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by FRANK SHANLY
Wells County Council members began their Tuesday evening budget planning meeting in a charitable mood - literally.
In opening the meeting, Council Chairman Pete Cole announced a personal donation of $40 to the Hank Esmond Fund and challenged other council members present, and also the county commissioners to match the donation. Council members Karolyna Farling, LeRoy Cramer, Todd Mahnensmith, Michael Kracium and Jim Oswalt promptly met the challenge, and appointed County Auditor Laura Brubaker to approach the commissioners for their contributions.
Jim Van Winkle was absent.
Turning to budget business, Cole advised that given the budget cuts already factored in during previous discussions, the county can balance its books. This would, however, leave unacceptably low funds available in the operating balance, which could result in difficulties with providing additional appropriations to departments should something unexpected occur.
After some additional cuts were made, council members were faced with a budget that preserves a final operating balance of $700,000, and is only $48,705 over its “allowed amount.” As additional funds generally become available during the course of a financial year, this is expected to be a manageable amount.
The 2009 budget allows for an increase of approximately 2.5 to 3 percent in pay for most county employees.
The actual formula used provides a flat 1.5 percent increase, plus $375. For employees earning $25,000, this translates to a 3 percent increase. For employees earning more than $25,000, the actual increase is less than 3 percent, while for employees earning less than $25,000, the increase is slightly more.
There have been two exceptions.
The Sheriff’s department has been given a slightly higher increase to help address pay parity issues with Ossian and Bluffton City Police Department staff. This will not be the full amount requested by Sheriff Frantz, but it will be a step towards parity.
And staff at the Area Planning Commission (APC) will not get their increase this year, due to the recent issues with the office.
APC Board Chairman Bill Horan addressed council members, updating them on the steps being taken to tackle the issues that have been raised. Council members indicated that they appreciated the fact that efforts are being made, but want to see a period of sustained customer satisfaction before reconsidering the situation.
The performance of the APC office will continue to be monitored, the council indicated, to enable the situation to be re-evaluated at an appropriate, but as yet undetermined, time.
Council members approved the commissioners’ request for $275,000 funding for the bridge on 400W over Rock Creek, but declined the $95,000 requested for the bridge on 900S over the Salamonie River, near Southern Wells School.
This decision however does not necessarily prevent progress on the southern Wells bridge, as it is thought that CEDIT funds may be available to meet the costs involved with this project.
Maplewood Home will continue to operate in its current capacity, although it is expected that this will be looked at again in the future.
In proposing a new pauper attorney contract which saved the county an expected $225,000, Judges Everett Goshorn and David Hanselman requested $90,000 in funding to cover the costs of cases that had commenced prior to the implementation of the new contract system.
Council members have cut the amount allowed for this in the budget to $45,000. In making this cut however, council members stressed that this was to help boost the operating budget, and that if the extra funds were required, additional appropriations can still be made on an as required basis.
The commissioners’ request for $100,000 for computer maintenance has also been cut to $50,000.
Council members discussed the option of increasing the Local Option Income Tax (LOIT) to provide additional funds for public safety projects.
It was the consensus however that Wells County residents are facing enough financial issues without having to pay more taxes, and that the additional income produced by the current levels of the LOIT tax should provide sufficient funds for the immediate future.
The date for the public hearing of the budget was set for Tuesday Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. The date set for final adoption of the budget in Tuesday, Nov. 25, also at 7 p.m. These dates are expected to be advertised on Oct. 30 and Nov. 6.
The council’s next regular monthly meeting will be on Wednesday, Nov. 5, commencing at 7 p.m. in the Carnegie Annex on W. Washington Street.
frank@news-banner.com
When the air was cleared Tuesday night, the Bluffton schools’ culinary arts program was the beneficiary of $25,000 in County Economic Development Income Tax money from the Bluffton Common Council.
The council heard from Dr. Julie Wood, superintendent of the Bluffton-Harrison Metropolitan School District, plus a couple of school board members, some administrators, and the people who will be putting together the program.
Wood had come before the city council in August to ask for the money, but council members were not willing to fully commit to the idea before they had some things clarified. Council members wanted to know exactly what the city’s money would be used for, and if this was going to be a continuing request.
The money would primarily be used for equipment, installing a commercial-grade kitchen in the Bluffton Middle School. As for requests for additional money, the school district representatives said they didn’t plan to come back.
The idea is for the program to eventually pay for itself — through tuition fees and through sales of the food produced in the classes.
“Your money, as a support to the economic development side of the ledger, will help us become self-sufficient much quicker,” said Rick Mettler, assistant principal of Bluffton Middle School. “It’s got an educational component, no doubt, but it’s also got an economic development component.”
Steve Baker, principal of Bluffton High School, said the money would be “an investment in the lives of our young people.”
Wood passed out a three-page plan, listing potential offerings, ideas for community involvement, and ideas for the future — such as a class “restaurant” run by the culinary arts program “which would allow the school, as well as the community, to do ‘book ahead’ meetings at our location — with the CAP students preparing meals, providing services, etc.”
Wood also distributed a financial plan, which showed $34,063.68 in commercial equipment was needed, $3,996 in additional items, $11,794.72 in construction and labor costs, and $18,576.68 to install a kitchen hood. The total cost: $68,401.08.
Wood said much of the equipment has already been donated; Ivy Tech made it available to the Bluffton schools when the Fort Wayne State Development Center closed down. That equipment is waiting to be used, but its state is not yet certain.
“Have we plugged it in? Will we need any repairs? We don’t know,” she admitted.
The $25,000 would be a first step; other money would come from the school district’s capital fund and from funds available for vocational programs — and grants are being sought, Wood said.
Tracy Pace, who has been doing the planning work for the program, said 38 students are signed up for the program in the second semester of this year — less than three months away. Of those 38 students, 11 will be from Bluffton-Harrison, three from Northern Wells, one from Southern Wells, and 23 from Adams County. The goal will be to hold evening classes that would be open to the community.
The city’s support, Mettler said, would be the deciding factor on what is done — and when. The layout of the room depends on what will be purchased to start up the kitchen, he said.
“Once you make your decision, we will know the direction we will want to go, and we will go in that direction,” he said.
“We can’t really do a layout, until we have this answer,” Wood said.
Council members liked when they were hearing, and decided to get behind the program with the entire $25,000 requested. Both Melanie Durr and Michael Morrissey proclaimed the program “a good fit” for CEDIT money, and Bette Erxleben, James Phillabaum, and Carl Perry said the presentation had gone a long way toward answering their questions. “You’ve proven you have a very good business plan,” Erxleben said. “I think it’s very exciting.”
Mayor Ted Ellis had promised that if the council had left the money in the city’s CEDIT budget for 2009, he would not spend it without the council’s approval. At the end of the discussion, he asked for the council’s approval and received it on a 5-0 vote.
“This is from the 2009 CEDIT budget,” Ellis told Wood and the school district representatives — indicating that the money would not be available until after the first of the year.
daves@news-banner.comCity Court Judge Bob Bate had his say before the Bluffton Common Council Tuesday night, arguing in favor of a $2,500 raise that is well over the 3 percent pay hike given to other city workers.
When the council considered the city’s budget in early September, Mayor Ted Ellis had indicated that Bate believed the salary was too low. Council members weren’t sympathetic and indicated that the 3 percent rule should apply across the board.
Bate came to the council meeting Tuesday night because, he said, “I felt like I had to defend myself a little bit.”
Bate said he really thinks the appropriate salary for the position is $15,000, but he dropped that total to $12,000. “I compromised,” he said.
He also said that he should be paid as much as a Board of Public Works and Safety member. Council members James Phillabaum and Melanie Durr serve with Ellis on the Board of Works and will be paid $6,385.90 for their service in 2009.
Under questioning from Phillabaum, a former colleague of his on the council, Bate said he was present for court 4 1/2 hours each Wednesday and would sometimes have trials on the third Thursday of the month. Phillabaum wasn’t happy with the comparison.
“I take objection to him saying that it’s equal to the Board of Works,” he said. Bate noted that the Board of Works minutes aren’t very long, indicating quick meetings, but Phillabaum said the job is more than just the weekly meetings and requires a lot of additional time.
Bette Erxleben, who defeated Bate in last November’s municipal election, said it was not fair to give every other employee a 3 percent pay increase but give Bate a 26 1/2 percent hike. “It’s not a matter of whether or not you deserve it,” she said. “It’s a big jump when everybody else is getting 3 percent.”
“I was on this board 20 years, and I saw it happen many times,” Bate replied.
Ellis said the council is scheduled to consider the salary ordinance for elected officials on its second reading on Nov. 11. If council members wanted to make any adjustments to Bate’s salary, that would be the time, he said.
Bate was appointed to the bench in February by Gov. Mitch Daniels. Bate, who served five terms on the Common Council, filed a vacancy created by Gary Markley, who resigned 15 days into his term. Markley defeated Lyle Cotton, who served 28 years as City Court judge, in November.
In other business Tuesday night:
• The council decided not to make any changes to parking around the Cute as a Button day care facility at the intersection of Mulberry and Arnold streets. The council asked Joe Collins if employees could park a little further away from the business and use parking areas on Mulberry as drop-off zones.
• An ordinance to allow the clerk-treasurer’s office to accept credit cards for certain payments was approved on second reading. The vote was 5-0.
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