The Vanderburgh County Council met in session this 7^th day of July, 2004 in room 301 of the Civic Center Complex. The meeting was called to order at 3:35 p.m. by County Council President Ed Bassemier.

President Bassemier: I’d like to welcome everybody to the July 7^th, 2004 Vanderburgh County Council meeting. Attendance roll call please.

COUNCILMEMBER	PRESENT	ABSENT
Councilmember Tornatta	X
Councilmember Sutton	X
Councilmember Winnecke	X
Councilmember Hoy	X
Councilmember Raben	X
Councilmember Wortman	X
President Bassemier	X

President Bassemier: I need a motion for approval of the County Council meeting June 2, 2004.

President Bassemier: Now we’ll move into the appropriation ordinance and I’d like to turn it over to our finance chairman, Mr. Raben.

Councilmember Raben: Okay, just one moment, Mr. President. Okay, back to you. First on the agenda, Mr. President, under Jail, I’m going to move that 1051-1130-0339; 1051-1130-0340 Detention Officers be set in at $13,527; 1051-1900 FICA at $2,070; 1051-1910 PERF at $2,435, all other items set in at zero with the further explanation, with this motion the Sheriff’s office has agreed to pick up the food account which is 1051-2260. The request is for $156,000. They have agreed to pick that up out of commissary for the balance of the year. And that’s my motion.

Councilmember Sutton: Okay, the request here is for six Detention Officers and then the Nurse and EMT, was there some discussion that was going to be had on why there was only one funded out of that?

Councilmember Raben: Actually two. And with this, the thinking behind this is, is that getting two in position today will allow them the opportunity to identify their team to begin the process of developing the transition. And, quite honestly, there’s still hopes that later this fall we’ll be able to address the balance of them if funds are available. You know, its hard to say today whether or not, if you look at the requests that haven’t even been brought to us yet and the balance that we have in the General Fund, its hard to say in July that those funds are going to be available, but that would be my intent would be to revisit it later in the fall.

Councilmember Sutton: Well, I know last month when this came before us, its basically the same number of Detention Officers was presented. I guess I was pretty comfortable that we probably could do two and would like to see us be able to do more than that but probably, given just our resource base and where we stand, you know, perhaps maybe we can come back and revisit as you mentioned this request. We obviously know based upon the timetable that was provided to us from a staffing standpoint what we’re going to need to be able – what we need to try to get to before the new facility is open. But this will at least give us a start in transitioning into that whole process. And then we’ve got some other obligations, obviously, coming up here as a county. This ought to give us at least a start in the direction where we want to go.

Councilmember Tornatta: I’ve got a question real quick, Mr. President. Do we have our own time line now on how we want to implement these people in and then knowing that if we approve it now, we’re still probably 45 to 60 days out of actually having these people hired, implement that in your time line as well.

Councilmember Raben: You say, do we have – I mean, again, about the only definites today are the fact that, hopefully, with approval of this motion, that they’ll have two to begin their effort to develop their team. No, there’s no definites. Again, you know, I have every hope that we can re-address this in the fall of this year to add more yet this year. You know, definitely, we’re going to have to address it in August during our budget sessions for next year. And, in fact, you know, our budgets kind of set the time line. You know, we’ll approve a budget in September that establishes a time line for 2005.

Councilmember Tornatta: Okay, now obviously these six that come in will be fresh people to the system. They’ll be starting out so when you’re talking about developing a team, I guess I’m not clear on how that’s going – right now, the –

Councilmember Raben: I don’t – I mean, first of all, I mean, I’m really not developing the team, I’m not going to micro-manage the Sheriff’s office. I mean, they’re going to use these two people as best they can, I’m sure. I mean, really and truthfully, you need to probably direct that question to the Sheriff because –

Councilmember Tornatta: I guess I have and that’s why I’m not understanding someway, how we’re going about doing this and that’s why I kind of asked the Chief to come up with a time line on how he needed some of these employees and as of last month, we kind of felt comfortable that we would be able to utilize his time line effectively and how they wanted to manage those. And then in doing that, we know right now that we really need to put some people up there pretty quickly just in the jail that we have now, not counting the jail that we’re going to be running into in less than a year. So I guess that’s what I’m saying, with doing this, if you have some type of time line that we can follow, because he, the Sheriff and the Chief, gave us their time line but now we’re going to divert from that to go off to another time line. I’m just curious on how we want to work on our time line now.

Councilmember Raben: Again, I think we will assign a definite time line for not only just the transitional team, but the overall staffing that we can afford for the new facility in August. And the Sheriff may have comments to add or answer here.

Brad Ellsworth: Yeah, I’ve got a couple of comments and that’s, – my name is Brad Ellsworth, Sheriff of Vanderburgh County. And I appreciate the gesture and the, well, at least the nomination to get the two people. We can start there. It takes, I think 45 days to get these people on the payroll and I was at a conference last week and I raised my hand to a guy that does transitions and that’s his full-time position right now, and I said, bare minimum, what is the least amount of time that a transition team should be in place to transition into a new facility. And he said, absolutely no less than year they need to be in place working. So we’re talking September of this year, they should be in place. With that, given, I know the financial situation of the county, I guess what I would appreciate sometime is, call it a time line or whatever, but a buy-in after you’ve studied the staffing analysis that we’ve given you as well as Al Bennett’s, that a buy-in from the Council that this is a number you’re all comfortable with because if we get six today, we feel that the 34 is a bare bones minimum to open the two full pods twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week of that facility. And if this body doesn’t feel that same way, then we need to have meetings on what you disagree with our staffing analysis. I haven’t heard yet from the body, if yes, that’s, Sheriff, that’s a good number or no, you don’t need that many, because that’s when we need to meet and say we’re going to work toward getting you ten, because if you say ten, we’re only going to open one pod of that, or fifteen, might only be one pod, and then we’re going to have to explain that to people. So I think that’s one of the things that has to come in front is that you’re all comfortable with my staffing analysis and –

President Bassemier: Sheriff, I think we’re kind of waiting to see where our funding is going to come from before we really make a decision on how many we can afford to give you right now because we don’t want to give you what we don’t have and then we run out of money, and I think, Bill, we’re still working on our financial situation on what we’re going to need from now to the end of the year.

Councilmember Raben: Well, that’s my – real quick, not to interrupt, but I mean, just to shed a little light and help you get to the answer you’re looking for, none of us have seen the budget yet that’s going to be presented to us for August. So until we see that, its going to be tough to know – you know, we don’t know what requests are there because – and we probably won’t see them for what, two or three weeks yet.

Bill Fluty: I’d like to give them out at the Personnel & Finance meeting at the end of this month. And again, the budget will show you the needs for all county offices. And I think that will be helpful in making your decisions on the staffing.

Councilmember Sutton: But we’re talking about the ‘05 budgets. The request that we have here are requests for ‘04 –

Councilmember Raben: Remember that the Sheriff was talking about in terms of the overall staffing level. If you remember, they gave us a time line –

Councilmember Sutton: Yeah, if you look on that time line, I mean, the requests also fall in ‘04, so the budget that we’re talking about here, it does affect the request that he has for ‘05, true, but I think what he wants to also know is are we heading in the direction based on that staffing model, including 2004?

Councilmember Raben: Unless I’ve been totally in the dark, the big quantity, the 34 additional people that Brad’s referring to, he’s not coming to us for this year. He’s coming to us for this six but he’ll present his case for I guess 28 people, basically, right?

Councilmember Raben: For next year, in addition to these six. So that will be our first opportunity to see those requested in a budget along with our first opportunity to really see what our budget –

Councilmember Sutton: But understand, too, if we’re talking about just two today, I think what he’s also saying is, okay, if we’re doing two today, my request was six, when will the other four come? When should I anticipate that? And that’s not something –

Councilmember Raben: And I think I answered that. Hopefully we can re-address that in the fall.

Brad Ellsworth: Let me jump in there. That’s – there’s really a question bigger than that one is, is the Council comfortable with my staffing analysis on the 34? Because if you want both pods open and everybody in this room has seen the design of the jail, if you want me to open the 512 bed facility, we feel that is a minimum number. If, there’s no sense in giving me two today or six next month, if there is nobody else down the pike, then don’t give me six today because I guess, the first thing I need to know, is the Council comfortable with that staffing analysis and if you’re not, we need to get together and you say, Sheriff, I think you can run that with 18 – I’m just throwing a number out here and I’ll say, no, I can’t and I’ll explain those posts in the jail. But nobody has said, yes, that’s a good number we’re working towards because if you say we can only afford 15 jailers next year in 2005, then I want to be able to explain to you that I can only open a 212 bed pod of that facility or 256 bed pod of that facility, because I can’t staff the second pod. So I think that is the first thing that we have to come to terms with is, is everybody here, or least a majority, comfortable that they’re going to work towards that?

President Bassemier: Like Jim said, Mr. Raben said, Sheriff, I think after August we’ll feel more comfortable with telling you how many, if the number is 34 and you’re the expert in the field, we’d like to give you 34, but we want to make sure there’s enough funding in there to give you 34 because we sure do not want you and your staff to operate in an unsafe condition. So we’ll know more in August. I think Mr. Winnecke would like to say something. I’m sorry.

Councilmember Winnecke: I would concur with Ed on this point. I don’t know that today I agree or disagree with the staffing model. I understand it, but I think to the County Auditor’s point, I think after August we’ll have the whole perspective and I think that – well, I’m trying to figure out how exactly to phrase this other than to say, I think our challenge from this body is to manage the cash flow of the county along with the Auditor, and your role is to manage the jail. And I think, thankfully, we have strong lines of communication between this body and your agency and I think that communication will win the day, frankly. But I think it is too early at this point to say yes, 34 is the number or 24, or whatever the number may be. I think we’ll have a much better idea after we see all of the requests in August.

Councilmember Tornatta: I guess what I’m missing is, if you say its going to take 34, you’re the Sheriff, you run the jail, and anything less than 34 is not going to be safe or satisfactory in your eyes, then we have to come up with the money. I mean–

Brad Ellsworth: Not necessarily, you could not open the second pod, but then you’ve got a jail that’s not any bigger than what we’ve got now, which is fine if that’s what you want to say, but that’s what I kind of need to plan for.

Councilmember Tornatta: So here again, we’re going to be like other counties who have opened up a jail that has been empty.

Brad Ellsworth: If you can’t afford the people then we may have half of it empty until –

Councilmember Winnecke: But I don’t think, in all fairness, I don’t think there’s anyone on this body that wants to open one pod of the new jail. I think we’re trying to be prudent financially on how to proceed and I think yes, the Sheriff, who is the expert, says 34 is the number. But today, July 7^th, I don’t know if we can stand here or sit here and say, we have the funding in place to fill 34 positions and fund all the appropriate budgets for all the other departments of the county.

Councilmember Tornatta: We committed to the jail, now we’re not committing to do what we said we we’re going to do and we’re going to possibly open up a jail that’s going to be empty.

Councilmember Winnecke: That’s not true. We’re not going to open a jail that’s going to be empty. We’re being financially prudent.

Councilmember Tornatta: You’re not going to open up a jail that’s going to be empty, yet you’re not committing to staff it so it can be full.

Councilmember Winnecke: I’m not committing today, because we don’t know what kind of funding will be in place by then.

Councilmember Tornatta: But if he says that that’s the minimum you have to have, you’re going to have to bite the bullet and find ways to staff that jail –

Councilmember Winnecke: I don’t disagree with you, but July 7^th I don’t think is the day to determine it.

President Bassemier: Yeah, I think we better move on and we’ll look in the future. Those are good points and –

Councilmember Sutton: Mr. President, let me just add one thing, I think if we all would be realistic here and we think about the budget requests that we’re going to receive, in my time here on Council, I can’t think of a year that we haven’t received budget requests that were in excess of the previous year. We should probably assume that same thing this year.

Councilmember Sutton: I said we should probably assume that, and so given that reality of what has happened kind of historically, what the budget requests that we received, we recognize that there is going to be some pretty obvious things that we can go in and probably make some adjustments to, but at the same time, most of our efforts have been focused just on one side of the ledger and that’s just on the expense side. I think we also need to look on the other side, the income side as well if we’re talking about by the end of 2006, being over a million dollars in personnel costs. And I think most of our efforts have just been on one side of the ledger here. So just I think as we prepare for this budget time we need to really give some consideration to how we can address both sides here.

President Bassemier: And it’s a point well taken, but on the other flip of the coin, we didn’t have so many inmates that we had to ship to other counties that we’ve got to make up the difference that we wasn’t counting on. But moving on, the motion was made, Sheriff, are you agreeing to this? My question is, I mean, for two Detention Officers you’d be more than happy to pay the food, $156,000?

President Bassemier: Let me ask you, how much money is in the commissary right now?

President Bassemier: $525,000, and you don’t want to use that $156,000 out of the commissary?

Brad Ellsworth: I’ve told everybody on the Council several times that, I think this is in the minutes, I was quoted incorrectly once, that $500,000 of that money is dedicated, and not just that money, but commissary money is dedicated to the jail project, FF&E, telephone equipment, equipment in the new jail. So $500,000 is spoken for, so that leaves me with a balance of 25. Yes, it is making money, but I don’t know what that’s going to come in, so –

President Bassemier: Don’t you think from now to a year and a half from now before you open the jail, you’d have that 500,000, and help us out right now in this financial crunch?

Brad Ellsworth: I made that agreement that I’d cover the jail food for the rest of the year.

President Bassemier: Okay, thank you. I told you this before. I was on a transition team back in ‘69 and I made the statement, and I know it wasn’t enough time, but we had to do it, we were kind of in a financial crunch, too, but we couldn’t afford to hire more deputies or whatever, and we trained from three weeks to four weeks. And I called Daviess County Detention Center. Right now at the present time, we’ve got several people housed over there. I talked to, of course, I talked to the head jailer over there and, of course, he wasn’t around at that time, and he told me, you know, I said, what do you think a reasonable amount of time would be? Two months or three months, to make this transition? Now I understand this is a 427 bed facility versus a 512 bed facility you’re going to open up here, so you know, you’re talking a little over almost – not quite 100 beds more. But my point is, he said, I wish we had that luxury two or three months to transition the team, so he turned me over to Captain Clark, who she said was around at transition. And the day, I think, is a birthday for three years being open, she told me, and she said, we had two days of training. I know that’s very insufficient, but she said we had –

President Bassemier: Well, she said they were in a financial crunch and they said that if we had two or three months, it would have been fantastic. Taking two or three months might not be the answer to you, so that’s why I’m here asking you that, well, you probably know how my vote – I don’t think we can afford any detention officers right now. My personal feeling, and don’t be hurt by this or take this personally, –

President Bassemier: Okay, so I feel like you don’t need them right now. I’m not saying in the future, but I’m thinking if you’ve got a half a million dollars plus in your commissary right now knowing we’ve got a year and a half, and the trend over the last, even when I was over there on the Sheriff’s department working in the jail, I think in a year and a half you’ll have enough money to make that promise to the Commissioners. So anyway, that’s all I have to say. Anybody else got any? Mr. Hoy?

Councilmember Hoy: Couple of comments, first of all, I think that what appears to be a compromise today is a pretty good deal both ways. Appreciate everybody cooperating on it, including you, Sheriff. You asked what we pledged toward, I can only speak for myself, but I think this body will work very, very hard during budget times to do its very, very best to push the numbers as hard as we can. And I’ve seen us do that as a body and I think we’ll do that in August and do our best this fall and I will commit myself to that.

Brad Ellsworth: I guess my, if people are misunderstanding, all I’m saying is that we presented the staffing analysis. Al Bennett said 56 people, I’m saying 34 and thank you, Councilman Hoy, but I guess if people have read that, and I hope you all have, if you’ve got issue with my numbers, if that’s what you need to hear, if I’m missing the boat and you think we can open it up with 24, then call me. I’m down there and come and tell me how we can do it and with the posts, we’ll go through it, because like you’re saying, if 34, if you agree with that then let us know and we’ll go on that number. If you can’t afford it, hey, then we’ll work on what happens next. Whether we don’t open a whole pod or a pod and three quarters or, you know, but nobody has said, yeah, that looks like what its going to take to staff it because then for me to plan, you know, I have to start planning how many pods I’m going to open, that will influence what I do. So if we say, and I know we have till budget time, but I’m saying if you agree that 34 opens the, minimum, to open the whole thing, but we can only afford 24, then I need to go back to the drawing board and plan to open a pod and a half or a pod. I just need that to say 34 is great to open them all, then I’ll go back and you say we can only afford 24. How many can I open with 24, then I can let you know and let the Commissioners know and let the public know. That’s all I’m asking for is agreement or disagreement with the numbers –

Brad Ellsworth: – feel comfortable with that, but I’m not trying to sandbag my employees.

Councilmember Hoy: And at the present time, the only numbers I disagree with are Mr. Bennett’s. But I disagree, as you know, with Mr. Bennett on a number of things.

Brad Ellsworth: I hope he’s wrong. You know, he makes you nervous, as the officeholder, because we did one and it comes up that different. But I think we can do it. I put trust in our staff and what we designed. I would like to make one comment –

Brad Ellsworth: I was just going to say about the, and I appreciate this compromise we made today too, the thing is, a couple of months ago at one of the County Council hearings there was an appropriation for the Health department and it was money for the Health department, and somebody made the comment on the Council that, you know, they gave accolades to the Health department for saving money and building up, and it might have been a million dollars, I can’t even remember what the dollar amount was, but they said, let’s give a big hand or whatever to the Health department, but this is not new money, this is money they saved. And I feel like I’m up here getting beat up for doing the same thing and be a good steward of the money and saving it up to reduce the cost to the county for the new jail and I saved that $500,000, didn’t buy pencils and balloons and give aways and birthday cards to the employees, and you feel like you get beat up over having a nice balance for the new jail when another agency in the county is getting pats on the back for saving up money, too. So just be fair to all your officeholders when they’re out there doing a good with the new money. I just ask that you – if that’s not good to save it up, then you can do what you want with it. But you know, that just kind of gets stuck in your craw when you hear one guy get a pat on the back for saving money and then you get beat up and they say, give it, give it, give it when my agency is saving a ton of money, too. I’m proud of that.

President Bassemier: Anybody got an answer to that. I guess my answer would be to that is that, you know, your inmates are costing us that much money and they’re putting it in and –

Brad Ellsworth: They’re my inmates. I’m, by the constitution, I’m supposed to house them. I don’t put them in there. My agency doesn’t put them in there, they just say, hold the key and keep them in there.

President Bassemier: Figure of speech. Mine to that is, they’re costing several hundred thousand dollars and we’re trying to use – and I commend you for all you can save us on your commissary, but at the same token, the $500,000, talking about that fire, would really help us to pay the costs that its costing us to house them somewhere else. They put it in, I think that’s where it should go back to.

President Bassemier: But the point I’m trying to make is, that’s a year and a half from now. A year and a half, a lot of things can happen and we could have a windfall somewhere, we can plan, but we’re a year and a half away and we need the monies right now and we appreciate that you’ve got it, but –

Brad Ellsworth: I didn’t think we were supposed to spend money before we had it in place –

Councilmember Raben: Before we get too far into something else, and I need to amend my motion to include 1051-1950-1051, the Teamsters Educational Fund to $92, for a total request of $31,651.

President Bassemier: Okay. We’ve got a motion and a second. Roll call vote please.

Councilmember Raben: Okay, next under County Commissioners. I’m going to move that all these requests be set in at zero and, Mr. President, I guess I saved making this comment until we got under the Commissioner’s budget, my explanation for setting these in at zero is its time that the Commissioners attend these meetings, speak on behalf of their request. And as far as I’m concerned, I’ll continue to zero out their request until they’re here to answer for every penny that they come to this body requesting. Along with that, there’s been a lot of discussion, we just lost probably 20 minutes on the last topic in regards to the jail, the funding, the staffing, the biggest most immediate concern is lodging of inmates, I’d like to know where they’re at on this. You know, what’s their plan for paying for this? I mean, they’re the real stakeholders in this, they’re the ones that by statute are charged with housing inmates, where is their plan to pay for some of this? So again, my motion is to set this in at zero.

Councilmember Hoy: Yeah, I would like to ask reconsideration for the Water Quality Specialist not to be zeroed out this time. That’s under the Commissioners.

Councilmember Raben: Mr. Hoy, for you I will amend my motion because this is unique in a sense that this has been discussed in the past and it has gone before the Job Study. My motion is 1300-1260-1300 Water Quality Specialist be set in at $1,682; FICA at $129; PERF at $101. And does anybody have a calculator to give us a total on that?

Councilmember Raben: We don’t know. I mean, they don’t come to meetings anymore to explain any of their requests.

Councilmember Sutton: I have been on this Council for at least 12 years and I know there’s been numerous occasions where individuals have not been either able to come or have not shown to speak toward their requests while they’re here on Council, but I don’t think in the history of the time I’ve been on here, that there’s ever been a retribution, lash back against any office or officeholder because they didn’t show up to the podium. I think we have a process in place to address that, that very particular issue and that is through our liaison appointments that we have here on Council. Every single member of this Council has a certain number of offices that they are responsible for and in this particular case, Councilman Wortman is the liaison to the Commissioners and in that case, we often have the liaison to speak on behalf of the officeholder if they aren’t here or that particular office, if they are unable to speak to their request? On a number of occasions I know I’ve spoken for offices and many of you as well. So for us to come in and zero out a request, I think it demands a little bit more explanation than saying because they didn’t show up to speak to their request that we’re going to zero it, where is the liaison in this process? Councilman Wortman, you’re the liaison.

Councilmember Wortman: That’s right. And if I recall, Councilman Tornatta said that Mrs. Fanello would appear today in the minutes of last week. And I went over and talked to them, to Tammy, and she said they would appear because she couldn’t appear before us because she was dirty from cleaning the courthouse. She had her shoes and her shorts on and that’s why, but she would be here. They’re not here. Now I cannot get a rope and go get them.

Councilmember Sutton: My question is not necessarily you getting them here, my question is on the request items that are presented before us today that at least there is some discussion when we present, as liaisons, we talk about those requests. We go through whatever the explanation might be required to the best of our ability.

Councilmember Raben: Mr. Sutton, and again, this isn’t about politics, this isn’t about anything other than common courtesy and doing what’s right for the taxpayers of Vanderburgh County. They come in month after month with large sum requests, not a few dollars or pennies or a thousand dollars like a lot of offices do routinely and occasionally they aren’t here to speak on behalf of it, but I don’t know that I’ve seen them in this room since the first of the year. I could be wrong, but I can tell you we’ve had this discussion. Our president has sent letters requesting them to appear –

Councilmember Raben: – to speak on their request, and I’m tired of it. I mean, the taxpayers of Vanderburgh County deserve an explanation for why they come in and request money every month. And again, I’m not comfortable with granting those requests until I get a good, firm explanation.

Councilmember Sutton: Then I would say then that in the future if it’s the case, if an officeholder does not show up then we will zero out their request. Is that what we’re saying here today by what your motion is?

Councilmember Raben: I would say if an officeholder does not routinely does not show up to speak on behalf –

Councilmember Raben: – what I’m saying, to miss a meeting every – if they have three requests over the course of the year and they show up for two of them and miss one, I find that acceptable. But if you have requests month after month after month, and you don’t have the common courtesy to come in here and speak on behalf of that request, only ask us that we take their word that they need it and not question them and approve it, I mean, that’s wrong for us.

Councilmember Sutton: And why can’t we, at the same time as liaisons, take on our responsibilities and pick up a phone call? As I said two months ago, pick up a phone and call somebody. What does this request mean? I’m your liaison, what is this?

Councilmember Sutton: If you’ve had that conversation with them and you can’t tell us anything that these requests mean, then what happened in that conversation?

Councilmember Wortman: You know, you’ve got just as much right to go and check with them as I have. All you’re doing is political grandstanding, is all you’re doing.

Councilmember Raben: I zeroed out the request and again, it’s a matter of common courtesy to not only us, as a body, but to the taxpayers of Vanderburgh County to answer for your request, to give due explanation for every penny you’re asking us to grant. And again, you tell me, when was the last time you’ve seen them in here to speak on behalf of one of their requests?

Councilmember Sutton: Oh, I would love for them to have been here today, too. And I’m not disagreeing with that, but what I am saying, we have never, ever zeroed out a request based upon that issue. That’s what –

Councilmember Raben: Outside of writing letters, you know, we’ve sent formal letters requesting them to attend and speak on behalf of their request, I don’t find this unreasonable. I said this –

President Bassemier: Let’s go ahead. We’ve got a motion and a second. Let’s move --

Brad Ellsworth: Can I – I guess I need to weigh in for a second, not about who shows up and who doesn’t, but as the agency responsible for the transporting of these inmates and making the calls, --

President Bassemier: Yeah, we’re okay. Okay, I have a motion and a second to zero it out. Roll call vote please.

Councilmember Raben: No, the motion was not to zero out the entire request. Again, it was to approve the first three items for a total request of $1,912.

Councilmember Raben: And again, I’m – Mr. Hoy has kept us briefed on what the first three requests are because he is chairman of that board or was.

Councilmember Tornatta: I don’t like the precedent we’re setting up for so I vote no.

Councilmember Hoy: Well, I’ve got to vote yes on my district, so I’m going to vote yes.

Councilmember Raben: Okay, next under Superintendent of County Buildings, Mr. President, I’m compelled to make the same – this is a department that is governed by them, and again, there’s no presence here to speak on this. And, in fact, allow me just a moment...

Councilmember Raben: Okay, well, Mr. President, I move line 1310-1990 Extra Help be set in at zero.

Councilmember Hoy: I’ll vote no this time. I don’t like what’s going on. It catches me at a bad point because its my party. And I do think we should have had more representation from the Commissioners than we’ve had. So I will vote no this time but that’s my feeling.

Councilmember Raben: Okay, next under Burdette Park 1450-2210 Gas & Oil, I move that that be set in at zero and we will pick up that with a late transfer.

Councilmember Winnecke: Just a thank you to Mr. Craig for doing that. We asked him last week.

Councilmember Raben: Okay, now under Cum Bridge, Mr. President, I’ll move approval that 2030-4403; 2030-4404; 2030-4735 be approved as listed for a total of $700,000.

President Bassemier: I have a motion and a second. Any discussion? Roll call vote please.

Councilmember Raben: Okay, under CCD/County Commissioners, 2031-1300-4194, 2031-1300-4250 for a total request of $153,000, I move that be set in at zero.

Councilmember Raben: Other than, regardless of the outcome, whether or not they were here to speak on behalf of any of these requests, the miscellaneous equipment I would vote no on anyway.

Councilmember Sutton: Yes, an explanation on that request, why its set in at zero?

Councilmember Raben: The $63,000, I made the statement that I would – I’m voting zero on everything until we get an explanation on the first item and I simply was clarifying the fact that I would vote no on the second item, regardless because we’ve already had discussion on that.

Councilmember Sutton: Well, I just ask for clarification just for the record purpose, so that it would reflect that, and so it wouldn’t be viewed as political grandstanding.

Councilmember Hoy: I have a question before we vote on the contractual services for the space allocation. I think I understand what that’s for although its not spelled out in this request and I wish it was as to exactly what its for, but –

Councilmember Raben: Mr. President, and to answer your question, Mr. Hoy, I could go back and, as our legal counsel has stated, put the toothpaste back in the tube. On that one, that request is simply putting money back in place that was not encumbered last year so allow me to make this amendment: 2031-1300-4194 $90,000; 2031-1300-4250 zero, for a total appropriation of $90,000.

Councilmember Raben: Okay, next under Local Roads & Streets, 2160-4328 Mt. Pleasant Road in the amount of $335,000. I’ll move approval.

President Bassemier: I have a motion and a second. Any discussion on that? Okay, roll call vote please.

Councilmember Sutton: Now Roads & Streets do fall under the Commissioners, so I don’t –

Councilmember Raben: Mr. Stoll is here and was here last week to speak on that request.

Councilmember Raben: Okay, under County Surveyor, 2650-2320 Instruments, I’ll move approval of $30,000.

President Bassemier: I have a motion – who seconded it? Which one, did you get the PTABOA?

President Bassemier: I’ve got a motion and a second. Any discussion on the Surveyor? Roll call vote please.

Councilmember Raben: Okay, Mr. President, Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals, 2490-1091-1910 PERF in the amount of $200, I’ll move approval.

President Bassemier: We have a motion and a second by who, Mr. Hoy? Okay. Discussion?

President Bassemier: Okay, I was going to say, I mean, we can take a joke so far but let’s just keep to business now and –

Councilmember Raben: You know, quite frankly, I don’t find it amusing. I mean, that’s, again, you have a duty to the taxpayers if you want to be elected to answer for any needs or any funding that you come to this body requesting.

Councilmember Sutton: And I absolutely agree with you 100%. I find absolutely no amusement in this situation whatsoever and to take a request in a light manner without due consideration to the request based upon other factors and not the request, then I think yeah, then its being taken lightly. And no, I don’t find any humor in it whatsoever. You haven’t seen me crack a smile whatsoever.

President Bassemier: Well, we’re kind of taking offense here to your comments after he makes a motion like with Mr. Stoll. Let’s move on with business and let’s go forward here.

Councilmember Raben: Okay, next Mr. President, under Jail Project, 3660-3051 Lodging of Inmates –

President Bassemier: Jim, we’ve got a motion and a second, we’ve got to vote on it yet. Roll call vote please.

Councilmember Raben: Next under 3660-3051 Lodging of Inmates $275,000 and I move approval.

President Bassemier: I have a motion and a second. Any discussion? Roll call vote please.

1051-1130-0339	Detention Officer	13,527.00	13,527.00
1051-1130-0340	Detention Officer	13,527.00	13,527.00
1051-1130-0341	Detention Officer	13,527.00	0.00
1051-1130-0342	Detention Officer	13,527.00	0.00
1051-1130-0343	Detention Officer	13,527.00	0.00

1051-1130-0344	Detention Officer	13,527.00	0.00
1051-1130-0345	Nurse	17,141.00	0.00
1051-1130-0346	EMT	12,382.00	0.00
1051-1900	FICA	8,468.00	2,070.00
1051-1910	PERF	9,409.00	2,435.00
1051-1950-1051	Teamsters Ed. Fund	276.00	92.00
1051-2260	Food	156,000.00	0.00
Total		284,838.00	31,651.00

1300-1260-1300	Water Quality Spec.	1,682.00	1,682.00
1300-1900	FICA	129.00	129.00
1300-1910	PERF	101.00	101.00
1300-3051	Lodging of Inmates	275,000.00	0.00
1300-3600	Rent	7,850.00	0.00
Total		284,762.00	1,912.00

1310-1990	Extra Help	4,550.00	0.00
Total		4,550.00	0.00

1450-2210	Gas & Oil	6,000.00	0.00
Total		6,000.00	0.00

2030-4403	Mt. Pleasant Rd. Bridge	200,000.00	200,000.00
2030-4404	University Pkwy. Bridge	150,000.00	150,000.00
2030-4735	Stockwell Rd. Culvert	350,000.00	350,000.00
Total		700,000.00	700,000.00

2031-1300-4194	Civic Ctr. Renovations	90,000.00	90,000.00
2031-1300-4250	Misc. Equipment	63,000.00	0.00
Total		153,000.00	90,000.00

2160-4328	Mt. Pleasant Road	335,000.00	335,000.00
Total		335,000.00	335,000.00

2650-2320	Instruments	30,000.00	30,000.00
Total		30,000.00	30,000.00

2490-1091-1910	PERF	200.00	200.00
Total		200.00	200.00