PORTER COUNTY COUNCIL
Special Meeting
August 9, 2004

The Porter County Council held a special meeting prior to the Public Hearing and First Readings on August 9, 2004 at 5:00 p.m. in the County Administration Center, 155 Indiana-Suite 205, Valparaiso, Indiana.

Members present were Karen Conover, Carole Knoblock, John Ruge, Robert Poparad, Rita Stevenson, and President William Carmichael. Also present were Auditor Sandra Vuko, Attorney David Hollenbeck, Sheila Riley and Karen Owen.

FIRST READING

At this time Mrs. Vuko read the Notice to Taxpayers.

SUPERIOR COURT 2-ALEXA 01.83
Transfer
$116 from 3110 Legal to 4440 Furniture & Fixtures over $100

Mr. Carmichael, The first item is Superior Court 2, a transfer of $116 from Legal to Furniture & Fixtures over $100 for Bill Alexa's court. What's the Council's pleasure?

Mrs. Conover moved to grant the request for transfer of funds submitted by Superior Court 2, 01.83, $116 from 3110 Legal to 4440 Furniture & Fixtures over $100. Mr. Poparad seconded, motion carried on a unanimous voice vote.

PARKS 01.85
Transfer
$1,000 from 2210 Gas, Fuel & Lube to 3510 Power
$250 from 3650 Vehicle Repair to 3955 Compliance Testing
$200 from 3610 Maintenance Agreements to 3955 Compliance Testing

Mr. Carmichael, Parks, a transfer of $1,000 from Gas, Fuel & Lube to Power; $250 from Vehicle Repair to Compliance Testing; and $200 from Maintenance Agreements to Compliance Testing. What's the Council's pleasure?

Mr. Poparad moved to grant the request for transfer of funds submitted by Parks 01.85, $1,000 from 2210 Gas, Fuel & Lube to 3510 Power, $250 from 3650 Vehicle Repair to 3955 Compliance Testing and $200 from 3610 Maintenance Agreements to 3955 Compliance Testing. Mrs. Conover seconded, motion carried on a unanimous voice vote.

Ed Melendez, Thank you.

HIGHWAY 02
Transfer
$1,287. 90 from 1110 Salaries to 4410 Office Equipment over $100
$30 from 1110 Salaries to 4510 Data Processing Equipment
$20,255 from 1110 Salaries to 3420 Bldg/Liability/Comp Coverage

Mr. Carmichael, Highway, $1,287.90 from Salaries to Office Equipment over $100; $30 from Salaries to Data Processing Equipment; $20,255 from Salaries to Bldg/Liability/Comp Coverage. Do you have anything to add to that? Is there a motion?

Mr. Poparad moved to grant the request for transfer of funds submitted by Highway 02, $1,287.90 from 1110 Salaries to 4410 Office Equipment over $100, $30 from 1110 Salaries to 4510 Data Processing Equipment, and $20,255 from 1110 Salaries to 3420 Bldg/Liability/Comp Coverage. Mrs. Stevenson seconded, motion carried on a unanimous voice vote.

SHERIFF 01.05
Transfer
$25,000 from 1110 Salaries to 1130 Overtime

Mr. Carmichael, Sheriff, transfer of $25,000 to Overtime; from Salaries to Overtime. I think, Bob, you met with the sheriff, and he indicated he was pretty busy.

Mr. Poparad, Yes, he wasn't going to make it, he was going to send Mr. Lain.

Mr. Carmichael, You've had?

Chief Deputy Dave Lain, Some major case investigations.

Mr. Carmichael, Quite a few as I understand.

Mr. Poparad, Yes.

Mr. Carmichael, What's the Council's pleasure?

Mrs. Conover moved to grant the request for transfer of funds submitted by Sheriff 01.05, $25,000 from 1110 Salaries to 1130 Overtime. Mr. Poparad seconded, motion carried on a unanimous voice vote.

Mr. Carmichael, Thank you, Dave.

LIBERTY TOWNSHIP 01.53
Transfer
$2,500 from 1110 Salaries to 1120 Hourly

Mr. Carmichael, Liberty Township, $2,500 from Salaries to Hourly. Is there any discussion on this matter? Is there a motion?

Mr. Ruge moved to grant the request for transfer of funds submitted by Liberty Township 01.53, $2,500 from 1110 Salaries to 1120 Hourly. Mrs. Knoblock seconded.

Mr. Carmichael, Further discussion? Any questions?

Mr. Poparad, What's she doing here? Is this the one? Is this Jean?

Mr. Carmichael, Does anyone know about this request for transfer?

Mrs. Vuko, I know she was going to be here.

Mr. Carmichael, Well it isn't necessary for her to be here, but. It's a small amount. Is there further discussion? Those in favor of the motion, answer by the usual sign of aye.

Motion carried on a unanimous voice vote.

PCADOS 23
Transfer
$200 from 3130 Training & Education to 2330 Household & Bedding

Mr. Carmichael, PCADOS, you need a transfer of $200 from Training & Education to Household & Bedding. And you're closing out PCADOS?

Neil Hannon, Just the Portage office was, yes.

Mr. Carmichael, The Portage office you are closing. Okay, what's the Council's pleasure? Is there a motion?
Mr. Poparad moved to grant the request for transfer of fund submitted by PCADOS 34, $200 from 3130 Training & Education to 2330 Household & Bedding. Mrs. Stevenson seconded, motion carried on a unanimous voice vote.

AUDITOR 01.02
Additional Appropriation
$10,000 to 1120 Hourly

Mr. Carmichael, Auditor, Hourly for the Auditor, $10,000 to Hourly. Is there any problem with that?

Mr. Poparad moved to grant the request for additional appropriations submitted by Auditor 01.02, $10,000 to 1120 Hourly. Mrs. Stevenson seconded, motion carried on a unanimous roll call vote.

COMMISSIONERS' CEDIT 252.30
Additional Appropriation
$60,000 to 0001 CEDIT Project #3

Mr. Carmichael, Commissioner's CEDIT, do you want to come and explain this, Bob, what you're looking for, the additional for CEDIT Project #3? You're looking for an additional of $60,000, and I understand you have some repairs to do.

Com. Robert Harper, We're not looking for an additional out of this, out of Project #3. We haven't drawn anything down out of the proposed Project #3, which is for building upkeep and improvements. The intended use of the money is to finish, to complete and pay for that job on the mold in the courthouse. They've been in there one time, and they've done the preliminary work. There has to be some more drywall removed. They're supposed to be coming in front of us with a quote on that. Once that's done, there's going to be plastering and remodeling that has to be done to finish up there. So that's part of the intended use for that money.
The other intended use was, if you notice, we've done quite a bit of work on trying to bring the landscaping back around. It got pretty out of shape, and we've worked on that. There's a door for the security guards on the first floor of the courthouse that does not have a window in it; they'll have eight, ten, fifteen prisoners, and they open the door to the outside they can't see what's outside before they open it. There's a door that is on the list of things to do, to get a window in that.
There's quite a bit of work. We have a bid right now for $14,000--they're working on it--on some work on those windows in the clerk's office. They are firewall, apparently they weren't designed that way. One of them isn't working at all, and we've told them to go ahead and fix that one. The others come crashing down any time the electricity goes off, and we've got to do something to take care of that. We're trying to do something less expensive than what's been proposed. So that's the intended use of those funds if they are approved.

Mr. Carmichael, What about the handicapped accessibility here?

Com. Harper, See, I wasn't aware of that. Rita told me about that, and that may be also planned, but I wasn't aware of that one.

Mr. Carmichael, It's not covered in this?

Com. Harper, Well, we're going to, I mean I think that we probably have, you know how much they were asking. That question I can't answer.

Mr. Carmichael, Well you'll have that estimate.

Com. Harper, I'll make sure we take care of it.

Mr. Carmichael, Get back to us if this doesn't cover it.

Com. Harper, Alright, and I wasn't aware of that.
Mr. Carmichael, Okay.

Mrs. Stevenson, Because right here in ours it says: change front door of Administration Center to handicap accessible.

Com. Harper, Well then, they must have a quote on it. That's one that I wasn't privy to.

Mr. Carmichael, You must have bids for that already.

Com. Harper, Right. This is one that hasn't been in front our meeting, at least.

Mr. Poparad moved to grant the request for additional appropriations submitted by Commissioners' CEDIT, $60,000 to 0001 CEDIT Project #3. Mr. Ruge and Mrs. Conover seconded, motion carried on a unanimous roll call vote.

COMMISSIONERS' CEDIT 256
Additional Appropriation
$85, 000 to 00010 CEDIT Project #7

Mr. Carmichael, Alright, Project #7, and what is that? Is this the Plan Commission's?

Com. Harper, This is the Plan Commission's. Mr. Poparad was privy to this when it was going on. We interviewed six firms to rewrite the zoning ordinances. When this originally started, I think there was some-210-thousand put in the EDIT plan for it. We interviewed the firms, and then we asked that they submit prices, defining ground rules. It has come in at around $95,000, but this is the first part of that. We're going to be back for $10,000 or $15,000 more to finish paying them.
They were selected by the Plan Commission, and by the commissioners. They were, I think, I don't know, Bob, probably remembers, but they were 100 lower than the others, weren't they. I mean they were the low bid that came in. Not only did they come in low, but the plan commission, Bob Thompson, made a lot of calls to check on them and so forth. So that's where we're at, and that's what that money is for.

Mr. Carmichael, Do you have a time table?

Com. Harper, Well it's probably an 18-month job.

Mr. Carmichael, So you'll be back for...

Mr. Poparad, Next year.

Mr. Carmichael, You'll be back for an additional on this to pay the rest of it.

Com. Harper, Right, yes.

Mr. Carmichael, Okay. Any questions? No further questions? What's your pleasure?

Mr. Poparad moved to grant the request for additional appropriations submitted by Commissioners' CEDIT 256, $85, 000 to 00010 CEDIT Project #7. Mrs. Stevenson seconded, motion carried on a unanimous roll call vote.

Mr. Carmichael, Motion carries. Thank you, we appreciate it.

LONGEVITY DISCUSSION

Mr. Carmichael, Okay, we have a longevity discussion. Earlier in the year we appropriated one-half of the longevity pay. As you know, all our additional appropriations were held up until a week or ten days ago. We had appropriated $137,000, but it's only going to take $129,000 to pay one-half. Sheila needs the authority to go ahead and pay the half out. What's the Council's pleasure?

Mr. Poparad moved to authorize the pay out of the first half of the longevity pay. Mrs. Conover seconded.

Mr. Carmichael, Further discussion? When can you get the checks out for that?

Ms. Riley, The next payroll, August 23rd.

Mr. Carmichael, Alright, those in favor giving the first half of the 2004.

Mrs. Stevenson, Bill, can I abstain on this one?

Mr. Carmichael, Yes, you have a conflict of interest there. It will take four votes. Those in favor of the motion, answer by the usual sign of aye.

Motion carried on the following voice vote:

Carmichael - Yes Conover - Yes
Knoblock - Yes Ruge - Yes
Poparad - Yes Stevenson - Abstain

Mr. Carmichael, Motion carries. Second Reading.

SECOND READING

Mr. Poparad moved to approve Second Reading. Mrs. Stevenson seconded, motion carried on a unanimous voice vote.

Mr. Carmichael, Is there any other matter to come before the Board at this time? We'll move on to the second portion of our hearing tonight then.

There being no further business, meeting adjourned at 5:25 p.m.

PORTER COUNTY COUNCIL
PORTER COUNTY, INDIANA


William Carmichael
Karen Conover
Carole Knoblock
Robert Poparad
John Ruge
Al Steele
Rita Stevenson

Attest: Sandra Vuko, Auditor