Notes -- April 2014 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
4/8/2014
Present:  All Council members present, Secretary Chelsea Young.

The meeting was called to order at 8:30 a.m.

The council reviewed and approved meeting minutes from its March meeting with some amendments. Much discussion took place on what was required to be included in the minutes and how much alteration the council should be making to the auditor’s drafts. Auditor Deanna Willhoite, Commissioner Jeff Wolfe and Rod Rose of the Lebanon Reporter all weighed in, with little resolution achieved.

RE-APPROPRIATIONS: None.

ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATIONS:

Superior Court II (no one present):

Requested $1310 for Med/Psych. This is a line which the council discusses each year at budget time, picking a number but never knowing if it will be needed or not. This year we budgeted $3,000, and had already added roughly $1700 more to the line, but it is still going to be insufficient to pay current bills.  Approved.

Soil & Water (Kathy Clawson):

Requested transfer of $2100 to pay board members’ per diem for meeting attendance. Approved.

Auditor on behalf of County Courts (Willhoite):

Requested transfer of $6600 of grant money for interpreters into a new line, as required by the state. Approved.

Auditor on behalf of County Council (Willhoite):

Requested a variety of transfers, which technically are negative additionals from the general fund and positive additionals from the COIT fund, per the council’s goal to shift some expenditures to the COIT fund for future budgeting purposes. While some further balancing may be required due to shifting totals, in the end these transfers should bring the General Fund lines to zero. Approved.

Sheriff (Sheriff Campbell):

Requested $793 to Medical and $15.39 to Postage for reimbursement transfers. Motion failed 3-3.

NEW BUSINESS:

Auditor Willhoite presented a report, as requested by the council last month, regarding the end-of-year “reversions” of money which had been budgeted but was unspent. Roughly $720,000 remained unspent at the end of 2013, but nearly $390,000 of that was “encumbered” to pay off contracts in place at year’s end. Total budgeted funds unspent amounted to around $333,000, with an additional $103,000 of unallocated funds unspent as well.

Councillor Wheat notified the council that he would like to step down as the council’s representative to the Boone Child Advocacy Center’s oversight board. The board has a seat dedicated to the council, and would like to have a member of the council in that position. The council hopes to have an appointment next month.

Highway Supervisor Rick Carney noted that he is pursuing the possibility of a project proposal to INDOT regarding improvement of 650S between State Road 267 and Indianapolis Road. Money for the county’s portion of the project would come from savings on the approved project extending 400 S east of Whitestown, where the town has agreed to cover costs of right-of-way purchases and to share half the cost of the county’s match on that project. Essentially, because of Whitestown’s participation in both projects, the county should be able to upgrade 650 S for less money total than what was budgeted for just the 400 S project. Commissioner Wolfe and Whitestown Town Manager Dax Norton both addressed questions about the projects and Whitestown’s willingness to participate. With the understanding that Wolfe and Carney will return next month with more solid numbers and an additional appropriation request, the council voted 6-1to approve a letter of commitment to INDOT.

Cindy Murphy, Boone County Health Department, shared the department’s annual report in conjunction with Public Health Week. Ms. Murphy noted that the report is also available online at the department’s website.

Curt Emmanuel, County Extension Agent, began Extension’s annual presentation on their activities. Emmanuel introduced Joyce Fuesting, president of the Extension Board, who introduced the other extension employees. Farmer Don Lamb shared what Purdue’s Extension program means to the local agriculture industry, which lies primarily in its information and expertise. Nancy --- of Head Start and Early Head Start shared how valuable the health and nutrition programs of Extension are to those programs. Shelby Lamb, president of Boone County 4-H Junior Leaders, shared the importance of 4-H in her growth and her future plans, and particularly its influence on her development as a leader.

OLD BUSINESS:

Steve Jacob and I presented the scope of services proposal from Umbaugh for several possible fund analysis services. After exploring the options and the costs, and noting that we are limited by the $5000 budgeted for such services this year, the council unanimously approved a motion to engage Umbaugh for a minimal fund review in preparation for this year’s budget hearing cycle.

Jacob also noted that process for board appointments has been discussed with the Auditor’s office, with hopes of notifying the council and the public two months in advance of any appointments which will need to be made.

PUBLIC COMMENT:

None.

 

DOCUMENT SIGNING

The meeting adjourned at approximately 10:05.

Next regularly-scheduled council meeting will be Tuesday, May 12^th, 2014, at 8:30 a.m.