27 June 2017 Dearborn County Council Meeting Notes
Present: Liz Morris, President, Dennis Kraus. Sr., Dan Lansing, Charlie Keyes, Ryan Brandt, Alan Goodman and Bill Ullrich who arrived at 6:42 PM.
Also present: Gayle Pennington, Auditor and Andy Baudendistel, County Attorney
ABSENT: Teresa Randall, County Administrator
The room was full with about 35 attendees.
Morris read the Title VI statement as legally required.
Paul Filter was present and Brandt recognized him for having received the Golden Hoosier Award in Indianapolis.
RIVER BOAT ORDINANCE - Baudendistel presented what he learned since the audit form the SBOA (State Board of Accounts) He also gave them 2 handouts one on trending populations in the county. He went over the percentages that each municipality received from the 1997 agreements. It had no termination date and so it is able to be terminated at will with reasonable notice per case law. Gaming admissions tax revenue is the money we are talking about. The law says it cannot be shared with political subdivisions. Lawrenceburg gets wagering tax revenue which is different and they can enter it revenue sharing agreements. The final bill does not contain any language regarding fines that can be levied. Mr. Joyce from SBOA called Baudendistel. Susan Gordon also called him in June also She said they can give municipalities money if it was to promote the county but not the parochial schools. They needed agreements for this though. County promotion fund really didn’t seem to apply, though Joyce and Gordon referenced this as a way to do this. This is all that he found up thru June 9. They will have to repeal the original agreements and redo them to be in compliance he thinks. The SBOA is looking for a way to let us continue to do this.
Pennington said this fund is to be set up as a grant fund and the municipalities have to apply for it and show how it benefits the county. They have to prove that they meet all the stipulations that were set out for them. The is like how Lawrenceburg handles their grants. They would decide at budget how much to set aside in that fund. There has to be paperwork to prove how they benefit the county.
Baudendistel said that they also discussed the Home Rule option, but the SBOA fell on this promotions fund. He thinks that they may be wrong about this because in the law it does not indicate that this is meant for what we are talking about. He thinks that they really need to look at whether they are correct in suggesting this even.
Ullrich said that this money is for all the county and doesn’t like the promotions grant idea much. He likes the Home Rule one better. He wants them to continue to get what they have been getting. He said they could set rules that the money goes for infrastructure and not payroll.
Baudendistel said that we are already in violation for 2017. If nothing is done by 2019 they will require a corrective action plan. If by 2019, SBOA will come in and do a corrective plan for us. If we use our wagering tax money from Lawrenceburg would this become legal? They may say it s not wagering tax revenue to us - it was to Lawrenceburg. He wants to be able to sit down with the SBOA attorney on this first.
Brandt said he didn’t want to rescind the resolution until something else was in place.
Goodman and Lansing motioned to TABLE until they can get more info from the SBOA attorneys. They will still get all their 2017 distributions. All ayes with Keyes Nay. Keyes wants to have this decided in 2018 for 2019.
Populations have changed and so the percentages may change in the new agreements.
Alan Weiss - Greendale mayor- spoke and said they need to realize that whatever is good for each municipalities is good for the county. He made a list of what other counties give away to their cities and towns. They apparently don’t have the same problems we are having. He made that available to them. Morris and he noted that in some of these the whole county is the entity- not just one city in it. He told them about all the good they have done with the money and that they save a little from year to year. To be frugal with some as they never know when this will go away. He hopes they come up with the same amounts later. Thanked them for their time and letting him speak on behalf of the others.
Town Manager of Dillsboro thanked them for this and they use it for infrastructure improvements such as sewer improvements. People supported the riverboat because they agreed to share the wealth. Please have a replacement and we’ll be part of your team.
John Watson- representing several towns as attorney- Moores Hill and St. Leon fixed serious sewer issues with the riverboat money. These sewers are the only option to help the county in those areas. He thinks there is a way to fix this- the agreements will differ in form.
Kelly Mollaun- Lawrenceburg Mayor- thinks people are trying to keep every body whole. Was at lunch with gaming commission today. Their opinion matches Rick Ullrich form SBOA. They would do whatever they can do to help to make everyone whole. SBOA van only make recommendations- and we should be trying to follow their recommendations. We don't want to wait till 2019 as we need to test it out.
Andrea Ewan- West Harrison attorney- Thinks it would be cumbersome to have to ask for the money as grants- if there is way to avoid that - please consider it.
Ended at 7:30 PM
CHILDREN’S ADVOCACY CENTER – Sarah Brichto Annual Report- she passed it out. Decatur county is looking for a satellite office. Jefferson County’s satellite is not working out in it’s locale. Thanked then for helming them see 3200 children since 2009. Council said it’s a shame we need this- but glad you are there.
JAIL – Sheriff Kreinhop -Two additional jail officers- Cost $104,880 includes $35,000+ for family plan insurance. Wants to hire them immediately. They are short one person now also. PAC recommended the two. $46,790 would be covering the rest of 2017. NOT the whole $104,880. Brandt motioned and Kraus 2nd. Lansing Nay- the rest were ayes.
Sheriff's request indicated that the Jan 2014 jail analysis said they needed 21 more jail officers. In August 2016, they received a letter saying they were in non- compliance with respect to adequate number of officers to supervise inmates. In January 2017 the jail audit recommended hiring 7 new officers. This is 1/3 of the 21 required in 2014. [NOTE: Even with the new jail pod design etc, the audit asks for 7 more. What is the explanation for this not being figured into the jail ongoing expenses?]
HIGHWAY – Tim Greive
Highway Request for Slip Repair on 3 roads- Pribble $145,410, North Dearborn $88,351.86, and Bonnell $215,100 but already has $134,748.14 in the account to use: Total request for all 3 is $313,836,86
Have spent most of paving money on slip repair already. He anticipates needing more. Huesman Road has another slip again. NRCS and state engineer are going to be here in the morning. He thinks they will get money back for Bonnell but its going to take a while. Jason Sullivan- EMA Director- has pursued FEMA to get a declaration to get more money form these storms. The Bonnell slip services 2 homes. These have 5 year performance warranties. They are permanent fixes. Pribble will be closed for 10 days or so when they fix it.
Kraus motioned and Ullrich 2nd- all ayes passed.
AUDITOR – Gayle Pennington
Minutes from May 30, 2017- approved
Create a drug testing line item for juvenile detention center - same as some other departments have done (No additional funds needed)- approved.
She told them to be as frugal as they can be in their budget requests. Umbaugh will be there at budget hearings on the first day. Do not change any salaries. Council does that. The depth should be available on the days they will be discussing their budget- they don’t have to come in.
PUBLIC COMMENT- none
Meeting adjourned at 8:00 PM
Christine Brauer Mueller
Lawrenceburg Township
