Harrison County Maintenance Department in need of $100,000 for building & equipment repairs...
Graylin Porter - Reporter
Click here to watch this meeting in full (time stamps provided for presentations below)
Harrison County Commissioners Meeting - 03/01/21
Sheila Tempel -- Harrison County Community Corrections annual report
Community Corrections is an intensive probation program : it is not jail and it’s not probation, it’s an in between.
Methamphetamine continues to comprise the majority of drug usage in Harrison County
Questions about how to maintain funding did come up, but details are unknown.
Offices are small with no room for growth
Candidates are evaluated by the prosecutor and the DA and recommended for the program: must live in HC or an adjoining county.
No funding requests made by HCCC today, just giving an annual report.
This program receives no county funding currently.
A consensus has been reached by commissioners and council to rebid the courthouse renovation project. Motion to move forward with plans, specs in order to re-bid project. Approved 3-0. Bid advertising date tentative goal: 03/17 - 03/24
Jon Stepro - Maintenance Department - 22minutes
Two additional requests for equipment repair for aging equipment that is failing including garage doors --- $50,000
Building repairs needed to cover a myriad of things that have accumulated --- $50,000
Nick Smith -- Harrison County Sheriff’s Department -- 31:30minutes
32 policemen for all of Harrison County, which is .8 officers for every 1000 people. The national average is 3 officers for every 1000
Harrison County has one police department for 485 square miles compared to Floyd County, which has 2 departments for 145 square miles.
The sheriff’s department is asking for 4 additional police officers.
No additional vehicles being requested.
4 new body camera systems which are leased through a service
$8320.00 increase per year for camera systems in addition to the cost of officers’ salary, etc.
Motion to send this on to the council was approved 3-0
Eric Wise -- Harrison County Planning Commission - 41minutes
Ordinance adopted by the Plan commission and reviewed by the state was approved by the commissioners 3-0
Presented a request for a change of zone from agricultural/residential to light industrial located at Hwy 64 and Shady Estates drive 2.16 acre track.
Owner of the property wants to put mini warehouses/storage units on this land which is currently vacant.
This request was forwarded to the commissioners with no recommendation from the plan commission. The commissioners want more information and tabled this request due to some concerns regarding what would be permissible with the zone change.
County Engineer -- Kevin Russel
Highway department has received federal funding for two bridge rehabilitation projects: Bridge 25 on Corydon New Middletown Rd at $1,380,000 and Old Hwy 337 $912,400.
Carrie Spencer
Representing swim teams that are in need of Rhoads Pool to be open this summer, which is closed due to covid testing.
Requesting that the covid testing site be moved in order to accommodate swimmers
Commissioners are supportive of this request and plan to make every effort to find something for them.
Scott Fluhr spoke up to clarify that the Parks Board was supportive of the request, but not interested in evicting the Health Department.
The commissioners again expressed support for the request and the need for a new location for covid testing.