VANDERBURGH COUNTY COUNCIL

MINUTES

SEPTEMBER 2, 2009

The Vanderburgh County Council met in session this 2nd day of September 2009 in room 301 of the Civic Center Complex. The meeting was called to order at 8:40 a.m. by County Council President Tom Shetler, Jr.

President Shetler: Good morning. It’s September 2^nd, time for our regular scheduled meeting. I apologize for running a few minutes late here. We’ve had a few last minute details on the budget. So at this time I’d like to take attendance roll call please.

President Shetler: There being seven members present, we have a quorum. I’d like for Councilman Lloyd to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance please.

(Pledge of Allegiance was given)

President Shetler: First we have several minutes that have been passed out to us: July 21^st Homestead 2010 meeting, the August the 5^th regular meeting, and the August 18^th Homestead 2009 meeting.

Councilmember Lloyd: Motion to approve.

President Shetler: We have a motion on the floor. Do I have a second?

Councilmember Raben: Second.

President Shetler: I have a second. Any questions? Roll call please.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Sutton?

Councilmember Sutton: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Bassemier?

Councilmember Bassemier: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Lloyd?

Councilmember Lloyd: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Goebel?

Councilmember Goebel: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Raben?

Councilmember Raben: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Kiefer?

Councilmember Kiefer: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: President Shetler?

President Shetler: Yes. There being seven ayes and no nays, the motion carries.

(Motion unanimously approved 7-0)

President Shetler: Next is the appropriation ordinance. Councilman Raben?

TREASURER

Councilmember Raben: Okay, thank you. Good morning. First, under Treasurer in the amount of $28, I’ll move approval.

Councilmember Lloyd: Second.

President Shetler: I’ve got a motion and a second. Any questions? Comments? Roll call please.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Sutton?

Councilmember Sutton: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Bassemier?

Councilmember Bassemier: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Lloyd?

Councilmember Lloyd: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Goebel?

Councilmember Goebel: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Raben?

Councilmember Raben: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Kiefer?

Councilmember Kiefer: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: President Shetler?

President Shetler: Yes. There being seven ayes and no nays, the motion carries.

TREASURER                                                         REQUESTED       APPROVED

(Motion unanimously approved 7-0)

COMMISSIONERS

Councilmember Raben: Okay, County Commissioners, Unemployment in the amount of $45,000 and Travel/Mileage for 5,000, for a total of $50,000. I’ll move approval.

Councilmember Bassemier: Second.

President Shetler: It’s been moved and seconded. Any questions or comments? Roll call please.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Sutton?

Councilmember Sutton: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Bassemier?

Councilmember Bassemier: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Lloyd?

Councilmember Lloyd: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Goebel?

Councilmember Goebel: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Raben?

Councilmember Raben: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Kiefer?

Councilmember Kiefer: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: President Shetler?

President Shetler: Yes. There being seven ayes and no nays, the motion carries.

COMMISSIONERS                                                REQUESTED       APPROVED

(Motion unanimously approved 7-0)

HEALTH DEPARTMENT

President Shetler: Next, Health Department.

Councilmember Raben: Okay, Institutional & Medical in the amount of $26,777. I’ll move approval.

Councilman Sutton: Second.

President Shetler: It’s been moved and seconded. Any questions or comments? Roll call please.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Sutton?

Councilmember Sutton: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Bassemier?

Councilmember Bassemier: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Lloyd?

Councilmember Lloyd: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Goebel?

Councilmember Goebel: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Raben?

Councilmember Raben: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Kiefer?

Councilmember Kiefer: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: President Shetler?

President Shetler: Yes. There being seven ayes and no nays, the motion carries.

HEALTH DEPARTMENT                                       REQUESTED       APPROVED

(Motion unanimously approved 7-0)

LOCAL ROADS & STREETS

President Shetler: Local Roads & Streets.

Councilmember Raben: Local Roads & Streets, Tires & Tubes in the amount of $10,000, I’ll move approval.

Councilmember Lloyd: Second.

President Shetler: It’s been moved and seconded. Any questions? Comments? Roll call please.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Sutton?

Councilmember Sutton: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Bassemier?

Councilmember Bassemier: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Lloyd?

Councilmember Lloyd: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Goebel?

Councilmember Goebel: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Raben?

Councilmember Raben: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Kiefer?

Councilmember Kiefer: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: President Shetler?

President Shetler: Yes. There being seven ayes and no nays, the motion carries.

LOCAL ROADS & STREETS                                REQUESTED       APPROVED

(Motion unanimously approved 7-0)

SHERIFF MISDEMEANOR HOUSING

President Shetler: Sheriff Misdemeanor Housing.

Councilmember Raben: Okay, we have two adjustments to Confinement Officers and Insurance, for a total of 20,552, I’ll move approval.

Councilman Sutton: Second.

President Shetler: It’s been moved and seconded. Any questions or comments? Roll call please.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Sutton?

Councilmember Sutton: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Bassemier?

Councilmember Bassemier: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Lloyd?

Councilmember Lloyd: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Goebel?

Councilmember Goebel: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Raben?

Councilmember Raben: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Kiefer?

Councilmember Kiefer: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: President Shetler?

President Shetler: Yes. There being seven ayes and no nays, the motion carries.

SHERIFF MISDEMEANOR HOUSING                  REQUESTED       APPROVED

(Motion unanimously approved 7-0)

President Shetler: Next is transfers.

TREASURER

Councilmember Raben: Okay, we only have one transfer and it’s for the Treasurer’s office in the amount of $2,666. I’ll move approval.

Councilmember Lloyd: Second.

President Shetler: It’s been moved and seconded. Any questions? Comments? Roll call please.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Sutton?

Councilmember Sutton: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Bassemier?

Councilmember Bassemier: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Lloyd?

Councilmember Lloyd: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Goebel?

Councilmember Goebel: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Raben?

Councilmember Raben: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Kiefer?

Councilmember Kiefer: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: President Shetler?

President Shetler: Yes. There being seven ayes and no nays, the motion carries.

TREASURER                                                         REQUESTED       APPROVED

(Motion unanimously approved 7-0)

President Shetler: Next, no repeals, amendments to salary ordinance.

Councilmember Raben: Okay, we have about five today. First under Treasurer, I move we amend salary line 1030-1250 Garnishment Clerk as previously adopted and prior transferred. Current employee is a Comot IV/Step 3, at an annual rate of 30,338. Under Sheriff Misdemeanor Housing, I move we amend salary lines 2780-1360 and 2780-1370 Confinement Officers as previously approved. Community Corrections, in the Y account, to amend salary line 136Y-1180 Confinement Officer, setting the salary in at 41,040, in accordance with the union contract. In the Z account, 136Z-1190 Confinement Officer, setting the salary in at 41,040, in accordance with the union contract. And salary line 136Z-1110 at $44,540, again, that’s in accordance to the current union contract. I’ll move approval.

Councilmember Kiefer: Second.

President Shetler: Moved and seconded. Any questions or comments? Roll call please.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Sutton?

Councilmember Sutton: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Bassemier?

Councilmember Bassemier: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Lloyd?

Councilmember Lloyd: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Goebel?

Councilmember Goebel: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Raben?

Councilmember Raben: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Kiefer?

Councilmember Kiefer: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: President Shetler?

President Shetler: Yes. There being seven ayes and no nays, the motion carries.

(Motion unanimously approved 7-0)

President Shetler: There’s no old business at this time. Under New Business, we have a request from Central Dispatch to spend approximately $18,000 from the capital account fund.

Jo Ann Smith: Jo Ann Smith, Director of Central Dispatch. In your packet you should have two letters requesting funds from our 911 capital account that was set aside, I believe, two years ago. It’s a percentage of the telephone E911 money that is set aside for Central Dispatch for this type of unexpected expense. The tower expense, $9,412 is as a result of the inspection to the tower this year for repairs that need to be made. The second request is for $8,700 to supplement the integration of Pictometry into the CAD system. We have $1,800 currently, and the $8,700 will give us the money that will allow us to interface that into our CAD system.

President Shetler: Okay, do I have any questions or comments? Yes, Councilman Lloyd?

Councilmember Lloyd: What approximately is the balance in that fund?

Jo Ann Smith: The approximate balance is, as of August 17^th, $824,469.17.

Councilmember Lloyd: And those are expenditures that would be appropriate for the fund?

Jo Ann Smith: Yes.

Councilmember Lloyd: Alright. Thank you.

President Shetler: Other questions?

Councilmember Goebel: Is this connected with the Assessor’s Pictometry?

Jo Ann Smith: Yes, it is. The Pictometry itself is not costing us anything. It’s the cost to interface it into our CAD system. There is also an annual fee associated with that, that is $1,350, I believe. That is going to be picked up by the IT department, the annual fee for that.

Councilmember Goebel: Thank you.

President Shetler: I know this is probably not a question for you. Perhaps, Jonathan even, later, but all the Pictometry, our general license agreement doesn’t allow for all departments? We have to have separate licenses –

Jo Ann Smith: No, it’s not that the Pictometry license is not allowed. It’s that the interface with our CAD system is through OSSI, the company that provides our CAD system, there is a charge.

President Shetler: So is that a maintenance fee, or is that a license agreement?

Jo Ann Smith: It’s an interface and then the annual fee to maintain that interface, those are two costs.

President Shetler: So it’s both license and maintenance then as well?

Jo Ann Smith: Yes.

President Shetler: Alright, thank you. Other questions?

Councilmember Goebel: I was just curious if this cost of the Pictometry upkeep and all that might be shared since it’s going to another department that has, I think, a relatively sound balance? You’re getting the Pictometry at no cost, correct?

Jo Ann Smith: Correct.

Councilmember Goebel: And my question was, could that cost be shared out of the Reassessment Fund. I don’t know if that’s worth discussing now or not. Do you know what I’m saying?

Jo Ann Smith: Well, our money is a city/county pot, so that would be coming out of both city and county monies.

Councilmember Goebel: Okay, thank you.

President Shetler: And I think what you’re saying is that this is not a Pictometry issue as much as it is trying to interface it with your current, and so it’s really that side of it more than it is Pictometry at this point.

Jo Ann Smith: It’s not the Pictometry side, no.

President Shetler: Right, it’s just to make – obviously, I don’t know the IT speak and the jargon here that I should be using, but conceptually, I think I understand what you’re saying and that is not Pictometry’s responsibility, it’s your responsibility to get hooked up to it to take care of that linkage.

Jo Ann Smith: That’s correct. Our CAD system has to, there’s certain things that have to be done to allow the Pictometry to work with our CAD system. And that’s an expense on the CAD system side.

Councilmember Goebel: I understand that. I was just thinking, you will be utilizing Pictometry, though, on a regular basis daily, correct?

Jo Ann Smith: Yes.

Councilmember Goebel: Thank you.

President Shetler: Okay. Any other questions or comments? Motion would be in order for approval.

Councilmember Kiefer: I so move.

Councilmember Bassemier: Second.

President Shetler: Alright, so we have a motion and a second. Any questions? We’ll do a voice vote on this. All in favor, signify by saying aye.

(All Councilmembers voted in the affirmative)

President Shetler: Those opposed?

(No opposing votes were cast)

President Shetler: So ordered.

(Motion unanimously approved 7-0)

President Shetler: Next Recorder, Z Tuley, on a request for employment .

Z Tuley: I’m Z Tuley, Vanderburgh County Recorder.

President Shetler: Z, you had a request for replacing the, I think a vacancy that you’re going to have soon?

Z Tuley: Yes, I didn’t think we were going to do that today, so I’m sorry.

President Shetler: Well, you were still on the agenda and stuff, and I didn’t know if you wanted to just pull that and leave it as it is, then? We discussed this yesterday afternoon late and the sense was that maybe replacing some of that permanent with some part-time people, perhaps. And then I think some of it is being done contractually through Phoenix, out of the Perpetual fund?

Z Tuley: I have them doing the project. I have hired Phoenix to do the project of getting the old documents on the computer system so that, not only are they retrievable, but they are also preserved. I do not have Phoenix doing any of the daily tasks.

President Shetler: Alright, does anybody have any questions?

Councilmember Raben: Okay, Z, I’m a little confused. It’s my understanding the Commissioners signed a contract last night?

Z Tuley: Correct.

Councilmember Raben: With Phoenix, and that was going to fix all this. If you lost your employee, that the contract was going to allow you to have all the imaging done that this employee, was going to be most of their responsibilities.

Z Tuley: The tasks that are lined out in the contract with the Commissioners last night, there’s going to be two, we have started, the deeds are now done and so they are all on the system. That was a finish-up project from ‘08. And now we have started doing the mortgages and the mortgage releases. And that’s where we left it with Phoenix. I was able to trim down the contract because, I don’t know, if I’m not going to have an employee, I don’t know that the employees can keep up with the pace of three employees from Phoenix. So right now what they’re going to do is, they’re going to go ahead and index, which is the creation of the search engine, and we also have one designated employee from Phoenix to do the verification. But we don’t expect that one employee can keep up with two that’s doing the production, so that’s what’s Phoenix task, and that’s what the contract calls for. Not any day to day things, but getting the old documents on-line and preserved. I have the contract with me if you would like a copy.

Councilmember Raben: No, no, no, because I don’t know that I would know what I was reading if I saw it, frankly. Is this going to help in any regards to other employees within your office? I mean, this new contract, is it going to be taking any work away from any of the existing employees? So none of those people spend any time putting –

Z Tuley: Not at all. We have $241,000 worth of images and that’s Phoenix’s task, and that’s what they are expert at, is to get that document into a search engine database. And so that’s what they have been contracted to do. It has nothing to do with the day to day documents. It has nothing to do with making copies. If for some reason, as we had with the deeds, we do have a different company that did this imaging. We are expecting better quality with the deeds. Sometimes the staff would have to stop what they were doing and re-scan a deed so that Phoenix’s staff could read it. Sometimes on occasion you get a bad image and so we would have to re-image via microfilm. But no day to day tasks are being performed by Phoenix.

Councilmember Raben: I understand that. My question was, in everybody else’s spare time, were they spending time with this project, you know, where they were actually –

Z Tuley: My staff?

Councilmember Raben: Yeah.

Z Tuley: Yes. They were supposed to be performing the verification, which is the quality control measure in the creation of the search engine. It’s the second step. Phoenix was going through the first step with the deeds and I think that we had 68,000, I believe, deeds that -- 67,000 deeds were entered by Phoenix this year. And I think we didn’t even get started until March and then Phoenix, after they imaged it, my staff did the verification portion.

Councilmember Bassemier: Tom?

Councilmember Raben: Okay, I guess, and maybe I can get with you later or stop by and visit because I’m just a little confused about the contract and what it’s – the new contract, what –

Z Tuley: They have their own workstations and they’re totally separate from...

Councilmember Raben: Okay, I might stop in after the meeting if I have an opportunity.

Z Tuley: I would love that.

Councilmember Raben: Okay.

President Shetler: Okay, other questions? Councilman Bassemier?

Councilmember Bassemier: You suggested a while ago that you and Z have something worked out, something on the table about part-time or whatever. Is that still on the table or did –

President Shetler: What we had discussed last night –

Z Tuley: We had a discussion.

President Shetler: Yeah, and we talked about the possibility of using some part-time rather than creating or filling that vacancy back on a full-time basis. Basically, the thinking, again, to help keep the cost down, but the other is, that it would not be money coming out of the General fund but would be coming out of the Perpetual Fund where we collect the fees and stuff anyway, and where this contract is being fulfilled on the Phoenix Imaging.

Z Tuley: And as I stated last night in the Commissioner’s meeting, these are state mandated fees. The state sets the rate, this Perpetuation fund is funded by those fees that we collect. This is not tax collected dollars that we are using to pay Phoenix with. And the County General also gets their portion of the fee that’s collected. And so far to date, through August 25^th, the General Fund has received $307,998.41 from the Recorder’s office.

President Shetler: Alright, Councilman Lloyd?

Councilmember Lloyd: And that, I’m sorry, I didn’t get to see the Commissioner’s meeting, what is the annual cost of the contract, approximately?

Z Tuley: We didn’t do it that way. We did it per image. Some images, might be nine - ten pages, but a search engine is just the standard data, the name, if there’s a parcel number associated – not parcel number, if there’s a legal description association with the document, then that is also referenced.

Councilmember Lloyd: So we’re paying them per image scanned?

Z Tuley: Yes.

Councilmember Lloyd: Like, penny, nickle, quarter?

Z Tuley: Ninety cents.

Councilmember Lloyd: So if they, in ‘09 they did approximately 67,000 deeds, would that be times ninety cents?

Z Tuley: Yes.

Councilmember Lloyd: Did that contract go out to bid or did you check with other suppliers on that?

Z Tuley: I did.

Councilmember Lloyd: Okay.

Z Tuley: We did a bid. Well, actually, it was more like price quote, not a formal bid.

Councilmember Lloyd: Right, because it’s a services contract, so – okay, and you checked with other image places and Phoenix was the best...

Z Tuley: Oh, I’m sorry, I thought you meant for the images. The scanning and the images, we got price quotes. For the task of indexing, no, I did not because the companies that bid for the images are not local and as far as I know, they, I didn’t know of any other company that had the qualifications that Phoenix did.

Councilmember Lloyd: Okay, so, just to get an idea of the cost then for ‘09, 67,000 times 90 cents is roughly what that costs the county.

Z Tuley: Uh-huh.

Councilmember Lloyd: And this is –

Z Tuley: I have that dollar amount that we’ve paid them for that task. I don’t know that I have it here...

Councilmember Lloyd: Well, approximately $60,000, if you take that times 90 cents.

Z Tuley: In rough figures.

Councilmember Lloyd: And that would be since March, so that’s roughly six months?

Z Tuley: It’s very expensive.

Councilmember Lloyd: Yes. Okay, thank you.

President Shetler: That fund where that money is coming out, what all can that be used for?

Z Tuley: Indiana Code says that it is to be used for the purpose of preservation and retention of records, and it can also go for the equipment to do so. It says, the recorder may use any money in this fund without appropriation for the preservation of records and the improvement of record keeping systems and equipment.

President Shetler: Have we bought any new office furniture out of there recently?

Z Tuley: Bought any new furniture? I do not believe that we did, however, there was a wall constructed so that the Phoenix group could be isolated and not be disturbed by the general public coming in or out or the title searchers. So they all got work stations but I think that they were supplied with the computers that the Assessor surrendered with the merger because they weren’t needed any longer at the out of office areas and I believe that the desks that we had and the chairs were also from within the office.

President Shetler: Alright.

Z Tuley: But our other supplies, our papers, our pens, all of that comes out of this fund. We don’t have a supply budget that is supplied by the County Council, like other offices. We are self-supported except for the salaries and the insurance that you provide to the employees.

President Shetler: Alright, thank you. Any other questions or comments? Would anybody want to make a motion for approval at this point in time or, I think Councilman Raben had an idea to check it out further and stuff, and maybe bring it up at a later time then, but, --

Councilmember Bassemier: Jim, do you want to defer this?

Councilmember Lloyd: Wouldn’t we take this up September 9^th?

President Shetler: Yes.

Councilmember Raben: I would say let’s defer this until September 9^th.

President Shetler: Okay, is that satisfactory?

Z Tuley: Uh-huh.

President Shetler: Alright. Thank you, Z.

Z Tuley: Thank you.

President Shetler: Next is the resolution for Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Pension Board, and I don’t think we have the resolution. I don’t know if the Sheriff would want to address this? Have we gotten a copy of it?

Jeff Ahlers: I think there’s a resolution that was in everybody’s packet, this resolution from the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Pension Board. It’s not a resolution for us and I’ll let the Sheriff explain as well, but I’ve conferred with the Sheriff and the Pension Board’s attorney, Charlie Berger, and this has just been sent over for us to place of record, to show the action that the Pension Board took in increasing the contribution of the deputies toward their pension fund. Mr. Berger advised me they were not requesting any action on Council’s part and it’s not requesting any funds from the General fund, so in that regard we don’t need to take any action today. If the Sheriff wants to explain further, --

Eric Williams: I think you just summarized it pretty well for me. Basically, the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Pension Board, at our regular meeting, took action to raise the deputies, the active deputies’ contribution to the pension to the maximum allowable, allowed by law, which is 6% of their base salary. So we’ve taken that action to become effective October 1^st or the first pay period in October. But the law requires us to at least make sure that you’re aware that we’ve done that, and we wanted you to know that we’re making the deputies put forth everything they can to keep their pension solvent.

Councilmember Lloyd: Unfortunately, the Sheriff’s pension is not immune from the market, so I know we’ve talked before that you indicated kind of had a rough year last year.

Eric Williams: Yeah, I know we’re not alone in that, but yes, it was a very rough year for our pension and our investment portfolio, but the last month’s statement showed a little glimmer of hope for us. But it was a very tough year for us and we think it’s time that we re-evaluate the pension. And it is a defined benefit plan, so we’re going to address some of that and try to make it a little more realistic.

Councilmember Lloyd: Does it, I mean, I think, does this body, we just have to be made aware, but we don’t have any reason to approve that or, do you remember that, Jim?

Councilmember Raben: (Inaudible – microphone not turned on)

Eric Williams: Yeah, we wanted you to be aware. And primarily, while the law requires it, we wanted to make sure that you were aware that the deputies were, we are going to force the deputies, and they were all very willing, to do everything that the law allowed them to do to help put their part into it, because I know they’re very appreciative to have a good pension. So they’re willing to do what they’ve got to do to make it stay...

Councilmember Lloyd: If there’s any changes to benefits, is that something that, I guess, we would have to be made aware of that as well?

Eric Williams: It would be my intention, whether the law requires it or not, it would be my intention to make sure you’re aware of it. And I don’t think that would be wise for the financial body of the county to not be aware of what the pension benefits plan changed to.

President Shetler: Alright, other questions?

President Shetler: Sheriff, since you’re there, I guess that you’re up next on the employment request and I think we have some for the Jail, is that right?

Eric Williams: Which...

President Shetler: Three positions, a couple confinement officers and an EMT.

Councilmember Raben: Do we want to break from our regular meeting?

Sandie Deig: These are vacant positions and you also have to vote to replace those.

President Shetler: This came in right after the hiring freeze, is that correct?

Eric Williams: Correct.

President Shetler: And so we’ve been taking these – this is really the second request. The first was –

Councilmember Raben: My point was, do we want to break from our regular Council meeting before we move into our budget meeting?

President Shetler: Well, this was actually part of the regular Council meeting, to make approval on this.

Councilmember Raben: Okay.

President Shetler: And it has to do with those three positions that, if I’m correct on that, two Confinement Officers and an EMT.

Eric Williams: Yeah, I plan to continue to try to fill and I’ll come to you every time my Deputy slots, my Confinement slots and the Medical slots in the Jail, being that those are extremely critical to the ongoing operation and not having those spots filled will obviously create considerable amounts of overtime and hardship on the other employees. As for the other staff, you know, I won’t come to you until the hiring freeze is over to replace those unless there is some kind of extremely out of the ordinary circumstance. But to run the Jail short staffed would be next to impossible without overtime. And we could do it, that’s, but it just seems like you would be defeating the purpose.

President Shetler: I guess, unless we’ve made changes to eliminate these in the budget, you know, perhaps that would be integrated, but if they are going to be in the budget for next year, then it’s appropriate to take it up now because it’s in the current year and you have a question today.

Councilmember Raben: And, you know, while our resolution doesn’t clearly spell it, it does address emergency situations. I think anything in regards to confinement, Sheriff Deputies, things of that nature, should always be considered as an emergency and, you know, I think the program goes on as it did. I mean, you know, if a vacant slot comes open and it needs to be filled, it gets filled.

Councilmember Bassemier: Jim, you make a motion to approve it, I’ll second it.

Councilmember Raben: Well, I mean, I think we can do that, but I think that’s – I’m just giving you my understanding of the resolution we signed, that it addresses emergency situations, and I think in either of those circumstances, that’s clearly an emergency in the back of my mind. We would be taking a vote on what my perception is of a resolution.

President Shetler: And I think, basically, we’re talking about a 24/7 operation, and if you don’t fill these slots, you’re going to have to use OT. And so we’re going to pay for it one way or the other and perhaps more so.

Eric Williams: The union contract with the Confinement Officers has some minimum staffing requirements and I have to meet those minimum staffing requirements one way or the other, whether it’s with on-duty personnel, with overtime personnel, you know, the staffing at the confinement center currently is probably where it needs to be when we’re at full staff. We could always use some more people to adequately cover, but we do a pretty good job with that. Yes, I have to cover the slots one way or the other through the contract. The deputies’ positions, you know, we’re holding all of those right now. I probably won’t try to replace any of those until after the first of the year so that there will be several accruals, I’ve got four openings now and expect to have a few more before the end of the year. But we’ll hold all those until the first of the year.

President Shetler: So, a motion would be in order for approval on this request as we’ve outlined in our –

Councilmember Raben: I move approval.

President Shetler: It’s been moved and –

Councilmember Bassemier: Second.

President Shetler: – seconded. Do I have any further questions? Any further discussion? We’ll do a voice vote on it. All in favor, signify by saying aye.

(All Councilmembers voted in the affirmative)

President Shetler: Any opposed?

(No opposing votes were cast)

President Shetler: So ordered.

(Motion unanimously approved 7-0)

Eric Williams: Thank you.

President Shetler: Is anybody here from the Prosecutor’s Office? I see no one. Co-Op Extension?

Councilmember Lloyd: Mr. President, on the Prosecutor, that was for that one intern at $10 an hour. So I would like us to go ahead and approve that or I would make a motion to do that. It’s actually, I think, grant money that’s not going to cost the county anything.

Councilmember Kiefer: Second.

President Shetler: Yeah, I think that’s, you’re right, --

Councilmember Lloyd: And he also requested back pay on that because I guess the individual has been working.

President Shetler: Yeah, we dealt with this at Job Study and I apologize.

Councilmember Lloyd: So I’d like to make a motion to approve the Prosecutor’s request for hiring the intern.

President Shetler: This person was actually working prior to us even submitting that, and it is through an internship program at $10 an hour. So we have a motion and a second. Do we have any other questions?

Councilmember Raben: So is...

Councilmember Lloyd: What happened on this, he was a law school student, worked in the spring, they didn’t think he’d come back, so they terminated his employment. And then they found out, I guess, his second or third year of law school, he could come back as an intern, so they requested that he come back. But it’s grant money that’s not going to cost us anything, and I guess interns are a pretty good deal for the county in this situation.

Councilmember Raben: I think we’re somewhat opening Pandora’s box here and I’ll tell you why, and I think we’re going to run into similar situations. I wish I had a copy of our resolution in my hand now. Do we specifically address part-time employees?

Councilman Sutton: Part-time was included in the resolution.

Councilmember Raben: Was included?

Councilman Sutton: Was included.

President Shetler: I can weigh the issue, it’s a little bit different, and I hear what you’re saying and I know where you’re going on this, but this person actually, I think went on the job in early July, prior to us actually passing that resolution so – and that’s part of the problem that this would also include...

Councilmember Kiefer: You know, it’s not costing the county any money. It’s paid out of grant money. I think the intent of the hiring freeze is we’re trying to reduce costs. I’m okay with this.

Councilmember Raben: I would like to be okay with it, but I’d also like to have some teeth in the resolution that we passed. And that’s my point with this is, you know, immediately, I don’t know if this falls under an emergency or extraordinary circumstance. But we are going to have to circle the wagons and make some exemption for part-time people because as we get into reassessment, as an example, the County Assessor is going to need to hire a lot of part-time people. They do every year. I mean, so we’ll have to allow for that situation, but, you know, I don’t know. I understand the situation within the Prosecutor’s Office, but at the same time, again, I think we need to have some teeth in our resolution. And my example with the Assessor’s Office is, by statute, he has to complete a reassessment process, so that would be an extraordinary circumstance or, you know, that may even qualify as an emergency. But in this situation, I don’t know that we’ve got, he’s not required by law to have this part-time person. I don’t know, I’m just kind of torn here, so –

Councilmember Lloyd: Well, on the Assessor’s Office, are you saying that when they have their part-timers to bring on, that they need to come here and get approval for all that? All those people, each one?

Councilmember Raben: Well, or we have to write the exemptions within this. I mean, again, if this stays in place next spring, you know, because we do address part-time people, Burdette Park hires probably 100 part-timers. So, you know, we might have to add some things to this resolution, maybe pass a new resolution at some point that further addresses this. But again, I’m not picking on the Prosecutor’s office here, I’m just trying to balance it with the resolution we passed the 29^th of July. So...

Councilmember Lloyd: I think those are good points.

President Shetler: Councilman Goebel?

Councilmember Goebel: I think they are excellent points, but in this particular case, this is funded entirely through a grant? And for how long is this internship?

President Shetler: Ten weeks?

Councilmember Lloyd: He’s not going to be here much longer, I don’t believe. Through September maybe?

President Shetler: And again, I’m pretty certain that this person started before we actually passed that and the other is that as far as, you know, any exemptions to it, that’s why we’ve requested that if someone does have a reason to exempt, to come before us and we are kind of the exempting body here, so, to make exceptions.

Councilmember Raben: Councilman Kiefer brought up an important point. In the very first paragraph it does say to control unnecessary expenditures from the County General Fund so, I guess that in itself, probably is a written exemption in this case. So, alright, enough said.

Councilmember Lloyd: There is a motion on the floor.

Bill Fluty: Just a quick comment. I’m on the Job Study so I heard a lengthy conversation about this from Doug Brown. This gentleman actually, the day that you passed the hiring freeze, he had already started, it’s just the paperwork hadn’t all flowed through, so he got caught in the bubble, so he’s just asking if he should go forward with this. So I think he was right there at the same day you passed this.

President Shetler: Yes, that’s correct. Anything else? We have a motion and a second. All in favor, signify by saying aye.

(All Councilmembers voted in the affirmative)

President Shetler: Those opposed?

(No opposing votes were cast)

President Shetler: So ordered.

(Motion unanimously approved 7-0)

 President Shetler: Next, Co-Op Extension.

Susan Plassmeier: Susan Plassmeier, County Extension Director for the Extension Office, and, Leah?

Leah Dozier: Leah Dozier, I am the Extension 4-H Youth Assistant at the Cooperative Extension. We are here today to ask permission to hire to hire a part-time employee that will help us in teaching our Professor Popcorn Nutrition Program. It’s for all Vanderburgh County students and this person will be completely funded with their salary through a St. Mary’s grant that we’ve gotten for the fourth year now and it’s a grant worth $15,000, and salary out of that $15,000 will be $12,000. So the part-time employee will –

Susan Plassmeier: Split between two people.

Leah Dozier: Between two people. We already have one person right now. We previously had another person in this position, but she has gone off to continue her education in medical school, so it’s a big program, it’s a high demand for the teachers and so we really need this other person to come onboard to teach this nutrition program because it’s actually part of a lot of the EVSC schools and parochial schools curriculum that they do every single year. So without the part-time person, we’re going to be losing somebody that teaches 20 hours a week and 20 hours over a whole school year is a lot of nutrition education that is going to be missed for the Vanderburgh County students.

Susan Plassmeier: Okay, and I might mention, the County Council, we ask for an appropriation for this amount and then it is reimbursed by the St. Mary’s grant. So that’s how it’s been handled in the past.

President Shetler: Councilman Kiefer?

Councilmember Kiefer: So, this position requires, ultimately, no funding from the county because it’s 100% funded, reimbursed, by St. Mary’s?

Susan Plassmeier: Yes. Yes.

Councilmember Kiefer: And is there a termination date on this part-time employee?

Susan Plassmeier: No, they work all year, so they do the school year and then they do summer. So, I guess, at the end of the summer would be, I guess, officially their term would stop if we don’t get the grant again.

Councilmember Kiefer: Okay, thank you.

President Shetler: Any other questions or comments?

Councilmember Bassemier: Make a motion to approve.

Councilmember Lloyd: Second.

President Shetler: Any other questions then? All in favor, signify by saying aye.

(All Councilmembers voted in the affirmative)

President Shetler: Those opposed?

(No opposing votes were cast)

President Shetler: So ordered.

(Motion unanimously approved 7-0)

President Shetler: Alright, thank you.

Leah Dozier: Thank you.

Susan Plassmeier: Thank you.

President Shetler: At this time, a couple of other items, and then we’ll get started on our other meeting in just a few minutes, a little bit late on that. I apologize. And then the final budget hearing will be on September the 9^th at 9:00 in the morning, at which time I expect to start on time. So if I have a motion for adjournment?

Councilman Sutton: So moved.

President Shetler: It’s been moved and seconded. We’ll adjourn and then open up the meeting for the budget hearing.

(There being no further business to come before the Council, the meeting was adjourned at 9:21 a.m.)

VANDERBURGH COUNTY COUNCIL

                                                                                                                                             
President Tom Shetler, Jr.              Vice President Joe Kiefer

                                                                                                                                        
Councilmember Russell Lloyd, Jr.   Councilmember Ed Bassemier

Councilmember Royce Sutton

Recorded and transcribed by Teri Lukeman.