Carroll County Commissioners, after a contentious discussion, decided to house the remaining two county ambulances in Delphi and Flora at the Monday night meeting. However the vote was split and came only after commissioner Bill Brown directed George Mears move to utilize the two locations. Brown then refused to provide a second, which forced commissioners' president Loren Hylton to enter into the vote to reach the conclusion. Brown then refused to vote with the other commissioners to approve the locations for the ambulances.

Commissioner-elect Pat Clawson called housing the ambulances in Flora and Delphi a "no-brainer" and suggested it was time to plan to add another set of vehicle and staff by 2010.

"We really need to get back to three ambulances," he said. "We've got to get together on this."

"Get it done for this year and work on it for next year. We need to get focused on people in this community," he added.

Emergency medical director Mike Durr said it would take roughly $200,000 to add another ambulance to the two left in service. The 2009 department appropriation is approximately $673,000 down from roughly $923,000 in 2008.

Brown lashed out at county council member Steve Ashby, the only council member in the audience. Brown said he could not sleep at night if he was one of the people who sat at the council table last fall to vote to fund only two ambulances for the county. He called the ambulance budget reductions "criminal."

Durr was granted permission to establish an EMS advisory group to brainstorm funding options for the department. Clawson volunteered to serve on the committee.

Highway superintendent named

Paul Couts (pronounced Coats) was formally named county highway superintendent/engineer, effective Tuesday, Dec. 16. The employment contract was signed at the meeting. It was verified the state of Indiana would supplement the county salary of $38,120 another $20,000 for the appropriately credentialed position. According to commissioners' attorney Barry Emerson, Couts will be a salaried employee with benefits, but will not qualify for overtime compensation.

Combined dispatch

An inter-local agreement between Delphi and the county to join police and emergency dispatch services beginning Jan. 1 was endorsed. According to the agreement Delphi will pay $50,000 per year to the county plus the cost of the transfer of telephone lines currently used by the city, the cost of transportation, installation and maintenance of the equipment presently used and monthly recurring costs of telephone lines during the term of the annual agreement. The arrangement will automatically renew unless one party terminates it. Administration of dispatch will be vested with the E-911 coordinator, the commissioners and the county 911 advisory board.

Employee health insurance

County insurance agent Cindy Finkenbinder reported 2008 health insurance claims were more than premiums paid for the service; $1,289,423 to $1,225,000. She said given that loss ratio, only one other insurance company would bid on the service contract.

"This is not a pretty picture," she said.

Finkenbinder said seven employees accounted for $497,000 of the claims. She said it was not good business for a provider to take the group when claims exceed premiums.

Finkenbinder was directed to pursue a 2009 contract with current provider United Healthcare. It was determined the package would be amended to accommodate the 2009 budget appropriation for the county contribution.

County road extension After learning the design phase for the county road extension to SR75 project would be have to be initially totally funded by the county, commissioners hesitated to sign a nearly $2 million contract with the Troyer Group to provide the services. Although the Indiana Department of Transportation awarded the county $1.2 million for an 80 percent match, the match money will be realized as a credit with the state against the county obligation for 20 percent of the construction costs.

Troyer Group representative Mario Pasarel said INDOT agreed to move an at-grade Hoosier Heartland crossing and tie it into the new county road in the area north of Camden.

"We'd be fools not to take advantage of this," Brown said.

However freshly-appointed highway superintendent Couts asked Pasarel to declare the amount of money needed for 2009 design work, given budgetary constraints.

"That (information) would be critical to me," he said.

Pasarel was directed to provide an estimated cost for 2009 services before a contract was signed.

Park board

Commissioners requested residents interested in serving on the Carroll County Parks Board to contact one of the commissioners or county auditor Beth Myers.

Other business

Sheriff Tony Burns was granted permission to proceed with a purchase of four replacement department vehicles with $80,000 from the cumulative capital improvement fund, pending council approval.

Kathaleen (Kathy) Zink was named to a four-year term to the Delphi Public Library Board of Trustees.

The 2009 county extension contract with Purdue University was signed.

A 12-day county employee holiday schedule was approved. Holidays include:

• New Year's Day - Jan. 1 • Good Friday - April 10 • Memorial Day - May 25 • Independence Day - July 3 • Martin Luther King Day- July 6 • Labor Day - Sept. 7 • Columbus Day - Oct. 12 • Veterans' Day - Nov. 11 • Thanksgiving Day- Nov. 26 • Lincoln's Birthday- Nov. 27 • Washington's Birthday-Dec. 24

• Christmas Day - Dec. 25

Carroll County YMCA will use the courthouse Feb. 8 for a big band dance from 5 to 8 p.m. as a fundraiser.

Delphi resident John Neumann was recognized for his work in cleaning the courthouse cannon after it was spray-painted in a vandalism incident.

Mike Shockley and Gary Hathaway were recognized for their Veteran's Day celebration efforts after the annual program on the courthouse grounds.

A presentation by Smith Office Supply advocating consolidated purchasing to reduce office supply costs was heard. Smith representative Deb Goyer said the company provides custom services to several surrounding counties including Clinton and Tippecanoe.

Representatives from The Stationaire Express of Monticello, from which department office supplies have been purchased, agreed consolidation of purchases could save the county money.

A year-end meeting for claims and to sign 2009 employment contracts was scheduled for Dec. 29 at 9 a.m.

The next monthly commissioners meeting will be Jan. 5 at 9 a.m.