As of the end of March the Preble411 archives have for the most part been rebuilt and posted. It took a while and most of the exhibits/document images will be added when needed or time allows. This will allow for more accurate referencing as you can now be pointed to dates and audio files that relate to current issues.

Due to an issue with the commission computer I have the Wednesday, April 8 meeting but not the Monday April 6 meeting. They hope to have the issue corrected next week.

April 8 was a very long audio file with some long meetings.

File 2 had Mike Zimmerman in to ask for Commission approval on to put on the ballot a renewal of the library levy for five years and one mill. It passed 3-0 and I hope the voters renew it.

File 4 Starts with the West Elkton sewer district and may be of interest to the residents in that area. This file transitions into a pitch by Commissioner Creech promoting the commission approval and hiring of a detective at the Sheriff’s department.  The other two commissioners agree on the need but used Rodney’s data to point out that of 11 counties Rodney surveyed – 9 of them spend less on the Sheriff’s department than Preble. Commissioner Day pointed out that a few years ago the Sheriff wanted the commission approval to hire an additional dispatcher and at the time the Sheriff was asked if the need may be greater for a road deputy or detective. The choice was a dispatcher. Commissioner Day voiced his view that it was up to the Sheriff as to how he allocated his funding for placement of personnel.  For your reference and review; The dispatch issue request came back on May 10, 2010 –  File 8 and was approved on May 12, 2010 – File 9 .  This audio file had Rodney hopping down both sides of the fence.  There is little doubt that he was pushing for the hiring of an additional deputy but also alternated between saying Preble is doing a great job and “100% agreement” with the other two commissioners on their hesitation. 

File 5 has Sheriff Simpson in to ask approval for the hiring of an additional/second detective.  The Sheriff put forth good arguments for the hiring and need of the detective.  They are legitimate concerns and needs.  Commissioner Creech echoed many of his points. Commissioner Robertson agreed with the need and brought up the proposed 911/dispatch merger and requested numbers on expected savings as a means of paying for it. While this merger has been promoted as a cost saving – there have to my knowledge been no figures released showing those savings.  Commissioner Day felt there would be no savings for the first two years and voice his concern that it was up to the Sheriff on how he allocated his funding.  Commissioner Robertson repeated figures supplied by Commissioner Creech that showed nine out of the eleven counties he surveyed spent less than Preble County on their Sheriff’s Department. Commissioner Creech commented “hats off to our past commissioners for doing the right things”.  

File 6 Randy Gilbert in for another convoluted exchange that had him proposing using the old driveway as a means of saving project funding with regard to asphalt that could then be spent on the new building project. Commissioner Robertson reminded him that she had wanted to use the old driveway but it was Randy himself who insisted on the need for the new driveway. Commissioner Day appeared noticeably frustrated at the proposed change after 10’s of thousands of dollars had already been spent on the new road Randy had originally wanted and claimed a need for. It appeared to me that Commissioner Creech had been talking to Randy as he seemed to support the idea as this meeting began before switching over to the position of Commissioner Robertson and Day. Randy then asked for clarification as to what was included in the $1 million budget limit already set.  While this meeting seemed to finally make it clear that the budget is the budget I would not be surprised to have Randy back in for another attempt at more money.  By the time this meeting was over I was left with the feeling that Commissioner Creech & Robertson were firmly sticking to their previous budget commitments and Commissioner Day may still want a more glorified building.

File 7 is another long one. This had the commission meeting with Rodney Mann and Pork Fest Leadership on how the $875,000 grant money is to be spent.  By the terms of the grant application that previous Commissioner Wesler helped word there can be no new storage barn, no new horse barn and no purchase of much needed pens for sheep and poultry. The annual sheep show is the largest east of the Mississippi and the Ag Society has had to borrow pens from other counties that have in the past attempted to have the show moved to their counties.  Preble needs those pens but as no other commissioners or Ag Society members were apparently consulted on the grant application the need will continue.

Preble County, Ohio

County Commissioners

April 8, 2015

Meeting audio and review

Three Commissioners in attendance

File 1

I. OPEN MEETING

II. CALL OF ROLL

III. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

IV. PRAYER

V. PUBLIC COMMENTS

2.18 minutes – 541 KB

File 2

MIKE ZIMMERMAN, PREBLE COUNTY DISTRICT LIBRARY, RENEWAL OF LIBRARY LEVY

1st levy (one mill) was passed in 2010 with a 55 – 45 vote. This will be a one mill five year renewal.  Listen to the audio

My view – Vote for & Pass the levy.

Resolution 257 approves a one mill tax levy to be put on a ballot.   

16.75 minute mark on cd  

14.31 minutes – 3.32 MB

File 3

Commissioner Day – Connie do you have any additional items?

Connie – Have you had time to review the request from Mental Health on the Board appointment of Melissa Rheimers sp?

Commissioner Day – I did not…

Commissioner Robertson will do it this afternoon.

Invitation to Darke County Luncheon April 10 at 1:00. Bi-monthly meeting of about 8 different counties. Commissioner Robertson will attend.  Commissioner Creech may have spring break with his girls.

Feasibility Study prepared by L.R.Kimball  – Commissioner Day "very disappointed" with these people. Commissioner Robertson asks about a digital copy. Sheriff's Department –

Connie – agreement between Board of County Commissioners and Husted sp? Brothers (Courthouse repair of gutters and such – $35,590 – will start in June or July.

Commissioner Creech – Sorry I am left handed.

23 minute mark on cd  

6.14 minutes – 1.42 MB

File 4

West Elkton – Sewer District

Meeting that was held down at West Elkton School when the sewer district was first discussed and how things would be handled without the school. Document is mentioned as being 11 pages.    No resolutions that addressed the situation. In 2001 there was apparently millions spent on renovations at Camden & West Elkton. Commissioner Day says the school system claims to not need the space. Mentions BJ's and meat counter.

Discussion on topic.    

29.5 Minute mark    Commissioner Day – Connie do you have anything else?

Nothing else at this time

Commissioner Day – Attended meeting yesterday at Engineer's office. Mentions a project starting in 2017… Project from West Alex to Darke County….

I-70 will be six lanes across Ohio until Preble County. Rt. 127 also mentioned.

36.4 Minute mark    Commissioner Creech – Had a complaint from a person in the county about Auditor's website – system not updated with regard to showing transfer of property so Rodney checked and it had been updated. Issue was a server problem and Brad Kramer corrected the issue. Two servers – one was updating and one wasn't.

38.5 Minute mark    Rodney passes out a survey he took of counties (11 other counties) similar in size to Preble. Preble is right in the middle with regard to funding of Sheriff's Department.  Rodney's issue is of detectives most have three detectives and 15 road guys. Preble has one detective and 13 road guys.

Commissioner Day – There again; that is up to the Sheriff to decide where he places his personnel…. he came to us wanting a dispatcher….  The question was asked then; is a dispatcher more important than a road deputy or detective?

This exchange comes off as Rodney pushing for the hiring of a detective.  

Chris Day's argument is that it is up to the Sheriff where he spends his money.

41.25 Minute mark    Connie – It is interesting about the percentage of General Fund with the Sheriff's office.

Discussion on topic.    

43.4 Minute mark    Commissioner Robertson – …Nine of these counties are less than spending what we are spending…Only three of them are higher than what we spend.

47.75 Minute mark   Rodney says "hats off to our past commissioners for doing the right things.

RECESS

49 minute mark on cd  

26.04 minutes – 5.96 MB

File 5

SHERIFF SIMPSON, PERSONNEL

50 Minute mark   Meeting starts.

Sheriff proposes hiring an additional detective.

In 2009 Department had three detectives. This is a number Rodney mentioned in the previous exchange on other counties.   All detectives were reassigned due to budget cuts.

Listen to the audio.  This is a long meeting.   

51.5 Minute mark   In 2012 the Commission gave permission for one detective.

53.25 Minute mark    Mention of study of like sized counties in Southwest Ohio.

56 Minute mark    Would like to post the opening immediately.

Sheriff goes over the expected cost of employment put at mid 50's to mid 60s) of employment and health care. Need for an additional vehicle also. $9,000 for radio expense. Recent new car purchase was $31,000 with an expected life span of seven to ten years.

Sheriff would like to go on offense to deal with drug problem which drives crime.

Heroin issue. Five meth lab busts in twelve weeks.

 1 hr. 4 Minute mark    Heroin driving property crimes.

 1 hr. 6.25 Minute mark   Rodney offers the break-in at the Landfill as reason for the need.

 1 hr. 9 Minute mark   Commissioner Robertson agrees with need – finding the way to pay for it is the hard part.  Would like to see the savings in the proposed 911 merger between county and Eaton.  Revenue & budget neutral with money saved being applied to need. Good way to pay for it.

 1 hr.  11 Minute mark   New radios should last for 25 years.

 1 hr.  12 Minute mark   Rodney on his support.

 1 hr.  14 Minute mark   Commissioner Day … we give you the money for your budgets and the decision of where you want your employees is up to you….

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 1 hr.  15.25 Minute mark   Commissioner Day .. if I am looking at this correctly we are looking at a $75,000 increase to your budget maximum.  

Commissioner Robertson figured in the new car and came up with almost $100,000 and that did not include $9,000 for the radio.

 1 hr.  22.5 Minute mark   Meeting ends.

After meeting discussion.

 1 hr.  23 Minute mark   Commissioner Creech is ready to vote.

Commissioner Robertson agrees with need but wants to see savings on proposed merger of county and Eaton dispatch to pay for it.  

 1 hr.  27.5 Minute mark   Commissioner Day – you can never supply law enforcement with enough resources, same with fire and EMS. … balance on how do we make it work….the bottom line is we are looking at a $70,000 increase to his budget. Does not see any savings on the dispatch merger for two years…..

 1 hr.  28.5 Minute mark   Commissioner Creech compares Sheriff's department to economic development. Claim that an economic development director is saving and retaining jobs. A detective could be saving lives….

 1 hr.  31.5 Minute mark    Commissioner Creech wants clarification on revisiting the hiring issue.

Commissioner Day says next week – Wednesday. He has to attend an electric aggregation meeting on Monday.

RECESS UNTIL 11:00  

1 hr. 32.5 minute mark on cd  

43.33 minutes – 9.96 MB

File 6

RANDY GILBERT, LANDFILL BUILDING UPDATE

 1 hr.  34 Minute mark    Meeting starts.

Listen to the audio.

Randy mentions the need to get the cost down and the cost of asphalt as being $250,000.

Stream 13 mentioned.

 1 hr.  36 Minute mark   Randy – one of the possibilities that we are looking at to save is to use the existing driveway. You have got to be kidding me as this was suggested by Robertson & Wesler and as I recall shot down by Randy who claimed the need for a new driveway.

Commissioner Robertson calls him on the statement he just made as she suggested using the existing driveway when this conversation began. She is right.

Randy mentions there was not clearance under the existing wires.

Commissioner Day now questions. "We have invested quite a bit of money over here – why are we even considering this at this point?  Darn right.

Randy – To save the asphalt costs. To save on the asphalt costs.  LOL at that point I expected to hear someone to slapping Randy upside of his head.   

You need to listen this to believe it.    

 1 hr.  42.5 Minute mark   Commissioner Robertson asks what the projected saving on asphalt are by doing this.

Meeting on April 28 will have a decision on the designation of Stream 13.

Commissioner Robertson offers agreement with Chris on having put a significant amount of time and money into the current plan.

Commissioner Day – stick with current…

Commissioner Creech seems to support the new plan and then switch to the position of Commissioner Day & Robertson.

 1 hr.  57 Minute mark    Randy has prepared a spread sheet of cost to this point and expected additional costs and would like to know: What is included in the million dollars?  It is a good question and one that I expected long before now.   

Randy mentions being left with $837,000 for the project to bid out. Mentions tracking his and David's time for it.

No problem at $900,000 but says it will get really tough at $775,000. The $775,000 is the figure that includes David & Randy's time.  Let's be clear on this point; One heck of a lot of time could have been saved by following the directions given by the previous commission instead of constantly coming back to them with plans for more than they wanted. If that amount of time could be totaled there would probably be an issue with termination of employment in most other departments.    

2 hr.  1 Minute mark    Commissioner Creech asks where they are at on the cost of Unibuilt. Randy does not have figures for what he refers to as "trailers".

2 hr.  3.5 Minute mark    Commissioner Robertson asks about the reimbursement.

2 hr.  6 Minute mark    101 hours mentioned as being dedicated to it. Rodney feels that if these were regular hours and not overtime dedicated to the project then it should not count as the workers were being kept busy. I agree – work done as part of a regular job.  

I recommend listening to this audio file as this comes off as a pretty slippery exchange. It sounds like a resolution last year capped the total expenses at $1 million and as has happened in the past I am left with the feeling that it is hard to nail down real numbers.  Randy would like to start the million dollars today.     

2 hr.  23.25 Minute mark   Rodney asks Randy if he is comfortable that for $847,000 he can get everything covered. Randy apparently says he can do it but it would not surprise me if he is back at some point wanting more.

RECESS FOR LUNCH

2 hr.  26 minute mark on cd  

53.32 minutes – 12.2 MB

File 7

RODNEY MANN, FAIRGROUNDS CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUNDING

2 hr.  28 Minute mark   Meeting begins.

Listen to the audio.  

Commissioner Day goes over what can be covered by the wording of the grant.  

Pens and new buildings cannot be done.

New Storage building – no

New Horse Barn – no

Rest rooms – yes

2 hr.  36 Minute mark   Conduit under roads before paving.

$104,000 expense for paving beyond what Engineer plans.

Fence not considered as it was not on the original grant.

Spend money on electric to save money.

Final year for rebates on lighting.

2 hr.  41.5 Minute mark   Commission offers to take on ticket booth and arch expense at entrance.

Produce barn mentioned.

2 hr.  47.5 Minute mark   Steve Rumpke – Expo Building and restroom discussion. 15 stalls and 4 showers.

2 hr.  49.5 Minute mark    Pork Fest has been paying insurance on the building until the mortgage is paid off. It is now paid off and they no longer want to pay the insurance. It would become a commission expense. Whoever is speaking mentions that he has heard that the Pork Fest was now going to be charged rent on the building. Commissioners had not heard this. Person asks about the Fair board. Rodney Mann asks if the Fair Board plans to keep putting money into the building and the person says they have never stopped. Rodney Mann says that if the the Fair Board was not putting money into it he thinks there should be rent but if they keep putting money in then he is fine.  Since 1975 the Pork Fest has put $1.6 million into the Fairgrounds.

Chris Day mentions the need for a creation of a maintenance fund.

2 hr.  53.5 Minute mark   $157,000 aloted for restrooms.

Addition to expo discussion (where to put the restrooms) – extend – lower roof – general discussion. Build in phases….

Again – listen to the audio   

3 hr.  8 Minute mark   Pork Fest discussing concreting some floors.  At next meeting possible pass a resolution giving up easement around the building and county will have to pick up the resolution. Woman (Cathy House?) comes to podium and speaks to the 2005 lease agreement and how it can be altered. She says it can be done with just the President and not require a resolution – page 5 of the lease agreement item 9 mentioned.

1975 agreement mentioned.

3 hr. 12.9 Minute mark   Signing over the Expo building to the Commission/Fairgrounds.

1975 agreement calling for no rent to Pork Fest for festival would still be in effect. One dollar per month until 2019.

Meeting ends

3 hr.  27 minute mark on cd  

1 hr.  1 minutes – 13.9 MB

File 8

Meeting ends – numerous conversations going on at the same time.

3 hr.  37.5 Minute mark   Short Commission discussion with Rodney on Fair board reaction.

ADJOURN

3 hr.  27 minute mark on cd   

12.54 minutes – 2.95 MB