Notes April 2010 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
4/13/2010
Present: All Council Members. Auditor Melody Price, counsel Bob Clutter.
Approved minutes from March meeting.

RE-APPROPRIATIONS (all approved):
Coroner (no one present):
Asked to move $75 from state meeting to training.

Extension:
Withdrawn.

IT (John Stansell):
Requested $1500 from Map Maintenance to Hardware Maintenance to cover fees related to fax server equipment.

Local Health Maintenance (Vicki Foster):
Requested $6000 from Health Educator to Office Supplies. This is state funding left in the fund from last year, but not put into the correct line. This required an additional appropriation (see below) to move the funds into the health educator line, and then this reappropriation moved into the office supplies (for purchase of health education materials).

ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATIONS:
Auditor (Melody Price):
Requested $3300 to purchase a program for entry of ditch maintenance fund information, as required for state audit purposes. Ms. Price brought in the 1’ x 2’ x 4” ledger book currently used for hand entry and record-keeping. Cost includes software installation plus an annual $300 maintenance & support fee. Much discussion followed regarding the propriety of purchasing the software now as opposed to waiting to include it in the 2011 budget. General agreement was reached that the program would be helpful and save labor costs due to the time savings. A related program for the surveyor’s office could be purchased at a discount if purchased together; Surveyor Ken Hedge was present and stated that this auditor’s program would be an improvement, but his office is not yet ready to switch to a new program, though he has not yet investigated it thoroughly. The request was tabled pending further investigation.

Commissioners (Charles Eaton):
Requested the transfer of state grant funds of $1769 and $4756 to Boone County Trails. Approved.

IT (John Stansell):
Requested $16,508 for Systems Application Software for Word systems. A new vendor contract to consolidate recording and dictation equipment (court rooms, sheriff’s office, dispatch, etc.) would save roughly $15,000 over the next two years by purchasing a total three-year contract of roughly $26,500. Current cost is roughly $16000/year with $10,000 in the budget line this year being supplemented by transfers. This contract would allow a budget request of $0 for the next two years in this line. Approved.


Health Dept (Sharon Adams):
Requested $493 transfer of grant money from general fund to the appropriate line for West Nile activities.
Requested change of salary ordinance to correct an oversight in the resolution from last month’s change. The entire salary and matching benefits will be covered through state tobacco fund grant money with no cost to the county.

Local Road and Street (Tom Kouns):
Requested $10,000 for Engineering Services to prepare five projects for the possible Second Stimulus package. The $10,000 will be covered from reimbursement from the projects approved for the first Stimulus package. Approved.

Highway (Tom Kouns):
Requested $150,000 from the highway fund (gas tax) to Stone and Gravel to repair winter damage. Kouns stated that the funds will be used to patch deteriorated paved roads with gravel. Kouns stated that unless sufficient funding can be acquired, some of the gravel patches may become permanent. Approved.
Kouns presented a list of summer road maintenance projects for paved roads and estimated costs for their maintenance. Total estimated cost would be roughly $4.5 Million. Kouns found cuts to trim the request to $2.5M. Commissioner Eaton spoke on behalf of providing additional funding from the Economic Development Fund. Eaton also emphasized that the problem cannot be solved at the county level, but must be addressed by the state. However, he expects that the state legislator will expect the county to adopt a Wheel Tax as part of the process, though that will not raise nearly enough funding.
Extensive discussion followed on which funds might be used to support the maintenance program. Economic Development Fund, Rainy Day Fund and Food & Beverage. Proposals to fund $1.5, $1.8 or $1.9M from the Economic Development Fund and possibly add more from the Food & Beverage Fund next month. A motion to approve $1.5M from the Econ. Dev. Fund carried unanimously.
Kouns also brought up the question of whether the county would again fund dust control application for those with medical procedures. The Highway Dept has already received over 100 requests, but no funding is available. After several minutes of discussion, the Council consented to Kouns bringing a request for funding next month.

NEW BUSINESS:
Vicki Foster of the Health Department requested creation of a new unappropriated fund to receive grant money ($18,500) from the Boone County Community Foundation for a part-time community health coordinator for the County Healthy Coalition. This would be a one-year county position (with possibility for renewal pending future grants) but would be entirely funded by the grant money. Resolutions to create the new fund and amend the county salary ordinance passed unanimously.
Richard Stroup, who will fill the new position, addressed the council with some background on the evolution of the coalition and the position. Stroup emphasized that Boone County had ranked last among Indiana counties a few years ago in state funding received for health programs. This year, the Healthy Coalition has been recognized at both state and national levels for its efforts.

Auditor Melody Price reviewed the state Circuit Breaker Reporter. Zionsville took the largest hit due to the home values there. The county’s loss of revenue to the circuit breaker amounts to roughly $268,000.
(Side note: the circuit breaker credits for Boone County’s school corporations:
Western Boone $8,653
Lebanon $141,858
Zionsville $1,461,017)

Price also discussed her office’s efforts to coordinate procedures across departments with the goal of increasing efficiency in reporting and accounting of claims. Two meetings will be held later this month to review the procedures and instruct departments.

OLD BUSINESS:
Council President Steve Jacob reported on his discussions with three consulting firms regarding a possible review and forecast of the county’s financial situation. After his investigation, he is recommending Umbaugh to address the county’s needs. Gary Malone of Umbaugh addressed the council on Umbaugh’s experiences and credentials, including working with Zionsville and Whitestown, Clinton, Madison, Wayne and Rush counties, among others. Among Umbaugh’s services in which the county is interested are a circuit breaker analysis, a monthly cash flow analysis/projection and a five-year capital projection upon which to base minimum fund requirements.
The Council is concerned at the uncertainty from the state, as well as the lack of forecasting currently available to the county. The council agreed to move forward with exploring a possible contract for services. President Jacob will head a committee to work with Umbaugh to define a scope of services and provide options and dollar amounts for the council next month.

Gene Thompson raised concerns about the transfer of Tax Sale funds. He will meet with Auditor Price to discuss the origin of the funds from the 2006 sale and the possibility of creating separate funds for ongoing sales moving forward to enable more definite tracking of future revenues.

Steve Jacob updated on the efforts to transfer money from the Dog Leash and Surplus Dog Fund to the Humane Society for Boone County. The Surplus Dog fund can be transferred by a resolution that Attorney Clutter will prepare for next month. The Leash Fund must be dealt with by Ordinance, as it was created by a Council ordinance originally.

PUBLIC COMMENT:
None.

Meeting adjourned at 10:50.

April 2010 Council Agenda

BOONE COUNTY COUNCIL
BUSINESS AGENDA FOR APRIL 13, 2010
LOCATION: CONNIE LAMAR MEETING ROOM, ROOM 105
116 W Washington St
Lebanon, IN 46052


Call meeting to order – 8:30 a.m.

Approval of March 2010 minutes

Re-Appropriation Requests:
Coroner, Extension, IT, Local Health Maintenance

Additional Requests:
Auditor, Commissioners, IT, Highway, Local Road & Street, Health Dept, Local Health Maintenance, Economic Development

New Business:
Richard Stroup – Boone Co Healthy Coalition
Vickie Foster, Health Dept – New Fund
Sharon Adams, Health Dept – Amend Salary Ordinance
Melody Price, Auditor – Circuit Breaker, Department Head Meetings

Old Business:
Steve Jacob, Council President – Hired Consultant Update

Public Comment

Document Signing:
Re-Appropriations, Additionals, March 2010 Council Minutes

Adjournment

This agenda is subject to change.