Marshall County Council to Continue E-Poll Book Discussion

Posted on Author Lenny Dessauer

The Marshall County Council members will continue a discussion into the purchase of e-poll books when they meet this morning.

During the council’s last meeting in March, Clerk Deb Vandemark explained that 15 iPads would be purchased for placement at all of the voting sites for the purpose of signing in voters at the polls. There are 14 poll sites for the county’s 29 precincts. One extra iPad would be on hand as a backup. The purchase price is $32,225 which is not included in the clerk’s budget for this year.

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Highway Department to Get New Pug Mill

Posted on Author Lenny Dessauer

The Marshall County Council discussed several additional appropriation requests at their meeting Monday morning.

The highway department had a request for a $310,000 additional appropriation for a new pug mill. Highway Superintendent Jason Peters discussed looking into a used pug mill in Missouri but decided against the purchase. Peters previously said the pug mill had been used for a different need. It was decided to go with a new pug mill for the requested amount that the council approved.

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Marshall County Clerk Requests Money for E-Poll Books

Posted on Author Lenny Dessauer

The Marshall County Council members held a lengthy discussion about the purchase of e-poll books for the November election.

Clerk Deb Vandemark explained that 15 iPads would be purchased to be placed at all of the voting sites for the purpose of signing in voters at the polls. There are 14 poll sites for the county’s 29 precincts. One extra iPad would be on hand as a backup.

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Marshall County Council to Meet Today

Posted on Author Lenny Dessauer

The Marshall County Council members will be discussing an additional appropriation for the highway department for equipment.

Jerry Ambrose and Highway Superintendent Jason Peters explained to the Marshall County Commissioners last week that they would like to purchase a more expensive loader that will guarantee better service and reliability. The loader is a Caterpillar brand and is higher than two other bids sent in for consideration.

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Marshall County Council Approves Chief Deputy Coroner Job Description

Posted on Author Lenny Dessauer

The Marshall County Council approved a recommendation from the personnel committee to include a job description for the chief deputy coroner in the handbook, a task that has been pending for a long time.

The position description submitted includes duties, job requirements, responsibilities, and physical effort. The chief deputy coroner is a part-time position and is appointed by the coroner. The appointee is responsible for assisting in investigating and certifying cause and manner of death in any suspicious, unusual or unnatural human death.

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Marshall County Council Discusses Commissary Fund Resolution

Posted on Author Lenny Dessauer

Marshall County Sheriff Tom Chamberlin presented a resolution regarding commissary fund expenditures to the county council this week.

Sheriff Chamberlin explained that the funds are spent by guidelines set forth in the state statute. He felt that a resolution be enacted to have a better understanding of how the money can be spent out of certain line items. Detailed information would be provided on active expenditures.

Councilman Steve Harper asked about the cap on expenditures in a single purchase of $1,000. Sheriff Chamberlin said purchases would need to come before the county council for approval.

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Marshall County Council Discusses Commissioner Appropriation Request

Posted on Author Lenny Dessauer

The Marshall County Council discussed an additional appropriation request by the county commissioners for the Metronet project in the amount of $119,750.19.

Commission President Kevin Overmyer explained that the money was leftover in their line item in 2014 and was reverted to the Rainy Day Fund. Overmyer asked that the money be appropriated to finish paying bills for the Metronet project. He said the entire amount will not be spent and whatever is left can be put back into the Rainy Day Fund.

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Marshall County Council Supports Highway Department Purchase

Posted on Author Lenny Dessauer

The Marshall County Council discussed the purchase of a pug mill when the members met Monday morning.

Supervisor of County Highways Jason Peters gave the council paperwork on a used pug mill he found in Missouri. He said the machine was purchased by an individual who wanted to try something different with the machine, but it didn’t work out. The machine is now for sale.

Peters said the machine would cost $375,000 brand new, but this machine is selling for $285,000. It would only have a one-year warranty. The purchase of the pug mill would save the county money, according to Peters. When asked by Councilman Rex Gilliland about the savings, Peters said it could be realized almost immediately. Up to $250,000 could be saved in having the machine on-site and making road materials for paving and patching.

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Marshall County Council to Meet Today

Posted on Author Lenny Dessauer

When the Marshall County Council meets today, the members will discuss requests from the clerk’s office and the highway department for the waiver of probationary pay for employees in those departments.

A member of the personnel committee will present a job description recommendation for the coroner and deputy coroner while Sheriff Tom Chamberlin will have a resolution for commissary fund expenditures. The council members will also entertain additional appropriation requests from the Soil and Water District and for capital overlays for the Metronet project.

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Funds Approved for EMA Equipment Purchase

Posted on Author Lenny Dessauer

The Marshall County Council approved an additional appropriation of $39,000 in order to spend the funds for equipment for the Emergency Management Agency.

EMA Director Clyde Avery was recently approved for a grant worth $39,000 to purchase transportable computer system equipment for the Emergency Operations Center and recording equipment. The items have to be purchased first and then the state will reimburse the county after an invoice is submitted.

The council members unanimously approved the appropriation.

Marshall County Shell Building Nearly Complete

Posted on Author Lenny Dessauer

The Director of the Marshall County Economic Development Corporation gave the county council an update on the shell building in Plymouth.

Jerry Chavez explained that construction on the building began last year, but activity ceased as winter settled in.

“There are some items that still need to be completed but for the most part, it’s at a status where we won’t see any more work this coming winter. We’re doing what we can in terms of marketing it to prospective clients that may have an interest in expanding to Marshall County and setting up shop in Plymouth’s backyard,” said Chavez.

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Additional Appropriation Requests Approved for Sheriff’s Budget

Posted on Author Lenny Dessauer

The Marshall County Council members approved some money movement within the sheriff’s budget Monday morning.

Sheriff Tom Chamberlin requested an additional appropriation for $30,000 for prisoner care. Council President Matt Hassel commented that the money was “inadvertently overlooked” from the 2015 budget. The request was approved by a vote of 6-1 with Judy Stone opposed. She said the certified shares line item would be healthy enough to afford to pay that expense by the third or fourth quarter.

An additional appropriation request for funds to be placed into the sheriff’s pension line item in the budget was approved in the amount of $216,859.

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Marshall County Council Approves Salary Increases for Court Services

Posted on Author Lenny Dessauer

The Marshall County Council discussed an additional appropriation for Superior Court where Judge Dean Colvin asked for money to add to the court services director’s salary and to the substance abuse counselor’s salary.

Judge Colvin explained that the salaries were reduced in 2011 to accommodate cuts that needed to be done due to a lack of revenue and income the programs were receiving. According to Judge Colvin, the programs were turned around, thanks to the addition of Ward Byers to the office in 2013 and personnel in the office.

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Marshall County Council to Meet Today

Posted on Author Lenny Dessauer

The Marshall County Council will meet in regular session today where several additional appropriations are already set on the agenda. Some of the appropriations are necessary to put into the 2015 budget that were held over from last year’s budget. Other line items were omitted from budget discussions.

The council members will reorganize and entertain employee replacement requests for the Soil and Water District, clerk’s office and the sheriff’s department. The council members will also review a salary amendment for the court services director and substance abuse counselor along with lake patrol.

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Marshall County Council to Meet Tonight

Posted on Author Lenny Dessauer

The Marshall County Council will meet tonight where several additional appropriation requests are on the table for approval.

A representative from the Argos Community School Corporation will request money from the rainy day fund for stipends, health insurance and utilities totaling $140,000. A request will also be made for a reduction in General Fund appropriation for health insurance and utilities in the amount of $120,360.

The Superior Court 1 judge will request addition appropriations in the amount of $13,000 while the highway department will request $175,000 will be requested from the Cumulative Bridge fund for the 7th Road project.

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Marshall County Council Approves Appropriation for Public Defenders

Posted on Author Lenny Dessauer

The Marshall County Council approved an additional appropriation for Marshall County Superior Court No 2. for pauper counsel.

Judge Dean Colvin explained that the shortfall in the budget is due to a contract with the public defenders.

“In regards to the contract that we have with our current public defenders and the request we made in 2013 to cover 2014 expenses in the additional increase in pay that we provided when we reorganized in the public defenders fund, we have now come to a point where we are in a shortfall. It’s primarily due to that new contract.”

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Marshall County Council Approves Appropriation for Metronet Project

Posted on Author Lenny Dessauer

The Marshall County Council members discussed an additional appropriation for the Metronet project Monday morning.

The amount was for $250,000 out of the Rainy Day Fund which is the amount St. Joseph County is expected to pay for the project.

Auditor Penny Lukenbill explained that Trinity Health sent in $125,000 for their portion of the cost in August which was appropriated last month. The county is anticipating St. Joseph County’s portion of $250,000 this week. Lukenbill stated that she wants to be prepared for when that happens.

The council unanimously approved the appropriation.

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Marshall County Council to Meet Today

Posted on Author Lenny Dessauer

The Marshall County Council members will consider several additional appropriations in their monthly meeting today.

Marshall County Superior Court No. 2 Judge Dean Colvin will request $30,000 in an additional appropriation for pauper council while Sheriff Tom Chamberlin will discuss a $3,000 request for overtime.

A request for $250,000 from the Rainy Day Fund to cover the cost of the Metronet project is on the agenda. St. Joseph Regional Medical Center recently paid that for their cost of the project which was placed into the Rainy Day Fund. The council members will now take out that money to complete payment on the project.

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