President Jerrel: I'd like to call the County Commissioners' meeting to order. At this time I would like for you to join me in the Pledge of Allegiance.
 

President Jerrel: I'd like to have a motion for approval of the minutes of the previous meeting.

Commissioner Mourdock: I'll move approval of the minutes of April 26th.

Commissioner Tuley: Second.

President Jerrel: So ordered.
 

President Jerrel: We did have an Executive Session that began about 4:55 and lasted until 5:30 and we talked about personnel matters and litigation and contracts.

Commissioner Mourdock: And also leases for real estates.

President Jerrel: Oh, I was calling contracts that.

Commissioner Mourdock: Okay, I'll move approval of those summary minutes.

Commissioner Tuley: Second.

President Jerrel: So ordered.
 

President Jerrel: In your packet there is a contract that the County Assessor wishes to enter into. You had a copy of this. It deals with her internet site and this, if you'll look at it, it relates to the upgrades on ProVal which is a reassessment.

Commissioner Mourdock: I'll move approval of the contract as requested by the Vanderburgh County Assessor.

Commissioner Tuley: Second.

President Jerrel: So ordered.
 

President Jerrel: The next item on the agenda is Burdette Park, approval of the contracts with Food & Beverage.

Commissioner Mourdock: And the first one is for the...with Ms. Mona Berry as the contractor for the...as Manager of Food & Beverage Concession at Burdette and I'll move approval of that contract.

Commissioner Tuley: Second.

President Jerrel: So ordered.

Commissioner Mourdock: And the second one is for the Assistant Manager for Food & Beverage and that is with, I think she pronounces it, Jolie Rene' Spegal, and I'll move approval of that contract. 

Commissioner Tuley: Second.

President Jerrel: So ordered.
 

President Jerrel: The next item on the agenda is the County Auditor for permission to advertise public hearing on vacation of easement at 1301 Mortensen Lane.

Commissioner Mourdock: And I'll move approval of that request for the vacation of easement.

Commissioner Tuley: It says here it has a suggested hearing date of May 17th. Do you want to include that in your motion? 

Commissioner Mourdock: Yes, that is included in the motion, May 17, 1999.

Commissioner Tuley: Second.

President Jerrel: So ordered.
 

President Jerrel: I don't see any groups that wish to speak to us.
 

President Jerrel: The County Engineer isn't here, so the County Garage. These are your latest...this completes the inventory.

Erik Bentle: This completes our inventory of the infrastructure of the garage. Now, we haven't done the lot yet and got all that stuff, but this completes all the cribs and everything inside the garage itself. Now last week you got the other cribs that I gave you.

President Jerrel: Right.

Erik Bentle: So any questions on that?

Commissioner Mourdock: The only question I would have, Erik, is looking at this, yeah, there is a lot of inventory on here and I look at page after page of fuel filters and hydraulic filters. Do we even have to have those in inventory?

Erik Bentle: Yes, we use them every day.

Commissioner Mourdock: Even the fuel filters? We change them out that often?

Erik Bentle: They change them out every time that they do a service on a vehicle because they get so much dust and stuff in them.

Commissioner Mourdock: Okay.

President Jerrel: Is there anything else?

Erik Bentle: You've got my worksheet for this week.

President Jerrel: Uh-huh.

Erik Bentle: The other thing I've got is for our paving so far we've got two percent of the paving done. The weather is holding us up some on that, but as far as our ditching goes we've got 43 percent of it done already.

Commissioner Mourdock: No kidding?

Erik Bentle: We're moving right along on the ditching.

President Jerrel: Good.

Erik Bentle: That's all I have.

President Jerrel: Have you shared that with John? You know, he was making those colored...you may not have been aware of that, the colored--

Commissioner Mourdock: Graphs.

President Jerrel: --graphs to show how you're doing. Is he going to do those for us? Yeah.

Erik Bentle: We've done one already.

Commissioner Mourdock: Yeah, I've seen them.

President Jerrel: Ask him if he would do one, you know, a larger one so we can start posting them on the board.

Erik Bentle: Okay, sure will.

President Jerrel: Because you're doing well we might as well announce it.

Erik Bentle: Sure.

President Jerrel: Okay, anything else?

Erik Bentle: That's all I have. 

Commissioner Mourdock: Last week prior to the meeting Bettye Lou handed me something about that one truck you were looking to order.

Erik Bentle: We haven't ordered or nothing yet. 

Commissioner Mourdock: I know, we've not approved the order because I wanted to talk to you about it which we did, so now that I understand it you might resubmit that.

Erik Bentle: That would help us out a lot getting equipment to the job. We bought them new pavers to take one on the patch crew and one on the paving crew, but as it stands now them little pick-ups that we have just won't pull it so we need to--

Commissioner Mourdock: We'll put those on the agenda next week.

Erik Bentle: Okay, and that one car we were talking about, I went back and talked to Dave about it and he was wanting me to request that we put it up for auction because he said it is getting to the point where they're putting more parts in it than it is worth.

President Jerrel: Alright, well we'll get moving.

Commissioner Tuley: Two quick questions.

Erik Bentle: Sure.

Commissioner Tuley: Are you guys on your early schedule yet so that you get off like at 2:00 or 2:30 in the afternoon?

Erik Bentle: No.

Commissioner Tuley: You're not on that schedule yet?

Erik Bentle: No, that is not something that has been brought to my attention. I didn't know they did that.

Commissioner Tuley: Well, a lot of times once the weather gets real hot particularly the paving crews they like to start...they come in at 6:00 and work to like 2:00, something like that, so that they can get out before that gets extremely hot in the afternoon.

Erik Bentle: Okay.

Commissioner Tuley: So we haven't got there yet maybe, but that is what I was wanting to find out. The other question I've got can you submit, and I don't know how you guys feel about this, but I would kind of like to see weekly report of the days off by your foreman. 

Erik Bentle: Okay, I'll work something up, yeah. 

Commissioner Tuley: Just so that we know what days of the week they're off.

Commissioner Mourdock: In advance you're saying or after the fact?

Commissioner Tuley: Well, it would be nice if it is projected, but I know a lot of times you can't do it that far.

Erik Bentle: That's sort of hard to project it, yeah.

Commissioner Tuley: A lot of times you'll get them 24 hours in advance notice is all you'll get, so if you can just kind of make that maybe part of your report just so we know last week who was off. 

Erik Bentle: Okay. Another thing I wanted to bring up is summer help. Is there any chance of us getting some summer guys out there to help do these city lots and some of the other stuff?

President Jerrel: Let me ask you a question, and I'm going to...let me come out there and sit down with you so we can review because Mr. Wortman was out there the other day, you know, and he had some comments that he would like for me to relay, but let me do that, will you, the first of the week? 

Commissioner Mourdock: I would just add my quick reaction is hearing that you're 43 percent done with all your ditching already that there is some manpower there that will otherwise be available to do those kind of things.

Erik Bentle: Okay. But now some of them that we're using on the ditch crews we use on the patch crews also, so we're stealing from Peter to pay Paul sometimes, but, yeah, we can work something out. They used them last year to do these city lots because we can't get that tractor in a lot of these small lots.

Commissioner Tuley: So you've got to do them by hand?

Erik Bentle: Uh-huh, you've got to use a hand mower. 

President Jerrel: Let me--

Erik Bentle: Sure.

Joe Harrison, Jr.: And again, some of the lots are hopefully going to get sold in another week.

President Jerrel: Yeah, may not have much to do.

Erik Bentle: Yeah.

Joe Harrison, Jr.: There are about 40 or 50 of them that are up for sale. That will help. 

Erik Bentle: When is that?

Joe Harrison, Jr.: It's going to be May 11th. Is it May 11th?

Tony Greubel: Tuesday of next week.

Joe Harrison, Jr.: Next week.

Erik Bentle: Another thing, did you ever hear about the process with Miller's, if we're going to court on that?

Joe Harrison, Jr.: I have communicated with their attorney, but I'm still waiting to get something from you. 

Erik Bentle: Okay.

Joe Harrison, Jr.: And then we'll go from there. Is that okay?

Erik Bentle: That's fine.
 

President Jerrel: John.

John Stoll: On the Fulton Avenue Bridge the contractor has a Notice to Proceed now and a preconstruction meeting has been set up in Vincennes on Wednesday at 9:30 and I've got a travel request for me to go up and attend that meeting.

Commissioner Mourdock: I'll move approval of the travel request.

President Jerrel: I'll second and say so ordered.

John Stoll: Also in regard to the Fulton Bridge, when the funding split was changed to the 50/50 split they also required some modifications to the construction inspection agreement that we had with Bernardin Lochmueller. Now this will be reimbursed at 50 percent and it previously wasn't. That requires a new agreement to be submitted to INDOT and that is what all this is so it is recommended that this all be approved and signed by the Commissioners.

Commissioner Mourdock: So moved.

President Jerrel: Second and so ordered. That's kind of a little gift, huh?

John Stoll: Actually, it would have been easier if they would have bumped the construction funding up.

President Jerrel: I know it.

John Stoll: And kept the local funding in place.

President Jerrel: We've got to keep focused to get the bridge finished.

John Stoll: Right. They did change the completion date, too. They pushed it up to January 7, 2000. I've not gotten any word back on why they did that. There was no unrealistic, unreasonable time that passed between the time the bids were opened and when the contractor got the Notice to Proceed, so I'm not sure what instigated that week extension, but as soon as I find something out I'll let you know. The next item I've got is a request for street acceptance in The Seasons Subdivision. This is Section 2 of The Seasons. This is a subdivision off of Covert Avenue between Pollack...I mean, between Covert Avenue and Pollack Avenue adjacent to the new park that the city just put in. It's requested that Seasons Ridge Boulevard be accepted, this is 480 linear feet, and 340 linear feet of Starbreeze Pointe and 340 linear feet of Tradewind Cove. These have all been built in accordance with the plans.

Commissioner Mourdock: I'll move acceptance of the streets as recommended by the County Engineer.

President Jerrel: Second and so ordered.

John Stoll: Next on the Burkhardt and Morgan project I have received a letter from INDOT requesting that the county fund the preliminary engineering review that has to be done by Norfolk Southern Railroad in regard to that modification to the railroad crossing. They're estimating that this would cost $5,000 to $8,000 for this preliminary engineering. They're requesting that we fund this with local funds and then they state in this letter that federal funds will be used for the construction. This is comparable to what we had to do down at the Cross Pointe intersection and I would recommend that it be approved.

Commissioner Mourdock: And is that $5,000 to $8,000 internally or would we then contract that with someone else?

John Stoll: Norfolk Southern will invoice the state and the state will pass that bill on to us, so it would be just the in-house costs for Norfolk Southern to review the plans as designed.

Commissioner Mourdock: Okay, I'll move approval of the funding request for engineering services as requested.

President Jerrel: I'll second and say so ordered.

John Stoll: Next I've got a sidewalk waiver request on Heartland Ridge Subdivision. This is a subdivision located off Hogue Road west of Peerless Road. What they're proposing is to run the sidewalks in locations shown there in green, which would be on the north side of the one street and the east side of Hope Court. The remainder of the subdivision has sidewalks only on one side of the street, so this is consistent with what the waiver...with the waiver that was approved for the other sections of the sub, so on that basis I would recommend that the sidewalk waiver be approved. 

Commissioner Mourdock: I'll move approval of the sidewalk waiver for Heartland Ridge 2.

Commissioner Tuley: Second.

President Jerrel: So ordered.

Commissioner Mourdock: Should that have been 2 and 3?

John Stoll: Oh, I'm sorry, yes, 2 and 3. 

Commissioner Mourdock: I'll amend the motion for 2 and 3.

Commissioner Tuley: Second.

President Jerrel: And I'll so order that motion. 

John Stoll: Next I would like to recommend that we award contract number VC99-04-01, repair and repaving of various roads, to Gohmann Asphalt and Construction in the amount of $313,344.28. This is for the resurfacing of Old State Road and Petersburg Road.

Commissioner Mourdock: I'll move approval of the contract with Gohmann Asphalt and Construction as recommended.

Commissioner Tuley: Second.

President Jerrel: So ordered.

John Stoll: Next I've got a letter from Beam, Longest and Neff. They came down and met with us regarding the bridge out on Bender Road. They had recommended originally that this bridge be posted with a 15 ton load limit, but based on some additional deterioration they are now recommending that we post it for a six ton load limit, so in case you get any phone calls that is what instigated the change in posting.

Commissioner Mourdock: And which bridge, John, I'm sorry?

President Jerrel: Bender.

John Stoll: Bender.

Commissioner Mourdock: Where?

John Stoll: I'll show you on the map. Over here between Boonville-New Harmony and Baseline. We're currently in the process of trying to find out whether or not replacing the existing beams on the bridge is the way to go or whether or not we need to replace the bridge in its entirety. We can only get about 22 feet, I believe it is, if we would put new beams on it and we're trying to find out whether or not that would be adequate width for the farmers. So if we can we'll put new beams on it, if not we'll just have to fund an entirely new bridge up there.

Commissioner Mourdock: I'll move approval of the lower weight limit of six tons for the Bender Road bridge.

Commissioner Tuley: Second.

President Jerrel: So ordered.

John Stoll: The final item I've got is the change order that was discussed last week for the Daylight sewer. This is an increase for $711.28. I discussed this with Joe Harrison and it is recommended that it be approved.

Commissioner Mourdock: I'll move acceptance of the change order as recommended.

Commissioner Tuley: Second.

President Jerrel: So ordered.

John Stoll: That's all I have unless you've got some questions.

President Jerrel: No, but let me thank you. Did you both...I don't know whether you've had a chance to look at the report that's in your packet that I left on the projects that we're doing.

Commissioner Mourdock: Right.

President Jerrel: Right, JP and John and I met and they put together that which we presented to the Council. They will vote Wednesday on that, so anyway I thank you for doing that. 

John Stoll: You're welcome. 
 

President Jerrel: Okay, County Attorney.

Joe Harrison, Jr.: I don't have anything.
 

President Jerrel: Superintendent of County Buildings.

Tony Greubel: I dont have anything.
 

President Jerrel: Burdette Park. Hey, do you know you got $95,000?

Commissioner Tuley: I don't have anything, that's how you follow suit!

Steve Craig: I heard that we got $145,000. Ninety-five from--

Commissioner Mourdock: That was before it came through this office!

Steve Craig: Well, I had ran into Dennis Avery and he had said congratulations, but he said we got $95,000 from the Senate and he thought we got $55,000 from the House of Representatives.

President Jerrel: Okay, well the only that I new about was the Senate $95,000, so he must know what he is--

Steve Craig: Yeah, but he came up.

President Jerrel: Well, that's good. You know, every little bit helps.

Steve Craig: Oh, yeah. You know, we really wanted more, but anything helps, like you said.

President Jerrel: Sure.

Steve Craig: I got a report on the fiberglassing. They, I guess, are one day behind because they had told me by May 1st that they would be shooting gelcoat, but because of the two or three days of rain last week...they did work Saturday to make up for one of the rain days and they finished today fiberglassing the pool, so now all they have to do is shot the gelcoat which when he started he told me by May 1st that, you know, is when he predicted they would start shooting it, so basically we're a day or so behind. We're probably three or four weeks ahead of when we started this process last year. It's a smaller pool, smaller area, so if we just don't go into one of these rainy periods where it rains four or five days a week we should be okay.

President Jerrel: If we can keep June nice because kids go back to school the first part of August again.

Commissioner Tuley: Yep.

Commissioner Mourdock: Do you think they'll be done this week? 

Steve Craig: Gelcoating?

Commissioner Mourdock: Yes.

Steve Craig: No. It's supposed to rain tomorrow and rain Wednesday. 

Commissioner Mourdock: Maybe I misunderstood. I thought I heard you say they were supposed to be done May 1st.

Steve Craig: That was the fiberglassing. They call--

Commissioner Mourdock: Okay, and they just finished that today?

Steve Craig: It's all fiberglass, but when they put down the fibers and the clear, you know, coat to do the whole pool, coat everything, he had projected that to be done by May 1st, which like I said they finished it up this afternoon. They should start shooting the white gelcoat, which is a fiberglass coat, too--

Commissioner Mourdock: And the whole thing should be done by...?

Steve Craig: I would say May 18th is what he is projecting.

Commissioner Mourdock: Okay.

Commissioner Tuley: It's going to cut you close then isn't it?

Steve Craig: Pardon me?

Commissioner Tuley: It's going to cut you close for some of your early openings?

Steve Craig: Well, the schools...we have a couple of schools coming in, but we'll have the large pool open with the slides.

Commissioner Tuley: Oh, okay. This is just the small pool we're talking about, you're right.

Steve Craig: This is just the olympic pool. 

Commissioner Tuley: Okay.

Steve Craig: But the schools, they're putting us in a predicament anyway because, you know, we used to open Memorial Day weekend. 

Commissioner Tuley: Right.

Steve Craig: Now they're wanting us to be open for the 18th and our springs are no longer than they used to be, so you know, not that they demand it. You know, we told them we would try to accommodate them.

President Jerrel: They're pushing everything back.

Steve Craig: Yeah, by about two weeks. Well, the other thing I had was on the Build Indiana Fund. I'm not positive about them, but like I said that is what Dennis said he thought it was.

President Jerrel: Well, they'll let us know shortly. You want us to just put it in the account with the other money?

Steve Craig: Yes. John and I had talked with Morley and Associates about, you know, doing the next step on what we were doing for the layout and the movement of the dirt and everything, so we're keeping on that.

President Jerrel: Sounds good. 

Steve Craig: And did you get my weekly report?

President Jerrel: Yes. 

Commissioner Tuley: Yep.

Steve Craig: That's all I have.
 

President Jerrel: Is there a motion to approve that?

Commissioner Mourdock: I'll move acceptance of the Burdette report, also Soil & Water Conservation District report and the Ozone Officer's report.

Commissioner Tuley: Second.

President Jerrel: So ordered. Thank you. 

Commissioner Mourdock: I would also note, I don't know if you reviewed in the Ozone Officer report, but there was a copy of the letter she sent off as part of the state's plan and part of the federal guidelines and I thought it was a very good letter.

President Jerrel: It was excellent and her points were. I had an opportunity to meet and visit with her so it was interesting.

Commissioner Tuley: Janet you met with? McCabe.

President Jerrel: No, well, I talked to Janet McCabe twice. We had a conference call with Joanne.

Commissioner Tuley: Oh, okay.

President Jerrel: See, I love that gram molecular weight business.

Commissioner Mourdock: Yeah, yeah I do too.

President Jerrel: I'm fascinated by that.

Commissioner Mourdock: It's kind of fun to talk about that stuff.

President Jerrel: Yeah, if we didn't have to get through Richard and I could give you a little Chemistry 101. Okay, I won't say any more.
 

President Jerrel: Consent items. 

Commissioner Mourdock: I'll move approval of the consent items as filed.

Commissioner Tuley: Second.

President Jerrel: So ordered.
 

President Jerrel: You have an attached list of the meetings.
 

President Jerrel: Is there any old business?
 

President Jerrel: How about new business? There is a little. This is just an update that Tony put about Mr. Hofmann and that is moving along and should be taken care of by next week or we'll know what is going to happen.

Commissioner Mourdock: One bit of old or new, I mentioned last week about being in DC last week. I did meet with one of the staff members for the House Government Reform Committee and, in fact, they are interested in pursuing having an EPA oversight hearing here regarding how EPA is affecting local government, so it is something we're still looking at and may do in the fall.

President Jerrel: Good. Be thinking of names now because next week we want to come up with some recommended names for our strategy committee.

Commissioner Mourdock: Okay, alright. I've got one.

President Jerrel: Okay, and we've had a few called in.

Commissioner Mourdock: Did we have or, Tony, would you put together for us a list of all those different sectors?

Commissioner Tuley: Yes, I was going to ask for some kind of guideline.

Tony Greubel: I'll make a copy right now and give it to you.

President Jerrel: Okay, motion to adjourn?

Commissioner Mourdock: So moved.

Commissioner Tuley: Second.

President Jerrel: So ordered.

The meeting was adjourned at 5:55 p.m.

Those in attendance:

Bettye Lou Jerrel

Richard E. Mourdock

Patrick Tuley

Joe Harrison, Jr.

Suzanne M. Crouch

Charlene Timmons

Tony Greubel

Erik Bentle

John Stoll

Steve Craig

Others unidentified

Members of the media
 
 
 

Vanderburgh County
Board of Commissioners
 

Bettye Lou Jerrel, President
 

Richard E. Mourdock, Vice President
 

Patrick Tuley, Member

Recorded and transcribed by Charlene Timmons.