County approves consultant contract for Peters and accepts two conflict-of-interest disclosures

Owen County commissioners approved a service contract with consultant Jeff Peters of Peter Franklin LTD and accepted two conflict-of-interest disclosure forms for county council members.

Chair described Peters as a long-time adviser on courthouse and jail financial planning and said Peters has been "instrumental" in those projects. "He's outstanding. He's professional," the chair said when introducing the contract. Commissioner (speaker 2) moved to move forward with the contract and to allow the board president to sign; the motion was seconded and the board approved the contract.

In the same meeting the commissioners reviewed two conflict-of-interest disclosure statements that counsel had approved: one for Daniel Joseph Fry, identified in the transcript as "county council," and one for Burl Keith. The chair explained counsel had reviewed the disclosures and the board voted to approve and sign them.

Why it matters: The Peters contract secures consultant services the commissioners said are needed for financial planning and for answering specialized questions at an upcoming joint meeting on July 27. The conflict-of-interest disclosures were processed in committee and accepted after counsel review to document potential relationships.

What happens next: The board president will sign the Peters contract as authorized, and the signed conflict forms will be filed as required. Peters and county staff are expected to participate in the scheduled July 27 joint meeting to address jail project financing and related questions.