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Board of Commissioners January 11, 1999
President Jerrel: I'd like to call
the Vanderburgh County Board of Commissioners to order. The first item
on the agenda I would like to introduce those members before you. To my
right is the County Attorney, Joe Harrison, Jr.; next to him is Commissioner
Pat Tuley; my far left, Charlene Timmons, the Recording Secretary; Suzanne
Crouch, Auditor, is next to her; and Commissioner Richard Mourdock is to
my left; my name is Bettye Lou Jerrel and I would like to ask you to join
me in the Pledge of Allegiance.
President Jerrel: Thank you. The first item, action item on the agenda is the approval of the minutes of the previous meeting. Commissioner Mourdock: I'll move approval of the January 4, 1999 minutes. Commissioner Tuley: Second. President Jerrel: So ordered.
President Jerrel: The next item on the agenda is the County Treasurer. Jayne Berry-Bland: Jayne Berry-Bland, County Treasurer. Actually, I have three items. The first I'll get out of the way is the report that I have to submit of the interest earned on everything that I invested in 1998. The copy that you have it does show the General Fund plus all the other funds that I invest, but I would like to make a note that the General Fund alone made over $2.5 million in 1998 which is another record. The budgeted amount was $1.3 so I am pretty proud, even though we saw some decline in the interest rates towards the end of the year, that we were able to really go over what our budgeted amount was. I just hope the interest rates stay up for `99 or I could be in trouble. President Jerrel: What is the most recent rate you've been able to obtain? Jayne Berry-Bland: About 4.81. Once in a while I can get almost 5.0, but it is real hard to get 5.0 right now, so I'm not making too many long-term. It's a guessing game as you well know. Commissioner Mourdock: How times change though that you would refer to that as the interest rate staying up! Jayne Berry-Bland: Really. Commissioner Mourdock: Historically those are pretty low. Jayne Berry-Bland: Right. We saw a time when we were getting 2.33 and those were...that was a killer year several years ago. Actually, that was in 1993 that we had such a bad year which was my first year in office. What a way to come in. If you have any questions about the format or how we presented this, but it does show every investment and the total amount that we have accumulated for the whole year of 1998 and we've done very well. The next item that I have according to Indiana Code I have to submit a settlement report for 1998 or for the previous year. Actually, as you well know I collect the money, but the Auditor's Office actually distributes the money. I do part of the form, the Auditor does the other half, so we combine the form and I do, because it's such a large copy, we make settlement twice a year as you all know in June and December. This is the copy for one settlement, so I talked to Charlene and she was satisfied that because this just has to be for the record I did only make one copy because it is very hard to copy this kind of information, so I do present this for the record. Commissioner Mourdock: I move we accept for the record the annual settlement account from the County Treasurer. Commissioner Tuley: Second. President Jerrel: So ordered. Jayne Berry-Bland: The last and final item that I have is according to the Indiana Code Books once a year we have to hold our Board of Finance meeting. In the past we have...the Board of Finance is the Commissioners plus myself. We have combined this into this meeting because we've had Charlene to be so kind as to be the Secretary for this. During this time we are to elect a President and a Secretary. Commissioner Mourdock: As I recall from past practice the County Treasurer was elected the President of that group, is that correct? Jayne Berry-Bland: It has in the past, but I believe maybe Bettye was President last year. It's kind of just a formal thing. Let me explain to you really what the Board of Finance is in place for. We would not even have another meeting during the year unless there would be a time that we would either need to designate another depository or remove a designated depository. Commissioner Mourdock: With taking the two items separately let me then nominate as President for the Vanderburgh County Board of Finance for the 1999 fiscal year President of the County Commission Bettye Lou Jerrel. Commissioner Tuley: I'd second that. President Jerrel: So ordered. Commissioner Mourdock: And then in the past, Jayne, did you serve as Secretary or did the Auditor serve as Secretary? Jayne Berry-Bland: I kind of think we connived Charlene into doing that because actually we wanted the minutes of the Board to be included with your Commissioner meeting minutes. Commissioner Mourdock: Okay, well you said she had done it before. I didn't know if she was the Auditor's designate, but I will nominate then Ms. Charlene Timmons to serve as the Secretary for the Board of Finance for 1999. Joe Harrison, Jr.: It probably ought to be the Auditor's Office. Commissioner Tuley: I was getting ready to say, there is something wrong here. It should be the Auditor and she can be your designee. Joe Harrison, Jr.: Yeah. Commissioner Mourdock: Okay, so we're back to that. Joe Harrison, Jr.: Yeah. Commissioner Mourdock: In that case I'll amend my motion to nominate the County Auditor as the Secretary for the County Board of Finance. Commissioner Tuley: I would second that motion. President Jerrel: So ordered. Jayne Berry-Bland: Thank you. President Jerrel: Thank you, Jayne.
President Jerrel: Next on your agenda is the awarding of bids for demolition and asbestos for removal and there was a request. We are to...are we going to do it or are we going to delay it? Joe Coleman: At this time we are ready to make a recommendations to both contractors if you're ready. President Jerrel: Okay, we just got these in today so I've got some copies. Joe Coleman: I also brought a bid table for the last one. President Jerrel: Okay. Commissioner Mourdock: I'm sorry, would you state your name, please. Joe Coleman: My name is Joe Coleman. I'm the Program Services Coordinator with the Department of Metropolitan Development. Last week at your January 4th meeting we received bids and they were opened for the demolition of the structures acquired for the flood mitigation program. The low bidder at that time was Koberstein Trucking at $24,970 for the demolition of all three structures and it's the department's recommendation at this time that we accept the bid of the apparent low bidder. Commissioner Mourdock: Okay, I'll move that we accept DMD's recommendation then for Koberstein Trucking as the low bidder. Commissioner Tuley: Second. President Jerrel: So ordered. Joe Coleman: And then on the matter of asbestos abatement and removal of asbestos containing material we have received four answers to our Request for Proposal. The apparent low bidder is Specialty Systems of Indiana and the department at this time would like to recommend the award to the apparent low bidder, Specialty Systems. Commissioner Mourdock: I'll move approval of the awarding of the contract to Specialty Systems for the removal of asbestos. Commissioner Tuley: Second. President Jerrel: So ordered. Joe Coleman: Thank you very much. President Jerrel: Thank you.
President Jerrel: The next item on the agenda, the County Attorney. It's the approval of the three addendums to the union contracts regarding PERF. Joe Harrison, Jr.: I believe in front of you should be three particular addendums regarding the three union contracts. One would be the County Corrections Complex, the Safe House collective bargaining agreement. One relates to the county collective bargaining agreement for Burdette Park employees, Cum Bridge, County Buildings Department, Auditorium & Convention Center and the Highway Department. The last addendum relates to the Sheriff's Department Jailers Correction Unit. The addendum like in other years at the beginning of each year...typically it would have indicated a three percent raise over and above the previous year's salary as per the collective bargaining agreement when it was entered into either in `97 or `98. In this particular instance the County Council approved a three percent...I'm sorry approved...rather than the three percent wage increase approved contributing the employee's three percent PERF contribution in place of the three percent wage increase for the other county employees, so that is what this document is reflecting. Again, it relates to each of the three collective bargaining agreements that the county is a party to and would ask that you approve each of the three addendums. President Jerrel: Is there a motion accepting the addendums? Commissioner Mourdock: I'll do that, but before I do that let me just note for the record that the copies have been signed by the representative of the employees already. Joe Harrison, Jr.: Yes, I'm sorry. I think it was just signed last week. President Jerrel: Right. Commissioner Mourdock: Right, the 5th, I think. Joe Harrison, Jr.: It was signed on January 5th. Commissioner Mourdock: I'll move acceptance of the addendum to the Vanderburgh County Corrections Complex, Teamster contract and I'll move approval also of the addendum of the Burdette Park, Cumulative Bridge, County Buildings Department, Vanderburgh Auditorium & Convention Center, Vanderburgh County Highway Department Teamster's contract, and last but not least I'l move approval of the addendum for the Vanderburgh County Sheriffs Department Corrections Unit Teamster contract. President Jerrel: I'll say so ordered, but you included Bennie here? Joe Harrison, Jr.: Yeah, he would be in there, I guess, as far as the county he is in for the County Buildings Department. President Jerrel: Okay. Joe Harrison, Jr.: So they have a separate unit for him. President Jerrel: Okay.
President Jerrel: Alright, the next item on the agenda, the County Auditor. Suzanne Crouch: We have submitted the Fixed Asset Summary Report for 1998. It reflects an increase of $1.6 million additional over 1997 and we have that all broken down with where some of those additions were, so we submit that for your approval. A copy has been forwarded to the insurance agents of record. President Jerrel: This is our copy? Suzanne Crouch: Yes. President Jerrel: Okay, is there a motion to accept? Commissioner Mourdock: Just a question. Is part of the increase of that $1.6, is that from increased appraisal value? Suzanne Crouch: No, there have been...did you get a copy? Charlene Timmons: Yeah. Suzanne Crouch: The increase is really kind of summarized in the report and it is reflected in the different categories through new acquisitions. Some of the increases were because of buildings and equipment that had not previously been tagged at Burdette. Some of it is because of land acquisition out at Burkhardt Road and then some of it is new vehicles that have been purchased. President Jerrel: Are there any other questions? Commissioner Mourdock: I'll move acceptance of the Auditor's Fixed Asset Summary Report dated January 11th. Commissioner Tuley: I'll second. President Jerrel: So ordered.
President Jerrel: The next item on
our agenda, anyone that wishes to speak to the Board.
President Jerrel: Seeing no one, let's go on with our department head reports. John Stoll. John Stoll: First I've got the mylar cover sheet for the Heckel Road Bridge rehab plans. It needs the signature of the Commissioners and the Auditor. I recommend that be signed and I've also got a Notice to Bidders for this project and it needs to be signed as well and we need permission to advertise. President Jerrel: Is there a motion? Commissioner Mourdock: I'll move approval of the Heckel Road Bridge rehabilitation plans as submitted. Commissioner Tuley: Second. President Jerrel: So ordered. Commissioner Tuley: Did that include the Notice to Bidders? Commissioner Mourdock: I was going to do that separately. Commissioner Tuley: Okay, sorry. Commissioner Mourdock: While Bettye Lou is writing I'll go ahead and do that though. I'll also move approval of the Notice to Bidders regarding the Heckel Road Bridge project. Commissioner Tuley: Second. President Jerrel: So ordered. John Stoll: The next item I've got is a request to increase the appraisal fees and review appraisal fees on a Lynch Road right-of-way parcel. This is for the E & B parcel in Warrick County. The appraisal cost is going up from $2,200 to $5,500 and the review appraisal fee went from $950 to $2,475. I've got a copy of the letter here and the minutes from the Warrick County Commissioners' meeting where those Commissioners have already approved this, so we're just basically passing through the cost of this to Warrick County, but since the Vanderburgh County Commissioners did approve the agreement it needs to be okayed by us as well. Commissioner Mourdock: I'll move approval of the appraisal fees. Commissioner Tuley: Second. President Jerrel: So ordered. John Stoll: Next I've got a change order on the Denzer Road culvert replacement project. This project was with CCC of Evansville. The change order is for an increase of $920.58. It's primary due to increases in stone bedding for the culvert and in the asphalt. It's recommended that this be approved. President Jerrel: Is there a motion? Commissioner Mourdock: So moved. Commissioner Tuley: Second. President Jerrel: So ordered. John Stoll: Next I've got a travel request for Tom Goodman to attend a project engineer, project supervisor seminar in Indianapolis. This is an INDOT seminar that is basically a good follow-up for the Certified Tech Program and he has already had all the Certified Tech classes, so I would like to send him to this, so it is recommended that this be approved. Commissioner Mourdock: So moved. Commissioner Tuley: Second. President Jerrel: So ordered. John Stoll: Next I've got an agreement that was put together today for an asbestos inspection on the Fifth Avenue Bridge. This is with Environmental Management Consultants for an amount not to exceed $800. We were notified last week by INDOT that this something that has to be done in advance of the bid letting rather than the way they used to do it which was it was taken care of by the contractor after the project was let. In order to hopefully stay on the March bid letting we need to get this report done and as of last Friday INDOT had told me that if we get them the report by January 31st we should be able to stay on the March bid letting. There are no guarantees as of yet, but I should find out yet this week whether or not this will be good enough to keep us on the March bid letting. This agreement was written as the client being the Vanderburgh County Engineering Department, so I don't know if I need to sign this or if the Commissioners want to sign it. Joe Harrison, Jr.: (Inaudible, mike not on.) John Stoll: Okay, I guess I need authorization for me to sign this then. It's for an amount not to exceed $800. Commissioner Mourdock: Did we choose whoever the successful bidder was per se...did we actually bid it or is this just a professional service? John Stoll: Professional services, and I called Roger Lehman Friday to find out who would do this kind of work and this was just one of about three people he named and this was on short notice, so I had only contacted the one firm. Commissioner Mourdock: Okay. President Jerrel: What if they say to you, oh, you've done this, but you're going to be delayed another month or the next bid letting is April or is it later? John Stoll: April. President Jerrel: Can we make an agreement right now that we don't want to accept that delay to April and if you get any indication that's what they're going to want to do that we're going to try to protest it? John Stoll: We can. I just don't know what ultimately they'll say on this. I have been dealing with Steve Dilk on this and he has told me that basically everything we have been doing to this point as far as moving ahead to get this done is what he wanted to hear that we didn't sit back and wait for them to tell us to do this and this. Basically, they're supposed to have a meeting, it was supposed to have been held today but, of course, they didn't have it for some reason. Somebody was not available. At that meeting they were supposed to determine whether or not we could stay on the bid letting. Now it has supposedly been rescheduled for tomorrow, so I hope they have their meeting, but I guess until they have that I won't have any assurances that we will remain on the bid letting. President Jerrel: Well, Im not trying to be obstinate about anything. It's just that they tell us they will honor it, they tell us if we do all of these things that this will happen and I am saying we're doing everything and we want this bridge to be finished. John Stoll: I know. Every time it turns around it seems like there is one more thing that we weren't told about before. President Jerrel: Right. John Stoll: I don't know why this wasn't told to us back in April of `97 whenever the plans were sitting on the shelf ready for a bid letting. At that time supposedly the only thing that was not available was the funding, so if that was the case then this as well as all the other things should have been pointed out, but they weren't. President Jerrel: Well, let's just try to keep it friendly with them, but I think we've got...they've got to know we're expecting to be on there. In good faith they have told us we are. John Stoll: I've told Steve that's what we want to do, whatever it takes to stay on the March 5th letting. He has not given any guarantees, but-- Commissioner Mourdock: Who is Steve? John Stoll: Steve Dilk. He is the local transportation section up there. Commissioner Mourdock: Okay. John Stoll: Ultimately this has to be done regardless of what bid letting we're on. It used to be after the project was awarded and since we haven't dealt with any bridge demolitions, any demolition work at all since the Franklin Street Bridge project I didn't know they had changed the regulations and neither did the consultant and neither did some people at INDOT. Commissioner Mourdock: Well, going back to our place of beginning, I will move acceptance of the asbestos-- Commissioner Tuley: Inspection. Commissioner Mourdock: Yeah, inspection for the Fifth Avenue Bridge project as recommended. Commissioner Tuley: Second. President Jerrel: So ordered. John Stoll: Next I would like to recommend that we award the Evergreen Heights sanitary sewer project to Blankenberger Brothers in the amount of $116,007.90. This is an award based on the base bid not on the alternate bid. Commissioner Mourdock: I'll move approval of the award to Blankenberger for Evergreen Heights. Commissioner Tuley: Second. President Jerrel: So ordered. Joe Harrison, Jr.: John, what was that amount again? John Stoll: It's $116,007.90. Joe Harrison, Jr.: Thanks. John Stoll: The last item I've got is a street acceptance request for 123 feet of Green Lake Drive in The North Greens Subdivision. This street was completed in 1997. This is just a small segment, 200 hundredths of a mile, that was missed whenever we accepted the rest of the road. President Jerrel: Is there a motion to approve the acceptance of this 123 feet? Commissioner Mourdock: I'll move acceptance of the Green Lake Drive 123 feet. Commissioner Tuley: Second. President Jerrel: So ordered. John Stoll: That's all I have unless you've got any questions. Commissioner Tuley: Will you start the process of looking for an Assistant Engineer now? I saw a pink slip on the-- President Jerrel: Yes. Well, we've been talking about we had some good candidates. Commissioner Tuley: In the last go-around? President Jerrel: Yeah, in the last go-around, so we're still looking at that. John Stoll: Can I make an offer to the other person? President Jerrel: Oh, I think so. We don't need to advertise it. We had some good prospects. Commissioner Mourdock: The list is very current. President Jerrel: Right. John Stoll: Yeah. I've been in touch with our second choice and he was asking whether or not we would have to advertise and interview and all that. I told him I didn't think we needed to. President Jerrel: No, it was really close between those two. John Stoll: Yes. Commissioner Tuley: Is this one currently employed some place? John Stoll: Yes. Commissioner Tuley: Back to a bidding war again? President Jerrel: I hope not! John Stoll: I'm not sure at this point, but I definitely hope not. President Jerrel: Okay, thank you.
President Jerrel: County Garage. Erik, you've been...had a busy, busy week. Erik Bentle: Oh, very busy. It has been a long month already! President Jerrel: Yeah. Erik Bentle: We got through this ice storm very well, no damage to the trucks or anybody out there. We've had no mechanical down time. The guys did a really good job. We had one truck to go off in a ditch, but it was no problem. They pulled him out and he was back on the road, so everything went real well. President Jerrel: That's good. We are including, just for your information, we're doing a letter to Delbert with a seal from all us to sign and to send to him. Erik Bentle: Friday was his last day, but he called me and said he wasn't feeling very well so he wouldn't be in. President Jerrel: Yeah. Erik Bentle: He said he would call me when he was going to come in so we could get everything squared away. President Jerrel: Well, as long as this ice is out he doesn't-- Erik Bentle: Need to be out in it. President Jerrel: He is the second...he thought maybe he was the oldest county employee to leave service, but Millie Morgan-- Commissioner Tuley: Millie. President Jerrel: --had him beat. Erik Bentle: That's hard to believe. President Jerrel: She was 88, I checked today. He is 83, almost 84, so they...anyway. Commissioner Mourdock: He had a ways to go. President Jerrel: Yeah. Commissioner Tuley: He might-- Commissioner Mourdock: Um-- Commissioner Tuley: I'm sorry. Commissioner Mourdock: Go ahead. Commissioner Tuley: I was just going to say, you know, what I saw the guys did a super job. Erik Bentle: They put a lot of hours in and no complaints basically overall. They really did a good job and stayed with it. Commissioner Mourdock: I've got three quick points in no particular order. Number one, I read a letter to the editor either yesterday or the day before from John Culver. Speaking as a Commissioner, and I hope all three, I would pass on compliments to him for the letter and the way he did it. I thought it was very well worded and very respectfully done. Commissioner Tuley: Nice job. Commissioner Mourdock: And made some very good points. Erik Bentle: Yeah, I thought he did, too. Commissioner Mourdock: Please thank him. Second point, with the weather we've had are we reordering and refilling the salt barn? Erik Bentle: They were working on that today. They're having trouble getting salt in right now. Commissioner Mourdock: A lot of demand right now. Erik Bentle: Oh, man. They were completely out. Anywhere near here they were completely out. They delivered about 150 ton today and I've got about 900 ton still to go to fill that barn back up. We went through approximately 2,500 ton. Commissioner Mourdock: Let's get our supplies back up. If the salt is harder to find, there may be only one thing harder to find than salt and that's a window scraper. I broke my window scraper yesterday morning. I stopped at Auto Zone, they had been out since Wednesday. I stopped at Target and Buehler's and nobody has any. They are all out. The third point, several weeks ago as a Commission we were putting together our goals for the year and I know Steve Craig has done that for Burdette Park as far as what they're looking to do and I know you have been very, very busy so I quite understand, but I would still like to see...have you get your staff together and think about what the goals might be and if you like a copy of what Steve's report is to see how they did it out there that would be a good thing maybe just as a model to work from. Erik Bentle: Sure. Commissioner Mourdock: But put some goals together and then let us know what they are. Erik Bentle: Hopefully in the next week or so we'll have time to do that! Commissioner Mourdock: I understand. As you know, in the past couple of years we have done the thing with how many miles we're going to pave, what our original budget is. Erik Bentle: Yeah. Commissioner Mourdock: And, you know, let's do more than we did last year. Let's get more ditching than we did last year. So put some goals together. Erik Bentle: We've already did quite a few more ditches than were actually on the list. As a matter of fact, they've got a few more to do yet that people have called in work orders on since they've got their fields cleared out. With the weather the way it was we couldn't get to them. Commissioner Mourdock: Just as a point of information since you have not been here a full year yet or even close to it, usually in the first meeting in March we have our county highway review meeting which is kind of a public meeting where anyone who wants to come in and lay out what they think their priorities ought to be for repaving. You might want to talk to some of the folks out there as to how that has been done so that we take public comments, but at the same night we generally accept from the Garage what the list of road paving projects will be and how they're to be prioritized. Commissioner Tuley: Kind of a joint effort between the Garage and the Engineering Office. Erik Bentle: Yeah, I talked to Bill the other day about it. He said he has already got a list going. Commissioner Mourdock: Good. President Jerrel: Okay, is there a motion to accept the report? Commissioner Mourdock: I'll move acceptance of the County Garage report. Commissioner Tuley: Second. President Jerrel: So ordered. Thank
you.
President Jerrel: County Attorney. Joe Harrison, Jr.: I wanted to see if you all had any additional comments on the smoking ordinance. We need to get that advertised. I have given a notice for Charlene so that she can get that published in the next couple of days. President Jerrel: I did have a call today from Judge Heldt and I told him to get in touch with you because they would like to have someone come to the hearings. He wanted to talk about perhaps the jurors, you know, so I said, okay, we would talk about it. We're going to do some checking around the state where there are no smoking in any areas so that we can see what sort of things they do. Commissioner Tuley: Put a big J on them so we know they're jurors? President Jerrel: I don't know. Commissioner Mourdock: So they're in deliberations and they can go outside and have a smoke and not otherwise be hounded by the media, public or anybody else. That's an interesting question. That's good. President Jerrel: Well, and if...well, I just think we need to look at the issue, but, you know, they may not be able to smoke. Commissioner Mourdock: Yeah, that's my preference. President Jerrel: Okay, so at any rate I just wanted to-- Joe Harrison, Jr.: That's fine. There can always be an amendment. Commissioner Mourdock: Did we get the motion to advertise last time? President Jerrel: Yes. Joe Harrison, Jr.: Yes. Commissioner Mourdock: We did, right? Joe Harrison, Jr.: And I have given her the notice. I just wanted to see if you all had any other changes before...okay, thanks. President Jerrel: Anything else? Joe Harrison, Jr.: No, that's it.
President Jerrel: The Superintendent
of County Buildings is not here.
President Jerrel: Burdette Park. Steve Craig: I guess the main thing I have is that you did get our goals that we have set for 1999 and to ask if you have any questions or would like to discuss them? Commissioner Mourdock: I would just make the comment, Steve, I looked through the list and I thought you guys had given a lot of thought to it. Several of the issues, and let me give you a could example here, I think a real good goal was, picking an example, on the tennis courts the goal is to resurface the tennis complex and bring them up to USTA standards. That's a good one. It's specific so you're going to know whether or not you have completed it. Some of the others that were a little less specific though you might want to take another look at. This is on the general section: President Jerrel: Another good one is the trees. Commissioner Mourdock: Uh-huh. President Jerrel: Easily measurable. Commissioner Mourdock: Yep. Also, the safety. No loss man hours. President Jerrel: Yeah, that's an excellent one. Steve Craig: Yeah, it was surprising. That was with our full-time employees and that. I found out later that we had a couple of lifeguards that had got stung by bees and missed a day or two, but we had talked with Charlie and we're going to go through some things up there where they can...you know, to call in the next day and say they're not coming in because they were sunburned or something, I mean, I didn't include that, but this was something that we was kind of proud of because we hadn't had nobody that lost any time in the last year or so. I think it is a standard that we just have to stay perfect. Commissioner Mourdock: Another quick example on the grants and funding. Yours says: Steve Craig: Okay. Commissioner Mourdock: I compliment you for the thought that went in it. Have you presented these to the Advisory Board? Steve Craig: No, we haven't. We started these after their last meeting. They had a couple of ideas in the past Advisory Board minutes. I had asked them, because at the time we didn't have ours completed, for a couple of their ideas, what they foresaw as future goals at Burdette and some of the suggestions was a dome on the olympic pool, more chalets and a skating rink were the three ideas that they came up with which were more major goals than what we were looking for as far as maintenance and running the park more efficiently. Commissioner Mourdock: Going back to the Advisory Board, I noted in the old business from the last meeting that you were reporting at that point that you think you'll know something this month on the Build Indiana Fund? Steve Craig: That's what we were hoping. President Jerrel: I don't know that we will. Commissioner Mourdock: Okay. President Jerrel: It just depends on that legislative session and they don't give out much information on the money end of it until they...I mean, they have their own agenda. Steve Craig: They canceled the first week of the meetings. President Jerrel: Yeah, so I don't think we'll be hearing anything as soon as we would like. Steve Craig: I don't either. President Jerrel: But we did...you know, I had written a letter to Larry Lutz about maybe considering calling it the O'Day Discovery Lodge and the Advisory Board thought that was a good idea or they independently thought it was, so it would be a nice way to recognize-- Commissioner Mourdock: Did we include that or have we modified our grant application when that goes into Indianapolis just to let them know we're thinking along those lines? President Jerrel: I have sent a letter to Dennis Avery and to Larry Lutz who will both be involved in the process. Commissioner Mourdock: With the suggestion of the name? President Jerrel: Yes. Commissioner Mourdock: Very good. That will be helpful. Steve Craig: Is that it? Commissioner Mourdock: I'll bring this goal thing back to the last meeting of 1999 and we'll see how you did. Steve Craig: I hope we do real well.
Thank you very much.
President Jerrel: Thank you. Is there a motion to accept Burdette, Soil & Water and Ozone Officer's report? Commissioner Mourdock: So moved. Commissioner Tuley: Second. President Jerrel: So ordered.
President Jerrel: Next are the consent items. If there are any questions, if not is there a motion? Commissioner Mourdock: I'll move approval of the consent items as filed. Commissioner Tuley: The only thing I would like to add since I asked Commissioner Jerrel and it wasn't reflected on the pink slip, the increase of salary for the Superintendent of County Buildings is just his step increase for two years of service? President Jerrel: Right. Commissioner Tuley: Having said that, I'll second the motion. President Jerrel: And I'll say so
ordered.
President Jerrel: You have your scheduled
list of meetings. There will be no meeting next week. That's just a reminder.
President Jerrel: Under old business, George Hoffmann has agreed to serve. Commissioner Mourdock: That being the case I'll move the appointment of George Hoffmann to the License Examination Review Board. Commissioner Tuley: Second. President Jerrel: So ordered. Commissioner Tuley: Herb, you don't have to report that tomorrow. Your counterpart reported that incorrectly last week! President Jerrel: Is there any further old business? I have some new business to come up. Commissioner Mourdock: Just old business, for what it is worth here, the Jail Committee meets again this coming Thursday so if either of you are interested you're welcome to attend. We'll be going over the interim report that will be presented later to the County Council later this month and I'm not sure what day that is. Will they be meeting on the 20... President Jerrel: The first and last Wednesday of the month. Commissioner Mourdock: Yeah, the 27th. I think it is dated the 27th is when that is scheduled. President Jerrel: Has there been anything done with those national statistics? I mean, the national jail review that was done here last June and submitted and they asked us to take a look at our statistics, our court statistics, the whole judicial system? Commissioner Mourdock: Yeah, that has been part of the discussion the last two meetings we've had and the last time the judges did present some statistics as far as what they had as far as the cases they were seeing and handling. In fact, that is what led to the discussion about is there a possible way of finding a third courtroom over here that we could otherwise speed the handling of cases. So I think the court system is trying to find a way to be a part of the solution. President Jerrel: Any other old business?
President Jerrel: New business? Commissioner Mourdock: One thing I passed on to Tony, and since he is not here maybe we can do it some other way, but I had gotten a request from Junior Achievement on their job shadow experience. Real simply stated on February 2nd, Groundhog's Day, shadow, get it, they try to put people with JA in various different businesses and offices around the city just so folks can have a few hours of job shadowing and get to see what is going on. I was going to suggest that maybe Tony could draft a letter for our county offices and if any of those folks were interested having them correspond with Ron Jochum, with SIGECO, who is heading up the JA. It might be a good experience for some kids. President Jerrel: I'd like to just bring up one item. I did attend the first EUTS meeting last Thursday and I had asked Rose to examine the opportunity that we might be able to obtain a grant from the National Corridor Planning and Development Program for a much more sophisticated transportation survey than we have done in the past for all of our entering and exiting major corridors. I don't know whether we'll have an opportunity for it, but the policy committee did approve it and we're asking for a half million dollars and there would be a ten percent...we would be responsible for putting up our...it would be more than that. We would have to put up $100,000, yeah, 20 percent. I think it would be well worth it because it would answer a lot of questions that we now have to grope for answers for. Particularly where the trucks are going and if they're going in the county or exiting. Commissioner Mourdock: Would that be specific just within the county borders or does that become more regional? President Jerrel: No, that was part of the...I had talked to Dave Rector from Warrick County and it would give, you know, us a perspective that I think we're sorely missing. If we could get the money to do that kind of study, particularly the trucks coming in from the west side, that's going to increase. We don't really know where these trucks go. That's the part that we need to examine. Do they continue, most of them, or do they go to 41? We need better information than we currently have because we're going to have to prioritize our dollars for the next two years and hopefully in the future past that. We need to do it based upon good information, so at any rate Rose willingly did a very nice job of preparing that grant that I requested her to do and it got sent on time. The report to you all is sort of a day late, but we had to have it up there by today. Commissioner Mourdock: Well, I think that is a very good thing to go after. You look at the federal monies and when they speak in trillions and billions, I mean, there has got to be some in there we can find. President Jerrel: Well, there is a report, a study, being done by a group from North Carolina, but it's not...it's going to deal more specifically with certain aspects of I-69 and we have numerous border issues and we have an International Trade Zone over in Posey County. I think Rose made it fit, so at any rate this is the letter that I included for your information that I sent to accompany the grant. Commissioner Mourdock: On a similar and related subject, one thing I would like us to do and I'll prepare the letter, but at the ACORN meeting this week on the transportation section more and more I sense that we're going to shift over towards the transportation side from the pollution prevention aspect. President Jerrel: Right. Commissioner Mourdock: The question again has come up about reformulated gasoline, lower reed vapor pressure gasoline and what we can do to reduce vehicle emissions. I think a critical part of that is going to be better coordination of our traffic system. Even though all of the stoplights in Vanderburgh County are computer controlled, there is still the sense that we can do better, get an updated software package to have better controls there. The other part of that is with the existing system is there signage in place so that we get the maximum use for our system and we don't have any signage. For instance, a sign that would tell you that if you're traveling 37 miles an hour during given hours of the day you won't have to stop. One of the suggestions that has come up is with the new travel warning signs that the state has posted on 41 could we get the state to post those kinds of messages for 41? My suggestion would be that we write a letter to INDOT trying to get that done as well as to several of our state reps trying to get some more pressure on INDOT to get that done. Otherwise, I know INDOT will not want to do those kinds of issues on their signs. I think it is going to take pressure from the state. President Jerrel: Right. And we could...we had an opportunity to talk to Dave Savage, but I do think it would be a good idea to make-- Commissioner Mourdock: Exactly. President Jerrel: Answer questions and make a report to us. There are a lot of issues out there that some of us don't understand. Commissioner Mourdock: And Dave did report one time to the Transportation Committee of ACORN, but there was the feeling at the last meeting that is something that needs to be further explored and I fully agree. President Jerrel: Okay, is there any other information? Is there a motion to adjourn? Commissioner Mourdock: So moved. Commissioner Tuley: Second. President Jerrel: So ordered. The meeting was adjourned at 6:20 p.m. Those in attendance: Bettye Lou Jerrel Richard E. Mourdock Patrick Tuley Joe Harrison, Jr. Suzanne M. Crouch Charlene Timmons Jayne Berry-Bland Joe Coleman John Stoll Erik Bentle Steve Craig Others unidentified Members of the media
Vanderburgh County
Bettye Lou Jerrel, President Richard E. Mourdock, Vice President Transcribed by Charlene Timmons
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