Nancy R. Cripe elected council president
By Debbie Lowe Staff writer
Carroll County Council members voted to install five-year member Nancy R. Cripe as president, replacing long-time president Rob Baker. Cripe was elected in abstentia at the Friday morning meeting and was unavailable for comment. Carl Abbott, chosen as vicepresident, led the meeting.

Cripe

The absence of the newly elected president did not deter council members from continuing to closely monitor and question spending requests by department heads. A list of 18 encumbrances and one additional appropriation was presented for consideration. Each request was scrutinized, and upto date department needs information was supplied by auditor Beth Myers. Some requests were granted in full, some in part and in one case a denial was issued.

County highway superintendent Ron Francis presented a "talking paper" with a synopsis of the county bridge projects for which he was requesting encumbrances. A split vote of three in favor and two against to encumber money for bridge #181, Burnett's Creek Arch for $73,697.83 and a reduction from $209,540.54 to $50,000 for bridge #129 was approved.

A request to encumber $43,916.04 for rehabilitation of the Tioga Bridge to make it a pedestrian bridge was unanimously denied. Francis said it would cost more to dismantle the bridge than it would cost for rehabilitation due to federal grants available for the project. Baker pointed out that the cost to dismantle it would be a onetime cost, but repair and upkeep costs would mount in the future.

It was further noted the county would derive limited benefit from the project, plus it would tax the already limited county financial situation.

"We can't afford it," Baker said.

Calling the topic of bridges "sacred ground," and specifically referring to Burnett's Creek Arch, Ron Slavens said he did not understand why the county "is spending money we don't have."

Abbott agreed with his fellow council member.

"It just goes to show you that grants aren't free," he added referring to two $500,000 federal grants received for structure rehabilitation.

Francis had a slightly different opinion about the structure, which is the oldest stone arch bridge in operation in the state.

"Is it worth preserving? I think so," he said.

"If we had a lot of money, I wouldn't disagree with you," Slavens replied.

[A copy of the 'talking paper'

can be obtained at the county

highway garage in Flora or the

Comet office in Delphi.]

Future cost-saving measures and policies discussed

Council members agreed by consensus to a variety of measures designed to limit spending and conserve funds in the future. One of the first on the list of 13 items was the need to revise the personnel policy manual. There was agreement that the current manual contains significant ambiguity and not designed in a manner to support current county spending issues. Commissioners are responsible for policy revisions.

Abbott turned to commissioners' president Loren Hylton in the audience with the request commissioners begin the process of outsourcing a revision project to a qualified professional.

"We just have to move on this," he emphasized.

Hylton replied that there was no money put in the commissioners' 2008 budget for the project.

"I'd be willing to use Riverboat Gambling money for that," Steve Ashby said, with the consensus of the council members.

Ann Brown also directed comments to Hylton. She said commissioners must develop a list of department heads not eligible by law for compensatory time. She advised him of the need to issue a stop order to those individuals to bring the county in compliance.

Other items agreed upon included instructions to the auditor to not write checks without council approval when there are inadequate funds in the budget line items and to not deviate from the Indiana State Board of Accounts, the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance or council recommendations.

Myers said there have been instances when she followed advice from other auditors who had differing opinions from SBOA and DLGF. She said that was the case when she deposited the recent property tax rebate money received from the state into the general fund.

Council will receive monthly comp and overtime reports from the auditor. An equality of the work-week for all county employees will be established. Some work 36 hours while some 40 per week. The county will work toward the goal of twice-monthly 2009-payroll distribution rather than weekly. Paperwork for transfers and additional appropriations reports plus financial reports will be distributed by the auditor in sufficient time prior to the upcoming meeting to allow council members to ask questions and provide input about the situation at the meeting.

It will be suggested to the new council president to institute consistent meeting days and times for schedule planning and taxpayer involvement purposes. And finally, joint meetings between the council and the commissioners will be pursued on a monthly basis.

Jerry Hendress requested one more item be listed for council members to agree upon.

"We have to look at the revenues," he said. "We need to work with the commissioners to watch this."

"In everything, there is a cost for doing business," he added. "There must be changes made to the fee structure (charged by various departments) based on the cost of doing business."

Auditor's report

Myers said the current balance of county general was $444,102.40. However, Slavens noted if the property tax rebate of more than $700,000 is deducted from that balance, the county would show a negative balance for the general fund. Myers replied that the cumulative bridge fund certificate of deposit would be cashed in on Jan. 14. She said the property tax rebate money would be taken out of the general fund line item when the borrowed money is deposited.

Myers said she was able to report to the state the county did not spend $418,084 out of the 2007 budget that will help the 2008 budget figures. The "surplus" was figured from 2007 line-item appropriations and how much remained at the end of the year. (It is suspected the 2008 budget will not be approved by the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance because there would not be enough income and cash surplus to support the proposed appropriations.)

Myers reported the county's ambulance service, utilizing a paid billing firm, collected $443,612.69 in 2007 for services offered. That number is twice the amount collected in 2006.

Encumbrances approved:

• Museum - $928.04 for the curator and $801.73 for the assistant curator;

• EMA - $600 for the outgoing director's unused vacation;

• Park board - $693.50 for board member pay;

• Sheriff - $1,655.68 to pick up a prisoner from Casper, Wyoming;

• Animal control - $1080.88 for animal control officer's last two week's salary and $755 for Dr. Lawrence Stauffer's December professional services;

• Soil and water - $1,125 for rent costs;

• Treasurer - $795 for computer software maintenance;

• Reassessment - $31,150 for a reassessment contract;

• Cum bridge - $3,422.36 for bridge #81, $56,278.95 for Wilson Bridge, $73,697.83 for Burnett's Creek Arch, $116,968.18 for bridge #36, $50,000 for bridge #129 and $32,500 for bridge #502.

The motion was passed with a three to two vote on Bridge #36. Ashby, who voted to encumber the money, urged Francis to consider installing a culvert rather than to follow through with current plans. The 2008 budget reflects an additional $60,000 appropriation for the project, which would be added to the encumbrance of $116,968.18.

Sheriff Tony Burns was granted an additional appropriation of $25,000 from the misdemeanant fund for intercom and cameras for the jail.

Other business

Louis Nance was appointed to the Local Alcoholic Beverage Board and Harry Jones was appointed to area plan commission.

The next meeting is Jan. 31 at 4 p.m.