County Council Changes Board Appointment Process
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Daniel [email protected]
Sandwiched between not-for-profit budget requests and abatement approvals, the council voted to change its policy regarding adding people to things like park and library boards.
It was all a result of a request by the Pierceton Library Board to add Helen Hall for a four-year term.
Councilman Bob Sanders asked county attorney Mike Miner what responsibility the county would have if someone appointed by them were to fail or even be negligent.
Miner said there would be no liability on the part of the council, just a political responsibility.
“Here we have an appointment for someone that we don’t know,” said Sanders. “Does the person even want the job?”
“I think we ought to have more information personally,” said councilman Larry Teghtmeyer.
The council bounced around the idea of making either the potential appointee or someone from the board show up at the council meeting.
After the conversation circled back several times, council chairman Tom Anglin stepped in.
“I’m the chairman and I want a motion,” said Anglin. “I want to move on.”
Anglin had previously said he saw the argument of making someone come in, but also felt like it was hard enough to fill such positions for small town boards.
After that goading, Sanders made a motion to ask that the appointee or representative from the board be on hand before any appointments are made.
That was passed 5-0-1 with Anglin abstaining.
The council then decided to approve Hall because she was on the agenda before the new procedure was voted on.
A total of 22 abatements were approved Thursday night. Several were from the same company and consisted of both real and personal property.
These abatements were previously approved. Thursday was used to check for yearly compliance.
Thomas Bauters, Biomet, gave an update on the project the orthopedic company has been working on after receiving an abatement from the county.
He noted that abatements in 2001 and 2006 had greatly exceeded estimates of job growth.
In 2010, Biomet sought an abatement and told the council the company would add 278 jobs. Bauters said Biomet had added more than 200 jobs but said it was unlikely they’d hit the 278 mark.
However, Biomet did make good on its promise to keep its distribution center in Warsaw and keep 82 jobs rather than move it to Memphis, Tenn.
The abatement was for 2011 and 2012 and was to help with a $26 million capital improvement project. That project is expected to be done in December.
Besides Biomet, the following companies had their abatements approved:
– Cass Holdings, Midwest Rake
– Bradican Real Estate Partnership
– G.I. Tape & Label
– North Central LP
– Louis Dreyfus
– NG Instruments
– Maple Leaf Farms
– Thornburgh Family, Precision Medical Technologies
– Custom Engineered Wheels
– R.R. Donnelley
The council listened to 11 presentations by not-for-profit groups.
The county commissioners heard the same presentations at its June 5 meeting.
For the most part, the groups are seeking the same amounts they asked for last year.
Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation Executive Director George Robertson asked for an additional $25,000 from the county.
Robertson told the council that they are not trying to compete with surrounding counties to bring in and retain business.
“We’re trying to compete on a global level,” said Robertson, who will mark his second year with KEDCo. next month.
Robertson’s request for $25,000 is to help fund a fourth full-time person.
Robertson noted that Kosciusko County has its lowest unemployment rate since 2008.
In two years, the county has added 1,100 net new jobs.
Robertson said using net new jobs was important. He said one county claimed to have added a slew of new jobs but failed to mention it had lost quite a bit as well.
Robertson lauded successes like adding 18 new jobs at Wabash Valley Manufacturing in Silver Lake, and said Tuesday night there is expected to be an announcement of 50 new jobs at the Liberty Homes building in Syracuse area.
Robertson said the current unemployment rate for Kosciusko County is 6.5 percent while it’s slightly higher in Warsaw at 7.1 percent.
Other not-for-profits asking for more money were Cardinal Services, Animal Welfare League, Kosciusko County Fair Board, Beaman Home and the Kosciusko County Council on Aging.
The requests total $67,977 more for 2013 than 2012.
At the commissioners’ June 19 meeting, Commissioner Brad Jackson said the county’s wage committee met the week before and the consensus was to hold not-for-profit budgets.
Budgets have not been finalized yet.
The council approved a couple of additional appropriations Thursday night.
Kosciusko County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Hampton asked for and received a $10,000 additional appropriation for his department’s pre-trial diversion fund.
That money is generated by the program and doesn’t come from tax dollars.
Similarly, the health department received an additional appropriation of $15,000 for its personal health care supplies.
That money is generated from user fees.
Follow staff writer Daniel Riordan on Twitter at @TUNews_Riordan
He can be reached at 574-267-3111, Ext. 246.[[In-content Ad]]
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Sandwiched between not-for-profit budget requests and abatement approvals, the council voted to change its policy regarding adding people to things like park and library boards.
It was all a result of a request by the Pierceton Library Board to add Helen Hall for a four-year term.
Councilman Bob Sanders asked county attorney Mike Miner what responsibility the county would have if someone appointed by them were to fail or even be negligent.
Miner said there would be no liability on the part of the council, just a political responsibility.
“Here we have an appointment for someone that we don’t know,” said Sanders. “Does the person even want the job?”
“I think we ought to have more information personally,” said councilman Larry Teghtmeyer.
The council bounced around the idea of making either the potential appointee or someone from the board show up at the council meeting.
After the conversation circled back several times, council chairman Tom Anglin stepped in.
“I’m the chairman and I want a motion,” said Anglin. “I want to move on.”
Anglin had previously said he saw the argument of making someone come in, but also felt like it was hard enough to fill such positions for small town boards.
After that goading, Sanders made a motion to ask that the appointee or representative from the board be on hand before any appointments are made.
That was passed 5-0-1 with Anglin abstaining.
The council then decided to approve Hall because she was on the agenda before the new procedure was voted on.
A total of 22 abatements were approved Thursday night. Several were from the same company and consisted of both real and personal property.
These abatements were previously approved. Thursday was used to check for yearly compliance.
Thomas Bauters, Biomet, gave an update on the project the orthopedic company has been working on after receiving an abatement from the county.
He noted that abatements in 2001 and 2006 had greatly exceeded estimates of job growth.
In 2010, Biomet sought an abatement and told the council the company would add 278 jobs. Bauters said Biomet had added more than 200 jobs but said it was unlikely they’d hit the 278 mark.
However, Biomet did make good on its promise to keep its distribution center in Warsaw and keep 82 jobs rather than move it to Memphis, Tenn.
The abatement was for 2011 and 2012 and was to help with a $26 million capital improvement project. That project is expected to be done in December.
Besides Biomet, the following companies had their abatements approved:
– Cass Holdings, Midwest Rake
– Bradican Real Estate Partnership
– G.I. Tape & Label
– North Central LP
– Louis Dreyfus
– NG Instruments
– Maple Leaf Farms
– Thornburgh Family, Precision Medical Technologies
– Custom Engineered Wheels
– R.R. Donnelley
The council listened to 11 presentations by not-for-profit groups.
The county commissioners heard the same presentations at its June 5 meeting.
For the most part, the groups are seeking the same amounts they asked for last year.
Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation Executive Director George Robertson asked for an additional $25,000 from the county.
Robertson told the council that they are not trying to compete with surrounding counties to bring in and retain business.
“We’re trying to compete on a global level,” said Robertson, who will mark his second year with KEDCo. next month.
Robertson’s request for $25,000 is to help fund a fourth full-time person.
Robertson noted that Kosciusko County has its lowest unemployment rate since 2008.
In two years, the county has added 1,100 net new jobs.
Robertson said using net new jobs was important. He said one county claimed to have added a slew of new jobs but failed to mention it had lost quite a bit as well.
Robertson lauded successes like adding 18 new jobs at Wabash Valley Manufacturing in Silver Lake, and said Tuesday night there is expected to be an announcement of 50 new jobs at the Liberty Homes building in Syracuse area.
Robertson said the current unemployment rate for Kosciusko County is 6.5 percent while it’s slightly higher in Warsaw at 7.1 percent.
Other not-for-profits asking for more money were Cardinal Services, Animal Welfare League, Kosciusko County Fair Board, Beaman Home and the Kosciusko County Council on Aging.
The requests total $67,977 more for 2013 than 2012.
At the commissioners’ June 19 meeting, Commissioner Brad Jackson said the county’s wage committee met the week before and the consensus was to hold not-for-profit budgets.
Budgets have not been finalized yet.
The council approved a couple of additional appropriations Thursday night.
Kosciusko County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Hampton asked for and received a $10,000 additional appropriation for his department’s pre-trial diversion fund.
That money is generated by the program and doesn’t come from tax dollars.
Similarly, the health department received an additional appropriation of $15,000 for its personal health care supplies.
That money is generated from user fees.
Follow staff writer Daniel Riordan on Twitter at @TUNews_Riordan
He can be reached at 574-267-3111, Ext. 246.[[In-content Ad]]
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