November 2009 Council Meeting

Note: These are my personal notes from the council meeting. They are NOT the official minutes, nor should they be construed as an official record of any kind.

Boone County Council
11/10/2009
Present: All Council Members except Debby Shubert, Secretary Heather Barton, Attorney Bob Clutter, Auditor Melody Price.
In attendance were 30 Boone County high school sophomores (ten from each high school) participating in the Kiwanis Youth Leadership Academy. Each student was asked to introduce him/herself on the record at the start of the meeting.

The council approved the minutes of the October meeting after some corrections, as well as the 2010 salary ordinance and budget meeting minutes.

RE-APPROPRIATIONS: (All approved except elections (withdrawn))
Elections (Penny Bogan):
Requested $2000 from equipment repair to equipment, to purchase high speed printers for vote tallies. Several council members had questions about the need for the printers. Bogan explained that the new (reconditioned) printers would be used to replace the slower MicroVote original printers, which would be particularly helpful for vote centers. The council asked that the department hold off until a more immediate need arises. Withdrawn.

Superior I (no one present):
Requested $1000 from med/psych to library, and $1500 from med/psych to other operating expense.

Superior II: (no one present):
$400 from witness/deposition and $450 from med/psych to interpreter

Circuit Court (no one present):
Requested $11,043.48 from PD Petit Jurors, $1416.49 from Travel Expense Jury, $2,033.94 from lodging/meals jury, $500 from PD Grand Jurors to Pauper Attorney Fees.

Mapleview (no one present):
Requested $1000 from PT Help to Cooks and $5700 from PT Help to Housekeepers.

Highway (Tom Kouns):
$250 from telephone to postage, $300 from telephone to office supplies, $2000 from GIS to communications (for winter weather forecasting service) and $2000 from uniforms to other supplies.


ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATIONS:
Auditor (Melody Price):
Requested a total of $40910.14 for tax sale expenses (including $8195.14 for advertising, with roughly $2000 more to come). Commissioners paid approximately $2500 in postage. County has recouped just over $39000 in fees, but collected about $3.3 million in taxes owed (~$500,000) and over-bid (~$2.8M) on parcels which were sold. Nearly 360 advertised parcels were redeemed prior to the sale, leaving 139 parcels to sell, of which 92 were actually sold. Much discussion and many questions followed regarding the accounting for and transfer of funds, taxpayer liability, county responsibilities for refunding fees and redeeming property, etc. The council asked Auditor Price to prepare a document clarifying the process and the responsibility for decision-making regarding the sale itself. Approved.

Coroner (Jerry Harris):
Requested $15,000 for autopsy fees (which include transport and toxicology). So far this year the office has had 60 “runs” and performed 32 autopsies. Basic autopsies done in Boone County cost $500, while forensic pathologist autopsies in Indianapolis cost $1250 each (plus transport & toxicology). The prosecutor’s office frequently requests the pathologists’ autopsies, and the coroner can make that decision as he sees fit. The year-to-date numbers are a significant increase from last year. Coroner Harris does not expect this to be enough to cover the rest of the year. Approved.

Prosecutor (Tonya Thayer):
Requested $10,000 for additional costs related to Michael Stayer trial, including more than $8000 in an invoice from Whitestown Police for investigative services. Council balked at paying that invoice, believing it to be Whitestown’s responsibility, and requested attorney Clutter to investigate the appropriateness of the bill. The council tabled the request pending further investigation into the needs. Tabled.

Council:
Needed to officially transfer the $80 of funds collected from council members and deposited into the general fund to the council fund. Approved.

Local Road & Street (Tom Kouns):
Requested $50,000 into Road Maintenance for fall/winter maintenance. Approved.

Cum Bridge (Tom Kouns):
Requested $250,000 to start engineering process on County Road 400 south extension as part of the federal aid project approved earlier this year. Money would be reimbursed as part of a matching fund grant. Kouns withdrew the request, believing that the process could begin after the first of the year and draw on money in the 2010 budget. Withdrawn.

Health Department (Cindy Murphy):
Returned to revisit last month’s discussion of the Preparedness Liaison funding. The Health Dept annually receives $25,573.14 from the national tobacco settlement, which they can use for a part-time employee to handle preparedness issues. Because of the way the fund works, the money needs to be moved via additional appropriation and will not carry over into the new year. The council approved $5000 to get through the end of the year if the department is able to hire an employee, with the understanding that any unspent money will need to be appropriated again in January for the 2010 budget year. Approved at $5000.

NEW BUSINESS:
Marcia Wilhoite reported on her investigation of the spending of county parks funds in 2009 budget year. Worth township had not received a disbursement, though discussion of including them under the 2000 ordinance had taken place in the 2008 budget hearings. Wilhoite and attorney Clutter submitted a draft resolution to amend the 2000 resolution based upon updated population estimate figures. As in the earlier resolution, the disbursements would be allocated according to population, with Lebanon receiving the biggest portion, at 42%. Next year, Zionsville (21%) will be combined with Eagle Township (12%) and Union Township (5%). The total county levy for parks is roughly $100,000, with the disbursement going only to the five incorporated towns and three townships (Eagle, Union and Worth). The new resolution would cover 2009 and future years. The resolution was approved.
Wilhoite and Gene Thompson have investigated the county park levy and its uses, and raised the issue of doing away with the levy &/or the disbursement in future. Several members felt that after the 2010 disbursement, the levy should be reduced and the disbursement discontinued. That discussion will be placed on the agenda in 2010.

Gene Thompson revisited the resolution on surrendering the Congressional Schools Funds to the state. The council asked attorney Clutter to prepare a resolution for the December meeting, which would authorize the Commissioners to order the Auditor to transfer the funds to the state for their administration.

Attorney Clutter and Superintendent Kouns asked for clarification on the proposed transfer of Cum Bridge funds to the General Fund as discussed at the summer budget hearings. The council cannot reduce the fund’s levy rate (only the commissioners can), and if lowered it would be very difficult to raise it back up. The council voted to transfer $360,000 (roughly half of the current fund balance) to the general fund, with the understanding that transfers will be revisited annually.


OLD BUSINESS:
Gene Thompson asked for clarification on the unassigned fund research, which is ongoing.

Steve Jacob brought up a letter he had received from Gayle Cox regarding re-appointment to the Hussey-Mayfield Library Board. No other applications have been received. The council will consider the appointment at the December meeting.


PUBLIC COMMENT:
None.

Meeting adjourned at approximately 10:40.

Agenda -- November 2009 Council Meeting

BOONE COUNTY COUNCIL
BUSINESS AGENDA FOR NOVEMBER 10, 2009
LOCATION: CONNIE LAMAR MEETING ROOM, ROOM 105
116 W Washington St
Lebanon, IN 46052



Call meeting to order – 8:30 a.m.

Approval of October 2009 minutes

Re-Appropriation Requests:
Elections, Superior I, Superior II, Circuit Court, Mapleview, Highway

Additional Requests:
Auditor, Coroner, Prosecutor, Council, Local Road &Street, Cum Bridge, Health Dept

New Business:
Marcia Wilhoite – Park Funds
Congressional Schools
Cum Bridge – Ordinance

Old Business: None

Public Comment

Document Signing:
Re-Appropriations, Additional Requests, October 2009 Council Minutes

Adjournment

This agenda is subject to change.