County Council - Regular Meeting

Mr. Tressler, won't you lead us in the pledge? Okay, you want to go through the minutes? I went through them. There's one thing Rick asked I didn't understand either.

Okay, I checked on that, and it's under the Animal Shelter Director's salary. It speaks of the increased request, but then on the conclusion in the minutes, it says the salary increased request remains under consideration. After we were talked about this with Jeremy, I made the motion to approve it. Deanna made the motion, or seconded the motion, and it was approved. So there's still some question, I think, with some job description or Irwin Sheely or something that you had talked about.

Well, Wagner Irwin Shealy was looking at all of the salaries for the shelter for us, so that's still under discussion.

This has been approved.

I thought it was.

We went back and listened to it. The motion was made.

That will be corrected?

Yes.

Okay. Any other corrections? Anybody see anything? I'll entertain a motion with a correction.

So moved.

Rick makes a motion.

I'll second it.

Bill seconds. Any other discussion? All those in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Okay, let's move right on. Josh Tressler.

Good morning. Good morning. Good morning.

Just wanted to come and speak with you this morning about an additional purchase request that I'm bringing before you. I'll be honest, I'm being a little bit vague in just the name of the device and the company, just for cybersecurity reasons. We try not to bear that out fully publicly, all of the details. Back in 2021, we purchased basically new core networking for the city and the county. It runs all of our internet access, all of our uh... cyber security uh... all the way down to block it on our budget that are we pay for through a lease and then we utilize that money in subsequent years for support and then start replacement of other projects uh... the issue i'm running into right now is as you probably know the last year computer servers, parts, anything that has memory in it and things like that have increased exponentially. For example, one of the devices at the community building that we had put into the budget for the project, we went to actually go and purchase it at the right time and it was double the cost. So we're trying to move things around and do things as best I can within the budget. The other thing that kind of hurts us is our lease and our cycle for all of that is all in July. So I'm splitting the year on equipment and renewal and maintenance. So right now I'm trying to get quotes on all of this to put into next year's budget, but I'll be honest, I'm not. feel super confident in setting that so my request today is to ask if we can get an additional to go ahead and purchase this device it's supposed to be an extra replacement now this would be a 50 50 city county split the total purchase price is 44 902 so that would make the city and county portion each 22 451 each That does include three years of our advanced replacement with this being such a high critical device. It's actually two, one in each of our city and county core locations. And this also provides us with next day, they ship us a replacement. We don't have to troubleshoot and wait and ship the other one back. This also includes three years of the maintenance and the contract. The way this equipment works is every hour throughout the day, it's talking with the security vendor and updating for real-time threats. So this is a very critical piece for us. Like I said, the issue with the replacement now is just our growth in internet usage, our cloud-based body cams, our cloud-based court system, all of our Microsoft Teams synchronization, everything is using sessions, keeping us connected online. I will be fully transparent. There is a cheaper option, but in working with the vendor two weeks ago to try to nail this down, that option just based on the last three years of growth for us would put us probably at three years replacing this again. Realistically, we should be trying to target five. Budget-wise, that's been the intent through all of this. One of the other things with the kind of middle-of-the-road device, I'll just tell you, it gives us two or three times our capacity in certain areas and four times in others. The device we're looking at here is six to seven times capacity and then 11 times capacity in the other. So I do think this is the best long-term option for us. This also, and the reason for the time crunch, we were short a day to even get this advertised to actually ask for the money this meeting. They have a scheduled second price increase of the year next week. So I held off and had them do a temporary quote weighted that's valid through tomorrow. I said I just obviously need the opportunity to come and ask for the money. One of the other portions of that, it's roughly gonna be about $2,000. PAST, YOU KNOW, IF WE WAIT. THE OTHER THING IS I JUST PAID THE YEAR RENEWAL FOR THE PIECE OF EQUIPMENT WE HAVE NOW. AND I SAID, AND I BROUGHT THAT UP TO THEM. I SAID, HEY, WE WEREN'T IN A POSITION TO REPLACE IT BEFORE THAT. AGAIN, IT'S JUST THE TIMING OF OUR MAINTENANCE CYCLES AND OUR LEASE AND EVERYTHING. IT'S MAY AND JULY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. they were able to discount next year's maintenance. So within this price actually is a discounted year of maintenance to basically use the money I've already spent this year for it. So again, I apologize. We've really tried to stick within. I know one of the big things when this department was formed was trying to set a consistent budget and replacement cycle and everything, but this is something that's just kind of pulled forward a year sooner.

How long will this last?

My intent would still be to put it on a five-year cycle. Again, clearly, you know, we thought we were close, and we are really close. The other kind of thing that's really held me back from stretching it through next year is just the increase in traffic, but also our increase in cybersecurity requirements. We could get by another year, but there are certain parts of the system I would have to turn off for capacity, and those are things that we can't turn off for security reasons. new cybersecurity policy I'm working through at the city and the county do this every spring what our requirements are what we have to do we have federal standards on the dispatch and police side that we have to meet still in the middle of our 18 month audit with the IRS for child supports and the clerk upstairs and the requirements for that have just exponentially increased the things we have to secure and things we have to do on the network

Does it need to be advertised?

Yes, it has been. It has been? Yes, for the next one. Or July.

Yeah.

We just need a gentleman's agreement.

Yeah, the timing of it right now, it would probably be 30 days before you would receive it, and then 30-day invoice from receipt. So timing-wise, financial, I just... Obviously, this is one of those things that, you know, we have something fail and we need to replace it. We're getting to that point, and I wanted to come to you now, especially with the known price increase and just trying to get this taken care of before it's an issue.

The total cost was what again?

$44,902. Which the county would be half of that.

You went to the city?

I have not. That'll be July. If I have a signed agreement, purchase agreement today, well, tomorrow, yes, that's at least what they're able to tell me now. We're working through the same thing. Dell, we've had price increases. Our standard machine that we purchase for everybody, unless they need a custom configuration, were like $683, and they're now $1100. The laptops that were $1100 are now $2000.

Is it some of that related to chips and the tariffs?

Yes, and this is the same. This device, because of the real-time scanning and security literally every packet that goes through every computer to the internet that things looking at real-time RAM and processors that's So I I don't want to be you know doomsday and say, gosh, it could be 20 grand more. I don't mean that trying to force anybody's opinion. That's just been the consistent issue we're running into. Like I started off with, I'm struggling with trying to budget for next year. I was really hoping we would be able to keep it flat, but I already can tell we're not going to be able to.

We need a motion and a second so we can sign the purchase agreement.

I'll make that motion.

Deanna makes a motion.

I'll second.

Kenny seconds. Any other questions, concerns? All those in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Okay.

Thank you very much.

Yes, sir. Okay. Mr. Paisel?

All right. So I asked to be put on your agenda today because we posted for the highway superintendent position. And I am coming for authorization to have that position salary range be between 60,000 and 70,925. When you go back and look at the Wagner, Irwin, Shealy salary study, their low is actually 63,832. The mid is 70,925, which was the high number that I was asking for. The number that I guess Patty had gotten is actually higher than that at this point. It's not the official number yet that's going to be given to you guys to adopt if you choose to adopt it. but it is a higher number than that at this point. When you look at the total cost there with FICA, PERF, the benefits, you're looking at $84,295 if you get up to the $70,925 salary. So we had posted that two weeks ago. It has another two weeks, I believe, on the posting. I talked to Patty right before we started today. So far, we have zero applications.

So these salaries, are they including PERF on other, like the $60,000?

No, I just gave you the high watermark, the $70,925. That gets up to $84,000.

Yeah, but that's with PERF and insurance. Yes. Are the other salaries with benefits?

$84,295 would be with benefits.

With benefits, but I'm talking about the other ones, the low and the high. Are those with?

No, I just gave you the highest mark, Bill.

I think it's almost $64,000 now is what we're paying. So the FICA itself on the $70,925 is $5,426.

The PERF is $7,944.

So you're asking for this bump up because so far we have zero applicants?

I think that what we have seen over the last several years, when you look from communications, EMA, parks, animal shelter, almost every director position that we have hired, at some point the commissioners have had to come to you to ask for an increase in salary. That has been the consistency. And since we still have time left on the posting, I wanted to get ahead of it to give us some leeway or some ability once we actually get applications in and we get into the interviewing process. That way we can evaluate the credentials, the quality of the candidates that we get in, and we can determine where they fall in that price range. Obviously, there was a little snafu the last time I was up here on the animal shelter, and so I wanted to get ahead of same position. What do yo

And it's just a highway superintendent.

It is just a superintendent. Correct. It is not an engineer. Yep. And so I had looked at the engineer side of this because obviously, I mean, we have talked about that in the past. When I was looking at it for a civil engineer, the starting salaries that I was seeing was in the 120 range. A lot of them, there were some that were out there for 115, some that were out there for higher than that. The state statute for the civil engineer, it's 81751. So what it requires is that the full-time county highway engineer is responsible for supervising the design, construction, planning, traffic, and other engineering functions of the county highway department. The engineer shall prepare all required surveys, estimates, plans, and specifications. So if we go down the route where we can get the additional $40,000 from the state and we have these set statutory requirements for the highway superintendent, are we then going to have to increase the salary for the assistant superintendent who will actually be running the highway department? I don't see that the highway engineer would be able to do all of the statutory requirements and actually supervise the highway department. I also don't see that we would be able to eliminate the hiring or the engagement of engineering firms as a whole. We will still be required to engage, whether it's a USI or United, on different projects because the amount of time that it takes to get in and actually design a bridge or a road is going to be substantially more than what our highway department superintendent would be able to do. Still maintain the function and the supervision of the highway department So based on what I was seeing for visors at the highway department giving more duties more responsibilities to the assistant superintendent and also to your other shift leads and You then have to be increasing salaries elsewhere Also, I know when the city had posted a similar position several years ago. They had posted it for a hundred and ten thousand They didn't get a single applicant So all of that put together, I think when you're looking at a cost savings point of view here, I think the cost savings is actually to continue the way that we are now. I'd love to have an engineer in house to be able to do a lot of the work, but I don't think at the end of the day for the budget that we have for the size of the county that we have, that it's probably the best or most efficient way going forward. I don't have that number. I don't have that number, Bill.

Interesting to see, like, in a year's time.

Yep.

What could be saved?

Sure, absolutely. Yep. But, no, I don't have that number with me. And I don't. No, I don't see Tim. I know that would be an off-the-cuff number, but it would give us an idea. Yeah. I mean, an idea that's better than what I'm giving you right now. that person has to be hired as the county engineer? Yeah, so also the statute requires that they are a registered professional engineer that is experienced in highway engineering and construction. So I guess I haven't read the interpretation of what exactly experienced means. Does that mean that they have prior work in the field of engineering engineering roads and bridges and all of that? Or does it just mean that they graduated from Purdue with some type of civil engineering degree? I don't. Yeah, there is a caveat here, and I haven't looked through enough of it because there are certain situations in which you're only eligible for 20,000 instead of 40,000. And so you have to get a certification from the state, I'm presuming from NDOT, on that approval to actually get the full 40. But their duties are those that I had read earlier on the actual engineering side of it.

Well, let's face it, if we're offering on the low end, we're going to get the least experienced engineers applying.

That's right.

But if we're paying an engineering firm $200,000 or $300,000, we can afford to pay more. Mm-hmm.

I just wondered whether counties, you know, it's got one, how much savings it does save them to have an engineer. You know, if it saves them $150,000, $200,000 a year having an engineer, it helps pay for yourself.

They have to be, Kenny, to that point, they have to be hired in as an engineer. It can't be somebody that has engineering experience. They have to be a registered engineer. They have to be hired in.

There's two sections of that, too, and there's a... The civil engineering of it, and you're like an apprentice engineer, which I think you can get $20,000 for one of them or something like that, if I read it right. There's two different degrees there. One's $40,000, one's $20,000.

I'm not sure on the apprentice side of it, but... I know that there are other counties. Um, Bartholomew is the closest one that has it. I mean, you're looking at a substantially different budget there, a substantially larger highway department, um, with a much larger tax base than what we have. They have a highway department superintendent and then they have assistance. Yeah.

They're the only ones I know of that actually do that, I think.

So I was looking at this.

There's about 30 to 40 counties in the state, and it said what it said.

What I was looking at, when you look at counties that are our size, there were very few of them that actually had this. They are all substantially larger counties. I think there's a reason for that at the end of the day. And I just, I, yeah. I think there's a reason for that. When you're looking at places the size of Bartholomew, Johnson County, and those kinds of places, that there's a reason that they can afford to have a highway department superintendent that's an engineer.

You have to look at same-size counties. I mean, we can't do something a bigger county is able to do with a bigger budget, but somebody else our size that has done it, I can see what their take is on it.

Yeah, and I mean like with the animal shelter, we had received some applicants initially, and then it was reposted after that. I would too.

Go.

What the numbers are and what goes on. Yep.

Sounds good. Yep. One other thing that came up in our meeting yesterday that while I'm here at the podium, I might as well address it. So there have been some issues that have come up with out of state conference travel for different departments here with the county. And so we put that on our agenda to talk about per diems and the way that costs are incurred for our employees that are traveling to different conferences. So the per diem has been set for employees at $40 a day. And some of the employees were using the county credit cards to pay for their meals. And The the $40 a day has been the same amount for an extended period of time and it also they weren't allowed to use or to have tips on their their bills as well for the food. So we discussed yesterday at our meeting of increasing the per diem to $60 a day but requiring receipts. They won't get an advance for the amount. So if you're gone at a three-day conference, you don't get $180 up front to spend. You get $180 for your three-day conference, $60 per day, but you have to bring the receipts back in to actually be reimbursed. We also would like to be able to include a 15% tip. I think that's pretty standard at this point. And then no county credit card being used for the purchase of food or anything like that. When you're out there, you pay for it and then you get reimbursed by the county. Some of the discussion was revolving around that upfront payment. the scenario that I had used was, you know, you're out there for a multi-day conference and you go to the grocery and you buy some cheap lunch meat and one loaf of bread and you pocket, you know, $160 out of the $180 or $200-some that you get when the county only really should have incurred, you know, a very small amount. Will that be The scenario that we see, if we're actually looking at $60 a day and you have to get receipts, no. But that way we can make sure that the money is actually being spent appropriately when we're getting the receipts back. We can ensure that adult beverages or other things that aren't appropriate use of county funds are being sent back through those receipts. So my recommendation to this group is that we increase the per diem to $60 a day, that we allow the 15%. tip that we also do not allow the credit county credit card to be used and that we do require those receipts afterwards how much well conferences i go to i never bought a meal all the time that was the discussion that we also had i know we go to aic conference i don't

If I want a beer, I go buy a beer.

Yeah, that was the discussion that I had because every conference that I've ever been to was the same way. And so we had opened it up to other department heads that were in the room yesterday morning. And we heard from multiple department heads, including... from the sheriff's department that a lot of their trainings being out of state, a number of them don't actually supply breakfast or lunch. And so it is a concern. And for that reason, we believe that going up to 60 was probably appropriate when you look at what costs are doing everywhere, especially because a lot of these trainings are in larger cities, bigger metropolises. And so you're looking at places where the cost is higher as it is. But yes, I agree. Every single conference that I've been to has breakfast and lunch.

You may not like what they got, but I'll eat it.

That is very true.

Go to a food truck or something. Yeah, we did that. Yeah.

And we also said that... When you're looking at possible trainings, preference needs to be given to the closest proximity similar training instead of just finding one in Hawaii that looks really awesome instead of going to Terre Haute for one. I've been to Terre Haute for a training, so I'm not bashing it, but I've been there. And so, I mean, giving closest preference. I didn't want to say just the state of Indiana, because if you have a training in Michigan City, or you have a training in Cincinnati, we'd prefer you go to Cincinnati, because it's substantially closer. But the closest proximity training available in that same area is what we should be giving preference to.

I don't have any problem . You need a motion? You've got receipts.

Yeah, receipts was the big thing. While I was sitting here this morning on my work phone, I got an email from our auditor's office that said, please, please, please read. You need receipts under this policy. I mean, that came out from my work as well. itemized receipts, specifically itemized receipts. Yes, they said restaurants can give you itemized receipts for what you had, not just your grand total of what it was put on your credit card or whatever.

I'll need a motion. I'll make that motion. Kenny makes a motion. I'll second it. Bill seconds. Any other discussion? Just try to eat everything you can at the motels. Yeah. All those in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Okay.

All right. Thanks, guys. I'll get back to you then in your July meeting. All right. Thank you.

Okay. I've got a riverboat request from United Fund.

I'll maybe throw in on that, Danny, if I can. In the minutes, it was stated that we had discussed the opportunity that As we get close to budget time, we've had, you guys have had more so than me, a lot of the folks that get funding from the United Fund get funding from the riverboat. So at our last meeting, I think we talked about looking into that a little farther and trying to figure out who currently receives funding funds from the United Fund and who gets them from the budget. And then maybe separating or having a discussion about some of the funding remaining with council to do those that are not funded by the United Fund. But Joanne Cunningham is here today. Joanne, would you introduce the young lady?

that came with you today maybe we all don't know who that is yes i'm joanne cunningham i'm actually the outgoing executive director for united fund july 1st i think i have 12 days left so yes but i also have with me today blair hornberger She's been at the United Fund since May 4th, has hit the ground running, and is doing an amazing job. Actually has more connections in the community than we even realized when we hired her. So things are going very, very well. Rick and I have had this conversation for many years. We've talked about the riverboat funding and what that looks like. I think from the United Fund's perspective, we have an amazing vetting process. We also expect measurable outcomes and the impact that it creates in the community as well. And I think as good stewards of dollars, I think that's what we have demonstrated to the community, that that's what we're about. No matter who we fund and why we fund them, it is really the impact that they make in the community and having measurable impact. So we've considered that. happened to see over the weekend that we were on the agenda for today and didn't realize that, so we are here today just to kind of see. I have no idea about the amount of money. I have no idea what we're really kind of talking about, but it is definitely a conversation the United Fund, like I said, we've talked about it for years, and I would love to be able to see something happen with that because I do think we would be the good stewards of dollars for that. And I think the oversight that we have in the vetting process would help immensely for the community and the council.

Each of you have at your place a little handout that the United Fund has put together. On it lists all of the 15

And Rick, those are what was funded in 2025. 2026 have received their letters of intent. As a United Fund work, we always campaign in the fall, and then that funding is distributed the following year. So these are the ones that are funded currently in 2026. That's who we campaigned on behalf, and they are receiving the funding in 2026 this year.

And just for you guys that have never had the opportunity to be on the United Fund Board, I had the good fortune many years ago to do that. And when Joanne talks about vetting of the people that they work with, every year you get a stack of paper about that tall that tells in detail what these organizations do and how they go about the process. And then the board... and really takes it seriously to make sure that These dollars that the United Fund gets from the community are well spent.

For council's information, too, our community investment committee is comprised of a few current board members, any new board member coming on, so that is different each year because we have new members each year, and then also two to three community-at-large individuals. So every year it is composed of different community individuals with that oversight, and then obviously that recommendation goes to the full United Fund board for approval. So there is a definite vetting and strategic process that that goes through. But the committee each year and those individuals and eyes looking at these applications are actually different each year, which I think is a great thing because it brings a different perspective and different questions and insight to why we fund and who we're funding.

I don't know, Christy, if this got looked into, but... We give riverboat money to the fairgrounds, too, or 4-H Council?

4-H Council.

Okay. So that would be one of them that needs to get carved out of that amount.

I think you use 501c3.

We do. Bylaws state that we must fund 501c3s. And part of that is to hold a standard to them as well and keeps them accountable to that 501c3 standard.

Riverboat money keeps going down every year. It's getting less and less and less.

And I'd heard that too from other counties in the south too.

I don't have any problem if it takes some pressure off us, but I just don't want to make sure that 4-H gets there.

And I think for us as executive directors, we would have to go back to the board and see what that looks like because that standard has been set for us for quite some time.

Well, I think what they're thinking is they would just set aside a portion of it before it goes to you for the ones that aren't a 501.

Yes, and that would be fine too. Because I've always inquired about the process. I was just curious, you know.

Well, we usually just took it and divided it. If we had 10 people, we divided it by 10.

But who selects who you divide it to?

Whoever comes and asks.

Whoever comes and asks.

How do you get an application?

They come. They bring us information. So they give us a budget. They show us a budget. OK. I mean, it's not like they just come in and say, I need 10,000 to go.

So when is that open application, can I ask?

We usually start that in July.

OK. Has that ever been advertised?

They know.

No, I'm saying there's a lot of other organizations that would probably come in and ask is the reason I'm asking. So, yes, yeah.

It's my opinion, I think, and only my opinion, that as we look at this during budget time and see what the dollars are and whatnot, it would make things simpler. Because I've sat here before when I was commissioner before even, and entities would come in after the fact or really late in the process. You could just start a, you know, Christie would say, this is going to the United Fund. You need to go to the United Fund to get that. As you said, take that off of our plate and could verify it, you know, maybe even

Well, next year.

Yeah. Next year.

And they get it half. January 1st. Six months. They get one in January and they get one in June. But they have to submit an invoice before they can have it, correct?

We changed that a little bit just in our office because we noticed some people didn't know that process and so we were noticing they still hadn't received any. come the end of the year. So we send out half to everybody last month, I'd say in June, and then we'll send out the other half in the fall.

Yeah, it's twice a year.

And, Kenny, I'll be honest with you. We'll have to go to our board and see what that kind of looks like because, like I said, until I happened to see over the weekend that we were on the agenda for today, I wasn't real sure. And our board's not even aware that we're here today.

That's fine. Is there a fee for you? A fee for us?

And I'm assuming it could be much, much higher compared to many of the salary figures that you guys hear here at the council. This is nonprofit work, so you have to be dedicated to that work in the community to be able to be in these type of positions, I do believe. And, you know, a majority of our dollars go back out to the community. I think our admin cost is like at 8% per our auditors at Agresta. So our admin cost is very minimal overall for the budgeting that we are doing and distributing. But we're not like a foundation that sits on millions of dollars. We have to raise these dollars every year and then measure that impact and outcomes that are happening in the community. So we're lean, mean, and mighty, as we like to say. But we are very transparent. Obviously, we're a 501c3 as well. So our 990, anyone can look at on GuideStar any day of the week. So we are very transparent in those dollars and what we do.

So having said that, so whatever monies that we have, riverboat monies that we would send over to you, are we guaranteed that that exact amount of dollars will get put out to the...

Well, and that's the other question, Kenny, I think, too. Depending on if it goes towards the campaign or if it's considered more of a grant to us, if it's grant dollars, then it would be its own entity and we would have to advertise it that way. If it goes into the campaign, then it could impact 16 different agencies if they decide to do that. So I think it depends on really what the goal of the council would be for that. Yeah. We do have one new agency coming on in 2026 with a letter of intent, because obviously we still have to reach goal in the fall, and that would be the ARC Men's Recovery House. So they are also coming on board.

Could we... I'm not thinking right now of it.

Well, I'm asking what you guys are asking us to do, too, to some degree.

Our intent, from my perspective, is that we've supported the non-for-profits that have come to us, and I'd like to see us continue to do that until we're...

I mean, obviously, if the money from the report runs out, then it's going to run out.

Right.

Other than the ones that are probably not the 501c3s maybe, I think actually those would all be receiving funding. And knowing that there's money coming in, if there's more dollars, they could receive more funding. So I mean, I think that's kind of fair to say across the board from that perspective. But it just kind of depends on what direction you guys want us to really take and what we need to present to our board. And I'm open to both options. And I think Blair would be too from that perspective. I mean, Catch a Ride, Champions of Youth, Advocates for Children, a lot of those places that you already support are already receiving funding. Yeah. And I think, you know, that funding becomes critical to them. We never know when we do campaign where those dollars are going to fall. So, I mean, you know, our goal this year is $595,000. So, you know, we've been very successful the last couple years and reached a little over that $6,000 mark. So, I mean, our goal this year would be also to do that. You know, the board would love to see Blair get to a million someday, which is... Yes, so it's a target, but we also have to have the dollars to support the efforts that we're doing too. And every dollar counts with us, and as with council dollars, it would definitely benefit the community.

And I've learned so far that none of what we have coming in is promised every year, so we always have to go out. So, I mean, I know this would help for sure. Well, we're kind of the same way.

We don't know year to year what our group is.

And we're happy to have a board meeting with the board and maybe have one or two council members come in and kind of share some thoughts on that as well and kind of direct us in that regard. We're open to see what that conversation looks like.

I think that would be a good way to go if you could get a couple of council members, educate them, and then they could be firsthand.

Even with our executive committee would be good too. Yeah. Okay. How soon do we want to move on that? I have 12 days. But no, we're happy to get something on the calendar. I know Blair's very capable, but yeah. It is something I'm very excited about. I know it's something, like I said, Rick and I have touched base on several times over the years and I do know it gets hard to kind of vet and go through that process each year, and I think, you know, with our assistance, we could really help you guys with that too and be the good stewards.

I'm going to go set up a time. I'm not – I'm farred out, so I'm not going to any more meetings. So if a couple of you want to go, two or three of you.

I have vacation coming up next week.

Okay. Is she on vacation?

Ricky and Kenny want to. Kenny, you want to go?

I can go if nobody else wants to. I appreciate that.

Set up a time with them too.

Okay.

And that will give us an idea in the fall if we're going to have any extra dollars to go towards that campaign as well. So that would be good. We'll follow up with both of you. We appreciate it. Thank you.

Okay. Moving on here to topics. We have to sign a contract with Ruben. Did everybody get a copy of that e-mail to him?

We got a copy on e-mail.

Yeah. You did?

Yeah.

So I reached out to Ruben. It is law to upload any financial consultant contracts onto Gateway, so it's made public. And we have just been renewing his just verbally over the past several years. So that's why he got us a new one so I can get that uploaded.

This was legislated this time, wasn't it? It has to be.

This contract just runs through January 31st, if I remember right, something like that?

It runs through 27th, I think, 27th. Yeah, like January 31st, yeah, 2027.

January 31st of 2027. I need that motion to...

Need a motion to approve the contract with Reuben.

I'll make that motion.

Bill makes a motion.

I'll second the motion.

Rick seconds. Any other questions, discussion? All those in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed?

Okay.

Transfers like we've got two from a sheriff From a deputy to training and longevity to telephone Any questions on those

I have a question on training just because I'm nosy.

But it looked like when you had the road closed there off of Base Road that there were other county vehicles. Maybe I saw a Ripley or a Dearborn County. Do you share that, or is there a cost to the other entities that come in here, or is this just a shared kind of a situation?

There's no cost to us on that.

Does it keep the road closed longer than normal? It seemed like it was closed longer this time than it had been. That one week sure seemed like a longer one. It did seem longer than that.

I don't know if they just didn't get out there and pick stuff up or what the deal was.

I appreciate the invite that we could have rode along. I think I read in an email that would have been exciting. That's why I didn't go. Well, it's good to get utilized and partnerships and all that are good. I just saw that out there. I didn't know.

Any other question on transfers? Any next motion to approve?

I'll second.

Ashley seconds. Any other discussion? All those in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed? Okay. We've got a few more now, don't we?

Yeah, there's four.

Thank you, Sarpa, here. Is this for the radios, 65,000? Yeah. Yes.

Okay.

Didn't we approve in and just didn't get to? Did we approve this and it was just a preliminary error?

Yes, I believe so. We didn't have time in between the ARPA meeting and May's council meeting to advertise.

Advertise, okay. I'll entertain a motion to approve again then.

I so move.

Bill makes a motion.

I'll second.

Ashley seconds. Any other questions, concerns? All those in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed? Okay. Statewide and countywide 9-1-1. $15,000 from one, $125,000 from the other one. I believe we kind of approved him too, didn't we? Is this a new one or is this just the paperwork on it? I thought it was. Can you make some motion to approve?

I'll second.

Anna seconds. Any other discussion? All those in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed? Okay, public safety. This is for 911 and a local agreement with the city of Greensburg.

So it was missed. There are two of them? Yes, 911 and IT. It was missed in the public safety budget to budget our portion of that.

Okay. This is to go to 911 here. $175,232. I think we put it in our budget, didn't we?

We missed it last year for 2026 budget. We missed putting it in there.

So this is an additional out of public safety to cover what we should have covered last year.

It's half. Half of their budget. So counties 50% and cities 50%. And we just didn't, we missed putting our half in there. So together it's over $300,000. Yep. I think we've been taking actually it's just public safety's portion.

The other portion comes out of I'll entertain a motion to approve $175,232 from public safety for 9-1-1 interlocal agreement with the city of Greensburg.

I'll make that motion.

Bill makes motion.

I'll second.

Ashley seconds. Any other questions, concerns? All those in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Okay, let's do it again. Well, this is 127-657, public safety portion for IT, interlocal agreement with the City of Greensboro. Coming out of public safety again.

I'll make that motion.

Deanna makes the motion. Do you approve?

I'll second.

Ashley seconds. Any other questions? All those in favor? Aye. Any opposed?

This is a long-term question, Christy, but when you say that it's missed, is it missed just in our local accounting, or is it missed completely where what you send to the state for approval?

Well, both, because the day that we sit down and go over the budgets and we move everything from when you guys, how you do it is you have the sheriff's department put everything in the sheriff and detention center. and then you move out of there into public safety and special purpose, it was just not, it was missed then when we moved everything to the public safety.

We moved it. They didn't get it moved on the budget.

Okay. So just during that day, we just looked over it. We missed it there, which means then it was not sent to state either because we only send what you guys approved that day. cash is there, the money is there, it was just overlooked on the appropriating it.

I guess that's my point, I suppose, that it's all been vetted, it's all there, it's everything.

Yes.

Just in the wrong bucket.

Correct.

Okay. Budget schedule dates. August 18th, following the council meetings. I'll arrive with everybody. Public hearing will be Tuesday the 17th, September 15th. Adoption Monday. Auditors have to go to conference. They want to have our meeting the Monday after the commissioner's meeting, October the 19th, so we can approve, have our meeting then. Then they have to go to conference. Are you going to French Lick?

French Lick. So for some reason this year they've moved it up a day, our conferences. Our spring was moved up a day and our fall is. So instead of leaving on Tuesday afternoon like we've done in the past, it's Monday.

Okay, and then Monday the 17th, you want to have our little workshop with all the department heads and elected officials? Start about noon. Yeah, okay ten minutes Let's go with ten minutes this year instead of 50. I only get ten sheriff. Okay Try to hold her down to two and a half. I Think we can get them all in before I thought we did 17th start about noon

So August 17th, 12 to 4 is what I got in my calendar. That's right.

That's about right.

And then the 18th, we got a budget workshop.

That's an all-day deal.

Right after the council meeting. And then we're moving. Public hearing is the 15th. 15th. We've got a council meeting. I've got my calendar on the 22nd. Is that going to be moved up to the 15th to include the public hearing?

The public hearing will be on the 15th. So your September meeting is the 15th?

It's just wrong on the schedule. So when you guys approve all this, we'll send out an updated September schedule.

So the meeting is the 15th? Not the 22nd in September. I got you. And then we're going to have... the adoption on October 19th, and then our council meeting will be on the 19th as well. We're moving two council meetings. I don't show up, call me.

They'll remind you.

I panicked yesterday afternoon. I'm like, oh, which meeting was it that was changed?

Okay, that covers our portion. Anybody have anything? Brian, you got anything for us?

I'm not sure on that. Is that something you guys don't? Yeah.

I think we need some kind of template myself to go over and to look to see what the qualifications are for abatement. Thanks, Brian. I missed something. I guess salary ordinance wasn't on my list. Okay. Health Department. Anybody get copies of these? Okay. Health Department. Population Health Manager. Is this a move up in salaries or what are we doing here?

I believe they renamed, they gave somebody a new position, and that's what they are changing it to.

Is that NR? Is it NR? Ordinance or whatever you want to put it? I mean, is it job descriptions? Have we got all that covered? I mean, we're going to population health manager.

I mean, I can look at them.

I don't know if it's changing salaries or not, but I think she's going from non-exempt to exempt. Court services is... We've got court services going up in wages Animal control we have a salary change on that Parks Department you hired a recreation sports guy You done good there. You done good there.

Thank you.

I kind of want to hold off on the health. Until we get some answers. What's going on there? Okay, we got one here. We got two of them here to approve. Animal control went up from his salary up. Entertain a motion to approve both these the Health Department and the court services will hold off Okay I'll make that motion the NMX motion to approve animal control in the park second actually second I'm trying to get everybody trained. I'm working on getting you trained I I was following the leader. I know.

We had a really successful 2026 Women in Business Conference. We hosted about 230 people here in the community. We supported over 31 different small businesses. and organizations through our vendors. So that was super successful. We even had a vendor at lunch have to go home and restock her booth because she had done so well in the first half of the day. So that was extremely exciting to see. Super phenomenal speakers again this year. So again, just another really great event put on that encompassed, again, 230 attendees and well over probably I'd say about 65 to 70 different organizations represented throughout the day. So that was really great. Thank you. Thank you. We do have leaders and loggers coming up this afternoon. So from 4 to 6 p.m. we'll be at the tap. That is our after hours networking event that is open to the public. So we encourage people to join us here a little bit. We've got Jackman's Animal Clinic from Milroy coming in this afternoon. They've got a new employee coming on staff that they're going to introduce to us and talk a little bit about some of the changes they've seen up there at their facility. So that will be super beneficial. Just a great time to connect with people in a different way as well. So please utilize that time that we're providing there to just make some networking. you know, advancements for yourself or for your organization. We'd love to have you join us for that. And then I do have with me today our two interns. I've got Annika Strewing and Addie Galk. Annika is with us full-time through the summer. They'll be with us through August 14th. And then Addie is working kind of like a part-time, part-time plus for us through the summer. So they've been phenomenal so far. So if you see them out and about, they're with the chamber and happy to serve your organization. So any questions for me?

Perfect. Thank you. Okay. Anybody else have anything for us? Doug, give us a lowdown.

Brian was just in the back of the room eating his bologna sandwich. Yeah. If you were at yesterday's meeting, you'll get the joke. Just want to give an update on the comprehensive plan. So we had a meeting on June 4th. Now the next step is the rough draft. Once we get the rough draft, then we'll review it. And then meet again review it the steering committee and then send that rough draft into okra Since they were providing us with the funds part of the funds for that plan So that's where we're at with that and then like Brian was saying on the on the blight the decision For those funds the ARPA funds right now that we're using for the blight We cannot use it in the incorporated towns of the county. So I felt like this was an opportunity to to use some funds because the incorporated towns have ordinances in place for nuisance and blight, but they just don't have the funds to rectify the situation. So that was the reason for targeting the incorporated towns with those funds. So that's all I got.

Any questions for Doug? No. Comp plans coming together? So be good. Chris, you got anything? Give us a... Can you give us an update to next meeting on how good the sports complex and stuff's doing?

And the pool getting two or three weeks?

Give us some numbers. I got your email. I got your text and things and talked to you. I told everybody what you was wanting to do, but a lot of them said, well, what's it bringing in? How good is it doing? Does that make sense? Yes. Okay, appreciate it. Anybody else have anything for us? Entertain a motion to adjourn then.

So moved.

Kinney? Second. Bill seconds it. All those in favor? Aye.