Notes -- November 2012 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
11/13/2012
Present:  Council President Steve Jacob was not present (he is visiting a new grandchild in Colorado), so Vice President Marcia Wilhoite presided over the meeting. Secretary Crystal Raub.

The council had not received last month’s meeting minutes, so their approval was tabled until next month’s meeting.

RE-APPROPRIATIONS: (All Approved.)

EMA (Rachel Hansen):

Requested $851 from uniforms to Gas/Oil/Lube.

 

Circuit Court (No one present):

Requested $100 from Office Supplies to Judges Pro Tem.

 

Superior Court I (Kay Cox):

Requested $1100 from Med/Psych to Office Supplies.  Requested $770 from various lines to Overtime.  The council asked for clarification in both areas.  The supplies budget will primarily be to cover paper and envelopes for jurors due to a change in procedures.  The overtime will be paid to Ms. Cox to reduce the accumulated “comp time” she has accrued over the past year-plus.  (While this particular comp time issue is not notable, it did lead to comments from the council about concerns with the county’s comp time obligation and our inability to budget appropriately for it. Those concerns have gone unaddressed in the past.  It was again suggested during this discussion that the commissioners, perhaps with input from HR consultant Dennis Dunlap, craft a policy to limit or at the very least track the accumulation of comp time by employees.)

 

Sheriff (No one spoke):

Requested $300 from Community Corrections Training to CC Jail Uniforms.

 

 

ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATIONS:

Sheriff (Ken Campbell):

Requested roughly $2800 in reimbursements to various accounts such as inmate medical, postage, supplies, etc.  The two largest (about $1700) were for fuel reimbursement, one from the prosecutor’s office funds for an extradition and one from an INDOT grant.  Some questions were asked regarding the ongoing necessity of transferring these funds through the Additional Appropriations process, which requires monthly advertisement and accounting.  Council members Gene Thompson and Marcia Wilhoite questioned the necessity and consistency of budgeting lines at a level that does not reflect their reimbursement.  Approved.

 

Circuit Court (Kandi Killin):

Requested $6500 in transfer of state grant money to payroll for Guardian Ad Litem.  The program will see a drop in state funding next year due to the decline in number of children adjudicated as Children in Need of Services in the past two years.  Approved. 

The council also noted that Kandi will be retiring at year’s end, and that she was recognized last night by the Boone County Chamber of Commerce as this year’s Children’s Champion.  Ms. Killin received an ovation from the crowd and the thanks of the council for her service.

 

Commissioners (Jeff Wolfe):

Requested $6000 for Publications. Commissioner Wolfe explained a few factors which led to this request.  First, the council had cut this budget line last year in hopes that more digital advertising could cut costs, but that change has not yet been approved by the state.  Second, due to multiple issues with the Zionsville Times-Sentinel failing to publish notices the county had paid for, which in turn led to multiple problems for county government, the commissioners have switched their advertising to the Indy Star, which is more expensive.  Finally, this past summer a series of flood plan notifications were required, with cost of roughly $2000.  Approved.

 

Surveyor (Ken Hedge):

Requested $6000 for Engineering Services.  Surveyor Hedge explained that these monies represent reimbursement for contracted services.  Approved.

 

Auditor (Melody Price):

Requested $17,500 to cover the remaining installment on the CYMA software contract. Some discussion as to whether the software was currently installed and in operation confirmed that it was not, though it is expected to “go live” in January.  The current provider has not yet been given notice of termination, pending the successful implementation of the new program.  There were also suggestions that the money could be taking out of multiple funds, having been advertised out of both Cumulative Capital Development and Rainy Day, with the Riverboat Gaming Fund also available if the council wished to re-advertise for next month’s meeting.  In the end the council chose to use the Rainy Day fund.  Approved.

 

 

NEW BUSINESS:

Count Attorney Bob Clutter asked for council approval of an ordinance authorizing the recently-created Boone County Economic Development Commission to approve the TIF bonds to be issued for the Duke expansion and spec building project in the Anson development area in Whitestown.  These bonds will roll in an earlier bond issue in the same area. The bond payments not covered by revenues in the TIF district will be Duke’s responsibility.  The ordinance contains specific language stating that the bonds cannot become General Obligation Bonds – the county can have no financial responsibility for these bonds.  The council asked some further questions for clarification.  Mr. Clutter noted that the public hearing for the bonds had been completed earlier this morning.  Approved.

 

Sue Ritz, Director of Boone County Senior Services and thus the Boone Area Transit System, introduced Ehren Bingaman of the Central Indiana Regional Transportation Authority (CIRTA) to familiarize the council with CIRTA’s history and role.  Ms. Ritz has been the county’s representative to CIRTA for the past several years.  Among other things, CIRTA administers express busses running between Carmel, Fishers and Plainfield and downtown Indianapolis, and works with employers around the region to connect employers and workers to transportation possibilities.  CIRTA currently has more than 100 commuters registered in Boone County looking for rides to Indy, as well as a roughly equal number coming to Boone County from Marion County. 

Ms. Ritz also informed the council that Boone County has been awarded a grant to implement an express bus from downtown Indy to the Lebanon Business Park, with a possible stop in Anson.  Ritz has been meeting with various stakeholders, including business owners who are short on workers.  The grant’s implementation will require local matching funds totaling $47,500.  Ritz has been in contact with Lebanon, Whitestown, United Way and others about providing some of those funds. Council members asked several questions about the grant and the proposal, including the likelihood that employers would buy into the program and support it financially.  Boone EDC Director Dax Norton also addressed questions and explained that the dearth of workers is a growing problem for Boone County businesses.  The general (though not unanimous) consensus of the council was that we would support the project given more specifics.  Ms. Ritz will return early next year with more detailed numbers and a request for additional appropriations from the Food & Beverage Fund.

 

OLD BUSINESS:

On the recommendation and motion of Council Member Brent Wheat, who represents Lebanon, the council appointed Lori Monns to the Lebanon Public Library Board.

 

PUBLIC COMMENT:

Aaron Smith, Lebanon, commented that he had questions about the propriety of using tax dollars to bus in workers for “low-wage” jobs in Boone County, though he also stated that he had not reached conclusions on those questions.

Dax Norton addressed the issues raised by Mr. Smith, stating that while lower-wage jobs were not the ideal, they often were the gateway to better-paying jobs, both for workers to move up the economic ladder and for businesses to invest in creation of higher-wage jobs.  Norton also updated the council on the EDC’s efforts to recruit and retain businesses to Boone County.  In response to a question about the ASI building in Anson, Norton explained that ASI itself ceased to exist early in the year and a “shell” company created to finish ASI’s commitments to a project in New Jersey is wrapping up work.  The building is currently on the market, and Norton expects it to be filled fairly quickly, as building space continues to be at a premium in central Indiana.  Norton was also asked about the issue of companies hiring “temporary” workers.  Norton noted that the EDC does work to attract companies who will hire only or at least primarily “permanent” employees, such as DA Lubricants and Skojt-Barrett.  He also noted that companies’ job reporting numbers in receiving incentives should include only “permanent” employees. 

 

DOCUMENT SIGNING:

Gene Thompson asked for clarification regarding the 2013 Salary Ordinance Resolution as adopted on October 9.  A discrepancy with the date on the form, as well as the implication that signing the resolution signified voting for the ordinance as written, were corrected before approval.

Amendments were also made to the minutes of the Budget Adoption meeting on October 9 before they were approved. The budget hearing minutes were also approved.  

 

 

Meeting adjourned at roughly 10:15.

Next regularly-scheduled council meeting will be Tuesday, December 11, at 8:30 a.m.