Steuben County Council approves health, probation and highway appropriations and several appointments

Steuben County Council voted at a Feb. 12 special session in Angola to approve a package of budget transfers, grant acceptances and appointments across public health, probation and highway accounts.

President Richard Shipe called the meeting to order. On a motion by council member Jim Getz and a second from Vice President Ruth Beer, the council approved two Health Department transfers: $7,680 from annual carryover to a part‑time sanitarian line, and $587.52 from annual carryover to Social Security, and approved Public Health Preparedness appropriations of $10,816 to supplies and $4,278 to machinery/equipment repairs. The motion carried 5‑0.

The council also accepted a $445 donation from the Indiana Department of Health to purchase body bags for the county coroner’s office; Ken Shelton moved to accept the grant and Wil Howard seconded. The acceptance passed 5‑0.

Auditor Kim Meyers’s monthly comparison report dated Jan. 31, 2019 was approved on a motion from Wil Howard, seconded by Ken Shelton (5‑0). The council approved corrections to the January meeting minutes on a motion by Wil Howard with Ruth Beer seconding; that motion passed 4‑0 with Ken Shelton recorded as abstaining.

Assessor Kim (Johnson) Anderson secured an additional appropriation of $3,211.78 in the Reassessment Fund to cover PERF benefits for an employee moved from the Assessor’s general fund; the motion to approve passed 5‑0. Anderson also asked that the council reappoint Marvin Holman as the council’s Republican member on the county’s Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals (PTABOA) and waive the statutory requirement under Indiana Code 6‑1.1‑28‑1 that one PTABOA member hold a Level 2 or 3 certification; Anderson will serve as non‑voting secretary with Level 3 certification. Wil Howard moved to reappoint Holman and waive the requirement; Jim Getz seconded and the appointment passed 5‑0.

Pam Feller, chief probation officer, presented the Juvenile Detention Alternatives (JDA) grant for 2019. The council approved the $69,477 grant, which covers the program’s fourth and final year (2019–2020), on a motion by Ken Shelton seconded by Jim Getz (5‑0).

President Shipe recorded receipt of routine reports including coroner and highway reports and correspondence such as Soil & Water Conservation Board minutes and the county payroll calendar. With no further business, the council adjourned.

Why it matters: The package moves county funding and staffing authority into place for public‑health preparedness, juvenile services and road maintenance ahead of the county’s budget cycle and affirms local board appointments that affect property tax appeals and regional coordination.