County highway budget takes a big hit from the state

Greene County Highway Superintendent Mike Hennette had some bad financial news to share with the county commissioners Monday morning.

Hennette said he was recently informed by county auditor David Bailey, who was told by officials from the State Department of Local Government Finance, that the county's 2009 highway budget had been trimmed by more than $565,000.

"It's devastating, it really is," Hennette said when asked to comment on the major cuts which amount to an estimated 18 percent of his department's entire budget.

Hennette said the cuts include $532,500 from the Motor Vehicle Highway Fund and $32,000 from the Local Roads and Street Fund.

He also pointed out that the approved allocation for the highway department is less than the 2008 budget.

The road superintendent said he would be huddling with the commissioners in the next few days in a effort to figure out a way to absorb the big cuts and refrain from laying off any employees.

"We've got to look at every possible option out there," Hennette said. "We don't want to lay off anybody, but that can't be ruled out."

Money from the MVH fund is used for construction, reconstruction and maintenance of the highways including highways which traverse the streets of incorporated towns.

Local Road and Street Fund monies are used from the local road and street account shall be used exclusively by the cities, towns, and counties for: Engineering, land acquisition, construction, resurfacing, maintenance, restoration, or rehabilitation of both local and arterial road and street systems; the payment of principal and interest on bonds sold primarily to finance road, street, or thoroughfare projects; any local costs required to undertake a recreational or reservoir road project or the purchase, rental, or repair of highway equipment.

In other matters, the commissioners agreed to hire Southern Indiana Development Commission (SIDC) from Loogootee to be the administration agent for the federal Disaster Recovery Services grant the county will receive as a result of last June's flooding.

SIDC will be paid 1 percent of the total grant for its administrative services.

Hennette told the commissioners that he expects to recover between $80,000 and $90,000 in expenses incurred by the county highway department.

The commissioners also opened a bid from Tyler Technologies to provide professional services that will finish up required work on the 2011 property tax reassessment, which gets under way July 1.

Cost of the contract will be $278,100.

The bid was tabled to allow commissioner's attorney Marilyn Hartman to review the contract and makes sure it compiles with the specifications laid out by the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance.

Final action on the bid proposal is expected at the May 4 commissioner's meeting.

The commissioners did award a contract to the Indianapolis civil engineering firm of Butler, Fairman & Seufert, Inc. to conduct a two-phase county-wide bridge inspection.

The vote on the contract was 2-0-1 with commissioner Kermit Holtsclaw abstaining because he did not receive a copy of the contract document prior to coming to the meeting for his review.

Cost of Phase 1 will be $110,475 with Phase 2 quoted at $89,110.

In other action, the commissioners approved a proclamation presented jointly by the Greene County Prosecutor's office and Middle Way House of Bloomington to declare the week April 26 through May 2 as National Crime Victims Week.

The petition presented by Vicki Aydt, representing the prosecutor's office, stated, "Citizens of Greene County, Ind. recognize that we serve justice by serving victims of crime and that by helping victims and survivors of crime, we help make our homes and neighborhoods, communities and county stronger, safer and more secure."

The National Crime Victim's Week was first established in 1981 by former President Ronald Reagan to call attention to the plight of crime victims. The week stresses that it is important to provide support and assistance in the aftermath of victimization.

"As individuals, communities and a county, we value justice in Greene County that includes and involves crime victims and seek to serve justice by serving victims of crime," the proclamation reads.

In other action, the commissioners:

* Approved a $910.70 expenditure by the county surveyor's office to purchase a computer and monitor for mapping property splits.

* Re-appointed Gia Spoor to serve on the Worthington-Jefferson Public Library Board of Trustees for another term.

* Announced that the Indiana Department of Transportation will host a meeting at 1 p.m. today (Tuesday) in the commissioner's room with the commissioners, highway department superintendent and representatives of cities and towns in the county. The purpose of the meeting is to update the local officials on its activities -- including discussion of stimulus monies.

* Approved the recommendation of the Linton City Council to appointed David Sisk of Linton to the Greene County Economic Development Commission. The commissioners also discussed appointments to five citizen advisory posts on the Greene County Plan Commission. Kermit Holtsclaw was appointed as the commissioner's representative on the commission. The commissioners expect to make their final picks for the advisory board at the May 4 meeting.

* Agreed to set up a joint executive session at 5 p.m. on April 27 with the commissioners, county council, redevelopment commission and Greene County Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Joan Bethell to talk about an economic development issue. The session, closed to the media and the general public, is allowed under Indiana law if discussions are restricted to interviews and negotiations with industrial or commercial prospects or agents of industrial or commercial prospects by the Indiana economic development corporation, the office of tourism development, the Indiana finance authority, the ports of Indiana, an economic development commission, the Indiana state Department of Agriculture, a local economic development organization, according to the Indiana Open Door Law (IC 5-14-1.5-6.1). No votes or final decisions can be made in an executive session.

* Approved claims amounting to $238,531.21.

The next regular meeting of the commissioners will be at 9:30 a.m. on May 4 in the meeting room located on the third floor of the courthouse in Bloomfield.