Dearborn County IN - Public Forum: 07/01/2020

Thursday, July 23, 2020

Dearborn County Health Department COVID-19 Morbidity and Mortality Report: 07/17/2020 – 07/23/2020

Dearborn County Health Department

COVID-19 Morbidity and Mortality Report: 07/17/2020 – 07/23/2020

Number of Dearborn County Residents Reported Tested with Results (HPH, ISDH, Bethesda North, Mercy Health, Urgent Care, LHI…): 696

Number of Negative Tests: 628

Number of Positive Tests: 68

Positive Tests By age:

18 yrs and under: 10

19-30 yrs: 15

31-50 yrs: 16

51-80 yrs: 26

81+yrs: 1

Number of Deaths Recorded This Week: 0

Positive Tests for Inmates: 0

Positive Tests for County Government Employees: 0

Ongoing Dearborn County Statistics:

Confirmed Positive Cases: 368 (-1 duplicate): 367

Reported Tested with Results: 4,818

Total Deaths: 25 (includes 1 probable COVID19 included in ISDH data)

By age: 70-79 yrs: 1

80-89 yrs: 14

90-99 yrs: 8

100+ yrs: 2

By Gender: Female: 16

Male: 9

Tuesday, July 21, 2020

21 JULY 2020 DC COMMISSIONERS MEETING NOTES

21 JULY 2020 DEARBORN COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MEETING NOTES

meeting was available VIA Bridge Conference Call / 812-496-0136 Conference ID #848832)

Present: Jim Thatcher, President, Art Little, and Rick Probst

Also present: Connie Fromhold, Auditor, Andy Baudendistel, Attorney, and Sue Hayden, Administrator

TITLE VI STATEMENT FOR COMPLIANCE was read by Baudendistel as legally required.

OLD BUSINESS

NEW BUSINESS

Public Hearing - Revolving Loan Fund through COVID 19 Phase 2 Grant Program- Mike Perleberg presenting for Eric Krantz- Perleberg said all credit goes to Krantz and SEIRDC and Chamber Foundation for getting this done. This is for a Phase 2 grant. A lack of a revolving loan fund was seen as a deficiency for the county. July 31st is deadline for loan applications.

This is county wide for cities towns and the unincorporated area. They are beginning to get the 20% local match ($50,000) for this.

Probst asked if this was administered by the foundation. Perleberg said Yes. The Foundation takes care of screening etc. This is for businesses that cannot get funding in more traditional ways. There is a little more leeway in this process.These are loans up to $25,000 at 2% interest. August 27th is the award announcement per OCRA website. Commissioners approved.

The selection committee is below in the scope of work.

Below is the paperwork showing more details on this:

Dearborn County Revolving Loan Fund Scope of Work

Project Statement

Dearborn County has for years lacked a structured and sustained method for assisting local employers in times of need. In years past, businesses throughout Southeast Indiana have relied on the generosity of Lawrenceburg and the revenue they receive from gaming to sustain them in times of crisis. During the Great Recession and beyond the city provided assistance throughout the immediate ten county region which mitigated the urgency for establishing a sustainable program that would be there for businesses when they needed it. The pandemic of 2020 has put highlighted this deficiency. As businesses in the area are trying to continue operations, maintain payroll and meet the demands of their customers there are few local resources to assist them. This project intends to alleviate that problem.

Dearborn County in partnership with the Southeast Indiana Chamber Foundation and a wide collection of local stakeholders (see Regional Partner’s list p.3) will be establishing a countywide Revolving Loan Fund with the assistance of the COVID-19 Phase 2 grant. Dearborn County and the SICF will also be seeking to secure local matching funds in the amount of $50,000 for a total initial RLF loanable balance of $300,000. Applicants will be chosen by a seven person loan approval committee consisting of a diverse group of community leaders (see loan committee list on p. 3). Approval will be based on need as a result of negative effects from the COVID-19 pandemic, the expected positive impact of the loan on both the business and the community, the number of jobs created and saved in addition to other factors as determined by the committee including the disadvantaged status of the business (Minority, Women and/or Veteran Owned). The max loan amount will be $25,000 per business with terms not to exceed five years and 2% interest. Any business operating in Dearborn County will be eligible, with the focus being on businesses that do not have access to other local loan programs.

The loan committee will follow the process outlined by OCRA and PCRD in the Hometown Business Preservation Initiative. All applicants will be required to meet with a representative from the ISBDC in order to properly prepare for their application and to establish a continuing relationship with the local small business advisor. All successful applicants will be required to meet quarterly with the ISBDC in order to gauge progress and mitigate potential issues. The goal is to help the loan recipients be successful long term, not simply survive the consequences of the pandemic.

Project Need

The Dearborn County economy relies heavily on recreation, tourism and hospitality both as an employer and a revenue generator. Businesses like Hollywood Casino and Perfect North Slopes employ hundreds of local residents and act as destinations for the entire Cincinnati MSA. Hotels in Dearborn County rely heavily on travelers coming in through the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport and on international visitors to the nearby Creation Museum. All of these businesses were forced to shut down as a result of the pandemic. This resulted in not only a direct loss of jobs but a massive reduction in economic activity throughout Dearborn County as the number of visitors dwindled to near nil and remains low today. We anticipate this reduction in demand to continue throughout much of the next 18 months at minimum.

At present, there is no local or regional program in place to support Dearborn County businesses directly with financial assistance. The City of Lawrenceburg did provide a small grant to each business within the city limits, however thus far no local financial assistance has been realized for our employers outside of Lawrenceburg. For a number of reasons Dearborn County did not join most counties in the rest of the state in creating an RLF in the wake of the Great Recession and we are looking to address that in 2020.

Employment Stats End of April 2020

- LMI - 38.25%

- Unemployment – 18.4%

- Weekly unemployment claims – 4,457

- Leisure & Hospitality Region 9 Employment Change (year over year) - 61%

- Per capita income - $29,891

- Labor Force Participation % for the population over 16 – 65.8%

- % of age 25 and over with some or no college – 69.4%

Financial Impact

Our goal is to create a revolving loan fund in excess of $300,000 that will be used to assist Dearborn County businesses as they deal with the repercussions of the pandemic and global economic shutdown. We anticipate that the loans made through this program will save and create hundreds of jobs locally at a time when the county is dealing with historic high levels of unemployment. The nature of these loans (max $25,000) also means we anticipate they will be used as part of larger investments. The Dearborn County RLF will be used as a portion of a broader financial package that will help companies maintain and grow through turbulent times. A RLF of this size will result in millions of dollars of capital investment locally.

Dearborn County is a major employer for residents throughout the region particularly Ohio, Switzerland, Franklin and Ripley counties. By supporting a strong economic environment through direct financial assistance the Dearborn County RLF will maintain jobs and fuel growth through the Southeast Indiana region and the Cincinnati MSA.

The Dearborn County RLF will also serve to take some of the financial strain off of the County and smaller local municipalities who are doing everything they can to support their local economies. This program will help them help local employers and their residents without demanding outflows from budgets that are already under strain. As stated above, Dearborn County is heavily reliant on hospitality taxes to bolster its financial situation, and those revenues have been decimated by the pandemic.

Administration

The primary administrator of the Dearborn County RLF will be the Southeast Indiana Chamber Foundation, a 501c3 sister organization of the Dearborn County Chamber of Commerce. The ISBDC will act as technical advisor to all applicants. Miller Flannery Law will act as legal counsel to the RLF. The process will adhere closely to that outlined by OCRA and PCRD in the HBPI (SICF representatives participated in the HBPI webinars).

Goals/Expected Outcomes

The goal of the RLF is the create a sustainable program that can assist local businesses in times of need. SICF will be judging the success of each grant based on the number of jobs created and saved, average wage of those jobs, total capital investment made by loan recipients and overall intangible impact on the quality of the community as a result of the companies sustained operations.

Timeline

June 24th: Grant Proposal Submitted

July 1st: Public awareness/crowd funding campaign (for matching funds) begins

July 1st: Secure matching commitments from local partners

July 13th: Public meeting

July 31st: Submit final grant application

August 28th: Open the RLF application process to the public

September 28th: Committee review first wave of RLF applications

October 5th: Award initial loans

Loan Committee

- E.G. McLaughlin (Civista Bank)

- Karen Snyder (United Way)

- Terri Randall (One Dearborn)

- Steve VanWassenhove (entrepreneur/restauranteur)

- Paul Fox (P&G Executive, retired)

- Mark Graver (Ivy Tech)

- Jim Thatcher (Dearborn County Commissioner)

Regional Partners

- Dearborn County

- Southeast Indiana Chamber Foundation

- Aurora Main Street

- Dillsboro Main Street

- Bright Area Business Association

- Dearborn Community Foundation

- Dearborn County Chamber of Commerce

- Southeast Indiana Port Authority

- Dearborn/Ohio County United Way

- Ivy Tech

Glossary

- SICF – Southeast Indiana Chamber Foundation

- ISBDC – Indiana Small Business Development Center

- RLF – Revolving Loan Fund

- OCRA – Office of Community and Rural Affairs

- OD – One Dearborn (Dearborn County economic development organization

- PCRD – Purdue Center for Rural Development

ADMINISTRATOR – Sue Hayden- All Saints Paris- St Martin’s Campus wanted to close Yorkridge on July 26th at 9:30 AM from the church to ChapelThorne subdivision and back. Sheriff agreed and they will monitor safety. About 100 runners. They will observe social distancing etc. Approved.

AUDITOR – Connie Fromhold -Claims/Payroll and July 7th Minutes approved

Heath Dept Grant Approval - Preparedness and PPEs- Fromhold $47,078 is the grant in case wave of COVID returns- Approved and signed.

FYI per Sue Hayden- county has 15,000 masks and health dept has over 10,000.

ATTORNEY – Baudendistel- Dr Eliason requires masks for all entrants to the county buildings. There is more testing and they are seeing more cases so they are doing this to prevent the spread of the virus. Also workers have to when dealing with the public. Approved the Proclamation.

Andy Baudendistel- 2 Temporary ROW Agreements for One Mile Road with

Brad and Timothy Knigga- $383.50 and Brian and Dianne Hoffman- $711.75 for a period of 5 years. It won’t take 5 years but that’s what they are for. Approved. Listerman will get them recorded and pay the property owners. Baudendistel noted that he is related to Hoffman’s and his mother is a Knigga.

Baudendistel suggested Aug 4 at 10 AM for the vicious dog determination hearing. Approved.

Baudendistel- Reopening Stage 4.5 still for Indiana. People of 250 or more require approval from Health Dept.

Todd Listerman- Highway Engineer- Hoping to have One Mile done before Christmas.

Also agreement with INDOT for 80% Harrison Brockville and Johnson Fork Rd Bridge#108 total $100,940 ( $80,752) - Approved and signed.

COMMISSIONER COMMENTS

Probst- reminded that its still COVID here and he tested negative at 1:30 on Saturday- But that does not predict what he is at 2 PM or later. Stay vigilant.

Little- He loans out stuff and e cleans it all with Clorox

Thatcher - 1365 tests run since July 7- running up to 200 tests per day. Thinks it is due to employers requesting more tests. He’s really confident in the Health Dept. He said we are being careful as we are right next to Hamilton County.

LATE ARRIVAL INFORMATION- none

PUBLIC COMMENT- none

ADJOURN- 5:32 PM

Christine Brauer Mueller

Lawrenceburg Township

Monday, July 20, 2020

BIG CHANGES IN SMALL CHANGE- Leo Morris

Big Changes in Small Change

reprinted with permission of IPR

by Leo Morris

In this time of national nervousness, with pandemic fears and civil unrest widening our already vast political divide, I am just one of the little people waiting for the change our leaders have promised.

And they all have done it.

Sometimes, they just hint that a new direction is called for.

Donald Trump pledged to make the country great again. George W. Bush vowed to practice “compassionate conservatism,” and George H.W. Bush promised a “gentler, kinder nation.” Ronald Reagan said, “Let’s make American great again,” which has sort of a familiar ring to it.

But many of them just came right out and used the actual word.

Barack Obama offered up “Change we can believe in.” Bill Clinton gave us “For people, for a change.” Jimmy Carter said we need “A leader, for a change.”

Change, change, change.

But there is no change, absolutely none.

I discovered that in an abrupt way the other day when I saw a sign in front of the cash register at my favorite restaurant.

Due to the nationwide shortage of coins, it said (I paraphrase), customers who pay cash will have their bills rounded up to the nearest dollar. So, not only will I have to suffer the absence of pocket change, but I will pay more for my food. The little guy gets it again.

Great.

This shortage, like all the others, was brought about by COVID-19. We soldiered on when toilet paper and hand sanitizers weren’t to be found. We toughed it out through shortages of meat and eggs. We shrugged in stoic acceptance as supplies dwindled for flour, soups and pasta, lumber, bicycles, medical supplies and, for God’s sake, jigsaw puzzles.

And now we’ve lost our pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters? It’s the last straw, isn’t it, the final sign that civilization as we know it is coming to an end.

There isn’t really a “shortage,” the news stories patiently explain. There is simply a distribution problem for the $47 billion of coins in circulation because the pandemic has left fewer workers in the coin production and disbursement pipeline and fewer consumers out there passing the coins around.

The missing change is a special problem, the stories note, for cash-only businesses and the people who depend on them. Businesses like laundromats, which cannot afford the thousands of dollars it would take to retrofit their machines, hurting millions of little people who can’t afford their own washers and driers, which makes them even littler than me.

Wait, what? $47 billion? Billion? With so much loose change available, how can so much of it be missing in action? Just where are those absent little discs?

Coins were once a vital part of the nation’s economy, so important that people said things like “A penny saved is a penny earned” and “Don’t take any wooden nickels” and “A dime a dozen” and “Get your two-bit hide out of here.”

That was when having a bunch of coins jangling in pockets made people feel rich or at least moderately prepared for the day. It was possible to get a candy bar for a nickel, a first-class stamp for 6 cents, a newspaper or a movie ticket for a dime, a paperback book for a quarter, a gallon of gas for 30-some cents, a hamburger, fries and a shake for 45 cents, a six-pack of beer for 99 cents.

Using change back then taught me about the world of commerce. Things like inflation – gumballs from the machine cost a penny, then a nickel, then a quarter. And technology – the food vending machines first took coins, then were modified to accept $1 and $5 dollar bills, then debit or credit cards, then commands from smart phones.

And the speculative, win-or-lose nature of high finance. I have always, from the time I had my first job, had a change jar with which to fund my participation in nickel-dime-quarter poker games, breathtaking adventures in which as much as $20 or $30 could change hands in a single night.

I doubt I could find a game for such a piddly amount these days. And I don’t think they make any poker tables that would allow the players to sit 6 feet apart anyway. So, my change jar is still around, but gathering dust.

Which means I should probably let this whole issue go. As I said, I don’t know quite how the shortage came about, but I’ve got mine, so I’m covered. The last time I looked, my change jar had $107 in it.

It’s locked in a special room with my stash of extra toilet paper, soup and jigsaw puzzles, and I will guard it fiercely 24-7. Don’t get any ideas, because it’s mine, mine, mine, and you can’t have it.

That’s change you definitely can’t count on.

To coin a little phrase.

Leo Morris, columnist for The Indiana Policy Review, is winner of the Hoosier Press Association’s award for Best Editorial Writer. Morris, as opinion editor of the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel, was named a finalist in editorial writing by the Pulitzer Prize committee. Contact him at leoedits@yahoo.com.

Sunday, July 19, 2020

AGENDA- July 21 DC Commissioners Meeting

AGENDA

DEARBORN COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MEETING

July 21, 2020

5:00 p.m., Henry Dearborn Room

(available VIA Bridge Conference Call / 812-496-0136 Conference ID #848832)

Dearborn County Government Center

165 Mary Street, Lawrenceburg, Indiana

I. CALL TO ORDER

II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

III. TITLE VI STATEMENT FOR COMPLIANCE

IV. OLD BUSINESS

V. NEW BUSINESS

1. Public Hearing – Revolving Loan Fund through COVID-19 Phase 2 Grant Program (Mike Perleberg presenting for Eric Krantz)

Open Public Hearing

Close Public Hearing

VI. ADMINISTRATOR – Sue Hayden

VII. AUDITOR – Connie Fromhold

Claims/Payroll/Minutes
Health Department Grant Approval – Preparedness and PPE’s

VIII. ATTORNEY – Andy Baudendistel

Two (2) Temporary Right of Way Agreements for One Mile Road

IX. LATE ARRIVAL INFORMATION

X. PUBLIC COMMENT

XI. COMMISSIONER COMMENTS

XII. ADJOURN

Friday, July 17, 2020

DC Health Department Weekly Morbidity and Mortality Report

Dearborn County Health Department

COVID 19 Morbidity and Mortality Report: 07/10/2020 – 07/16/2020

Number of Dearborn County Residents Reported Tested with Results (HPH, ISDH, Bethesda North, Mercy Health, Urgent Care, LHI…): 715 (+ 3 just in) 718

Number of Positive Tests: 49 (+ 3 just in) 52

By age:

18 yrs. and under: 5

19-30 yrs.: 14

31-50 yrs.: 12

51-80 yrs.: 16

81+yrs: 3

Number of Negative Tests: 666

Number of Deaths Recorded This Week: 2

Positive Tests of Inmates: 0

Positive Tests for Dearborn County Government Employees: 1 (Immediate contacts have already been notified.)

Ongoing Dearborn County Statistics:

Confirmed Positive Cases: 296 (+3 just in) 299

Reported Tested with Results: 4119 (+3 just in) 4122

Total Deaths: 25 (includes 1 probable COVID19 included in ISDH data)

By age: 70-79yrs: 1

80-89yrs: 14

90-99yrs: 8

100+yrs: 2

By Gender: Female: 16

Male: 9

Tuesday, July 07, 2020

7 JULY 2020 DEARBORN COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MEETING NOTES

7 July 2020 DEARBORN COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MEETING NOTES

Present: Jim Thatcher, President, Art Little, and Rick Probst

Also present: Connie Fromhold, Auditor, Andy Baudendistel, Attorney, and Sue Hayden, Administrator

TITLE VI STATEMENT FOR COMPLIANCE was read by Baudendistel as legally required.

Moved this item to beginning as Kelly had Court date-

Community Corrections- Steve Kelly - needed permission for several grant applications community. Corrections Grant for 515,371 Largest is for personnel. This is a grant they had for several years now.

Grant for JCAP76,850 total to get salary and benefits. Approved to apply for grants.

OLD BUSINESS

COVID 19 Related Updates- Baudendistel said medical screening stopped and masks strongly encouraged if dealing with public. Some loosening of what they are doing with consultation with Dr Eliason - new director of Health Board. State made a slower begging to stage 4- we are in 4.5 now.

Thatcher spoke with Dr Eliason about what we should be doing in the county, schools, festivals and testing that has gone on. Bright Festival cancelled due to the inability to social distance.

Updated Proclamation was approved. Little noted that the more we test, the more cases we will find.

NEW BUSINESS

Modification to Stateline Road PE Contract with GRW - Todd Listerman, Highway Engineer- NTE was $4,000 for engineering work. There were 4 sinkholes that they knew were there. They were a lot bigger than they thought they were.This covered that, but nothing left.70 yards of material to cover them up. So they want an additional NTE $4,000 to cover anything else they discover. This makes the engineering NTE total to be $8,000. Approved the additional $4,000 NTE.

Listerman - In his budget he has thin epoxy overlay on bridges for prolonging the life of the bridge deck. For this year he has 6 bridges out of the 28 total they want to do. Enneking Pressure washing has the contract. Do bridges in 5-8 years old and if older they repair and coat. Cole Lane - $103,950, Spangler Road- $4,425, Grelle Road $7350, Lake Tambo- $17,792, Ester Ridge $ 12,104 and Collier Ridge $39,088. Commissioners approved the epoxy deck overlays on these bridges. They clean the bridge decks, patch if needed and coat. Takes an extra day closure to dry.

Highpoint Health Reappointment- Robert “Rocky” Schroeder- Sue Hayden his expired on March 30 and with COVID delays they asked for another term or until it dissolves with St Elizabeth agreement.Reappointed by Commissioners. The Board will formally be dissolved when the agreements get prepared.

Approval of Health Officer Appointment by Board of Health- Dr. Steven Eliason- Hayden said the board decided this was permanent and the commissioners now needed to certify this. Commissioners certified the appointment

Board of Health Appointment - Dr Michael Shugar- Hayden said Dr Michael Shugar is the replacement for Dr Eliason that the board found. His CV show he is board certified in Emergency Medicine with active medical licenses in the tri states here and Nevada. Approved this appointment.

OKI 2021 Funding Contract- Hayden said the $16,321 amount is based on population. Probst said its mandated and the amount is nominally and has not changed. Approved this for 2021. This amount is due in February 2021.

ADMINISTRATOR – Sue Hayden- nothing more

AUDITOR – Connie Fromhold -Claims/Payroll and June 16th Minutes approved

ATTORNEY – Andy Baudendistel- 2 agreements- right of entry and hold harmless agreement for Johnson Mellohs for Geothermal Earthworks Inc to drill a test hole on the property between buildings for a 400 ft hole to see how far to go down to hit proper temps. This is for a possible geothermal process. No cost to county. Approved.

CVTB needs this as they were created in 1995 and modified in 2013. Adrienne Flannery is the CVTB Commission attorney.This is a non-profit corporation that has an agreement to perform the duties of the CVTB. Approved.

COMMISSIONER COMMENTS-

Probst- COVID danger still exists- the numbers around us are increasing- so take protective measure continuously.

Little- said he’s washing his hands more and has been healthier than ever this year so far- so be careful. We will find more people the more we test. With masks we won’t spread many germs.

Thatcher- testing center is seeing a lot more people coming in as employers are opening up and want testing. Looking to extend testing services to Sept 2021 with a grant application. This current test site ends July 31.