15 April 2014
Dearborn County Commissioners Meeting Notes
Present: Shane McHenry, President, Art Little, and Kevin
Lynch
Also present: Gayle Pennington, Auditor, Teresa Randall, County
Administrator, and Andy Baudendistel, Attorney.
OLD BUSINESS:
Proposed Animal
Control Ordinance- Baudendistel had given the draft to the commissioners.
They changed one section to strongly recommend spay and neuter. Not enough
staff for enforcement of actually requiring spay and neuter. They cities and
towns have a copy of this. Marlene Underwood will be present for 2nd
meeting in May. This will be posted on the county website for 30 days prior to
adoption of the ordinance. Check www.dearborncounty.org
NEW BUSINESS:
Recognition of Chuck
Johnson 45 years as an auctioneer- National Auctioneer day is April 19-
Susan Johnson, Chuck’s daughter –in-law represented the Johnson family. Chuck
went to auctioneer school in Iowa in 1969. His slogan was “auction means
action.” He worked for Bill Hoffmeier for a while, before striking out on his
own. She told several stories and
history of his years of auctioneering. Commissioners also presented him with
the Distinguished Hoosier award from Gov Mike Pence and recognition from Senator
Johnny Nugent also. There are several family members who have followed him into
the business. Pictures were taken with the family and commissioners. This was a
surprise for Mr. Johnson.
Commissioners observed a moment of silence for
Sue Hayden whose brother passed away suddenly. Hayden is the Commissioner’s
executive assistant.
United Families-
Kathy Riley- Mental Health Awareness Month Proclamation – Commissioners
signed the proclamation to mark children’s and young adult’s mental health
needs. McHenry read the entire proclamation before they signed it.
Clerk of Courts- Rick
Probst- Polling locations approval and notification- commissioners are
required to designate the polling places and because there are three changes it
has to be published twice. Polls are open now- for early voting. Commissioners
approved.
Grant Agreement with
Indiana Family and Social Services Administration- Pennington presented for
Negangard. It is a grant that the prosecutor receives every year. Commissioners
approved it and Negangard signs off on it. $98,895 for adult protective
services program. It reimburses one whole salary and parts of 2 other salaries
for the people who work in this department.
Change orders- 2- for
Jail Expansion- Terri Randall covered for Brad Rullman. Change order #1 with
5 items on that- showers and grab bars $1279, security small deduction ,
security hardware $888, doors $19,696, substitution of exterior glazing small deduction
for Fab Core. Total additional of $20,801. Change order #1 approved.
Change order #2 – Quality Fire Protection- $16,204.37 for
sprinkler head valves. These require 2 events to activate them. This keeps
inmates form tampering with them. Commissioners approved change order #2.
HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT:
Tim Grieve, Highway Superintendent-
Emergency Watershed Protection- thru the USDA Conservation Service. This is
regarding the recent heavy rains we had. There was no declaration on these
rains. They are seeking grant funds 75%/25% for repairs we need to make. The
USDA pretty much does the whole project. He showed a picture of Johnson Fork
and Peppertown. There are 3 locations there- one is on the Losekamp farm. Since
these are expensive fixes and it requires getting into the creeks, this helps
solve that problem and they do the permits too. There are other locations in
the county needing repair also. This letter is going to Ms Jane Hardesty
showing support for seeking this funding. Commissioners signed it.
Highway Dept is
closing North Dearborn Road on the hill for repairs. This will take a
couple weeks now and a few days also later this summer. McHenry said to be sure
to put Art Little’s name and phone number on all the signs declaring the road
closing.
ADMINISTRATOR:
Teresa Randall-Moving forward with the
courthouse annex analysis and soil borings and geotech getting bids. Alt and
Witzig was low bidder. $4875. The other bid was $7778 from ATC. Randall
reached out to them to let them know there was a large discrepancy, They knew
they could not sharpen their pencils enough on this to compete on this one, but
they understood and wanted to be considered for future work. Commissioners
approved Alt and Witzig at their bid price.
AUDITOR: Gayle
Pennington- Updated personnel handbook-
Suellen Cauble presented this. Commissioners had copies sent to them on
Friday. There were 16 changes. They added the county adm to the advisory
committee. Nepotism was spelled out. The jail matron and the deputy coroner
position are not exempted from the nepotism law. (Tradition allowed the sheriff
and coroner to hire their spouses.) Part timers were to be around 24 hours per
week. Matrix employees was changed and sheriff’s employees eliminated as matrix
covers more than sheriff employees. Highway employees can earn larger comp
time. New hires don’t get vacation time earned from Oct – Dec. Vacation can’t
be used until earned. Holidays are defined as 8 hours. Vacation time must be
used during FMLA once sick time is used. No smoking in county vehicles. An
employee must be there at start of shift- not within 15 minutes. Professional
attire is fleshed out. Dept heads have more leeway on suspensions etc for
employee conduct issues. They are asking for commissioners to sign off on this.
Randall has offered to go over these changes with Cauble in instructing
employees on these changes. Council decided not to exempt the jail matron and
deputy coroner positions. The handbook reflects that. Commissioners approved
the new personnel policy handbook changes.
Claims approved. Minutes approved for April 1st.
ATTORNEY: Andy
Baudendistel- nothing except he asked about the polling location names- like
Dover 47022- which is really Guilford and St. John Lutheran- Lawbg 9 is not Aurora-
but Lawrenceburg. Pennington gave him a little “history lesson from before his
time” on where the missing Lawrenceburg poll numbers went. They ended up as
Greendale locations. She will fix the addresses before posting the polls.
McHenry said that hearing history lesson made him worried as
the last time he heard that expression, the next thing he knew he had a Hatch act
violation filed against him! (He later explained that Witte had used the expression
before filing the Hatch Act violation.) [NOTE:
Should he be re-elected, McHenry may have to check his new position with the county
prosecutor to make sure it accomplishes both Hatch Act rules and also the rules
for not being a COUNTY employee, including his benefits.]
COMMISSIONER COMMENTS-
none
LATE ARRIVAL
INFORMATION- none
PUBLIC COMMENT- I
reminded McHenry that we had talked last Thursday about getting the DC Redevelopment
Commission Board legal. They have 6 voting members and should only have 5. McHenry
said he forgot as this was not on the agenda like he thought it would be. McHenry
asked if anyone had talked to Helms. Randall brought up Helms possibly not
wanting to stay on but no one had spoken to him apparently. Lynch said that he
had no problem stepping down to make it legal. Randall said that if someone else
resigned perhaps Lynch cold be reappointed and that the law does not require a commissioner
to be on it. Commissioners voted to
allow Lynch to resign.
Meeting adjourned at 6:02 PM
Christine Brauer Mueller
Lawrenceburg Township
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