~by Janice Harbaugh for GreeneCountyNewsOnline
During a short board meeting on May 3, the Greene County board of supervisors discussed several actions to be taken at the next meeting on May 10.
Deputy auditor Billie Jo Hoskins told the supervisors they are responsible for setting up a temporary redistricting commission of three, five, or seven people by May 15. The board agreed on a 5-member commission with names to be formally approved at the meeting next Monday.
Since the current board of supervisors are all Republicans, the redistricting commission will be three Republicans and two Democrats, according to Hoskins. The board agreed the chairperson of the Democratic central committee will name the other two members of the commission.
Also coming up on May 10 is a vote on a $18,503.25 quote for repairing holes in the foam roof of the courthouse. Chair John Muir, Gary Goodwin of Goodwin and Son Painting of Jefferson, and custodian Tony Janssen had toured the rooftop and noted low spots that could hold water.
Goodwin recommended a silicon-based repair to the low spots. He said the roof should be inspected every year and recoated every 10 years “as preventative maintenance.” Goodwin estimated recoating the entire roof would cost $20,000.
“The roof was re-done 35 years ago,” Goodwin said. “Now, the cost to replace the courthouse roof would be $400,000 to $500,000.”
Muir added that the chimney and dome should be looked at, too. “
In other business, the board unanimously approved the transfer of funds to pay $73,942.50 interest due June 1 on General Obligation Urban Renewal Capital Loan notes.
The board approved the transfer of $2,719 from the general fund, $194.24 from the capital project fund, and $70,541.79 from the TIF (tax increment financing from the wind turbines) special revenue fund to pay the interest and fiscal agent costs.
The $70K+ in the special revenue fund was generated by the first 41 wind turbines erected in 2017. The transfer from the general fund and the debt service fund supplemented the special revenue fund to cover the remainder of the payment.
According to county auditor Jane Heun, more increment will be garnered in the coming year with the additional 85 turbines in the second Beaver Creek Wind Project. Some of that will be used to “pay back” the general fund.
The shortfall in the first two years of payment on the bonds was anticipated by the consultants the supervisors used to establish the TIF district. Payment on the principal bond indebtedness will begin next year, Heun said.
It was estimated when the second group of turbines was added to the TIF area that it will take seven to nine years to pay off the $5 million in general obligation bonds the county sold to pay for construction of the regional career academy at the new Greene County High School.
County sheriff Jack Williams asked for board approval to apply to the U.S. Department of Justice for grant money to buy seven bulletproof vests for his department. The grant, if approved, would pay for half the cost of the vests.
The board unanimously gave permission for Williams to apply for the DOJ grant.
