VANDERBURGH COUNTY

BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

JANUARY 20, 2009

The Vanderburgh County Board of Commissioners met in session this 20^th day of January, 2009 at 5:00 p.m. in room 301 of the Civic Center Complex with President Troy Tornatta presiding.

President Tornatta: Good afternoon. We’re going to convene the Board of Commissioners meeting, January 20, 2009 in room 301. This is a call to order. Attendance roll call, please.

Madelyn Grayson: Commissioner Winnecke?

Commissioner Winnecke: Here.

Madelyn Grayson: Commissioner Melcher?

Commissioner Melcher: Here.

Madelyn Grayson: President Tornatta?

President Tornatta: Here.

President Tornatta: Dustin Kasnick, are you around? Come on up, buddy. He’s an 8^th grader at McGary Middle School, who’s drawing appears on the 2009 anti-drug calendar. Step forward to the podium please. That’s sponsored by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor. First, Dustin, you’re going to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

(The Pledge of Allegiance was given.)

President Tornatta: Alright, Dustin, I see your handy artwork on the front of the 2009 anti-drug calendar. Tell us what it says?

Dustin Kasnick: Don’t go down the road of drugs.

President Tornatta: Alright, is his mic on? Alright, repeat that title one more time.

Dustin Kasnick: Don’t go down the road of drugs.

President Tornatta: Alright, and we said you’re an 8^th grader, and what got you to do this project?

Dustin Kasnick: All the 8^th grade advanced were doing it.

President Tornatta: Okay, and how did you find out you were the winner?

Dustin Kasnick: They sent me a letter.

President Tornatta: Alright, well, I tell you what, you got all gussied up. You look pretty good, buddy. Thanks for coming out, and thanks for leading us in the pledge.

Dustin Kasnick: You’re welcome.

President Tornatta: Thank you.

Dustin Kasnick: Thank you.

President Tornatta: Stan? Prosecutor Levco is here, and he started this project quite a few years ago. Kind of talk to us about how the project is going and how it started?

Stan Levco: Yeah, I put a suit on too today for this occasion.

President Tornatta: You’re gussied up everyday.

Stan Levco: Yeah. This is, I tell the parents this, this is actually one of my favorite things as Prosecutor. The way it began was, like most good things in the Prosecutor’s office, it began when somebody else did something. Doug Brown, my Chief Deputy went to a conference and heard a speech from the Prosecutor in Baltimore who’s name was Sandra O’Connor. She just retired recently, was an Indiana University graduate, but a Prosecutor in Baltimore, and she talked about this drug calendar thing. He came back to me and he told me that he thought this would be a great idea. I was kind of skeptical, and I said, I tell you what, I said, you think it’s such a good idea, you get everything set up and you do it. If it works, I’ll take all the credit for it. If it doesn’t work, you know, it’s your problem. Well, it turned out it worked fabulously. We’ve been doing this for about 11 years. We’ve actually, I’ve talked to Sandra O’Connor, she and I are on a national board together. If I may humbly say, we made a few improvements over what she did. We have a special section for the runners up, where they get their pictures on. We have everybody’s name who participates get their name in the calendar. Virtually all the middle schools participate in this. We’ve been doing it for 11 years now, and it’s really gratifying. It’s not what I was, maybe I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I was surprised the first year and have not been surprised since, the quality, as you look through this, the quality of the drawings are just great. It’s tough to pick, although Dustin won this year, and his entry is obviously great, you know, there are a lot of other great ones. It’s one of the most gratifying things I do. Like I say to them, I know this is not going to solve the drug problem, but if you’ve got kids thinking at the beginning of the year, thinking of anti-drug thoughts, it’s not going to do any harm. You know, maybe it will take on somebody, if they start thinking about it. So, it’s something I really love doing, and I’ve got a few extra copies if anybody here doesn’t have one. Dustin’s father is here to celebrate the occasion with him.

President Tornatta: We appreciate what you do, and I think, we all would agree that anything we could do to try and deter from doing drugs and alcohol, underage, is obviously a bonus.

Stan Levco: I guess, I can say to you, although this is not literally the County Council, this is not with County Council funds. This is all with Drug Forfeiture money, that we do this.

President Tornatta: Sounds good.

Stan Levco: Okay.

President Tornatta: Thank you, sir.

President Tornatta: Alright, Erika Taylor? Erika Taylor is our new appointment on the Human Relations Commission. She has a proclamation, very appropriate for today.

Erika Taylor: Thank you, Troy. A little background, obviously, as a citizen of the world I’m very happy about what has occurred today, but I have a personal feeling about it as well. I’m originally from the south side of Chicago, where Barack Obama began his political career. I’ve been following him for quite some time. I’ll tell you that back in the summer of 2004, when he gave the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention, I told anybody that would listen, including Troy, I think, that man will be President one day. So, today is very special for me. I’m not in D.C., but I can do this, and so I’m honored.

President Tornatta: Thank you.

Erika Taylor: Should I begin?

President Tornatta: Absolutely.

Erika Taylor:

“Whereas, on November 4, 2008, a 47-year old first-term Senator from Illinois, shattered more than 200 years of history by being elected the first African-American President of the United States; and, Whereas, our Nation’s 44^th President, Barack Obama has been sworn into office on this 20^th day of January, 2009 under the inaugural theme of “A New Birth of Freedom” commemorating the 200^th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth, and this theme from the Gettysburg address expresses Lincoln’s hope that the sacrifice of those who died to preserve this nation shall lead to “a new birth of freedom” for our nation; and, Whereas, the inauguration of Barack Obama demonstrates that our nation is closer to realizing the hopes and dreams of those who advocated for equal rights and justice in our nation, sacrificing life and limb to ensure that our nation lives up to its creed that all men are created equal and that our nation is one in which, in the words spoken by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 45 years ago from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, that people will “not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character”; and, Whereas, in the words of Barack Obama: “unless we perfect our union by understanding that we may have different stories, but we hold common hopes; that we may not look the same way and we may not have come from the same place but we all want to move in the same direction towards a better future for our children and grandchildren”; and, Whereas, Barack Obama is a living example of the American dream and his resounding message of unity and hope will continue to inspire all who hear it. Our greatness as a nation derives from seemingly ordinary people doing extraordinary things; and, Now, Therefore, We the Board of Commissioners of Vanderburgh County, Indiana, recognize that Barack Obama has made an indelible mark in history and we honor this momentous historical event by naming this 20^th day of January, 2009 “Barack Obama Day” in Vanderburgh County.”

President Tornatta: Thank you, Erika. Do I have a motion?

Commissioner Melcher: So moved.

Commissioner Winnecke: Second.

President Tornatta: Any questions? Discussion? Roll call vote.

Madelyn Grayson: Commissioner Winnecke?

Commissioner Winnecke: Yes.

Madelyn Grayson: Commissioner Melcher?

Commissioner Melcher: Yes.

Madelyn Grayson: President Tornatta?

President Tornatta: Yes.

(Motion approved 3-0)

President Tornatta: And, we will give a copy to the Human Relations Board, we would like to deliver a copy to the African American Museum, and get a copy to Barack Obama’s office.

Erika Taylor: Thank you.

President Tornatta: Okay, we have a second and final reading of CO.01-09-003, an ordinance amending the storm water ordinance. An ordinance which will amend the storm water drainage control ordinance by shortening the period during which a property owner can pay for contractual services ordered by the Drainage Board from 90 days to 45 days.

Commissioner Winnecke: Mr. President, I’ll move approval.

Commissioner Melcher: I’ll second it.

President Tornatta: Any discussion? Roll call vote.

Commissioner Melcher: Can we ask, see if anybody in the audience has a question? Okay.

President Tornatta: Roll call vote, please.

Madelyn Grayson: Commissioner Winnecke?

Commissioner Winnecke: Yes.

Madelyn Grayson: Commissioner Melcher?

Commissioner Melcher: Yes.

Madelyn Grayson: President Tornatta?

President Tornatta: Yes.

(Motion approved 3-0)

President Tornatta: Alright, contracts, agreements and leases. We have the Burdette Park land lease agreement with David Austill for additional parking spaces, which is $400 a year, and has been that way since 2004. Steve?

Steve Craig: Good afternoon. My name is Steve Craig. I’m the Burdette Park Manager. This is a contract that, there’s about three or four acres of property that is landlocked and creek locked behind our baseball diamonds, which the baseball diamonds use as overflow parking. We have leased this from Mr. Austill for several years. Nothing has changed from the last previous contract that Ted had wrote up. So, I was asking if you would agree to this.

President Tornatta: Alright, while we’re on that one, let’s go ahead down to the Burdette Park AT&T yellow pages agreement for Burdette Park advertising. It’s an agreement to advertise in the yellow pages for Burdette Park. It’s identical to last year’s except for charges, which for 2009 were $509 per month, versus $495 per month in 2008. As in the case of last year’s agreement it is, if this is not cancelled for the year 2010 prior to December 2009, the contract will automatically renew for 2010. As is the case with last year’s agreement, there will be a late payment charge if the payments are not made on their respective due dates.

Steve Craig: Well, we’ve been working with Lane Rich from AT&T, and we, after reading the Commissioners e-mails and their opinion on it, we restructured it where we took out the three by four boxes with the info in it, and we actually ended up getting to add two more listings to it. Then we asked them if we could just have our phone number and our website put on it, so that when you go, you will come to Burdette Park and it will give you our address, our phone number and our website. This ended up being a reduction in cost per month to $251 per month, which is a savings to the county of $3,096 a year. The new payment, instead of six thousand something dollars, whatever that came up to, I think will be $3,012 now. I think this is a better deal. We’re in it eight different times, not including the government listing. So, we’re getting a little bit more exposure. We don’t have the three by four square boxes, which some of the Commissioners didn’t agree with that, and I don’t either. They’re very, very expensive, and I think when people nowadays they can go to our website and get page after page of what they need. I’m asking for permission to do this new plan.

President Tornatta: I appreciate you checking into our concerns. Any questions of the Board?

Commissioner Winnecke: Mr. President? Steve, do you, is there, are there any mechanisms in place by which you track how the park gets bookings?

Steve Craig: Well, I’ve always thought it was from word of mouth, but, you know, we do advertise. I don’t have any way of tracking. I mean, I guess we could ask people, you know, when they do rent a building or something, why they’re renting it. You know, I don’t know if it’s because they’ve done it before through relatives, but we really don’t track, you know, why they’re using the park. Not that I know of.

Commissioner Winnecke: I think it would be helpful, I mean, I echo President Tornatta’s comments. I think it’s good that we found a more efficient way to advertise for the phone book, but I think it would be helpful for the future if there is a way that you can track how we get the business. Maybe it’s just as simple as asking people when they make a reservation, how did you hear about us? If they’ve heard, whether it’s prior use, or whether it’s through advertising. If so, what form? I think that would be helpful for us in future years.

Steve Craig: I agree with you. Advertising is one of those things, you don’t know if it’s working or not, you know, because I know at the aquatic center if it’s a hundred degrees and we have a really hot summer, we’re busy. You know, if it’s raining we’re not busy. So, you know, it’s hard to tell if you’re advertising, what’s working. I know they preach that you need to advertise at all times, but we can do something for the tracking of it to find out, you know, which direction the people are coming from. Like I said, I always hoped it was word of mouth, that we ran a good place. That other people enjoyed it and they told their relatives and friends about it, but I would like to see where our advertising money is going at.

Commissioner Winnecke: Thank you.

President Tornatta: Alright, if everyone’s okay, I would take a motion on both of these Burdette Park issues.

Commissioner Melcher: So moved.

Commissioner Winnecke: Second.

President Tornatta: Any discussion? Questions from the audience? Roll call vote.

Madelyn Grayson: Commissioner Winnecke?

Commissioner Winnecke: Yes.

Madelyn Grayson: Commissioner Melcher?

Commissioner Melcher: Yes.

Madelyn Grayson: President Tornatta?

President Tornatta: Yes.

(Motion approved 3-0)

President Tornatta: Thank you, Steve.

Steve Craig: Thank you.

President Tornatta: Anything else.

Steve Craig: No.

President Tornatta: Okay.

Steve Craig: One thing, I did appreciate the card, my wife and I did, from the Commissioners. Thank you very much for that.

President Tornatta: She doing okay?

Steve Craig: Yes, real good.

President Tornatta: Good, good. Okay, next, EMA GIS grant. Request from the DLGF, Indiana Department of Homeland Security, and Indiana Geographic Information Office to participate in a state-wide mapping program. Sherman?

Sherman Greer: As you can see there with the document you’ve got in front of you, we get about $14,000 for the changing, I mean, giving the information in to the Indiana GIS, so that we can have a more seamless type of GIS system throughout the whole state. I think it’s a good thing. The Indiana Department of Homeland Security is funding this. We have the people here with our own, in our own city that has the capabilities of doing that. Any funds that are left over we can purchase computers with, to upgrade our computers. Because the computer that we’ve got in the, in our office that works with the GIS is about five years old and it needs to be upgraded for the, to be able to handle that capacity, I guess.

President Tornatta: Any questions of Sherman? Motion?

Commissioner Winnecke: So moved.

Commissioner Melcher: Second.

President Tornatta: Discussion by the Board? Audience? Roll call vote.

Madelyn Grayson: Commissioner Winnecke?

Commissioner Winnecke: Yes.

Madelyn Grayson: Commissioner Melcher?

Commissioner Melcher: Yes.

Madelyn Grayson: President Tornatta?

President Tornatta: Yes.

(Motion approved 3-0)

President Tornatta: Thank you, Sherman? Anything else while you’re up here?

Sherman Greer: There’s a lot of things. No, not really. I think we’re doing pretty good. As far as planning for the upcoming year, we have our first advisory council meeting next Tuesday, I’m sorry, this Thursday. I need to talk to you about that appointment. I have a gentleman in mind that would, it’s a retired gentleman that would be able to make our meetings. He does not live in Vanderburgh County. He lives in Posey County and Mars Township Fire Department, which that is a part of the Fire Chiefs Association. He’s also a big, he works with us in the District Ten project that we’re working on and everything right now. I was wondering if he had to live in Vanderburgh County?

President Tornatta: We’ll check it. How about we’ll check and get back to you tomorrow?

Sherman Greer: Okay. I would appreciate that.

President Tornatta: If not, we’ll go back to the drawing board.

Sherman Greer: We’ll go back to the drawing board on that. But, he is a fireman. He’s worked a lot with us and everything in a lot different projects.

President Tornatta: Okay.

Sherman Greer: So, alright.

President Tornatta: Alright, super.

Sherman Greer: Thank you.

President Tornatta: Thank you, Sherman. Next, Purdue Co-Op’s Southern Business Machines agreement. An agreement for the provisions of service to the mail machine and electronic scale of the Purdue Extension office. It is identical to the form approved last year and will run from 1/29/2009 to 1/28/2010. The annual cost has increased by five dollars, from $620 to $625. Susan English from the office says that there are funds in place. Let’s go ahead and take the next one, Purdue Co-Op agreement with Business Equipment Distributors, Incorporated. This equipment maintenance agreement is identical to the form approved for the past two years, and will run from 1/29/09 to 2/1/2010. The per copy cost for the year is .00515 cents, as opposed to a per copy cost of .00475 last year. In addition, the monthly minimum amount has increased from five dollars to $30. I would entertain a motion for both.

Commissioner Melcher: So moved.

Commissioner Winnecke: Second.

President Tornatta: Any questions of the Board? Questions from the audience? Roll call vote.

Madelyn Grayson: Commissioner Winnecke?

Commissioner Winnecke: Yes.

Madelyn Grayson: Commissioner Melcher?

Commissioner Melcher: Yes.

Madelyn Grayson: President Tornatta?

President Tornatta: Yes.

(Motion approved 3-0)

President Tornatta: Okay, board appointments.

Commissioner Melcher: Yes, Mr. President, I have one appointment to make that we still have open. I think we still have got a couple of others open, but, tonight I would like to appoint Robert Wright to the Economic Development Coalition Board.

Commissioner Winnecke: Second.

President Tornatta: A motion and a second. Discussion of the Board? From the audience? Roll call vote.

Madelyn Grayson: Commissioner Winnecke?

Commissioner Winnecke: Yes.

Madelyn Grayson: Commissioner Melcher?

Commissioner Melcher: Yes.

Madelyn Grayson: President Tornatta?

President Tornatta: Abstain.

(Motion approved 2-0. President Tornatta abstained.)

President Tornatta: New business? Anybody? Old business?

David Miller: Mr. President, I do have one item of new business. The agreement that I have shown each one of the Commissioners for the engagement of alternate counsel for a couple of cases that we have received in our office that have to be dealt with. This happens to us frequently, and I have been in discussion with Mr. Rob Faulkner, a local attorney who is willing to take on the responsibility for these cases in which we have conflict of interest. He is willing to accept the same hourly rate on these cases as you have approved for our firm.

President Tornatta: Okay.

David Miller: I have those contracts ready for signature.

Commissioner Winnecke: Mr. President, I would move that we enter into an agreement for alternative counsel, in the name of Rob Faulkner, as directed by the County Attorney for such cases that their firm has a conflict.

President Tornatta: I’ll second that. Any discussion? From the audience? Roll call vote, please?

Madelyn Grayson: Commissioner Winnecke?

Commissioner Winnecke: Yes.

Madelyn Grayson: Commissioner Melcher?

Commissioner Melcher: Abstain.

Madelyn Grayson: President Tornatta?

President Tornatta: Yes.

(Motion approved 2-0. Commissioner Melcher abstained.)

David Miller: Thank you.

President Tornatta: Anything else? David, anything else?

David Miller: No.

President Tornatta: Okay, alright. Any other department heads that want to address the Board?

President Tornatta: Public comment? That was smooth.

President Tornatta: Madelyn? Oh, let’s introduce our shadow.

Commissioner Winnecke: Our shadow for today is Alex Young from Memorial High School. He was a little late, he’s a baseball player and he’s been in baseball conditioning. So, he had to be dismissed a little early from his coach to be here. Alex, welcome.

Alex Young: Thank you.

President Tornatta: Alright, go Memorial, right?

Alex Young: That’s right.

President Tornatta: Alright, Madelyn, if you’ll read our consent items, please.

Madelyn Grayson: Okay, the consent items for the January 20, 2009 Commission meeting are as follows; approval of the January 13, 2009 Commission meeting minutes; employment changes from the various offices; travel requests, one from the Health Department and one from Weights and Measures; the County Engineer pay request number 69 for the Burkhardt-Green River TIF projects in the amount of $109,152.52; the County Treasurer’s December 2008 monthly report; the County Auditor, January 2009 Accounts Payable vouchers; Commissioners, Burdette Park summer day camp corporate sponsorship letter; Commissioners, Hillcrest Washington Youth Home fourth quarter fees for services; the Surveyor, request to surplus one Canon copier; Weights and Measures monthly report for December 2008; and department head reports from Burdette Park, the County Engineer, County Highway and the Ozone Officer.

President Tornatta: I need a motion.

Commissioner Winnecke: So moved.

Commissioner Melcher: Second.

President Tornatta: Discussion? From the audience? Roll call vote, please.

Madelyn Grayson: Commissioner Winnecke?

Commissioner Winnecke: Yes.

Madelyn Grayson: Commissioner Melcher?

Commissioner Melcher: Yes.

Madelyn Grayson: President Tornatta?

President Tornatta: Yes.

(Motion approved 3-0)

President Tornatta: I’ll have a motion for adjournment.

Commissioner Melcher: So moved.

Commissioner Winnecke: Second.

President Tornatta: So ordered.

(The meeting was adjourned at 5:25 p.m.)

CONSENT ITEMS:

Commissioners:

Approval of the January 13, 2009 Commission Meeting Minutes.

Burdette Park Summer Day Camp Corporate Sponsorship Letter.

Hillcrest Washington Youth Home Fourth Quarter Fees.

Employment Changes:          Sheriff’s Office (1)                    Auditor (1)

Travel Requests: 

Health Department (1)              Weights & Measures (1)

County Engineer: Pay Request No. 69: Green River-Burkhardt TIF Projects.

Treasurer: December 2008 Monthly Report.

Auditor: January 2009 A/P Vouchers.

Surveyor: Request to Surplus Canon Copier.

Weights & Measures: December 2008 Monthly Report.

Department Head Reports:

Burdette Park                           County Engineer                       County Highway

Ozone Officer

Those in Attendance:

Troy Tornatta                            Stephen Melcher                      Lloyd Winnecke

Bill Fluty                                    David Miller                               Madelyn Grayson

Dustin Kasnick                          Stan Levco                               Erika Taylor

Steve Craig                               Sherman Greer                         Alex Young

Others Unidentified                   Members of Media

VANDERBURGH COUNTY

BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

Troy Tornatta, President

Stephen Melcher, Vice President

Lloyd Winnecke, Member

(Recorded and transcribed by Madelyn Grayson.)