Notes -- December 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
12/11/2012
Present:  All Council members present, Secretary Crystal Raub.

The council reviewed and approved meeting minutes from both October and November with slight amendment. 

RE-APPROPRIATIONS: (All approved with exception of part of Prosecutor request noted below.)
Auditor (Chris Large):
Requested $240 from Office Supplies to Training to cover a training webinar for new staff.

Prosecutor (Kent Eastwood – filling in):

Requested shift of roughly $4000 total among a variety of lines.  Several questions arose regarding the propriety of transferring between different line series numbers, including an overtime line.  The council balked at re-appropriations from salary lines to non-salary lines, as well as a request for $2000 from Extradition to Office Supplies — Criminal. A motion was passed to approve all but that $2000 request without further information.  Whether some of the transfers from different categories were allowable was left for the auditor’s office to determine.  If state regulations do not allow them they will simply be voided and no transfers made.

Highway (Rick Carney):

Requested $20,000 from Calcium Chloride to New Equipment.  Carney wishes to purchase a truck lift to enable the department to do more maintenance in-house.

Commissioners (Karen Lasley):

Requested $1944 from Postage to Insurance to pay for employee flu shots.  Several questions arose about using that line – which had been created to build up for future health insurance costs. 

ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATIONS:

Jail Maintenance (Ken Campbell):
Requested $66 transfer of reimbursement from Comcast for cancelled cable contract.  Approved.

Sheriff (Ken Campbell):

Requested a total of roughly $950 in reimbursement transfers from inmate Medical and Postage, as well as from Part-time for sheriff’s sale work.  Questions were again raised regarding the propriety and consistency of the accounting process.  Approved. 

Auditor (Chris Large):

Requested $3000 for Plat Book repairs.  The motion would actually create a line within the Plat Fee fund to pay for rebinding of old plat books.  Approved.

Highway (Rick Carney):

Requested $5000 from MVH fund for tires and tubes to cover remainder of the year.  Approved.

NEW BUSINESS:

Judge Rebecca McClure addressed the council regarding an increase in salary for her court’s small claims commissioner.  In the council’s deliberations and decision last summer to raise full-time employees’ salaries by 2% did not include that position, as the council understood it to be a part-time contract employee.  Judge McClure explained that it is in fact full-time county position.  The council agreed to correct the oversight and moved to amend the salary ordinance to reflect that at the first of the year.  An additional appropriation (totaling less than $500) after January 1^st will be required to cover that increase. 

Council President Jacob addressed the issue of board appointments required of the council, and the lack of a consistent policy for advertising and filling these positions.  County Attorney Bob Clutter affirmed that the county commissioners are in the process of crafting a policy regarding appointments.  Jacob and others expressed their desire to implement such a policy to mirror that of the commissioners, to include among other things at least 30 days of advertisement of openings for appointments.  The council today was scheduled to make an appointment to the Lebanon Library Board, while several other board terms expire at the end of the year. The council decided to go ahead with appointments to fill the terms beginning January 1, and to implement a policy geared more toward advertisement of the positions in future.  Those appointments – all re-appointments – were:

          Alcoholic Beverage Board:  Bob Miller

          Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals:  Charles Ewing and Carol Nist
          Redevelopment Commission:  Greg Slipher and Marcia Wilhoite
          Mapleview Home Board:  Debby Shubert

Kay Martin, Director of the Lebanon Public Library, presented information on behalf of Karen Galvin, the board’s current appointment to the board.  Ms. Galvin was unable to attend due to illness.  Ms. Martin was asked by the board to recommend Ms. Galvin’s re-appointment to the position.  Aaron Smith of Lebanon also addressed the council requesting appointment to the position.  After much thoughtful discussion of the two excellent candidates, Karen Galvin was re-appointed.

County Attorney Bob Clutter addressed the council regarding the 911 contract agreement with AT&T.  Because this is a 10-year contract, it requires the approval of both the commissioners and the council.  Major Mike Nielsen answered some questions regarding the contract.  With thanks to Major Nielsen for all his work on this project over the past year-plus, the council approved the contract.

Council President Steve Jacob raised the issue of encumbrances by departments for year-end bills.  He re-iterated the proper procedure and asked that department heads be diligent in following them as the end of the year approaches.  Gene Thompson asked for some clarifications, and it was affirmed by the auditor’s office employees that the policy has not changed, but a recent email to county employees was simply intended to remind everyone of the details of the procedure.

Jacob also raised the issue of the county’s policy – or lack thereof – toward filling vacated positions.  Though not required by a specific policy, Cindy Murphy, Health Department, requested and received the council’s approval to hire a full-time health inspector to replace an employee who has recently resigned. 

OLD BUSINESS:

PUBLIC COMMENT:
Aaron Smith addressed a comment made earlier by Steve Jacob regarding governor-elect Pence’s proposal to lower the state income tax.  Some discussion followed regarding the legislation being proposed for the General Assembly’s upcoming term and its possible impact on the county’s County Option Income Tax revenues in 2014 and beyond. 

Sheriff Campbell notified the council that he would be replacing employees in his communications and corrections divisions. 

Sheriff Campbell also addressed the council regarding the ongoing efforts toward inter-operability among multiple counties regarding data related to jail and arrest records and other issues.  These data issues parallel the voice sharing issues addressed by the AT&T contract on which Maj. Nielsen has been working.  Recent developments in this effort have created a possibility that the county could receive a $100,000 grant toward pursuing this project (which will have a total cost of over $500,000).  Maj. Nielsen presented more details on what the system is and how it would work, as well his view that the state would be mandating a move to such a system in the near future.  Nielsen also stated his belief that the county could roll this additional piece into the

10-year AT&T voice contract, with the additional cost covered by the new 911 funding formula. 

DOCUMENT SIGNING:

Meeting had not adjourned when I had to leave at 11:00.

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