Commissioners make appointments - Corrected

TELL CITY – Perry County’s commissioners reappointed several people to county positions and approved a calendar for 2013 at their Dec. 3 regular meeting.

Commissioner Jody Fortwendel said he was proud to offer a motion to reappoint Teresa Kanneberg part-time county administrator, and the others voted to support his motion. 

Unanimous votes also keep Highway Superintendent Ed Feix, Veterans Services Officer Wayne Hubert and Maintenance Supervisor Ellis Howard on the job next year.

“I tell you one thing,” Commissioner Bill Amos said about Hubert, “he is getting busier all the time.”

Correction: In our print edition, the News erroneously reported Hubert works part time. His has been a full-time position since August 2009.

The commissioners also approved an agreement to continue using the legal services of Chris Goffinet with a 3-percent increase in cost.

No change was contained in a Local Emergency Planning Committee data-entry agreement with Sandra Jarboe, who is paid $1,417 annually, nor did the county’s share of dispatching-services fees. An agreement with Lorna Garrett to provide cleaning services in the county prosecutor’s offices for $2,220 is renewable for three years at the same rate, Goffinet said. Another with Glenn’s Cleaning Service for janitorial services in the courthouse and courthouse annex showed “a slight increase” to $2,150 per month because stripping and waxing of floors was being added, according to Kanneberg and Goffinet. It, too, is “a fixed price for three years at the county’s option if it chooses to renew it for two additional years, it would be at the same price,” the lawyer said. A contract with the county’s Council on Aging reflected an increase from $24,500 to $27,000, which had been approved by the county council, according to County Auditor Connie Berger. The commissioners approved all of the agreements.

They skipped an agreement with the Perry County Animal Shelter Services Inc. Amos said after the meeting he’d asked a new animal-welfare board to review it and they hadn’t yet provided him a response.

Kanneberg reminded the commissioners a man from Alpha Mechanical Service had addressed them at their previous meeting to propose a $9,050 annual contract for preventive maintenance on heating-and-air systems. She said she contacted a representative at current contractor Johnson Controls “and explained to her the proposal that was on the table. Johnson Controls has come to us with a price of $8,990 for preventive maintenance. It is also renewable and good for three years.”

Goffinet noted the contracts include a certain amount of labor and prices for labor beyond those amounts. 

“The labor rates are $85 an hour for Alpha and $87.55 for Johnson,” he said, and Alpha charges $49 a trip against Johnson’s per-trip charge of $45.

Kanneberg said recent years have seen extra maintenance averaging nine hours per year. She also said she consulted with Howard, who reported he was “very satisfied” with Johnson’s services.

“They’ve treated us very well; we have a good working relationship,” she added. “We’re not real familiar with the other company.”

Before offering a motion to continue using Johnson’s services, Fortwendel said he thought the good relationship was important “and the price is very competitive.” The motion was approved 3-0.

“We appreciate you altering your price,” Fortwendel told Johnson representatives in the audience.

The calendar for next year features fewer holidays for county employees because no elections are scheduled, Berger said.

The commissioners will begin an organizational meeting at 6 p.m. Jan. 7 in the county courthouse. They will decide their regular meeting dates for the year at that meeting.