County Council - Regular Meeting

call this meeting of the Decal County Council in order. Uh today is Wednesday, January 7th, 2026. Um opening prayer. Amy, would you like to do a prayer, please, to start us? Thank you.

Yeah, absolutely. Uh you would uh bow your heads with me and let's pray. Heavenly Father, Lord, we are just u amazingly grateful for all that you are and for all that you do. I pray that you would bless our time here this morning. Um that you would give us wisdom as we do the business for the county. I pray that you would just bless each one of um uh our council members here this morning. Um and Lord, just give them a special blessing as we move forward through this year um so that we can all work together well and begin to uh do bigger and better things for Decalp County. In your name we pray. Amen. Amen. Thank you. At this time, would you please stand for the pledge of

allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands nation indivisibley.

Okay, we'll uh kind of move the order around here on the agenda. Um Randy Do you have your presentation ready? Randy Fox from the airport. So Randy, let's go ahead and we'll do yours first here. Good morning all. Um

I am sporting the new logo today or uh the last board meeting Russ rolled out some of the uh shirts and hats and things that we had ordered. So this is our our new logo for the airport to be the Auburn Decal Executive Airport. So hopefully you'll see me in this every time after that. Um, we uh got some good news and bad news, I guess, kind of at the last board meeting which Commissioner Councilman Ben attended. Thank you very much, sir. Um, we're going to be closed for probably 60 days in 2027 to mill out 5 and a half inches of black top, stabilize all the under uh structure. Probably they'll they'll churn up all the dirt, mix it with concrete, let it set, and then put new 5 and a half inches of concrete on. It'll have to set for a month, and uh then they will close the airport again for probably a week while all the grooving and the new markings are put on the runway, which will be permanent. Um our poor runway is uh 30 plus years old. Uh it's kind of a testament to Russ and Jason the work that they do on it and that they go out regularly and seal cracks, try to fill in places that are failing and keep the runway usable for everybody, but it's it's just 30 years old and it's not going to last. So, the last big project from our runway extension will be to uh do that last five or the original 5,000 ft of runway um sometime in 2027. So, it's going to be kind of kind of

tough on the users at the airport for those 60 days. It will be closed, but we'll try to make the best of it. Um we expect to start construction on the new tea hangers uh early in the spring. Um we're going to 18 new places. We're going to be tearing down the B and C at least this the B row of uh hangers that extend out into the runway protection zone so that larger aircraft with longer wings don't clip of the hanger as they're moving or turning. We'd like to avoid that at all at all costs. Um we've uh established a rate structure for the new hangers that will be going in um 225 a month for the first two years and raise it to 250 which is kind of middle ground. Uh the guys have done some research in the area and that would put us under Fort Wayne and probably close to or just a little bit over some of the other local airports. Um the uh we asked to encumber and I don't know if you've dealt with this already or if that'll be coming up but uh the $989,000 for the snow removal equipment that was supposed to be delivered in 2025 has been delayed till February 2026. and uh we passed a resolution to encumber that 9 $9 989,755 um into 2026 so that we could uh pay for that equipment when it arrives. And uh our taxi way is complete. All the markings are on it. There's still a few grading issues and things to do, but the the new markings and lighting and everything is on it. So, we've got the

full 7,000 ft of runway now with taxiways. Uh part of the uh reclamation project for the 5,000 ft will be to uh restructure some of the connectors between the taxi way and the main runway. Uh we've got one that comes right at the uh terminal that you can go right straight out onto the runway without having to make any kind of adjustment. And the FAA really, really hates that. And so we'll be redesigning and during that reclamation moving a couple of taxiway connectors so that no airplane can go straight out into the runway and and get in front of somebody without noticing and having to, you know, being distracted and just driving right out in front of somebody. So all of that work is coming up. And uh I did uh on the second page uh our total activity for uh 2025 was uh 14,910 operations. That's a landing or a takeoff. Um the chart that you've been provided shows the business jets, multi-engine, single engine, helicopter operations. Um remembering that we still do have Samaritan as a pretty much permanent resident at the airport. They provide a lot of helicopter business for us as well. And with that, I'll take questions if there are any.

Samaritan won't have Samarans won't have to move since they don't use the runway. They go straight up. No, they don't they don't use the runway. So they can they can land on the pad out in front. Um because they have two helicopters that can be housed at the uh at the airport in their dedicated hanger. That one is and the other thing is curious they didn't address the meeting is what are they going to do with these people? Are they some of them are going to move them to a different airport? Have they made arrangements or is everybody I mean you're grounded for 60 days if you don't get your airplane out.

Right. Well, and we we discussed that a bit uh a year ago when we were closed for 30 days. All the tenants were notified well in advance that that was going to happen and anybody that thought they would be using their airplane for that time period um moved it somewhere else for uh that that time temporarily and we abated rent on their hangers at that time. Uh, I don't know there's been any discussion at this point about rental fees and things when that comes up, but um, for 2027 that'll be a a hot topic because being closed for, you know, 60 days at one point and probably another, you know, 10 to 30 days the second time, uh, it's going to put a a real crimp on operations. But then it's done. And we you discussed this at the meeting. I I understand this, but uh

I know they said they didn't want straight out hop on the runways. Yes. As you were stating on a small plane, where do they take off at? They don't go to the clear to the clear at the end runway and take off, do they? Well, they usually Yes. Um uh if you're if you're out there often, maybe you will be again. Um when when you you see people leave the ramp and taxi and it may be three or four minutes before you actually see them take off and of course they're usually well up in the air. All that runway in front of you is nothing but a safety

safety precaution. If if there's a failure or something, you know, the engine quits or some kind of mechanical uh problem occurs, uh being able to put it right back down on the runway is nothing more than a safety. And that's actually why the runway was extended for the jets. Especially for the jets that could if on our old runway if they got off or got up to rotate speed and had to try to stop, we'd have them across 427 out visiting the horses and we'd like that not to happen. Thank you. Say Randy, at night when you drive by the airport and the lights are on, it's impressive. That looks like a major major airport.

And it is. I mean, it's we are the longest general aviation runway in the state of Indiana.

Um, and it's kind of cool. In my old days of flying, um, if you fly at night, off in the distance, you can see the rotating beacon that's green and white that says you've got a lighted runway and it's pilot controlled. If you key your microphone five times within three seconds, the runway lights turn on and stay on for the next 20 minutes, I think. Give you a chance to get in the pattern and land and then the lights go off. So, they're not on all the time. And used to be probably more important because everything was incandescent running on 220. Uh now all the lights are all LEDs, so the energy consumption has gone way down. But it is cool to watch that runway light up out in the, you know, two, three miles away and know that you did it.

And it's a good feeling when you're a pilot and it lights up too. Yes. Absolutely. A place to go. So, okay. Does anybody have any other questions for Randy on the airport? if you want to. Um, I separated the airport's encumbrance separate from our encumbrances for 2025 into 2026 just because it's a whole different they're a different financial system. Um, so if you guys want to motion second and vote on their incumbrance, you can. Their board has already approved it. We just have to also approve it as their binding. Is is this the 900 plus,000

989755 Okay, we can do that. Um, does anybody want to make a motion to approve the incumbrance? That's for the stone loader, stone equipment. No, that's that's for the uh snow removal equipment that's going to be. Yes. So, move I move that we uh come. Okay, we have a motion by Bill Van White. Do we have a second? I'll second. We have a second by Amy Demsky. Any further discussion? That will call for the question. All those in favor? I have to do roll call. Oh, okay. Sorry on that. Chris Craft, Amy Presser, yes. Amy Demsky, yes. Van Y, yes. Ring,

yes. Okay, the motion is carried. The encumbrance is granted. So, thank you very much. Anything else for Randy Susan? No. Randy, as always, thank you for a great report. We appreciate it. You're welcome.

Thank you. Got a couple minutes in between. I'd like to welcome our new councilman, Chris Craft, there. So, Chris, it's great to have you here. Judy, welcome. Glad to see you also here. So, looking forward to working with you and and you got a great group to work with here and uh I know everybody will help you any way we possibly can and uh just don't be afraid to ask the question. So, and I'm sure Amy has brought you up to speed how we end the meetings here. So, yeah,

that's one of the more important things that we do here. So, but again, welcome and we're sure glad to have you here. So, thank you. Uh Susan, what can we do next here? Um we're waiting on we're waiting on Councilman Bob Craft here before we reorganize. We can do whatever here. So we have minutes to do from December. Okay. I didn't know if we needed full counsel. We don't on that on the You just have to have a quorum.

So okay, let's take a look at the the minutes here. Um the minutes are from the December 10th, 2025 meeting and I hope everybody has had a chance to look over them. Uh first of all, are there any additions or corrections to the minutes? Hearing none, we'll call for the question on approval of a minute. So we have a motion to approve the minutes from the December 10th, 2025 meeting. So moved.

Have a motion by Amy Dempseky and a second by Amy Proser. Any further questions come before the council? Hearing none, we'll call for the question. And all those in favor of approving the minutes, Chris Craft. Yes, you sure can. That's fine. Yes. Amy Presser. Amy Demsky. Um, Bill Van. Yes. Rick Ring. And Dave. Yes. Thank you.

Okay. So, minutes are approved here. minutes. Um, okay. Let's take a look at year end transfers. So, um, your stuff's not going to be in order now, so you'll kind of have to dig around. But there's going to be even though I spent 14 hours preparing for this meeting yesterday, I still missed something. So, this is printed. It says 2025 year end transfers. It was not uploaded last night and I have it uploaded and I printed it today. But those are the transfers that you had given um me the approval to do like we do every year because I needed to end the year in the positive.

Would you repeat that please? I'll just wait till everybody's ready. Okay. I'm sorry. My turn.

Go ahead. I'm listen. I was trying to shut my phone off. It don't like to shut off.

Okay. So, the 2025 year and transfers at the December meeting, you give me approval because I have to end the year in the positive with all of our accounts. So these are not additional monies whatsoever. This is just transferring money from already approved budgeted appropriations to make sure that the accounts are positive for year end. Some of the reasons why these could happen would be maybe somebody needed to buy supplies and instead of using somebody as a service. So just different things like that. But I have notes um on I guess I have notes on my encumbrances. But that's what the urine transfers are for.

May I suggest you not call on the new member first? That puts him in a difficult position. Sure. Okay. Votes that old baptismal by fire, Chris. So welcome to the council. Okay. So, Susan, we need a motion, a second. Motion and a second to approve on the the year-end transfers. Okay. Do we have a motion to approve the year-end transfer? We have a motion by Amy Proer. Do we have a second? Second by Bob Craft. Any further discussion from the council regarding year-end transfers? Hearing none, I'll call for the question. Um,

presser Demsky. Yes. Craft. Which? Oh, wait. Okay. Okay. Robert. Okay. Bob. I'll say Bob and Chris. Okay. Yeah. Chris. Chris is not voting. He's voting. No, he can vote on his Okay. I'm sorry. We're trying to not let him be the first one. Gotcha. I have a yes from both Amy's from Bob. Now Chris, both crafts. Both crafts. Okay. Van Y. Yes. Rick Ring. Yes.

And Dave. Yes. Okay. Your transfers have been approved. So we're going to back up now to the reorganization. This is the election of officers. Um, first we'll accept nominations for the office of president.

Second. Are there any further nominations?

Daveard Daveard for president. I move that we close the nominations. Okay, we have bill a motion from Bill Van Y to close the nominations. Do we have a second on that? Okay. Um, yes. All those in favor of Nope. Nope. I got to do roll call. Got to do roll call. Just a second. This is a little Who seconded the closing? Different. I'm sorry. I'm Oh, that's right. That's right. Thank you. Who seconded the closing of the nominations? I did. Thank you. Did.

Not funny. Which one? Okay. Amy Proer. Yes. Amy Demsky. Yes. Bob. Yes. Chris. Okay. Um, Bill Ven. Yes. Rick Ring. Yes. and Dave. Okay. You vote for yourself, I guess. Okay.

Okay. Thank you either for your confidence, the fact that nobody else wants to do it. So, about thank you in advance there. So, okay. We'll uh um entertain u nominations for vice president. I nominate Bill Y. I will We have a second to do that. Any further nominations? I move that we close nominations. Okay. Okay. We have a first of all motion from uh Amy uh de Proser to close the nominations. Do we have a second? I second both Amy's. Okay. Okay. Susan. All right. Proser.

Yes. Demsky. Bob. Yes. Chris. Yes. Or abstain. Pass. Okay. Um Van Y abstain. You don't want to vote for yourself? No. Rick Ring. Yes. And Daveyard. Yes. Okay. Congrat Congratulations, Bill. A winning team. Uh and then uh we need um a nomination for council. First of all, Don, do you want to represent the council again?

Um after the first half hour, I'm not so serious. I can't say that I blame you. Uh uh yes, I would like to. Yes. Thank you. I thought maybe he's going to retire, move to Florida. So, moving the other direction when I retire, Bill. Do we have a a motion to um nominate Don Stie as councel? I will make that motion. A Amy Jimsky has made the motion. Do we have a second? I'll second it. Second. Bill Van Wine. Are there any other nominations? I move we close nominations. Okay. Amy Proer has made a motion to close nominations. So, we have a second.

I'll second that. Second by Amy Demsky. Susan Presser. Yes. Demsky, yes. Bob, yes. Chris, yes. Rick Ring, yes. Dave,

yes. Okay. Congratulations, sir. Look forward to serving with you again. All right, moving on here. Uh, let's see. Knowledge of receipts of reports from the sheriff's commissary report. Okay. I think you've skipped all kinds of stuff. What's that? You have regular um Yeah, I know we have additionals and transfers.

So, under the minutes, we have additionals and transfers, but you did the minutes prior. So, you need to go back and do our normal January additionals and transfers minutes. Oh, right. Okay. Gotcha. I'm sorry. Okay. Additionals and transfers. We have no additionals. This doesn't happen very often, Chris. So, uh transfer requests. Uh the first one comes from is that DCC? Is that community corrections? Yep.

Okay. And the fund name is project income. It is fund number 1122. The amount to be transferred is $6,200. It is from account one22.1080026.0037. 0037. The account title is other and is being transferred to account number one22.3414.026.0037. The account title is software maintenance and the amount is 3,951. The next one is from account number one22.10800 1080026.0037. The account title is other account number 1122.3394.026.0037. The account title is dues and that amount is $500. And the next one is from account number 1122.222. 22250. 026.0037. The account title is food supplies to account number 122.34140. 026.0037. The account title is software maintenance and the amount is $1,749. Why is this transfer needed? uh shifting appropriations due to changes that were made after the budget approval for 2026. Will additional appropriation be requested due to this transfer? The

answer is no. Was it discussed with the leaison and that is yes and the leaison was Amy Demsky. Okay. Do we have a a motion to approve the transfer from Community Corrections for the amount of $6,200? Have a motion by Amy Demsky. Do we have a second? Second by Amy Pricer. Any further discussion amongst the council? Susan. Yeah. Since this was filed 129, does this go on 26 or 2? It's the 26. No, it's a 26 budget. It's 26.

Anything normal is your current budget. Okay. What we just did was everything finished. I understand that. I just didn't know what. So, these were because their grants and everything change multiple times when we're in our cycle and when we're not in our cycle. So, and then um you guys also were able to give them some money out of county general for some wages and things like that. So, they had moved some expenditures and things around from between their different funds. And so, this is making everything so they have their money's where they need it. Are they on yearly or by June? July to June.

They're annual except for change academy. Change. Well, these were these change that first one. Change academy. That's fiscal. That's fiscal. Okay. I just kind of seem kind of early to be transferring money. I just wondered, you know, so if that's a Well, that one Yeah, that one would be the fiscal part of it. Yeah. Um Okay. But the next one is because of different alignments. Yeah. Different realigning of things. Okay. Thank you. Yep. Any further discussion? Hearing none, we'll call for the question. All those in favor? Yes, sir. Thank you. Demsky, yes. Bob, yes.

Chris, yes. Rick, yard. Yes.

Okay. Transfer is granted. The next one to come before us is again from the community corrections. Fund name is a state grant. Fund number 9127. The amount to be transferred is $33,036. And the note says, see the attached uh spreadsheet. Susan, do you have anything you want to add to this here? Approval transfer. Do this one. Yeah, he did the whole thing at once. They did the So that one is this. So the second transfer approval is to see this spreadsheet which they're showing she's showing where um they realigned things and so they are putting the 1749 into the food supplies. So you're read Okay. So you're reading the full amount of $33,36.

Correct. The bottom one is the only one that is approval vote. The other ones are all listed on your non-approval sheet. Okay. So we are Does everybody see that? You have this? Yeah. I do have a question though. On our sheet that we have here with our additions and transfers. Yeah.

On that second page, we have under project income, we have an amount of requested of 1749 and then that next under the state grant is 1749. Yeah, those are the right amounts. I didn't know. I just wanted to make sure it wasn't a duplicated amount just because it was not an even. That makes sense.

That makes sense. Um that is that's what they submitted to to us. I mean their form that they filled out for project income has that amount and then they also have it in their state grant. So if it's duplicated, they duplicated it. I mean This is what they had provided to us. I just noticed that when I was looking at that spreadsheet.

Well, one of them's going to food supplies and one of them's going to software maintenance. So, the realigning is in project income. They reduce their food supplies because they needed it in software maintenance. So, they're able to pay from their grant the amount they changed from food supplies. Now, they're going to pay out of their grant. That's right. That's the amount that I have in mind. Went back and looked. Does that make sense what I just said? Yes. So, we've got I just happened to notice that when I was looking at the spreadsheet. So, it's the reason I asked. No, it's good.

So, the rest of those that are listed on that like an Excel doc where it's just highlighted at the bottom, the last one, but all the rest of them at the top, those are n non approvals. Non approvals because you can the account numbers if you look at the second columns they're all going from personal services to personal services from accounts that start with a one to accounts that start with a one. Okay. So we're really just focused on that very last one at the bottom on this sheet. Yes. In other words, we're focusing on $1,749. Yes. Did we get a motion? Any further discussion from the council?

Okay. Do we have a motion to approve the $1,749 or the transfer? I'll make that motion. Have a motion by Amy Demsky. Do we have a second? I'll second it. Second by Bill Van. Any further discussion? Hearing none. Susan. Okay. All right. Presser. Yes. Demsky. Yes. Bob. Yes. Chris NY. Yes. Rick Ring. Yeah. Bobcraft. Yes. Oh, I'm sorry. Dave Yard. I was going back. I was still typing by you. Vote often. Vote again. Vote often. All right.

Yes. Gotcha. We're on our A game today, aren't we? Yeah. Good way to start a year. Okay. you have uh before you a list of of nonapproval transfers that we do not have to take any action on Chris there. Uh just basically for you to take a look at there. Um the next item of business is acknowledge of receipt reports. Not yet. No, we're getting close though.

You you are getting close. So, you did the year-end transfers, but now you need to do our county encumbrances, and I had put them printed out for those of you that have prints and put them online. There's two different pages, two different spreadsheets that look like this. One of them is by fund. So, if it says general on highlighted on the front page, that's by fund. The other one is the same information. I just have it listed per department if you wanted to look at your departments. And then in the notes on the sides that has notes on why we're doing it. Okay. Do we have a motion to approve the additional encumbrances for 2025?

Move. We have a motion by Bill Van White. Do we have a second? Second by Bob Craft. Any further questions or discussion to come before the council? Hearing none. Going to call for the question. Susan. Thank you. Amy Brower. Amy Demsky. Bob Craft. Chris Craft. Bill White. Yes. Rick Ring. Dav.

Yes. Okay. The additional encumbrances for 2025 have been approved. Now moving on to the commissary report, the sheriff's report for July through December of 2025. Susan, I'm going to defer to you on this one.

This um is just a requirement. The sheriff has to provide you this information every six months. So we just need to um vote to acknowledge that you have received it from him through me so that we have on record that you saw it is where do these had some questions about it again. Where do the um the funds come from initially? Is that just what the prisoners are you talking about commentary? Yeah, sorry. Yes, they're from the commissary.

Yeah, I believe so. Or I I mean I think they can get donations too. I'm not sure and then they're able to use those dollars on like staffies and things like that. Just I was a little surprised by that. The sheriff can use commissary on a lot of things. There's a commissary ordinance. Okay. Um these this is not anything that is run through my financials. I don't I don't track this. I get the report like you guys do. Okay. And then it does get audited when we get audited by the state. Um they when they audit all the departments, but they audit commissary for the sheriff also. Okay.

Um so detailed questions you're really going to have to talk to the sheriff's department. Okay. It's good because the look at the last page of the report show the Yeah, it shows inmate phone receipts was $15,628.58.

Wow. I thought I for the inmate phone receipts 25,97074 cents.

Well, there's there's different columns. So, one says receipts and one says inmate phone receipts. So, he had commented on the phone receipts. So, that's what I had mentioned. But the total receipts there are 25977. Okay. Any further questions hearing? None. Do we have a motion to approve the sheriff's commissary report? July. Just acknowledging receipt of it. Not approving it. Okay. Just acknowledging of it there. So from July through December of 2025, do we have a motion to acknowledge receipt?

I make the motion. We have a motion by Amy Proer. Do we have a second? Second by Bob Craft. Any further discussion? Hearing none. Susan Amy Proer. Yes. Amy Demsky. Bob Craft. Yes. Chris Craft. Bill Van. Yes. Rick Ring. Daviard.

Yes. Okay. The acknowledgement of the commissary report has been approved or accepted by the council. Okay, moving on. Are we now at the board appointments?

Yes. So, we have we had I was a little confused because I got an email from Cheryl Lynch after our meeting last time. Um, and we had already reappointed um Thomas Halibal, but she is now suggesting Charles Van Horn, but I believe in her letter maybe she said Mr. Halibal was resigning. I'm not positive. So anyways, she is recommending that we appoint Charles Van Horn to the board of health for uh term beginning the first of this year and ending the 31st of 2029.

Okay. Do we need to act independently on that one? We don't need a vote on that, do we? Yeah, we do. Okay. You have to vote motion to appoint them to that board. Okay. Do we have a motion to appoint Charlie Van Horn to the health department board?

A motion by Amy Dempseky. Do we have a second? I'll second. Second by Bill Van. Any further discussion hearing? None. Susan. Okay. Amy Proer, yes. Amy Demsky, yes. Um, Bob Craft, yes. Chris Craft. Bill White, yes. Rick Ring, yes. Daveyard, yes. Okay. Charlie Van Horn is appointed to the county health department board. Uh, moving on. Moving on. Um, Eric Gera, Economic Development Board. Amy, is this your recommendation? from the mayor. It is from the mayor. Yes. Okay.

Um the previous person that was on that board is no longer the employed with the city of Garrett and so I reached out to Mayor Fant and this is he suggested and sent to him. Okay. Do we have any letter any information or anything? And this person is um the current she's the city planner. City planner. Correct. which um Milton Otero when and Vivian likes when they were the city planners they were in this position. So this is the new person. Okay. Is there any information here or you just

you just had an email from um Amy that said that mayor would like to appoint Meline to their mission. It says RDC but it she meant EDC. Okay. Do we have a motion to accept Matteline Sade? Is it Sade or Sadie Bart? Sad Bart say they I'll make the motion.

Okay, we have a motion by Amy Ski. We have a second. Second by Bob Craft. Any further discussion amongst the council? We don't have anything else to other than her predecessors in that position have been put on that board. Not unless any of you contacted somebody. I didn't know we were didn't know the name until Well, nobody knew the name, but it was on this list when I sent it last month of the boards that we needed to replace.

Right. I I understood that we needed to replace somebody. I just didn't know who she was or we had any her I I called the mayor and sent an email and he sent the email back and I just forwarded the email to Susan and I

Okay, so we have Amy and Bob. Any further discussion? Okay, we'll call for the question. Susan Presser, yes. Amy Demsky, yes. Bob Craft, yes. Chris Craft. Bill Van White, yes. Rick Ring, Daveyard, yes. The last one we have is from the Tourism Commission um requesting Mike Payne fill that position. Do we have any further information on Mike Payne?

I believe Rick sent us the email. Am I right, Rick? Did you send it to us? Oh, no. The email actually was my deputy Carla letting me know that Dave Yard had called saying that that was the name. I think that was Dave Bun that could be reappointed. That's correct. I know Mike. Well,

yeah, I know Mike. You've been very involved in all community events on different He's on the festival board. works for MTI high up in that company and I would definitely recommend him. He's at a lot of community event. I mean he fits tourism really well. Okay. Do we have a motion to accept Mike Payne on the tourism commission? I'll make a motion. Have a motion by Amy Devky. Do we have a second? Any further discussion? Susan. Um, Professor Demsky. Fab.

Yes. Chris. Bill. Yes. Rick. Yes. Dave. Yes.

Okay. Um, moving on. 2026 county salary wage ordinance me amendment ordinance number 2026- OCC-16

I'm going to stop you real quick okay this isn't anything that has to be voted on but just so Chris doesn't wonder why he's the only one highlighted on here on the liaison appointments on the back of the board page that the board appointments and the back has our liaison. Um the president had appointed people to they are liaison assignments in December. I put Chris in where Rick was assuming that's what you were going to assign him to. So you're not singled out. It's just because

he did the rest everybody else in December. Are you following me, Dave? Yes. We have to I see. Oh, so I your sisters. Uh do we have to do anything with Aru Grant Township? Not yet because um we are still looking for uh person a member.

Do you have any anything to say, Jenny? Wait. Thank you. Way to go. Put her on the spot. Of course. She don't talk to any church, so I have to get Are you okay with these?

Okay. the um OCC the 2026 salary wage ordinance amendment. Do we have a copy of that, Susan? You should. I've got I see that's the one I have right here. Is this it right here? Yeah. Okay. Okay. It's the single single page. Okay. Uh let's see one now you have they're two different one is number one and one is number two

CC one looks like this everybody okay 2026 you have before you 2026 salary and hourly wage ordinance amendment county council ordinance number 2026-C1 1. We are amending ordinance number 2025- OCC-12. Um, it is job classification with ranges by department for the budget year 2024. The department is Oh, that should say 2026. 2026.

Okay. To move on.

Yeah. made the necessary correction. Okay. The department is from the sheriff. The account number is uh 10750. The job title is qualified professional and it is comat- hourly pay up to maximum of $248. And the second one is uh depart account number 10750 academy trained certified road officer. And again that is comat a hourly is is up to a maximum of $248. Effective for 2026 office prefers these positions to pay from account 10750 instead of 10800. Okay. So that is the proposed wage ordinance. Do we have a motion to approve on reading only of the salary amendment 2026- OCC1? Need a motion just on reading title only.

First reading. We need a motion for the first reading. I'll make a motion. I'll second. Okay. Do we have any further discussion? We have a motion by Amy Dempky and second by Bob or um Bob Craft. Do we have any further discussion? This is on I have a question. Is this just They're just requesting to move the account number, change the account. Yeah, they're paying it from Yeah, they had the money's um don't need to change or anything, right? Okay.

It's They originally were in the 10800, which is just other called other. They're actual part-time people and so they want them in the part. You said they were the 10800 is other and they want to put it back to part-time. I believe that we used the um other as a when it was kind of like different like that qualified profession was like different to begin with. Yeah. But they want it in the parttime. Okay. Yep. That makes sense. Thank you. Yep. Okay. Did we have a motion? Yeah. We have Amy Bob. Pardon question.

Okay. Um Susan will call a question on first reading only. Um okay proer. Yes. Um I just deleted it and I have new ones right here to sign. Um Demsky. Yes. Bob. Yes. Chris. Um Bill. Rick. Dave.

Yes. And the amendment is approved on first reading only. Chris, what we do whenever we have an ordinance we have before us there. It's usually about a three-step process. The first process is we read the ordinance what it's about, discuss it, and then vote just on the reading of the uh amendment there or or the ordinance there. That's it's nothing we approve or no, we don't approve. It's just to approve that we've acknowledged it, read it, discussed it, whatever there. Then the next step we do is to possibly vote as a council to suspend the rules. Meaning we can do one vote, the third step, one vote uh to approve or disapprove. We don't have to do a second reading and vote yay or nay and then a third reading. It just cuts out one step along the way. And Amy can fill you in on that there. So, but that's that's basically the three-step process there. So, we've done the first step here where we've read the ordinance and we've all agreed or acknowledged that we have read the ordinance there. No vote, no commitment or anything from the council's part. Now, we get into the second phase where there starts to be commitment from the council here. So, and I'll try to help you out as we go through this stuff here because I know what it's like to to get to get overwhelmed sometimes there. So

the suspension anytime you suspend the rules to vote on anything um the suspension does have to be unanimous among the entire board. If it is not then the second and third readings will go to the next meeting. Yep. Thank you Susan. So okay we'll call we did we did we vote on this? I we did we proved. So we voted on first reading. Now we need suspend. Okay. Now we need to uh suspend the rules here. Do we have a motion? I'll make a motion. We have a motion by Bob Craft to suspend the rules. Do we have a second? Second. Second by Amy Proer. Um, Susan, we're ready for the question. Amy Presser, Amy Dempseky, yes. Bob, yes. Chris Bill, yes.

Rick, Yard, yes. And by being unanimous there, we've suspended the rules. Now we go to the final vote to approve or disapprove. There make a motion to approve on second, third reading. Okay, we have a motion by Bob Craft to approve on second to third reading. Do we have um second, second by Amy Proser? Any further discussion from the council hearing? None. We'll call for the question. Um Presser Demsky, yes. Bob, yes. Chris, Bill, yes. Rick Dave, yes.

Okay, so that was the final vote then, Chris, and it has been approved. So the amendment salary amendment ordinance has been approved here. Okay. Um council want to take five minute break. Okay. I think we're all wore out after this one.

Yep.

The council back into session here. Uh the next order of business we have is the job classification committee recommendation. Correct. Correct. facilities manager slice director job description slice category change. So Susan going to defer to you on this one. I'll give it to Bob.

Yeah, we we met although I was on the phone because my car broke down, but we we met the other day and talked about uh this position at length and decided that it should land in EXE B, which is higher than EXEA. All of those department heads that are in B are 247 on call type people. And Larry, our facilities director, is certainly that 247 on call type of person has to answer whenever anything breaks a waterline and internet anything, he has to be here too. So just like the homeland security sheriff or those other department heads that are there, I think highway department's in there. We want to put him in that same category which would mean he would get pay a little his pay would go up with that.

Now Susan, does this take an action from the council? Yes. So the full council what they're recommending is they're recommending that you guys approve the job description into the west category of exeb the action on this piece of it. And this was um discussed because the commissioners brought to us brought it to us and wanted to uh do something to get Larry moved up on that. Okay. Does anybody have any questions for Bob here on this? Because what we're looking at and Amy too

and Amy. So both both Amy's and Bob are our job classification committee. Gotcha. Thank you for that correction. Um, basically what we're looking at is uh the approval of the job description and the moving to category exeb. Is that correct? Correct. Susan, does anybody on the council have any further questions for Bob or Amy? Um, regarding this? If not, we'll need a a nom um a nomination. Yeah, a motion. Motion. Thank you.

Uh for approval of this here of this job committee classification recommendation. So we have a motion by um Bob Craft. Do we have a uh second? I'll second. Second by Amy Proser. Any further discussion? Hearing none, Susan will call for the question. Yes. Bob, yes. Chris, Bill, Rick, Dave. Yes. So, the job classification recommendation from the committee has been approved. Okay. Suspend the rules. No, no, no, no. That was just on the job description. Yeah. Now we're now we're going then we'll go to the ordinance. Appreciate your eagerness, sir, Bob. So,

trying to catch up.

Um, okay. So, now we are looking at the uh 2026 county salary and wage ordinance. amendment for ordinance number 2026- OCC2 and that you have before you. It looks like this. This is the approval of the recommendation that the committee we just voted on and accepted there, Chris. So, um, so I'm going to read this again. It is a 2026 salary and hourly wage ordinance amendment county council ordinance number 2026-C2. It is amending ordinance number uh 2025- OCC-12. The department is the courthouse. The account number is 1133. Um first of all, I want to back up. Uh Susan, it says budget year 2024.

I took it off already. Okay. Thank you. Appreciate that. It is the facilitators uh facilities manager director and the category has uh been changed to exe-b is bi-weekly and the pay up to a maximum of 3,209.87. So this is first of all um so we had we had I'm out of I'm out of sync here Susan this is first reading or we're this is first reading to amend the

yeah I know we'll do so this is the first reading Chris that we do here just to say we've read not voting for or against here Do we have a motion for uh to approve the um ordinance number 2026- OCC-2 on first reading only have a motion by Amy Proser. Do we have a second? Second by Amy Demsky. Any further discussion hearing? None. Susan Presser. Yes. Bob, yes. Chris, Bill, yes. Ring Rick, yes. Dave.

Yes. Okay. So, the wage ordinance amendment has been approved on on first reading only. Now, we get to suspending the rules, Chris. This is where we all have to be an un anonymous on this here to go to second and third reading and handle everything in one. So, do we have a a motion to suspend the rules? I'll make that motion. Have a motion by Amy Proer. Do we have a second? Second by Bob Craft. Um, hearing no further discussion. Susan, we're ready. Okay. And Dempski? No. Proer? Yes. Demsky? Yes. Bob? Yes. Chris? Yes. Bill? Yes. Rick? Dave? Yes.

Okay. The motion to suspend the rules has been approved. Now we are on second and third reading. This is where your vote counts. Yeah. Or nay. Um, okay. Do we have a motion to approve salary and wage ordinance amendment number 2026- OCC-2 on second and third reading? I'll make that motion. Have a motion by Amy uh Proer. Do we have a second? Second by Amy Demsky. Any further discussion from the council hearing? None. We'll call for the question. Susan Proser. Yes. Deky, yes. Bob, yes. Chris, Bill, yes. Rick Yard.

Yes. Okay. So, the salary wage ordinance amendment number 2026- OCC-2 has been approved. Okay. Moving on. We are down to resolution. I haven't signed those yet.

I know. Resolution number 2026-RCC-1, a resolution transferring funds from the county general fund to the rainy day fund. Whereas the Decalp County Council adopted resolution number 20204-R3, a resolution to establish a rainy day fund pursuant to Indiana code 36-18-5.1 on March 1 of 2004. And whereas Indiana statute allows the transfer of any unobligated case balance from any fiscal year at any time to the rainy day fund. And whereas the Decalp County Council would like to set aside monies for all legal purposes for which a county general fund can be used. And whereas unobligated case exists within the county general fund from the 2025 uh budget year, it is hereby resolved by the Decal County Council to transfer $395,000 I'm sorry, $395,98167 from the county general fund number one 0001, the rainy day fund number 1186. So, what this allows us, this statute says that any money left over at the end of the year can be transferred from the general fund to the rainy day fund. Susan, anything you'd like to add to that?

Not unless you guys have questions. Okay. Limited on that amount. 10%. And that's after incumbrances. We can move more if we wanted to or is it set at 10%. Statute sets at 10%. during COVID time for a couple years we could do 15%. Okay. But it is statue statute. And is it is it possible to do this and an extra amount towards bail account or something or if we had extra funds? Can we or you can't do that?

I don't know because we've not ever had that. Right now we put everything in rainy days so we have availability for whatever emergency might happen. We don't have a specific fun. Right. You're asking Bob, can we set up a jail? Yeah. I was I'm just curious where Yeah. And begin to move dollars into a jail fund. I know we're we've been saving for it, I think, but where is that? A lot of the savings in rainy day. Yeah. Most of the savings is in correctional lit. In what? In the correctional lit fund lit that we have the tax on for community corrections.

Those community corrections bonds will be done will be done and the um extra part extra that's in there is set a it's set aside for the jail. Okay. So uh I mean really it's but that just builds up on its own. We don't have to transfer money into that. Correct.

Right. So it gets receipts in every month. Then I transfer 16th of the bond payment to the bond fund so that I can pay the bonds in June and December. And so the other and what we rece is is more than what we need. So all the extra is is building up. The advice from our financial advisor Peters is not to establish a separate scale only fund due to any emergency that comes up that money would not cover where it's been raining day among ourselves agree that that's going to be money to jail and not help. But if true emergency came up, we would have that money available to us where if it was in the jail fund, it would not be available. I would say with our financial advisor advice.

Okay. Any further discussion? Okay. We will need a motion to approve this resolution. Do we have a motion? I make the motion. Have a motion by Bob Craft and a second by Amy Proser. Uh do we have uh any further discussion from the council hearing? None. Susan, you can call the role. Proer. Demsky. Bob, yes. Chris, Bill, yes. Rick, yes. Dave,

yes. Okay. So, that resolution number 2026-RCC-1 allowing transfer to the rainy day uh fund from monies left over in 2025 has been approved. Okay. Next up is our council commissioner discussion and we have with us Commissioner Bill Hartman. So, Bill, always great to see you. It's all yours. Oh, good morning and greetings everyone. Good to be here in a brand new year and a new day and who knows what's to come, but uh we'll work our way through it. Uh, one thing, uh, the roll call vote, Dave, you're you're wasn't you're not alone in that assumption that we just I did several times and got laughed at. Of course, it was always a good joke. It's hard to break old habits. And anyway, just a I just got a couple of things. And Sunny Meadows is closed uh as of the 2nd of January. Uh there's not been an official vote to close that uh by the commissioners as I remember. Don't recall an official vote

to close it or demo it to close it. Just to close it. It's not been officially uh I'd have to look. I I do we need I think we need to probably do that. The question I have for the council is is the does the council need to do that also? I don't think they have to close. They only have to buying and selling or any appropriation related to okay I believe the commissioners voted that they were closing it and that it had to at least be done by May because that's when our insurance is done.

But I'm I think you guys already voted to that you were closing.

Okay. I'd like to see the the minutes of the recording on that if we can find that or bring that up sometime. Just want to make sure we're in the proper procedure. Uh having said that, uh I we are going to form I am going to form a committee of seven people to make a determination and recommendation to the commissioners as to what we do with that facility going forward. and uh had several suggestions everywhere from county offices to tearing it down to historical museum of some sort variety even even a private sale to a private buyer that's interested in the facility. So that will go to a committee hopefully get that committee together in the next two weeks and approve that committee at our next commissioner meeting and then move forward meetings to determine that. Uh I think Chris uh Graph has already agreed to be on that committee and he's got extensive experience in demolition and construction. So you'd be a good he'll be a good asset to that. Uh really and that's all I have unless you have some questions.

We have any questions for Bill? Thanks Bill. Appreciate your input. I just had a comment. Okay. Um, Bill, I just wanted to congratulate you on all your success as the president of the commissioners. Uh, I know that um, Jim Miller now is the president, but I just to thank you for a job well done as the commission president.

Thank you. I appreciate six years never went so fast. Can't say it was always fun, but challenging and learned a lot. And, you know, it was uh, never something else that was on my bucket list to do. Even a commissioner was never on the bucket list until I got old enough to I didn't I lost my mind and tried needed something different to do I guess. I don't know. But it's been interesting and uh I've enjoyed it. We have Thank you. Thanks, Bill. Appreciate everything you've done. Thank you.

Okay. Um any discussion, further discussions from the council to come before the council? Anybody have any bill?

Yeah. Um I don't know if any of you others ever see this, but I have had comments made to me and I'll gu tell you I am not a Facebook person. I don't get on Facebook. I don't know what it means by tagged or anything like that, but I've had several calls about uh the code compliance office. I've heard that it's been put on Facebook that he's a full-time employee, which he's not. I've checked it on. It's also been stated and the person who talked to me said that he's roaming the county. He's going down 12 and four. That vehicle ain't going to last very long, but he's roaming the county, which is not his job. And I do have the job dealing from is when there is a complaint, a nuisance complaint, he is supposed to go out investigate. the commissioners did move his hours up to 20 hours a week. So I asked Chris this morning when I talked to him before I come in here, he says that all varies. He said two or three weeks ago or a month ago he had two weeks he didn't have no hours. I want to make sure that people know this is only when someone complains about place. It comes in the guy is not full-time. He is 20 hours only. So if you ever see anything like that on Facebook, make sure we answer it and and get make sure the myths are is is hitting right on. So I I just which I don't have nothing to do with Facebook other than I have my daughter. That's the only thing because I can see my granddaughter. So I know several of them called because they're afraid someone's driving by. He's not driving by. He don't go out until there's a complaint. and then he reports to the commissioners. That's I just wanted to address that and tell everybody and he's not a full-time employee. He's 20 hours at max a week.

Thank you. Okay.

I'll respond since that was my video that I put out and um I did not in that video did not say that he was a full-time employee. I indicated that there could be the drive for that person to end up or any person in the future that may be that in that position to end up as a full-time position um by allowing someone to just drive around the county and look for problems. So, there was some um I don't know what where the confusion came from. Um, but that I had no intention of ex of uh in any way indicating that they were full-time. I know very well that they are part-time because I'm on the HR committee that helps figure out um how many hours do people get. I've been going through the job description. I understand that he has just um been put up to 20 hours. We're working through that. So, a lot of confusion out there and um that that I hope that clears that up. Thank you for bringing it up. Um, if anybody has any questions, I'll be happy to answer them.

Well, it came to me and that's I'm just stating what it said to the this there's two or three people, maybe even four, I don't know, called me and said, "Well, this guy's driving around." Well, if anybody in my age group remembered that there was a plan commission and she drove around, I mean, she actually drove around and looked for places she could condemn. And that's been Well, No, when my dad first was on the council, so that's been 20, 30, 20, whatever years ago. That's what this is the call is coming. Sure. You just got to be careful. Well,

I know what you're doing, but I mean, I don't know. But you got to be careful how you state it is what I'm trying to say. They stated that the ordinance that was being proposed on Monday would have changed it from complaint driven to a where that personnel could in theory drive around and look for issues. And if that's true, then the c the county and the citizens need to be aware that that is what's happening. Now the commissioners thankfully said, "Hey, no, we're just going to leave it as it is and we'll leave it complaint driven." They did a great job and made the right decision in my mind. So that's I I hope we'll put that to bed. If you if anybody recalls you about that as my video, feel free to call me. I'll

Okay. I was going to call you, but I didn't get around last night and and I thought, well, I'm bring it up and I wasn't going to call you out. I wasn't going to I just wanted to make sure that we are giving our consensually the right information and everything. Absolutely. And I want them to know that that I don't want I don't mind the calls. I just I didn't have all the information, so I had to hunt it up so I can call them back, which I did, and they were happy. So, okay, great. Thank you. Bill, you have something you want to add?

I just want to verify what Amy has just stated that the ordinance vote Monday was not about the hours. It was about the process of whether he would be able to drive around and write citations based on his opinion. it was going to pretty much eliminate uh not totally eliminate but would give him the power to do that. So that would leave it to his discretion with whether he wrote a complaint or not. And we got a lot of push back on I got a lot of emails against him doing that. It needs to stay as it was and it is to stay as it was is complaint by uh county citizens only. So there'd be no policing, no running around harassing people about a car that's sitting in the driveway sat there more than 30 days or something like that. So anyway, any questions?

Yeah. Just stay off 35. Okay. You know, that property in 35 has really gotten that's why I'm going to say the two places on 35 there on 24 and 35 and 20 or 18, they look a whole lot better. He's done his job. I appreciate that. I've I've had a lot of calls about both places and I got them cleaned up and I want to thank you and thank him for doing that. But I just wanted to make sure because the older generation remembers when that one plan commissioner drove around and stopped and everything. So yeah, that's that's that's not going to be a good policy. Thank you, Bill. Yeah, you're welcome. Thank you.

Thanks, Bill. Thanks, Bill, for bringing it up. Amy, thanks for clarifications here. So hopefully this is resolved and it's good. I I'm good. I just wanted to know I just wanted to make the point that we need to be on I mean I'm not saying you weren't honest but I mean upfront with our good transparency bill. Absolutely. Because I'm getting calls for something you put on in the Facebook I have nothing to do with. Okay. So okay. Does anybody else have anything else to come before the council? Chris Amy No, a different report will come.

So, okay, Chris, I know this is the moment you've been anxiously preparing for and you it looks like you have your speech written down. So, we are ready. Okay, we have a motion, a second to adjurnn. Do we have any further discussion? Hearing none, all those in favor signify by saying I. Professor Demsky. Oh, that's right. We got Chris. Yes. Dave. Yes. And I just We are a journey. Chris, you handled it like a veteran. Could not have done any