County Commissioners meeting notes June 18
Weather sirens approved
The commissioners gave the official approval for the purchase of the new Emergency Sirens for Dubois County. EMA Director Tammy Miller and St. Anthony Fire Chief Scott Uebelhor supplied the final details to the commissioners this morning.
The process of getting them delivered and making final decisions for where exactly they will be placed along with the installation of the sirens means that they will not be functional for this severe weather season.
Federal Signal submitted a bid for $107,000.00 for the 5 new sirens. An extra $5,000.00 is needed to refurbish an existing siren to go in the Duff area. Total cost on the project is $112,000.00. The Dubois County Council appropriated $125,000.00 to the project in May.
Strassenfest requests
Meredith Voegerl, Chairperson of the Strassenfest visited the Dubois County Commissioners this (Monday) morning. She dropped off a list of requests for permission for the 2012 Strassenfest scheduled August 2 through August 5. The permissions are a standard list of items used to obtain the necessary authorizations to perform such activities as hang Strassenfest banners and pennants on the Courthouse building; string lights from the Courthouse; hang garland; and use the Courthouse porch and restroom areas.
Jasper Wood Products building
Dubois County Engineer Jason Heile informed the commissioners about the Jasper Wood Products building and the status on finding a buyer. He says that they have not been successful in finding anyone interested in the building, so they are moving ahead by selecting DLZ Engineering of Indianapolis to begin the process of determining the cost of demolition of the building on the site.
The building is bordered by Vine and Leopold on the east and west, and 13th and 14th Streets on the north and south. It has sat vacant for several years since Jasper Wood Products went out of business and the county became the owner of the property due to unpaid taxes.
Heile says that they would prefer to find a buyer for the structure, but failing that, a grant will be applied for through Indiana Region 15 to help cover the cost of demolition.
Tattoo Ordinance approved
The Commissioners voted unanimously to approve a new Tattoo Ordinance (2012-1) with changes that were adopted in previous meetings.
Dubois County joins other Counties that have Tattoo and Body Piercing ordinances to regulate the businesses and artists that work in them. The ordinance addresses health concerns regarding cleanliness and proper use of instruments in the course of doing business. Several tattoo and body piercing business owners attended the meetings in support of the ordinance, saying that they are concerned about tattooing and body piercing activities popping up in houses.
If a person does not have a health department license for the business and artists that work in them, they can be fined up to $2,500.00 per day. Licensing fees are still under advisement by the health department, but according to Donna Oeding, Health Department Executive Director, will be in the area of $250.00 per year for the business and $100.00 per year for artists and will be finalized in a meeting with the health board today.
Energy Savings analysis for the county buildings
The commissioners met with Perfection Group, a company conducting an energy savings analysis of the county’s buildings. The group made several recommendations which included replacing older equipment with more modern energy efficient equipment. Those include all ceiling lights, exterior lighting, replacing analog thermostats with programmable digital thermostats, replacing 20+ year old HVAC systems and other items.
The group advised the commissioners they could realize around $40,000 a year in savings by making the changes they have recommended. The commissioners took it under advisement and will consider issuing a request for proposals (RFP) for the project to determine the costs to the county to adopt these measures.
