County council approves $166,000 to renovate Ethel Wright Center…

Noah Woods - Reporter
RIchard Gettelfinger - Reporter

Harrison County Council Meeting - Monday, February 22 2021

The council voted unanimously to approve the request of $166,000 by the Parks Department to renovate the Wright Center. There are many reasons why this appropriation does not make sense, which we have reiterated several times here.

There is not a public list of board members for the Friends of Corydon Capitol Historic Site, the nonprofit which owns the building.

All 7 members of the council WERE present, as well as the council’s attorney.

Click here to watch thIS meeting in full.

Joe Squire, Harrison Co. Hospital EMS Department Manager

  • Back in September 2020, requested 2 ambulance

  • Following along with the Replacement Plan began in 2018 for replacing ambulances

    • 2 ambulances in year 1

    • 1 ambulance in year 2

    • 1 ambulance in year 3

    • Repeat 2-1-1 pattern

  • 2 ambulances scheduled to be delivered in the middle of this year, but potential delays in production due to COVID might set this back

    • Likely a 10 month+ lead time in getting an ambulance after placing an order

  • Stated goal to have all ambulances under 250,000 miles

  • Requesting approval for funding to go ahead and order an ambulance given the long lead time with orders

  • Est. $345,000 for the ambulance, pretty much the same price as the last purchased ambulance

    • Staff really appreciate features of the most recently acquired ambulances

    • hospital workers comp. insurance likes the additional safety features for workers

  • Have not taken possession of 2 ambulances purchased last year, still in queue and set to be delivered in the middle of this year

  • Payment for ambulances not due until in the hospital’s possession

  • Retired ambulances are going to be auctioned in the early spring auction in Lanesville

Harrison County Highway Dept. 

  • Additional request for a new vehicle

    • $29,730 for Ford Explorer

      • Everything is base price besides extra $160 for floor liners

    • Replacing 2007 Suburban that needs an est. $3-4,000 in repairs, has 198,000 miles and is beginning to rust out on the bottom

      • Can repair but felt this would be a bad replacement

      • Didn’t have an answer for how much he thought the sale/auction value would be

  • The conversation was largely focused on whether an SUV or Pick Up truck was the better option

  • 2020 Highway Department spent ~$4,734,000 from riverboat funds which was the lowest amount since 2001

Additional Appropriations Advertised

  • $2,500 for income base study for the county

    • Paid out of County General Fund

    • Motion carried 7-0

  • $6,629 for camera system at the courthouse

    • Motion carried 7-0 “to encumber funds near December”

    • Coming out of the courthouse fund

  • $683.97 to Circuit Clerk, adjustments made in pay for retiring book keeper to train replacement

    • Motion carried 6 - 0 -1 (abstain)

  •  $41,103 Bituminous request by the county highway for “work that has already been done”

    • Motion carried 7-0

  • $166,000 for renovations for Wright Center (approx. 51-minute mark of meeting video)

    •  Out of Riverboat funds

    • A lease between the county and the Friends of Corydon Capitol Historic Site will be entered into and finalized before any funds will be dispersed

      • Entity executing the lease must also be in good standing with the state

    • Slated to be home for Parks Dept. HQ

      • The county was “on the hook” for approx. $18k per year in rent expenses for Park Dept. HQ

      • Est. to save the county $317K in rent expenses over the course of the 25-year lease

    • Motion carried 7 - 0

  • Infrastructure sharing from riverboat

    • Corydon = $4730.79

    • Crandal = $230.61

    • Elizabeth = $245.75

    • Laconia = $75.75

    • Lanesville = $854.25

    • Mauckport = $122.88

    • Mill town = $565.57

    • New Amsterdam = $41.24

    • New Middletown = $140.55

    • Palmyra = $1,408.89

      • Motion carried 7-0

  • Revenue Sharing Funds to incorp. towns and neighboring counties

    • Crawford = $96,186.07

    • Washington =$24,046.52

    • Floyd = $12,023.26

    • Town of Georgetown = $12,023.26

    • City of New Albany = $36,069.78

    • Town of Corydon = $13,450.42

    • Town of Crandal = $2,172.60

    • Town of Elizabeth = $2,214.68

    • Town of Laconia = $1,272.06

    • Town of Lanesville = $3,753.66

    • Town of Mauckport = $1,918.91

    • Town of Mill Town = $3,015.43

    • Town of New Amsterdam = $1,187.90

    • Town of New Middletown = $1,960.99

    • Town of Palmyra = $5,123.11

      • Motion Carried 7-0

  • $17,727 reimbursement for the Convention Visitor’s Bureau for purchases of RV units that Parks Department rents out 

    • Motion carried 7-0

  •  $3,000 Transfer request from public defenders office from part-time employees salary to equipment 

    • Motion carried 7-0

  • $500 transfer request by emergency management from equipment to contractual services for WTH Mathing???

    • Confusion on what WTH Mathing stands for, but since its under $1k threshold motion was made and carried 7-0 

      • This is the second transfer request that Capelle expressed her wishes for future further clarification for the reasoning behind the transfer request

  • Backup generator needing a new above ground tank to prevent water from accumulating inside

    • Concerned that without quick action being taken then serious damage could occur to the generator that is estimated at $300K in price

    • Preliminary pricing:

      • 2000 Gallon Tank - runs approx. 7.3 days

        • Approx. $22-23K

      • 1100 gallon tank - runs approx. 4 days

        • Approx. $19,300

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