Notes -- February 2013 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
2/12/2013
Present:  All Council members present, Secretary Crystal Raub.

The council reviewed and approved meeting minutes from January with slight amendment. 

RE-APPROPRIATIONS:

Highway (Auditor Deanna Willhoite):
Ms. Willhoite presented the request as part of a series of changes due to straightening out differences between the council approved budget and what the state approved.  As it turns out, the state actually approved more for the highway fund than what had been requested by the county.  This request was withdrawn.

Health Dept. (Cindy Murphy):

Ms. Murphy asked for a transfer of $5000 from Environmental to Sharps, which is a newly-created line.  The money involved comes from a grant from Boone County Solid Waste. This new line will allow for better tracking of funds.  Ms. Murphy also asked for clarification on the process of moving moneys between lines within a series.  Auditor Willhoite joined the discussion, with Council members requesting consistency in both policy and notification of the council.  Approved.

ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATIONS:

Sherriff (Maj. Mike Nielsen):
Requested transfer of roughly $4500 into various lines (part-time, medical, postage, inmate supplies, office supplies) for reimbursement tracking.  Council president Jacob and Councilman Thompson asked for further clarification from Auditor Willhoite about the process of reimbursement and budgeting. Approved.
 
Commissioners (Jeff Wolfe):
Requested transfer into three lines for reimbursement:  Soil & Water ($1470 – for board members), Telephone ($2624 – from Community Corrections for shared lines), Trails ($1500 – from quietus).  Approved.

Community Corrections & Probation (Kara Ragsdale):

Requested $1000 (Probation) & $5979 (Community Corrections ) to correct errors in salary budgeting. These positions’ salaries are regulated by state statute and were simply overlooked in the budget. Salary ordinance will also have to be adjusted to reflect the errors (see below).  Approved.

Rainy Day/Highway (Rick Carney):

Requested $200,000 to Equipment line from Rainy Day, as directed by the Council

Highway (Rick Carney):

In line with the discussion at last month’s meeting, requested $500,000 to Bridge 220 (Ford Rd.) in order to provide matching dollars for anticipated federal funds.  Approved.
(Other request for $17,000 was withdrawn by auditor.)

Auditor (Deanna Willhoite):

Requested Additional Appropriations of $3.3M+ for County General, $95,000+ for ReAssessment and $549 for the Health Department to correct errors with data entry at the end of the year, as discussed last month.  These additionals do not actually change the amount the council approved, but rather distribute it correctly into the various lines from which it will be spent.  Approved.

Also requested an additional $20 for Dues & Subscriptions, $2000 for Overtime, $3000 for Consulting and $2000 for Training.  Much of this amount was justified as needed for the ongoing changeover to new software.  Approved.

NEW BUSINESS:

Highway Superintendent Rick Carney returned to discuss his proposed equipment maintenance and replacement program, which he distributed last month.

Sue Ritz, newly-retired former director of Boone County Senior Services, Inc., introduced new director Anita Bowen, who took over duties last month. Ms. Ritz also presented the BCSSI Annual Report and updated the council on its activities, then presented a request for $20,000 in matching funds for the Job Access Reverse Commute (JARC) program, as discussed at the council’s November meeting.  Ms. Ritz noted that among other needs, Gander Mountain alone is looking to increase its staffing by 20% this year, and cannot find sufficient employees in Lebanon.  Ms. Ritz answered many, many questions from council members.  Indy location will be at Ohio & Pennsylvania Streets, with the other end at the Lebanon Business Park, with morning and afternoon service.  Fare will be $3 each way.  Bryan Brackemyre, interim director of the Boone County Economic Development Corporation, addressed questions as well about the economic impact of bringing employees to Boone County businesses.  The council consensus was that Ms. Ritz should submit an additional appropriation request for our March meeting to come from the Food & Beverage Fund.

Brent Cardin, Director of The Arc of Boone County, presented Arc’s 2012 annual report.  Cardin addressed the Arc’s increased success in job placement for its clients in 2012.  He spoke on two barriers to employment – transportation and skills – which Arc focuses on alleviating.  Arc works BCSSI and BATS (the Boone Area Transit System) on transportation issues and continues partnerships with the Lebanon Library and IndyReads on adult literacy and GED programs.

Bryan Brackemyre of the Boone EDC presented the council with a contract which has been approved by the commissioners clarifying the services provided the county by the corporation.

Cindy Murphy of the Health Department discussed some issues with clarifying where the funds designated for the Health Dept.’s insurance premiums will be drawn.  Ms. Murphy also asked clarification on changes to the budgeting of copier maintenance, the funding for which was removed from the IT budget but not correspondingly replaced in the Health Dept budget.  Extensive discussion of the appropriate role of the IT department budget followed.

Ms. Murphy also raised considerations regarding payment of employees through various grants from the health department.  Specifically, a situation arose in which a part-time position paid through a grant qualified for a pay increase within the grant.  The question is whether this position should receive the increase though the county did not allow increases for part-time employees for 2013.  The conclusion was that this did not fall under that decision, but any changes within the grant structure would still require an update to the county’s salary ordinance.  Ms. Murphy also clarified that grant moneys coming in to reimburse overtime pay for grant work would be transferred later when the moneys arrived. 

Major Mike Nielsen addressed the progress of the InterAct Project.

OLD BUSINESS:

PUBLIC COMMENT:

DOCUMENT SIGNING:

The meeting had not adjourned when I had to leave at 10:50.

Next regularly-scheduled council meeting will be Tuesday, March 12, at 8:30 a.m.