It’s all bricks for Carroll Manor
By Debbie Lowe

Carroll County Council paved the way for the Carroll Manor renovation project to move forward in the manner it was originally intended at an early Thursday morning meeting.

The project received bids that exceeded the amount of a grant awarded by the Office of Rural Affairs on two separate bidding occasions. It looked as if the project would have to be changed by substituting less expensive materials, such as putting vinyl on the outside rather than the desired brick, to make the project viable and receive the grant money in the time allotted.

At their first meeting in December, county commissioners accepted a bid for the project without knowing from where the total amount of funding would come.

The mystery was solved when council members approved a transfer request of $52,000 from the building and structure liability line item in the commissioners’ budget to the Carroll Manor Elevator fund. The measure passed in a four-to-one vote.

Outgoing council member John Blackburn voted against the transfer. Council member Nancy Cripe was absent for the meeting.

Blackburn said in a telephone interview with the Comet later that day, he would have preferred bids be let separately in the future for the brickwork to obtain a more competitive price.

He said it was reasonable for commissioners to have an extra $52,000 in their budget, due to a liability premium coming in “a lot less than expected.” He said it was difficult to predict the premium cost for the next year when budgets are presented in August.

Andersons tax abatement

Council members unanimously approved a five-year tax abatement for the Andersons in Delphi.

“It is good common sense to give a tax abatement to the Andersons,” Economic Development Director Daryl Smith said in support of the measure.

Operations manager for the Delphi Cob Division Kevin McElfresh denied any fulltime jobs would be eliminated at the mill. He said it is normal to lay off part-time personnel at this time of year. He said the plan is to add one or two full-time employees by the end of 2008.

Council member Steve Ashby said the Andersons paid $215,250 last year in taxes and that amount will not decrease due to the abatement.

“I appreciate that business,” he said.

County attorney Barry Emerson said although the abatement was for five years, only the first year’s taxes will be abated 100 percent. After that, twenty-five percent of the new equipment tax will be levied. He said that percentage would increase to the full amount after five years.

Meeting times

A request by council member Ann Brown, with support from Ashby, to set an annual schedule for monthly meetings received no action.

The next meeting was scheduled for Jan. 26 at 8 a.m.

Other business

Council member Nancy Cripe was named to the 2007 Northwest Solid Waste District Board of Directors in abstentia. Council member Ron Slavens was appointed as alternate.

County auditor Beth Myers was granted permission to approve transfers equal to or less than $50. She was directed to provide a monthly list of those transfers to council members.

Additional appropriations

Money received from the state for 80/20-funded shared bridge projects is deposited into county general. The money must be approved as additional appropriations to the highway department before being utilized for bridge work.

An additional appropriation for $47,722.86 was approved for the Carrollton Bridge project; $59,787.70 for Bridge #18; and $38,101.83 for bridge inspections.

Next meeting

The next county council meeting will be Jan. 26 at 8 a.m.