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Event transcript
He's we'll start with the Pledge of Allegiance and then we do have a public hearing that the council is going to operate after 00:00:00
that. 00:00:02
I pledge allegiance to the flag. 00:00:06
Of the United States of America. 00:00:08
And to the Republic for which it stands. 00:00:10
One nation under God. 00:00:13
Indivisible with liberty and justice for all. 00:00:15
OK. And I'll just ask everyone to please. 00:00:20
Silence their cell phone. 00:00:23
And before we proceed with the public hearing, I'll ask for approval of 4/28/26 joint meeting minutes. 00:00:25
For motion to approve. 00:00:32
I'll make the motion. 00:00:33
Second all in favor, aye. 00:00:34
Opposed. All right, that passes. 00:00:38
All right, All right. At this time, we will open the public hearing for additional appropriations for today. 00:00:41
Is there any? 00:00:47
Anyone from the public that would like to comment? 00:00:48
On additional appropriations. 00:00:51
Seeing none, we will adjourn the public hearing. 00:00:55
Alright, item number one. 00:00:58
We have items related to the Southern Indiana Board of Tourism. 00:01:01
First part of that is. 00:01:06
The contract with Pro. 00:01:08
Alright. 00:01:11
This box has those items. 00:01:13
Yeah, I'm happy to kind of run through this. And then we also have the tourism Bureau here with their council. 00:01:16
So Zeller and so may have him come up. I will have him come up and kind of go over some of this stuff, but we have several 00:01:21
different things on this issue to go over. 00:01:25
This is maybe. 00:01:30
So if you want to come up now and kind of go over the synopsis, I'll probably have him go over the synopsis of what we're doing 00:01:32
and why we're doing it first. That way you have a kind of an understanding and then we can go through the different action items 00:01:36
that we need to accomplish, if that's OK. 00:01:40
Good morning Bo Zeller with FBT Gibbons. We are Bond Council for Southern Indiana Tourism, also known as the Clark Floyd Counties 00:01:47
Convention Tourism Bureau mouthful long acronym. 00:01:53
This body, this county has done this deal before 2001. So there's historical precedents for it it. 00:02:00
The documents are. 00:02:07
Substantially going to be the same. 00:02:08
Effectively, the tourism Bureau collects in Kiefer's tax. It goes in. 00:02:10
Portion of that goes into their capital Development Fund. 00:02:14
They cannot issue bonds directly because they're not an elected body. 00:02:17
They can pledge it to bonds and so. 00:02:22
We felt that Floyd County would be the proper issuer. 00:02:25
They would be solely on the hook for this. It is not a debt of the county, it's a debt of the tourism Bureau. 00:02:29
It says that in the ordinance as well as the form of the bond that's in that ordinance. 00:02:35
That it's not a debt of the county. County's not liable for any payment. 00:02:39
They solely are. 00:02:42
But. 00:02:44
The the legal steps for the county on this would be County Council ordinance. 00:02:46
Today would be first reading. We've come back before the County Council at a later date. 00:02:50
In between this meeting and a second council meeting. 00:02:55
The Economic Development Commission of the county county would meet to adopt A resolution. 00:02:59
Hold a public hearing. 00:03:04
And also review and adopt A project report. 00:03:06
So it'll layout the four projects, the four projects, three of which are in Floyd County. 00:03:08
1 is a Greater Clark school system. 00:03:13
Project but. 00:03:16
I think I think the county's project is community park related to community park. 00:03:17
The city of New Albany has 1 and so does IUS related to a trailhead on on South Trail. 00:03:22
Out on their campus. 00:03:29
Are there any questions kind of on the legal? 00:03:31
Process. 00:03:34
I always have questions. Yeah, absolutely. 00:03:38
So if we. 00:03:41
Bond this. It doesn't go against our bonding ability as a county. 00:03:42
Correct, Correct. We're just a pass through. Yeah, several. 00:03:47
That's correct. 00:03:51
OK. It's just a pass through. 00:03:51
OK, yeah, several reasons. One, it's innkeepers tax. 00:03:53
So it's. 00:03:58
Their dollars. 00:03:59
To this is kind of like a conduit deal. It's, Mr. Short said. It's a pass through. 00:04:00
And three, the tourism has to annually appropriate this. So those are kind of three reasons why count torture. 00:04:04
Constitutional debt limits, which is really more tied than property tax and local impacts, so. 00:04:10
Tell me why Floyd County was chose over the other counties. 00:04:16
So the the reason we look for a single issuer. 00:04:19
Is it's more cost effective for the tourism Bureau? 00:04:22
And it saves. 00:04:26
Gives more dollars to the projects frankly too. 00:04:27
If last year, for example, we couldn't get a single issuer. 00:04:30
So we had to do several small deals and it really increased the cost. Those bonds were sold at the Indiana Bond Banks, so the bond 00:04:34
bank had. 00:04:38
Different fees for different deals. Their council, municipal advisor, my fees. 00:04:43
One issue it's. 00:04:49
Makes it more efficient from a timing standpoint as well as a fiscal standpoint. 00:04:50
We chose Floyd County because one, there's a precedent of Floyd County doing it before in 2021. 00:04:56
And two three of the four projects are in. 00:05:02
In the county. 00:05:04
That was going to be my next question. So the largest money projects are in. 00:05:05
What county? 00:05:12
Here, Floyd County. 00:05:12
What are the projects? Can you? Yeah. 00:05:14
Are we getting in too much detail? 00:05:18
No, no, not at all. OK. 00:05:20
Jim Everson, executive director of the Convention and Tourism Bureau. 00:05:25
The the Direct Floyd County project has to do with Floyd County Parks and a new amphitheater project at Community Park. 00:05:29
The IUS project and that's 200. 00:05:38
225,000. 00:05:41
250,000 for IU Southeast. 00:05:42
Toward the development of the trailhead. 00:05:46
Project. 00:05:48
For the Monon South. 00:05:49
Right there by the. 00:05:51
The old tracks. 00:05:52
Behind the the ball fields. 00:05:54
Another $250,000 to. 00:05:56
New York, New Albany Parks. 00:05:59
For turfing. 00:06:01
Fields Outdoor fields at Silver Street Park. 00:06:04
And another $250,000 to Greater Clark County schools. 00:06:07
To contribute toward extended parking for the new Natatorium. 00:06:11
Which was already planned and paid for with their own bond. 00:06:15
But what they were lacking was the parking. 00:06:20
To accommodate. 00:06:23
The large swim meets that. 00:06:24
We're now going to be able to book into that. 00:06:26
That had got talked about much in the community yet, but. 00:06:29
That's going to be the largest auditorium in Indiana South of Indianapolis. 00:06:32
And how much was that one? 00:06:37
250 So 3 at 2:50. 00:06:38
And. 00:06:41
Part Floyd County Parks at 22525 and that had to do with our percent. They were trying to get the maximum. 00:06:42
Score on our sheet. 00:06:49
And it has to do with the amount of leverage. 00:06:50
And so 225 was. 00:06:53
25% or under of the total project cost. 00:06:56
And that got them the maximum. 00:07:00
So what is the revenue streams that pay for these bonds? 00:07:02
Innkeepers tags. 00:07:06
OK, gotcha. 00:07:08
OK. I don't think I have any more questions. 00:07:09
So I'll kind of run through the things that we need to go over then. 00:07:14
Keeping in mind before we do a that C the ordinance itself is going to outline the fact that. 00:07:17
The tourism board is going to be responsible for all closing costs associated with this matter, including that. 00:07:23
Pro contract that we're going to talk about in. 00:07:29
So I'm happy to kind of run through those. 00:07:32
If you're ready for me to go through this, OK, So under the first one is going to be a contract with Crow. 00:07:35
That will be Commissioners contract for approval and I would request that you allow Commissioner Knabel to sign that outside of 00:07:42
the meeting. 00:07:46
All right, DocuSign ready to go after approval is granted this this morning if it's approved. But yeah, I have no questions about 00:07:52
the contracts. 00:07:56
Motion to approve that from. 00:08:02
One of the commissioners. 00:08:04
Yeah, I'll make that motion to. 00:08:05
Allow you to approve outside of the meeting. 00:08:08
And I'll suck it. 00:08:11
Hey, Cortana. Yeah. 00:08:12
I'm sorry. And for the contract, I'm sorry, yes. 00:08:14
Yeah. All right. So I have a motion and a second to accept the contract and then sign that outside of the meeting. All in favor, 00:08:17
aye? 00:08:21
All right, Thank you. Under B, this is the Economic Development Commission appointments, that is the Board. 00:08:25
That Mister Zeller was just telling you all about that. They also will meet to have a public hearing associated with this bond and 00:08:31
execute bond documents as well. 00:08:35
That Commission originally was established by the. 00:08:40
Council back in 2021. Sorry. 00:08:43
And those appointments are threefold. 1 is a Council appointment. 00:08:47
One is the commissioner's appointment and one is the New Albany city. 00:08:52
Council appointment. 00:08:55
I've reached out to the city to let them know that we need them to appoint somebody to fill their vacancy. All three appointments 00:08:57
that were made in 2021 have now expired. 00:09:02
They were some tiered terms. They've all expired at this point. Happy to go over who those were or any information you need, but 00:09:06
we need. 00:09:09
County Council to make one appointment to that board and the commissioners to make another one, please. 00:09:13
Yeah, amongst the Commissioners, I would make the motion nomination for Jason Sharpen, Sir. 00:09:18
I'll second that. All in favor, aye. 00:09:24
Alright, I don't know if the Council's ready to proceed with that at the moment or not, but. 00:09:27
Yeah, we, we, we can. 00:09:31
Umm, I'll, I'll just open the floor for a nomination for. 00:09:34
A member. 00:09:37
Is anybody interested? 00:09:39
Are you mad? 00:09:41
I nominate Matt. 00:09:43
2nd. 00:09:44
All right, we have a nomination, a second for Matt and you accept. All in favor say aye, aye. 00:09:45
Any opposed that carries? 00:09:50
We've done what we can do on that. Thank you. And I'm the next one. 00:09:52
Is council. 00:09:56
Happy to try to answer any questions. I know Steve I think has provided some guidance to you all. 00:09:57
So I'll stay out of that. 00:10:02
Piece, but we do need. Does anybody have any questions on the ordinance first? 00:10:03
If there are none. 00:10:09
I would look for a motion with unanimous consent. 00:10:12
To take care of it all today if. 00:10:17
We would just do a first reading today. We should do a first reading plan, yes, OK. 00:10:18
The Commission has to approve. Gotcha. OK, All right. 00:10:22
Move to approve. 00:10:26
1C as written. 00:10:27
2nd. 00:10:29
All right, we have a motion and a second for. 00:10:30
1C Ordinance 2026 Dash. 00:10:33
Well, and just sorry to interrupt, but before you do that, D is actually tied to C, it is the exhibit and really just approving 00:10:35
the form of that along with that ordinance today. 00:10:40
You want to do them both together or again, part of C is just an attachment, has that interlocal. So we really don't need to vote 00:10:44
separately on D it's part of C, So I just want to clear that up before you actually vote D. 00:10:50
OK. I will move to approve Ordinance 20. 00:10:57
26-12 AS. 00:11:01
Published, including. 00:11:03
2nd. 00:11:06
All right. We have a motion and 2nd for 1C and D any further discussion? 00:11:06
All in favor say aye. 00:11:13
Aye, any opposed? 00:11:14
Thank you. 00:11:17
All right. Thank you for being here. Thank you. 00:11:18
All right, Nick. 00:11:22
All right, let's. 00:11:24
I just have a grant proposal request. This is. 00:11:29
For USDOT. 00:11:33
Grant Safe Streets for All implementation program. It's for intersection improvements at Grant Line Rd. and Chapel Wayne. 00:11:36
The grant request will be $1,050,907. 00:11:44
The local match is 20% of the overall project, which would be $262,726. 00:11:51
It's due later this month, so. 00:11:59
So we wanted to get you both at the same time here. 00:12:01
Who will pay the 20%? 00:12:04
It'll probably come out of. 00:12:07
Uh, motor vehicle restricted or unrestricted or local roads and streets. 00:12:10
Can you just briefly tell me? 00:12:16
It's like playing a light or just you take out the car. 00:12:18
It's if if you're familiar with that intersection has a high. 00:12:21
Skew turn. There's also a vertical curve on grant line approaching it, so the intent will be to. 00:12:26
Realign the Interstate section for a. 00:12:33
Lesser anger angle turn into address the vertical. 00:12:36
How much is the total project? 00:12:43
About 1.3. 00:12:46
1.3. 00:12:48
This was a intersection identified in our thoroughfare. 00:12:50
Update in 2021 and in the safe streets for all Brian that Kita helped us produce last year. That's just it's it's one of the 00:12:55
higher incident. 00:13:00
Intersections in the county. 00:13:05
How much do you expect to get from the grant? 00:13:08
A million. 00:13:10
1,050,970. 00:13:12
Oh, OK. 00:13:14
I'll make a motion to approve to. 00:13:15
2nd. 00:13:18
We have a motion and a second on the Council side for the grant proposal. Any discussion? 00:13:19
All in favor say aye. 00:13:25
Aye, any opposed? 00:13:26
All right, look for a motion of approval amongst the Commissioners. Motion to approve. 00:13:28
Second all in favor, aye. 00:13:33
Alright, alright, Thank you very much. Item 3 is Resolution 2026-07 for sale of personal property amongst the Commissioners. Umm, 00:13:35
yeah, I might welcome. 00:13:41
Synopsis on that for inquiring lines. 00:13:47
This is some. 00:13:50
Road Department. 00:13:52
Surplus property in Sydney is in the back in case you all have any questions about the specific specific property that's being. 00:13:54
Sold but their surplus property that we're. 00:13:59
Real not real property. Personal property. 00:14:02
Equipment and stuff of that nature that we're looking to auction off and sell. 00:14:05
So, and that is just commissioners action on that, that's 202607. 00:14:10
Alright, I think we all have ample opportunity to look over the list. 00:14:16
Yeah, I'll make a. 00:14:20
Make a motion. 00:14:23
Pass resolution 202607. 00:14:24
Sell personal property at auction. 00:14:27
I'll second. 00:14:30
OK, all in favor, aye? 00:14:31
Can we? Do we know what the value of that property might estimate? 00:14:34
Beatbox. 00:14:39
5 bucks. 00:14:40
Auction. 00:14:45
Yeah, now we won't know until we tell it. Yeah, right. But it's not a big about. 00:14:47
All right. 00:14:54
Thank you. Good morning. 00:14:57
As previously stated in the e-mail you received this morning. 00:15:00
For a will be. 00:15:03
I don't know that it's necessarily tabled, but. 00:15:05
I guess removed and delayed. 00:15:07
It's off the agenda. 00:15:11
It will be addressed at your individual meetings in June, so the first Commissioner meeting in June and then the Council meeting 00:15:12
in June as well, where the joint resolutions will be taken up by each board. 00:15:17
Excel and Treasurer Steve Burks is here with me. Sadly, recorder Lois Indus is recovering from surgery today, so she cannot be 00:15:23
here and. 00:15:27
I understand the. 00:15:32
The possibility of why would the recorder be here for something like this, but she's the one who found the issue and started. 00:15:33
The fix? So I sent an e-mail last week outlining the timeline. 00:15:39
Which covers from. 00:15:44
Basically 20/17/2018 to current. 00:15:46
Of a historical outage and secondary piece referred to as a legacy outage. 00:15:49
That was identified by Miss Indris when she took office as county treasurer back in 2017. 00:15:55
Where? 00:16:02
At basically at the end of the day, she discovered that we had a $3.4 million undocumented outage that encompassed both the cash 00:16:05
book to the banks and the cash book to the county funds. 00:16:10
She she did a lot of work. 00:16:16
To get. 00:16:19
This started. 00:16:19
And then pass to the reins off to Mr. Burks when he took over as Treasurer in 2021, and myself when I. 00:16:21
Went with him. 00:16:28
In that endeavor as his chief deputy. 00:16:29
We have continued. 00:16:33
I I don't even know how to describe what we've done. 00:16:37
Over the last. 00:16:40
Multiple years, 5 1/2 years that we've worked on this together separately and. 00:16:41
And there have been. 00:16:46
Times where we've had to put the project down because of of. 00:16:48
Our jobs, there are times where we just don't have the time to continue. 00:16:53
Working on a historical research project because there are other things that have to be addressed on. 00:16:57
I can go over that e-mail. 00:17:04
I wouldn't mind. 00:17:06
If you want me to, I'm happy to read it into the record. It does go over as succinctly as I could with enough detail. 00:17:08
What we're addressing again, this is a resolution jointly passed by both Commissioners and Council at the request of the SBOA, and 00:17:15
it is something that those resolutions will be available at your meetings in June. 00:17:20
And the Council has the ability today to decide. 00:17:26
Where this secondary, which is the historical adjustment, will be removed from the funds at the legacy adjustment adjust addresses 00:17:30
the. 00:17:35
The cash book to bank issue. 00:17:40
So for those of you who don't know how the county finances work, or at least the balancing of said such, we have. 00:17:42
Our bank accounts. 00:17:49
We have the county cash book which tracks. 00:17:50
And reconciles bank accounts plus things held in trust by the treasurer's office, which is normally tax dollars and excise until 00:17:53
settlement time frame. 00:17:56
And then we have the funds. The funds are what you get reports on anytime I send you a or Gloria send you a fund status. 00:18:01
Those are the actual county funds, so. 00:18:09
Local government does a horrible thing called fund accounting. 00:18:12
Where everything is held under. 00:18:15
Different allocations and the goal. 00:18:17
The ideal situation is that the cash book balances both. 00:18:20
To our actual bank accounts. 00:18:24
And. 00:18:26
Our county funds because those are both things that are reflected. 00:18:27
On the cash book, there's two sides to the cash book. There is the bank side and then there is the fund side. 00:18:31
I did send you examples of these things so that you would. 00:18:36
Kind of have a general idea of what I'm referencing. I have multiple examples here that I'm happy to pass out. They're from 00:18:39
different months, mostly because. 00:18:42
I didn't want to destroy my color printer by printing. 00:18:47
1,000,000 copies of this delightful packet, but I'm happy to. 00:18:50
To make additional copies or send you digital copies at a later date. 00:18:53
So. 00:18:57
Our bank account. 00:19:00
Balancing portion of the cash book does not match our actual cash in the banks. 00:19:01
And our fund portion of the cash book does not actually match. 00:19:07
Our funds. 00:19:12
Both are overstated. 00:19:14
By different amounts. 00:19:16
Those are also sent to you in that e-mail. 00:19:17
The total overall amount that will affect the funds, which is what we utilized to report to the state on behalf of everything that 00:19:20
we have. It's also what we utilize in budgetary systems and seasons. 00:19:25
Is $470,679.22, which is a dramatic drop from $3.4 million. 00:19:31
I just want to point that out that the work that has gone into this over the last eight years, between Miss Interest, Mr. Burks, 00:19:40
myself and our staff. 00:19:44
Took a $3.4 million outage and resolved it down to less than half $1,000,000. 00:19:49
That's a lot of work. 00:19:55
It's a lot of money saved. 00:19:57
There is a different amount that. 00:20:03
I was, I was going to go over that in a minute. So we're going to go over this this e-mail as best I can. 00:20:05
Feel free to ask questions as we go along, I'll do my best to address them and if it's not information I have directly at my 00:20:10
fingertips which I tried my best to bring everything. 00:20:14
I'll e-mail it to you because again. 00:20:19
The resolution isn't being adopted today. 00:20:21
So. 00:20:24
I'm just gonna read the e-mail as I wrote it. 00:20:25
The historical legacy outage was discovered by former county treasurer. 00:20:28
Lois Interest Miss Interest took office in January 1 of 2017 and by mid. 00:20:33
2018 had discovered the previous reconciliation deputy had been forcing numbers. 00:20:38
To balance the multitude of bank accounts that existed in the county's name. 00:20:43
Over the next year, Miss Interest worked with her new reconciliation deputy and the council in an attempt to find and document the 00:20:47
outages. 00:20:51
While maintaining accuracy and progress for the current county finances. 00:20:54
In June of 2019, under the advice of a council member, the County Council decided to do a historical adjustment to force a balance 00:20:58
that would allow the final movement of some funds. 00:21:03
And closure of one of the many unnecessary bank accounts. 00:21:08
This adjustment was done incorrectly and actually caused issues later in this process. In March of 2020, the County Council 00:21:11
approved the hiring and funding of a third party farm department and Williams. 00:21:16
To come in and take over the search for the outages at the recommendation of Miss Indras. 00:21:21
The total undocumented outage was 3.4 million at the time Hartman and Williams was brought on board. 00:21:26
In January of 2021. 00:21:31
Miss Interest left the Treasurer's office to be the Floyd County Reporter, a role she still serves in today, and Mr. Steve Burks 00:21:33
took office as Floyd County Treasurer. 00:21:37
Mr. Burks appointed me as his chief deputy and with the background, information and base provided by Miss Indris, we continued 00:21:42
working closely with Hartman and Williams. 00:21:46
And the reconciliation deputy. 00:21:50
That misinterpreted hired Jason Frakes. 00:21:52
Slowly and carefully finding and correcting those undocumented outages. 00:21:55
This task was made incredibly hard, in part because the auditor's office and treasurer's office. 00:21:59
Have to work hand in hand on all things financial and they were not on a shared system at the time. 00:22:04
A lot of energy was actually used in searching through documents to find the information needed for correction. 00:22:09
We were advised in 2022 by Hartman and Williams that due to the previously incorrected, incorrectly executed historical adjustment 00:22:15
authored by the council, we would never be able to fully reconcile the outage. 00:22:20
Without doing a resolution and writing the adjustment out of the funds. 00:22:26
We were also advised that the true issues began to compound in 2015 and carried forward. 00:22:30
So this this is an issue that developed well before any of those currently in office. 00:22:36
Took office. 00:22:40
In January 2023, I left the Treasurer's office and took my current seat as the Floyd County Auditor. 00:22:43
Forward motion stalled for a bit due to a myriad of things, not the least of which was a complete overhaul of the tax rates. 00:22:48
In reissuing of the taxes that year due to an error I inherited. 00:22:54
In 2024, we started the hard work of implementing new tax and financial software to finally bring both offices onto a shared 00:22:58
platform to allow for more accurate and efficient reporting. 00:23:03
By mid 2025 we were able to pick back up and begin the last leg of reconciling everything we could outside of a portion that would 00:23:08
never reconcile due to the previously mentioned adjustment. 00:23:12
We now have a shared documented 6 month long unchanged outage number to be passed by a joint resolution to finally resolve 2 long 00:23:18
standing issues. 00:23:22
The first step is a historical correction that provides adjustments to the cash flow itself, which was highlighted in yellow in 00:23:26
that e-mail and I will go over. 00:23:30
I gave the bank codes because. 00:23:35
It's just easier in our world to reference those as far as our system goes. 00:23:37
So Bank 3. 00:23:43
Needs an adjustment in the negative amount of $323 or 323,000 dollars $722.29. 00:23:45
Bank 2 actually gets a positive amount of 16,630 five 82. 00:23:53
Bank 3 is a negative amount of $72.59. 00:23:59
All right, let's take 8. My apologies, Bank 9. 00:24:04
Is a positive of $1274.73. 00:24:07
So the overall actual cash book to bank adjustment is a negative 30588433. That's the first step. That is just a cash book 00:24:11
adjustment. 00:24:16
The second step. 00:24:21
Is matching. 00:24:22
The cash book. 00:24:24
To the funds. 00:24:25
And that is where that $470,679 in 2020. 00:24:26
$0.22 comes into play. 00:24:31
These are two massive adjustments that have to occur to finally bring this county into a true. 00:24:36
Balance. 00:24:42
We've been reporting. 00:24:44
This difference accurately since. 00:24:45
I took over as chief Deputy and Steve took over as treasurer in 2021. 00:24:48
The previous. 00:24:52
Staff. 00:24:55
And Miss Interest was not aware of this. 00:24:56
Had stopped. 00:24:59
Reporting A17T form to the state which is. 00:25:01
Where we report everything on the cash flow to the state on a monthly basis to show. 00:25:04
Balance. 00:25:08
When she stopped allowing them to force the numbers. 00:25:10
So the state went without a required form for almost three years. 00:25:13
And she was not informed of this. 00:25:18
I will give Miss Lewis. 00:25:21
All the credit for this. 00:25:23
The idea that she found this and started the process. 00:25:26
When the county treasurer's office still didn't use Excel to balance its cash book. 00:25:30
Wasn't on a joint system with the auditor's office. 00:25:35
It's incredibly impressive to me, especially as someone who has worked with this for 5 1/2 years at this point. 00:25:41
I'm happy to answer. 00:25:48
Any questions anybody may have? 00:25:50
Mr. Burks is also happy to answer any questions anyone may have, I will tell you that. 00:25:52
We're beyond giddy. 00:25:56
That we can bring. 00:25:58
Our resolution to both boards. 00:26:00
And have this. 00:26:02
Put to bed. 00:26:04
Because it has been. 00:26:05
I don't think it's been a labor of love, but it has been a labor of need. 00:26:07
Now I would just say there's a lot. 00:26:12
Another stuff that's contributed to. 00:26:15
The process. 00:26:19
When this industry coming to office. 00:26:20
For instance, they were still. 00:26:23
Entering B&B receipts by hand. 00:26:26
And they let that go a long time. 00:26:29
You're not on top of it. 00:26:33
Then you start trying to find where. 00:26:35
X $100 but anyway. 00:26:38
There's a lot of these things contributed, as Arkansas said. 00:26:40
To the force balancing that was done. 00:26:43
The, you know, former copying submitted. 00:26:46
He required every not to upload all the bank savings financial statements. 00:26:48
The forms to the state again. 00:26:54
That. 00:26:57
Now to ask. 00:27:00
Five years. 00:27:01
Again, a lot of credit should go to Diana as. 00:27:02
Started this process. 00:27:07
And then I suggest you run for auditor. 00:27:09
Yes. 00:27:13
As you know. 00:27:15
The office in. 00:27:16
Revamped and and we work closely together. 00:27:18
And as she already said. 00:27:21
The audience office and trace office got to work close together. 00:27:23
Unfortunately, years come by that was not the case. 00:27:27
That I'm taking over the last 5 1/2 years. 00:27:31
It's been working relationship that's brought this point. 00:27:34
Outfit you can see you bought this. 00:27:37
That it will. 00:27:41
I have a few questions SO. 00:27:47
I'm trying to think of anticipated questions that other people might have as well what I have so. 00:27:52
Define forced balancing. 00:27:57
This is going to sound really awful. 00:28:01
Anybody who works with numbers knows that you can kind of make the numbers do whatever you want. 00:28:03
Unless you're an honest, morally upright and ethical person. 00:28:08
In which case you. 00:28:13
Let the numbers do what? 00:28:15
They're supposed to do. 00:28:16
If you're. 00:28:18
Allowed to just. 00:28:20
Place a. 00:28:24
Unreconciled amount. 00:28:27
On your tally sheet and never reconcile it. Then you are forcing a balance. 00:28:29
I have an example of that if you'd like to see what that looks like. 00:28:36
From. 00:28:41
Well, really from. 00:28:45
Previous to closure of of an account. 00:28:46
So. 00:28:51
When the Sanders came to office for some reason. 00:28:55
There were 24. 00:28:59
Bank accounts that were. 00:29:01
Insane 24 banking hours. 00:29:03
And the only reason I could. 00:29:06
See to doing that is because. 00:29:08
They felt like to, you know, give money to this bank because this person is part of the community. Give money to this bank. 00:29:11
And it was. 00:29:19
So when you start trying to reconcile 24 bank accounts. 00:29:20
When I came to office. 00:29:26
Diane, I peeled down and for instance. 00:29:29
We drill down and say look. 00:29:37
For instance, they was allowed to have outside deposits, which means. 00:29:40
I don't have a brainchild that was. 00:29:44
They would take money in and then once a month. 00:29:46
Or every other mind. 00:29:50
They would bring it in and it's kind of like. 00:29:56
I put money. 00:29:58
This account. 00:30:00
So we. 00:30:02
Close those the Council may may recall when in 2021. 00:30:03
Mr. Burks and I came forward to get policy in place allowing specific departments that dealt with cash transactions. 00:30:08
To have. 00:30:15
A depository only account that they then had to basically empty out every week month however. 00:30:17
That they had to reconcile, prove reconciliation records and in. 00:30:24
That generated from what was called the outside depository. There were five departments that had. 00:30:28
Deposit slips for one bank account that also had electronic transactions going into it. In fact, one of the portions of the 00:30:34
historical adjustment, the 1274. 00:30:40
That that actually. 00:30:46
Finishes out that outside depository and zeros it out. That account has been closed for over 2 years. 00:30:49
And this just bases it on the cash book, so. 00:30:55
The the poor business practices that were in place prior to Miss Indris and then further along the road, Mr. Burke's taking 00:30:59
office. 00:31:03
Are wild. 00:31:08
To me. 00:31:11
We had zero balance accounts for for payroll processes, which if you've ever dealt with Cbas, those are a nightmare. 00:31:12
And you cannot reconcile them if there is any kind of difference. 00:31:18
We had a shared depository account that was accountable to no one. 00:31:21
We had. 00:31:25
One, you know, team. 00:31:26
Different. 00:31:28
Banks that were allowed to collect. 00:31:29
Property taxes that. 00:31:32
Poorly reported those collections it was. 00:31:34
It was awful. 00:31:40
It was awful. 00:31:41
So between Miss Interest and. 00:31:43
Her her starting and supervision and then. 00:31:45
Mr. Burks taking that baton and running with it, it has been, it has been a marathon. 00:31:48
So you have concrete evidence that some of these problems existed as far back as 2015, correct? And it was taken up in 2017? 00:31:53
Taken up in 2018, it took about a year. 00:32:00
For misinterest to to dig down. 00:32:03
And see what was happening. 00:32:06
Anybody who's ever taken over a financial office for the county knows that it takes time. You have to learn the processes and then 00:32:08
you have to learn. 00:32:11
The accounts themselves to figure it out. If you guys recall, I didn't bring a lot of fixes to the board until 2024. So do we feel 00:32:15
like the total that was? 00:32:19
3.2 or 3.4. 00:32:23
3.4 million undocumented outage a lot of. 00:32:26
Small errors, or one giant error, or it was a multitude of small. 00:32:30
It was a multitude of small. I think the largest error we found was a $1 million error, but everything after that was anywhere 00:32:35
from 20,000 to 300,000. What year would the $1 million? 00:32:40
You're amazing. That was oh. 00:32:46
2016. 00:32:50
I think it was in 2016. 00:32:51
So. 00:32:56
Umm, yeah, I think obviously. 00:32:58
You know, I applaud the work that's being done and I think. 00:33:03
At some point, this all needs to be put behind us. 00:33:05
And so we'll have to. 00:33:10
Swallow a very bitter pill, but. 00:33:11
A couple of things #1. 00:33:14
I know that. 00:33:16
The State Board of Accounts is working right now, but. 00:33:17
I would I would at some point like to hear. 00:33:21
From this interest directly, either through a written statement or here. And I know she's recovering, but if there's no urgency 00:33:23
with regards to doing this. 00:33:27
In the near future then. 00:33:31
I personally would rather allow. 00:33:33
There is a slight urgency in that. 00:33:35
For this for the treasurer's office to finish the very last step for Lao, which is their. 00:33:38
Their digital cash book these. 00:33:43
These adjustments have to be in place and the SPOA is looking for it to happen. 00:33:46
Basically this and the digital cash flow is. 00:33:51
The digital cash flow needs to go live July 1st, so the resolution and that's what keeps things. 00:33:55
And that's what keeps us well right now. Daily reconciliation is what keeps us in. I understand the digital cash book will make it 00:34:00
to where this kind of issue can never develop again. Yes, it's automated and we need to make that happen. 00:34:06
We absolutely need to make that happen. I I do have. 00:34:13
I'm just going to interject your. 00:34:18
I'm not all about making anything happen. 00:34:20
For an agency that didn't. 00:34:22
Etched this to begin with. It's the state. 00:34:24
Board of Accounts is job. 00:34:27
To audit each municipality in the state. 00:34:29
It's been on and it's been on the audit report every year for every game. Well then, there's no hurry. 00:34:32
The so you can get this done but I I agree with al that. 00:34:38
We need to hear from. 00:34:42
From Lowe's I would be happy and. 00:34:44
That she provide a statement I would that is acceptable. Cautiously proceed. 00:34:47
Is SBO a? 00:34:52
OK with the process that you've identified. 00:34:54
We are doing the process they recommended, OK. 00:34:58
That was my next question is that. 00:35:01
There's no way that. 00:35:03
There's no precedent. All this doesn't erode public trust in some way. So we're going to have to build trust in some way. So it 00:35:05
needs to be totally. 00:35:10
Light up, which we're doing. I get that, but I want to know whether or not. 00:35:15
We need. 00:35:18
An outside agency with the SPOA or someone else to sign up and say? 00:35:19
So they requested that we pass the resolution and provide all documentation once the resolution is passed. I I just have a 00:35:24
question. I know that you said force balancing was being done. Is there any misappropriation of funds? Anything missing any I know 00:35:29
that our balances are higher. 00:35:34
That was my next. So the bank account, where is the money? 00:35:39
The bank account balance is higher. 00:35:43
So now. 00:35:46
The bank account balance is lower than what is reflected on the cash book. 00:35:47
Is lower than what's reflected. This is a loss of money in this Congress. This is not a game. Yes, OK. 00:35:51
So the bank account balance is lower. 00:35:56
So did somebody take that money? That's what it was, misrepresented on the cash books. 00:35:59
It was misrepresented. 00:36:05
So it never existed. 00:36:06
For what? It's not there, could it? 00:36:08
That's it's not there. It never existed. 00:36:10
It's just numbers. I I hear that. 00:36:12
Well. 00:36:15
So I I this isn't the first time not to be. 00:36:16
There's about $350,000 of it that we will never be able to figure out what happened to it. 00:36:26
So we don't know if somebody took due to the historical adjustment that was done incorrectly by the County Council back in in 2019 00:36:33
to close out the previous account and and transition things cleanly. And Hartman and Williams was very clear. 00:36:39
That since. 00:36:47
That was not. 00:36:49
Accessible for true reconciliation anymore that it it was. 00:36:52
It was never going to be resolved. It was going to be considered a historical outage. 00:36:58
So. 00:37:06
Because that was done. 00:37:07
We have no way of tracking that. 00:37:10
Correct. 00:37:12
So. 00:37:14
A couple of my questions. 00:37:15
I understand a lot of work has been done on this, but because this was going on for so long. 00:37:17
Do we feel like we've? 00:37:22
Accurately captured everything. Yes, we do. The number hasn't changed for six months. 00:37:24
Correct, that's what I'm interested in in. 00:37:28
Well, especially a sanction this and say hey you guys, they told us we had to have three months of unchanged numbers and we 00:37:31
duplicated that by 6. 00:37:34
We didn't. We wanted to make sure that we had everything captured. I will say that bringing Lau on board and and. 00:37:38
Putting both. 00:37:44
Offices on the same platform actually helped identify even more that we could correct and fix. 00:37:46
So. 00:37:52
Relate. Move on. You're all smart. I have a question. 00:37:54
Because I'm always confused. 00:37:56
That's, that's fair. I feel that way all the time. Y'all know that? I asked Gloria and. 00:37:59
Verbiage work. I often say words mean things. 00:38:04
And when every agenda it says additional corporation, a lot of times it's not additional corporation, but the. 00:38:08
Are we going to actually take this amount of money out of the general fund? 00:38:13
That's what's listening well. So there's three fund options that that Mister Short directed us to advertise out of. 00:38:16
You have the interest fund, you have rainy day and you have general and you can split the ride out out of. 00:38:23
Whatever funds you want. 00:38:28
To be perfectly, my next question is does this number? 00:38:30
Reflect on pages presentation the other night. 00:38:33
No it does not. 00:38:37
Because it doesn't. So she is aware that there's an outage. 00:38:38
She knows it. She has. 00:38:41
The information concerning it. 00:38:43
And I told her that as soon as this was. 00:38:45
Reconciled and. 00:38:48
Done that, I would give her an updated. 00:38:50
Financials so that she could factor it into what she's bringing in June. 00:38:53
So if you all will remember, at the end of 25 we moved. 00:38:56
The interest fund into general. 00:39:01
$1,000,000 million dollars. 00:39:04
The current balance is 2/19. 00:39:06
In the interest fund, in the interest fund and we. 00:39:09
Receive about $40,000 a month. Receive 40,000 in that in the first week of June. So in theory. 00:39:11
If we do this. 00:39:17
Today or in June? 00:39:19
Where it believe is. 00:39:21
In June, we're at 260. 00:39:24
It leaves US 210. 00:39:26
MMM. 00:39:27
If we take. 00:39:28
The rest of the 210 out of the General. 00:39:29
In theory, by the end of the year we get the 210 back, so. 00:39:32
For. 00:39:36
For the long term, look at it, we can pay it all out of the interest fund. 00:39:38
Which is just money earned on deposits. 00:39:43
Anyway, so. 00:39:46
That accurate? We will have to split it. 00:39:47
Rainy days an option? 00:39:50
I don't know, sorry. I don't like that. 00:39:52
Just put it on here for discussion. That's not my favorite spot either. 00:39:54
Mr. Schwartz intent was always to recommend the general fund and the interest because we can then reimburse the general fund at 00:39:58
the end of the year using interest monies earned. 00:40:02
Understood. But we we are at a spot where. 00:40:06
The SBOA has. 00:40:11
Ding just for this for many, many years and they would like to not see it anymore. We were told at the exit interview last year 00:40:13
that if we didn't have it fixed by the end of audit this year that the state would come down and fix it themselves. 00:40:19
Oh that would be interesting since they didn't catch it to begin with, they caught it every time. We really was documented on 00:40:25
every exit audit. 00:40:29
For the last 10 years. The only detriment to that is that they'll spin their wheels like everybody else. It'll cost us billion. 00:40:33
They will bill you. 00:40:39
They catch it after. 00:40:41
This interest brought it to light, though. 00:40:43
I I that I'm unclear of, I would have to look back. 00:40:45
They did, and they kept. 00:40:50
Chicken for a loop. 00:40:52
As we have the can download. 00:40:54
Neither here nor nor there I. 00:40:58
Personally, I. 00:41:00
Or the council kept kicking it. I don't particularly care if the SBLA. 00:41:01
Or caught it. Or not. We did. 00:41:06
And it's our responsibility to provide the correction as recommended by the state to make sure that our books and our our 00:41:08
taxpayers dollars are accurately represented in our finances. And I commend you for that. My primary goal is to sorry I'm 5 1/2 00:41:13
years to minimize damage of the public trust in this endeavor, which is why I'm glad that there were direct questions about 00:41:18
misappropriation. 00:41:23
To my knowledge, to Mr. Burke's knowledge, to this interest in his knowledge, there is no misappropriation of fines. Hartman and 00:41:28
Williams did not. 00:41:32
Did not. 00:41:37
Spine and knee. So I think on the heart was Hartman and Williams. 00:41:38
So I I think. 00:41:42
I think that report needs to be. 00:41:44
I can public front and center. 00:41:45
Again, it's a conglomeration of emails back and forth. I can do my best. 00:41:48
Yeah, We haven't worked with that multiple years. So I can try, I can reach out to our contact either from you or from them. I 00:41:54
really think as many agencies as we've had with the best. The other issue that I have. 00:41:59
Just again, procedurally is as much as I like to think of all this as one team. 00:42:04
Here and in the room is. 00:42:08
Why is this a joint resolution rather than just a council business? 00:42:11
So. 00:42:18
It's a joint resolution. 00:42:19
Because you're the administrative branch and we have to. 00:42:23
We have to change documentation. 00:42:27
We're changing finances. 00:42:31
Which? 00:42:32
So. 00:42:33
Best best way to explain it? 00:42:34
The the the cash book to fund. 00:42:36
Is is mostly council purview the cash book to bank? 00:42:40
That's an administrative change on a document that we've been. 00:42:45
Maintaining food. 00:42:48
Years fair enough and I don't. 00:42:50
Think any of us have? 00:42:52
Probably part of the process, but. 00:42:53
But again, I, I would ask for a written statement from Miss Anderson at that point in time. Then we could see whether or not that 00:42:56
would suffice or not that you'd said. Will that suffice on government? Oh, I see the statement. I don't, I don't know. I will send 00:43:00
her an e-mail and ask her to. I think by starting this process now, we have every chance of finishing that up by the end of the 00:43:05
summer. 00:43:09
As you had said. 00:43:14
So, so the goal is to have it passed in June because we do need to go live on the cash book in July and the SBOA is expecting this 00:43:15
to take place while they're in house this summer. 00:43:20
And they expect to be done with us by the end of June. Understood. But I think they're every. 00:43:24
Everybody here probably has a different set of boxes that will have to be checked off before. Fair enough. 00:43:29
So we've worked with the individually in Group and again appreciate the efforts that have gone into this and we're approaching the 00:43:34
finish line but. 00:43:37
I think everybody here wants whatever is done to be. 00:43:41
Clean, 100% honest, and to be the end of it. 00:43:44
Final, yes, yeah. So my question is, is, is I know we've made a lot of investments into. 00:43:47
You know some software stuff like ***** this is going to. 00:43:53
Ensure that there's a guardrail to keep this from ever happening again because as soon as you go live on that cash book. 00:43:55
Yeah. 00:44:00
The thing? 00:44:01
The software that we went with. 00:44:04
Just loud. 00:44:05
The cost of the allergies. 00:44:07
There can help me? 00:44:09
You know, casually. 00:44:12
Deadline that, basically. 00:44:13
So until that's being done. 00:44:15
We can't go live on that cash flow. 00:44:16
We've maintained the Ledger. 00:44:19
Correct. Everything that happens in both offices talks to that cash book. 00:44:22
And it flags daily if it doesn't. Yeah, it sounds like it was. Money very well spent. Absolutely. I think yes. 00:44:27
I I want to clarify one point that. 00:44:33
I feel kind of got glossed over. 00:44:35
Without. 00:44:38
Getting into a whole lot of detail. 00:44:40
We had an opportunity to get this number even lower. 00:44:44
But at the recommendation. 00:44:47
Of the person who worked with. 00:44:50
The treasurer's office we did a write off. 00:44:52
We, we, we sealed off. 00:44:55
Being able to go back into that. 00:44:58
Amount ever again. 00:45:00
Correct. 00:45:02
Correct SO. 00:45:03
An opportunity was lost at. 00:45:05
At one point to. 00:45:07
To get this even lower. 00:45:09
What year was that? 00:45:10
So just wanted to clarify that. 00:45:17
We. 00:45:20
And I'll, I'll throw myself in there as council we. 00:45:22
We probably should have let that open to further. 00:45:25
Scrutiny to try to get that number. 00:45:27
Down, but there was an attempt to. 00:45:30
Somewhat rectify it. 00:45:34
But wasn't the IT wasn't the right attempt. I will commend Mr. Burks when we shut down 3 unneeded accounts at the end of 2022 00:45:36
into. 00:45:40
January of 2023 he left and they are still. 00:45:45
Reflected on the cash book, but he left them open. 00:45:49
To allow for a true. 00:45:52
A complete reconciliation of those three accounts. 00:45:54
So that at the end of the day we knew exactly what type of adjustments needed to happen. 00:45:57
And those are. 00:46:02
Those are the three of the smaller numbers, obviously the 16,000, the 1200 and then the 7259. Those, those are former accounts 00:46:05
held with the former financial institution that we no longer do business with as a county. 00:46:10
But he left them not only open but documented on the cash book so that as new issues which were found which some of them. 00:46:16
Were found once we crossed over into Lao and those bank accounts were no longer being utilized. 00:46:23
It allowed us to do a true reconciliation on those, which is where the positive $16,000 came from because we found. 00:46:28
We found errors when we crossed into Lao that that could be reconciled. One more question for the morning. 00:46:36
More and I think it's maybe send the list. Well, I think any question that we have needs to be. 00:46:44
Brought forward publicly as well, I don't disagree. 00:46:49
Like so, but. 00:46:53
Do we have a concrete? 00:46:54
Date at which time we can say this was the last. 00:46:55
Year that we know. 00:46:59
That everything was reconciled and square. 00:47:00
Without force numbers. 00:47:03
Department and Williams, Cartman and Williams report said that the beginning of the issue started in 2015. 00:47:05
So 2014 would be the last time everything was concrete, according to. 00:47:13
The third party. 00:47:18
A firm that was brought in by the county to perform the full audit. 00:47:19
Until. 00:47:23
2018 when it stopped. 00:47:24
It's it's stopped in actually, we were working with Hartman and Williams in through the end of 2021. 00:47:26
So I worked very closely with. I think her name was Deborah. 00:47:32
Through the end of 2021 and then the adjustments started happening and happening in 2022 because they had completed the audit. 00:47:37
And they were no longer contracted and from 2022 forward is. 00:47:43
When the the researching and the fixing started happening. 00:47:48
So I can make a statement. 00:47:53
I think that. 00:47:56
Politically. 00:47:58
We probably elected unqualified people to do these jobs. 00:48:00
And that should be possibly state statute, I mean. 00:48:04
If you're gonna be. 00:48:07
Certain positions in local elected official you have to have certain criteria like the assessors office. 00:48:08
State statute or somebody's need to fix this that we don't. 00:48:15
Keep electing unqualified people to do jobs in IT I. 00:48:18
Tackled Jason. 00:48:22
With this new system. 00:48:24
Even whoever's in that office, it's got to be right for going forward. 00:48:25
It will be. 00:48:29
The system is a fail safe. 00:48:30
The again. 00:48:32
The cash book piece. 00:48:33
When anything's done on the Cashbook side, it notifies the auditor's office and vice versa. This is actually talking back to each 00:48:35
other. 00:48:39
That again was another piece out that you had. 00:48:44
When I came to the office, the treasurer's office. 00:48:47
That it wasn't talking. 00:48:50
Digitally wise to the office. Office it was just. 00:48:54
You had to hope that things got brought across. 00:48:57
We had a hand. 00:49:01
Obviously. 00:49:03
You know that's not the best way, so. 00:49:04
Any other questions? Yeah, just one last thing. I just want to make sure. 00:49:07
You know, obviously the two of you and senators have done a lot of work on this. 00:49:10
But. 00:49:15
Your your e-mail. 00:49:16
Diana was very good in summarizing everything that's happened, but do we anywhere capture who all was involved throughout this 00:49:18
whole process? 00:49:22
To Mr. Knables point of. 00:49:26
Being transparent. 00:49:29
What what specifically? As far as the resolution of it or just from start to finish? 00:49:31
Start, start to finish, including the resolution. 00:49:37
I, I I do have a list of all involved in the roles that they played. 00:49:40
I just want to make sure that we're capturing somewhere along the line all of the steps that have been taken. 00:49:46
I do. 00:49:51
Let me suggest that we. 00:49:51
Go back to the e-mail thread and. 00:49:55
But our questions there. 00:49:58
And. 00:50:00
Try to get those answered because. 00:50:01
And I'm happy to go over. 00:50:04
What if the answers are satisfactory? 00:50:06
And there are and they don't generate additional ones I'm happy to go over. 00:50:09
All of this, again at both meetings. 00:50:13
So that it is all on public record. 00:50:16
In front of both bodies. 00:50:18
To allow as much transparency as possible. 00:50:20
With. 00:50:23
Never ending hope that you'll go ahead and pass the resolution so that I don't have to keep looking at this anymore. 00:50:26
I think the other thing that comes. 00:50:31
It's obviously by putting these into other meetings, we're going to have a chance for the public debt. 00:50:33
Correct. 00:50:39
To to speak to it and that. 00:50:40
I I I have no issues with that. 00:50:43
It's a necessary step. 00:50:45
I don't disagree so and I applaud both of you for being here and all the work that's been done on this interest in the fact with 00:50:47
this, this is not an easy topic to do. The easiest thing would have been to continue to force balances, I guess. 00:50:53
But there hasn't been balanced force in that office since 2019. I understand, I said. That would have been the easy thing to do. 00:50:59
And that's not then done so. 00:51:06
Yeah, I think, you know, we want this to be resolved as well, but we have to do it in a manner where it maintains trust and 00:51:10
wherever you. 00:51:13
Question thought. 00:51:17
Put forward an answer if possible I will give. 00:51:18
I will dedicate some time next week while I'm at. 00:51:23
At conference to. 00:51:25
Providing. 00:51:28
A deeper timeline. 00:51:29
The idea was to be succinct, because Even so, it was still very long e-mail and. 00:51:31
I'm under the impression that. 00:51:36
Most people just kind of glance over what I send and then hope for the best. 00:51:38
So those of you that read the whole thing, thank you. 00:51:42
We we would like them shorter now. 00:51:44
Comment because I think all that. 00:51:51
Uh, to Matt Miley's point. 00:51:55
Have addresses to Miss Fox. We need to be careful about slander things. 00:51:57
We start addressing. 00:52:02
Issues and people and names. 00:52:04
That's a legal question. Could there be? 00:52:09
Yeah. Do we need to do we need to be careful about how we do that? 00:52:11
As far as the record is. 00:52:18
Statements and remainder factual. I'm not concerned about it, OK. 00:52:20
OK, it's been my biggest concern. So there is no need dropping. 00:52:25
OK. 00:52:28
I will do my best to provide a list of the players, their roles in the county at the time and. 00:52:31
And run it by Miss Fox. 00:52:39
I am not going to make any statements or accusations, Mr. Bagshaw. I like my job. 00:52:41
So. 00:52:48
I also applaud the work that gets done and to. 00:52:50
Reemphasize what Dale said, you know? 00:52:54
It's not. 00:52:58
To something the public needs to educate themselves before they elect people. But you know, you can be whatever. 00:52:59
I was gonna stay on paper. I look like a poor choice. I have a cosmetologist license, and I used to be a corrections officer, so I 00:53:06
don't look as though I would be a very functional auditor. And you're a good correction officer. Thank you, Sir. So. 00:53:12
You know, you gotta be 18 years of age and a resident of the county to run for office and. 00:53:20
That's the only requirement other than unless you have a bar degree. 00:53:26
And. 00:53:31
Then you can have to judge your processor. You have to have a level 2. 00:53:33
So. 00:53:36
But I'm also. 00:53:38
But that's it. 00:53:41
I'm also concerned about. 00:53:43
The ineptness. 00:53:45
Of state agencies challenge municipalities what to do? 00:53:47
When I took office as sheriff in 15. 00:53:52
The state board. 00:53:56
Then came to me and said hey. 00:53:57
You got a cash book shortage for. 00:54:00
Eight years. 00:54:03
And we want you to fix it. And this is how we want you to fix it. 00:54:05
I questioned him at the time. 00:54:08
And then I fixed it the way they wanted me to. 00:54:10
And then next year they wrote me up for fixing it that way. 00:54:14
I have experienced similar things, you know. 00:54:17
My legal counsel at that time said look. 00:54:21
There's no money missing. What's reasonable is the rule of law. 00:54:25
And so what's reasonable and? 00:54:29
I think that we have to consider that I'm applauded that we fixed this. I just want to cautiously go forward. 00:54:31
And I really don't care what their timeline. 00:54:37
I think that we have to be comfortable. 00:54:40
As government of this county to answer to the people of Floyd County. 00:54:42
We have to be comfortable and that's. 00:54:47
The timeline that we use to do that. 00:54:49
As long as it doesn't cost the county. 00:54:53
Taxpayers. Exactly. 00:54:54
I agree. 00:54:56
And I'm not taking up with the state agencies, but we also have a duty to do things right. 00:54:57
And morally. And I lay it on. 00:55:01
People's heads. 00:55:04
They take an oath when they take these offices. 00:55:06
They should have held it, and that's all I've got to say about. 00:55:08
You're looking at two people who took that very seriously. 00:55:10
While you are up there. 00:55:14
Yeah, if we can move on. 00:55:16
Item 6 in the council item, but I think you had sent out some information on that. 00:55:19
Cost sheet Just an involvement sheet that had come out from Baker Tilly from Page. 00:55:24
So she briefly went over what the must was with the. 00:55:30
The county. 00:55:35
Council at their lot. They're meeting earlier this week. 00:55:36
I think Gloria is pulling it up for you now. 00:55:40
This is something that the Council has the option. 00:55:42
To do, they are not required to do. 00:55:45
It is being heavily recommended just because of the data that could be gathered on behalf of the state, because everyone knows 00:55:47
that the next session they'll make more changes. 00:55:52
Because why not? 00:55:57
Hi, I'm getting ready to go to a four day conference where. 00:55:58
I get all the changes told to me all over again. 00:56:01
So she had. 00:56:05
She had. 00:56:08
Well, she had advised the council that she'd send out a sheet and we added it to today's agenda so that the council could take it 00:56:09
under advisement, discuss whether or not they wanted they had any appetite to either a form A must or B if they so chose. Engage 00:56:15
Baker Tilly in assisting with that. It's not a decision that has to be made immediately. 00:56:21
But it was just something to allow them some discussion because they don't have, they have very few. 00:56:28
Things that allow them to to meet in an executive session and this doesn't meet that requirement so we. 00:56:35
We hijacked. 00:56:42
The the joint meeting for it. 00:56:43
So. 00:56:45
A couple things. 00:56:46
I'm in favor of moving forward with this. 00:56:49
I'm also in favor of engaging Baker Tilly because they have their. 00:56:51
Finger on the pulse of this around the state and they've. 00:56:56
Already went through the process. 00:56:59
Started the process with several counties and finished with one county. 00:57:02
And Paige also mentioned that. 00:57:07
They. 00:57:11
The. 00:57:12
Counties, the Council part to. 00:57:14
When they invite. 00:57:17
The other municipalities and taxing entities in to. 00:57:19
Ask for shared some shared costs so. 00:57:23
I don't think we'll be taking this all. 00:57:26
On ourselves, the big, big question is if the other entities involved want a piece of this, that. 00:57:28
The port them agreeing to it would also be having. 00:57:34
Fund the process. 00:57:38
I would like to head this up if. 00:57:41
If everybody's OK with that, it will be open. 00:57:43
I'm just going to be kind of getting the players together in a room and discussing how. 00:57:46
The structure of it's going to be. 00:57:50
And kind of coming up with a plan. 00:57:53
That we can. 00:57:56
Present back to the state. Personally, I would encourage the commissioners to attend these meetings and anybody who. 00:57:57
Wants to. It's not. It won't be a closed off. 00:58:03
Meeting will be inviting. 00:58:06
Fire boards. 00:58:08
Township Trustees. 00:58:11
The city. Georgetown. Greenville. 00:58:13
Any anybody who will be affected by it will have a seat at the table and and and anybody's welcome to attend so. 00:58:17
Umm, I'll just put my name out there as far as heading it up because it is council driven. 00:58:24
And, umm. 00:58:29
Mr. Short, are you looking for a motion? 00:58:31
You would you would need. 00:58:34
If, if, if, if this is something that the council wants to enter into and wants to retain Baker Tilly services, it would require a 00:58:36
motion. 00:58:40
I'll make a motion to approve that we enter into. 00:58:44
That we engage Baker Tilly and that Danny. 00:58:48
Representative, certainly. 00:58:51
All right, we have a motion and a second. 00:58:53
Any further discussion on that? 00:58:55
Affordable funds are spent for our televisions. 00:58:57
She said that menu board would be available. 00:59:01
It's already now. 00:59:03
Yeah, alright. 00:59:06
And. 00:59:07
I'll, I'll talk directly with Paige on kind of the best way to. 00:59:09
Approach it approach cost once we see who all's. 00:59:14
But their name and hat there's. 00:59:18
One big municipality that I'm hoping joins. 00:59:21
I think it would be in their best interest to to get. 00:59:26
Thoughts on the table and into the plan? 00:59:29
So hopefully that. 00:59:32
That'll happen, but wait direction. 00:59:33
We'll try to get it going. 00:59:35
I would hope in the next. 00:59:37
6 to 8 weeks so we can. 00:59:40
Hopefully we have. 00:59:42
234 meetings and and wrap up a plan that we can get back. 00:59:44
To the state so. 00:59:49
Any other discussion on that? 00:59:52
All in favor say aye aye. Any opposed? 00:59:54
Thank you very much. 00:59:57
Last agenda item, the interlocal agreement with Bill McCloud County Library. 01:00:00
So you should have that interlocal in your packet. There have been just some slight revisions that were made late yesterday and I 01:00:09
circulated the clean version that I have for signature. This is an interlocal to allow the solid waste to continue to operate at 01:00:15
the Galena Digital Library branch. 01:00:20
Been operating there for a while so this would be a continuation. The library now owns that building, so we're entering into an 01:00:26
interlocal to allow us to utilize that space. 01:00:30
The I sent that out. 01:00:35
First circulation. So hopefully everybody has reviewed that. I'm happy to answer any questions though. 01:00:37
Questions. Comments. Discussion. 01:00:44
I would say I'm very, very happy to have our our second. 01:00:47
Partner in solid voice recycling and 1st partner being those who go out and utilize that. 01:00:50
So I would recommend wholeheartedly that we accept this and. 01:00:57
Put it into action. 01:01:01
As part of the agreement, the library board is going to be. 01:01:04
Umm, providing. 01:01:08
$2500 per year. 01:01:10
Somewhat in exchange for services, but also just to kind of step up and show that they're a partner in the process. So I would ask 01:01:13
that the council. 01:01:16
As that money comes in that that goes into the non reverting fund for solid waste. 01:01:20
It's a nominal fee, but it's. 01:01:26
It's meaningful so you know for that needs formal action or not down to yeah, I would request that when we each body goes to 01:01:28
approve the interlocal that you. 01:01:33
Yeah. Include in there that the funds that come in. 01:01:38
Be directed to that fund number, which is. 01:01:41
4013. 01:01:44
Making sure it was from saying that that's the correct fund number that for that was created for solid waste and just so that 01:01:46
we're all. 01:01:49
On the same page, the final draft, or what I will say is final draft that I circulated yesterday afternoon. 01:01:53
It came over with some revisions from the library board. 01:01:59
I cleaned that up. 01:02:02
Accepted all those changes, sent it back out. I do not have final confirmation sitting here right this minute from the attorney 01:02:04
for the library board that that is a final version. 01:02:08
So I think. 01:02:13
I just want to make sure everybody's aware of that. 01:02:14
I think we're very close. I would hope that that's the final version, but I just don't have a final e-mail from him indicating 01:02:17
that. 01:02:20
Their board is OK Should we wait to take the vote then? 01:02:23
I think, I believe everybody's goal would be to move forward sooner rather than later and so. 01:02:27
You know. 01:02:33
I would recommend you both approve it today. 01:02:35
I guess worst case if we have to circulate changes again, we could try to. 01:02:38
Set a special meeting or do whatever we need to try to do on our side but. 01:02:41
I just want to be clear that I don't have that final e-mail coming into this meeting. 01:02:47
So and this is. 01:02:50
Hopefully one of many partners that will be. 01:02:52
Working with on this, I don't think when. 01:02:55
Has had the opportunity to meet our new director. 01:02:58
Mr. Hell, but I'm I'm all in favor and I just want to make procedure. 01:03:00
Talk it up since we're talking about this, right? I think it's a great idea talking with He's going to be partnering with some. 01:03:07
Volunteer agencies to. 01:03:13
Augment the manpower over there so. 01:03:16
It should be plenty, should be plenty of volunteers. 01:03:19
Yeah, I had a room full of them. 01:03:21
Yeah, I think that that number was 0. 01:03:24
Steve Burks here just real quick as a. 01:03:27
Member of the library board and. 01:03:29
Liaison. 01:03:32
We've been back and forth with both attorney, our attorneys. 01:03:33
And I think we may be on good grounds with this to help ease your mind so. 01:03:37
Thank you. Thank you very much. So I'll look for a motion to approve among the commissioners. 01:03:41
Along with the fun just add in along with the funding to go into solid waste the solid waste fund 4013 please. Yeah, I'll make the 01:03:48
motion to approve and with the the funds from the library going into the. 01:03:53
Solid waste. 01:03:59
Fun and I'll second. 01:04:01
Hey, all in favor, aye? 01:04:04
All right on the Council side. 01:04:07
We'll move. We approve the Interlocal agreement. 01:04:09
With proceeds from the library going to fund 4013. 01:04:12
OK. 01:04:17
All right, we have a motion a second for the interlocal with the $2500 in the library going to the. 01:04:19
4013 fund on regarding solid waste. 01:04:24
Any discussion? 01:04:27
All in favor say aye aye. Any opposed? 01:04:29
All right. We have no other agenda items. We have anyone here who would like to speak. 01:04:32
The public. 01:04:38
We have two to three minutes. 01:04:40
Just need to have you state your name and address and. 01:04:43
Hi, my name is Andrew Raker. I'm at 3813 Dogwood Road and Floyd's Knobs. 01:04:47
Tinker, I think you all know me from recycling, but also to talk to the library today. 01:04:53
One really beautiful thing about Indiana law is that our library boards have. 01:04:58
Political independence from. 01:05:03
The greater winds because. 01:05:06
The council gets 2 appointments, the commissioners get 2 appointments and then the school board has their three. 01:05:08
I think that's great for that independence, but there has been a breakdown in trust in our county with the library board over the 01:05:13
past year. 01:05:17
With discussions that began last July that the public. 01:05:22
Only found out about in the past two weeks regarding the Community Corner Pantry. 01:05:26
It's really been frustrating to know that. 01:05:32
The community partners that are around to pick up the slack. 01:05:35
We're not contacted. 01:05:39
By the library to say how can we? 01:05:42
Make up this need so as the appointing bodies I would just come to ask you to. 01:05:45
Talk with your members. I know. 01:05:51
I've looked at the attendance of the library boards. I get it, I don't like being at meetings as much as anyone. But when only 01:05:55
four of the seven members are there, that's also a sign that we don't have board members that are. 01:06:00
Invested in this? 01:06:06
And. 01:06:08
To also, you know, try to figure out where the breakdown in communication happened because. 01:06:10
A lot of us in the community just. 01:06:16
Felt like we got a punch in the face out of the blue when this process happened so. 01:06:17
I want to thank you for. 01:06:23
Working out the agreement with recycling today. I know as a Gleaner library. 01:06:25
Recycling user. I was very happy that that was on the agenda, but also. 01:06:30
You know, as we go forward, we talk a lot about trust today with the auditing. 01:06:34
And there is. 01:06:38
A lack of trust, I think, with many community members and the library Board of Trustees right now. So as an appointing body, I 01:06:40
just wanted to bring that to your attention. So thank you. 01:06:44
So just so you know, we have. 01:06:49
Two appointments and the Commissioner, Steve's one of them, and. 01:06:50
Brett Lloyd's another. 01:06:54
And they attend those meetings. 01:06:56
We have regular conversation. 01:06:58
With them regarding. 01:07:01
Library issues. 01:07:04
So there is communication. 01:07:06
And I guess you just have to go to all the meetings to figure out what's going on. 01:07:11
I'm, I'm trying to get some more, but like I said, I'm just expressing how, you know, we had over 200 people in my congregation on 01:07:14
Tuesday night. 01:07:19
To try to figure out our next steps with only How much did the 200 people donate? 01:07:24
Toward that issue. 01:07:30
We are not the USDA that has been funding the Community Corner. 01:07:34
And. 01:07:39
From who I saw there, I would say there were maybe 30 or 40 volunteers from Hub, Southern Indiana. 01:07:40
Myself included. 01:07:45
I know. 01:07:48
My congregation donates food to the food pantry at Hope Southern Indiana from our garden. 01:07:49
So these are not people that are just on the sidelines. 01:07:54
We know what the need is like in the community. 01:07:57
We know that. 01:08:00
It takes everyone that can. 01:08:02
And. 01:08:04
Part of what's so frustrating about the Black are the loss of the Community Corner. 01:08:05
Is that that is money that was coming from outside of Floyd County to meet Floyd County needs. 01:08:09
Now that money is going elsewhere. 01:08:14
The need is the same, but we have to meet it with just money internal to Floyd County. 01:08:17
And. 01:08:23
That money is not going as far. I think we all know it's costing more. 01:08:24
Every time we go to the grocery store. So to lose that outside money is. 01:08:29
That's a that's gonna be a challenge. 01:08:35
Yeah, we know. 01:08:36
Yeah. So thank you. 01:08:38
Uh, Mr. I know this is not supposed to be a question answer, but what is your name again? 01:08:39
Andrew Raker. Sorry, Mr. Raker, are you are you putting your name in nomination for the Library Board next time we have a? 01:08:44
An opening you know I might be willing to. 01:08:51
My you know, my grandmother was a librarian. I grew up hanging out in the Ohio. You'd be a good candidate for that board. 01:08:54
Sorry, we'll keep your name in my heart and we have a nomination for that boy. 01:08:59
Thank you. 01:09:04
Are any other public comments today? Any closing comments from board? 01:09:06
I think I've said enough. 01:09:12
Motion to adjourn. Motion to adjourn Second. 01:09:15
If you answer too much. 01:09:20
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Transcript

Event transcript
He's we'll start with the Pledge of Allegiance and then we do have a public hearing that the council is going to operate after 00:00:00
that. 00:00:02
I pledge allegiance to the flag. 00:00:06
Of the United States of America. 00:00:08
And to the Republic for which it stands. 00:00:10
One nation under God. 00:00:13
Indivisible with liberty and justice for all. 00:00:15
OK. And I'll just ask everyone to please. 00:00:20
Silence their cell phone. 00:00:23
And before we proceed with the public hearing, I'll ask for approval of 4/28/26 joint meeting minutes. 00:00:25
For motion to approve. 00:00:32
I'll make the motion. 00:00:33
Second all in favor, aye. 00:00:34
Opposed. All right, that passes. 00:00:38
All right, All right. At this time, we will open the public hearing for additional appropriations for today. 00:00:41
Is there any? 00:00:47
Anyone from the public that would like to comment? 00:00:48
On additional appropriations. 00:00:51
Seeing none, we will adjourn the public hearing. 00:00:55
Alright, item number one. 00:00:58
We have items related to the Southern Indiana Board of Tourism. 00:01:01
First part of that is. 00:01:06
The contract with Pro. 00:01:08
Alright. 00:01:11
This box has those items. 00:01:13
Yeah, I'm happy to kind of run through this. And then we also have the tourism Bureau here with their council. 00:01:16
So Zeller and so may have him come up. I will have him come up and kind of go over some of this stuff, but we have several 00:01:21
different things on this issue to go over. 00:01:25
This is maybe. 00:01:30
So if you want to come up now and kind of go over the synopsis, I'll probably have him go over the synopsis of what we're doing 00:01:32
and why we're doing it first. That way you have a kind of an understanding and then we can go through the different action items 00:01:36
that we need to accomplish, if that's OK. 00:01:40
Good morning Bo Zeller with FBT Gibbons. We are Bond Council for Southern Indiana Tourism, also known as the Clark Floyd Counties 00:01:47
Convention Tourism Bureau mouthful long acronym. 00:01:53
This body, this county has done this deal before 2001. So there's historical precedents for it it. 00:02:00
The documents are. 00:02:07
Substantially going to be the same. 00:02:08
Effectively, the tourism Bureau collects in Kiefer's tax. It goes in. 00:02:10
Portion of that goes into their capital Development Fund. 00:02:14
They cannot issue bonds directly because they're not an elected body. 00:02:17
They can pledge it to bonds and so. 00:02:22
We felt that Floyd County would be the proper issuer. 00:02:25
They would be solely on the hook for this. It is not a debt of the county, it's a debt of the tourism Bureau. 00:02:29
It says that in the ordinance as well as the form of the bond that's in that ordinance. 00:02:35
That it's not a debt of the county. County's not liable for any payment. 00:02:39
They solely are. 00:02:42
But. 00:02:44
The the legal steps for the county on this would be County Council ordinance. 00:02:46
Today would be first reading. We've come back before the County Council at a later date. 00:02:50
In between this meeting and a second council meeting. 00:02:55
The Economic Development Commission of the county county would meet to adopt A resolution. 00:02:59
Hold a public hearing. 00:03:04
And also review and adopt A project report. 00:03:06
So it'll layout the four projects, the four projects, three of which are in Floyd County. 00:03:08
1 is a Greater Clark school system. 00:03:13
Project but. 00:03:16
I think I think the county's project is community park related to community park. 00:03:17
The city of New Albany has 1 and so does IUS related to a trailhead on on South Trail. 00:03:22
Out on their campus. 00:03:29
Are there any questions kind of on the legal? 00:03:31
Process. 00:03:34
I always have questions. Yeah, absolutely. 00:03:38
So if we. 00:03:41
Bond this. It doesn't go against our bonding ability as a county. 00:03:42
Correct, Correct. We're just a pass through. Yeah, several. 00:03:47
That's correct. 00:03:51
OK. It's just a pass through. 00:03:51
OK, yeah, several reasons. One, it's innkeepers tax. 00:03:53
So it's. 00:03:58
Their dollars. 00:03:59
To this is kind of like a conduit deal. It's, Mr. Short said. It's a pass through. 00:04:00
And three, the tourism has to annually appropriate this. So those are kind of three reasons why count torture. 00:04:04
Constitutional debt limits, which is really more tied than property tax and local impacts, so. 00:04:10
Tell me why Floyd County was chose over the other counties. 00:04:16
So the the reason we look for a single issuer. 00:04:19
Is it's more cost effective for the tourism Bureau? 00:04:22
And it saves. 00:04:26
Gives more dollars to the projects frankly too. 00:04:27
If last year, for example, we couldn't get a single issuer. 00:04:30
So we had to do several small deals and it really increased the cost. Those bonds were sold at the Indiana Bond Banks, so the bond 00:04:34
bank had. 00:04:38
Different fees for different deals. Their council, municipal advisor, my fees. 00:04:43
One issue it's. 00:04:49
Makes it more efficient from a timing standpoint as well as a fiscal standpoint. 00:04:50
We chose Floyd County because one, there's a precedent of Floyd County doing it before in 2021. 00:04:56
And two three of the four projects are in. 00:05:02
In the county. 00:05:04
That was going to be my next question. So the largest money projects are in. 00:05:05
What county? 00:05:12
Here, Floyd County. 00:05:12
What are the projects? Can you? Yeah. 00:05:14
Are we getting in too much detail? 00:05:18
No, no, not at all. OK. 00:05:20
Jim Everson, executive director of the Convention and Tourism Bureau. 00:05:25
The the Direct Floyd County project has to do with Floyd County Parks and a new amphitheater project at Community Park. 00:05:29
The IUS project and that's 200. 00:05:38
225,000. 00:05:41
250,000 for IU Southeast. 00:05:42
Toward the development of the trailhead. 00:05:46
Project. 00:05:48
For the Monon South. 00:05:49
Right there by the. 00:05:51
The old tracks. 00:05:52
Behind the the ball fields. 00:05:54
Another $250,000 to. 00:05:56
New York, New Albany Parks. 00:05:59
For turfing. 00:06:01
Fields Outdoor fields at Silver Street Park. 00:06:04
And another $250,000 to Greater Clark County schools. 00:06:07
To contribute toward extended parking for the new Natatorium. 00:06:11
Which was already planned and paid for with their own bond. 00:06:15
But what they were lacking was the parking. 00:06:20
To accommodate. 00:06:23
The large swim meets that. 00:06:24
We're now going to be able to book into that. 00:06:26
That had got talked about much in the community yet, but. 00:06:29
That's going to be the largest auditorium in Indiana South of Indianapolis. 00:06:32
And how much was that one? 00:06:37
250 So 3 at 2:50. 00:06:38
And. 00:06:41
Part Floyd County Parks at 22525 and that had to do with our percent. They were trying to get the maximum. 00:06:42
Score on our sheet. 00:06:49
And it has to do with the amount of leverage. 00:06:50
And so 225 was. 00:06:53
25% or under of the total project cost. 00:06:56
And that got them the maximum. 00:07:00
So what is the revenue streams that pay for these bonds? 00:07:02
Innkeepers tags. 00:07:06
OK, gotcha. 00:07:08
OK. I don't think I have any more questions. 00:07:09
So I'll kind of run through the things that we need to go over then. 00:07:14
Keeping in mind before we do a that C the ordinance itself is going to outline the fact that. 00:07:17
The tourism board is going to be responsible for all closing costs associated with this matter, including that. 00:07:23
Pro contract that we're going to talk about in. 00:07:29
So I'm happy to kind of run through those. 00:07:32
If you're ready for me to go through this, OK, So under the first one is going to be a contract with Crow. 00:07:35
That will be Commissioners contract for approval and I would request that you allow Commissioner Knabel to sign that outside of 00:07:42
the meeting. 00:07:46
All right, DocuSign ready to go after approval is granted this this morning if it's approved. But yeah, I have no questions about 00:07:52
the contracts. 00:07:56
Motion to approve that from. 00:08:02
One of the commissioners. 00:08:04
Yeah, I'll make that motion to. 00:08:05
Allow you to approve outside of the meeting. 00:08:08
And I'll suck it. 00:08:11
Hey, Cortana. Yeah. 00:08:12
I'm sorry. And for the contract, I'm sorry, yes. 00:08:14
Yeah. All right. So I have a motion and a second to accept the contract and then sign that outside of the meeting. All in favor, 00:08:17
aye? 00:08:21
All right, Thank you. Under B, this is the Economic Development Commission appointments, that is the Board. 00:08:25
That Mister Zeller was just telling you all about that. They also will meet to have a public hearing associated with this bond and 00:08:31
execute bond documents as well. 00:08:35
That Commission originally was established by the. 00:08:40
Council back in 2021. Sorry. 00:08:43
And those appointments are threefold. 1 is a Council appointment. 00:08:47
One is the commissioner's appointment and one is the New Albany city. 00:08:52
Council appointment. 00:08:55
I've reached out to the city to let them know that we need them to appoint somebody to fill their vacancy. All three appointments 00:08:57
that were made in 2021 have now expired. 00:09:02
They were some tiered terms. They've all expired at this point. Happy to go over who those were or any information you need, but 00:09:06
we need. 00:09:09
County Council to make one appointment to that board and the commissioners to make another one, please. 00:09:13
Yeah, amongst the Commissioners, I would make the motion nomination for Jason Sharpen, Sir. 00:09:18
I'll second that. All in favor, aye. 00:09:24
Alright, I don't know if the Council's ready to proceed with that at the moment or not, but. 00:09:27
Yeah, we, we, we can. 00:09:31
Umm, I'll, I'll just open the floor for a nomination for. 00:09:34
A member. 00:09:37
Is anybody interested? 00:09:39
Are you mad? 00:09:41
I nominate Matt. 00:09:43
2nd. 00:09:44
All right, we have a nomination, a second for Matt and you accept. All in favor say aye, aye. 00:09:45
Any opposed that carries? 00:09:50
We've done what we can do on that. Thank you. And I'm the next one. 00:09:52
Is council. 00:09:56
Happy to try to answer any questions. I know Steve I think has provided some guidance to you all. 00:09:57
So I'll stay out of that. 00:10:02
Piece, but we do need. Does anybody have any questions on the ordinance first? 00:10:03
If there are none. 00:10:09
I would look for a motion with unanimous consent. 00:10:12
To take care of it all today if. 00:10:17
We would just do a first reading today. We should do a first reading plan, yes, OK. 00:10:18
The Commission has to approve. Gotcha. OK, All right. 00:10:22
Move to approve. 00:10:26
1C as written. 00:10:27
2nd. 00:10:29
All right, we have a motion and a second for. 00:10:30
1C Ordinance 2026 Dash. 00:10:33
Well, and just sorry to interrupt, but before you do that, D is actually tied to C, it is the exhibit and really just approving 00:10:35
the form of that along with that ordinance today. 00:10:40
You want to do them both together or again, part of C is just an attachment, has that interlocal. So we really don't need to vote 00:10:44
separately on D it's part of C, So I just want to clear that up before you actually vote D. 00:10:50
OK. I will move to approve Ordinance 20. 00:10:57
26-12 AS. 00:11:01
Published, including. 00:11:03
2nd. 00:11:06
All right. We have a motion and 2nd for 1C and D any further discussion? 00:11:06
All in favor say aye. 00:11:13
Aye, any opposed? 00:11:14
Thank you. 00:11:17
All right. Thank you for being here. Thank you. 00:11:18
All right, Nick. 00:11:22
All right, let's. 00:11:24
I just have a grant proposal request. This is. 00:11:29
For USDOT. 00:11:33
Grant Safe Streets for All implementation program. It's for intersection improvements at Grant Line Rd. and Chapel Wayne. 00:11:36
The grant request will be $1,050,907. 00:11:44
The local match is 20% of the overall project, which would be $262,726. 00:11:51
It's due later this month, so. 00:11:59
So we wanted to get you both at the same time here. 00:12:01
Who will pay the 20%? 00:12:04
It'll probably come out of. 00:12:07
Uh, motor vehicle restricted or unrestricted or local roads and streets. 00:12:10
Can you just briefly tell me? 00:12:16
It's like playing a light or just you take out the car. 00:12:18
It's if if you're familiar with that intersection has a high. 00:12:21
Skew turn. There's also a vertical curve on grant line approaching it, so the intent will be to. 00:12:26
Realign the Interstate section for a. 00:12:33
Lesser anger angle turn into address the vertical. 00:12:36
How much is the total project? 00:12:43
About 1.3. 00:12:46
1.3. 00:12:48
This was a intersection identified in our thoroughfare. 00:12:50
Update in 2021 and in the safe streets for all Brian that Kita helped us produce last year. That's just it's it's one of the 00:12:55
higher incident. 00:13:00
Intersections in the county. 00:13:05
How much do you expect to get from the grant? 00:13:08
A million. 00:13:10
1,050,970. 00:13:12
Oh, OK. 00:13:14
I'll make a motion to approve to. 00:13:15
2nd. 00:13:18
We have a motion and a second on the Council side for the grant proposal. Any discussion? 00:13:19
All in favor say aye. 00:13:25
Aye, any opposed? 00:13:26
All right, look for a motion of approval amongst the Commissioners. Motion to approve. 00:13:28
Second all in favor, aye. 00:13:33
Alright, alright, Thank you very much. Item 3 is Resolution 2026-07 for sale of personal property amongst the Commissioners. Umm, 00:13:35
yeah, I might welcome. 00:13:41
Synopsis on that for inquiring lines. 00:13:47
This is some. 00:13:50
Road Department. 00:13:52
Surplus property in Sydney is in the back in case you all have any questions about the specific specific property that's being. 00:13:54
Sold but their surplus property that we're. 00:13:59
Real not real property. Personal property. 00:14:02
Equipment and stuff of that nature that we're looking to auction off and sell. 00:14:05
So, and that is just commissioners action on that, that's 202607. 00:14:10
Alright, I think we all have ample opportunity to look over the list. 00:14:16
Yeah, I'll make a. 00:14:20
Make a motion. 00:14:23
Pass resolution 202607. 00:14:24
Sell personal property at auction. 00:14:27
I'll second. 00:14:30
OK, all in favor, aye? 00:14:31
Can we? Do we know what the value of that property might estimate? 00:14:34
Beatbox. 00:14:39
5 bucks. 00:14:40
Auction. 00:14:45
Yeah, now we won't know until we tell it. Yeah, right. But it's not a big about. 00:14:47
All right. 00:14:54
Thank you. Good morning. 00:14:57
As previously stated in the e-mail you received this morning. 00:15:00
For a will be. 00:15:03
I don't know that it's necessarily tabled, but. 00:15:05
I guess removed and delayed. 00:15:07
It's off the agenda. 00:15:11
It will be addressed at your individual meetings in June, so the first Commissioner meeting in June and then the Council meeting 00:15:12
in June as well, where the joint resolutions will be taken up by each board. 00:15:17
Excel and Treasurer Steve Burks is here with me. Sadly, recorder Lois Indus is recovering from surgery today, so she cannot be 00:15:23
here and. 00:15:27
I understand the. 00:15:32
The possibility of why would the recorder be here for something like this, but she's the one who found the issue and started. 00:15:33
The fix? So I sent an e-mail last week outlining the timeline. 00:15:39
Which covers from. 00:15:44
Basically 20/17/2018 to current. 00:15:46
Of a historical outage and secondary piece referred to as a legacy outage. 00:15:49
That was identified by Miss Indris when she took office as county treasurer back in 2017. 00:15:55
Where? 00:16:02
At basically at the end of the day, she discovered that we had a $3.4 million undocumented outage that encompassed both the cash 00:16:05
book to the banks and the cash book to the county funds. 00:16:10
She she did a lot of work. 00:16:16
To get. 00:16:19
This started. 00:16:19
And then pass to the reins off to Mr. Burks when he took over as Treasurer in 2021, and myself when I. 00:16:21
Went with him. 00:16:28
In that endeavor as his chief deputy. 00:16:29
We have continued. 00:16:33
I I don't even know how to describe what we've done. 00:16:37
Over the last. 00:16:40
Multiple years, 5 1/2 years that we've worked on this together separately and. 00:16:41
And there have been. 00:16:46
Times where we've had to put the project down because of of. 00:16:48
Our jobs, there are times where we just don't have the time to continue. 00:16:53
Working on a historical research project because there are other things that have to be addressed on. 00:16:57
I can go over that e-mail. 00:17:04
I wouldn't mind. 00:17:06
If you want me to, I'm happy to read it into the record. It does go over as succinctly as I could with enough detail. 00:17:08
What we're addressing again, this is a resolution jointly passed by both Commissioners and Council at the request of the SBOA, and 00:17:15
it is something that those resolutions will be available at your meetings in June. 00:17:20
And the Council has the ability today to decide. 00:17:26
Where this secondary, which is the historical adjustment, will be removed from the funds at the legacy adjustment adjust addresses 00:17:30
the. 00:17:35
The cash book to bank issue. 00:17:40
So for those of you who don't know how the county finances work, or at least the balancing of said such, we have. 00:17:42
Our bank accounts. 00:17:49
We have the county cash book which tracks. 00:17:50
And reconciles bank accounts plus things held in trust by the treasurer's office, which is normally tax dollars and excise until 00:17:53
settlement time frame. 00:17:56
And then we have the funds. The funds are what you get reports on anytime I send you a or Gloria send you a fund status. 00:18:01
Those are the actual county funds, so. 00:18:09
Local government does a horrible thing called fund accounting. 00:18:12
Where everything is held under. 00:18:15
Different allocations and the goal. 00:18:17
The ideal situation is that the cash book balances both. 00:18:20
To our actual bank accounts. 00:18:24
And. 00:18:26
Our county funds because those are both things that are reflected. 00:18:27
On the cash book, there's two sides to the cash book. There is the bank side and then there is the fund side. 00:18:31
I did send you examples of these things so that you would. 00:18:36
Kind of have a general idea of what I'm referencing. I have multiple examples here that I'm happy to pass out. They're from 00:18:39
different months, mostly because. 00:18:42
I didn't want to destroy my color printer by printing. 00:18:47
1,000,000 copies of this delightful packet, but I'm happy to. 00:18:50
To make additional copies or send you digital copies at a later date. 00:18:53
So. 00:18:57
Our bank account. 00:19:00
Balancing portion of the cash book does not match our actual cash in the banks. 00:19:01
And our fund portion of the cash book does not actually match. 00:19:07
Our funds. 00:19:12
Both are overstated. 00:19:14
By different amounts. 00:19:16
Those are also sent to you in that e-mail. 00:19:17
The total overall amount that will affect the funds, which is what we utilized to report to the state on behalf of everything that 00:19:20
we have. It's also what we utilize in budgetary systems and seasons. 00:19:25
Is $470,679.22, which is a dramatic drop from $3.4 million. 00:19:31
I just want to point that out that the work that has gone into this over the last eight years, between Miss Interest, Mr. Burks, 00:19:40
myself and our staff. 00:19:44
Took a $3.4 million outage and resolved it down to less than half $1,000,000. 00:19:49
That's a lot of work. 00:19:55
It's a lot of money saved. 00:19:57
There is a different amount that. 00:20:03
I was, I was going to go over that in a minute. So we're going to go over this this e-mail as best I can. 00:20:05
Feel free to ask questions as we go along, I'll do my best to address them and if it's not information I have directly at my 00:20:10
fingertips which I tried my best to bring everything. 00:20:14
I'll e-mail it to you because again. 00:20:19
The resolution isn't being adopted today. 00:20:21
So. 00:20:24
I'm just gonna read the e-mail as I wrote it. 00:20:25
The historical legacy outage was discovered by former county treasurer. 00:20:28
Lois Interest Miss Interest took office in January 1 of 2017 and by mid. 00:20:33
2018 had discovered the previous reconciliation deputy had been forcing numbers. 00:20:38
To balance the multitude of bank accounts that existed in the county's name. 00:20:43
Over the next year, Miss Interest worked with her new reconciliation deputy and the council in an attempt to find and document the 00:20:47
outages. 00:20:51
While maintaining accuracy and progress for the current county finances. 00:20:54
In June of 2019, under the advice of a council member, the County Council decided to do a historical adjustment to force a balance 00:20:58
that would allow the final movement of some funds. 00:21:03
And closure of one of the many unnecessary bank accounts. 00:21:08
This adjustment was done incorrectly and actually caused issues later in this process. In March of 2020, the County Council 00:21:11
approved the hiring and funding of a third party farm department and Williams. 00:21:16
To come in and take over the search for the outages at the recommendation of Miss Indras. 00:21:21
The total undocumented outage was 3.4 million at the time Hartman and Williams was brought on board. 00:21:26
In January of 2021. 00:21:31
Miss Interest left the Treasurer's office to be the Floyd County Reporter, a role she still serves in today, and Mr. Steve Burks 00:21:33
took office as Floyd County Treasurer. 00:21:37
Mr. Burks appointed me as his chief deputy and with the background, information and base provided by Miss Indris, we continued 00:21:42
working closely with Hartman and Williams. 00:21:46
And the reconciliation deputy. 00:21:50
That misinterpreted hired Jason Frakes. 00:21:52
Slowly and carefully finding and correcting those undocumented outages. 00:21:55
This task was made incredibly hard, in part because the auditor's office and treasurer's office. 00:21:59
Have to work hand in hand on all things financial and they were not on a shared system at the time. 00:22:04
A lot of energy was actually used in searching through documents to find the information needed for correction. 00:22:09
We were advised in 2022 by Hartman and Williams that due to the previously incorrected, incorrectly executed historical adjustment 00:22:15
authored by the council, we would never be able to fully reconcile the outage. 00:22:20
Without doing a resolution and writing the adjustment out of the funds. 00:22:26
We were also advised that the true issues began to compound in 2015 and carried forward. 00:22:30
So this this is an issue that developed well before any of those currently in office. 00:22:36
Took office. 00:22:40
In January 2023, I left the Treasurer's office and took my current seat as the Floyd County Auditor. 00:22:43
Forward motion stalled for a bit due to a myriad of things, not the least of which was a complete overhaul of the tax rates. 00:22:48
In reissuing of the taxes that year due to an error I inherited. 00:22:54
In 2024, we started the hard work of implementing new tax and financial software to finally bring both offices onto a shared 00:22:58
platform to allow for more accurate and efficient reporting. 00:23:03
By mid 2025 we were able to pick back up and begin the last leg of reconciling everything we could outside of a portion that would 00:23:08
never reconcile due to the previously mentioned adjustment. 00:23:12
We now have a shared documented 6 month long unchanged outage number to be passed by a joint resolution to finally resolve 2 long 00:23:18
standing issues. 00:23:22
The first step is a historical correction that provides adjustments to the cash flow itself, which was highlighted in yellow in 00:23:26
that e-mail and I will go over. 00:23:30
I gave the bank codes because. 00:23:35
It's just easier in our world to reference those as far as our system goes. 00:23:37
So Bank 3. 00:23:43
Needs an adjustment in the negative amount of $323 or 323,000 dollars $722.29. 00:23:45
Bank 2 actually gets a positive amount of 16,630 five 82. 00:23:53
Bank 3 is a negative amount of $72.59. 00:23:59
All right, let's take 8. My apologies, Bank 9. 00:24:04
Is a positive of $1274.73. 00:24:07
So the overall actual cash book to bank adjustment is a negative 30588433. That's the first step. That is just a cash book 00:24:11
adjustment. 00:24:16
The second step. 00:24:21
Is matching. 00:24:22
The cash book. 00:24:24
To the funds. 00:24:25
And that is where that $470,679 in 2020. 00:24:26
$0.22 comes into play. 00:24:31
These are two massive adjustments that have to occur to finally bring this county into a true. 00:24:36
Balance. 00:24:42
We've been reporting. 00:24:44
This difference accurately since. 00:24:45
I took over as chief Deputy and Steve took over as treasurer in 2021. 00:24:48
The previous. 00:24:52
Staff. 00:24:55
And Miss Interest was not aware of this. 00:24:56
Had stopped. 00:24:59
Reporting A17T form to the state which is. 00:25:01
Where we report everything on the cash flow to the state on a monthly basis to show. 00:25:04
Balance. 00:25:08
When she stopped allowing them to force the numbers. 00:25:10
So the state went without a required form for almost three years. 00:25:13
And she was not informed of this. 00:25:18
I will give Miss Lewis. 00:25:21
All the credit for this. 00:25:23
The idea that she found this and started the process. 00:25:26
When the county treasurer's office still didn't use Excel to balance its cash book. 00:25:30
Wasn't on a joint system with the auditor's office. 00:25:35
It's incredibly impressive to me, especially as someone who has worked with this for 5 1/2 years at this point. 00:25:41
I'm happy to answer. 00:25:48
Any questions anybody may have? 00:25:50
Mr. Burks is also happy to answer any questions anyone may have, I will tell you that. 00:25:52
We're beyond giddy. 00:25:56
That we can bring. 00:25:58
Our resolution to both boards. 00:26:00
And have this. 00:26:02
Put to bed. 00:26:04
Because it has been. 00:26:05
I don't think it's been a labor of love, but it has been a labor of need. 00:26:07
Now I would just say there's a lot. 00:26:12
Another stuff that's contributed to. 00:26:15
The process. 00:26:19
When this industry coming to office. 00:26:20
For instance, they were still. 00:26:23
Entering B&B receipts by hand. 00:26:26
And they let that go a long time. 00:26:29
You're not on top of it. 00:26:33
Then you start trying to find where. 00:26:35
X $100 but anyway. 00:26:38
There's a lot of these things contributed, as Arkansas said. 00:26:40
To the force balancing that was done. 00:26:43
The, you know, former copying submitted. 00:26:46
He required every not to upload all the bank savings financial statements. 00:26:48
The forms to the state again. 00:26:54
That. 00:26:57
Now to ask. 00:27:00
Five years. 00:27:01
Again, a lot of credit should go to Diana as. 00:27:02
Started this process. 00:27:07
And then I suggest you run for auditor. 00:27:09
Yes. 00:27:13
As you know. 00:27:15
The office in. 00:27:16
Revamped and and we work closely together. 00:27:18
And as she already said. 00:27:21
The audience office and trace office got to work close together. 00:27:23
Unfortunately, years come by that was not the case. 00:27:27
That I'm taking over the last 5 1/2 years. 00:27:31
It's been working relationship that's brought this point. 00:27:34
Outfit you can see you bought this. 00:27:37
That it will. 00:27:41
I have a few questions SO. 00:27:47
I'm trying to think of anticipated questions that other people might have as well what I have so. 00:27:52
Define forced balancing. 00:27:57
This is going to sound really awful. 00:28:01
Anybody who works with numbers knows that you can kind of make the numbers do whatever you want. 00:28:03
Unless you're an honest, morally upright and ethical person. 00:28:08
In which case you. 00:28:13
Let the numbers do what? 00:28:15
They're supposed to do. 00:28:16
If you're. 00:28:18
Allowed to just. 00:28:20
Place a. 00:28:24
Unreconciled amount. 00:28:27
On your tally sheet and never reconcile it. Then you are forcing a balance. 00:28:29
I have an example of that if you'd like to see what that looks like. 00:28:36
From. 00:28:41
Well, really from. 00:28:45
Previous to closure of of an account. 00:28:46
So. 00:28:51
When the Sanders came to office for some reason. 00:28:55
There were 24. 00:28:59
Bank accounts that were. 00:29:01
Insane 24 banking hours. 00:29:03
And the only reason I could. 00:29:06
See to doing that is because. 00:29:08
They felt like to, you know, give money to this bank because this person is part of the community. Give money to this bank. 00:29:11
And it was. 00:29:19
So when you start trying to reconcile 24 bank accounts. 00:29:20
When I came to office. 00:29:26
Diane, I peeled down and for instance. 00:29:29
We drill down and say look. 00:29:37
For instance, they was allowed to have outside deposits, which means. 00:29:40
I don't have a brainchild that was. 00:29:44
They would take money in and then once a month. 00:29:46
Or every other mind. 00:29:50
They would bring it in and it's kind of like. 00:29:56
I put money. 00:29:58
This account. 00:30:00
So we. 00:30:02
Close those the Council may may recall when in 2021. 00:30:03
Mr. Burks and I came forward to get policy in place allowing specific departments that dealt with cash transactions. 00:30:08
To have. 00:30:15
A depository only account that they then had to basically empty out every week month however. 00:30:17
That they had to reconcile, prove reconciliation records and in. 00:30:24
That generated from what was called the outside depository. There were five departments that had. 00:30:28
Deposit slips for one bank account that also had electronic transactions going into it. In fact, one of the portions of the 00:30:34
historical adjustment, the 1274. 00:30:40
That that actually. 00:30:46
Finishes out that outside depository and zeros it out. That account has been closed for over 2 years. 00:30:49
And this just bases it on the cash book, so. 00:30:55
The the poor business practices that were in place prior to Miss Indris and then further along the road, Mr. Burke's taking 00:30:59
office. 00:31:03
Are wild. 00:31:08
To me. 00:31:11
We had zero balance accounts for for payroll processes, which if you've ever dealt with Cbas, those are a nightmare. 00:31:12
And you cannot reconcile them if there is any kind of difference. 00:31:18
We had a shared depository account that was accountable to no one. 00:31:21
We had. 00:31:25
One, you know, team. 00:31:26
Different. 00:31:28
Banks that were allowed to collect. 00:31:29
Property taxes that. 00:31:32
Poorly reported those collections it was. 00:31:34
It was awful. 00:31:40
It was awful. 00:31:41
So between Miss Interest and. 00:31:43
Her her starting and supervision and then. 00:31:45
Mr. Burks taking that baton and running with it, it has been, it has been a marathon. 00:31:48
So you have concrete evidence that some of these problems existed as far back as 2015, correct? And it was taken up in 2017? 00:31:53
Taken up in 2018, it took about a year. 00:32:00
For misinterest to to dig down. 00:32:03
And see what was happening. 00:32:06
Anybody who's ever taken over a financial office for the county knows that it takes time. You have to learn the processes and then 00:32:08
you have to learn. 00:32:11
The accounts themselves to figure it out. If you guys recall, I didn't bring a lot of fixes to the board until 2024. So do we feel 00:32:15
like the total that was? 00:32:19
3.2 or 3.4. 00:32:23
3.4 million undocumented outage a lot of. 00:32:26
Small errors, or one giant error, or it was a multitude of small. 00:32:30
It was a multitude of small. I think the largest error we found was a $1 million error, but everything after that was anywhere 00:32:35
from 20,000 to 300,000. What year would the $1 million? 00:32:40
You're amazing. That was oh. 00:32:46
2016. 00:32:50
I think it was in 2016. 00:32:51
So. 00:32:56
Umm, yeah, I think obviously. 00:32:58
You know, I applaud the work that's being done and I think. 00:33:03
At some point, this all needs to be put behind us. 00:33:05
And so we'll have to. 00:33:10
Swallow a very bitter pill, but. 00:33:11
A couple of things #1. 00:33:14
I know that. 00:33:16
The State Board of Accounts is working right now, but. 00:33:17
I would I would at some point like to hear. 00:33:21
From this interest directly, either through a written statement or here. And I know she's recovering, but if there's no urgency 00:33:23
with regards to doing this. 00:33:27
In the near future then. 00:33:31
I personally would rather allow. 00:33:33
There is a slight urgency in that. 00:33:35
For this for the treasurer's office to finish the very last step for Lao, which is their. 00:33:38
Their digital cash book these. 00:33:43
These adjustments have to be in place and the SPOA is looking for it to happen. 00:33:46
Basically this and the digital cash flow is. 00:33:51
The digital cash flow needs to go live July 1st, so the resolution and that's what keeps things. 00:33:55
And that's what keeps us well right now. Daily reconciliation is what keeps us in. I understand the digital cash book will make it 00:34:00
to where this kind of issue can never develop again. Yes, it's automated and we need to make that happen. 00:34:06
We absolutely need to make that happen. I I do have. 00:34:13
I'm just going to interject your. 00:34:18
I'm not all about making anything happen. 00:34:20
For an agency that didn't. 00:34:22
Etched this to begin with. It's the state. 00:34:24
Board of Accounts is job. 00:34:27
To audit each municipality in the state. 00:34:29
It's been on and it's been on the audit report every year for every game. Well then, there's no hurry. 00:34:32
The so you can get this done but I I agree with al that. 00:34:38
We need to hear from. 00:34:42
From Lowe's I would be happy and. 00:34:44
That she provide a statement I would that is acceptable. Cautiously proceed. 00:34:47
Is SBO a? 00:34:52
OK with the process that you've identified. 00:34:54
We are doing the process they recommended, OK. 00:34:58
That was my next question is that. 00:35:01
There's no way that. 00:35:03
There's no precedent. All this doesn't erode public trust in some way. So we're going to have to build trust in some way. So it 00:35:05
needs to be totally. 00:35:10
Light up, which we're doing. I get that, but I want to know whether or not. 00:35:15
We need. 00:35:18
An outside agency with the SPOA or someone else to sign up and say? 00:35:19
So they requested that we pass the resolution and provide all documentation once the resolution is passed. I I just have a 00:35:24
question. I know that you said force balancing was being done. Is there any misappropriation of funds? Anything missing any I know 00:35:29
that our balances are higher. 00:35:34
That was my next. So the bank account, where is the money? 00:35:39
The bank account balance is higher. 00:35:43
So now. 00:35:46
The bank account balance is lower than what is reflected on the cash book. 00:35:47
Is lower than what's reflected. This is a loss of money in this Congress. This is not a game. Yes, OK. 00:35:51
So the bank account balance is lower. 00:35:56
So did somebody take that money? That's what it was, misrepresented on the cash books. 00:35:59
It was misrepresented. 00:36:05
So it never existed. 00:36:06
For what? It's not there, could it? 00:36:08
That's it's not there. It never existed. 00:36:10
It's just numbers. I I hear that. 00:36:12
Well. 00:36:15
So I I this isn't the first time not to be. 00:36:16
There's about $350,000 of it that we will never be able to figure out what happened to it. 00:36:26
So we don't know if somebody took due to the historical adjustment that was done incorrectly by the County Council back in in 2019 00:36:33
to close out the previous account and and transition things cleanly. And Hartman and Williams was very clear. 00:36:39
That since. 00:36:47
That was not. 00:36:49
Accessible for true reconciliation anymore that it it was. 00:36:52
It was never going to be resolved. It was going to be considered a historical outage. 00:36:58
So. 00:37:06
Because that was done. 00:37:07
We have no way of tracking that. 00:37:10
Correct. 00:37:12
So. 00:37:14
A couple of my questions. 00:37:15
I understand a lot of work has been done on this, but because this was going on for so long. 00:37:17
Do we feel like we've? 00:37:22
Accurately captured everything. Yes, we do. The number hasn't changed for six months. 00:37:24
Correct, that's what I'm interested in in. 00:37:28
Well, especially a sanction this and say hey you guys, they told us we had to have three months of unchanged numbers and we 00:37:31
duplicated that by 6. 00:37:34
We didn't. We wanted to make sure that we had everything captured. I will say that bringing Lau on board and and. 00:37:38
Putting both. 00:37:44
Offices on the same platform actually helped identify even more that we could correct and fix. 00:37:46
So. 00:37:52
Relate. Move on. You're all smart. I have a question. 00:37:54
Because I'm always confused. 00:37:56
That's, that's fair. I feel that way all the time. Y'all know that? I asked Gloria and. 00:37:59
Verbiage work. I often say words mean things. 00:38:04
And when every agenda it says additional corporation, a lot of times it's not additional corporation, but the. 00:38:08
Are we going to actually take this amount of money out of the general fund? 00:38:13
That's what's listening well. So there's three fund options that that Mister Short directed us to advertise out of. 00:38:16
You have the interest fund, you have rainy day and you have general and you can split the ride out out of. 00:38:23
Whatever funds you want. 00:38:28
To be perfectly, my next question is does this number? 00:38:30
Reflect on pages presentation the other night. 00:38:33
No it does not. 00:38:37
Because it doesn't. So she is aware that there's an outage. 00:38:38
She knows it. She has. 00:38:41
The information concerning it. 00:38:43
And I told her that as soon as this was. 00:38:45
Reconciled and. 00:38:48
Done that, I would give her an updated. 00:38:50
Financials so that she could factor it into what she's bringing in June. 00:38:53
So if you all will remember, at the end of 25 we moved. 00:38:56
The interest fund into general. 00:39:01
$1,000,000 million dollars. 00:39:04
The current balance is 2/19. 00:39:06
In the interest fund, in the interest fund and we. 00:39:09
Receive about $40,000 a month. Receive 40,000 in that in the first week of June. So in theory. 00:39:11
If we do this. 00:39:17
Today or in June? 00:39:19
Where it believe is. 00:39:21
In June, we're at 260. 00:39:24
It leaves US 210. 00:39:26
MMM. 00:39:27
If we take. 00:39:28
The rest of the 210 out of the General. 00:39:29
In theory, by the end of the year we get the 210 back, so. 00:39:32
For. 00:39:36
For the long term, look at it, we can pay it all out of the interest fund. 00:39:38
Which is just money earned on deposits. 00:39:43
Anyway, so. 00:39:46
That accurate? We will have to split it. 00:39:47
Rainy days an option? 00:39:50
I don't know, sorry. I don't like that. 00:39:52
Just put it on here for discussion. That's not my favorite spot either. 00:39:54
Mr. Schwartz intent was always to recommend the general fund and the interest because we can then reimburse the general fund at 00:39:58
the end of the year using interest monies earned. 00:40:02
Understood. But we we are at a spot where. 00:40:06
The SBOA has. 00:40:11
Ding just for this for many, many years and they would like to not see it anymore. We were told at the exit interview last year 00:40:13
that if we didn't have it fixed by the end of audit this year that the state would come down and fix it themselves. 00:40:19
Oh that would be interesting since they didn't catch it to begin with, they caught it every time. We really was documented on 00:40:25
every exit audit. 00:40:29
For the last 10 years. The only detriment to that is that they'll spin their wheels like everybody else. It'll cost us billion. 00:40:33
They will bill you. 00:40:39
They catch it after. 00:40:41
This interest brought it to light, though. 00:40:43
I I that I'm unclear of, I would have to look back. 00:40:45
They did, and they kept. 00:40:50
Chicken for a loop. 00:40:52
As we have the can download. 00:40:54
Neither here nor nor there I. 00:40:58
Personally, I. 00:41:00
Or the council kept kicking it. I don't particularly care if the SBLA. 00:41:01
Or caught it. Or not. We did. 00:41:06
And it's our responsibility to provide the correction as recommended by the state to make sure that our books and our our 00:41:08
taxpayers dollars are accurately represented in our finances. And I commend you for that. My primary goal is to sorry I'm 5 1/2 00:41:13
years to minimize damage of the public trust in this endeavor, which is why I'm glad that there were direct questions about 00:41:18
misappropriation. 00:41:23
To my knowledge, to Mr. Burke's knowledge, to this interest in his knowledge, there is no misappropriation of fines. Hartman and 00:41:28
Williams did not. 00:41:32
Did not. 00:41:37
Spine and knee. So I think on the heart was Hartman and Williams. 00:41:38
So I I think. 00:41:42
I think that report needs to be. 00:41:44
I can public front and center. 00:41:45
Again, it's a conglomeration of emails back and forth. I can do my best. 00:41:48
Yeah, We haven't worked with that multiple years. So I can try, I can reach out to our contact either from you or from them. I 00:41:54
really think as many agencies as we've had with the best. The other issue that I have. 00:41:59
Just again, procedurally is as much as I like to think of all this as one team. 00:42:04
Here and in the room is. 00:42:08
Why is this a joint resolution rather than just a council business? 00:42:11
So. 00:42:18
It's a joint resolution. 00:42:19
Because you're the administrative branch and we have to. 00:42:23
We have to change documentation. 00:42:27
We're changing finances. 00:42:31
Which? 00:42:32
So. 00:42:33
Best best way to explain it? 00:42:34
The the the cash book to fund. 00:42:36
Is is mostly council purview the cash book to bank? 00:42:40
That's an administrative change on a document that we've been. 00:42:45
Maintaining food. 00:42:48
Years fair enough and I don't. 00:42:50
Think any of us have? 00:42:52
Probably part of the process, but. 00:42:53
But again, I, I would ask for a written statement from Miss Anderson at that point in time. Then we could see whether or not that 00:42:56
would suffice or not that you'd said. Will that suffice on government? Oh, I see the statement. I don't, I don't know. I will send 00:43:00
her an e-mail and ask her to. I think by starting this process now, we have every chance of finishing that up by the end of the 00:43:05
summer. 00:43:09
As you had said. 00:43:14
So, so the goal is to have it passed in June because we do need to go live on the cash book in July and the SBOA is expecting this 00:43:15
to take place while they're in house this summer. 00:43:20
And they expect to be done with us by the end of June. Understood. But I think they're every. 00:43:24
Everybody here probably has a different set of boxes that will have to be checked off before. Fair enough. 00:43:29
So we've worked with the individually in Group and again appreciate the efforts that have gone into this and we're approaching the 00:43:34
finish line but. 00:43:37
I think everybody here wants whatever is done to be. 00:43:41
Clean, 100% honest, and to be the end of it. 00:43:44
Final, yes, yeah. So my question is, is, is I know we've made a lot of investments into. 00:43:47
You know some software stuff like ***** this is going to. 00:43:53
Ensure that there's a guardrail to keep this from ever happening again because as soon as you go live on that cash book. 00:43:55
Yeah. 00:44:00
The thing? 00:44:01
The software that we went with. 00:44:04
Just loud. 00:44:05
The cost of the allergies. 00:44:07
There can help me? 00:44:09
You know, casually. 00:44:12
Deadline that, basically. 00:44:13
So until that's being done. 00:44:15
We can't go live on that cash flow. 00:44:16
We've maintained the Ledger. 00:44:19
Correct. Everything that happens in both offices talks to that cash book. 00:44:22
And it flags daily if it doesn't. Yeah, it sounds like it was. Money very well spent. Absolutely. I think yes. 00:44:27
I I want to clarify one point that. 00:44:33
I feel kind of got glossed over. 00:44:35
Without. 00:44:38
Getting into a whole lot of detail. 00:44:40
We had an opportunity to get this number even lower. 00:44:44
But at the recommendation. 00:44:47
Of the person who worked with. 00:44:50
The treasurer's office we did a write off. 00:44:52
We, we, we sealed off. 00:44:55
Being able to go back into that. 00:44:58
Amount ever again. 00:45:00
Correct. 00:45:02
Correct SO. 00:45:03
An opportunity was lost at. 00:45:05
At one point to. 00:45:07
To get this even lower. 00:45:09
What year was that? 00:45:10
So just wanted to clarify that. 00:45:17
We. 00:45:20
And I'll, I'll throw myself in there as council we. 00:45:22
We probably should have let that open to further. 00:45:25
Scrutiny to try to get that number. 00:45:27
Down, but there was an attempt to. 00:45:30
Somewhat rectify it. 00:45:34
But wasn't the IT wasn't the right attempt. I will commend Mr. Burks when we shut down 3 unneeded accounts at the end of 2022 00:45:36
into. 00:45:40
January of 2023 he left and they are still. 00:45:45
Reflected on the cash book, but he left them open. 00:45:49
To allow for a true. 00:45:52
A complete reconciliation of those three accounts. 00:45:54
So that at the end of the day we knew exactly what type of adjustments needed to happen. 00:45:57
And those are. 00:46:02
Those are the three of the smaller numbers, obviously the 16,000, the 1200 and then the 7259. Those, those are former accounts 00:46:05
held with the former financial institution that we no longer do business with as a county. 00:46:10
But he left them not only open but documented on the cash book so that as new issues which were found which some of them. 00:46:16
Were found once we crossed over into Lao and those bank accounts were no longer being utilized. 00:46:23
It allowed us to do a true reconciliation on those, which is where the positive $16,000 came from because we found. 00:46:28
We found errors when we crossed into Lao that that could be reconciled. One more question for the morning. 00:46:36
More and I think it's maybe send the list. Well, I think any question that we have needs to be. 00:46:44
Brought forward publicly as well, I don't disagree. 00:46:49
Like so, but. 00:46:53
Do we have a concrete? 00:46:54
Date at which time we can say this was the last. 00:46:55
Year that we know. 00:46:59
That everything was reconciled and square. 00:47:00
Without force numbers. 00:47:03
Department and Williams, Cartman and Williams report said that the beginning of the issue started in 2015. 00:47:05
So 2014 would be the last time everything was concrete, according to. 00:47:13
The third party. 00:47:18
A firm that was brought in by the county to perform the full audit. 00:47:19
Until. 00:47:23
2018 when it stopped. 00:47:24
It's it's stopped in actually, we were working with Hartman and Williams in through the end of 2021. 00:47:26
So I worked very closely with. I think her name was Deborah. 00:47:32
Through the end of 2021 and then the adjustments started happening and happening in 2022 because they had completed the audit. 00:47:37
And they were no longer contracted and from 2022 forward is. 00:47:43
When the the researching and the fixing started happening. 00:47:48
So I can make a statement. 00:47:53
I think that. 00:47:56
Politically. 00:47:58
We probably elected unqualified people to do these jobs. 00:48:00
And that should be possibly state statute, I mean. 00:48:04
If you're gonna be. 00:48:07
Certain positions in local elected official you have to have certain criteria like the assessors office. 00:48:08
State statute or somebody's need to fix this that we don't. 00:48:15
Keep electing unqualified people to do jobs in IT I. 00:48:18
Tackled Jason. 00:48:22
With this new system. 00:48:24
Even whoever's in that office, it's got to be right for going forward. 00:48:25
It will be. 00:48:29
The system is a fail safe. 00:48:30
The again. 00:48:32
The cash book piece. 00:48:33
When anything's done on the Cashbook side, it notifies the auditor's office and vice versa. This is actually talking back to each 00:48:35
other. 00:48:39
That again was another piece out that you had. 00:48:44
When I came to the office, the treasurer's office. 00:48:47
That it wasn't talking. 00:48:50
Digitally wise to the office. Office it was just. 00:48:54
You had to hope that things got brought across. 00:48:57
We had a hand. 00:49:01
Obviously. 00:49:03
You know that's not the best way, so. 00:49:04
Any other questions? Yeah, just one last thing. I just want to make sure. 00:49:07
You know, obviously the two of you and senators have done a lot of work on this. 00:49:10
But. 00:49:15
Your your e-mail. 00:49:16
Diana was very good in summarizing everything that's happened, but do we anywhere capture who all was involved throughout this 00:49:18
whole process? 00:49:22
To Mr. Knables point of. 00:49:26
Being transparent. 00:49:29
What what specifically? As far as the resolution of it or just from start to finish? 00:49:31
Start, start to finish, including the resolution. 00:49:37
I, I I do have a list of all involved in the roles that they played. 00:49:40
I just want to make sure that we're capturing somewhere along the line all of the steps that have been taken. 00:49:46
I do. 00:49:51
Let me suggest that we. 00:49:51
Go back to the e-mail thread and. 00:49:55
But our questions there. 00:49:58
And. 00:50:00
Try to get those answered because. 00:50:01
And I'm happy to go over. 00:50:04
What if the answers are satisfactory? 00:50:06
And there are and they don't generate additional ones I'm happy to go over. 00:50:09
All of this, again at both meetings. 00:50:13
So that it is all on public record. 00:50:16
In front of both bodies. 00:50:18
To allow as much transparency as possible. 00:50:20
With. 00:50:23
Never ending hope that you'll go ahead and pass the resolution so that I don't have to keep looking at this anymore. 00:50:26
I think the other thing that comes. 00:50:31
It's obviously by putting these into other meetings, we're going to have a chance for the public debt. 00:50:33
Correct. 00:50:39
To to speak to it and that. 00:50:40
I I I have no issues with that. 00:50:43
It's a necessary step. 00:50:45
I don't disagree so and I applaud both of you for being here and all the work that's been done on this interest in the fact with 00:50:47
this, this is not an easy topic to do. The easiest thing would have been to continue to force balances, I guess. 00:50:53
But there hasn't been balanced force in that office since 2019. I understand, I said. That would have been the easy thing to do. 00:50:59
And that's not then done so. 00:51:06
Yeah, I think, you know, we want this to be resolved as well, but we have to do it in a manner where it maintains trust and 00:51:10
wherever you. 00:51:13
Question thought. 00:51:17
Put forward an answer if possible I will give. 00:51:18
I will dedicate some time next week while I'm at. 00:51:23
At conference to. 00:51:25
Providing. 00:51:28
A deeper timeline. 00:51:29
The idea was to be succinct, because Even so, it was still very long e-mail and. 00:51:31
I'm under the impression that. 00:51:36
Most people just kind of glance over what I send and then hope for the best. 00:51:38
So those of you that read the whole thing, thank you. 00:51:42
We we would like them shorter now. 00:51:44
Comment because I think all that. 00:51:51
Uh, to Matt Miley's point. 00:51:55
Have addresses to Miss Fox. We need to be careful about slander things. 00:51:57
We start addressing. 00:52:02
Issues and people and names. 00:52:04
That's a legal question. Could there be? 00:52:09
Yeah. Do we need to do we need to be careful about how we do that? 00:52:11
As far as the record is. 00:52:18
Statements and remainder factual. I'm not concerned about it, OK. 00:52:20
OK, it's been my biggest concern. So there is no need dropping. 00:52:25
OK. 00:52:28
I will do my best to provide a list of the players, their roles in the county at the time and. 00:52:31
And run it by Miss Fox. 00:52:39
I am not going to make any statements or accusations, Mr. Bagshaw. I like my job. 00:52:41
So. 00:52:48
I also applaud the work that gets done and to. 00:52:50
Reemphasize what Dale said, you know? 00:52:54
It's not. 00:52:58
To something the public needs to educate themselves before they elect people. But you know, you can be whatever. 00:52:59
I was gonna stay on paper. I look like a poor choice. I have a cosmetologist license, and I used to be a corrections officer, so I 00:53:06
don't look as though I would be a very functional auditor. And you're a good correction officer. Thank you, Sir. So. 00:53:12
You know, you gotta be 18 years of age and a resident of the county to run for office and. 00:53:20
That's the only requirement other than unless you have a bar degree. 00:53:26
And. 00:53:31
Then you can have to judge your processor. You have to have a level 2. 00:53:33
So. 00:53:36
But I'm also. 00:53:38
But that's it. 00:53:41
I'm also concerned about. 00:53:43
The ineptness. 00:53:45
Of state agencies challenge municipalities what to do? 00:53:47
When I took office as sheriff in 15. 00:53:52
The state board. 00:53:56
Then came to me and said hey. 00:53:57
You got a cash book shortage for. 00:54:00
Eight years. 00:54:03
And we want you to fix it. And this is how we want you to fix it. 00:54:05
I questioned him at the time. 00:54:08
And then I fixed it the way they wanted me to. 00:54:10
And then next year they wrote me up for fixing it that way. 00:54:14
I have experienced similar things, you know. 00:54:17
My legal counsel at that time said look. 00:54:21
There's no money missing. What's reasonable is the rule of law. 00:54:25
And so what's reasonable and? 00:54:29
I think that we have to consider that I'm applauded that we fixed this. I just want to cautiously go forward. 00:54:31
And I really don't care what their timeline. 00:54:37
I think that we have to be comfortable. 00:54:40
As government of this county to answer to the people of Floyd County. 00:54:42
We have to be comfortable and that's. 00:54:47
The timeline that we use to do that. 00:54:49
As long as it doesn't cost the county. 00:54:53
Taxpayers. Exactly. 00:54:54
I agree. 00:54:56
And I'm not taking up with the state agencies, but we also have a duty to do things right. 00:54:57
And morally. And I lay it on. 00:55:01
People's heads. 00:55:04
They take an oath when they take these offices. 00:55:06
They should have held it, and that's all I've got to say about. 00:55:08
You're looking at two people who took that very seriously. 00:55:10
While you are up there. 00:55:14
Yeah, if we can move on. 00:55:16
Item 6 in the council item, but I think you had sent out some information on that. 00:55:19
Cost sheet Just an involvement sheet that had come out from Baker Tilly from Page. 00:55:24
So she briefly went over what the must was with the. 00:55:30
The county. 00:55:35
Council at their lot. They're meeting earlier this week. 00:55:36
I think Gloria is pulling it up for you now. 00:55:40
This is something that the Council has the option. 00:55:42
To do, they are not required to do. 00:55:45
It is being heavily recommended just because of the data that could be gathered on behalf of the state, because everyone knows 00:55:47
that the next session they'll make more changes. 00:55:52
Because why not? 00:55:57
Hi, I'm getting ready to go to a four day conference where. 00:55:58
I get all the changes told to me all over again. 00:56:01
So she had. 00:56:05
She had. 00:56:08
Well, she had advised the council that she'd send out a sheet and we added it to today's agenda so that the council could take it 00:56:09
under advisement, discuss whether or not they wanted they had any appetite to either a form A must or B if they so chose. Engage 00:56:15
Baker Tilly in assisting with that. It's not a decision that has to be made immediately. 00:56:21
But it was just something to allow them some discussion because they don't have, they have very few. 00:56:28
Things that allow them to to meet in an executive session and this doesn't meet that requirement so we. 00:56:35
We hijacked. 00:56:42
The the joint meeting for it. 00:56:43
So. 00:56:45
A couple things. 00:56:46
I'm in favor of moving forward with this. 00:56:49
I'm also in favor of engaging Baker Tilly because they have their. 00:56:51
Finger on the pulse of this around the state and they've. 00:56:56
Already went through the process. 00:56:59
Started the process with several counties and finished with one county. 00:57:02
And Paige also mentioned that. 00:57:07
They. 00:57:11
The. 00:57:12
Counties, the Council part to. 00:57:14
When they invite. 00:57:17
The other municipalities and taxing entities in to. 00:57:19
Ask for shared some shared costs so. 00:57:23
I don't think we'll be taking this all. 00:57:26
On ourselves, the big, big question is if the other entities involved want a piece of this, that. 00:57:28
The port them agreeing to it would also be having. 00:57:34
Fund the process. 00:57:38
I would like to head this up if. 00:57:41
If everybody's OK with that, it will be open. 00:57:43
I'm just going to be kind of getting the players together in a room and discussing how. 00:57:46
The structure of it's going to be. 00:57:50
And kind of coming up with a plan. 00:57:53
That we can. 00:57:56
Present back to the state. Personally, I would encourage the commissioners to attend these meetings and anybody who. 00:57:57
Wants to. It's not. It won't be a closed off. 00:58:03
Meeting will be inviting. 00:58:06
Fire boards. 00:58:08
Township Trustees. 00:58:11
The city. Georgetown. Greenville. 00:58:13
Any anybody who will be affected by it will have a seat at the table and and and anybody's welcome to attend so. 00:58:17
Umm, I'll just put my name out there as far as heading it up because it is council driven. 00:58:24
And, umm. 00:58:29
Mr. Short, are you looking for a motion? 00:58:31
You would you would need. 00:58:34
If, if, if, if this is something that the council wants to enter into and wants to retain Baker Tilly services, it would require a 00:58:36
motion. 00:58:40
I'll make a motion to approve that we enter into. 00:58:44
That we engage Baker Tilly and that Danny. 00:58:48
Representative, certainly. 00:58:51
All right, we have a motion and a second. 00:58:53
Any further discussion on that? 00:58:55
Affordable funds are spent for our televisions. 00:58:57
She said that menu board would be available. 00:59:01
It's already now. 00:59:03
Yeah, alright. 00:59:06
And. 00:59:07
I'll, I'll talk directly with Paige on kind of the best way to. 00:59:09
Approach it approach cost once we see who all's. 00:59:14
But their name and hat there's. 00:59:18
One big municipality that I'm hoping joins. 00:59:21
I think it would be in their best interest to to get. 00:59:26
Thoughts on the table and into the plan? 00:59:29
So hopefully that. 00:59:32
That'll happen, but wait direction. 00:59:33
We'll try to get it going. 00:59:35
I would hope in the next. 00:59:37
6 to 8 weeks so we can. 00:59:40
Hopefully we have. 00:59:42
234 meetings and and wrap up a plan that we can get back. 00:59:44
To the state so. 00:59:49
Any other discussion on that? 00:59:52
All in favor say aye aye. Any opposed? 00:59:54
Thank you very much. 00:59:57
Last agenda item, the interlocal agreement with Bill McCloud County Library. 01:00:00
So you should have that interlocal in your packet. There have been just some slight revisions that were made late yesterday and I 01:00:09
circulated the clean version that I have for signature. This is an interlocal to allow the solid waste to continue to operate at 01:00:15
the Galena Digital Library branch. 01:00:20
Been operating there for a while so this would be a continuation. The library now owns that building, so we're entering into an 01:00:26
interlocal to allow us to utilize that space. 01:00:30
The I sent that out. 01:00:35
First circulation. So hopefully everybody has reviewed that. I'm happy to answer any questions though. 01:00:37
Questions. Comments. Discussion. 01:00:44
I would say I'm very, very happy to have our our second. 01:00:47
Partner in solid voice recycling and 1st partner being those who go out and utilize that. 01:00:50
So I would recommend wholeheartedly that we accept this and. 01:00:57
Put it into action. 01:01:01
As part of the agreement, the library board is going to be. 01:01:04
Umm, providing. 01:01:08
$2500 per year. 01:01:10
Somewhat in exchange for services, but also just to kind of step up and show that they're a partner in the process. So I would ask 01:01:13
that the council. 01:01:16
As that money comes in that that goes into the non reverting fund for solid waste. 01:01:20
It's a nominal fee, but it's. 01:01:26
It's meaningful so you know for that needs formal action or not down to yeah, I would request that when we each body goes to 01:01:28
approve the interlocal that you. 01:01:33
Yeah. Include in there that the funds that come in. 01:01:38
Be directed to that fund number, which is. 01:01:41
4013. 01:01:44
Making sure it was from saying that that's the correct fund number that for that was created for solid waste and just so that 01:01:46
we're all. 01:01:49
On the same page, the final draft, or what I will say is final draft that I circulated yesterday afternoon. 01:01:53
It came over with some revisions from the library board. 01:01:59
I cleaned that up. 01:02:02
Accepted all those changes, sent it back out. I do not have final confirmation sitting here right this minute from the attorney 01:02:04
for the library board that that is a final version. 01:02:08
So I think. 01:02:13
I just want to make sure everybody's aware of that. 01:02:14
I think we're very close. I would hope that that's the final version, but I just don't have a final e-mail from him indicating 01:02:17
that. 01:02:20
Their board is OK Should we wait to take the vote then? 01:02:23
I think, I believe everybody's goal would be to move forward sooner rather than later and so. 01:02:27
You know. 01:02:33
I would recommend you both approve it today. 01:02:35
I guess worst case if we have to circulate changes again, we could try to. 01:02:38
Set a special meeting or do whatever we need to try to do on our side but. 01:02:41
I just want to be clear that I don't have that final e-mail coming into this meeting. 01:02:47
So and this is. 01:02:50
Hopefully one of many partners that will be. 01:02:52
Working with on this, I don't think when. 01:02:55
Has had the opportunity to meet our new director. 01:02:58
Mr. Hell, but I'm I'm all in favor and I just want to make procedure. 01:03:00
Talk it up since we're talking about this, right? I think it's a great idea talking with He's going to be partnering with some. 01:03:07
Volunteer agencies to. 01:03:13
Augment the manpower over there so. 01:03:16
It should be plenty, should be plenty of volunteers. 01:03:19
Yeah, I had a room full of them. 01:03:21
Yeah, I think that that number was 0. 01:03:24
Steve Burks here just real quick as a. 01:03:27
Member of the library board and. 01:03:29
Liaison. 01:03:32
We've been back and forth with both attorney, our attorneys. 01:03:33
And I think we may be on good grounds with this to help ease your mind so. 01:03:37
Thank you. Thank you very much. So I'll look for a motion to approve among the commissioners. 01:03:41
Along with the fun just add in along with the funding to go into solid waste the solid waste fund 4013 please. Yeah, I'll make the 01:03:48
motion to approve and with the the funds from the library going into the. 01:03:53
Solid waste. 01:03:59
Fun and I'll second. 01:04:01
Hey, all in favor, aye? 01:04:04
All right on the Council side. 01:04:07
We'll move. We approve the Interlocal agreement. 01:04:09
With proceeds from the library going to fund 4013. 01:04:12
OK. 01:04:17
All right, we have a motion a second for the interlocal with the $2500 in the library going to the. 01:04:19
4013 fund on regarding solid waste. 01:04:24
Any discussion? 01:04:27
All in favor say aye aye. Any opposed? 01:04:29
All right. We have no other agenda items. We have anyone here who would like to speak. 01:04:32
The public. 01:04:38
We have two to three minutes. 01:04:40
Just need to have you state your name and address and. 01:04:43
Hi, my name is Andrew Raker. I'm at 3813 Dogwood Road and Floyd's Knobs. 01:04:47
Tinker, I think you all know me from recycling, but also to talk to the library today. 01:04:53
One really beautiful thing about Indiana law is that our library boards have. 01:04:58
Political independence from. 01:05:03
The greater winds because. 01:05:06
The council gets 2 appointments, the commissioners get 2 appointments and then the school board has their three. 01:05:08
I think that's great for that independence, but there has been a breakdown in trust in our county with the library board over the 01:05:13
past year. 01:05:17
With discussions that began last July that the public. 01:05:22
Only found out about in the past two weeks regarding the Community Corner Pantry. 01:05:26
It's really been frustrating to know that. 01:05:32
The community partners that are around to pick up the slack. 01:05:35
We're not contacted. 01:05:39
By the library to say how can we? 01:05:42
Make up this need so as the appointing bodies I would just come to ask you to. 01:05:45
Talk with your members. I know. 01:05:51
I've looked at the attendance of the library boards. I get it, I don't like being at meetings as much as anyone. But when only 01:05:55
four of the seven members are there, that's also a sign that we don't have board members that are. 01:06:00
Invested in this? 01:06:06
And. 01:06:08
To also, you know, try to figure out where the breakdown in communication happened because. 01:06:10
A lot of us in the community just. 01:06:16
Felt like we got a punch in the face out of the blue when this process happened so. 01:06:17
I want to thank you for. 01:06:23
Working out the agreement with recycling today. I know as a Gleaner library. 01:06:25
Recycling user. I was very happy that that was on the agenda, but also. 01:06:30
You know, as we go forward, we talk a lot about trust today with the auditing. 01:06:34
And there is. 01:06:38
A lack of trust, I think, with many community members and the library Board of Trustees right now. So as an appointing body, I 01:06:40
just wanted to bring that to your attention. So thank you. 01:06:44
So just so you know, we have. 01:06:49
Two appointments and the Commissioner, Steve's one of them, and. 01:06:50
Brett Lloyd's another. 01:06:54
And they attend those meetings. 01:06:56
We have regular conversation. 01:06:58
With them regarding. 01:07:01
Library issues. 01:07:04
So there is communication. 01:07:06
And I guess you just have to go to all the meetings to figure out what's going on. 01:07:11
I'm, I'm trying to get some more, but like I said, I'm just expressing how, you know, we had over 200 people in my congregation on 01:07:14
Tuesday night. 01:07:19
To try to figure out our next steps with only How much did the 200 people donate? 01:07:24
Toward that issue. 01:07:30
We are not the USDA that has been funding the Community Corner. 01:07:34
And. 01:07:39
From who I saw there, I would say there were maybe 30 or 40 volunteers from Hub, Southern Indiana. 01:07:40
Myself included. 01:07:45
I know. 01:07:48
My congregation donates food to the food pantry at Hope Southern Indiana from our garden. 01:07:49
So these are not people that are just on the sidelines. 01:07:54
We know what the need is like in the community. 01:07:57
We know that. 01:08:00
It takes everyone that can. 01:08:02
And. 01:08:04
Part of what's so frustrating about the Black are the loss of the Community Corner. 01:08:05
Is that that is money that was coming from outside of Floyd County to meet Floyd County needs. 01:08:09
Now that money is going elsewhere. 01:08:14
The need is the same, but we have to meet it with just money internal to Floyd County. 01:08:17
And. 01:08:23
That money is not going as far. I think we all know it's costing more. 01:08:24
Every time we go to the grocery store. So to lose that outside money is. 01:08:29
That's a that's gonna be a challenge. 01:08:35
Yeah, we know. 01:08:36
Yeah. So thank you. 01:08:38
Uh, Mr. I know this is not supposed to be a question answer, but what is your name again? 01:08:39
Andrew Raker. Sorry, Mr. Raker, are you are you putting your name in nomination for the Library Board next time we have a? 01:08:44
An opening you know I might be willing to. 01:08:51
My you know, my grandmother was a librarian. I grew up hanging out in the Ohio. You'd be a good candidate for that board. 01:08:54
Sorry, we'll keep your name in my heart and we have a nomination for that boy. 01:08:59
Thank you. 01:09:04
Are any other public comments today? Any closing comments from board? 01:09:06
I think I've said enough. 01:09:12
Motion to adjourn. Motion to adjourn Second. 01:09:15
If you answer too much. 01:09:20