Hamilton Center updates County Council on services provided to Greene County residents

Hamilton Center served 1,177 local residents with mental health services and substance abuse treatment from its offices in Bloomfield and Linton during fiscal year 2009-10, the Greene County Council learned at Monday's monthly meeting.

Hamilton Center's Janet McBride told the council that she wanted to update them and give an accounting of how the agency spent the $114,208 they received from the county.

Total expenses for Greene County residents amounted to $1,919,695 with charity care and bad debts totaling $282,100.

McBride said 85 percent (996 individuals) of their local clients are low income -- under 200 percent of the poverty level.

"A great number of them would be on a sliding fee scale," she noted.

The clients included 417 from the 0 to 17 age range, 748 from the age category 18 to 64. Clients over age 65 numbered 14.

Residents received 31,844 outpatient visits, 317 inpatient days, 225 residential days and 1,054 partial hospital days.

She pointed out that there are 24 full-time and two part-time employees at the Linton office and 13 full-time and two part-time working out of the office in Bloomfield -- with salaries and benefits totaling $1,307,291.

The council agreed to advertise for a $10,000 additional appropriation for the Greene County Solid Waste Management District to use to for extra hire.

SWMD Director Erek Wilson explained that there is a growing need for some part-time help because of a new recycling client -- Graber Post Buildings, Inc. -- that will provide the county with an estimated $1,000 a month new income.

Wilson noted that he has money for the extra hire in his budget and was asking for permission to spend it.

The council noted that hours on extra hire employees are limited to 30 hours a week at $9 per hour.

The Solid Waste Management Board previously approved sending the matter to the council for consideration.

Final action on the request can be taken at next month's meeting on April 25.

In other matters, the council:

* Approved an additional appropriation of $20,325 to an upgrade to the computer system in the sheriff's department. The money for the computer work will come from the County Corrections Fund, according to Sheriff Terry Pierce.

* Approved a $1,500 additional appropriation for the county's information technology director to use for travel and training.

* Appointed Irene Davis and Tammy Horrell to the Greene County Property Tax Board of Appeals.

* Tabled a request from ESPY Services of Bedford that is seeking to recover billing overcharges and errors from the county's telecom service vendors. Telecom services include long distance telephone, internet service and wireless phone service.

Councilman Ed Cullison suggested delaying action on the request until the council has a chance to check out references provided by the company. They first had done work for Greene County General Hospital, the city of Linton and Spencer-Owen School Corporation.

ESPY representative Tony Butz pointed out that as many as 80 percent of businesses and commercial customers have billing errors that can be corrected. The firm can look back as far as 36 months in reviewing the billings.

* Approved an amendment to the 2011 salary ordinance as presented by attorney Marvin Abshire. Abshire explained the State Board of Accounts had detected two omissions from the salary ordinance. Members of the Sheriff's Merit Board receive a $500 yearly stipend and the Jail Nurse is paid $18 an hour, as needed.

Monday's public meeting was preceded by two joint executive sessions dealing with pending courthouse litigation and a civil suit that has been filed in federal district court by two former clerk's office employees, who were terminated shortly after new county clerk Susan Fowler took office Jan. 1.