1 May 2012 Dearborn County Commissioners Meeting Notes

1 May 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.

Executive session on April  26^th- personnel policy- no decision

OLD BUSINESS:

Agreement with HVL Officers, Sheriff’s Office and HVL POA- Baudendistel reviewed and worked up an automobile lease agreement at a nominal fee so they can get their liability to cover it. Commissioners gave permission to Sheriff Kreinhop to meet with Donna Lask of HVL POA to sign them and then he will return with them to the commissioners.

Payroll Schedule Change- Tabled until June 5 meeting- remains tabled

NEW BUSINESS:

Ratify Signatures on Grant Proposal for the Prosecutor/SCU- Commissioners ratified Hughes’s signature on a grant proposal for $9,079 for a GPS tracking device.

Signatures for SE Regional Community Corrections Grant- Pennington said that this was time sensitive and Hughes said this would help with jail overcrowding. Baudendistel had reviewed it and had no problems with it.  Orschell noted this was a year contract. Commissioners approved this for fiscal year 2012-13 for $499,417.

Home Rule Ordinance- Baudendistel said this ordinance deals with the claim that paid for Prosecutor Aaron Negangard’s own disciplinary grievance attorney fees approved by Council in December of 2010 and officially paid by Commissioners in early 2011. Commissioners passed- this ordinance and said it is situation specific and ONLY refers to the Negangard payment- in order to MAKE IT LEGAL per State Board of Accounts. Hughes asked to have the response in the minutes- State Board of accounts reviewed this and said they had to have an ordinance in effect in order for this to be valid. [NOTE: This seems backwards.  Just how does this work really? The Council in Dec 2010 approves the transfer of funds to pay for an attorney that handled Negangard’s disciplinary grievance, then Commissioners later in early 2011 sign off on the claim. When questioned about it, it takes weeks for Baudendistel to “research” it and he comes back with – it’s legal because of Home Rule. And yet no one invoked Home Rule at any time in Council or Commissioners meetings on this over a year ago. Then the State Board of Accounts comes in and says they had to have an ordinance on Home Rule for this to be legal. So they make one up AFTER THE FACT- in fact- LONG AFTER THE FACT- and sign off on it. This can’t be really right….]

Bridge #34 Discussions- Bridge 34 is being replaced now and Bridge 29 will be next and Mr. Irwin said his agreement only referenced Bridge 34- to use his ROW NOT Bridge 29. There is an old school building there, his original agreement was from 2004. It was to be on a one year basis – not a 5 year basis. The last offer in October 2011 addressed some of Irwin’s issues per Baudendistel. The county is buying the use of the land for 5 years Baudendistel said- not leasing it.  Orschell said he would sit down with Irwin and Listerman to iron this out. Irwin agreed and they will set up a date to discuss this. Baudendistel asked to know when this is also so he can address it all in the agreement.

Joseph Williams – Kennels/Wiring at Old Animal Shelter for a 4H Project- Hughes said this has been on the back burner until PAWS took over. Williams wants to purchase as much as he can get out of there. He is trying to raise money for his 4H project. Hughes reminded them that Park Board is looking at the area for the septic facilities. Williams will use the kennels and wiring for fund raising. Baudendistel said they need to check with PAWS first. McHenry said they should donate these items to 4H and them they can give it to Joseph Williams. Orschell will meet with him out there. No decision yet.

Gary Steinmetz- Wessler and Bittner Roads- He is representing concerned residents there in the northern part of the county. They want their roads paved. They have a dust problem and there is a traffic problem on a road that is almost like  a cow path. Gravel costs and ship seal and labor for patching etc seem to be enough to cover the costs of paving. Snow plowing removes the gravel each winter. In an effort to convince the commissioners of their sincerity, they got a petition together.  Steinmetz gave the commissioners a copy. They have waited 10 years for this. Carol Wessler also spoke about her road. These two roads are north of New Alsace off Legion Road in Kelso Township. Six families live on Wessler Road. Fed-ex comes by twice a day. She said they were promised that riverboat money would go for roads. She said when they asked for votes for the gambling boat- they didn’t say- except for dead end roads. Orschell said he had to be honest- he didn’t see their road getting paved. He did say they are looking at using the grindings to pave some roads. Steinmetz said the roads are so narrow they have to back up to the next driveway to pass. It needs to be widened. To do them correctly would take $100,000 without widening or putting in culverts per Tim Grieve. Hughes asked where they were on the replacement schedule. Grieve said they were way down on the list. Carol Wessler reminded the commissioners that county residents voted for that boat.  She’s been there 50 years and she’s getting old- she’d like to see this done. Grieve said they have had slips that are soaking up money. FEMA money hasn’t all come in yet. McHenry suggested they contact Barnes and Thornburg lobbyists to see about getting more money for roads. McHenry asked for contact information so they could stay in contact about this. Council needs to be asked as well.

HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT: Todd Listerman, Highway Engineer- not present.

Tim Grieve, Highway Superintendent- Nothing new to add from last meeting. They are trying to identify roads for chip seal. Even the good roads like SR 52 need upkeep. We need a definite highway paving program. Grieve is not crazy about chip seal- but it does preserve the road. Some are using slag for chip seal and not limestone.

ADMINISTRATOR: Teresa Randall- received  a request for a proclamation from CASA and Donna Thacker. This is for Mental Health Awareness month- May. Commissioners signed this proclamation.

Bill Black EMA requested they sign for district 9 task force work to be covered by the county’s worker’s comp. Randall presented this for him and commissioners signed off on it.

RFPs are coming in on the drainage issues at Hoosier Square- she will have this for next meeting.

Construction Manager (Jail Project)- Selection Process- Bill Shelton- Building Inspector, has reviewed the RFQ’s with her. Randall presented a PowerPoint of how this selection process was set up. She felt that this was an important decision. They sent an unbiased team to visit each firm at their offices.  The team was Randall and Shelton. They developed a comprehensive list of questions for all firms. They met key personnel for each firm. There were 6 firms. These interviews were several hours each. They tallied the scores to get the top 3 individually and compared with each other and come to agreement. Experience, values, location, record keeping.

Shireman,CCI, Envoy, PMSI, Skillman, and Maxwell. Maxwell , Shireman, and PMSI were the top 3.  They narrowed this to Maxwell and Shireman.

Maxwell has consulting relationship with Integrus. They have wide correctional facility background. They also will be responsive as they are in the county.

Shireman also had equally good scores. Randall said that having a local firm would be entrenched in the local job market.  Additionally they are county taxpayers and would act in the county’s best interest.

Shelton said that he likes the fact that both companies had construction experience.  Randall said that she hadn’t expected it to be as emotionally difficult to make these evaluations.

She is looking for a motion to give her permission to begin negotiations for a Professional Services contract with the firm they choose and the contract will be discussed and submitted for possible approval at the next meeting.

Hughes went over his history on the jail briefly. Randall said that she thought that Integrus the firm Maxwell has a consultant relationship with has national contacts and they might be able to help answer concerns with the project and tap into ideas that others have use. [NOTE: Integrus Architecture has main offices in Washington and one in Carmel IN.] Orschell said that they didn’t expect her and Bill Shelton to criss-cross the state for 800 miles to get all this info. He was pleased with their efforts. McHenry agreed with the other commissioners. Randall said that she wanted to get this done before Council meets in May. Hughes wanted to know if the others wanted to interview the top two also. McHenry said he was ready tonight. Orschell said he thought Randall and Shelton were a neutral set of eyes. Randall said she appreciated the commissioners going outside the box and allowing them to evaluate this way – creatively.

Commissioners ALL voted to give Randall permission to begin negotiations with Maxwell Construction. Orschell thanked all the companies who participated in this. He knew they were all qualified.

AUDITOR: Gayle Pennington- minutes for April 17^th approved.

Pennington also showed 65,146 requests for info on their Beacon GIS site.

 Assignment of the tax sale certificate to Moores Hill needed to be signed. She wanted  an amount on it- they decided $0. Baudendistel worked with Watson( Moores Hill’s atty) Commissioners signed the tax certificate over to Moores Hill. Quit claim deeds were being prepared by Watson for owners with an interest in the Brown Building. No public commented at the public hearing.

Claims were signed.

ATTORNEY: Andy Baudendistel- The dispute with Frick and Associates has been settled from 2011. They still need to sign the agreement.

Condemnation for Stateline ROW is now down to 2 pieces of property and set for court hearings. Hughes asked what the issues were with those owners. Negotiations can go on even though the condemnation suit has been filed. Baudendistel did not know if they even had attorneys. Hughes wants to be sure we looked at every option on these owners.

COMMISSIONER COMMENTS: none

LATE ARRIVAL INFORMATION- none

PUBLIC COMMENT: one resident of Wessler and Bitner Roads said- Boy you spent a lot of money tonight!

Mike Raftery- here as a concerned parent. This year Destination Imagination won Globals. 27 students hope to go to Tennessee for this in June. They have no money to get them all there. Cost is $635 per kid. They have done some fund raisers. They are asking for support to go to Lawrenceburg for money. They may be our future leaders. Commissioners gave a letter of support for them to go to Lawrenceburg Council. Baudendistel suggested going to Legions, Eagles, Kiwanis, etc.

Meeting adjourned at 8:05 PM

Christine Brauer Mueller

Lawrenceburg Township