4 March 2025 DEARBORN COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MEETING NOTES

  4 March 2025 DEARBORN COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MEETING NOTES

Present: Jim Thatcher, President, Duane Bischoff, and Kevin Turner

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

Citizen Board- Cemetery Board open 5 yr term position.TABLED for recommendation- Baudendistel said cemetery board is meeting next week at Vance Tousey House to discuss recommending a new member. TABLED 

Health Dept MOU (Memorandum of Understanding )- This is an annual memorandum so that Health Dept can access county physical assets in an emergency. Approved. 

NEW BUSINESS

Year in Review- Dave Currence- Veteran’s Service Officer- looks forward to this each year. He stated their mission. Provide veterans with the dignity and respect they have earned- caring and compassionate service. Moving in to 5th year of North Dearborn Library Benefits. This is very successful event to get the word out on benefits available. Attend training in Indy  to maintain certification. The service to get vets to appointments. They have good vehicles and volunteers to drive them. Financial, housing, VA etc services. Every year they have had a budget for Thanksgiving food for food insecure veterans. They are helping with that now as that funding went away. Count veteran population decreased slightly as the WW II vets are aging out. 527 veteran claims average 52 transportation requests per month. Costs of maintenance went u and Council granted more to assist. Slight 2.5% decrease in VA claims processed this year. Aversaged 44 claims per month. Saw increase in medical claims. Plan to continue and also to assess needs to see what they can do. Communication - more broadly throughout the county so they know what we offer. Told the new commissioners to feel free to reach  out to him for any needs. Homeless shelter has criteria to meet- and we only have one shelter here. He does try to get housing vouchers for some- but its its a long process. 

Introduction of Andrew Young- Hillforest Historical Foundation Director- He’s the new director of Hillforest. They rely heavily on donations and had a thank you for the county donation received. They open April for tours again. No appointments- just being the doorbell. Docents are there to guide. He passed out cards and free passes for tours. 

Updates Soil and Water Conservation District- Erin Huber- Environmental Tech (she’s ut sick)  and Ken Gunkel, Chairman of the Dearborn county SWCD- Ken said they retired there 1999 Jeep and it was auctioned. 18,554 miles on their Ford Compass. Attended Indy Conference. Met with Lt Governor. Annual meeting is March 13 at Liberty Theater at 6:30 with dinner by Polling Pin. Pond meeting at Gladys Russell. Tree giveaway Friday 25th at Bright Meadows Park. Starting 9 am. Plant Field day at Bright Meadows Park- DIRT Group - Dearborn Invasive Plant Removal. Hopes they attend their annual meeting. Ken was 2024 Supervisor of the Year Award. 

Travel Advisory- Jason Sullivan, EMA Director- kids sick so he was unable to be here. TABLED.

Todd Listerman, County Engineer:

Bridge #68 Yorkridge Rd Supplemental Design Agreement- USI Consultants with intent to do bridge deck overlay. But it was determined there was too much patching required so they modified the contract to an actual replacement of the bridge deck itself. Cost is no different- but the scope is different. It will be 4 month plus closed for this work. The design cost is the same but the deck cost is going to be more expensive. Drones and thermal cameras can penetrate the concrete to see the details better now. They can do thin epoxy overlay with stones to seal and keep the water and salt out. They do these a couple years AFTER the bridge decks are done. That will be done 2 years after this. On out traffic counts- 15-20 years life extension and do it again 12-15 years on state roads with higher counts, If you do this every 15-20 years. He will send them the list of bridges planned for this. 

Approved and signed USI agreement for $0 cost change. .  

Small Structure #127 Grelle Rd ROW Supplemental Agreement with CivilCon Inc. - Listerman- 3 categories: culverts 4 ft,, 4-20 ft  small structure, 20 ft and over is a bridge. This is being done in- house - a local project. We are purchasing  property from property owners. He works with Andy Baudendistel to send out offer. Rather not go to condemnation. They offer a good number to compensate for the land. Once they accept offer- Listerman does all the work and record deeds.This is to produce the documents from a surveyor to get the descriptions done. Then he gets the land and goes to Council to seek funding for land purchase etc. This location is not far from Farmer’s Retreat. If it gets too big - they will decide if they can do in house versus a contract. $4500 is just to produce plats and ROW. Approved

Listerman will be gone 15-22 for Spring Break.     

911- Additional $50,000 for 911 software- Chris Heitmeyer requested to Table this. Nicole Daily does not quite have all the info he needs yet. TABLED.

ADMINISTRATOR – Sue Hayden- Auction Results - started Feb 19-26. 20 vehicles and a roller $72,245. $645 was computers and printers etc. $71,105 is the county take for this. $1,140 was auctioneer fee. He gets 8% from the buyers. Vestal Auctions from Versailles. This was an online auction. Health Dept gets $2850..Special Crimes gets $8,400. Most will go back to County General. 168 registered bidders online. Online gets bidders nationwide. All vehicles are picked up now.  

AUDITOR – Connie Fromhold  - Claims/Payroll and February 18th Minutes- Approved

ATTORNEY – Andy Baudendistel- nothing

COMMISSIONER COMMENTS: 

Turner- EMS  of 2 KY counties dropped Pulse Point App so St E’s Hospital dropped it too. Per Chris Heitmeyer 911. This App was being used more for social media and we use Rapid SOS instead. There were only 24 with the app here who ID themselves as first responders who can come in. 

Bischoff seeking out more people for cemetery board also.  

LATE ARRIVAL INFORMATION- none

PUBLIC COMMENT-none

ADJOURN- 9:20 AM

Christine Brauer Mueller

Lawrenceburg Township