NOTES – FEBRUARY 2016 BOONE COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING
All members present (including newly-elected via precinct
committee chair caucus Kevin Van Horn); Secretaries Carla Newcomer and Chelsea
Young.
Meeting was called to order just after 8:30 a.m. by
President Steve Jacob and opened with the Pledge of Allegiance.
Council approved the minutes from its January meeting
with minimal amendment.
RE-APPROPRIATIONS:
Clerk (Jessica Fouts):
Requested transfer $291 from Election Deputy to Clerk
Deputies. This falls within the 3% discretionary pay increase which Ms. Fouts
distributed among her employees, but because the Election Deputy fund is
separate from the Clerk Deputies fund, it needs council approval to make the
transfer. Approved.
ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATIONS:
Highway (Craig Parks):
Mr. Parks requested $800,000 from the MVH fund to pay for final environmental & design studies for Boone County’s portion of the Ronald Reagan Parkway in partnership with Hendricks County. An interlocal agreement with Hendricks will connect our portion to Hendricks County’s, which they are ready to move toward completion. Parks hopes this partnership will increase both counties’ chances of receiving federal funding support through the Metropolitan Planning Organization. Councilor Marcia Wilhoite questioned the propriety of spending MVH money on this project rather than funds from a TIF bond, as had been done for some previous environmental studies on the Ronald Reagan. Other discussion included the opportunity to time our design studies with the state’s recently-announced call for proposals for re-working the I-65/267 interchange. Approved 6-1.
Mr. Parks requested $800,000 from the MVH fund to pay for final environmental & design studies for Boone County’s portion of the Ronald Reagan Parkway in partnership with Hendricks County. An interlocal agreement with Hendricks will connect our portion to Hendricks County’s, which they are ready to move toward completion. Parks hopes this partnership will increase both counties’ chances of receiving federal funding support through the Metropolitan Planning Organization. Councilor Marcia Wilhoite questioned the propriety of spending MVH money on this project rather than funds from a TIF bond, as had been done for some previous environmental studies on the Ronald Reagan. Other discussion included the opportunity to time our design studies with the state’s recently-announced call for proposals for re-working the I-65/267 interchange. Approved 6-1.
Health (Greg Inman):
Requested transfer of roughly $2400 in grant money into
the Sharps program line. This money was unspent grant money from 2015.
Approved.
EMA (Rachel Hanson):
Requested $1300 from OT line to Admin. Assistant. This
was approved during last summer’s budget hearing, but did not make into the new
budget and ordinance. Approved.
Circuit Court (Jeff Edens):
Requested nearly $4700 into Interpreter. This is grant
money from 2015 that was unused, and needs to be re-applied to the interpreter
line. Approved.
Soil & Water (Kathy Clawson):
Requested transfer of $2100 of state grant money for
Board Members for their monthly pay. Approved.
Auditor (Deanna Willhoite):
Requested $2400 to Umbaugh Contract (to be renamed TIF
Neutralization) to cover a late invoice from 2015 as well as anticipated
services for 2016. Approved.
NEW BUSINESS:
Clerk Jessica Fouts presented an idea for building an
Elections App for the county, similar to one used by the state. Fouts noted
that the cost for development would be $20,000, plus $5,000 per year
thereafter. Fouts also noted that the addition last year of a bond
administration fee through the clerk’s office has raised $35,000 in the past
six months, which would help offset this cost. Discussion of the App’s utility
in advising voters of their voting location, as well as the wait times at
various locations on election day. Several council members expressed support
for the idea, though concerns for the cost. Consensus from the council was that
Ms. Fouts should move forward.
Cindy Murphy of the County Health Department, presented
the council with information regarding efforts across multiple departments and
agencies to address mental health and substance abuse issues in the county. Multiple
efforts are underway under her coordination, including efforts to connect
clients in the county health department’s clinics to counselling, treatment and
financial support resources.
Councilor Tom Santelli presented an overview of options
for upgrading the recording system in the Council and Commissioners meeting
room, working with the county’s IT department and an IT contractor.
The council made appointments to the boards and
commissioners listed below:
Alcoholic Beverage Commission – Aaron Smith, Lebanon
Area Plan Commission – Jay Schaumberg, Thorntown
Lebanon Public Library – Michelle Fry
Property Tax Board of Appeals (2) – Carol Nist & Richard
Ewing
No appointments were made to the Thorntown Public Library
Board or the Redevelopment Commission. No interest has been expressed for the
Thorntown position, so the council will continue to seek residents willing to
serve. Councilor John Hume had served on the RDC, but with his new job he is
unable to continue. The RDC meets regularly on the last Friday of each month at
2:00 pm. The council would prefer an appointee representing the western portion
of the county. Anyone willing to serve should contact the council.
OLD BUSINESS:
Council President Steve Jacob noted that the
representative from Waggoner, Irwin & Schelle to discuss a wage study was
scheduled to attend today’s meeting, but that representative is out of the
country. He will be in attendance in March. I expressed concern that the length
of the study will be pushing its final report against the council’s deadline
for setting 2017 budgets. Mr. Jacob stated that he has expressed that concern,
and received assurance that at least some information for select job
classifications will be available in time for those budget hearings.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
President Jacob reminded everyone that the council’s next
meeting will be an evening meeting, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Meeting adjourned at approximately 10:00a.m.
Next regularly scheduled meeting will be Tuesday, March 8th,
at 6:30 p.m.