PORTER COUNTY COUNCIL
July 26, 2005

The Porter County Council met on Tuesday, July 26, 2005 at 6:30 p.m. in the County Administration Center, 155 Indiana-Suite 205, Valparaiso, Indiana.

Members present were Laura Blaney, William Carmichael, Al Steele, Rita Stevenson, Dan Whitten, and President Bob Poparad. Also present was Auditor Sandra Vuko, Becky Phillips, Jan Noll, and Attorney Dave Hollenbeck, who was not present at roll call.

The meeting was called to order with the Pledge of Allegiance.

Mr. Poparad, We need to approve the minutes of June 28th?

Mr. Carmichael moved to approve the minutes of June 28, 2005 as received. Mr. Whitten seconded, motion carried on a unanimous voice vote.

FIRST READING

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

HAZMAT BUILDING

Mr. Poparad, The commissioners want to talk about the Hazmat building.

Com. Harper, Good evening.

Mr. Whitten, Good evening, Commissioner Harper.

Com. Harper, How are you?

Mr. Whitten, I’m doing good. How about yourself?

Com. Harper, Good. Let me, if I might, take a minute and give a little history as to why we are here tonight, and what I see as a request being made. We have two departments, and both are represented here tonight, and I think they are going to talk about their buildings for a minute. But we have our Environmental Department or Hazmat Department, then our Emergency Management Agency.
Our environmental coordinator, and our environmental department was created, as I understand, back in 1989. I assume it was created by the action of the commissioners, and approved by the council, or else there wouldn’t have been any funding for them, obviously. So I assume that that was both done back in ’89.
They started as an agency of the Health Department, and when they were created as a separate agency, and again, I assume that that was done by action of the commissioners with the approval of the council. They operated out of offices in the north county government building, and at some point those offices were moved here--down here--and as I understand, it was a two-member department almost from the beginning.
It was created that way from the beginning, and since that time they’ve moved out here, I know that you know that they’ve been headquartered here in the county building. They are involved in various activities, and one of the things they do, that I think a lot of people don’t realize is probably the main thing they do is training. They have monthly training sessions with over 400 fireman, and different agencies here in Porter County.
They were created, not by statute, but by the commissioners that created this agency. On the other hand, the emergency management agency was mandated by Indiana statute. The director of that agency, basically, they replaced Civil Defense. The director of the agency of the Emergency Management Agency has mandates that he has to follow, and state statutes, and he has a series of volunteers, in case of any type of an emergency, whether weather-wise or another type of emergency in the county, he’s in charge of certain coordination among these various agencies. He has a list of duties that are mandated by state statute. His department, at the present time is in the county home. He does have, in addition to the office space he takes, they have a lot of different supplies. For example, they have cots and beds, and all different types of supplies he can tell you about, in case of an emergency.
They’re here about their building, and that building, there are two funds that involve that building, and I want to discuss those two funds a little bit. One fund is called the memorial fund, and the balance in that fund is $301,405. I’ve discussed that fund before in front of the council. That fund started off, when Greg Phillips died, and this memorial fund was set up, I think about $56,000 was donated to this fund. Then, the commissioners, and I am not sure if it was with council approval or not, put the money that they received from the Beta Steel explosion, because Beta Steel did not have lockbox, and was required to pay a substantial fine to the county. They put that money in there, and they also put the money in there from the sale of two county buildings--the two old county highway garages down in south county. So that’s where the money came from in that fund, $301,405, and I think most of that was done well over five or six years ago. Bill, maybe you remember, but I think it was all done over five or six years ago.
We also have a separate fund that we have in Porter County, and we get money automatically from this fund based on the amount of, it’s called the deep well. Part of it comes from what they call the deep well injection, where the steel mills are putting acid down to a certain level in the ground--doesn’t that sound wonderful for our environment, but they are--and it’s based on the amount that they pump down, we get so much for how much they pump down. I really haven’t been able to discover why we get it, because from what I can understand, we’re not doing anything about it, and they’re still pumping it down, and we have no requirements, but we get that. And we get certain allotments because of waste transfer stations, and so forth that we have in the county, and there’s so much money coming into that fund.
Because of the slowdown in the mills, the amount coming into that fund has been getting less and less each year. The amount, the total amount in that fund at the present time is $669,681, roughly. Last year, $53,000 went into that fund, but that figure is misleading because almost half of that was interest on the money itself. So from what had been coming into that fund over the years has been getting smaller and smaller. Out of that fund the salaries are paid, and pretty much the basic operation of the department is paid. That fund is a fund that is limited in its use to certain things that Hazmat needs, and one of them is a training facility. I believe that the attorneys have said that fund can be used for this building.
The Greg Phillips Memorial Fund is a, I just want to be upfront with the Council, so they know what we are dealing with, it’s sort of a gray area. It was created with an ordinance that said it was to be used for that building. I think obviously there is no question if the money was donated, it has to be used for that building or given back or something to that effect. The rest of the fund, probably the ordinance can be changed, just to be right upfront about it. Okay. Probably that can be changed, so I’m just letting you know. I mean I haven’t gone through the legal, but I’m just trying to get a full report on it.
The Council, at a meeting, I think over two years ago, had approved going ahead on this building. However, they approved it based on the fact that the building would come in bid at less than $400,000. The building, that idea sat for quite a while, and was sort of resurrected at the time that the thought was, and the thought still is, that the County Home, which is costing us about $50,000 a year will be demolished, and the Emergency Management would be moved out of the county home.
So when the bids came in on the building, they came in at about $670,000, and that does not include the $15,000 for the water hookup. Is that correct? It does not include that amount, and further, there was an extra that was bid out on a second floor in that building. So this building is back again to see what the Council’s decision is at this time. As I said, it was indicated the other time, the problem was indicated at the other time, not the problem, but the limitation of $400,000 was put on it the other time, so that’s why its back here again.
Let me just say this. This is a council decision on what they want to do on this. If they decide to go ahead with the building, I suggest they consider the second floor, because we’re running out, we’re having such space requirements, and we’re running shorter and shorter on space. The Probation Department is making, you know, every time they get a new officer they’re taking a room downstairs. So those offices, a lot of these offices are being used up. When these machines came in, we really had no place else to put them, but we put them in the room that PCADOS uses--their classroom downstairs--and they’re packed in there. There is a possibility that they could be stored on the second floor of this building if that happened.
I think the idea that got this generated again was that when Emergency Management, when the County Home goes down, the Emergency Management is going to have to go somewhere, and this building is a possibility for that. Let me let these two fellows at least show you a little bit about this building, and we’ll try to answer any questions you have, if you have time to do that. If that’s alright.

Russ Shirley, Well I’ll start off first with the location. Looking at the map here, this is Highway 2, and this would be the County Home right here in this corner. The county sheriff’s garage is right here. The access for this property would be directly across the street from Danvers Parkway, which is Essex Park subdivision. The accel and decel lanes have already been installed by the state or been approved by the state. If we take the advantage of those accel/decel lanes, then we won’t have to do that on top of everything else. The actual site is approximately four acres in size, including a detention pond, and a parking lot with space for 40 vehicles.
As Mr. Harper said, we do training, and typically the sessions, we will have at least 40 people. One of the desires of the commissioners is to limit the access of Heavilin Road to the sheriff’s garage. So all the sheriff’s garage traffic would now come in and out off of Highway 2, instead of going through the animal shelter parking lot, which is obviously a traffic hazard there. So that will eliminate that.
Another aspect of the building would be the placement of a water machine from the Valpo Water Department. They want to install what they call a water ATM, which would be a public access point for people to buy water. By doing that, the Valparaiso Water Department has agreed that they would not charge us for water the entire time we’re in the building. However, we still have to bring a water line across Highway 2--a very expensive process. So this would be the location. I’ve got a small handout to give to you. The building, here is the county home, so basically, we would be moving across the street.

Mr. Poparad, I question the water. There’s no water at the county sheriff’s garage?

Mr. Shirley, They’re all on wells.

Mr. Poparad, Everything has a well out there?

Mr. Shirley, Yes.

Mr. Poparad, And you don’t want to use a well or?

Mr. Shirley, We could use a well, but if we have the opportunity to get this, basically free water for the next 20 years, whatever term agreement that we come to, I think it would behoove us to take advantage of that. Because once the water is across the highway, then we will be able to have the highway department, the animal shelter, sheriff’s garage and our agencies tie into it.

Mr. Poparad, Okay, thank you.

Mr. Shirley, This is alternate design for the building. This includes the second-floor portion that Mr. Harper was talking about. That was approximately a $60,000 addition to the building. In this second floor, the idea being, this entire area above the offices is for storage. You have 3,600 square feet of storage space. My agency, and EMA is probably going to need about one-third of that. The original design of the building would have been cut off right about here, and the rest of the building would have been without an upstairs. So our design this time is to complete the upstairs for that additional storage space. We’re talking, the estimate right now is $670,000.

Mr. Carmichael, How long is that bid good for?

Mr. Shirley, For 180 days?

Dan Cosentino, Roughly.

Mr. Poparad, And you are?

Mr. Cosentino, My name is Dan from Morton Buildings.

Mr. Poparad, Okay, thank you. I’m sorry.

Mr. Carmichael, How many square feet in the building, including storage?

Mr. Shirley, There’s 47,000 square feet including storage.

Mr. Poparad, How many?

Mr. Shirley, 47,000.

Mr. Carmichael, What does come out to on $700,000?

Mr. Poparad, I’ll tell you right now, Bill.

Mr. Carmichael, It’s $100 a foot.

Mr. Poparad, Yes, a good round number.
Mr. Shirley, Pretty close to that, yes. The addition of the second story storage would cost approximately between $27.72 per square foot for that additional storage.

Mr. Carmichael, I was talking about the overall.

Mr. Shirley, Right.

Mr. Poparad, Your office right now is in this building, right?

Mr. Shirley, Yes, sir. Right now we have two rooms adjacent to each other. We have a small storage room in the back there. We have storage at the Portage wastewater treatment plant. We have vehicles stored at the Porter County Airport. We have basically, equipment scattered in a number of different places. I have equipment in my house. My partner Greg has equipment at his house. Some of our team members have equipment at their homes. It basically comes down to, there’s no place to put it.

Mr. Poparad, Well I’ve got to be honest. I think the history of this building--and this is before your time--started as a building to store the equipment in, as per Brian Gesse. I remember him, we had that conversation. There’s was no denying that there was a need to get this stuff in one central building. And this is not negative to anybody here, but this is typical government. We started with a pole barn; now we’ve got a two-story office building. You know, we went from $100,000 pole barn to a $700,000 building. Training center, offices, the whole bit. And this has been going on for what, ten years?

Mr. Shirley, Nine years.

Mr. Poparad, Nine years.

Mrs. Stevenson, Why, if we stated $400,000, did it come in at 600 or 700?

Mr. Shirley, Well, we were told at that meeting in December of ’03 was, well I was asked for an estimate. We didn’t have an estimate. That’s what we were asking for permission for, was to go out and get an estimate. And Mr. Poparad put the limitation of $400,000 but at that time it was a guess. We didn’t know how much it was going to be.

Phil Griffith, Plus the site work.

Mr. Shirley, Right. With the $400,000 we did not include any site work in that. At the time, we were told that the county highway garage could do that site work, and they don’t have the equipment or the expertise to do that type of site work. It also did not include a second floor. It did not include the access to the highway, which we need to have now, so we can avoid going through the animal shelter. There’s been a lot of changes in the two years of what we need to do.

Mr. Steele, Russ, are you aware of the homeland security grant that the five sheriff’s in the adjoining counties are working on at this time?

Mr. Shirley, No.

Mr. Steele, Exactly for a training facility like you are talking about. I spoke with the sheriff today. You might speak to him about this. But it’s going to be a training facility for fire departments from all the adjoining counties, Lake, Porter County, LaPorte, Starke and Newton and Jasper so they can train…

Mr. Shirley, It would be all the district…

Mr. Steele, Police officers, and training fireman, and so forth. And the monies for this are going to come from homeland security. This would be a building that would be, I think, of course much larger than yours, much more sophisticated, and could provide therefore, more sophisticated training too. The sheriff said, I’m quoting the sheriff, he said that that would probably be located in central Porter County or southern Porter County. Of course, you know, centrally located for everybody.
So this would be a huge facility, and I would think that before we go ahead with this, especially since we’re over cost, you should talk to him and see how close in time if this is a possibility, what monies they have and so forth. Since we are talking to you, I think it would be a good point for us to put forward too, since it is centrally located, maybe you and Phil can be the people that kind of babysit this facility. In other words, we can have our hazmat in there; we can have our communications down there. I think it would be expanded, and work your way into a real regional training facility, instead of just one for Porter County, especially since this is in the works. So I would suggest that you two go talk to Sheriff Reynolds, and see just how this could be worked together.

Mr. Shirley, I was in a meeting today in Indianapolis, and one of the items that was discussed was the regional training center that you are talking about. I didn’t realize it was tied into the sheriff’s department as well. In that discussion, the state fire marshal’s office is spearheading that move. The question was brought up, obviously, how soon can we expect this, and we were told that they are working on a ten-year plan

Mr. Steele, That’s information I didn’t have. But I just thought we should think about this.

Mr. Shirley, Right.

Mr. Carmichael, Bob, I think we’ve fooled around with this project so long. The price has escalated, and it’s going to continue to escalate. I think we ought to get on with it; get it done; get it our of our way; get these people covered.

Mr. Poparad, Well I don’t disagree with that, Bill.

Mr. Carmichael, Get them housed.

Mr. Poparad, But I mean, if this, I didn’t know anything about this until Al brought it up.

Mr. Carmichael, I understand.

Mr. Poparad, I mean one or two months isn’t going to hurt anything. I mean I hate to think we are going to do something on Route 2, and then ten miles south on 49, the feds do something else.

Mr. Carmichael, It’s not going to serve us.

Mr. Poparad, Well…

Mr. Steele, It’s going to serve everybody, Bill. That’s what the word is regional.

Mr. Carmichael, Well this is centrally located, the location we are talking about now.

Mr. Poparad, No, I mean I’ve got to be honest, this is probably the most un-centralized location in the county for what he does. I mean if you really want to get technical, he probably should be up on Highway 20 or 12.

Mr. Carmichael, Yes, but we don’t have any property.

Mr. Poparad, That’s where the fun is, isn’t it?

Mr. Shirley, Most of our calls are at the north end of the county.

Mr. Poparad, Yes, so this location then, I mean we can’t…

Mr. Carmichael, Well…

Mr. Poparad, Don’t hang your head on location here.

Mr. Carmichael, I think we’ve fooled around too long. It’s time to move on this project.

Mr. Poparad, Where’s the rest of the money coming from, Mr. Harper?

Com. Harper, Well I told you the two funds that we have available. The deep well injection fund.

Mr. Poparad, Which is drying up.

Com. Harper, Which is drying up. Although they’re still injecting so we still have some money in that. That has about $670,000 in it, and this memorial fund has $300,000 in it.

Mrs. Blaney, The deep well fund, you said that pays some salaries too. If that’s drying up, and we use all that money, how are we going to pay the salaries?

Com. Harper, That’s why I wanted to point it out to you, you know, right up front where that fund is at. Okay. What I told you was that $25,000 of the money coming into that this year was interest earned on that money. Because from what Russ tells me, the mills are not, you know, because of the…

Mr. Poparad, They’re recycling.

Com. Harper, Pardon?

Mr. Poparad, They’re actually recycling it. They’re not injecting anymore.

Com. Harper, Well there’s some that are, aren’t they?

Mr. Shirley, Yes, there’s still some funding coming in. It also includes funding from chemical inventories, waste disposal taxes that go into that one. It’s not just deep well, it’s other things as well.

Mrs. Blaney, Well is this building going to provide any new income, because of the training facility or anything like that that might cover some of those losses?

Mr. Griffith, The training facility that we are talking about is not a huge, where we’re going to train everybody. Portage has a fire training facility. The training facility is basically a 40 by 60 classroom where we can do hazmat training--serious disaster. Public officials, such as yourself could meet there to decide what course of action you’re going to take; it can become an emergency operation center for you. So you would be able to keep track of everything that’s going on in the county, and decide the course of action you expect the commissioners, and myself, and the other agencies to take.

Mr. Shirley, In order to use funds from the hazardous substance fund, we have to have a training facility in the building. Actually, Phil, it’s 20 by 40.

Mr. Griffith, Oh, 20 by 40, excuse me.

Mr. Shirley, In that 20 foot by 40 foot section of the building--which you can see on your diagrams here--it will actually help pay for the entire building by using that training room; plus we have the bays we can use, and things like that. But the goal being that the training room would also be a double-duty, as you heard, the operations center. If we have a storm, like what we are hearing out there right now, and Phil has to go to the emergency operations center, that’s where he would go to.
The design incorporates a small computer area, so that we can separate that. People can actually work on a computer while the operation is going on, which is historically, if you’ve been to the county home, the operations center that we have there right now, it’s very small. It’s functional, but it’s extremely hectic when there is an actual incident. So that’s how we go to using that hazardous substance fund, by having a training facility.

Mr. Steele moved to table the request for two months until Mr. Shirley and Mr. Griffith has a chance to talk with the Sheriff to get more information on federal facility.

Mr. Poparad, You want to delay it two months.

Mr. Steele, After they have a chance to talk with the sheriff.

Mr. Poparad, That will give them time to meet with him.

Mrs. Blaney, And how long was the bid good for?

Mr. Shirley, 180 days.

Mrs. Blaney, And when does that…
Mr. Shirley, Which we have, I think, about 140 days left.

Mr. Steele, So two months, and 60 days. So we’re still within the limits.

Mr. Shirley, Well part of what we were trying accomplish was obviously to get in before the bad weather, because of the heating bills for Phil’s facility.

Mrs. Blaney, Any estimate…

Mr. Whitten, How many bids…

Mrs. Blaney, On how long…

Mr. Whitten, I’m sorry. How many bids were received?

Mr. Poparad, Wait a minute, we’ve got a motion. Is there a second?

Mrs. Stevenson seconded.

Mr. Poparad, Alright, discussion.

Mr. Whitten, Three bids were received, and this was the low bid.

Mr. Shirley, Yes, sir.

Mr. Whitten, Wow.

Mrs. Stevenson, What was the highest?

Mr. Shirley, The highest bid, I believe was $780,000.

Mrs. Stevenson, Who did you go through?

Mr. Shirley, I’m sorry?

Mrs. Stevenson, Who did you go through?

Mr. Shirley, We went through the bid process. It was advertised in the paper. The bidders were Gariup Construction, Chester Incorporated and Morton Buildings.

Mrs. Blaney, Would it be better to just delay it one month, so they have the possibility of getting in…

Mr. Poparad, The motion is for two. We’re going to address that first. Anybody else got any questions? Call the roll, Sandy. I want to make sure we get this right.

Motion carried on the following roll call vote:

Blaney - Yes Poparad - Yes
Whitten - Yes Steele - Yes
Stevenson - Yes Carmichael - No

Mr. Poparad, Alright, come back in two months. Get with the sheriff.

Mr. Shirley, What, is there anything else besides that that you want me to get?

Mr. Poparad, Well no, I mean let’s find out what’s going on. I just learned of this from Al, who learned this from the sheriff, and I want to see where we are at.

Mr. Steele, I met with the sheriff, and I knew nothing about this about 10:00 today.

Mr. Poparad, I mean if they are going to, if it’s ten years down the road, yes, we will have to address it. But if it’s two years down the road, you know, maybe there’s something that can be worked out. Is that all you guys got?

Com. Harper, That’s all for that right now.

At this time, Attorney Hollenbeck joined the meeting.

Mr. Poparad, Alright, you’ve got more. Do you want to do it now?

Com. Harper, I can.

Mr. Poparad, Sit down.

COMMISSIONERS CEDIT UNALLOCATED 240.30
Additional Appropriation
$400,000 TO 0001 Unallocated CEDIT Funds - No action taken

COMMISSIONERS 01.30
Transfer
$2,080.83 from 3220 Telephone to 3950 Contractual Services
$153.85 from 3750 Other Rentals to 4440 Furniture & Fixtures over $100

Mr. Poparad, What else have you got?

Com. Harper, Well we have the request for the $400,000 from unallocated CEDIT money.

Mr. Poparad, Okay.

Mr. Whitten, I see economic development up at the courthouse.

Com. Harper, This request is from, for $400 of the unallocated CEDIT money.

Mr. Poparad, $400?

Mrs. Blaney, I wish.

Com. Harper, $400,000.

Mr. Steele, You got it.

Mr. Poparad, 400-bucks.

Com. Harper, For the North County, for the heating and air conditioning system in the north county government. There are several people here. Number one, Jim Tapocsi is here. Many of you know Jim. He is the, let me start with this part of the presentation. He is the head of security at the north county government complex, and I asked him to be here today to just give you a brief rundown on some of the problems. Johnson Controls is going to give a run down on it.
But I just, from a viewpoint of an employee that works up there, and has, let me tell you a little bit about Jim. He’s been in that building for over five years, I think. During the budget crunch, his department and himself, actually put, made repairs up there that they were later reimbursed for, just things that had to be done. They had door problems, and security equipment…

Jim Tapocsi, Security cameras.

Com. Harper, Security cameras, and different types of things. He was later reimbursed for it, but he’s cared about that building, and about the people that are working in it. And if I might, he just handed this to me, this is what he typed up, some of the problems.

Mr. Tapocsi, Today, I just did everything today.

Com. Harper, If I might pass these out. Dave, I don’t know if I’ve got enough for you.

Mr. Hollenbeck, It’s okay. I’ve been in that building enough to know the problems.

Com. Harper, And I think I’m going to ask Bill because he can probably help me. That building is about, what, between 26 and 30 years old. Do you remember?

Mr. Carmichael, It was built in 1980.
Mr. Tapocsi, In ’79, you put it in.

Com. Harper, Jim, maybe if you could just have a seat, so you’re talking in the mic, maybe you can explain, just briefly go over some of the problems that they run into up there.

Mr. Tapocsi, I just had a short time. This afternoon I had to put this together, so it’s a quick rundown and that. I went to every office in the building. I went to the auditor, I mean, the prosecutor’s office. I went to the clerk’s office. I went to the assessor’s office; health department, I was there today. I went to both judges, and that, so I asked them. I’ve done this before, but I asked them what was the problems, and they’re right there.
The breakdown real quick, the building was built in 1979. The original equipment, except for the new hot water boiler, which is two or three years old. As far as equipment, it’s obsolete and inadequate, and has been not serviced routinely. Filters were checked today, which myself and another security guard went inside the filters. The filters are about 8-foot by 8-foot. They are completely plugged up almost. We checked some of the ductwork for things, and some of the seals--the rubber seals--were already blown out and that. There’s probably a bunch of dust inside. There’s some eight-inch cracks into the rubber seals and that, all the ductwork and that. These ductworks are 4 by 8, and they’re 4 by 6 now.
I checked with the prosecutor’s office. They have five regular rooms, and one main room. One thermostat controls three rooms for heat, and the other thermostat controls air conditioning for the same rooms. I don’t know why they have two different thermostats in there. The other two thermostats control the other three rooms, one for heating, and one for air conditioning. Again, unknown reason. None of the thermostats work property. If you set it for 66 degrees, the temperature in the rooms are at least 75+ degrees. If you set the thermostat at 75 degrees, it gets up to 83 degrees+.
The humidity, it’s very hot in there. I have gone in from the courtroom, and I have come out sweating, completely soaked. I had one guy today come in at 12:30, he left because it was so hot in the building. He said, I’m going to my car, there’s more air conditioning in there. Sometimes we will have 50,60, 70 people in court. They are in there for three and four hours sometimes, morning and in the afternoon. It gets pretty hot. And when prisoners come in, sometimes we’ll have six to 15 prisoners, the smell is atrocious. I mean it just stinks. I’m sorry about that, but it is that hot.
When a courtroom is hot, in some places it’s cold in other offices and that. In the winter, the outside rooms are always cold. Workers, most every worker, including us, buy space heaters just to keep warm in the winter. The clerk’s office, one side of the room gets hot, the other side gets cold, and maybe in the afternoon is vice versa and that.
They put a division wall for storage and that, and that is, there’s no control whatsoever in that. It’s very hot and humid, unable to control all thermostats. They have moved some of the thermostats. They had Johnson Controls come in here sometimes. They tell us not touch it, and sometimes, you know, if you do move them, nothing does happen.
The assessor’s office has one large room Again, it’s hot while the other is cold. Both summer and winter, thermostats were moved in different positions, no change in temperature. For instance, one morning the left side was warm, the right side was cold, and in the afternoon, the opposite happened. The health department is located in the middle of the building, and cannot be controlled by the thermostat, which is mostly hot and humid during both summer and winter.
DO 3, Judge Jent, consists of five rooms, plus a courtroom. They cannot control the thermostat. One room gets too hot, the other ones will be too cold. The coatroom is mostly hot all the time, while the other rooms are cold. At times the courtroom will get ice cold, and the other rooms will be hot and humid. There is no control, and we don’t know why it does this; it’s off and on, it just keeps going back and forth. DO 6, the same thing. The courtroom gets hot, and then it will get cold.
During the winter, the front entrance, where we work and that, it gets so cold, we’ve got four heaters, plus boots to keep warm, because our feet, we’re outside. The heater between the doors do not work properly, and there’s no heat between the desk and the doors and that. So there are times when we have to put a jacket on in the morning when the wind is blowing.
One thing to remember, it’s over 26 years old. The condenser in this building is packed with dirt that maintenance crews cannot effectively clean it for fear of it falling apart from age. There are no repair parts available due to it being obsolete. If the compressor goes down, the company or whoever repairs that has to check the area to see if they can find a compatible compressor, which since is not made anymore. The system we have now, when there is a power failure, the air conditioning and the handlers shut down, and has to be manually reset by maintenance personnel, which is Johnson Controls. So any time the power goes out, the system goes out. There’s no automatic control to start it up, nothing like that, and I don’t think the system can do it without it being converted over to a new system.
One other thing is the fire alarm. On the weekends, if there is a fire, nobody is going to know about it, except when there’s flames. The fire system stops in the building. It does not go to the Portage Fire Department, no where. It’s just for us during the time when we are working. Again, weekends, there’s no fire alarm whatsoever. Nobody would even notice this is burning until somebody sees it. It seems like in the last three years you’ve tried to fix it, to put band-aids on without success. I was going around today, and asked everybody’s opinion, and this is what I got as responses.

Mr. Steele, Jim, how many people work in that building?

Mr. Tapocsi, Maybe about 60.

Mr. Steele, How much square footage?

Mr. Tapocsi, Pardon?

Mr. Steele, Do you know about…

Mr. Tapocsi, No, I don’t. I know there are times when we’ll have, the two courtrooms will be packed, which is close to maybe 80 people each, in each courtroom. We’ll have, on Wednesday’s we’ll have small claims, which is maybe another 20 or 30 people in the hallway. So we are just packed some times and that.
Then we have every Tuesdays and Fridays, we have baby shots, which can be sometimes a little bit scary, because we have all types and sorts of criminals, and some of them are bad, and some of them aren’t too bad, but they could actually take a child, hold them hostage, and there’s nothing we could do. There’s nothing I could do. But these kids are running around. We have prisoners coming in, and the kids are running around by the prisoners. We try to avoid them as much as we can, but sometimes it’s difficult. One of these days, something is going to happen.

Mr. Poparad, What’s that got to do with the heating and air?

Mr. Tapocsi, Pardon?

Mr. Poparad, What’s that got to do with the heating and air?

Mr. Tapocsi, Nothing.

Mr. Poparad, Okay. You know, that’s another issue. Anybody else?

Com. Harper, Do you have any questions for him?

Mr. Poparad, No, I don’t. Does anybody else?

Com. Harper, I would just like to say, again, so everyone knows it, that Jim has done a lot to try to keep that building along with all the different problems we have up there. Rick, do you want to come up. He’s from Johnson Controls. I asked him here to explain to you what they’ve told us is the problems, and the bidding process, and so forth, that we are recommending that we go through them to fix it.

Rick Renner, From our history in the building, we’ve been on-site there for at least ten years, if not longer.

Bill Rascoe, This building, we haven’t.

Mr. Renner, Since the building’s been open.

Mr. Rascoe, 14 years ago.

Mr. Renner, And from the surface as it looks from the boxes that are in place now, we call it mixing boxes. I believe there is 25 of them, and if my numbers are wrong, don’t hold me to it. There are 25 of them, and they are currently working, they’re either providing air or they are not providing air. They are either fully open or fully closed. If they are closed the rest of the air is going to the attic or the ceiling, which is really not efficient.
Currently what we’d like to see put in there is what we call a VAV, which stands for a variable air volume, where there’s a damper in the box so that if you are only calling for a lesser amount of air, the damper closes and provides less air. If the air has not been used, it goes back to the fan. An energy savings is there to help pay for the project itself.
In addition, 25 boxes, in our opinion, obviously, is not enough. We’d like to add some additional boxes, especially the areas that are problem areas, so that they would have their own thermostat. Again, to back up just a bit. There might be four or five different offices on one thermostat, so whoever has that thermostat is controlling the four or five different offices. If we expand, increase the number of boxes, then we would have more thermostats. In a nutshell, that’s the core of it. Jim mentioned the condensing unit, again, that’s original. We also recommend replacing that. That’s part of the puzzle.

Mr. Rascoe, I have some of the details here, Rick, if you need me to explain them.

Mr. Renner, This is Bill Rascoe, the service manager for our office. Go ahead.

Mr. Poparad, No, we’ve got too much. I trust these people. I think, Mr. Carmichael, one of your big concerns was it being bid out, the work.

Mr. Carmichael, Yes, do you have three bids?

Com. Harper, Explain to him the procedure.

Mr. Poparad, Yes, that’s probably more important for him.

Mr. Renner, We will. We will get three bids for every, sheet metal work, we’ll get three bids. Electrical work, we’ll get three bids. We’ll get the bids on all of the subcontractors that are being used. We’ll bring them to the County, and we’ll show you, we’ll make recommendations. I think the difference between the way we approach it, and going out to some alternative approach is we are only going to bring in some partners who are reputable, who we can depend on, who are going to do work, and who are credible. If they fall down, it’s our responsibility. We’re here; we’ve been here for two decades now. I think we’re going to hope to be here for a long time. If anything is wrong, it’s our responsibility. So we want to make sure that the project goes well, as does the County.

Mr. Carmichael, Alright, the other concern I have is. This is stretched when it comes to an economic development issue. I was looking at the funds, the cable franchise fee has not been touched since 12-19-03, and it has $405,000 in it. Let’s do that rather than get into CEDIT.

Com. Harper, Let me just. We do have that money available. My thought was this, Mr. Carmichael, and I want to follow the Council’s recommendation. I’m trying, I know we are going to need the money to tear down the county home. Okay. We’ve done a lot of building repairs this year. A lot of them, and we have, right now, we’re told, and we’ve gotten bids on this, that the windows in this building are leaking, and it’s going to run about $100,000 to fix them up; $80,000 to $100,000 just to fix that.
So we have these different funds, and it’s true, we do have them. We do already have in the EDIT plan $200,000 for building maintenance and the upkeep of buildings in the EDIT plan, and we’ve used most of that I think already on some of the improvements. We’ve just gone into these buildings. You know I’ve can give you a lot of examples. I think because of the budget crunch, a lot of this maintenance had gone by.
I know I was in front of you last year, I think, talking about carpets that were being, the people in north county government were taping it down all over the office. So we’ve done a lot of things, and we’re taking it out of a lot of funds. This seems to me to be, and we’re going to be looking to some of these other funds, sooner or later we’re going to be looking at some of these funds to tear down that county home, and do some of these other repairs that we have. Obviously, it’s yours, it’s the Council’s decision on appropriating the money. It was just my thought that this would be a good place to get it at this time.

Mr. Carmichael, Well in one fund, the 176, the jail building fund, which was last used 9-19-2003, you have $147,500 in there.

Mr. Poparad, Is that the leftover bond money?

Com. Harper, I…

Mr. Poparad, Is that leftover?

Mr. Carmichael, No, this is…

Com. Harper, There’s litigation, I know this, Mr. Carmichael, and I can’t; I know there’s litigation still ongoing with the jail, as you may know. And if that fund is one of the funds for the jail building, I think its still being held until that litigation is done. But you are correct. I mean there is money in the cable fund, it’s just a decision of which should come from where. There’s a lot of repairs going on.

Mr. Whitten, Why did you pick the CEDIT fund?

Com. Harper, Because I thought at this time it probably would be the easiest place to get it. This building, let me just tell you about this building. We have employees--as Tapocsi told you-- they’re carrying heaters in, a lot of them in the winter time. Okay. You know, under their desks and so forth. It’s just an ongoing thing, and I thought we needed to fix it, you know.
There’s other things that need to be done out there, by the way. He mentioned a fire, you know, the fire alarm doesn’t even go anywhere. It just goes into the building, so if we have a fire at night, no one, you know that building sits out in the middle of nowhere, and no one may even know about it. So we just have many, many repairs that we have to address.

Mr. Whitten, I guess I’m not questioning the necessity for the repairs. I guess, like Bill, I question the leap from air conditioning to economic development. But I understand the point, it’s got to come from somewhere, and it sounds like you’re going to be spending a lot of it anyway, so.

Com. Harper, Well I know, I think, and we’re going to be back here pretty quick about the county home. As you know, we’re spending $50,000 a year to keep that going, and I think we are going to need 300,000 to 400,000 to bring that down. We’ll have to see. It may be less that three.

Mrs. Blaney, When are you planning on bringing that down?

Com. Harper, Well.

Mrs. Blaney, This year? Next year?

Com. Harper, I am hopeful that by the next two weeks from Tuesday night, they will have the plans together so we can start putting it out for bid, and what it’s going to take to demolish it. We’ve had the, the big holdup with that has been having the asbestos people come in, and write the specifications for the bids on where it’s going to be removed

Mrs. Blaney, Because after this year, the CEDIT money doesn’t have to be used for economic development anymore. Right? Isn’t that the new legislation, any lawful purpose now?

Mr. Poparad, Yep.

Mr. Hollenbeck, Actually, as of July 1st.

Mrs. Blaney, As of July 1st.

Mr. Carmichael, You’ve got timing there with the hazmat office. You don’t want to move that hazmat office twice, if you’re going to put a hazmat facility.

Mrs. Blaney, No.

Com. Harper, I understand that.

Mr. Carmichael, You’ve got a timing problem.

Mr. Poparad, You mean the EMA.

Com. Harper, In fact, I will tell you this. My thought was that I really hope that the Council and the Commissioners can have a meeting in the near future where we talk about office space, and what’s going on here with different things, like we’ve had in some of our past meetings. If there’s one thing I regret, we probably haven’t had a good session on just what’s going on. Of course, this voting thing was sort of, the machine thing, we’ve got some space issues. As you know, we’ve already had the meeting for that microfilming, and I really think that it would be good to have another joint work session like we had before.

Mr. Whitten, If we can just kind of stay on this just for a second longer. I didn’t mean to…

Com. Harper, Alright, I’m sorry.

Mr. Whitten, This $400,000 you’re telling me--because we didn’t get to hear a whole lot of the specifics necessarily--it’s going to fix the air conditioning problem; it’s going to fix the heating problem; and it’s going to be something that we can not worry about breaking down for a long time.

Mr. Bascoe, What I’d like to say, gentlemen, what we have is a PDA, it’s a project development agreement with the County, obviously. What that does is, our engineering firm comes in there, and will give us the fine details--our company the fine details--of what’s wrong. If we just need to replace the condenser outside, we’re going to show you that information, and that’s what we’ll do. But we know that you don’t stack your coils in that building, your coils are side-by-side.
Like the gentleman here was talking about it’s warm there. When you turn your air conditioning on, you’re pulling your air through one coil that’s energized, it’s cooling; 50% of all the CFM that’s being pulled in that building goes through the other coil, it’s not energized. You’re pulling 50% of your air that’s dehumidified, it has no environmental change to it. You’ve got thermostats in an office over here that control, constant volume boxes, two offices down. He might be comfortable, but they’re all freezing further on down.
We’re looking at adding a few more boxes to control the comfort in the building. We cleaned your coil, your condenser coil on-site, six times a year. Typically, we do it twice. Six times a year, we can dissipate the heat in the unit. We have what’s called high-bed pressure. We’ve recognized that the unit, we can’t dissipate the heat; we really shouldn’t even be covering that unit by our terms, you know, our terms of agreement.

Mr. Whitten, I mean I understand that, but I guess my question is then…

Mr. Bascoe, Prices?

Mr. Whitten, Is the $400,000 is going to fix our air conditioning and heating problem?

Mr. Bascoe, We’re not saying it’s $400,000. We just gave budget numbers. Our engineering firm will get us that data. It might not be $400,000.

Mr. Whitten, It won’t come back $670,000, will it?

Mr. Poparad, I was just going to ask him the same thing. It could be a hazmat building again, huh.

Mr. Renner, Let me try to answer your questions. It’s going to give you a better, more reliable, more efficient system that is created to improve the conditions, the quality--the air quality--the temperature control. I don’t think you can ever please everybody in a building when you’re talking about office space. Because when I started with the company, I started in a bank building with eight stories. You’ve got women in skirts, and women in sweaters, and you’re never going to please everybody. The intent is to make it the best system--state of the art--that provides the best solution to the problem.

Mrs. Stevenson, Are you going to come back later and say something is wrong with the building, so you’re going to have to improve the building to get the quality we’re looking for with that amount?

Mrs. Blaney, Insulation, that’s probably old.

Mr. Renner, Insulation, we’ll, as Bill stated, our first step is to do a study of the facility, and that by no means is $400,000. That’s the first step that’s going to help us determine what actions should be taken. You know, we might find something that we missed in our initial walk through the building. It’s just going to give us a better understanding of what’s going on.

Mr. Bascoe, Now ladies and gentlemen, you have a 30-year old system. I mean look at a car 30-years old, you know, is it going to be improved, I guarantee you it will be improved. The whole design, which was state of the art, you know, 30 years ago is completely obsolete today, absolutely. But we just want to make sure, because we are your partner in this, we cover everything on a premium coverage here. We want to make sure it’s right. It’s very important to us to make sure what we do for you is right. We are responsible when you walk away. We want to make sure we have all the bases covered.

Mrs. Blaney, Well don’t we all kind of agree…
Mr. Bascoe, And that’s always our intent for every job that we approach.

Mrs. Blaney, That this needs to be done. I think we’re pretty much in agreement that something needs to be done but where the money is going to come from. I agree with Bill that this really isn’t economic development. If we can, get the money from somewhere else.

Mr. Carmichael, You’ve got it right there, 215 Disposal of Property. How much have you got in there, $600,000?

Mr. Poparad, Was that from the sale of the jail?

Com. Harper, That was part of it, I believe. That was the fund I was thinking where we may have to change the ordinance. That was the fund I was thinking about getting the money for the county home demolition, out of that fund.

Mr. Carmichael, You replaced a boiler out of it.

Com. Harper, I have to look at the ordinance, but I know there is some ordinance restrictions, but that’s where I was thinking about going with the county home. I mean it’s up to you guys to decide.

Mr. Carmichael, It’s there.

Com. Harper, You’re absolutely right, and…

Mr. Carmichael, But timing is a factor at this point. If you’re going to build a hazmat building, and move, and tear that building down; you’re not going to move Hazmat twice. You’ve got too much equipment…

Mr. Poparad, Hazmat is not at the county home, Bill.

Mr. Steele, No.

Mr. Carmichael, EMA is in the county home.

Mr. Poparad, Right, that’s not hazmat.

Mr. Carmichael, They’re talking about moving them in this facility, right?

Mr. Poparad, That’s not hazmat, though.

Mr. Carmichael, Well, alright, EMA, Emergency Management services.

Mr. Whitten, I knew what you meant, Bill.

Mr. Carmichael, Thanks, Dan, I really appreciate it; you’re really on the ball. There’s a time factor there, and you’ve got winter coming, so we’re fooling around here with something we may be doing in 30 days. I can’t see delaying the hazmat building for 30 days while we cogitate about it.

Mr. Whitten, Is that what we’re doing.

Mr. Steele, We’ve taken care of that, Bill.

Mr. Carmichael, Let’s move this here.

Mrs. Stevenson, Once we appropriate this, how soon can things start rolling?

Com. Harper, The engineering study is already; go ahead and tell them how soon things will start.

Mr. Renner, The engineering study should take three to four weeks. Order materials, scheduling, we’d like to have the project done before spring.

Mrs. Stevenson, Are they going to have to suffer this whole time?

Mr. Renner, Well, right now is a bad time to do it anyway. To replace that condenser…

Mr. Bascoe, We have to turn the air conditioning off. You can’t turn the condenser off now, that’s what provides the air conditioning. We have to do it in the fall anyway.

Mr. Whitten, The air conditioning will be fixed by winter.

Mr. Poparad, Work on the heat first. Okay, what’s your pleasure here? We’ve beat this horse to death. What do you want to do?

Mr. Steele, Someone make a motion.

Mr. Whitten, Bill, where do you want to take it from?

Mr. Carmichael, We can take it out of the; what do I have circled there, Laura.

Mrs. Blaney, You had cable franchise, 143 or…

Mr. Carmichael, You’ve got the cable franchise there that will cover any of those expenses, and that cable franchise is $405,000 right now. It was last used in ’03.

Mr. Whitten, Is there a problem with that?

Com. Harper, Well I think that it’s going to have to go back before the commissioners, and get a motion passed to take it out of the fund.

Mr. Hollenbeck, And there may have to be a change in that enabling ordinance.

Mr. Harper, And then…

Mr. Poparad, Do you want…

Mr. Carmichael moved to approve the funding for the repairs needed at the North County Complex, after the commissioners decide what fund the monies should come out of. Mrs. Blaney seconded.

Mr. Poparad, Anymore discussion? In reference to the cable fees, I think by ordinance it have to be used on the roads.

Com. Harper, I’m going to have to check the cable ordinance.

Mr. Poparad, You’ll have to change the ordinance.

Mrs. Blaney, It says it could be transferred to the general fund.

Mr. Poparad, No, by ordinance it has to be used on the roads, unless they change the ordinance.

Mr. Carmichael, Well that’s what it says here.

Mrs. Blaney, Yes, its says that.

Mr. Hollenbeck, And that’s the commissioners’ ordinance.

Mr. Poparad, Yes, they can change their own ordinance.

Mr. Hollenbeck, And the sale of building ordinance says that it should be spent on buildings.

Com. Harper, You know, I think it’s got to…

Mr. Carmichael, Well my motion is…

Com. Harper, I’ll have to get back with you.

Mr. Carmichael, We’ll encourage them to go ahead, and get the project rolling.
Mr. Poparad, Get it started. Okay. All in favor of that motion, say aye.

Motion carried on a unanimous voice vote.

Mr. Poparad, You’re done. Not you. Thank you.

Mr. Carmichael, Take a break, Bob?

Mr. Poparad, No, let’s get him out of here. We’ve got one more transfer. I quit smoking, Bill. We’re just going to sit here.

Mr. Whitten, You could just walk out, and end the quorum.

Mr. Poparad, Yeah. You’ve got a transfer of $2,080.83 from Telephone to Contractual Services.

Com. Harper, Yes.

Mr. Poparad, And $153.85 from Other Rentals to Furniture & Fixtures over $100.

Mr. Whitten moved to grant the request for transfer of funds submitted by Commissioners 01.30, $2,080.83 from 3220 Telephone to 3950 Contractual Services and $153.85 from 3750 Other Rentals to 4440 Furniture & Fixtures over $100. Mrs. Blaney seconded, motion carried on a unanimous voice vote.

PLAN COMMISSION - UNSAFE BUILDING FUND 291
Additional Appropriation
$50,000 to 291 Unsafe Building Fund

Mr. Poparad, Alright, we’ll take a break.

Com. Harper, One other thing. Real quick. The $50,000 for the unsafe building fund that you approved, was not given a…

Mr. Poparad, Right.

Com. Harper, Was not given a fund number. What was not done?

Mr. Whitten, We haven’t gotten to that yet.

Mr. Carmichael, We didn’t approve that yet.

Com. Harper, Oh, yes.

Mr. Poparad, We did last year.

Com. Harper, You approved it last year.

Mr. Poparad, But they never moved it.

Mr. Carmichael, It was never spent.

Mr. Poparad, I know.

Mr. Carmichael, We have to reappropriate it this year.

Mr. Poparad, Correct.

Mr. Carmichael, When they have a project to go, bring it to us.

Mr. Poparad, It’s an ongoing. We’ll get to that.

Mr. Steele, It’s for the salary, Bob? For the inspector, Bob?

Mr. Carmichael, Who does this, the health department?
Com. Harper, No.

Mr. Whitten, It’s the plan commission.

Com. Harper, Okay, there’s a state statute, and here’s what happened. There is a state statute. Last year we came here, and we showed you there was a whole series--which there still are--of vacant and abandoned homes in Porter County, Indiana. There was no vehicle for the County to do something. A great number of them are in Lake Eliza, but they’re spread in other places. There are homes, and I have pictures of them from last year. There’s homes with iceboxes in the back yard. I mean, there’s just, you know, kids going in and out of them, criminal activity and so forth.
The state statute required that if you were going to, number one, you can either form a department or if you pass an unsafe building ordinance, you can either form a department or make it part of another department, and that you must fund it to start.
The commissioners came here, they made the, they passed the unsafe building ordinance, and they put it under the building department, and last year we have $50,000 to fund it, but we didn’t get it all started. We’ve got it in place now. The $50,000 is seen as a revolving fund that will hopefully pay itself back. It will be for attorney fees when you get ready to sue on these properties, and then it will become a lien against the property. We have to have a hearing officer. We’ve selected Judge Webber--a retired judge--as the hearing officer, because you have to give all these people an administrative hearing before you take it court.
So we have everything in place, and we need to have that money, which was appropriated out of EDIT last year, reappropriate it, I guess from the unappropriated EDIT and put it in a special fund, and that’s what we are asking for.

Mr. Whitten, You’re thinking, the total $50,000 will do it?

Com. Harper, Right, I think it will, because hopefully it’s going to be revolving. Also, since we’ve gotten rolling, okay, a few of the owners, because we’ve sent out a bunch of letters already. A few of them have responded, and agreed to respond voluntarily, plus we’re going to monitor it to see if they do, okay, and promise to tear some of these places down; others are going to litigate it, so.

Mr. Carmichael moved to grant the request for additional appropriations submitted by Plan Commission 258, $50,000 to Fund 291 Unsafe Building. Mr. Whitten seconded.

Mr. Poparad, Anymore discussion? Do you have a fund number assigned to this, Becky?

Mrs. Vuko, No. It would be 291.

Mr. Poparad, Okay, 291.

Com. Harper, And will we be okay that that will be there year after year?

Mr. Poparad, Call the roll, please.

Motion carried on a unanimous roll call vote.

Mr. Poparad, Motion carries. Let’s take a break.

At this time, there was a ten-minute break.

RECORDER 01.04
Linda Trinkler to address the Council regarding the use of debit cards

Mr. Poparad, Okay, we’ll keep going here. Linda, you want to talk to use about debit cards.

Linda Trinkler, I’m here. Yes, I want to talk about debit cards. I called; I’m tired of getting bounced checks, and it seems like at least two a week. And two a week is too many since I have to be the one that goes out and pursues to get them, because I’m the one that has to pay if they’re not paid. So I called up Bruce Hartman and Tammy White from the State Board of Accounts, and they said that I could go to debit; debit comes directly out of their account.
I talked to a company called Paymentech, and she is coming to the district meeting for the recorders, because there are other recorders that are also interested in this. It will, we will pay all the cost of installing the machine out of our perpetuation fund, which is also okayed by the State Board of Accounts. The fee for them using the debit will be absorbed by the client. Whoever comes in, they will be asked, will you accept this charge, and in order to get it through, they have to accept it. It’s a convenience for them. We’ve been asked, today, we counted 13 people that actually asked if we took debit. I said that it was something that we were going to look into. I need permission from the Council in order to approve another form of payment.

Mr. Steele, Debit is? I’m an old guy, debit is different from a credit card. Is that correct?

Ms. Trinkler, Correct.

Mr. Steele, You’re not going to take credit cards?

Ms. Trinkler, No, I do not want to take credit cards.

Mr. Poparad, They look the same.

Ms. Trinkler, It’s called, it’s a credit, what was explained to me. Now, I will find out a lot more about it after I can get things approved. But it’s a credit/debit. A credit, it’s not as if you’re billed that. It just goes right through the account, and it takes like four days to get it. Where as a debit, you will have the funds, the same as a check, within two days--two business days.

Mr. Poparad, Do you have to put a dedicated phone line in?

Ms. Trinkler, Yes we do.

Mr. Poparad, Who’s going to absorb that cost?

Ms. Trinkler, We will. The recorder’s office, out of the perpetuation fund.

Mrs. Stevenson, Do you know how much any of this is going to cost at this time?

Ms. Trinkler, It would be $369 for the machine and the lines, to have it installed.

Mr. Poparad, Yes, but the line charge is going to be…

Ms. Trinkler, I really don’t know, Bob. I have no idea of that. I can look into it and find out.

Mr. Poparad, I’m just wondering if you ought to institute a $.50 debit fee.

Ms. Trinkler, It’s $.62.

Mr. Poparad, Okay, then make it an even $1.

Ms. Trinkler, Yes, I can. We can make it anything we want.

Mr. Poparad, To cover your cost, to cover your phone line.

Mr. Whitten, Or $100. $200.

Mr. Poparad, Make it $1, a nice round number.

Ms. Trinkler, We probably would make it $1, because I can’t see putting $.62--will you accept $.62. So we were thinking of $1 to help defray some of these costs.

Mr. Carmichael, We don’t have an ATM in this building?

Ms. Trinkler, No, and that’s another thing. I didn’t have it in the letter, because I was talking to Bill about it. I did go and ask Mr. Murphy, about if he would check into the ATM’s, because you said I had to do that. Then I went to Carole Knoblock and Bob Harper, and they will put an ATM machine in this building. The banks will do it, and they won’t charge for it. They were worried about the commissioners charging a rental fee for the space that they would have it in. So right now we’re just finding out about what’s all involved in having an ATM. But I think that would be a great idea too.

Mr. Poparad, That would solve this problem.

Ms. Trinkler, That would solve this one. So if we can get the ATM, I would not go to the debit, because I wouldn’t have to. They could just go to the ATM machine, and I wouldn’t have to go to all this other expense.

Mrs. Blaney, It’s nice to get cash.

Ms. Trinkler, Yes, and the people in the building would be able to use the ATM machine. And I did call other courthouses in the area. I think I called five of them, and they all have ATM machines, and they say the people, totally, in the county, just the employees use it. So I think this would be a great idea for here.

Mr. Poparad, You’ll just have to make a lot of change, that’s all.

Ms. Trinkler, Make a lot change; oh, that’s okay.

Mr. Poparad, Usually it’s all twenties out of the ATM’s.

Ms. Trinkler, Yes, that’s okay, we do twenties all the time.

Mr. Hollenbeck, You can get tens and fives.

Mr. Poparad, Can you?

Ms. Trinkler, Yes.

Mr. Poparad, Well you get hundreds. So what are we doing? Are we going to wait then to see about the ATM? Or do we want to give her permission to go ahead with the debit?

Ms. Trinkler, Can I have permission?

Mr. Steele, We gave her an alternative.

Ms. Trinkler, Yes, I have the alternative.

Mr. Carmichael moved to approve the use of debit cards in Recorder’s Office. Mrs. Blaney and Mr. Steele seconded, motion carried on a unanimous voice vote.

Mr. Poparad, Thank you, Linda.

Ms. Trinkler, Thank you.

CIRCUIT COURT 01.81
Additional Appropriation
$10,000 to 3110 Legal
$2,000 to 2110 Office Supplies
$2,000 to 3610 Maintenance Agreements

Mr. Poparad, Circuit Court. You have a $10,000 additional to Legal; $2,000 for Office Supplies; and $2,000 for maintenance.

Mr. Carmichael moved to grant the request for additional appropriations submitted by Circuit Court 01.81, $10,000 to 3110 Legal, $2,000 to 2110 Office Supplies and $2,000 to 3610 Maintenance Agreements. Mr. Whitten seconded.

Mr. Poparad, Any discussion? Are we hiring more attorneys?

Judge Mary Harper, No, we’re paying for transcripts and expert witnesses on appeals in trials.

Mr. Poparad, Any more questions? Sandy, call the roll please, this is an additional.

Motion carried on a unanimous roll call vote.



JUVENILE DETENTION 01.80
Transfer
$7,000 from 1110 Salaries to 2230 Food & Groceries
$1,800 from 1110 Salaries to 3130 Training & Education

Mr. Poparad, Juvenile Detention, do you want to do that?

Judge Harper, I’ll sit here with Ken, sure. And thank you, by the way.

Mr. Poparad, You’ve got $7,000 from Salaries to Food & Groceries, and $1,800 from Salaries to Training & Equipment. This is a transfer.

Mrs. Blaney, Education.

Mr. Poparad, Training and. I’m sorry. The big E number.

Mr. Whitten moved to grant the request for transfer of funds submitted by Juvenile Detention 01.80, $7,000 from 1110 Salaries to 2230 Food & Groceries and $1,800 from 1110 Salaries to 3130 Training & Education. Mr. Steele seconded.

Mr. Carmichael, Wait.

Mr. Poparad, Go ahead, Bill.

Mr. Carmichael, Are you full on Porter County residents?

Ken Perkins, We’re up. We don’t want to be full, because then there’s no room for the next one, but.

Mr. Carmichael, Give me a number of residents you have today.

Mr. Perkins, Actually, I don’t know off the top of my head.

Mr. Carmichael, Yesterday.

Mr. Perkins, I can tell you that April and May were the highest average daily populations ever, June was the second highest ever, and today in July, we’re in between second and third.

Mr. Carmichael, That could be 10, 11, 12 or 13 or 14 or 15?

Judge Harper, No.

Mr. Perkins, No, we’re running around 16, 17.

Mr. Carmichael, Is 17 your limit?

Judge Harper, No, 18.

Mr. Perkins, No, 18 is what we are funded at.

Judge Harper, But remember, it’s not, you’re booking them in an out all day.

Mr. Perkins, Right.

Mr. Whitten, And when they’re in, you’ve got to feed them.

Judge Harper, We may go through 26 kids.

Mr. Carmichael, Do you go with an average daily attendance? That’s all I’m asking.

Mr. Poparad, Just tell him 12.

Mrs. Stevenson, Okay, if you’re transferring…

Mr. Poparad, He’ll be happy with 12.
Mr. Perkins, For the last four, our average daily population was 20.

Mr. Carmichael, Thank you. Alright, Bob.

Mrs. Stevenson, If you’re transferring out of Salaries, are you going to have enough in there for the rest of the year?

Mr. Perkins, Yes, that was due to some vacancies.

Mrs. Stevenson, That was my next question. Okay.

Mr. Whitten, We’ve got to feed the kids.

Mr. Carmichael, Let’s vote.

Mr. Poparad, We’ve got a motion. Anybody else? All in favor of the motion, say aye.

Motion carried on a unanimous voice vote.

Mr. Poparad, Motion carries. Thank you.

Mr. Perkins, Thank you.

SUPERIOR COURT 4 - CHIDESTER 01.37
Transfer
$250 from 2110 Office Supplies to 4410 Office Equipment over $100
$300 from 2110 Office Supplies to 4440 Furniture & Fixtures over $100

Mr. Poparad, Superior Court 4, he has a transfer, he’s not going to be here I don’t think.

Judge Harper, He’s cooking dinner.

Mr. Poparad, Yeah, is he. $250 from Office Supplies to Office Equipment over $100, and $300 from Office Supplies to Furniture & Fixtures over $100.

Mr. Carmichael move to grant the request for transfer of funds submitted by Superior Court 4, $250 from 2110 Office Supplies to 4410 Office Equipment over $100 and $300 from 2110 Office Supplies to 4440 Furniture & Fixtures over $100. Mr. Whitten seconded, motion carried on a unanimous voice vote.

CLERK 01.01
Additional Appropriation
$10,000 to 2110 Office Supplies

Mr. Poparad, Dale, are you here; a $10,000 additional for the clerk’s office. What are we doing here; oh yes. What’s a confidential envelope? Does anybody know? What’s a confidential envelopment as compared to a regular envelope?

Dale Brewer, We’ve had a law passed called Administrative Rule 9, where if there is a social security number, bank account number, anything, we have to, what we call redact information, taken off the original paperwork, put it in an envelope inside the file.

Mr. Poparad, Can’t you just white it out?

Ms. Brewer, No, no, no. We have to have the original, plus the redacted copy for the public. So we have double papers now. I only have like $534 left in my Office Supplies. You know I don’t usually come back for that.

Mr. Carmichael, What did you have?

Ms. Brewer, I usually have enough to start my new year with.

Mr. Carmichael, What did you have to start with?

Ms. Brewer, $29,732.09. I have $534.26 left, and that’s not going to cut it.
Mr. Poparad, Will this be enough?

Ms. Brewer, The ten, I hope so.

Mr. Carmichael, Is it $2,900 or $29,000?

Ms. Brewer, $29,000.

Mr. Carmichael, Are you going to make it the rest of the year with this $10,000?

Ms. Brewer, I hope so.

Mr. Carmichael moved to grant the request for additional appropriations submitted by Clerk 01.01, $10,000 to 2110 Office Supplies. Mr. Whitten seconded, motion carried on a unanimous roll call vote.

ELECTION BOARD 01.21
Additional Appropriation
$330,232.75 to 3950 Contractual Services

Mr. Poparad, Go ahead with the next one here; I think everybody is choking on this one.

Ms. Brewer, I know. That’s the service part of the three-year service agreement on the election equipment. We have a project manager for all of the elections through the year 2008, so the next clerk that comes in is covered. They don’t have to worry about the equipment, anything, supplies, licensing, coding, ballots, it’s all provided.

Mr. Poparad, This is all the new voting machines we just bought.

Ms. Brewer, Yes, but this is part of the service agreement, well I should say, the whole service agreement, and part of the equipment.

Mr. Steele, Can you pay them a third each year over a three-year period or not?

Ms. Brewer, Well, if I do it like this, you save 10%, which is over 30-some thousand dollars. So I thought that was the wiser move.

Mr. Poparad, Is there any reimbursement on this from the feds?

Ms. Brewer, For this particular part, no. The company knows they are not getting their big equipment money until I have the grant money.

Mr. Poparad, Any questions?

Mr. Carmichael moved to grant the request for additional appropriations submitted by Election Board 01.21, $330,232.75. Mrs. Blaney seconded, motion carried on a unanimous roll call vote.

Mr. Poparad, Thank you, Dale.

Ms. Brewer, Thank you. And we are going to credit card service online, besides the way we do it over the phone now too for our people, and it doesn’t cost the County anything.

Mr. Steele, Since credit card companies get a piece of the actual, like 4 or 5%, do you lose that in the transaction or how do you make up for it?

Ms. Brewer, No, I get my full money. And if the credit card is no good, and I get my money the same day, they’re responsible. We actually had a contract signed where the County has no liability.

Mr. Steele, But you don’t have to pay like $100, and you end up with…

Ms. Brewer, No, I pay nothing.

Mr. Steele, You don’t end up with 96?
Ms. Brewer, No, we get everything.

Mr. Steele, Great.

Mr. Poparad, They tack the fee on the other end.

Ms. Brewer, Yes.

Mrs. Stevenson, And it’s 5%, isn’t it, Dale?

Ms. Brewer, It’s 5% on negotiated…

Mr. Poparad, Alright, we’re done.

HIGHWAY 02
Additional Appropriation
$80,000 to 2362-191 District 1 - Bituminous
$80,000 to 2362-291 District 2 - Bituminous
$80,000 to 2360-391 District 3 - Stone
$60,000 to 91-2210 Gas, Fuel & Lube
Transfer
$4,000 from 2470 Calcium Chloride to 2220 Uniforms & Clothing

Mr. Poparad, We’re done. Come on, Al, I haven’t had dinner yet.

Mr. Hollenbeck, That explains it.

Mr. Poparad, We’ve got $80,000…

Mr. Whitten, Quit smoking.

Mr. Poparad, Yeah.

Mr. Whitten, I knew we were in trouble when he’s chewing a toothpick.

Mr. Poparad, Go ahead, Al. You’ve got $80,000 for District 1 and 2, for Bituminous, and $80,000 for District 3 for Stone. We don’t want to pave in District 3?

Al Hoagland, We’re just trying to get rid of some more gravel roads down there.

Mr. Poparad, Okay. And $60,000 to Gas, Fuel & Lube. Then you’ve got a transfer. We’ll do the additional first. Any questions or comments?

Mr. Steele moved to grant the request for additional appropriations submitted by Highway 02, $80,000 to 2362-191 District 1 - Bituminous, $80,000 to 2362-291 District 2 - Bituminous, $80,000 to 2360-391 District 3 - Stone and $60,000 to 91-2210 Gas, Fuel & Lube. Mrs. Stevenson seconded.

Mr. Poparad, What’s the source of these funds; MVH, I’m sorry.

Mr. Hoagland, Yes, the MVH 02.

Mr. Poparad, Any other questions?

Mr. Whitten, Why aren’t we paving in District 3?

Mr. Poparad, He’s mad at somebody.

Mr. Whitten, Why is that?

Mr. Hoagland, No, District 3 has a larger number of gravel roads we’re trying to chip and seal them to get rid of the gravel roads. Therefore, we allocate more money to stone in that district. We’re catching up. We should be down to possibly four miles of gravel roads.

Mr. Poparad, That’s Com. Knoblock’s district, isn’t it.
Mr. Hoagland, Yes, sir. It’s also where I live.

Mr. Whitten, It’s also where I live.

Mrs. Blaney, It’s also where I live.

Mr. Poparad, Call the roll, Sandy.

Motion carried on a unanimous roll call vote.

Mr. Poparad, $4,000 from Calcium Chloride to Uniforms & Clothing. Are we alright on that for the winter? You’re transferring out of Salt.

Mr. Hoagland, No, this is liquid.

Mr. Poparad, This is the other stuff.

Mr. Hoagland, Correct.

Mr. Poparad, Any questions?

Mr. Carmichael moved to grant the request for transfer of funds submitted by Highway 02, $4,000 from 2470 Calcium Chloride to 2220 Uniforms & Clothing. Mr. Steele seconded, motion carried on a unanimous voice vote.

Mr. Poparad, Thank you, Al. We’ve got one more. I’m sorry.

HIGHWAY LRS 26
Additional Appropriation
$20,000 to 2261 Salt

Mr. Poparad, A $20,000 additional for Salt. Are you trying to lock the price in?

Mr. Hoagland, We’ve got a contract good until December. We’ll take bids the 16th of August, and I do have storage capacity. I am assuming that, like everything else, it’s going to go out of sight, and if we could get our capacity brought up at courier prices, we’ve probably save a considerable amount of money.

Mr. Carmichael moved to grant the request for additional appropriations submitted by Highway LRS 26, $20,000 to 2261 Salt. Mrs. Blaney seconded, motion carried on a unanimous roll call vote.

Mr. Hoagland, Thank you very much.

ITS 01.50
Transfer
$3,300 from 3310 Printing other than Office Supplies to 3610 Maintenance Agreements
$500 from 3310 Printing other than Office Supplies to 4440 Furniture & Fixtures over $100

Mr. Poparad, ITS, $3,300 from Printing other than Office Supplies to Maintenance Agreements, and $500 from Printing other than Office Supplies to Furniture & Fixtures over $100

Mr. Carmichael moved to grant the request for additional appropriations submitted by $3,300 from 3310 Printing other than Office Supplies to 3610 Maintenance Agreements and $500 from 3310 Printing other than Office Supplies to 4440 Furniture & Fixtures over $100.

Mr. Poparad, Thank you.

Mrs. Lippens, Thank you.

ADULT PROBATION 01.43
Additional Appropriation
$2,200 to 3640 Rebinding Records
Mr. Poparad, Adult Probation. Neil, you don’t have $2,200 in your budget somewhere?

Neil Hannon, I don’t anything in that line item.

Mr. Poparad, We’ll just transfer it for you. Find us $2,200, Sandy, in his budget.

Mrs. Vuko, Oh, yeah.

Mr. Poparad, You want $2,200 for Rebinding Records. This is your index card, little thing?

Mr. Hannon, Yes, it’s scanning for the Docuware.

Mr. Whitten moved to grant the request for additional appropriations submitted by Adult Probation 01.43, $2,200 to 3640 Rebinding Records. Mr. Steele seconded, motion carried on a unanimous roll call vote.

Mr. Poparad, Thank you, Neil.

Mr. Hannon, Thank you.

CONVENTION, RECREATION & VISITORS COMMISSION 93
Additional Appropriation
$760 to 3930 Dues & Subscriptions

Mr. Poparad, Tourism Board, $760 to Dues & Subscriptions.

Mr. Whitten moved to grant the request for additional appropriations submitted by Convention, Recreation & Visitors Commission 93, $760 to 3930 Dues & Subscriptions. Mr. Carmichael seconded, motion carried on a unanimous roll call vote.

Mr. Poparad, Thank you, Lorelei.

PLANNING/BLDG DEPARTMENT 239
Additional Appropriation
$15,000 to 3110 Legal
Transfer
$1,315 from 1110 Salaries to 3220 Telephone
$3,300 from 1110 Salaries to 4510 Data Processing Equipment

Mr. Poparad, Mr. Thompson, you’ve got a $15,000 additional for Legal.

Bob Thompson, Yes.

Mr. Poparad, Does this have anything to do with the…

Mr. Thompson, I’m sorry.

Mr. Poparad, Oh, this comes out of your own fund, doesn’t it.

Mr. Thompson, This comes out of my own fund, yes.

Mr. Carmichael, What’s the balance?

Mr. Thompson, Right off hand, I don’t know what the balance is, what’s left in it.

Ms. Phillips, $5,108.49.

Mr. Carmichael, $108?

Mrs. Vuko, $5,108.

Mr. Carmichael, $5,108 is the balance?

Mr. Poparad, That’s what’s in the line item. What’s the balance where they are drawing it from?
Mrs. Vuko, From the 239?

Mr. Poparad, That’s what he wants to know.

Ms. Phillips, $489,592.

Mr. Poparad, $489,000.

Mr. Carmichael, Oh, good.

Mr. Carmichael moved to grant the request for additional appropriations submitted by Planning/Bldg Department 239, $15,000 to 3110 Legal. Mrs. Stevenson seconded, motion carried on a unanimous roll call vote.

Mr. Poparad, And you want $1,315 from Salaries to Telephone, and $3,300 from Salaries to Data Processing Equipment.

Mr. Thompson, Correct.

Mr. Whitten moved to grant the request for transfer of funds submitted by Planning/Bldg Department 239, $1,315 from 1110 Salaries to 3230 Telephone, and $3,300 from 1110 Salaries to 4510 Data Processing Equipment. Mr. Steele seconded, motion carried on a unanimous voice vote.

Mr. Poparad, Thank you.

Mr. Thompson, Thank you.

Mr. Poparad, Whose this guy? Is he with you?

Mr. Thompson, Oh, would you like me to introduce him?

Mr. Poparad, Yes.

Mr. Thompson, Mike Haller, the building commissioner.

Mr. Poparad, Hi.

Mike Haller, Hi.

Mr. Whitten, Hi, Mike, how are you doing.

Mr. Haller, Hey, thanks for the candy.

PARKS OPERATING 127
Additional Appropriation
$1,500 to 3340 Advertising
$470 to 2250 Other Supplies
$1,000 to 3980 Event Expenses
Transfer
$3,000 from 3954 Grants to 1121 Interpreter/Educator
$195 from 3959 from Grants to 1210 FICA

Mr. Poparad, Okay, Parks. We’ve got $1,500 to Advertising; $470 to Other Supplies; $1,000 to Event Expenses. This is your tourism money?

Ed Melendez, Yes, it is.

Mr. Poparad, Okay.

Mr. Carmichael moved to grant the request for additional appropriations submitted by Parks Operating 127, $1,500 to 3340 Advertising, $470 to 2250 Other Supplies and $1,000 to 3980 Event Expenses. Mr. Whitten seconded, motion carried on a unanimous roll call vote.

Mr. Poparad, We have a transfer of $3,000 from Grants to Interpreter/Educator; and $196 from Grants to FICA.
Mrs. Blaney moved to grant the request for transfer of funds submitted by Parks Operating 127, $3,000 from 3954 Grants to 1121 Interpreter/Educator and $195 from 3959 from Grants to 1210 FICA. Mr. Carmichael seconded, motion carried on a unanimous voice vote.

PARKS 01.85
Transfer
$600 from 2210 Gas, Fuel & Lube to 2250 Other Supplies
$400 from 2210 Gas, Fuel & Lube to 2310 Tires & Tubes
$500 from 3920 Disposal to 3710 Equipment

Mr. Poparad, You’ve got one more. $600 from Gas, Fuel & Lube to Other Supplies; $400 from Gas, Fuel & Lube to Tires & Tubes; and $500 from Disposal to Equipment.

Mr. Carmichael moved to grant the request for transfer of funds submitted by Parks 01.85, $600 from 2210 Gas, Fuel & Lube to 2250 Other Supplies, $400 from 2210 Gas, Fuel & Lube to 2310 Tires & Tubes and $500 from 3920 Disposal to 3710 Equipment. Mr. Whitten seconded, motion carried on a unanimous voice vote.

Mr. Melendez, Thank you.

MEMORIAL OPERA HOUSE 158
Additional Appropriation
$12,000 to 2250 Other Supplies - No action taken
$11,000 to 3170 Director, Choreographer, etc. - No action taken
$4,153 to 3310 Printing other than Office Supplies - No action taken
$2,610 to 3730 Lease Purchase - amended to Transfer: $2,610 from 1120 Hourly to 3730 Lease Purchase

Mr. Carmichael, Again, what’s the balance in this fund?

Mrs. Vuko, It’s in the negative.

Mr. Poparad, She’s negative?

Mrs. Vuko, In the red.

Mr. Poparad, Okay.

Holly Seibel, For?

Mr. Poparad, You’re in the red.

Mrs. Vuko, As of today, $18,842.

Mr. Whitten, They’re in the negative, $18,000.

Mr. Poparad, That’s interesting. Go ahead, you want to speak, just jump in.

Ms. Seibel, Okay. Well, that’s a shocker.

Mrs. Vuko, But you knew this was in the red.

Ms. Seibel, For which?

Mrs. Vuko, We backed out a bunch of claims, and we told you about this.

Mr. Whitten, You told who about this?

Mrs. Vuko, The Opera House, they have their own budget.

Mr. Whitten, I thought you were talking about us.

Ms. Seibel, For some of the items I had been told, but not the entire budget.

Mr. Whitten, I’m not getting this.
Mr. Poparad, Okay.

Mr. Whitten, I’m not getting this at all. I guess I…

Mr. Poparad, What…

Mr. Whitten, Go ahead.

Mr. Poparad, Go ahead, you want to say something.

Ms. Seibel, Okay. Well, this is our first year on line item budgets. What we’ve had to do in the past is pay as we go. So this year we were given a line item budget. We did have a carryover from last year, but some of the items, the bills from last year were taken, were counted against this year’s line item budget. So we had a carryover of about $25,000 from last year, so that would have covered the Other Supplies and the Director/Choreographer, etc., those two line items. The other items, the Printing other than Office Supplies and the Lease Purchase, I was wanting to change those to transfers; instead transfer that out of Salaries. I’m sorry, not Salaries, Hourly. I have the line items for the money in.

Mr. Poparad, Okay, wait a minute. Sandy, are they $18,000 in the hole on their whole budget or just certain line items.

Mrs. Vuko, Just the line items.

Mr. Poparad, Which ones?

Ms. Phillips, There’s a couple of them, I’m not sure which ones.

Ms. Seibel, How about 3730 Lease Purchase? I know that one is okay; 3170, possibly, and the 2250 Other Supplies. Because we are finding out that we have different categories, so a lot of things were coming out of Other Supplies didn’t really have a place to come out. Like deposits for weddings.

Mr. Steele, Do you think you can get with Sandy, and organize this, so you’re both on the same page and come back before us?

Ms. Seibel, I would think so, yes. My last printout is from June 30th.

Ms. Phillips, We had a bunch of claims that were entered that are putting these line items in the negative. So what we did, she ran the check, we found out they were in the negative, she cancelled the check, but it doesn’t cancel the claim, so that’s what’s putting them in the negative. Technically, they are not in the negative, but if they pay out of these line items, they are going to be in the negative.

Mrs. Vuko, So she has no money to pay these claims that she put in.

Mr. Poparad, Okay.

Ms. Seibel, So if I get the approval to spend this additional money, because we have to…

Mr. Poparad, No, no, wait. Stop. Do we need to cover these claims first? Theoretically, she can’t, you can’t issue a claim without the money to pay for it.

Mrs. Vuko, Right, exactly, that’s why we backed them out.

Mr. Poparad, Do we need to make transfers to cover these claims first?

Mrs. Vuko, Yes.

Mr. Poparad, Does she have money in her other line items to cover these existing claims? Because you can’t write a claim without the money.

Mrs. Vuko, Right.

Mr. Whitten, I’m not entirely sure how that happened.
Mrs. Vuko, What’s in the cash balance to…

Mr. Poparad, But you have rental money.

Ms. Phillips, I think that’s where the problem is. I think, when she’s bringing in a collection, it’s not going in the right, it’s not going in the line items. It’s going into the fund.

Mr. Poparad, Okay.

Ms. Phillips, But it’s not getting…

Mr. Whitten, Okay.

Mr. Poparad, It’s not getting disbursed…

Ms. Phillips, Divided up.

Mr. Poparad, In the correct line item.

Mr. Whitten, Now I understand.

Mrs. Blaney, How much is in the fund?

Ms. Phillips, She has money in her line items, but the cash balance is not there, because it’s not showing up. Because the 158 is a budget now, it’s not a cash fund.

Mrs. Vuko, Right.

Ms. Phillips, So the collections she’s putting in are not going into these line items that she’s taking money out of. It used to be 158001.30. Now it’s 1582110, 2250.

Mr. Poparad, Do we need to make some transfers?

Ms. Phillips, We’re going to have to look at this one before we do anything.

Mrs. Vuko, Yes, could we have time to look at it?

Mr. Poparad, Okay, let’s put this on hold. I mean theoretically you can’t write a claim unless there’s money to pay for it.

Mrs. Vuko, Right.

Ms. Seibel, Can we do a transfer though into the Lease Purchase?

Mr. Poparad, I’ve got to be honest, I personally am not inclined to do anything, until…

Ms. Seibel, Because they’re going to need their money or they are going to repossess the equipment.

Mr. Poparad, Well that, I don’t…

Mr. Steele, What kind of equipment is it?

Mrs. Vuko, How much is that?

Ms. Seibel, It’s a soundboard, and a baby grand piano.

Mr. Poparad, I’m not unsympathetic to that, but by the same token she has a responsibility, and you do too, to get this straightened out.

Ms. Seibel, Right.

Mr. Poparad, You should not be writing claims if there’s no money there. That’s the first rule.

Mr. Whitten, Where would you want to be transferring from?

Ms. Seibel, I want to transfer $2,610 from Hourly to Lease Purchase, the 3730.

Mr. Poparad, Okay, but where’s it coming from?

Mr. Whitten, From Hourly

Mrs. Blaney, Hourly.

Mr. Poparad, Does she have cash?

Ms. Seibel, My balance at that point?

Ms. Phillips, She has $25,120.

Mr. Whitten moved to grant the request for transfer of funds, $2,610 from 1120 Hourly to 3730 to Lease Purchase, for Memorial Opera House 158. Mrs. Blaney seconded.

Mr. Poparad, And you’ll get with Sandy. You guys work this out, and come back next month and we’ll figure this all out. You guys have this all figured out before you come before us.

Mrs. Vuko, Yes, we will.

Mr. Poparad, Thank you.

Mrs. Vuko, We’ll have it figured out.

Motion carried on a unanimous voice vote.

Mr. Poparad, Thank you.

PORTER COUNTY SUBSTANCE ABUSE COUNCIL 73
Additional Appropriation
$47,876 to 0001 Education
$56,841 to 0001 Treatment
$67,456.65 to 0001 Justice

Mr. Poparad, Porter County Substance Abuse. Okay, we have an additional appropriation of $47,876 to Education; $56,841 to Treatment; and $67,456.65 to Justice. They gave us a list here. Where does this money come from? I forgot.

Sharon Cawood, From drunk drivers in Porter County.

Mr. Poparad, Drunk drivers, that’s right--DUI’s.

Ms. Cawood, Do you want explain to them what we are requesting?

Barb Claypool, We had $282,000 in requests, and we have funded $172,000.

Mr. Poparad, Usually you bring a police officer, don’t you?

Ms. Cawood, It depends on who our chair is, and Barb is one of our board members.

Mr. Steele, And the board makes the decision as to who receives this money?

Ms. Cawood, An allocation committee.

Mr. Steele, Excuse me?

Ms. Cawood, An allocation committee from our whole coalition.

Ms. Claypool, There were, I believe, five on the board on the allocation committee.


Ms. Cawood, What we look at first is trying to find someone in our coalition that doesn’t have a grant in, who has not turned a grant to us; that’s getting harder to do. But then myself and a board member or a couple of board members ask or talk over who we think would be good to be on this. This year we had someone, Jim Samuels, who was the assistant superintendent of school of Portage Schools. We have a police officer, Barb from PACT, myself. Do we have…

Ms. Claypool, Tammy.

Ms. Cawood, Tammy Bartsman up in Porter Hospital.

Mr. Poparad, Any questions or comments?

Mrs. Blaney moved to grant the request for additional appropriations submitted by Porter County Substance Abuse Council 73, $47,876 to 0001 Education, $56,841 to 0001 Treatment, and $67,456.65 to 0001 Justice. Mrs. Stevenson seconded, motion carried on a unanimous roll call vote.

Mr. Poparad, Thank you for waiting.

Ms. Cawood, Thank you.

LIBERTY TOWNSHIP 01.53
Transfer
$200 from 3130 Training & Education to 2110 Office Supplies

Mr. Poparad, Liberty Township has a transfer--I don’t think Jean is here--$200 from Training & Education to Office Supplies

Mr. Carmichael moved to grant the request for transfer of funds submitted by Liberty Township, $200 from 3130 Training & Education to 2110 Office Supplies. Mr. Whitten seconded, motion carried on a unanimous voice vote.

COUNCIL 219
Additional Appropriation
$450,000 to 0010 Loan Repayment

Mr. Poparad, We have an additional of $450,000 for the Loan Repayment.

Mr. Whitten moved to grant the request for additional appropriations submitted by Council 219, $450,000 to 0010 Loan Repayment. Mr. Steele seconded, motion carried on a unanimous roll call vote.

RATIFICATION OF RESOLUTION 05-06

Mr. Poparad, I’m assuming that this word is ratification of Resolution 05-06.

Mr. Hollenbeck, That’s the resolution that we should have brought before you at your last meeting, because there was a June 30th deadline. I think you all came in, and signed it, under the theory, because Gwenn needed it to forward. The theory was, you would then ratify it at your July meeting, and I think you’ve been provided with a copy of it.

Mr. Carmichael moved to ratify Resolution 05-06. Mrs. Blaney seconded, motion carried on a unanimous roll call vote.

AUDITOR’S REPORT

Mr. Poparad, Auditor, do you have anything to report?

Mrs. Vuko, Nothing, just that we’ve got all the budgets in. We had a little problem with people turning them in with their increases and all that. But other than that, we’re on schedule, and ready to go.

Mr. Poparad, Okay.



ATTORNEY’S REPORT
Ordinance 05-7-26 - Juvenile Bond Issue
Ordinance 05-7-26A - Additional Appropriation Ordinance
Report on H. J. Umbaugh

ORDINANCE NO. 05-7-26

An Ordinance of Porter County, Indiana, authorizing the issuance and sale of bonds of the County for the purpose of providing funds to be used for the cost to fund an outstanding debt owed to the State of Indiana for the cost of the County's portion of housing and maintaining juvenile inmates, together with the incidental expenses in connection therewith and on account of the issuance of the bonds therefore
WHEREAS, Porter County, Indiana ("County") is authorized by IC 4-24-7-4 and House Enrolled Act 1001-2005, Section 237 (collectively, "Act") to issue bonds in accordance with IC 36-2-6-18 through 20 to procure moneys to be used to pay outstanding claims that the Indiana Department of Correction ("State") has against the County for the County's portion of the cost of housing and maintaining juvenile inmates; and
WHEREAS, the County Council of the County ("Council"), now determines that it is necessary and a proper exercise of the powers of the County to finance the costs to fund the outstanding claims that the State has against the County for the County's portion of the cost of housing and maintaining juvenile inmates, together with all necessary incidental expenses in connection therewith ("Project"); and
WHEREAS, the County plans to enter into an agreement with the State in accordance with IC 4-24-7-4 regarding the Project; and
WHEREAS, based upon the advice of the consultants for the County for the Project, the Council has determined that the estimated cost of the Project and the incidental expenses necessary to be incurred in connection with the Project and with the issuance of the bonds to finance the Project will be in an amount not to exceed Three Million Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($3,200,000); and
WHEREAS, the Council finds that there are no funds on hand available to be applied on the cost of the Project which will be financed by the issuance of the County bonds in an amount not to exceed Three Million Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($3,200,000) for the purpose of providing funds to be applied to the Project, and that the bonds in such amount should now be authorized; and
WHEREAS, in accordance with the Act, IC 6-1.1-18.5 and IC 6-1.1-20 do not apply to the Project; and
WHEREAS, the Act provides that a county shall fix a tax rate for a debt service or other similar fund that is sufficient to pay the principal and interest on the funding or refunding of the bonds issued in accordance with the Act and the ad valorem property tax limitations imposed by IC 6-1.1-18.5-3 do not apply;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNTY COUNCIL OF PORTER COUNTY, INDIANA, THAT:
Section 1. Determination to Proceed; Authorization and Details of Bonds. (a) The Council shall proceed to undertake the Project.
(b) In order to procure funds with which to pay the costs of the Project, including the costs of issuance of the bonds on account of the Project, the Auditor is authorized and directed to have prepared and to issue and sell the bonds of the County, to be designated as "General Obligation Bonds of 2005," in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed Three Million Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($3,200,000) ("Bonds") in accordance with the Act.
(c) The Bonds shall be sold at a price of not less than 99% of the par value thereof, and issued in fully registered form in denominations of $5,000 or integral multiples thereof, numbered consecutively from 1 upward, dated as of the issue date, and shall bear interest at a rate or rates not to exceed six percent (6.0 %) per annum (the exact rate or rates to be determined by bidding), which interest shall be payable semiannually on January 1 and July 1 of each year, commencing on July 1, 2006. Interest on the Bonds shall be calculated according to a 360 day year containing twelve 30 day months. The Bonds shall mature semiannually, or shall be subject to mandatory sinking fund redemption if term bonds are issued, on January 1 and July 1 of each year with a final maturity date no later than ten years after the issue date of the Bonds and in such amounts which will produce as level annual debt service as practicable with $5,000 denominations.
All or a portion of the Bonds may be issued as one or more term bonds, upon election of the successful bidder. Such term bonds shall have a stated maturity or maturities of January 1 or July 1 on the dates as determined by the successful bidder, but in no event later than the last serial date of the Bonds as determined in accordance with the above paragraph. The term bonds shall be subject to mandatory sinking fund redemption and final payment(s) at maturity at 100% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued interest to the redemption date, on dates and in the amounts hereinafter determined in accordance with the above paragraph.
(d) The Board of Commissioners and the Auditor are authorized and directed to appoint a qualified banking institution to serve as Registrar and Paying Agent ("Registrar" or "Paying Agent") for the Bonds, which shall be charged with the responsibility of authenticating the Bonds. The Auditor is hereby authorized to enter into such agreements or understandings with such bank as will enable the bank to perform the services required of a Registrar and Paying Agent. The Auditor is further authorized to pay such fees as the bank may charge for the services it provides as Registrar and Paying Agent, and such fees may be paid from the bond fund established to pay the principal of and interest on the Bonds. Upon agreement between the County and the successful bidder for the Bonds, the Auditor may be designated as the Registrar and Paying Agent, and, in that case, shall be charged with all responsibilities of a Registrar and Paying Agent.
(e) The principal of the Bonds shall be payable at the principal corporate trust office of the Paying Agent. Interest on the Bonds shall be paid by check mailed by first class mail one business day prior to the interest payment date to the registered owner, as of the fifteenth day of the month immediately preceding the interest payment date ("Record Date"), to the address as it appears on the registration books kept by the Registrar or at such other address as is provided to the Paying Agent in writing by such registered owner. If payment of principal or interest is made to a depository, payment shall be made by wire transfer on the payment date in same day funds. If the payment date occurs on a date when financial institutions are not open for business, the wire transfer shall be made on the next succeeding business day. The Paying Agent shall be instructed to wire transfer payments by 1:00 p.m. (New York City time) so such payments are received at the depository by 2:30 p.m. (New York City time). All payments on the Bonds shall be made in any lawful money of the United States of America, which on the date of such payment shall be legal tender for the payment of public and private debts.
(f) Each Bond shall be transferable or exchangeable only upon the books of the County kept for that purpose at the principal corporate trust office of the Registrar by the registered owner or by its attorney duly authorized in writing, upon surrender of such Bond together with a written instrument of transfer or exchange satisfactory to the Registrar duly executed by the registered owner or its attorney duly authorized in writing, and thereupon a new fully registered Bond or Bonds in the same aggregate principal amount and of the same maturity, shall be executed and delivered in the name of the transferee or transferees or the registered owner, as the case may be, in exchange therefore. The County and the Registrar and Paying Agent for the Bonds may treat and consider the person in whose name such Bonds are registered as the absolute owner thereof for all purposes including for the purpose of receiving payment of, or on account of, the principal thereof and interest due thereon.
(g) The Bonds shall bear an original date, which shall be their issue date, and each Bond shall also bear the date of its authentication. Bonds authenticated on or before the Record Date immediately preceding the first interest payment date shall be paid interest from the original date. Bonds authenticated thereafter shall be paid interest from the interest payment date to which interest has been paid next preceding the date of authentication of such Bonds unless the Bonds are authenticated after the Record Date and on or before the corresponding interest payment date, in which case interest thereon shall be paid from such interest payment date. If at the time of authentication of any Bond interest is in default thereon, that Bond shall bear interest from the date to which interest has been paid in full.
(h) The Bonds shall be signed in the name of the County by the manual or facsimile signature of the Board of Commissioners, and the seal of the County shall be affixed, imprinted, engraved or otherwise reproduced thereon and attested by the manual or facsimile signature of the Auditor. The Bonds shall be authenticated with the manual signature of an authorized representative of the Registrar, and no Bond shall be valid or become obligatory for any purpose until the certificate of authentication thereon shall have been so executed. Subject to registration provisions, the Bonds shall be negotiable under the laws of the State of Indiana.
(i) The Bonds are not subject to optional redemption prior to maturity. However, if (i) the authorizing statutes for the Bonds or for the State's collection of a county's portion of the cost of housing and maintaining juvenile inmates are amended, so that the State no longer has a valid claim against a county for the cost of housing and maintaining juvenile inmates or (ii) a court of competent jurisdiction holds that the State no longer has a valid claim against the County for collection of the County's portion of the cost of housing and maintaining juvenile inmates, then the County may use any unspent proceeds of the Bonds and amounts refunded by the State to redeem the Bonds upon thirty (30) days' notice, at par value plus interest accrued to the date of redemption.
Any Bonds issued as term bonds, upon election of the successful bidder, shall be subject to mandatory sinking fund redemption on January 1 and July 1 at 100% of face value in accordance with the maturity schedule hereinafter determined in accordance with paragraph (c). The Registrar shall credit against the mandatory sinking fund requirement for any term bonds, and any corresponding mandatory redemption obligation, in the order determined by the County, any term bonds maturing on the same date which have previously been redeemed (otherwise than as a result of a previous mandatory redemption requirement) or delivered to the Registrar for cancellation or purchased for cancellation by the County and not theretofore applied as a credit against any redemption obligation. Each term bond so delivered or canceled shall be credited by the Registrar at 100% of the principal amount thereof against the mandatory sinking fund obligation on such mandatory redemption date for that term bond. Any excess of such amount shall be credited on future redemption obligations, and the principal amount of that term bond to be redeemed by operation of the mandatory sinking fund requirement shall be accordingly reduced.
Each Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000) principal amount shall be considered a separate Bond for purposes of redemption.
Notice of redemption shall be mailed to the address of the registered owner as shown on the registration records of the Registrar, as of the date which is forty five (45) days prior to the date fixed for redemption, not less than thirty (30) days prior to such redemption date, unless notice is waived by the owner of the Bond or Bonds redeemed. The notice shall specify the date and place of redemption and sufficient identification of the Bonds called for redemption. The place of redemption may be determined by the County. Interest on the Bonds so called for redemption shall cease and the Bonds will no longer be deemed outstanding under this ordinance on the redemption date fixed in such notice if sufficient funds are available at the place of redemption to pay the redemption price, including accrued interest and redemption premium, if any, to the redemption date, on the date so named. Failure to give such notice by mailing, or any defect in such notice, with respect to any Bond shall not affect the validity of any proceedings for redemption of other Bonds.
If the Bonds are not presented for payment or redemption on the date fixed therefore, the County may deposit in trust with the Paying Agent, an amount sufficient to pay such Bond or the redemption price, as the case may be, including accrued interest to the date of such payment or redemption, and thereafter the registered owner shall look only to the funds so deposited in trust with the Paying Agent for payment, and the County shall have no further obligation or liability in respect thereto.
(j) The County has determined that it may be beneficial to the County to have the Bonds held by a central depository system pursuant to an agreement between the County and The Depository Trust Company, New York, New York ("Depository Trust Company") and have transfers of the Bonds effected by book entry on the books of the central depository system ("Book Entry System"). The Bonds may be initially issued in the form of a separate single authenticated fully registered Bond for the aggregate principal amount of each separate maturity of the Bonds. In such case, upon initial issuance, the ownership of such Bonds shall be registered in the register kept by the Registrar in the name of CEDE & CO., as nominee of the Depository Trust Company.
With respect to the Bonds registered in the register kept by the Registrar in the name of CEDE & CO., as nominee of the Depository Trust Company, the County and the Paying Agent shall have no responsibility or obligation to any other holders or owners (including any beneficial owner ("Beneficial Owner")) of the Bonds with respect to (i) the accuracy of the records of the Depository Trust Company, CEDE & CO., or any Beneficial Owner with respect to ownership questions, (ii) the delivery to any bondholder (including any Beneficial Owner) or any other person, other than the Depository Trust Company, of any notice with respect to the Bonds including any notice of redemption, or (iii) the payment to any bondholder (including any Beneficial Owner) or any other person, other than the Depository Trust Company, of any amount with respect to the principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on the Bonds except as otherwise provided herein.
No person other than the Depository Trust Company shall receive an authenticated Bond evidencing an obligation of the County to make payments of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on the Bonds pursuant to this ordinance. The County and the Registrar and Paying Agent may treat as and deem the Depository Trust Company or CEDE & CO. to be the absolute bondholder of each of the Bonds for the purpose of (i) payment of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on such Bonds; (ii) giving notices of redemption and other notices permitted to be given to bondholders with respect to such Bonds; (iii) registering transfers with respect to such Bonds; (iv) obtaining any consent or other action required or permitted to be taken of or by bondholders; (v) voting; and (vi) for all other purposes whatsoever. The Paying Agent shall pay all principal of and premium, if any, and interest on the Bonds only to or upon the order of the Depository Trust Company, and all such payments shall be valid and effective fully to satisfy and discharge the County's and the Paying Agent's obligations with respect to principal of and premium, if any, and interest on the Bonds to the extent of the sum or sums so paid. Upon delivery by the Depository Trust Company to the County of written notice to the effect that the Depository Trust Company has determined to substitute a new nominee in place of CEDE & CO., and subject to the provisions herein with respect to consents, the words "CEDE & CO." in this ordinance shall refer to such new nominee of the Depository Trust Company. Notwithstanding any other provision hereof to the contrary, so long as any Bond is registered in the name of CEDE & CO., as nominee of the Depository Trust Company, all payments with respect to the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on such Bonds and all notices with respect to such Bonds shall be made and given, respectively, to the Depository Trust Company as provided in a representation letter from the County to the Depository Trust Company.
Upon receipt by the County of written notice from the Depository Trust Company to the effect that the Depository Trust Company is unable or unwilling to discharge its responsibilities and no substitute depository willing to undertake the functions of the Depository Trust Company hereunder can be found which is willing and able to undertake such functions upon reasonable and customary terms, then the Bonds shall no longer be restricted to being registered in the register of the County kept by the Registrar in the name of CEDE & CO., as nominee of the Depository Trust Company, but may be registered in whatever name or names the bondholders transferring or exchanging the Bonds shall designate, in accordance with the provisions of this ordinance.
If the County determines that it is in the best interest of the bondholders that they be able to obtain certificates for the fully registered Bonds, the County may notify the Depository Trust Company and the Registrar, whereupon the Depository Trust Company will notify the Beneficial Owners of the availability through the Depository Trust Company of certificates for the Bonds. In such event, the Registrar shall prepare, authenticate, transfer and exchange certificates for the Bonds as requested by the Depository Trust Company and any Beneficial Owners in appropriate amounts, and whenever the Depository Trust Company requests the County and the Registrar to do so, the Registrar and the County will cooperate with the Depository Trust Company by taking appropriate action after reasonable notice (i) to make available one or more separate certificates evidencing the fully registered Bonds of any Beneficial Owner's Depository Trust Company account or (ii) to arrange for another securities depository to maintain custody of certificates for and evidencing the Bonds.
If the Bonds shall no longer be restricted to being registered in the name of the Depository Trust Company, the Registrar shall cause the Bonds to be printed in blank in such number as the Registrar shall determine to be necessary or customary; provided, however, that the Registrar shall not be required to have such Bonds printed until it shall have received from the County indemnification for all costs and expenses associated with such printing.
In connection with any notice or other communication to be provided to bondholders by the County or the Registrar with respect to any consent or other action to be taken by bondholders, the County or the Registrar, as the case may be, shall establish a record date for such consent or other action and give the Depository Trust Company notice of such record date not less than fifteen (15) calendar days in advance of such record date to the extent possible.
So long as the Bonds are registered in the name of the Depository Trust Company or CEDE & CO. or any substitute nominee, the County and the Registrar and Paying Agent shall be entitled to request and to rely upon a certificate or other written representation from the Beneficial Owners of the Bonds or from the Depository Trust Company on behalf of such Beneficial Owners stating the amount of their respective beneficial ownership interests in the Bonds and setting forth the consent, advice, direction, demand or vote of the Beneficial Owners as of a record date selected by the Registrar and the Depository Trust Company, to the same extent as if such consent, advice, direction, demand or vote were made by the bondholders for purposes of this ordinance and the County and the Registrar and Paying Agent shall for such purposes treat the Beneficial Owners as the bondholders. Along with any such certificate or representation, the Registrar may request the Depository Trust Company to deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the Registrar a list of all Beneficial Owners of the Bonds, together with the dollar amount of each Beneficial Owner's interest in the Bonds and the current addresses of such Beneficial Owners.
Section 2. Form of Bond. The form of the Bonds shall be substantially as follows:
STATE OF INDIANA COUNTY OF PORTER

PORTER COUNTY, INDIANA
GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND OF 2005

INTEREST MATURITY ORIGINAL AUTHENTICATION
RATE DATE DATE DATE CUSIP


REGISTERED OWNER:
PRINCIPAL SUM:

Porter County, Indiana ("County"), acknowledges itself indebted, and for value received hereby promises to pay, to the Registered Owner or registered assigns, the Principal Sum set forth above on the Maturity Date set forth above [(unless this bond be subject to and be called for redemption prior to maturity as hereinafter provided)], and to pay interest hereon until the County's obligation with respect to the payment of the Principal Sum shall be discharged at the rate per annum specified above from the interest payment date immediately preceding the date of authentication of this bond unless this bond is authenticated on or before June 15, 2006, in which case interest shall be paid from the Original Date or unless this bond is authenticated between the fifteenth day of the month preceding an interest payment date and the interest payment date, in which case interest shall be paid from such interest payment date. Interest shall be payable on the first day of January and July each year, commencing July 1, 2006.
The principal of [and premium, if any], on this bond are payable at the principal office of ________________________ in the _____________ of _________________, Indiana ("Paying Agent" or "Registrar"). Interest on this bond shall be paid by check mailed by first class mail one business day prior to the interest payment date, to the Registered Owner, as of the fifteenth day of the month immediately preceding the interest payment date, to the address as it appears on the registration books kept by the Registrar or at such other address as is provided to the Paying Agent in writing by the Registered Owner. If payment of principal or interest is made to a depository, payment shall be made by wire transfer on the payment date in same day funds. If the payment date occurs on a date when financial institutions are not open for business, the wire transfer shall be made on the next succeeding business day. The Paying Agent shall wire transfer payments by 1:00 p.m. (New York City time) so such payments are received at the depository by 2:30 p.m. (New York City time). All payments on this bond shall be made in any coin or currency of the United States of America, which on the dates of such payment shall be legal tender for the payment of public and private debts.
The full faith and credit of the County are hereby irrevocably pledged to the punctual payment of the princi