~by Janice Harbaugh for GreeneCountyNewsOnline
Greene County attorney Thomas Laehn continues working to strengthen that office, now trying to increase the hours per week allotted to assistant county attorney Laura Snider.
Laehn asked the county supervisors at their Dec. 13 meeting to consider increasing Snider’s hours from 25 to 29.5 hours per week. He said the change would keep Snider at part-time status with no benefits but help with the office’s workload.
“Laura has put in extra time already with no pay,” Laehn said. “She receives $47.31 per hour with other similar positions in other places earning $66-76 per hour.”
Laehn suggested Snider could be setting up a “mediation for truancy” program in the future. He suggested a Jan. 1, 2022, start date for an amended contract with additional hours.
“You continue to build the county attorney’s office,” board chair John Muir said.
The county attorney worked solo until three years ago. The first assistant, Tim Farmer, resigned two weeks into the job when it became impossible to separate the rest of his legal practice from his part-time work in Greene County.
Snider joined the Greene County office in May 2019. She was hired for 15 hours a week at a total annual salary of $40,000. Her hours were increased to 25 in January 2020.
The board took no action, but the request will be placed on a December agenda.
Laehn also reported a successful Shop with a Cop event this past weekend. He said the program is offered by the local Peace Officer Association.
“Ten children representing 10 families went by bus with officers to shop at the Boone Walmart,” he said. “The Walmart contributes $1,000 to the program.”
Muir asked how involved Laehn is with the program. Laehn answered that he does grant writing and goes along on the shopping trip.
Taking up old business from the previous meeting, the board unanimously approved collecting 100 percent of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) available for FY2023 to go toward repayment of general obligation debt. This had been discussed at a previous board meeting and was supported by recommendation from county auditor Jane Heun.
Real estate and tax coordinator Pam Olerich estimated the amount to be $942,630.
Auditor Jane Heun reported the supervisors will have the first reading of a revised election precinct ordinance on the Dec. 20 agenda. The revised ordinance will reference city of Jefferson precincts not included in the current ordinance, as required by the Secretary of State.
Laehn is preparing the ordinance.
Jefferson city administrator Mike Palmer provided his monthly update to the board. He said dirt work has begun at the site of the new Greene County animal shelter on N. Elm St, and that the foundation will be poured soon. He reported the airport runway expansion project is finished, and that a temporary roof has been put on the former Air-Temp building on the east side of the square. The city has taken on an extension rehabilitation of the building with plans to sell it once the work is completed.
Greene County public health director Becky Wolf and Greene County Medical Center CEO Chad Butterfield presented the annual request for funding for public health.
“It’s been a tough year,” Wolf said. “We’ve had more expenses than income and we’ve pinched pennies.”
Wolf said the home care aid service has been stopped due to lack of staff and funding. Current projects in operation include moving to electronic health records and maintaining the medical reserve corps of volunteers who provide rides to medical appointments, according to Wolf. She said vaccines have been “a big-ticket item this past year.”
Laehn asked Wolf if she thought money from the settlement with pharmaceutical companies over opioid problems could be used in public health. He suggested training on the use of Narcan, which rapidly reverses an opioid overdose, might be a permitted use.
Butterfield and Wolf requested no increase in funding, however. Auditor Heun said the current funding is $300,000.
Retired Seniors Volunteer Program (RSVP) director Michele Hull reported the program now includes Boone, Greene, and Guthrie counties. She described RSVP as connecting adult volunteers aged 55 and older to services such as in-home visitations, peer assistance, grocery shopping, adult care-giver respite, and pen-pal letter writing to children.
“We found ways to adapt to COVID,” Hull said. “We did not shut down. Some services were done by phone.”
Hull requested no change in the current $2500 funding for FY2023.
Greene County Development Corporation director Ken Paxton and GCDC board president Sid Jones reported on GCDC projects and requested $50,000 in FY2023 funding, no increase from current funding. They described ongoing projects in which GCDC is partnering, and the new Diversity Project, which GCDC is leading.
Roger Aegerter, director of the Historical Society, brought the Society’s newsletter for the board to see programs have resumed after closing during COVID.
He spoke of coordinating programs with Thomas Jefferson Gardens and RSVP, and of plans for “expanding the museum” into the space between the museum and Thomas Jefferson Gardens to possibly include farm equipment displays.
He said the museum received $35,000 in grants for the roof, garage door, and a marker at Squirrel Hollow. He said the Historical Society was “just short of breaking even” for the past year.
The Historical Society requested $6,000 in county funding, the same amount as last year.
No board action was taken on funding requests.
