County Council Approves JDAI Grant Application
February 12, 2021 at 2:32 a.m.
By Teresa [email protected]
The request was approved.
The funds will be for Superior Court I programs.
Reed also asked for an ordinance amendment for a court administrator to be paid $43,242 per year, which also was approved. Reed explained the budget erroneously listed the salary as a level 1 and it should have been level 3, a difference of $2,173. The additional money will be transfered from part-time courts to court administrator.
Probation Department Director Tammy Johnston also asked for salary ordinance amendments for probation officer No. 2 to receive $55,234 per year as this individual will mark her 10th year in the department; and for probation officer No. 12 to receive $43,510 per year, who started as a one-year officer instead of a probationary officer because of his experience in another county. These amendments were approved. The additional appropriations will come from the county general fund: $5,022 for officer No. 2 and $4,398 for officer No. 12.
County Administrator Marsha McSherry’s request to apply CARES Act funds to $218,975 worth of invoices as approved by the CARES Act committee was approved.
McSherry said the Justice Building’s main entrance on the east side will be closed Feb. 15-19, as the security system is reconfigured. The security officers will relocate to the south entrance while the new system is installed.
She said jail toilet controls are being installed block-by-block with two blocks finished and four more to go. This should control overuse of water and flooding situations experienced in the jail.
McSherry said the south basement-level door has been replaced, noting that these lower level doors take more weather than the other doors.
Video conferencing is not yet 100%, she added, saying there is a slight miscommunication between computers. The virtual system should be up and running by Feb. 22.
In other business to come before the council:
President Ernie Wiggins noted that Sue Ann Mitchell will present a congratulatory certificate to Charles Sexton of North Webster for his Eagle Scout designation. A Scout ceremony will be Sunday and Mitchell will attend.
Emergency Management Director Ed Rock said the Assistance to Firefighter grant is complete and will be filed before today’s 5 p.m. deadline. If received, the grant will provide for new radios in all fire trucks and mobile radios for every seat in the trucks in the county. The new radios are expected to cost $1.3 million. Each fire station will be responsible for 10% of the costs.
Rock said the new radios will be compatible with the county’s new communication system. There will be 250 portable radios and 76 mobile radios.
Mitchell outlined several Indiana Senate bills which could impact governmental units, if approved.
She said SB207, the motor vehicle highway fund bill, has new language. References to the wheel tax were removed. This bill is now headed to the House.
Several bills, she said, could be detrimental to county government: SB1381 would take county planning out of commercial wind and solar installation placements; SB5 would allow for an appeals process if event organizers consider the local health department’s restrictions too restrictive.
Senate Bill 42 would prohibit defunding the police, she also said.
Mitchell said there were two bills regarding electronic or virtual meetings and how many times an elected official could attend virtual meetings. She expected the Council would be required to establish local resolutions to comply with these protocols, if passed by the legislature.
Mitchell also said County Auditor Michelle Puckett has agreed to include employee hire dates with budget information from now on. This should alleviate the many salary ordinance amendments requested before the council as employees reach an anniversary that calls for more income.
Councilwoman Joni Truex said the County Redevelopment Commissioners are having a Redevelopment 101 Zoom conference with Baker Tilly representatives on Feb. 25 at 1:30 p.m. She invited the other Council members to attend.
The next council meeting is March 11 at 6 p.m. in the old courtroom.
The request was approved.
The funds will be for Superior Court I programs.
Reed also asked for an ordinance amendment for a court administrator to be paid $43,242 per year, which also was approved. Reed explained the budget erroneously listed the salary as a level 1 and it should have been level 3, a difference of $2,173. The additional money will be transfered from part-time courts to court administrator.
Probation Department Director Tammy Johnston also asked for salary ordinance amendments for probation officer No. 2 to receive $55,234 per year as this individual will mark her 10th year in the department; and for probation officer No. 12 to receive $43,510 per year, who started as a one-year officer instead of a probationary officer because of his experience in another county. These amendments were approved. The additional appropriations will come from the county general fund: $5,022 for officer No. 2 and $4,398 for officer No. 12.
County Administrator Marsha McSherry’s request to apply CARES Act funds to $218,975 worth of invoices as approved by the CARES Act committee was approved.
McSherry said the Justice Building’s main entrance on the east side will be closed Feb. 15-19, as the security system is reconfigured. The security officers will relocate to the south entrance while the new system is installed.
She said jail toilet controls are being installed block-by-block with two blocks finished and four more to go. This should control overuse of water and flooding situations experienced in the jail.
McSherry said the south basement-level door has been replaced, noting that these lower level doors take more weather than the other doors.
Video conferencing is not yet 100%, she added, saying there is a slight miscommunication between computers. The virtual system should be up and running by Feb. 22.
In other business to come before the council:
President Ernie Wiggins noted that Sue Ann Mitchell will present a congratulatory certificate to Charles Sexton of North Webster for his Eagle Scout designation. A Scout ceremony will be Sunday and Mitchell will attend.
Emergency Management Director Ed Rock said the Assistance to Firefighter grant is complete and will be filed before today’s 5 p.m. deadline. If received, the grant will provide for new radios in all fire trucks and mobile radios for every seat in the trucks in the county. The new radios are expected to cost $1.3 million. Each fire station will be responsible for 10% of the costs.
Rock said the new radios will be compatible with the county’s new communication system. There will be 250 portable radios and 76 mobile radios.
Mitchell outlined several Indiana Senate bills which could impact governmental units, if approved.
She said SB207, the motor vehicle highway fund bill, has new language. References to the wheel tax were removed. This bill is now headed to the House.
Several bills, she said, could be detrimental to county government: SB1381 would take county planning out of commercial wind and solar installation placements; SB5 would allow for an appeals process if event organizers consider the local health department’s restrictions too restrictive.
Senate Bill 42 would prohibit defunding the police, she also said.
Mitchell said there were two bills regarding electronic or virtual meetings and how many times an elected official could attend virtual meetings. She expected the Council would be required to establish local resolutions to comply with these protocols, if passed by the legislature.
Mitchell also said County Auditor Michelle Puckett has agreed to include employee hire dates with budget information from now on. This should alleviate the many salary ordinance amendments requested before the council as employees reach an anniversary that calls for more income.
Councilwoman Joni Truex said the County Redevelopment Commissioners are having a Redevelopment 101 Zoom conference with Baker Tilly representatives on Feb. 25 at 1:30 p.m. She invited the other Council members to attend.
The next council meeting is March 11 at 6 p.m. in the old courtroom.
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