Two of the three Carroll County Commissioners were faced with two situations involving a lack of funding for the Emergency Medical Service at Monday morning's meeting. And in both instances they made no decision to proceed with recommendations provided. Commissioner Bill Brown, who was ill, did not attend.

The county leaders heard a recommendation from the county council to advertise for bids to privatize the ambulance service currently offered by the county. Council member Steve Ashby said the council would vote Nov. 24 to appropriate approximately $250,000 less to EMS than last year, bringing the operating budget to roughly $673,000 for 2009.

"I think it would be wise to look at this avenue to trim our expenses," Ashby said. "Maybe this isn't the answer but we need to look at all of the options we can. We've absorbed all that we can absorb."

He suggested commissioners advertise for a "like service" which would employ current employees as professional staff. He said the council suggested not advertising for a lesser service than already provided.

Commissioners' attorney Barry Emerson recommended county leaders develop specifications for which to advertise if they decided to issue a request for proposals.

Commissioners' president Loren Hylton said he was concerned about the current level of service possibly being jeopardized with privatization. George Mears said hiring a new service not familiar with Carroll County roads was "scary."

EMS Director Mike Durr said he would be forced to reduce services which would close both the Burlington and the Yeoman sites as a result of the budget reduction. He indicated closing the Yeoman site would put the Yeoman Community Center/EMS Garage project in jeopardy. Hylton said no council member suggested commissioners not pursue the joint project in relation to the budget.

A committee to determine specifications to be used if commissioners seek bidders to outsource the ambulance service which included council members Ashby, Ann Brown, commissioner Hylton, Durr and a private citizen. It was noted there would be no guarantee commissioners would pursue privatization of the service after bid specifications were developed.

Commissioners were presented with a recommendation by Yeoman engineer/architect Ken Smith to hire Hern Construction to construct the Yeoman Community Center/EMS Garage. No decision was made about proceeding.

Yeoman Community Center/EMS Garage

Grant coordinator Amy Miller presented the recommendation. When asked exactly what the grant required for ambulance service participation for compliance, Miller said she would need to confer with the state funders. She said the county would be responsible for maintaining the project for five years after construction was completed and the grant was closed out.

Commissioners objected when they learned project bid proposals were kept by Smith. Commissioners and Durr decided to review them before making a selection. Miller was directed to ensure the proposals were returned to the courthouse and stored in the auditor's office. A decision will be made Nov. 17.

Durr said he did not know if he would continue in the department head position if the service was reduced to two ambulances. He also said it was not clear to him why the EMS budget was reduced drastically when other department budgets were not.

In a follow-up Comet interview, Ashby explained the situation.

"Every budget appropriation out of county general has been reduced from the request if department heads asked for more money this year," he said. "The percentage of reductions in the sheriff's department was more than EMS."

"When we added Burlington, Yeoman and purchased ambulances with equipment, not to mention added employees, we didn't have the funds to support all of that. We just didn't know it at the time," council president Nancy Cripe added. "We weren't looking at income. If we had realized no one at the ambulance service was billing for services consistently, we probably would have held off on some of that spending. We just can't continue to live beyond our means any more."

Comprehensive Land Use Development Plan

Amid objections by three audience members and at the urging of three others, commissioners adopted Resolution 2008-11 to approve the county comprehensive land use plan. Objections included a concern that all commissioners were not present for the vote to approve the document, described as "a guide for future growth for Carroll County" and that the plan did not adequately address needs of rural residents who are not farmers.

"It's critical we address this plan and get it passed," comprehensive plan steering committee Dick Bradshaw said.

He said the development process lasted more than a year with ample time for pubic input.

Zoning administrator Kathy Mylet said there was no group not represented on the steering committee to develop the plan.

Other business

The county highway department will work in conjunction with the Wabash & Erie Canal Association to do work on the Washington St. stone arch bridge. The water level will be lowered for work to enable a canal boat replica to pass through the arch. Canal association member Dan McCain said an increase in tourist traffic is expected. He recommended the bridge receive a higher weight limit to accommodate tour buses, which are currently rerouted around the downtown area.

The next meeting will be Nov. 17 at 9 a.m.

Drainage Board

County surveyor Wayne Chapman reported Indiana Department of Environmental Management visited the Boerman Dairy south of Cutler last week and issued a critical report. Noting five "unsatisfactory" conditions and 12 conditions required to be corrected by Nov. 7, Chapman said no work to reconcile the issues had been done by Oct. 31 at the end of the day.

Conditions required immediate attention included:

• Install appropriate sediment control practice between construction areas and lower lying areas;

• Temporary seed, fertilize and or mulch;

• Permanent seed, fertilize and mulch areas that are at final grade;

• Protect storm drain inlets;

• Reshape and stabilize sideslopes of sediment traps and retention basins;

• Install and maintain construction entrance;

• Reshape and stabilize conveyance channels;

• Use concrete washout management measures to contain washout fluids;

• Post at the site entrance site information as required by IAC 15-5-7 (b)(6);

• Submit self inspection reports; and

• Clean up, dispose and contain/store spilled lubricants and used oil filters appropriate for regulated materials.

Those issues declared "Unsatisfactory" included:

• Disturbed areas adequately protected through seeding or other appropriate erosion and sediment control measures;

• Appropriate perimeter sediment control measures have been implemented;

• Conveyance channels have been stabilized or protected with appropriate sediment control measures;

• Storm drain inlets have been adequately protected; and

• Public and private roadways are kept clear of accumulated sediment or tracked soil.

Drainage board president Mears said it was the responsibility of the county to protect the county drain if the owner was doing nothing.

"I think we are pretty well set until we see what happens after Nov. 7," Chapman replied.

The IDEM report was provided to Gerritt Arendsen - Boerman Carroll Dairy LLC, Steve Gill - North Point Engineering, Carroll County Soil and Water District and Randy Braun - IDEM.

The next meeting will be Dec. 1 at 8:30 a.m.