County Council Hears Report On Visitors Bureau
April 9, 2021 at 1:11 a.m.
By Teresa Carrano-
Boggs talked about the bureau’s mission to encourage visitors to the county, saying that in 2019 tourism and the travel industry contributed $200 million to the local economy.
“2019 was a stellar year,” Boggs said. And then the pandemic severely curtailed travel, leaving occupancy rates down 39.5% in 2020, which equaled a 66% cut in innkeepers’ tax revenue. The innkeepers’ tax funds the bureau. The organization was supported with an Arts, Cultural and Marketing Destinations grant from the state and a Paycheck Protection Program loan approval.
Hanes said Boggs was being typically modest in not mentioning the county tourism website won an award last year and the Visitor’s Guide was highly praised the year before.
Soil and Water District Director Darci Zolman said a wage reimbursement between $1,600 and $6,200 will be returned to the county in saved wages while the district seeks another employee. The individual who conducts field inspections has resigned her position and the district is advertising for her replacement. The county is required to pay the district’s employee salaries.
Councilwoman Sue Ann Mitchell presented two wage committee recommendations, one from Jail Chemical Addiction Program (JCAP) for an increase in wages and one from the health department for a part-time public health specialist.
Mitchell said the JCAP coordinator, Courtney Jenkins, was hired but JCAP was delayed last year because of the pandemic. Jenkins went on to become a jailer, taking all the required training. She now serves the sheriff’s department as a jailer and as the JCAP coordinator.
Councilman Mike Long was against the proposed salary increase of $5,900, mainly because the Council members agreed to stick to the budget this year.
Jail matron Kris Woodard came forward in support of the increase, saying the JCAP responsibilities have significantly changed.
Long wasn’t moved by that, saying the increase was outside the budget. Mitchell noted the funds would come from other sources, and Long reminded her that it’s still taxpayer money.
Council President Ernie Wiggins called for a vote to accept the wage committee’s recommendations with Wiggins, Jon Garber, Mitchell, Kathy Groninger and Doug Heinisch voting yea and Long voting nay.
Health Department Administrator Bob Weaver’s request to increase part-time public health specialist pay to $20 per hour, if necessary, as COVID-19 testing continues, was approved. The funds will come from CARES Act money. Weaver said the starting pay is $13.99 per hour.
Weaver said two regular part-time health department employees are being paid by CARES Act funds. They will return to the health department’s payroll when the grant expires. He said the federal government has set a June date on whether or not to continue the funding, depending on how the pandemic progresses.
The council approved a transfer of $70,640 in the CARES Act part-time public health specialist account to the COVID-19 testing account.
Woodard returned to the podium requesting a change in the salary ordinance for the JCAP coordinator’s annual salary to be set at $41,886, which was approved 5-1, with Long voting nay.
A transfer of $5,900 from the sheriff’s budget approved holiday pay to the JCAP coordinator position, was also approved 5-1.
Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Shane Bucher received permission to accept a total of $56,100 in Comprehensive Hoosier Highway's Injury Reduction Program (CHIRP) grants: $22,600 for CHIRP – Click It To Live It grant; $22,500 from the CHIRP Driving Under the Influence grant; $4,500 from the CHIRP-Summer Impaired Driving Enforcement Project police grant; $2,000 each from the CHIRP-Distracted Driver’s Enforcement and CHIRP-Drug Impaired Drivers grants and $2,500 from the CHIRP-Non-Motorist grant.
Bucher also received permission to apply for $150,000 grant to update police radios.
Sara Lancaster, county dispatch director, also received permission to apply for $150,000 State Homeland Security Program grant to update radio equipment along with county Emergency Management Director Ed Rock who will seek $22,000 to upgrade radios through a SHSP grant.
County Administrator Marsha McSherry asked for and received an additional appropriation of $18,144 from the CARES Act fund to reimburse wages.
County Auditor Michelle Puckett said encumbrances for March totaled $244,480.43.
Puckett also asked the Council if they would like to finalize the budget in September or October this year. The Council approved the budget in October last year. She said the extra time allowed the county to know more about funding. The Council members agreed and asked her to plan for the October vote.
Councilwoman Joni Truex was absent. Councilman Heinisch attended the meeting via Zoom. The next Council meeting is at 6 p.m. May 13.
Boggs talked about the bureau’s mission to encourage visitors to the county, saying that in 2019 tourism and the travel industry contributed $200 million to the local economy.
“2019 was a stellar year,” Boggs said. And then the pandemic severely curtailed travel, leaving occupancy rates down 39.5% in 2020, which equaled a 66% cut in innkeepers’ tax revenue. The innkeepers’ tax funds the bureau. The organization was supported with an Arts, Cultural and Marketing Destinations grant from the state and a Paycheck Protection Program loan approval.
Hanes said Boggs was being typically modest in not mentioning the county tourism website won an award last year and the Visitor’s Guide was highly praised the year before.
Soil and Water District Director Darci Zolman said a wage reimbursement between $1,600 and $6,200 will be returned to the county in saved wages while the district seeks another employee. The individual who conducts field inspections has resigned her position and the district is advertising for her replacement. The county is required to pay the district’s employee salaries.
Councilwoman Sue Ann Mitchell presented two wage committee recommendations, one from Jail Chemical Addiction Program (JCAP) for an increase in wages and one from the health department for a part-time public health specialist.
Mitchell said the JCAP coordinator, Courtney Jenkins, was hired but JCAP was delayed last year because of the pandemic. Jenkins went on to become a jailer, taking all the required training. She now serves the sheriff’s department as a jailer and as the JCAP coordinator.
Councilman Mike Long was against the proposed salary increase of $5,900, mainly because the Council members agreed to stick to the budget this year.
Jail matron Kris Woodard came forward in support of the increase, saying the JCAP responsibilities have significantly changed.
Long wasn’t moved by that, saying the increase was outside the budget. Mitchell noted the funds would come from other sources, and Long reminded her that it’s still taxpayer money.
Council President Ernie Wiggins called for a vote to accept the wage committee’s recommendations with Wiggins, Jon Garber, Mitchell, Kathy Groninger and Doug Heinisch voting yea and Long voting nay.
Health Department Administrator Bob Weaver’s request to increase part-time public health specialist pay to $20 per hour, if necessary, as COVID-19 testing continues, was approved. The funds will come from CARES Act money. Weaver said the starting pay is $13.99 per hour.
Weaver said two regular part-time health department employees are being paid by CARES Act funds. They will return to the health department’s payroll when the grant expires. He said the federal government has set a June date on whether or not to continue the funding, depending on how the pandemic progresses.
The council approved a transfer of $70,640 in the CARES Act part-time public health specialist account to the COVID-19 testing account.
Woodard returned to the podium requesting a change in the salary ordinance for the JCAP coordinator’s annual salary to be set at $41,886, which was approved 5-1, with Long voting nay.
A transfer of $5,900 from the sheriff’s budget approved holiday pay to the JCAP coordinator position, was also approved 5-1.
Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Shane Bucher received permission to accept a total of $56,100 in Comprehensive Hoosier Highway's Injury Reduction Program (CHIRP) grants: $22,600 for CHIRP – Click It To Live It grant; $22,500 from the CHIRP Driving Under the Influence grant; $4,500 from the CHIRP-Summer Impaired Driving Enforcement Project police grant; $2,000 each from the CHIRP-Distracted Driver’s Enforcement and CHIRP-Drug Impaired Drivers grants and $2,500 from the CHIRP-Non-Motorist grant.
Bucher also received permission to apply for $150,000 grant to update police radios.
Sara Lancaster, county dispatch director, also received permission to apply for $150,000 State Homeland Security Program grant to update radio equipment along with county Emergency Management Director Ed Rock who will seek $22,000 to upgrade radios through a SHSP grant.
County Administrator Marsha McSherry asked for and received an additional appropriation of $18,144 from the CARES Act fund to reimburse wages.
County Auditor Michelle Puckett said encumbrances for March totaled $244,480.43.
Puckett also asked the Council if they would like to finalize the budget in September or October this year. The Council approved the budget in October last year. She said the extra time allowed the county to know more about funding. The Council members agreed and asked her to plan for the October vote.
Councilwoman Joni Truex was absent. Councilman Heinisch attended the meeting via Zoom. The next Council meeting is at 6 p.m. May 13.
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092