Board of Commissioners - Regular Meeting

Okay. I call the Brown County Board of Commissioner meeting to order. Stand for the pledge of allegiance. Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Okay. Um before we kick off, I just want to make an administrative announcement. Is that while you're up there? Yeah, she's she's good. Yes.

Okay. Um folks, we've got our next um we have meeting today and then nothing on Tuesday. We won't have the end meeting this Tuesday. vote for next Tuesday. So, what I did is I provided you a uh draft of the agenda for the next meeting and I also attached the uh review of accomplishments. So, is that on? It should be. Yeah, there we go.

Yeah. So, I attached the uh the draft agenda for the January 7th meeting and I attached the review of accomplishments. We can go over. But again, take a look, see what I missed. Um, and I'll fine-tune over the next week or so. And then I attached a draft of the executive session, the topics on January 14th. So, take a look at that and let me know, you know, what we need to add. So, that our first item got additions to the agenda.

Yeah. Uh, I tried to bring it up last time and didn't want to talk about it. I would like some clarifications on the ARC and Thrive Alliance. I kind of guess think I know what happened, but maybe if I'm wrong, Vince can set me straight. Kevin, you want to address that? Sure. That little We also need to make a removal cents. I think the service contract just needs to scratch that. The other two good.

Yeah. Okay, thank you. So the as far as that, there were two line items in the budget. One of them being private lines for the total of $15,000 and there was another one in there for ARC for $10,000. And the claim for ARC came in a week and a half ago or a week ago and it came in with absolutely no detail other than requesting the $10,000 that was for that line item that was submitted by Steve Gord. So when we went back and was doing all of the things that we're trying to do to to make sure that we're operating within the budget that we were appropriated, those line items were moved in the last transfer. So that total of $25,000 was removed in the last transfer to cover um litigation or litigation line item. So at this point in time, we also need to work with them if they want to go and continue to get that grant because in essence, it's not obligated as far as by statute. There's no state requirement for us to basically fund that. It's just like any other request. So if we want to go and consider that for next year, then we need to basically work with them to get a detailed contract in place. If it's something that's going to be a repetitive send along with details of to what those services are going to be provided for. So right now we don't have any information other than we know it's a national organization. Do not read. Yeah, I read that. It's not good enough.

No. Okay. Not in my opinion. Let me see if I can figure this out. Uh legal expenses. Yeah. Okay. They come out of professional services actually come out of litigation services. Well, was our R paid out of their that fund? I'm sorry. What? The person that we used for owner representative? No, they were paid out of professional services. Huh? They were paid out of professional services. That's in the same fund. No.

So the line the line that got moved the $25,000 that got moved was just in the legal services to pay our attorneys. The the 10,000 and the $15,000 lines were in their own account lines. One was for ARC, one was for threat lines. Those were moved over to litigation. Correct. Okay. which is a completely different line than professional services. That's insane fun. That's how you were able to move it from line to line. Yes. In essence, that I don't remember at this point. We moved a lot of things around. I don't remember. It was either

these are very good people that do very good work, you know, mentally challenged people and we've been paying them for decades from what I understand. Let me finish. Okay. And Thrive Alliance is a really good organization. They helped me when I was dealing with my mom, taking care of it. You know, two very good, they done a lot for Brown County. Okay. Now, the money may have been moved, but why didn't we do an additional appropriation to get more money so we could have took care of our obligations? So once the actual claim came in that was well in well inside of the twoe period that you if we wanted to ask for an additional appropriation you'd have to publicize it for 2 weeks. I have been working on it for 2 months.

No because the claim never came in but you knew it was going on. No, because if they get because of your Well, let let me cut any kind of hassle and see if we can um solve this problem. Okay. Um and then I also heard that it hadn't been appropriated. Well, it had been appropriated, correct?

Okay. Legislators chose to use the funds for something else. Okay. That's it is what it is. Mhm. What if uh this coming year it's been appropriated too instead of a great big lag in time that we get on in and take care of at the first of the year because the money has been appropriated and paying that way there's not a great big lapse in their money or you going to make some kind of big issue over paying these people. It it depends on when they turn in their claim. They're they're responsible to turn in their claim. They did turn in the claim. Let me answer this question or let me provide my perspective on that. It needs to be validated as to whether it has been appropriated in 2026.

It is in there. It is appropriated in 2026. Both of those line items. So that again, I don't have a problem with it being paid out of that, but they're still going to go through and I want documentation as to what services they are being provided and what it's being used for. Because if we look at centerstone, centerstone, we think this they were talking about Thrive Alliance. understand that and we're obligated to pay centerstone, but Centerstone provides us a list of all the activities from media to services actually clients served and all that. Are you really surprised that you couldn't find paperwork on this?

I'm surprised at a lot of things going on in this county and this is just another one to where I'm doing due diligence to make sure that we have properly documented the agreement that we have between these two organizations. Now, the other problem I had with it was before the last meeting, you didn't even want to talk about it and you was comparing the actions to doing the same thing that Trump's done. Trump's not out picking on mentally challenged people. Trump is picking out for unaccountable dollars. They're looking for fraud is what they're looking for. That's correct.

Do you think these companies are trying to fraud us? If it's not been checked, how long when's the last time you actually did your due diligence to go back and look at the actual invoices? You signed off on those claims. Have you ever done any conversations with them before? This meeting or the two meetings before? Yeah, I talked to Steve Moore and I talked to DS. Not this year. And now you've opened can of worms. And since you've opened the can of worms, sir, Tim, have you been down and looked at the claims? [clears throat] [snorts] What's your What's your point? No, I asked a question. I review I review the summary sheet that that's for the commission.

You and Kevin look at the actual invoices and the claims. So, I've got two commissioners looking at the claims. What's your point? You're supposed to look at it, too. All three commissioners in your opinion. Supposed to look at the claims. Well, you know, I haven't been doing that all year. I've got two commissioners looking at the invoices and the claims. Well, it says right on it, you're approving them and you haven't looked at them. You looked at the ones that come online from Doug from the commissioner office. That summary that Doug sends is for everyone. It's not just the commissioner's office. Well, I don't know. I was just looking at the the claims that come in when you were down there just a few minutes ago. Correct. So, what's your point?

That the numbers that he should be sending us should be inclusive of everything that's in the binders that we're looking at. So again to go back to my do you have a problem with seeing if we can get these their money if they provide some documentation to make you happy? No problem with that at all. So we can pay them at the first of the year. Not it'll we'll pay them once we get the information and if we feel like it's okay. I don't have a problem with that because the other thing I heard is we might need that amount again to pay for something. I understand there's a lot going on right now. There's a lot going on with the 2026 budget. That's correct. Yeah. So,

okay, as long as we can get these people their money in a reasonable hot cuz you you remember when I first come in. I said that's that was one of my pet peeves, everybody gets paid. Yeah. You don't you don't short some you don't take from someone and give it to someone else because you didn't go do an additional appropriation or something. You know, it ain't like these people are trying to cob the money from us. They've been getting it. They've been getting it. Oh, yeah. I do know it. They're very reputable organization and for you to say that they were is kind of an insult to them. Art takes care of 63 Indiana counties.

So, okay, let me just summarize. The point is, and we've done all year is we validate uh we validate the invoices that we get and if we don't understand, we get a bill and we don't understand, we ask questions. We've been doing that all year. Same way here. We got uh we got two of these invoices. No explanation, no deliverables of what was provided during that year, what was produced, just got the claims because that's the way they always did it. So, we question those. They come through and have a legitimate explanation as to as the validation of what we received for the money. Then we take a look at that. We take a vote based on that. Yeah. Oh, so that's it.

And Mr. Patrick, I don't appreciate you questioning me on who I talk to in the auditor's office. I'll talk to I didn't ask who you talk to. I asked who you talked to with regards to the organization. That's not the name I heard. All right. I heard it a little different. Can we move on? Yeah. All right. New business. The owner occupied rehab grant. Um I think it was announced. I think you're ahead of yourself. We got to do the approval claims. Thanks. Got it. All right. Thanks. Okay. Motion approval of minutes and claims. I believe there's some corrections.

There is some corrections. The minutes had to have which have been already fixed. The total for the Smithville contract, the monthly and the the yearly contract total was off. Sandy went through and adjusted those and changed. That's been in updated in the folder there. I also in looking through the claims and not part of the summaries that are the docket information. There are three claims that need to be that are appropriate given what we have been submitted for. Two of them come out of the general fund. One of them is from Rei Financial. From my understanding from Julie, this was recently signed this morning,

so Doug wasn't available to add it to the docket. It's being request to be added for $10,741.80. And the his second claim is from Lorenzo Beavers Bramman and Connell which is the county council's legal council has a claim for $13,580. And then in the sheriff's department there was a claim that was submitted and it was missed an invoice was missed for a total of $94.85. So that needs to be added as well. So those that's an additional those are additional dollars that need to be added to the docket by Doug. So I'm recommending that we question correct.

What was the number uh for reading $10,74180? So the last time the number I heard was like 112,000. So is this 10,000 on top of the 112,000? It's on top of what they've already spent. Correct. And that brings Beaver up to That's reading. I don't know what that's reading. That's reading. But Beaver at 13,580. Do you know what that brings her up to? I think it's a tick under 36,000. No, I don't know what her total is right now off the top off my head. I would have to go back downstairs and you're okay. Anything else coming?

No, those are the two amendments. So basically I would make a motion that we approve the minutes as corrected and approve the claims with the addition to changes on the docket for quality corrections care to add an additional $94.85 in the sheriff's area. And then on the general fund, there's an additional $13,580 for Lorenzo, Beavers, Breman, and Connell. And then on top of that is Rey Financial Group PC, which is in the general fund. Additional $10,741.80 to the docket. Claims are valid

on the minutes. Did you state the change in the minutes? Yeah, the change has already been made in the minutes. The change has been made, but you didn't state it, did Yes, we basically updated the the yearly and the monthly contractual amount to the correct amount for the recorder's office and for Smithville phone. No, no, there's nothing wrong with Smithville or recorder's office. So, it was all Smithville is not $5,960. It is or it isn't. It's not. It's not. It's $288,200. So hold on. Hand me that right there in front of you.

It's in the minutes. So the changes were a yearly a contract year of $288,945 at a monthly of $2,47.95. Did that make sense to you guys? For what? Smithville 200 and some thousand. Is that what you said? It's a 10-year contract. Oh, 10ear contract. It's a 10-year contract. It's not a one-year. Okay. But it's 20 what now? A month. $2,47.95 if I if I read it right. Okay. and the other one for

$5,960 in the recorder's office. Okay. Cuz they both read the same amount of money. Yes, they did. Okay, that's been fixed. That's fine. Now you can make your motion. I already made the motion. I'll second. Roll. Ron, how do you vote? Yes. Tim, how do you vote? Yes. Kevin, how do you vote? Yes. Okay. Uh, new business, the owner occupied rehab grant. Um, we received the 500,000. I think that was Did you vote on the claims? That was that was the claims and the minutes. So, I wanted to make sure. Yep. I got that right. Right, Sandy? Yes. Thank you very much. [laughter] Okay.

I have been having problems with getting things together, but that's okay. All right. We received a $500,000 grant, so kudos to all involved. And the county will also leverage this energy saver program. Egypt was monitoring that. Dina, you were the first one in the in the hopper for for that one. So, thank you for doing that one. So, between the two, I think we can provide a lot of service to people, which is a good thing. Um, John, the first one, job description approval for the assistant environmental health specialist. We approved that in our last session. I think this job description uh this came there was a verbiage. There was a one word change to it. Okay. It's just the official fine with either one of them, but I thought

Okay. Found a typo. We made the change. Okay. Do we need to vote on this or is it just How's that work? I just I'd vote on it just just for safe. All right. Motion. Motion to approve the assistant environmental health specialist job description changes. Okay. Second. I'll second. Okay. Tim, how do you vote? Yes. Kevin, how do you vote? Yes. Ron, how do you vote?

All right. Down to service contracts. Purdue extension. Kevin. So, we were approached by the Purdue Extension, Mary Callahan. I believe she's online. The contract did go through review. There's two degrees of this. Uh, the language in and of itself was reviewed by myself and StephanieRandle, [snorts] who's on the page here. There's nothing as far as out of the ordinary. It is in from her review seems to be within the norms of that. And then I had to actually went through and answered her question with regards to make sure that this was appropriated funds in 2026. So the appropriated funds been validated for 2026 is $53,500. So you've got basically con the first two sheets are basically listing the services and then it details what the actual services are going to be rendered for that dollar amount. that needs to be signed today. So given that what's been reviewed, I've looked at that. I'm making a recommendation that we proceed with approving the Purdue University and Government of Brown County Indiana services agreement

motion. He's making it sound like a motion, but I believe that's the motion. Yeah, it is the motion. Sorry, I apologize for that. I'll second. All right, roll. Okay, Kevin, how do you vote? Yes. Tim, how do you vote? Yes. Ron, how do you vote? Yes. Okay. Health Department Marking Services.

So, this is an agreement that was created between the health department and Andrea Swift Hanland who provides media relationship services for the Brown County Health Department. So, Stephanie again prepared this contract. There are three exhibits. The three exhibits that are attached to this are referenced and the reference first is the services that will be provided which is exhibit A. Exhibit B is the actual compensation and how it's structured with regards to this agreement between the two. And then exhibit C goes through the exercise of clearly identifying and making sure that confidentiality is maintained along with the actual work that's being done digitally is the property and sole property of the Brown County Health Department in Brown County, Indiana. So given that that review and looking at that it's it is our template slightly modified to address this issue. So, I'm recommending that we proceed forward with approving the service agreement with Andrea Swift Hanland.

Is there a second to the motion? I'll second. Okay. Tim, how do you vote? Yes. Kevin, how do you vote? Yes. Ron, how do you vote? No. Okay. Uh, Cintas, we deleted from the service contract. Okay. Hey, county office departments. Uh Teresa, update on that 2020 your bird's eye view of the um what we're looking at.

Okay. So, currently right now we've identified the items in the budget that were um removed, moved, or added um to equal over a million dollars. So in January um we'll have to go back and

appropriate. I didn't do encumbrances because of just not sure where everything is going to dust is going to settle. So, until the auditor's office closes her books 4:25, which is usually around December or January 15thish, um we'll be able to look at our numbers to see what exactly we need to ask for those appropriations and um additional appropriations. So, some of the items, IT department, computer equipment, lease agreements, security improvement. Um, we'll have to ask for buildings, furniture and fixtures. Um, corner's office is in our budget. They they were left out to the tune of 73,000. Um, health insurance was inflated. Road improvements were negative. and we have a couple IC codes that we're required to pay that missed the um approval. Our [snorts] legal fees were um severely hit. The only thing that we got um in our legal fees was our retainer. So, our litigation money is gone. Legal professionals gone. Um HR services are gone. So, those are some of the items that we'll have to look at adding additional appropriations for next year. uh centerstone. We had the right amount that wasn't approved correctly and we had um one item for the sheriff's department which I think I I don't not really sure why but anyway it's for 15,000 for um the I I read I record

okay software. So um we will be busy in January with our budget still. Yes, Mr. Sanders. Um, okay. Let me see if I got this even remotely right. The 4H fair and parks and wreck will have to go to the CVC for their money. Is that correct? They were the the forage fairground 35,000 was approved. It wasn't approved in our budget. They moved it to the CBC um fund 1127

and anything in parks and wreck, all salaries, all buildings, all everything in parks and wreck, their whole budget was moved to CBC, the CBC. So is do you have any take on CBC just going to pick it up and go ahead and pay them or how's that work? After research, it it was found that the council is responsible for what that fund spends. So they can do that. Right now the question is whether or not they can have actual salaries in there because they moved all the parks and recck salaries over. So we're still researching that. That's because of the 3% and they moved 1% for parks and recck. No. Do no

had nothing to do with that. They just literally took their budget out of the general fund and moved it to CBC. the CDC the whole thing tound $158,000. You ever seen anything like that, Julie? No, I have. Okay. So, we're in new territory. Very new territory. Not saying that the that the 4H fairgrounds coming out of the CDC doesn't make sense because it is it can be looked at as a tourism thing. So, and that would secure their money rather than us cutting it year to year. So that one kind that makes sense.

We're looking at parks and wreck now too is basically the park is they put up the new this new thing that they just got through doing track. Yeah. And they're putting up another thing. Yeah. So and they have a frisbee golf thing. That's So basically we'll just have to keep going to council and asking for money until we get it figured out. Well, hopefully we'll we do it one time in January. I don't want to keep that. I mean, we're we're praying that we have to just do it one time in January. That'd be good. Yeah, it really would. Teresa, bird's eye view on changes made to the highway department.

Um, that's going to be uh disturbing. Um, didn't realize the movements made in the highway department. I don't know if you do either. All this has been every fund in the highway. Eric doesn't even know. I haven't even got a chance to talk to him about yet, but every fund in the highway department has been also moved around by Rei and the council. And we don't know where all that lies either. Okay. So, all salaries, all everything moved around. Some of them got left out after they were moved. Um so, it's the same mess as what we have in Kumcap and our um economic development fund. You know, all those changes going to have significant impacts. So anyway, we'll

significant impact. Hey, Julie, I'm curious on the uh on the state, when is that budget order from the state? Is that generally in January when we get the budget order from the state? Does your balancing come in after that or before that? Should be before that. Okay. So we should when that budget order comes back that is the budget that we can work from because there were so many fingers in the pie on this budget between the different actors putting in these numbers. We had no idea when we're going through and identifying what's changed, what we need. Correct. Okay. Good. So once we get the budget order, we have a firm fix on what the numbers are. Then we print that out and then recalibrate all the changes that are made.

Yep. because Tesa and I went through that, went through four funds line by line and identified specifically what particularly changed and and that's where we came up with the million bucks. Yeah. Okay. So, fun time to be had by all. Mhm. Oh, yeah. Well, fun. I just keep having so much fun.

Yeah. Okay. We're not Highway Department. We're not going to have a hang on. Uh the one thing that comes to mind with the highway department is uh a value on the roads and bridges. I heard at some point I didn't think we could figure out hadn't figured out what the roads were, but because of the bridge inspection, we could possibly come up with an estimate on what the bridges were. And then the claims I just seen were it went through the ages for bridges inspection. So, did we were we able to capture that number yet? No, they won't have a final report on that until actually fe in February. February.

They've been bringing up the critical issues with regards to bridges that may require additional inspections be beyond the two years that you typically do on a bridge. So, we do have some bridges, I don't know, I believe it's a couple that moved into critical or maybe either a 12-month or a six-month inspection cycle. and and one of the ones that was going to push us into that was the Orchard Road Bridge, which we approved the emergency changes and updates to. Okay. And Julia, I remember, man, I want to think it was the first year I was here in 23. I worked with you on coming up with county assets

for like buildings and computers and all that stuff. Mhm. We we come up with what we thought was the criteria, which was the $50,000 threshold,

and we got a little bit better than the $50,000 threshold on computers and stuff. basically using information from the insurance company and the highway provided some information and you know we had found where there was um some stuff that was insured that wasn't supposed to be insured stuff that was underinsured like the parks and wreck and veteran building and we got that adjusted and then we let them the insurance company know what the courthouse the add-on for the courthouse was going to be another million more there the coroner's office was more

and the equip equipment was coming in was more uh but then when it got sent in on a state board of account exit I don't think we had the right criteria to completed it in the first place because they added the roads and bridges to us and we no one ever said anything about the roads and bridges. Yeah, it's not done yet. So I don't know how you're supposed to succeed if you don't have the right criteria. But we got I thought we got close on the buildings and stuff. Buildings and equipment at the time. I mean, I had those big boards. Yeah. And I thought we got close, but you was going to add the land, which we did.

I think did that come out to be like 14 million on land. I don't remember what it was. That's what was in the file that was presented. Yeah. And the largest line item there was the music center. So, and that was the entire cost. It wasn't just the land. And it was the actual building plus the land then an assessment something but that was for the building. Well, all righty. We just moving right along.

All right. Ongoing business. Pumpkin Ridge. No change there. They're going to do the uh the week of January 5th to do those staking. Uh did get a request from one of the property owners uh requested in to consider accessing Mount T from Salt Creek Road versus Pumpkin Ridge Road. probably [snorts] a little late, but anyway, the point on that one when that came up before is the uh the funding they received for the Punk Ridge Road was out of a different fund that allows upgrades to an existing road that goes to a recreational area. And if they were to do the route from the other side, the west side, that's new funding and they'd be in competition with everybody else that wants a new road. So that was a difference was on the funding which is why uh they didn't consider the other route but they can address that to address concerns or questions people may have. The other thing comes up on Pumpkin Ridge Road is on the expense. People um uh the first pass on on the expense was was on the high side. When they estimated the cost and the size and the and the quality of road they went on the high side which was which was pretty pretty expensive. six and a half million I think and then a million and a half of the zon. And so when we downscale when you downscale that that road to 18 ft and and um that and then you reduce the land requirements and then you know basically you're looking for the land you need during construction um that's going to reduce the cost a little bit but then they increased the cost on retaining walls because you're narrowing the road. So once you get a final plan, they stake the the uh they stake the construction limits, identify, you know, near the final plan, then then you've got probably enough information you need to get a decent cost estimate, and that may be significantly different. So until you have that final plan uh that they're working on now, we're not going to know what a reasonable cost is going to be. Then the other question came up as

people asked us is, well, gee, whiz, could the county do that? Well, you know, it depends on when the cost comes. I mean, we have uh they're they're meeting a lower standard for that growth than they have to. They've got to get permission from INDOT. And so, again, we have that final plan and we have the estimates. Um, you know, we can go from there on on options that may be available at that point. So, up in the air, but we we'll get there. Um, that's all I've got. Um, yeah, that's all I've got for this. Anything else from the table here? Other commissioners? When When do you think the vote will come up on Pumpkin Ridge? I have no idea. So, you don't think we're ready to do it in January?

Oh, no. I mean, they're staking it first and then they schedule on-site meetings with the owners to clarify, you know, what that plan's going to be. So, I don't probably take a guess. I don't think January is pretty early. I think February. But again, you want to have all the information you have for us to make make that decision. And so, but they'll be notified plenty ahead of time for the meeting. Pardon me. They will be notified plenty ahead of time. Sure. Sure. I mean, I put it on every agenda at every meeting. No surprises. I got a mailing list and I I send that vote wouldn't come in in a 2:00 meeting. It' be a six o'clock meeting. Be an evening meeting. Correct. Correct.

So, all right. Anything else? Legal. Yeah. Legal. Stephanie. Well, wait a minute. There are a few people that showed up. Has anybody else got anything they'd like to pass? Question. Thank you. Yeah. Dean and Patrick. Hello, Dean and Patrick. Um, I was just wondering on uh board appointments, are you still on schedule? Did those get can the newspaper advertise? And are we still on schedule to have the people come in uh I believe it was the second meeting of January and then make decisions the first meeting of February. That's still correct, Dina. Okay.

And it was in the paper uh this week. Okay. My husband doesn't get the paper until the following week. I don't know. Yeah. I think it's on the first page even on the left. Okay. I haven't seen it yet. Okay. That's all I And I'm putting it in there again because the format was really bad. Okay. So it'll be readable this time. Okay. So that that was Yeah. All right. Thanks. Great. Thanks for asking. Anybody else? Okay. All right. Legal Stephanie. Uh no comments here. Okay. Thank you. All right. Get a motion to adjourn. Motion to adjourn. Second. Motion. Meeting is adjourned. Thank you. You're welcome.