2 June 2015 Dearborn County Commissioners Meeting Notes

2 June 2015 Dearborn County Commissioners Meeting Notes

COMMISSIONERS APPROVE ORIGINAL ANNEX OPTION WITH CURVED FRONT ENTRY FOR $11.2 MILLION

see notes at end of meeting

Present: Shane McHenry, President, Art Little, and Kevin Lynch

Also present: Gayle Pennington, Auditor, Andy Baudendistel, Attorney, and Terri Randall, Administrator

Also present: Judges Jon Cleary and Sally McLaughlin and Persecutor Aaron Negangard

OLD BUSINESS:

911 Dispatch Interlocal Agreement and Resolution with Dillsboro- $5000 paid to the county for 2015. Approved both resolution and the interlocal agreement. Termination clause of 90 days. 

NEW BUSINESS:

HIGHWAY SUPERVISOR- Tim Grieve: Terri Randall stood in for Grieve.

Asphalt Bid Award- O Mara  bid $914,584.56

Rohe was $937,567.50

Bid was awarded to O’Mara as the lowest bidder.

HEALTH DEPT.- Signature for Grant Agreement for Public Heath Preparedness. No one was present from the Health Dept. Grant was for $51,053. Baudendistel had reviewed this as did the state attorneys office. Approved and Signed. 

ADMINISTRATOR- Terri Randall:

Local Elected Officials Agreement Indiana Economic Growth Region 9- We are a member of Region 9- Little represents us on this group. They are using money to place workers in new jobs. She said it is a worthy cause. The only thing to know is the potential liability for the improper use of these funds though there has never been an issue with this. Little said that the board was dysfunctional a few years ago and now this board is really a good example for the state. They work well with IVY Tech. This agreement designates their representative as Little. Commissioners signed the local elected officials agreement. They also voted to allow Little to execute the agreement on their behalf. 

AUDITOR- Gayle Pennington- Claims and May 26th Minutes were approved. We were the 2nd county in the state to finish their settlement. Washington County beat us this year. We are normally first. 

ATTORNEY- Andy Baudendistel:

Resolution Approving Entry Into Interlocal with Aurora  and the actual Interlocal Agreement for Planning and Zoning Services It costs Aurora $25,000/year with a 90 day termination clause. It establishes a joint board if there is ever a dispute. Resolution and the agreement were both approved and signed.  All judicial issues for Aurora will be handled by the Aurora City attorney and not the county planning dept. attorney, which is Baudendistel. Aurora already approved these agreements. 

COMMISSIONER COMMENTS- McHenry said that he appreciated all the work we and the Redevelopment Board put into the work trying to get Milacron. It was unfortunate they didn’t get it. Lynch said the corridor is getting attention now. Little also said that he agreed with this.

PUBLIC COMMENT- none

LATE ARRIVAL none

COURTHOUSE ANNEX DISCUSSION: Eric Ratz of DLZ recapped what they presented to the Council and Commissioners last week. He stressed the 1871 Courthouse and trying to be sensitive to the architecture. He showed the three entrance options. He showed the two story squared off one as option 1 with windows. The 2nd was the modern curved glass two story option. The 3rd was the one story option with columns. 

Brad Rullman of Maxwell spoke of the pricing. Option 1 $11.4 million Option 2 $11.2 million. Option 3 is 11.04 million. All with full basement. The tunnel system allows tie in to the existing tunnel system. This allows for security. Very abbreviated presentation.

McHenry asked about giving the judges the space they actually need. Rullman said this is the schematic design stage. There will still be some walls moving around in the design development phase next. The mechanicals then get brought in etc. Then they get approval from commissioners. Then they get to the bidding phase to construction phase. 

PUBLIC COMMENT: 

Kathy Scott asked about printable plans availability.Not yet.

Phil Darling- wanted to be sure that we will actually use the basement space. He asked how many square feet would be in the basement to use? About 6,000 sq ft. He said the judges need more court space- maybe use the basement for this- esp jury trials. He also registered that he didn’t want the rounded glass front- maintenance issues. 

Dan Lansing- spoke to the cost issues that Council is facing. He had hoped for a project that was a different monetary option. Like maybe a $8-9 million option. He wants the judges and prosecutor to get their space but…. Can’t keep spending and spending.

Chris Mueller- said that most of her concerns were addressed by the previous speakers. She asked about using the basement space  for optional items like overlapping jury trials only and meetings - not offices for staff with no windows. (We average about 12 jury trials a year) They also may have an option of putting windows on one wall of the basement for exterior light per McHenry and Rullman, 

Dan Lansing - asked if the price included all the new equipment they would need. Alyssa Rullman of Maxwell said that it is a mix of usable and new needed which are not in the price.They have figured out how to cover some of this. 

Aaron Negangard asked about the timing till it is finished. Answer 2 years. He said he appreciated everyone’s input. He wished there was an $8 million option.He wished he had a winning lottery ticket too. But there is no $8 million option. He also wants the big round entrance. He wants people to move round in there and everyone see where the entrance obviously is. It gives 600 sq ft more per floor in the rounded lobby. [NOTE: Want to bet they vote for Negangard’s option?]

Little motioned and Lynch ended for the rounded front $11.2 million option with the full basement. All ayes. 

McHenry asked if they would have a 2nd entrance option. RATZ SAID of course they will have these doors as emergency exits with the existing entrances now. But it is a matter of options that can be addressed later. 

Randall reminded them that we don’t have funding. So the next step is to get with Council to figure that out. She said we don’t want to rush them getting the guidance they need. She will want to come to them to get funding to at least keep the project moving until Council finds funds.  [NOTE: No pressure there??? ]

McHenry said Council has made a wise decision to seek outside help to make the decision. 

Randall was worried about missing construction time next summer if it goes too long and also the costs increasing. 

McHenry wants it to be a collaborative effort.

McHenry thanked all the Maxwell team and the judges and prosecutor for showing up and also the public. He said it was unfortunate there are not more folks taking more interest and time to show up. [NOTE: Meetings called at 5 PM and ending at 6:15 will miss input from most of the working (taxpaying) public. That being said, it was pretty clear that previous and current public input was not weighted very heavily in the final decision. Even the historical society’s input on the architectural aspects didn’t figure in this final decision. Nor did the long term maintenance costs associated with the glass entry. ] 

Meeting Adjourned at 6:15 PM

Christine Brauer Mueller

Lawrenceburg Township