Notes -- August 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
8/13/2013
Present:  All Council members present, Secretary Crystal Raug.

The meeting was called to order at 8:00 a.m. (rather than the standard time of 8:30 a.m.) due to the expected use of the council’s meeting room by the jury in the Camm trial.  Next month’s meeting will also begin at 8:00 a.m. for the same reason.

The council reviewed and approved meeting minutes from its July meeting. 

RE-APPROPRIATIONS:

Highway (Rick Carney):

Requested $13,000 from Road Striping to New Equipment for purchase of a new, small tractor for mowing purposes.  The purchase price will include the trade-in of an older tractor.  Approved.

Carney also advised the council that one of his mechanics will be shifting duties to fill an empty truck driver position.  Carney would like to take the opportunity to eliminate the open mechanic position and add a truck driver position, which would be at a lower salary rate. (Over the past ten years several truck driver positions have been eliminated due to funding constraints.) Carney was advised to return next month requesting a change to the salary ordinance to reflect those position changes.

Area Plan (Rachel Cardis):

Requested $2000 to be transferred from litigation to Office Equipment to replace a “plotter” printer which has reached the end of its serviceable life after 11 years. Approved.

ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATIONS:

Sherriff/Community Corrections (Mike Nielsen):

Requested just over $700 in transfers to Medical, Meals and Inmate Supplies (CC) for reimbursements.  Approved.

Auditor (Deanna Willhoite):

Requested $34,000 to a new line, Ineligible Deductions, to cover a contract payment with Maximus corporation for services in recovering property tax payments from individuals who had filed ineligible homestead exemptions.  Maximus has recovered over $80,000, with the possibility for more to be recovered in future from delinquent taxes.  This should be a one-time payment for a one-time contract. 

Health (Cindy Murphy):

Requested transfer of $475 into the Postage line, which was a reimbursement from the changeover of postage machine services.  Council member Thompson asked if the department would in fact need this money in the postage line before the end of the year.  Ms. Murphy explained that the department did in fact expect to need the funds.  Approved.

Coroner (Shon Hough):

Requested $5,340 for office supplies to purchase two safes for storage of vital records.  As the coroner’s office has upgraded to have a permanent county office and storage space, Mr. Hough is moving to improve the security of storage.  Some discussion followed as to the propriety of delaying this expenditure to include  it in the 2014 budget.  Approved.

NEW BUSINESS:

Lori Schein of the Prosecutor’s Office spoke to explain two new re-appropriation requests which were withdrawn today regarding a change to salary ordinance involving a prosecutor’s diversion fund and a compensation for the “on-call” prosecutor.  Attorney Bob Clutter also spoke regarding the confusion as to whether the proposals would be properly a re-appropriation or salary ordinance change. Schein and Clutter plan to return next month with an update, if not a formal request.

Commissioner Jeff Wolfe and HR Director Dennis Dunlap presented an update on the county’s compliance with the Affordable Care Act’s regulations regarding part-time employees.  Though the Obama administration has delayed the implementation of the employer mandate provision, the county will continue its “look-back” period as planned.  Much (inconclusive) discussion of the law’s implications for part-time employees and the county’s budget and other responsibilities followed. 

Council President Jacob updated the Council on the current plans for the mandated non-binding review of local taxing entities’ budgets.  Those reviews must be completed and submitted by October 1, though they will not be submitted and accessible to the council until September 3.  Jacob, with Auditor Willhoite’s input, recommended that he, along with councilors Wheat and Shubert, review those budgets and ask that any which exceed the state’s growth quotient be invited to attend the council’s budget hearing workshops in mid-September.  Any units for whom this process is a binding review (Solid Waste Board and libraries who exceed the growth quotient) will be asked to attend the council’s September 10^th regular meeting.

OLD BUSINESS:           

Councilor Wilhoite reminded department heads and elected officials to be sure that they had scheduled appropriate times for the council’s budget workshops with Auditor Willhoite.

Councilor Wilhoite also requested an update from Highway Superintendent Rick Carney on the summer road work program.  Carney reported that his department is actually ahead of schedule, including having converted more than seven miles of gravel road to hard surface.  Carney expects nearly nine miles to be converted by end of year.  The county has approximately 250 miles of gravel road remaining.

PUBLIC COMMENT:

Commissioners Secretary Karen Maue reminded the council that the meeting room will be needed on September 10 at 11:00 for the Camm trial jury. 

Boone County Chamber of Commerce Director Michelle Wiltermood addressed the council – at the request of the Lebanon City Council – regarding the chamber’s plan to update and repair Lebanon’s downtown holiday decorations.  The Chamber requested $25,000 from the Lebanon City Council, and was asked to pursue other funding options, including the county.  After much discussion, the council asked Wiltermood to return next month with a specific request, and in the meantime to forward any relevant information to the council.

DOCUMENT SIGNING

The meeting adjourned at approximately 9:20.

Next regularly-scheduled council meeting will be Tuesday, September 10^th, at 8:00 a.m.