and the Commissioners
all got hugs from Pennington. Orschell said to Pennington at the end- don’t feel so bad about coming in 2nd-
I know the feeling.
Tom Orschell also thanked Randall- for all that she did and
he thanked everyone in the room. And BTW everyone gets a pay raise 1st of year.
Orschell wanted to tell a story about an elderly couple, Richard
and Betty Waller- he found a note- when he cleaned out his office. He met them
at one of his early meetings. They had a lifetime agreement with the railroad
to maintain their crossing. The railroad said they would no longer do this. She
had brain and he had lung cancer. She said it happened in the 1970s and
Congressman Hamilton had fixed that for them when RR tried it before. Orscell
said that the County att’y said it was a federal matter. Orschell visited them
and contacted Congressman Hill and they sent all info and Hill did get it fixed
that RR would maintain it still. He said this gave him a feeling that the
system worked. These two both have passed away now- but they told Orschell that
they wanted to be sure not to pass the problem to their kids.
Hughes also said he was lucky to work with a fine set of
commissioners and dept heads. He said Orschell was a tough act to follow.
McHenry gave a speech that as a board they put personal
feelings aside and came in and conducted business. Randall presented Hughes and
Orschell each with a clock plaque. He said they were a great team and they accomplished
some things, He said they left some good things that will be going on beyond
their time. He couldn’t be prouder than to call them fellow commissioners.
PUBLIC COMMENT- none
Everyone was invited to have cake afterwards.
Meeting adjourned at 10:20 PM
Christine Brauer Mueller
Lawrenceburg Township
