Commissioner meeting notes, Aug 4, 2023, 2 – 3:30. A full agenda, productive meeting. Let’s hope this trend continues. 20230804 Agenda Commissioner Meeting
Audio of the meeting and …. This post at Brown County Matters
Meeting Minutes. Sandy Cain, reinforced that minutes just need to cover the key points that include decisions that were made and the votes. Note that commissioners have the responsibility to review and vote to approve.
On decisions requiring a vote, Ron Sanders is often the only dissenting vote. Too often, commissioners are asked to vote on a decision with incomplete information and/or not provided with enough time to review.
For those considering running for commissioners in 2024, a review of the minutes is one of the ways of learning what the commissioner’s job entails. Attending meetings provides additional insights.
Overloook on 135, Re-building the Shelter. The Parks and Rec board agreed to take the lead in building a new Shelter at the site. It is hoped that grants, and donations, including material and time will help keep the cost low. The County will continue to mow grass and provide insurance. Transferring the property from the county to Park and Rec was not needed.
Indian Hill Railroad Crossing. The commissioners closed the crossing in May 2020 without a public hearing. Consequently, the impact and risks on residents and eliminating access to the Tecumseh Trail were not considered in the decision-making process. This led to an ongoing initiative – locally, regionally, statewide, to re-open the crossing. This year, commissioners petitioned INDOT to re-open the crossing. The Indiana Railroad Company (INRD) filed a rebuttal. The county and Knowbstone Hiking Trail Association (KHTA) provided a response to the INRDs rebuttal. INDOT to make a decision by Sep 23, 2023. Background on the issue and documentation available at the following: Part 4: Closure RR Xing, Indian Hill Rd – Petition to Re-Open
Capital Improvement Plan and Budget. Commissioner Sanders has taken the lead in developing a plan. The lack of a plan has been a repeat finding by the State Board of Accounts that has been ignored by the county. A priority is the replacement of the air conditioning units at the jail at a cost likely to exceed 640K. Given the age of the systems, replacing one or more now instead of all at a later time, may pose incompatibility issues depending on the equipment/vendor selected.
Other. NEW Ordinance on position descriptions, a new service contract for Melissa Stinsor to provide assistance to the commissioners, the critical importance on the accuracy of position descriptions and classifications and the relationship to pay and benefits are provided in the notes on the Aug 3 Govt Meeting 3 at the following: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1749284288485538/posts/6541134535967132/
Independent Voters of Brown County IN 