Thursday, June 28, 2012

Agenda for July 3rd Dearborn County Commissioners Meeting


AGENDA

DEARBORN COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MEETING

July 3, 2012

6:00 p.m., Commissioners Room
County Administration Building
215 B West High Street, Lawrenceburg, Indiana 

I.              CALL TO ORDER 

II.             PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 

III.            OLD BUSINESS

1.  Payroll Schedule Change (tabled)

2.  Maintenance for Dearborn County Vehicles (tabled)

3.  Consulting Services Agreement – Auditor (tabled)

4.  Whitewater Canal Scenic Byway (tabled)

5.  Dearborn County Board of Health Appointment (tabled) 

IV.           NEW BUSINESS

1.  OKI Funding Contract / Agreement

2.  Ratify Signature for Construction Manager 

V.            HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT

A.  Highway Superintendent – Tim Greive

            1.  Updates 

B.  Highway Engineer – Todd Listerman

            1.  Updates


VI.           ADMINISTRATOR –  Teresa Randall

1.  Jail Architect Recommendation

2.  New Smoking Law – Effective July 1, 2012


VII.          AUDITOR – Gayle Pennington

1.  Claims/Minutes


VIII.         ATTORNEY – Andy Baudendistel


IX.           COMMISSIONER COMMENTS 
X.            LATE ARRIVAL INFORMATION 
XI.           PUBLIC COMMENT
XII.           ADJOURN

WE CAN DO BETTER Part 6


WE CAN DO BETTER 6

By Alan Miller, Candidate for Judge Superior Court II


Efficiency and Fiscal Responsibility 

There are problems within the county court system. In the next several weeks, I will post my proposals that outline how I think we can do better.

Today, I will continue to discuss my proposals related to efficiency in the courts.  

Reduce dependence on grant money  

The amount of grant money used throughout our justice system is concerning. Grants are monetary awards given to the recipient for a specific purpose, usually by another governmental entity. In Dearborn County, grant money is used to fund things ranging from compensation for employees to supplies, even some court programs. While these endeavors are commendable in some limited circumstances, those who use these most seem to have forgotten that grant money is not free money: it is taxpayer money.  

Additionally, most grants are not guaranteed from year-to-year. A grant that may be available one year may not be the next. Other grants are not intended to be used for anything but a one-time expenditure. However, once one comes to rely on the grant, the program or job created thanks to it is not as easy to get rid of. Instead of learning to cope without the grant, alternative funding sources, namely taxpayers, are used to fund the programs.

When elected, I will work to reduce the court’s dependence on grant money. If we cannot find the means to operate without these, spending must be adjusted until we can do so. 

Join us again in two weeks, when I will begin my discussion of how best to address the issues regarding fairness in our courts. Have a happy and safe Fourth of July!

This is the sixth part of my platform statement; a detailed proposal for how to improve our current justice system. It will be released over the next several months through facebook.com/makeitmiller2012 and makeitmiller2012.com. PLEASE feel free to forward this to your friends and family.
Thanks for your continued support
!

Alan Miller

Monday, June 25, 2012

Tax Reform Meets
The Guy in the Mirror

reprinted with permission from IPR

by Cecil Bohanon, Ph.D.

Here is a simple federal income-tax reform proposal. All earners report their income based on the current definition of adjusted gross income (AGI). All current tax exemptions, deductions and credits are abolished. Taxable income becomes adjusted gross income. All tax preferences are gone — tax breaks are nada, nothing, nil, not there.

AGI from $0 to $32,396 is taxed at one percent. This is the income level in 2009 that defined the bottom 50 percent of all tax returns filed, the latest year for which data are available. Income between $32,396 and $343, 927 is taxed at a 12 percent. All income above $343,927, the threshold income level for being in the infamous top one percent of AGI filings, is taxed at 23 percent.

Conservatives should love this proposal. Everyone has to pay something — all citizens have a “skin in the fiscal game.” Marginal tax rates are significantly reduced for almost all. Taxes are simplified and streamlined: Most taxpayers can file their return on a postcard.

Conventional liberals should love this proposal. The system is progressive — the millionaire pays more both in dollars and percentages than the pauper — and the big boys have no loopholes. Moreover, federal income tax revenues are 12 percent more than what they would have been; and this calculation does not include any “incentive effect" that would likely expand income earnings from the lower marginal tax rates. Tax accountants and lawyers would note their incomes decline, but this is small price for a more efficient and deficit-reducing tax structure.

So what is the chance this or any reform like it will be adopted under any administration and congress? The answer is zero, and here's why:


  • The real-estate home construction lobby — that is, all of us who own homes and have mortgages —would cry foul. Mortgage-interest deductions would be gone, and how can the economy recover if we cripple housing? (Wait, wasn’t it overbuilding in housing that got is into the recession? Oh shut up.) Middle-class folks would demand that this one exception be made.
  • Religious and non-profit organization would cry foul: no charitable deductions. Egad, what happens to end-of-year fundraising. Every newsletter from every non-profit will be urging their donor base to rise up in arms against this cruel change.
  • And what else? Local property and state income taxes are no longer deductible. Taxpayers will sorely miss this deduction and state legislators and local officials will roundly condemn its elimination as monstrous. And wait — no more deductions for children, spouses, blind folks; no more earned-income tax credit or credits for solar panels or whatever the latest fashion the environmentalistas are pushing.

We see the picture. Congress would be overrun by lobbyist of all stripes crying doom and gloom if their tax break were not added as a necessary exception. They would kill this bill in two second.

But just who are these special-interest groups corrupting policy? Fat-cat suit-clad demons from big corporations? Evil government bureaucrats intent on pushing a social agenda?

Nope, to find the special interests that muck up our political process just get up in the morning, buddy, and look in the mirror. As Pogo said, "We have met the enemy and he is us."

Cecil Bohanon, Ph.D., an adjunct scholar with the Indiana Policy Review Foundation, is a professor of economics at Ball State University. All data is from Tax Foundation http://taxfoundation.org/article_ns/summary-2009-federal-individual-income-tax-data and from the author’s calculations. Contact him at editor@inpolicy.org.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

WE CAN DO BETTER - Part 5


WE CAN DO BETTER 5

By Alan Miller, Candidate for Judge Superior Court II


Efficiency and Fiscal Responsibility


Today, I will discuss the role of fiscal responsibility in our justice system. The amount of money spent on the administration of justice in our county is remarkable. Each year, it is the one of the biggest, if not the biggest, expenditure in the county’s budget. This fact does not account for unbudgeted items such as grant income, which only increases the total amount spent. To compound the problem, the sheer number of different budgets and funds used within the system make it extremely difficult to determine where money is going, and even more difficult to assign accountability for those expenditures.  

I can help to cut future costs by applying the decision-making abilities and self-discipline I have developed as a small business owner.


Spending 

Just this week, our county council voted to spend at least $9 million from the county savings account to fund the jail expansion project. This comes on the heels of expenditures for the continued expansion of the courthouse campus. It is now too late to undo some of these decisions. However, now that nearly 50% of the county savings account has been exhausted, we must examine the way our justice system operates to ensure that such expenditures do not need to be incurred again in the near future.  

The vast majority of families in this county must scrutinize how their money is spent on a week-to-week or month-to-month basis. Similarly, a responsible small business owner must scrutinize where his or her business is spending its money. If something costs too much, one finds a more economical alternative. This same idea should apply to our courts. 

When elected, I will run the court in a fiscally responsible manner. I will review operating costs line-by-line and make cuts where necessary. I will work to find more economical alternatives to other items in the budget.


Income

A good amount of the revenue coming into the court system comes from those using court resources: criminal defendants. This will continue to be the case if I am elected. Taxpayers should not be responsible for the financial consequences of someone else’s bad behavior. That responsibility should fall squarely on the shoulders of the individuals who cannot comply with society’s rules. If elected,I will review where and if these fees can be appropriately increased in accordance with the law.  

By increasing income to the court and decreasing spending in this manner, potential revenue could be created which would decrease the taxpayer obligations to this particular court.  

This is the fifth part of my platform statement; a detailed proposal for how to improve our current justice system. It will be released over the next several months through facebook.com/makeitmiller2012 and makeitmiller2012.com. PLEASE feel free to forward this to your friends and family.
Thanks for your continued support
!
Alan Miller

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

19 June 2012 Dearborn County Council Meeting Notes


19 June 2012 Dearborn County Council Meeting Notes

Jail Fundng was decided at this meeting.

Present: Dennis Kraus. Sr., President, Dan Lansing, Jim Hughes, Liz Morris, Maynard Barrett, Bryan Messmore, and Bill Ullrich.

Also present: Gayle Pennington, Auditor and Teresa Randall, County Administrator

Probation dept- Judge Humphrey/Steve Bradley-not here to ask for additional appropriation. They are here to find some creative ways to take care of some things. They are in need of a new metal detector for the probation office. The letter from Kreinhop outlines this. It’s over 20 years old. The legislature passed a law that takes away county liability for juvenile placements where there were errors in the orders. They no longer need that liability money in the budget and that number is 36-105 and has $25,100. Humphrey proposes to use that money for the metal detector. They need $3800 for the detector. Steve Bradley spoke about the security being good at Hoosier Square and they are having several arrests over there.  The metal detector is important there. There is only one PUBLIC entrance there. Ullrich motioned and Morris 2nded to transfer that money to the maintenance and repair line item for the metal detector.

Steve Bradley said they had put $5,000 of a probation users account aside for furniture. They have used as much as possible from the old courthouse. They are using 3 desks from 1993. They need some more money. They have given over $150,000 to county general in the past from probation users. Drug testing has been more expensive this year. 105 -118 drug tests per month. The difference in cost is due to the kind of tests they are ordering now to pick up synthetic marijuana and bath salts. Dirty urine tests have gone from 11% to 25%. They also want to go to the juvenile services fund for this. They can do that without Council but they wanted Council to know what they were doing. Ullrich noted that we have been fortunate that they haven’t had any fatalities with these synthetic drugs and bath salts yet in this county. There was one in Ohio County.

Jail funding- Not on agenda but tabled from last month- Kraus and Ullrich said that if we have the money we can use that. Money will be coming in to replace that money in the account. They don’t want to spend the interest money also.
Morris noted the huge interest payments that was more than a 1/3 of the bond amount.
 Kraus said they are not stating an amount tonight – just deciding where the source of money is.
Barrett said they spent 2 days last week interviewing the architects and they are working with $8.3-9.3 million budget. They expect it to be less maybe. They are putting the almost $300,000 for the doors they already replaced as part of this total.
 Jim Hughes does not like bypassing the remonstrance process.  Hew doesn't like taking all of the money out of Riverboat Saving because now the People of Dearborn County lose all voice on saying whether they want the jail or not.  With not using any new tax monies they now cannot start the process of remonstrance for referendum which would have given them a  choice on saying yes or no on the jail issue by putting it on the November ballott.  I think the remonstrance process is a good thing that protects the taxpayer and gives them the right to get the signatures to put such spending on the ballot! I, at this time, cannot justify to the people of Dearborn County nor think that we should spend that amount of money on a new jail facility when we have other pressing issues such as bridges and roads that need repair and bringing jobs to our County!
Ullrich said that will cost the taxpayers even more to put this on a ballot.
Kraus asked if you’d rather put this in the hands of a federal judge.
Hughes doesn’t think a federal judge would do that to us now.
Lansing says we have to pay the operational costs out of riverboat funds too.
Kraus said it’s supposed to be neutral in that regard. If they come back for more employees I’ll look at you two ( Lansing and Hughes)and we’ll say no.

Ullrich motioned and  Barrett seconded to pay it all out of riverboat savings.  No vote until after the public was heard.

Judie Howard said that she agrees with them at using the saving and not paying so much in interest. She said they have to remember it’s OUR money. She said they need to realize the extra expense of meals and inmates too. Those funds will be coming out of the money we get from the boat as we try to replenish the account. Ullrich thinks with the new facility it can be managed much more efficiently. If we don’t do anything those costs go up. Or we transport we have to pay for housing off site. Morris said we are spending $130 a day on housing ours. We are spending $130,000 housing some of ours elsewhere.  Howard said she just wants it to be realized that there is additional costs here. Messmore said we’ll have  a closer estimate on operational costs in 60 days or so. Howard said she noted that Jeff Lyness from Maxwell had a goal to come in under budget.  She said that was commendable. Ullrich said that he’d like to give Terri Randall praise as she went way beyond her duty to get all these costs nailed down to compare apples to apples. Judie Howard said that a rotary exchange criminal justice student toured the facilities here and was impressed compared to hers in Australia.

Council voted to pay the jail expansion ALL (no bonds) out of Riverboat savings- with 2 nays from Hughes and Lansing. Passed.

Clerk of Courts- Phil Weaver: Weaver was not present. He had sent his paperwork over. Pennington did not know specifically what this was about, so she couldn’t answer council if they had questions. Morris said these seem straightforward. It was advertised properly. Virtual Server to replace 3 failing servers and the Initial phase of scanning the clerk’s record books.  $5500 and $25,000 were approved for these two items respectively. 

Redevelopment Commission- Mike Rozow- administrator and manager for the redevelopment Commission. Paul Kunkel associate director of DCEDI explained their needs. In 2009 they got $1.5 million for land purchases. They have used some for the West Harrison TIF. They would like to use $500,000 to use as incentive for a company or companies to get them to the West Harrison TIF. Barrett asked what would be an incentive. Kunkel said it will be something we can touch and feel- Like building, roads,  or construction costs. They will NOT use it to pay for their taxes. They have allocated $1.3 million plus for sewers. That site is ready now. They do have a company in mind. We can buy all the land we want- unless we get a company there it will not be a good thing for our funds. Ullrich said as long as it’s for tangible costs so we can see what it’s for. Rozow said the DC Redevelopment Commission would make the decision as to what the money is used for. Money does not go to the company directly- it goes to the vendor upon receipt of the bills. Morris said we have come so close to getting this done. If this is what it takes to get this done I’m in favor of this. Kunkel said we’ve had some hits- we are ready for a home run. Hughes said this sets a precedence for other companies coming in- hoping we can keep this up. Council approved transferring this money to a different account. Redevelopment Commission is adding some of their money to this also. Morris motioned and Lansing seconded. Approved.

Park Board- James Red Elk:

Signs for rural parks/bronze plague for donated bench- from non-reverting capital improvement fund $5625 to complete a 2 year old project to finish up what the county insurance company audit thought they needed.  Also $185 for an approximately $800 bench donated to the park at Guildford for Veronica Renfro where the father used to drive their Model- A to that park. This is to control the look and appearance of the sign. Ullrich and Messmore motioned and motion passed for both amounts.

He also asked about the process for spending money out of their non-reverting capital fund. He is hoping to have a conversation ongoing with Council on what they expect from Parks as they plan. Council agreed to discuss a $10,000 contingency fund for the Parks to get money for small projects without having to go to council repeatedly.

Land purchase- from land acquisition fund- the Lattire road property. They have been approached by another landowner that would attach the Lattire property to County Farm. They are also doing their 5 year plan in house this time. $75,000 could put in a slab type bridge per Listerman last year when Red Elk had brainstormed with him. They knew there was an access problem. They based purchase on the long term plan to extend along that creek that DNR says is one of the few they know about. The second reason is that there is a growing demand for scout troops for camping. They don’t see Gladys Russell as ideal for camping. The third reason is a potential shooting range. If the shooting range doesn’t happen then they would pursue the primitive camping. If they get the adjacent property this will add more creek to their inventory. Access could be thru a low water crossing (a ford) or a one lane bridge. Discussion over the two properties went on concerning doing the next one and not the original. Red Elk stressed the long range goal of expanding along the creek and the great options from the meadow along the creek to the hillside protection for campers and the protection for shooting into a hillside. He also said the park board sees that the shooting range should be open to the public, as the public is paying for the parks. Ullrich motioned to table to pursue a dollar figure on the 2nd property. Lansing seconded. Tabled.  [NOTE: A shooting range on flat land is problematic, when surrounded by other park activities. A hillside to shoot into would appear to be safer. Looking at the larger picture of parks and the public, it seems the Park Board is trying to accommodate both the tradition of the shooting range and the safety and enjoyment of parks for the public at large. The Park Board is a group that volunteers a lot of personal time to keeping the parks up. The County has enjoyed this freebie labor for a very long time. Perhaps everyone should take a step back and look at the wisdom of each stance in the LONG term of the park system. The 4H and scouts are not the only Park users. These lands are to be shared with the public who pays for them. And the public payment needs to be addressed if this system is to grow in the future. Adding land along the creek area and expanding the park system out in Manchester may ultimately lead to a much larger more versatile park for the county. Buying pieces as they become available seems to be the plan as discussed from meetings and 5 year plans that I read nearly 15 years ago. This is not a new idea. Perhaps a Commissioner or Council member needs to sit on the board.]

Solid Waste District- BJ Ault-withdrawn from agenda as she didn’t advertise in time. She is at the fairgrounds tonight. She will try to get on the next agenda.

Gary Steinmetz- Wessler and Bittner Roads- Jeff Hughes apologized that the highway dept hadn’t met the advertising deadline to accompany this discussion. Highway was coming for chip seal funds for many roads. He said they were having trouble finding millings for these projects. Steinmetz lives on Bittner and Mrs. Wessler is here for her road also. He passed out the road list. This info was given so they could have it before the next meeting. Messmore said that they already gave them money for resurfacing- and if these are so important then rework that list. Morris said that she wants to see the priority list and where these are on that list.

Stenmetz said that they have been waiting over ten years now. They made an attempt and rain ruined it. He said the labor time and repairs could have all been saved to fix it properly. The ground is pumping up thru the road at the end of the road. He said we’ve been patient and we are basically begging you guys to fix these roads. Hughes said they can still do it if they get to it while weather is warm. Orschell told them this was part of the program and they just ran out of millings. Steinmetz said that Mrs Carol Wessler can’t hang sheets out or cook out as the dust is so bad at her house sitting so close to  the road. He said that they should just stand in her yard on a dry day to see it. Kraus got testy and said that he lives on a road like that too. This will have to come out of riverboat savings per Kraus- and they cannot appropriate that tonight. Council may not meet in July- they will make an exception and deal with this at budget hearings in August. Council wants more details and the priority list and program. Tabled. [NOTE: This was part of the priority list and program- and if Listerman were presenting that would have been obvious. As it turned out they weren’t advertised in time and so had to wait. If only Council had saved their original and amended road lists.]

Terri Randall- Administrator-  Nepotism Resolution 2012-003 that was passed at the Council’s last meeting needed to be clarified to keep it like the state law. Jail matrons and Coroner are the 2 exceptions to the nepotism law. They can exclude them or include them in the local law. This would allow them to be excluded same as state law. This has to be done by July 1st. You could amend it later. The jail matron is grandfathered.  Some of the council wants to only do the matron as an exception and not the coroner.  Council signed the revised ordinance. Lansing voted nay.

Jim Hughes said he’d like to see the depts. try for a 2.5% reduction in their budget this year. Messmore said they are already preparing budgets based on last year’s numbers. They are due next week.

Terri Randall suggested they tell officeholders and depts. to bring three ideas to cut expenses and to raise revenue in their department. It worked for her at a previous company.

She said she did not come in as an advocate for the jail. She wanted to update Council on the progress same as she did for Commissioners. She thinks everyone is hungry right now and the architects will be at rock bottom costs and they have really good designs. They will be getting another design. They want Council members on that committee to look at the architect etc. and there will be drawings done preliminarily that need to be paid for before they approve the total funding number for the jail. She will get it advertised as needed. The architect will be on by July 3rd. Morris asked if they need a meeting in July for Randall’s deadline.

 Lansing asked if Maxwell was doing any of the work. Randall said that they can’t work on the project they are overseeing it. She wasn’t sure if that was in their contract that way, but that state laws didn’t allow for that.

Lansing asked if they had been audited by the SBOA on their donations. Kraus said they get slapped on the wrist every year on that (referring to the donations to charitable organizations and youth groups)and we continue to do it because we believe in HOME RULE.

 [NOTE: Why does a Council member not get that report annually- and does every new Council person agree with this stance? Council needs to look at that total number paid to charities and see what public good is being measurably accomplished. That was not the only thing that the County got “slapped on the wrist” for. Invoking Home Rule for the prosecutor’s payment of $25,000 for his own defense on a disciplinary grievance was questioned and had to be remedied by RETROACTIVELY enacting a home rule ordinance for just that specific instance. WHEN HAS COUNCIL ENACTED A HOME RULE ORDINANCE TO COVER PAYING RIVERBOAT FUNDS TO CHARITABLE CAUSES?]

Gayle Pennington- Minutes approved.  

Meeting adjourned at 9:05 PM

Christine Brauer Mueller

Lawrenceburg Township








Tuesday, June 19, 2012

19 June 2012 Dearborn County Commissioners Meeting Notes


19 June 2012 Dearborn County Commissioners Meeting Notes
Present: Jeff Hughes, President, Tom Orschell, and Shane McHenry
Also present: Teresa Randall, County Administrator, and Andy Baudendistel, Attorney.
ABSENT: Gayle Pennington, Auditor
OLD BUSINESS:
Payroll Schedule Changes-TABLED
Maintenance for Dearborn county vehicles –TABLED
Consulting Services Agreement- Auditor- Baudendistel reviewed the agreement and Pennington was to get a termination clause added. Tabled.
NEW BUSINESS:
Suellen Cauble HR- Handbook Changes- Nepotism- due to upcoming legislation becoming effective July 1st, the handbook needs to be revised to reflect these new laws. She passed out the ordinance on nepotism. Baudendistel said that there may be a change to the Council’s Resolution adopting this at the council meeting tonight. This has to be passed by Council. The Commissioners signed off on this. Passed.
Handbook Changes on Sick Leave- sixty donated changes are reduced to 20 and an advisory board approves these. This was adopted previously but needs to be revised in the handbook. Commissioners approved the handbook changes.
Dearborn County Hospital Board of Trustees- Reappointment- Kent Abram was appointed to the board for a four year term.
Candy Yurcak- Whitewater Canal Scenic Byway-Randall said she had talked to Candy Yurcak and let her know what the commissioners had done the last meeting.  She had gotten a ruling saying it was allowed from someone higher up in INDOT. Listerman and Randall met with Yurcak and decided to meet with Audra at INDOT to see what is the real decision. They requested tabling until the next commissioners meeting, so they can meet with INDOT together. TABLED.
Harrison Fire/EMS Contract –Hughes wants to find a way to renegotiate this so that county departments can meet the need up there. There is a large sum of money involved compared to what we spend on the others. ($108,000) This 3 year contract ends Jan 1st. We need to have something done by then so as not to have a lapse in service. He wants this to be brought up at budget time. They will get a team from St.Leon, New Trenton, Bright perhaps to look at this. Orschell will be the commissioner on this and Terri Randall will set this up.
Dearborn County Board of Health Appointment – replacing Rodney Dennerline who passed away. This board has to be balanced politically and this spot is open for either party as it’s balanced at this point. They have no recommendation from the board of health. They will do some recruiting on this. TABLED.
HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT: Todd Listerman, Highway Engineer-
Bid opening for Bridge 224 on Lower Dillsboro Road- all over $250,000 and he asked permission to reject all the bids due to wage rate concerns. He will get this rebid. Approved to reject and rebid..
Program that came to their attention at highway engineers conference in Indy. Kansas and five other states have started a bridge program that gives an equal distribution to the counties of their federal funds. They then give them state money instead and they don’t have to do the fed rules so that they can have more flexibility in how they spend the funds. It takes about 5 years for Kansas to implement this and get it passed thru the state legislature. This allows funds to be used for maintenance too. This allows a steady revenue stream for each county and you can bank the money for larger projects from year to year. He is asking the commissioners to help support the passage of this. He expects they will hear this at their commissioners meetings. This way you really can put a bridge program together. Monies will be distributed based on bridge footages for each county. Counties with more and longer bridges will get more funding.
Eric Wathen- commissioner of Hendricks County and a consulting engineer with Shrewsberry and Associates - also spoke in back up for this. He noted that you don’t have to follow fed rules on ROW etc. They are also trying to work on gas tax funding.
Tim Grieve, Highway Superintendent- Weisberg Road project is proceeding as is Benning road. We are not on the agenda for the Council meeting as they were passed the time for advertising. They can be there if they have a July meeting or else they will do this at August budget hearings. This is OK as he is booked up into July with work anyway. This chip seal just has to be done before leaves start dropping.
ADMINISTRATOR: Teresa Randall- letter requested by DC Hospital to send to FDA to state how the hospital functions under the ownership of the county and the governing of their board. This is required periodically. Approved and Hughes signed the letter.
Storm drain work began on Hoosier Square. Staircase project went out to bid and only has one bid- so they are extending it one more week. Plumbing and electrical has to move for this project.
Jail architects had 6 response and 5 are asking to go thru the interview process. They anticipate that the interview team will have a recommendation by the next meeting.
They are using standard AIA contract for the Construction Manager (Maxwell) but modifying some of the language. She is working with Maxwell on that and Baudendistel reviewing. Hughes has permission to sign this and it will be ratified at the next meeting once prepared.
AUDITOR: Emergency services contract for Greendale for $20,000 was signed. Claims approved.
ATTORNEY: Andy Baudendistel- presented esarly and left early as he has a hearing this morning. Saw Mr Irwin on the ROW and expects that to come in later this week. Still trying to get things worked out on Bright businesses and the ROW for Stateline before the August 5th hearing.
He has not had the OKI contract yet to review- but will come over and get that from Gayle Pennington this afternoon.
COMMISSIONER COMMENTS- none
LATE ARRIVAL INFORMATION- none
PUBLIC COMMENT- Eric Wathen Commissioner for Hendricks County said they increased their wheel tax- Hughes said- we don’t like wheel taxes here. Laughter.
Meeting adjourned at 9:52 AM
Christine Brauer Mueller
Lawrenceburg Township

Monday, June 18, 2012

Agenda- June 19th COUNCIL Meeting


AGENDA DEARBORN COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

6:30 p.m., Commissioners Room
County Administration Building
215 B West High Street, Lawrenceburg, Indiana           

I.              PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 

II.            CALL TO ORDER 

III.           CLERK OF COURTS – Phil Weaver

Virtual Server to replace three failing servers

Initial phase of scanning the Clerk’s record books 

IV.          REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION – Mike Rozow  

V.            PARK BOARD – James Red Elk

Signs for rural parks/bronze plaque for donated beach

Land purchase 

VI.          PROBATION – Judge Humphrey/Steve Bradley 

VII.         SOLID WASTE DISTRICT – BJ Ault 

VIII.        Gary Steinmetz – Wessler and Bittner Roads

IX.          ADJOURN


Friday, June 15, 2012

Agenda June 19th Dearborn County Commissioners Meeting


AGENDA
DEARBORN COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MEETING

June 19, 2012
9:00 a.m., Commissioners RoomCounty Administration Building

215 B West High Street, Lawrenceburg, Indiana


I.              CALL TO ORDER

II.            PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 

III.           OLD BUSINESS

1.  Payroll Schedule Change

2.  Maintenance for Dearborn County Vehicles

3.  Consulting Services Agreement – Auditor 

IV.          NEW BUSINESS

1.  Suellen Cauble, HR - Handbook Changes

            1.  Nepotism

            2.  Sick Leave

2.  Dearborn County Hospital Board of Trustee – Re-appointment

3.  Candy Yurcak – Whitewater Canal Scenic Byway

4.  Harrison Fire/EMS Contract

5.  Dearborn County Board of Health Appointment


V.            HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT

A.  Highway Superintendent – Tim Greive

            1.  Updates 

B.  Highway Engineer – Todd Listerman

            1.  Updates  

VI.          ADMINISTRATOR –  Teresa Randall


VII.         AUDITOR – Gayle Pennington

1.  Claims/Minutes 

VIII.        ATTORNEY – Andy Baudendistel 

IX.          COMMISSIONER COMMENTS

X.            LATE ARRIVAL INFORMATION           

XI.          PUBLIC COMMENT 

XII.          ADJOURN

Hoog Selected to Run Against McMillin in District 68

Jake Hoog Runs for Sate Rep District 68

Jake Hoog, chairman of the Dearborn County Democrat Party, was selected to run for state representative in State House District 68 by the Democrat caucus.
House District 68 is made up of sections of Dearborn, Franklin, and Union counties and is currently represented by incumbent Republican Jud McMillin.


Thursday, June 14, 2012

WE CAN DO BETTER PART 4


WE CAN DO BETTER 4

By Alan Miller, Candidate for Judge Superior Court II


Efficiency and Scheduling

There are problems within the county court system. In the next several weeks, I will post my proposals that outline how I think we can do better. 

Today, I will continue to discuss my proposals related to efficiency in the courts.


Settlement conferences mandatory  

Cases drag on, criminal and civil alike, although oftentimes a resolution could be reached if the parties involved would simply sit down and discuss their points of view.  As such, in cases where two attorneys are involved, an order will be issued requiring the parties to speak with each other no later than 10 days following the second attorney’s entry into the case.  Failure to do so will be viewed as a violation of the court’s order and would be punishable by contempt.  



Deadlines will be firm 

Currently, most deadlines in the court are what I would call “soft.”  For example, in a criminal matter, the parties are given a plea deadline, a date at which the parties must decide hether they wish to negotiate an agreement for the resolution of the case or proceed to trial.  While these are called “deadlines,” the current court will oftentimes accept plea agreements submitted well after the supposed deadline.  As a result, the parties will not truly begin to negotiate until right before or even after the deadline.  In the most extreme circumstances, three or four cases will all extend past the plea deadline, leaving all the parties in limbo while it is determined whose case will actually proceed to trial.

In other circumstances, attorneys or other parties sometimes use delay as a tactic.  Reasonable deadlines will be set, allowing the attorneys time to do their job, exchanging evidence, negotiating and the like.  The court, not stalling parties, should dictate the pace of a case and control the calendar.  When elected, deadlines set by the court will be taken seriously and will be strictly enforced.  Failure to do so will be viewed as a violation of the court’s order and would be punishable by contempt.  

Explore Saturday morning court for initial hearings 

One place where court time may also be saved is criminal initial hearings.  In a criminal case, one charged with an offense must be advised of their rights within a certain time frame.  Often times, individuals arrested on a Friday do not appear in front of a judge until the following Monday.  During holiday weekends, individuals are held until court reopens.  This results in jail space being used as a holding facility for non-violent offenders, local residents and individuals with jobs, simply because the courts are not open.  When elected, I will explore whether Saturday morning court would be a viable option to relieve some of the overcrowding.  It is my belief that if the court were willing to have a brief hearing on Saturday mornings, this could result in these individuals being released and freeing up jail space for people who are truly a danger to the community or themselves. 

This is the third part of my platform statement; a detailed proposal for how to improve our current justice system. It will be released over the next several months through facebook.com/makeitmiller2012 and makeitmiller2012.com. PLEASE feel free to forward this to your friends and family.
Thanks for your continued support
!
Alan Miller