Animal-control officer requests supplies

Commissioners considering sale of surplus vehicles

TELL CITY - County Animal Control Officer Micah Jackson told the Perry County commissioners at their regular meeting Monday he needs some basic supplies in order to do his job.

A computer, digital camera, locks for outdoor cages and a ticket book that includes offenses defined in a local ordinance would be useful, Jackson said.

"We passed an ordinance on barking dogs, and I'm going to some houses repeatedly," he said. "I'm starting to write citations, but we don't have any made for the offenses I'm citing people for," he continued, referring to the ticket books used by local police agencies. He said he'd ask Sheriff Bob Glenn about ordering new books.

Jackson said liability issues could arise if outdoor cages aren't equipped with locks. Commissioner Jody Fortwendel told him to order the locks and ticket books and present the bill to County Administrator Charlotte Rogier.

County Auditor Connie Berger told Jackson $1,000 remained in the county budget for animal-control supplies. The county council allocated $1,500 for that line item when they developed the budget.

Fortwendel told Jackson to let the commissioners know if more ordinances need to be enacted. Glenn said he provided some from other counties for county attorney Chris Goffinet to consider.

In other business, the commissioners agreed to renew an agreement with the Perry County Development Corp. for 2008 under which it will be paid up to $188,593. Berger said the figure is a slight increase from 2007. The corporation receives 20 percent of revenues from an economic-development income tax paid by county residents.

Fortwendel was named the commissioners' representative to the PCDC Board of Directors for a three-year term, replacing Commissioner Don Sherry.

Sherry will be this year's delegate to the PCDC's annual meeting, scheduled for Feb. 21.

Fords for Sale

Berger also said Pat Lambert, director of emergency medical services for the county, has a 1988 Ford ambulance she wanted to have declared surplus. Berger said the commissioners had to make that declaration, then advertise the vehicle, and could have bids opened at their March 3 meeting.

The ambulance has been driven 101,000 miles.

Lambert checked with other county agencies, and found no one has a need for it, Rogier said.

Fortwendel asked the sheriff if he needed it.

"I've got a couple of Fords I'd like to have that done with, too," Glenn replied, amending his estimate a moment later to a potential four surplus vehicles after he procures two new cars later this year.

Questioning the low mileage for the '88-model ambulance, Fortwendel offered a motion to table the issue to seek more information, which the other commssioners supported.

Highway Superintendent Ed Feix reminded the commissioners the county is now in the final year of a three-year plan outlining the spending of economic-development income taxes.

He was seeking an additional appropriation of $512,943 to resurface Atlanta and Locust roads, and told the commissioners he expects to see a "pretty substantial rise" in the cost of asphalt near the first of June.

"I'd like to get things in place so we can get going as soon as the weather allows," he said.

The commissioners approved the additional appropriation and a list Feix provided of rental equipment to be employed as needed for emergencies.

Company Offers Solutions

A company whose representatives called the state of Kentucky and the city of Louisville their biggest customers wants to sign Perry County up for its "document-solutions" services.

OfficeWare, with offices in Evansville and other cities in Illinois, Kentucky and Ohio, would perform an analysis of copying, printing, faxing and other handling of documents, sales representative Richard Myers and Jon Cross, district sales manager told the commissioners.

Agencies the company has served in the past pretty "are surprised at what they spend," Myers said, explaining one of the first steps the company takes is simply reading meters built into printers and other devices.

That step would launch a no-cost analysis aimed at improving efficiency and saving money, he explained. Recommendations likely to come out of the study could include elimination of redundant printers to cut equipment costs and those of supplies such as toner.

The company representatives said they'd ask county officials to sign an agreement under which each party would protect the other's confidential or proprietary information before they'd begin any work.

Berger said she'll obtain a copy of the agreement for the commissioners to review at their next meeting.