~by Janice Harbaugh for GreeneCountyNewsOnline
The Greene County board of supervisors heard a riveting story of heroism at its regular meeting Monday. County sheriff Jack Williams told of a water rescue last week after a vehicle went into Buttrick Creek with a woman in danger of drowning. Deputy sheriff Shane Allen and Churdan fireman Nate Byerly rescued her with support from emergency medical services. “They went above and beyond,” said Williams.
Diane Hinderaker, director of Boone County Probation Services, reported the status of a pilot project agreement Greene County entered into three months ago. The county pays Boone County Probation Services for supervision of Greene County residents whom the court has put on probation.
Hinderaker reported there are currently five persons under supervision, “far fewer than had been anticipated.” The original agreement gave Boone County Probation Services $25,000 to supervise 20 persons during the current fiscal year.
“We want to give good stewardship of your dollars,” Hinderaker said, and she has worked to get “the legal system and court onboard.” The agency has no OWI cases, domestic abuse cases, or drug cases; it does have an eluding case and a harassment case.
County attorney Thomas Laehn said the crime rate in the county has decreased 15 percent, and judges are now more often sentencing defendants to jail time rather than placing them on probation. He said the probation services are fulfilling a need but there is less need than anticipated because suspended jail time is often the disposition of cases instead of informal probation.
Hinderaker suggested meeting again in three months to review the status of the pilot program and possibly re-negotiate the agreement if less than 20 residents have been referred to the program.
Chair John Muir reported on housing being built on Cedar St in Jefferson which will eventually sell in the $65,000 to $75,000 range. It is pre-built in Newton by prisoners there.
The board unanimously approved the hiring of Quinton Pote as part-time EMT for Greene County Ambulance at a rate of $12 per hour. David Kersey was also approved as part-time EMT at a rate of $17 per hour for patient care and $4 per hour for being on-call.
As part of the ongoing process of using tax increment financing proceeds for building the career academy and other urban renewal projects, the board approved an engagement letter with Standard and Poor Global Ratings to provide a credit rating for Greene County.
