Carroll County Commissioners did an about face when they directed E- 911 director Jay Dee Cree, who was not present, to dispatch all Jefferson Township ambulance calls to the Monticello Fire Department at their Monday morning meeting. Commissioners recently rejected two separate requests by township leaders to allow E-911 to dispatch the neighboring county service instead of the county service.

Jefferson Township Trustee Harold Erdmann told commissioners the township advisory board made an agreement with the Monticello Fire Department and the Monticello Board of Works to provide the service separate from Carroll County's service.

"Residents of Jefferson Township are overwhelmingly in favor of the contract with Monticello," Erdmann said. "You're looking at big differences in response times."

Commissioners president Loren Hylton voted in favor of the switch but noted that the decrease in income from ambulance runs could negatively impact future funding for the entire Carroll County ambulance service. He said Cree was not consulted directly about the possible change.

Other ambulance business

Emergency Medical Service director Mike Durr reported the Flora ambulance garage was flooded and could not be used until it is repaired. He said the Flora ambulance was moved to Burlington by agreement and recommended commissioners leave it there for the remainder of the year. He further recommended not making repairs to the Flora site because it floods at least twice each year.

Commissioners approved the plan to house the Flora ambulance in Burlington and use the Flora site for storage.

Highway department

Highway engineer Paul Couts said flood damage costs have reached approximately $84,821 and continue to mount. He said overtime for workers is $32,935 to date.

Couts said 39 locations suffered damage and many of those have been repaired. The repair to the Crooked Road to Flora/Delphi is expected to begin next week. Couts said pipe from the highway department stock will be used for the repair which will allow the job to be completed earlier than waiting for delivery of less costly materials.

Couts said work was completed on the stone arch bridge on N. Washington St. in Delphi. Weight limitations were lifted as a result of the repair. Couts warned the repair would only last from five to seven years and would need to be monitored for safety during that time.

HHH overlay district

Commissioners approved the Hoosier Heartland Overlay District Outline as presented by zoning administrator Kathy Mylet and comprehensive land use plan steering committee member Miriam Robeson. However, section 15, which regulates billboards, was excluded from the approved document for modifications.

Commissioners disagreed with restrictions the document placed on billboard placement. Robeson said given the recommended restrictions, approximately 20 signs will be allowed next to the new highway in Carroll County.

Bill Brown said he thought, although the restrictions would encourage the billboard industry to locate in the county, they would prohibit county businesses from owning a sign. He said local businesses would be forced to rent sign space from a larger concern, with headquarters located outside of the county.

Robeson said the language in the overlay is directed toward the billboard industry because it is expected local businesses will rent space from them. She further stated the document is meant to be modified as problems are discovered and solutions discussed.

"We don't expect this to be the last word in billboards," she said.

Robeson advised that property, which adjoined land controlled by the overlay and owned by the same property owner, would be under the same restrictions unless the section under the overlay is legally separated from the surrounding land.

Brown said businesses and the county tax base could suffer if the restrictions are adopted.

EDIT

County auditor Beth Myers announced additional tax from an economic development income tax increase will be approximately $115,960 more than last year. Commissioners will meet June 9 at 8:30 a.m. to hear funding presentations to develop the 2008 plan.

4-H buildings

Resolution 2009-05, which prohibits skateboarding, roller skating, in-line skating and bicycling in the show arena and barns operated by 4- H in Flora, was adopted. Commissioners attorney Barry Emerson will submit an ordinance at the June 15 meeting which will prohibit all forms of trespassing in all county buildings. The ordinance will include violation fines.

Other business

French Post Park rules were approved as presented by the county parks board. *See accompanying story for details.

Delphi Lions Club will use courthouse restrooms July 4 from 9 to 11 a.m. during the parade. The club will have a sign on the lawn June 27-July 4 advertising the event.

The evergreen on the southwest corner of the courthouse lawn will be removed as supervised by commissioner Pat Clawson.

An application to Carroll Manor for Bobbie J. Jones was approved.

Payroll claims for $149,025 were approved, with a stipulation about the state tobacco cessation grant with services provided through the county health department. Questions about service provision and the amount of pay received by former health department clerk Mary Jones and sanitarian Kris Jones arose at the May 18 commissioners meeting and continue to exist.

Council president Ann Brown said commissioners should sign all grants submitted to the state. The tobacco cessation grant was not presented to them for approval. She said the personnel providing the service should be under contract with the county if the amount paid to them exceeded the county's salary ordinance. She further stated the county should be compensated for the auditor's work to process the claims and deduct payroll taxes.

Auditor Beth Myers reported she was instructed by the Indiana State Board of Accounts to process the claims as payroll and said she was told that the salary ordinance was not an issue.

Commissioners agreed the grant will be reviewed before further claims against it are approved.

The next meeting will be June 15 at 6 p.m.

Drainage board

Cutler dairy operator Garrett Arendsen told drainage board members, Bill Brown, Loren Hylton and Pat Clawson, he is "not gone" and he is searching "for financing to realize the project."

"I don't run away from responsibility," he said.

Arendsen said site drainage was "not a problem, but needed to be taken care of." He said beans are planted on some of the ground, which will help some of the perceived drainage issues.

County surveyor Wayne Chapman reported 11 work orders in Monroe, Madison, Carrollton, Jefferson, Democrat and Burlington townships. At least half of the orders have been finished.

The next drainage board meeting will be July 6 at 8:30 a.m.