2 MAY 2017 Dearborn County Council Meeting Notes

 2 MAY 2017 Dearborn County Council Meeting Notes

Present: Liz Morris, President, Dennis Kraus. Sr., Charlie Keyes, Ryan Brandt, Alan Goodman, and Bill Ullrich. 

Also present: Gayle Pennington, Auditor 

ABSENT:  Dan Lansing and Teresa Randall, County Administrator

Title VI policy was read by Liz Morris as required by law.

PROSECUTOR- LYNN DEDDENS- Special Crimes Unit Budget- Miscellaneous Operating and Fuel Expense- this is the first time the SCU has ever worked off a budget. They didn’t have allocations for miscellaneous operating and fuel. She is asking to fund these two from seized assets for an amount of $8,000. Ullrich motioned and Brandt 2nd. Approved.

PAWS- PAT HAWKINS- Robin filled in for Pat who was at the Commissioners meeting this morning. Financials and update- PAWS budget is improving with $20,000 saved so far this year. Target Zero is to get to zero euthanasia and they are streamlining procedures to get to that. They are meeting May 22 from 6-7:30 PM at the Lawrenceburg American Legion Post on Second St. Many shelters across the nation are working with Target Zero. She said they are excited to have them help them in Lawrenceburg. Liz Morris thanked them for their work. Robin said they appreciate the county’s support. Morris said what we have for a shelter now is a real showplace.

PROBATION- STEVE KELLY - Salary budget adjustments and supplies- $6,000 for full time field officer to become special deputy with sheriff’s dept. This is to help the field officer who has to enter the homes of felons etc. to be able to carry a firearm etc. They need the money from community transitions to equip the field officer. Morris said she sits on that board and the program is well vetted. She supports the request. This will come from the community transitions funds. This releases them 90 days earlier and they are on home detention. There’s usually about $20-25,000 in that account. Brandt motioned and Goodman seconded. Approved. 

Juvenile users fees will cover this GPS but needs a line item to pay for this GPS. Ullrich motioned and Brant 2nd. Approved. 

Pay rate change from $22 to $24/hour. The probation officer is moving  to the new position and still does some of the old position. She’s doing some other duties as well. Community Corrections grant fund will pay for this. This is retroactive to Jan 25th. They have downsized the dept from 11 to 7. Council members Kraus and Keyes asked questions regarding the full time pay rate for a part timer and what happens when the grants go away? Hello said they have increased the grant money they receive per year. They used to be at the bottom of the amounts granted. Now they are at 90+% in the state. Ullrich motioned and Goodman 2nd. Approved. 

Marilyn O’Neil’s hourly rate as secretary at 18 hours per week. All the others are at $12/hour. This will put her on par with the other part time employees. This comes out of community corrections user fees. This wasn’t something Kelly realized she was not getting at budget time. Brandt motioned and Ullrich 2nd. Approved. 

SOLID WASTE- SANDY WHITEHEAD- Yearly report- This was mailed to them in the past but she felt they should let the public know also. She has been director for 1.5 years now and was a previous educator there. She presented a power point of their statistics on materials and services. They have 17 employees. She outlined staff and duties. She listed board members and advisory board members. Newest addition to receivable recyclables is cartons. Household hazardous waste item types were listed. Cardboard and paper are the largest poundage they take in. Nuisance items are also received there and she has a list of those. They are tasked to divert items from the landfills. Bestway and Rumpke numbers were used for comparison. Our diversion rate is only 9.8%. The national average is 34%- so we have a lot of work to do. Drive-thru hours were increased and this increased the traffic thru there greatly. 5033 visitors to the recycling center. Education and outreach to the community with 244 sessions and reaching 8,240 people. In 2016 they partnered with the Anti Litter Campaign to reduce county litter. They have 96 - 55 gal drums with eco messages to promote recycling. Celeste Calvitto and the Recycling Center shared the cost of this program. Cigarette urns and pocket ashtrays and car ashtrays are being promoted also. Creation Station is another reuse program to get materials into teachers and others hands. 311 customers in creation station. They do a costume swap- 345 customers and prom dresses to be swapped. 210 shoppers for prom this event. Morris said the center is a good thing. Goodman said Sandy does a fantastic job- very efficient. Kraus asked about the Freddy the Fish Program- it was about water pollution. Council teased him about trying to find another place to fish.  

PARK BOARD- JIM RED ELK- Park Board Member appointment- Red Elk asked them to consider Michelle Wilhelm. This satisfies the political party balance issue. This would be the Democrat vacancy for Council. In the search process they have found more qualified candidates for the future. Terry Stephens is Council’s republican member. Kraus motioned and Goodman 2nd. Approved. 

Mowing additions- $5,012/year for 14 mowings twice a month for 7 months in the parks. People are over at the disk golf course all the time. People come from a 50 mile radius to play it. The 2 people who were mowing the disk golf course are not available as one moved and the other took a new job. The shooting range and the YES home mowing is under another contract for about $5,000 mowing. They want this to come out of county farm fund. 

Talk about charging fees in the future. New website has a feature that can be turned on to collect fees. Kraus motioned and Ullrich 2nd. Approved.

Bright Meadows Paving repair- $17,000 needed. Red Elk didn’t know the last time this was done. Kraus motioned and Goodman 2nd. Approved. 

$6,607 to repair the storm run off was also approved for Bright Meadows Drainage issues. they will put catch basins on the property. Local technical resources and etc General Contractor had some input. Ullrich motioned and Goodman 2nd. Approved. 

Baseball field dirt is being worked on. Joe Rettig- new member is working on this. Ginger Korn is to be a volunteer coordinator for the volunteers for the park board. Clean up at Guilford Park is Saturday for the flood cleanup.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT/911- JASON SULLIVAN- Outdoor warning system, sirens and siren software- Liz Morris presented in Sullivan’s absence. $35,000 is being asked for. Wants to keep Mobilcom. Software won’t work on the old computer. THEIR COMPUTER IS AN OLD XP VERSION. They are concerned that the software won’t operate on this. The entire group of items  and installation at $95/hour for Midwest Data under contract should be under the $35,000 per Morris. Brandt motioned and Keyes 2nd. Approved a NTE of $35,000. 

Bonnie Starks of HVL Safety Committee spoke about NOT eliminating the outdoor sirens. They have a lot of activities at HVL and it is a safety concern.

TREASURER- BARBARA SCHERZINGER- PERF $6,688 for her - (Phil Weaver didn’t have this as he was not eligible as he had retired) Brandt motioned and Goodman 2nd. Approved.

Part time raise for 1st deputy- $3,000 for help at tax time. TABLED for now after much discussion. 

HIGHWAY- TODD LISTERMAN- Community Crossing Grant Match - LTAP evaluation process and ratings were explained to Council. Tim Hunt was there with him to answer questions. State legislature has raised taxes to secure funding for our road systems. Next 15 years are OK for this Community Crossing program. This process is one of the steps to get grants thru that program. HWC Engineering- Tim Hunt has evaluated all the roads and put into a software program. They are focusing on the major arteries. PACER rating shows over half our roads in a poor rating. They are trying to get roads maintained BEFORE it needs complete resurface. There may be more than a $1mil match after more funding comes in from the state. Much discussion of how these ratings work and how to maximize our funds. Hunt said it was the least difficult program he has ever had with the state with respect to administrating. Legislature needs data driven numbers. From here on out you just update the program. Council appreciated the input. 

They want a $1million match for this Community Crossings Fund Grant Program. They want to do this for pavement. Any funds not used go back to the state from their match and back to county account for the county’s unused match. Discussion on how they can find the $1million to match each year…  Listerman noted they would have to hope more funding comes from the state from the taxes they raised. Choices will be made according to priority. Data driven- not driven by who knows who. Listerman noted that in 10 years he’s been here they have not been able to do dead end roads- because of the more traveled ones needing it. Legislature didn’t seem to realize the costs of paving roads and the actual number of roads needing it. Council - Goodman motioned to allocate the million out of rainy day fund and Ullrich 2nd. Approved. 

Bridge 76- Jamison Road- $750,000 is the cost. Still not sure where to get the funds. Growth and Development is the only fund available for this.The rest of the funds are going for other funds. Kraus motioned and Ullrich 2nd to approve funds from Growth and Development. Approved.

Created a line item for Bridge 24 Cold Springs Rd to account for that under the 80/20 funding program. Brandt motioned and Goodman 2nd. Approved. 

Soil and Water Conversation District- Jennifer Hughes- Grant from SWCD that only they can apply for. $40,000 of a $50,000 grant is being applied for. Working for community gardens in areas in food deserts- It’s an Urban Ag Conservation initiative. No county money needed. Ullrich motioned and Goodman 2nd to approve grant application. Approved. 

PLANNING AND ZONING- MARK MCCORMACK- legal cases-McCormack was not present- Morris said that they have some legal issues that they are dealing with in the office. $3,000 needed. These are all on county properties. Kraus motioned and Ullrich 2nd. Approved.

AUDITOR- GAYLE PENNINGTON-Ordinance repealing the ordinance that collects people who don’t pay taxes in time with an extra legal service $50 fee. Brandt motioned and Keyes 2nd. Approved the repeal of Ordinance 2015-001 because the cost of enforcing it was not cost effective. Kraus abstained.

Minutes Feb 28th Kraus motioned and Ullrich 2nd. Approved.

Grant request for Veteran's service- $6,000 grant for annual support for his transportation form Dearborn Community Foundation- no match of county money. Kraus motioned and Keyes 2nd. Approved.

$34,777.74 EMA grant for half of salaries for them. Goodman motioned and Brandt 2nd. Approved.

PUBLIC COMMENT- none

Meeting adjourned at 9:30 PM

Christine Brauer Mueller

Lawrenceburg Township