County Council - Regular Meeting

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. You need a minute to review the minutes from the January 20th meeting.

I didn't see anything. Anybody have any additions or corrections? I didn't see anything. Entertain a motion to approve. I so move. Bill makes a motion. I'll second. Ashley seconds. Any other discussion? All those in favor? I. Any oppose? Okay, sheriff, you're up. Good morning. Morning. Morning. Morning.

Item number one. I don't know why, but we are always the first in the state to have our general inspection done. We're number one. So, anyway, here's the jail inspection report. Um, same gentleman from Homeland Security inspects every jail, 91 jails in the state of Indiana. my discussion with him after he left for our inspection between our facilities and he says we're in the top five in the state. He had all good things to say about us. So just a little light reading for you here. Um just mandated to give you a comment before there is any questions about that.

Do you have warning when he shows up or do they just pop? Yeah, we do. Again, the four years that I've been here. Again, we're the first one every year. I don't know why that is, but you know, yeah, we get a list of dates for every jail state. That's great. I mean, top five in the state. Yeah, he may tell everybody that. I don't know. But do that. That's all I care about. That's great. Yeah. Okay. Any questions about that then? I got a couple comments. How many we got in there nowadays? 115. 115. So, we got room.

Two weeks ago, we were about 10 days under, but 115 is manageable, obviously. So, a couple commissary things real quick. This first one is outside the commissary rules, if you will. We had a cell phone misplaced from an inmate during the booking process. Somehow her her phone got lost. It's it's our it's our fault. It's our responsibility. We changed our policy protocol since then. But regardless, we need to replace that cell phone for her. $150 is about what we're talking about spending. Again, this is outside the commissary. So, I'm asking for authorization to spend roughly $150 out of commissary to purchase.

I have a question. Unless it's illegal some way or another. I would make a motion to approve that. Again, bottom line is Anthony you authorizes approve. Okay. Rick makes a counsel about this as well. This is their recommendation to approve. I'll second it. Diana seconds. Any other questions, concerns? All those in favor? I.

Any oppose? Okay. Then the second one is purchasing materials for handouts for the fair in the past and something we've done every year. This is within the commissary rules. I just want to make you aware of it. It's about $8,000 for the year. Seeking your approval again, even though I don't really need it again, just seeking your approval. Is that pretty standard for what you usually spend? This is And it's just Do you just use it for the fair or for other things? You said for the year, right?

Yeah. The past trunk or treats, wherever we go, we have stuff, anti-doping, scams, all kinds of different things.

I'll make a motion. We allow him to spend it out of commissary. Bill makes a motion he spends his event money or event programs out of commissary. I'll second. Ashley seconds. Any other questions? Okay. All those in favor? I. Any oppose? Okay. Thank you very much. Thank you, sir. Mr. Snider, EMA grant proposal. Morning. Morning.

Want to present to you today just before our last snow event $2500 response. With that I have several different items. assist us in those activities. Some of which are purchasing four style heaters two volt. This would allow us two incidents items rehab. fire trailer. We could also get our so we could effectively respond in that type of situation. My time Also with that few other items that Washington

purchase for that. There's no require.

It's a $2,500 grant. I don't know if anybody's got copies of it or not. Who cares? You spent all of it then on Duke or you've got They operate with a group called

getting late in the winter season.

So you've pretty much already been awarded it. You're just waiting for it to process. Is that what commissioner signed off on it? How do you use it on a school bus? Explain that.

So, what we would do is just drop the window down. Also, decision to go electrical salamander style, but the decision to go all I'll entertain a motion to approve the grant.

I'll make that motion. Anna makes a motion. That was good timing. Ashley seconds. Any other questions? Discussion. All those in favor? I I. Any oppose? Okay. Questions. Thank you.

Okay. Mr. Ortman, Highway Department. Ladies and gentlemen, morning.

So, we're here set up. So, we can go ahead and redo the budget, realign it for them. That's part of straight out qualified person. So that's part of parts of just a lot of this is just cleaning things up, moving things around. everything we got on the table. We bid you have a seal funds to be the cash. So the only action you need is to 1.8 8 million

today. today got be advertised etc etc or is it out in here is it in transfers it's the money the money will actually be involved do so bas spend the money we won't do the transfers the work won't get done for three or four months we bid down because you can't even award a bid now because you don't have the transfer that's where we now 1.8's Coming out of where?

Does it have to be advertised to first? them appropriations them additional transfers to be advertised. Yes. Okay. So, what you're just asking for a gentleman's commitment? Yes. We're asking so we go ahead and award the the bid, do the paperwork and everything? Yes. Okay. Everybody understand that? The money's there. Then everything else be advertised next meeting. Be ready to go forward with that. The work you were planning to do in July or August. Yes. That you have to bid for. Yes.

Is not any different than what you thought it was going to be when budgets were being worked on. It's just a matter that those funds to pay for that are in the wrong bucket. You got it. Okay. We're not doing anything extra. We're not doing anything less. We're just rearranging the check.

So, it's kind of messed up. The state used paper. Asphalt pavement is the capital project 4,000 series. Okay. Chip and seal cracks is considered preservation. It's not. So it has to be a contractor services expenditure out like a 3000 some that's just moving that around so it gets paid out the appropriate place in 2000 just moving all around

it really went into budget should have been budgeted it just in the wrong Okay. The dollar amount of the budget's not the approved budget's not changed in like the bridge. We're not touching hand bridge. Well, that's the same. Yes. We're leaving it all the same because a little bit of their taxes bridge. So, we didn't want to mess with tax levies. We want to stay within our operating cash and our operating situation. I think road street.

Is that what all these transfers are to try to square that all up? What are these will will need additionals in red that equal $220,000? There's three areas that it says will need additional money. Okay.

It's the equipment portion.

We're not really talking about that today or approving that that part of that today. But we can't approve that. We cannot because it has not been public. There'll be more opportunity to ask questions. Yes. look into and all that kind of stuff. All we're looking at now is 1.8. Yes. Yes, we can award the bid. I'll make a motion we allow him to make that 1.8 commitment. Commitment.

Okay. Got a motion from Bill on 1.8 8 commitment for contracted contracted part of the road. If you're curious what that 1.82 Thanks for ship

seal the new the new style that's what okay in the transfers that we've got for today. There's a lot of FICA and PUR line items. Yes, you still have plenty in those

fun. So what that comes out of that state. So a lot of that it comes out of operators and truck drivers. The money was administrative. State that administrative activities. So it needed to move down here to bank activities versus administrative activities. I know we ain't two of these yet, but what's professional services on the transfers? So, a lot of professional service and contractor services are just that the shipment seal type stuff. Anything we get done is not capital stuffs under professional service and contracted services. Yeah. Okay.

I wish million dollar contractor services. That's what any of them items I'll give. information. Just shoot me an email. Exactly. Okay. I got a motion from Bill to approve the 1.8. I'll second. Ashley seconds. Any other questions for Tim? Concerns? All those in favor? I. Any opposed? Okay. Thank you.

Anything else, Tim? Thank you, sir. Okay, if there's no other business, we'll move on to transfers and then we'll go to everything else. Transfers all highway. Everybody get their questions answered on transfers. Okay, any other questions for Tim on those? Entertain a motion to approve. I'll make a motion to approve. Ashley makes a motion to approve.

I'll second it. Bill seconds. Any other questions or concerns? All those in favor? I. Any oppose? Okay. Additionals. We got one from the sheriff. Everybody get a copy of that. just moving money from county general over to contracts. Correct. Which money was deposited from into county general and we just need to move back over to contracts. Everyone understand that?

Okay. I'll entertain a motion to approve the contract or the additions. Diana makes a motion. I second the motion. Rick second. Any other discussion? All those in favor? I. Any oppose? Okay, we've got salary committee report. Um Christie, you want to go over your girls first?

Explain it. Excuse me.

Okay. Um so this is what I brought to you last month about the two employees. One was hired in December of 24 and one in January of 25 and they both started at the 24 rate. Um so after doing some figuring and looking at it, I am asking for both of them were short $1,2449 for 2025 and so far short $197.32 in 2026. So I'm asking for that back of 144201 to be paid out to catch them up to where they should be at this point. And then going forward, their new pay, we would have to adjust the salary ordinance then for their new payche.

Okay. I believe this error was from myself and Janet being part of the salary committee and at the time there was a lot of talk about where the new hire should start and I think because we knew that there was that talk that's what we did but nothing was ever put in place that sound nothing had ever come into place because it's just an on it's been an ongoing topic of conversation so I believe and we've looked back on the other 202 hires and they were hired at the 25 and that's due to those department heads not ever being in the loop on what we were discussing because we never the salary committee didn't take it further to that's what I am asking $1,442 for back pay for each of them Um due to the fulltime person in our office going part time I have this so I don't have to ask anybody but I understand that

and I do feel like also putting these two new hires it it creates a good um distance between the girls that we already have in the office. Um there was quite a bit Okay. As far as like seniority.

Any other questions for Christie? Not. I'll entertain a motion to approve. I'll make that motion. Bill makes a motion to approve. I'll second it. Rick seconds. Any other questions or discussion? All those in favor? I. Any oppose? Okay. Thank you. Yes, ma'am. Okay. Something else. Ashley, you want me to take over the rest or you want it? Go ahead. You can start.

Okay. salary committee met and we need some guidance on some on some things. I don't know if anybody's seen it, there's a wage and salary chart that Shelby County has that would simplify a whole lot of of this instead of a lot of it coming to us. And we want to take a look at two departments, animal shelter and the parks department. We would like to hire Wagner Early and Sheileley to take a look at this and help us come up with a salary chart and process go through like I said help the parks department and the animal shelter try to realign a little bit in there and

but the chart that you're referring to that Shelby County has currently would be for every job classification in the county every job classification and it and it would be replicate them but tailored to us if that makes sense. It would simplify everybody's hiring process simplify everything a little bit. U I think that what was the estimate Christie 45 to 65 somewhere around there.

Okay. the council can hire them. So, I'm looking for guidance here to go with them and try to get us some help. Salary committee's been meeting. We've met four times in the last two months.

Just trying to get some guidance. Just for just for some context, four to five years ago, a group of us got together, spent hours going over Gateway trying to compare salaries to similar positions in counties similarly sized to ours, counties that were in the radius of us. The next step was to bring in Wagner, Irwin, and Shulie to do an official salary study to take us the next step further. We are in the second year of implementing that plan. So bringing them in now will help streamline that process even further. Um it will give us the chart. The chart is broken down in brackets by years of experience. So not only are we getting consistent higher in rates, but also where people should be one to three years, three to five, that type of thing. Um the nice thing is is it increases transparency. We can publish this chart out to everyone. There's no questions there. And we bring in expert services for insurance, other big projects. We're spending 11 million a year on personnel. It's one of our biggest line items. I think our people deserve to have experts, too.

We have money in our account in the council's account to pay for it. So, that's no problem. This is a salary committee's suggestion. You have help the first time anybody to help

youbody win and comes in again. they will be using

and we will ask the animal shelter board and the parks board to help. We won't keep anybody in the dark on anything. Promise. So, I'll entertain a motion that we hire WIS is what I call them. I'll make that motion. Dana makes a motion. On a roll. I'll second it. Rick seconds. Any other discussion, questions, concerns? I think we'll get good value out of it. I think we'll get good value out. It'll give us some clarity.

Some of this stuff can't get at the mouth. Well, and what we found is no matter how much time or how much data we provided, when it came out of our mouths, um it wasn't as authoritarian, I believe, as someone like Wagner and Sheiley once they Yeah. Yeah. And some of the feedback that Shelby County gave on their chart is um they offer the candidate wherever they are in the brackets and if the candidate wants more money, they refuse and move on to the next candidate. They're that strict with the recommendations on the chart. Did they use this farm? I believe so. County use Wagner for theirs.

Yes. Yeah. I think they're they're used the prominent. They're probably the top one in the state on this for a lot of them. Yeah. I think the school board used them years ago for job descriptions. I'm not so sure. The county didn't use them not long ago when I was commissioner. Yeah. Stuff like that. Yes, they can descriptions. I have a motion and a second. All those in favor? I. Any oppose? Okay. Thank you. Now, we do need We'd like to add one more to the salary committee. So, we've got five, at least five. So, Rick, are you willing to step up?

Yeah, happy to. That'll be three of us and and the other two. So, okay, Rick. Okay. Anybody else have anything? Brian,

appreciate Great way for the kids to not only encount cheap. But anyway, uh no great great experience and really everybody Check it out. From the ready side just with the help of course.

Can I force on

you in partnership with development jobs on our website for all of county on that tab on our website and and it includes all chamber members. So AI powered bot all of our chamber members finding all those open positions and housing that in one centralized location for county is up and rolling will also be on economic development website in the future. So there will be two ways to find that information. We went having one job opening on our website to over 145 and that was checked probably two weeks ago really does update every two times a month. So if you place a job on your website as a chamber member and you don't see it right away that's one big project. Um we have leaders and loggers tomorrow that will be with Mayor Marsh of the city. Um he will be presenting that in person at the tap that is from 4 to 6 p.m. is open to the public. Anyone is welcome to join us. It is a cash option. So feel free to join us for that place to be right in front of him and ask questions as it legislative update from 11:30 to 1. that is also free and open to the public. We would ask that if you plan to attend that you go ahead and register so that we have a good idea for head. A light lunch will be served. Um each legislator will have 10 minutes to give an update before we open it for questions

city. Okay. A day breakfast is well attended. I heard very well estimate we had probably about 280 attendees which is our highest attendance. Um I think it was all due in part to the audio visual expertise in the room. Um so no we had a lot of great partners and a lot of great support. So looking forward to going ahead and taking place for next year. Anybody else have anything?

Yeah. We've got another focus group. First one today was well attended. After that we had another Okay. Community building. How was the sound when the band played?

Coming to me were that they were way better than expected. Yes. Yes.

You were there listening. You concur with all that. Anybody have anything else? I think that's the one you were. Yeah. Sign me up. Anybody else have anything for the council? Anything else? Not. I'll entertain a motion to adjurnn. I so move. Bill makes a motion. I'll second. Ashley seconds. All those in favor?

I. Okay. I was worried we wouldn't get adjourned because these guys are the ajourers.