COUNCIL APPROVES JAIL PROJECT AND SOME HIGHWAY NEEDS IN 3.5 HOUR MEETING

21 May 2013 Dearborn County Council Meeting Notes

Present: Dennis Kraus. Sr., President, Dan Lansing, Liz Morris, Randy Lyness, Charlie Keyes, Maynard Barrett, and Bill Ullrich.

Also present: Teresa Randall, County Administrator and Commissioner Kevin Lynch

ABSENT: Gayle Pennington, Auditor – covered by Connie Fromhold

Jail discussion details are under Terri Randall- below.

 Judge Sally Blankenship- JCAP program and statistics as requested by Council. The masters level counselors (Siobhan and Tim) were there also. The JCAP program was set up in response to the growing drug program in 2007. Cognitive behavioral therapy is used. Cost is mainly the two counselor’s salaries. No tax dollars. Grants and also funded by the users- court drug and alcohol program. They are also trying to develop a tool to evaluate the program with IU. Since 2009 JCAP participants have helped provide programs to the high schools and IVY tech. Successful ones have been mentoring thru AA and NA. Anecdotes like – parents saying-“ You gave me back my son or daughter.” They have a plan to get statistics without spending tax dollars. She gave the statistics on the numbers of participants and if they have full time jobs now, etc. 213 people have gone thru the program. 142 days average for males. 90-370 days for females. Average age is 26 for males.  Females -we don’t have data yet. 75% rate from 2007 participants have had no new criminal offense. 2008- 59% have had no new offense. 2009- was 66% with no new offense so far. Thinking they will get a lot better statistics and tools with their IU program. ACC program- Accountability Change and Community- the revamp of the old drug court handled by Judge Cleary. Ron Michelson is also helping with this now also though he now works at Veterans Adm.  

Maynard Barrott said that they will be helping them with the new jail space. He doesn’t see how anyone can question their success. Blankenship said this is about helping people in the community to get their lives back. She gave another story of one of the successful 2009 participants who works and attends UC now. She thanked the sheriff and the jail commander. [NOTE: The jail has a lot of space allocated to this JCAP program. Contrary to Barrott’s opinion, there has been no scientific unbiased evaluation of this program. Scientific measurement of success has not occurred. First you have to DEFINE what success is. Is it saving one person? Is it saving half the participants? Then you have to decide how you define it. Having a job is success? Being drug free for 1 year, 2 years 5 years? This report was supposed to SUPPORT keeping this large allotment of program space in the new jail. Has any other program been tried or evaluated? Do other counties use his program? How do they evaluate it? Obviously this needs follow-up. Even if Council chooses to accept the soft anecdotal data and proceed with the jail space allotment based on it.]

County Treasurer- Phil Weaver- Computer Software and Hardware – the old one is 2005 model. This is the last one to be updated to a new one for $1200. Approved out of Riverboat Revenue.

Phil Weaver brought up the new investment policy that Commissioners just approved at the previous meeting. He explained about the increased flexibility allowed for investments. It allows us to invest in state approved depositories and for longer periods than previously approved. Jeff Messer with Umbaugh and Associates – explained further. There are 180 banks in the state. Morris brought up the local banks- and wanting them to understand what these stringent rules allowed. Council approved the three ordinances that the Commissioners just approved at their earlier meeting tonight.

Planning and Zoning- Mark McCormack: presented by Karen Abbott from Planning Office

Computer- 4.5 year old laptop that assistant planner is using and it cannot handle the GIS well. They hope to replace it with a desktop. $1,000 and they will provide $500 to match. Approved for $500.

Gas- $1,000 requested as they missed this in the annual budget. This is for enforcement vehicle. It’s about $15-200 a month. Approved.

LifeTime Resources-NOT ON AGENDA-  presented the annual report and funding proposal for this year. $10,000 was requested again this year to help provide their services. They do bring in many dollars into the area from grants and cost sharing. Council will consider their request in September at Budget Hearings. 

Prosecutor- Aaron Negangard- Jury Trial and Major Felony Case depositions- Tabled as Negangard was not present. This item was approved at the END of the meeting without Negangard, Morris stated that they hadn’t given him his full request at budget and Ullrich seconded. $20,000 was then approved by Council.

Highway Dept- Todd Listerman: (50 minutes for highway dept. requests)

Lake Tambo- Bridge 41 - $429,000 in Bridge rehab account. Wants to start the process now. This gets added to periodically. $450,000 is what is needed.ROW is purchased and design is done. $429,000 WAS APPROVED from Bridge Rehab account.

Box Beam Bridge Construction Repair- these are the ones with no deck over them that are slated for repair. Ester Ridge is one that needed to be completely replaced. The rest that do not have decks he thinks he can save. He wants $75,000 to design these decks to work on them as he has accumulated funds. There are 11 bridges he is trying to save. This will also include approaches and guardrails. It will cost up to $900,000 to fix them all. This should last 40-50 years. It comes out of cum bridge- funded by property taxes. Designs are good for 4-5 years.  APPROVED.

Cum Bridge could be tripled if we increased the rate as allowed by law.

Box Beam Bridges- by priority: Approved to get the designs done for 2 bridges as that is all the money they might be able to afford to actually repair the bridges.

Bridge- 108- Old US 52- Harrison Brookville Rd design- $75,000 for design approved.

Bridge 76 Jamison Road design by Losekamp Rd.- $75,000 for design approved.

Bridge 48 Bonnell Road design- DENIED for now.

Bridge 221 Davidson Road design- DENIED for now.

Morris asked about status of Collier Ridge. Collier Ridge Bridge has less than $100,000 for all the ROW including a rental house. 

Line Striping- $110,000 estimate. Last year it was less. It’s about 72 miles of roads. Approved to bid as this money was already allocated.

State police are now out of the gas tax budget- so our road budget may improve. This funds MVHA account.

Tim Grieve, Highway Supervisor:

Paving- surface coat on North Dearborn from Dover to top of Harrison hill to Jamison and McCann for $1 million. Approved. There are about 30-35 miles of gravel road left in the county. 

Equipment- replacement schedule- 5 pick -up trucks and one dump truck. The cycle is 16 years for the county. The pick-up trucks were bought at once so all 5 went out at once. There are 10 total in the dept. Big discussion from new members of Council on the schedule and why it is sometimes not followed as items break down ahead of time occasionally. Approved for THREE pick-up trucks and a dump truck for $260,000.

Commissioners- Terri Randall Administrator- Jail Construction: ( over 90 minutes)

Jeff Messer of Umbaugh and associates briefly reiterated that the 3 new ordinances allowed them to get better interest rates and enhanced their ability to match investments to their expected expenses. They could use their trust account with MainSource Bank or other banks that were allowed under the new ordinances. Safety and Liquidity were their major concerns. They will make up a schedule of draws for this . The Hoosier Fund can be used for longer term securities and get a 0.32% interest rate. Phil Weaver- noted that you give up interest to get liquidity.

Randall said this mechanism allows us to move all the money but distribute it in pieces without having to readvertise all the time, especially with Council’s schedule of meetings.

Kevin Lynch said that the jail project came in over budget of what was expected and the commissioners decided to peoceed with the project. The agreed to $356,798 overage on the base jail proce and $712,480 for the 64 bed addition known as the alternate.

Brad Rullman and Jeff Lyness presented a more detailed version of the project than the Commissioners received publicly earlier this evening. They gave the deatols on each of the 14 bid packages and the 66 bidders and their bid amounts. The packages were General trades, Site and paving, precast wall and slabs, masonry, steel, drywall EIFS and acoustical, roofing, detention equipment, kitchen equipment, sprinkler, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, security electronics. Each showed the % over the lower bid that the other bidders were.

Contractor interviews were held to be sure each low bidder actually understood the scope of the work. They also are looking at Value Engineering items to find future savings. Lyness made it VERY CLEAR that the $292,000 for Security Automated Systems done in 2012 that was supposed to be considered part of this total price per Council was NOT in the bid numbers they gave tonight. If it were the total price would be $11,795,494. $712,480 includes an increase for the architect and insurance.

Dave Hall jail commander- commented throughout the presentation on al the remodeling being done in the current jail. Remodeling includes moving 911, expanding the evidence room, work station for captain and major and road officers, IT space, polygraph, storage all in the basement. First floor has a secure corridor to the booking area which has increased space and special medical cells, a lobby with video visitation for less movement of jail prisoners. There is  alarger meeting room for squad meetings and tax sales and the sheriff and comptroller are near each other. VIDEO ARRAIGNMENT and visitation equipment is NOT IN THIS BID. It also does not have the actual equipment of connection to the Courthouse. [NOTE: This is one of the big efficiencies that was touted in the original plans and also one that the architect noted that some judges were NOT on board with using.] Women’s housing is converted to work release in old jailright off the lobby and they will enter by a separate door. This means they wouldn’t have to staff it the same way per jail inspector. Work release can handle 60. They also added one more padded cell. The first floor addition has the bigger kitchen and laundry and a dorm with 8 beds for inmates who work there. Currently they have 6 cooks and a matron. The JCAP space has 16 beds on first floor and space for 2 offices for 2 counselors. 2^nd floor has another 8 beds each for men and women graduates who need more help to keep from relapsing. They might do a 24 bed unit for protective custody for witnesses and sex offenders. 32 bed pods will be added to the first and second floor to the alternate addition. Recreation space on the first floor can be converted to 32 beds if needed and move rec space elsewhere, ( Where?) Second floor JCAP and has central control tower in middle of each floor. Restroom and shower in recreation area for mass arrests and also for inmates use.

THE BASE BID is the shell of the space with minimal utilities. The alternate bid outfits that space.  The visitation room with have 4 contact rooms total. This is for clergy, lawyers, etc. The video visitation equipment will have to come under Dave Hall’s budget. They are saying they can use a service to provide and service the equipment, much like your phone service providers.

Terri Randall went over the length of time this jail will last and concluded that without the alternate it is not a 20 year plan. She went on about how it will cost more to do it later. Lyness elaborated on this also.

Randall said , “We cannot award any bid because we exceeded the budget.” And now all the bidders know each others numbers, so rebidding would cost more. She said she does not want to be standing there doing this again- it’s exhausting! There is no fluff in these bids. They also talked about the phasing of this and getting the rehab of jail done.

Ullrich appreciates all their hard work. Lansing said Maxwell has done a fine job and we now have gotten a lot more for our money. They talked about $350,000 in contingency to cover overruns. (That is a small amount for a project this big)

Lyness said the biggest risk is the ground- they are using geo piers which are like concrete caissons except they use limestone instead of concrete because the load is small. They also worry about the remodel- as in not knowing what is behind walls or ceiling tiles.

Morris said- a 20 year plan REQUIRES the 64 bed alternate. Kraus Sr. said if we build to the full 208 beds and they make no changes, they will fill it.

Randall said that Community Corrections will have a change in leadership there soon and that Morris took Messmore’s spot on that board. Randall has been appointed to that board she said because she is passionate about it and will ask the hard questions. [NOTE: Terri Randall has too much on her plate. If they keep adding to her workload, she will burn out.]

Morris asked Lynch why commissioners approved this plan to do both additional and alternate addition. He said it addresses all the issues today and hope some beds will be available for other counties to rent. He hpes we don’t fill it up.

Ullrich is in favor of the jail and said we should do the right thing for the whole county.

Barrott motioned to add the $1,069,278 to do the whole base bid plus extras and the alternate addition too. Ullrich seconded.  They asked for public comment before they voted. I asked them if this number is too close to the $12 million that would go to public vote. Lansing said that Andy Baudendistel – county attorney- told him that they don’t have to consider that because they are doing savings account money and not bonding it. Council approved it with Lansing voting NAY. No one abstained.[NOTE: Employee of the county sheriff dept (Ullrich) voted on this as did Randy Lyness. Jeff Lyness is presenting for Maxwell – the construction management company.]

Terri Randall also received approval for $13,000 more included in the $40,000 she asked for with the Votaw Shumway demolition work.

Randall also was approved for $4,050,000 for current jail project expenditures.

Auditor- Connie Fromhold- Clerk is creating another account with money already in the budget. Approved.  Minutes approved.

Council has a time limit to discuss increasing the PROPERTY TAX RATE for Cum Capital Fund. Liz Morris said she’d rather increase the rate for Cum Bridge Fund. No discussion. May bring up at June 11 meeting. [NOTE: Now that we have spent the Riverboat savings money, Council will need another source of funds to fix bridges and maintain buildings and roads. The TAXPAYERS are probably going to be that source. Using the savings account for the jail may have pre-empted going to the voters to get approval, but it just shifted the tax burden for roads and capital development back to probable property tax increases. Politically, it’s easier to get property tax increases for things we all use, than it is for jails.]

Public Comment - none

Late Arrival- none

Meeting adjourned at 10 PM

Christine Brauer Mueller

Lawrenceburg Township