Cathy May, Contributing Writer

When Ripley County Council member Ed Armbrecht reported that an offer had been made to a new Economic Development Director at Tuesday night’s Ripley County Council meeting, Commissioner Bob Reiners didn’t keep it a secret that he was displeased with the decision the Economic Development Board had made.

(Editor’s note: Although the name of the person selected for the economic development director position was not disclosed at the council meeting, the offer was made to Gary Norman, who presently serves on the Osgood Town Board. Members at the economic development board meeting held February 13 making the decision were: Jeff Volz, president; Kris Schneider, Sue Meisberger, Tim Brancamp, and Ed Armbrecht.)

“I am disappointed that the board chose to pick someone with so little experience. With Ripley County at this critical time with regard to economic development, we need to search for the best person to lead this county. We have been fortunate to have gotten help from the City of Lawrenceburg to build a shovel ready facility, one of the few in the state, and it is imperative we have the person who can take us the next step. Having someone from Ripley County is great, but it has to be the right person,” Reiners stated.
In other business:

• Council voted to pay off the jail. There is a CD coming due for $800,000 with the rest coming out of the Belterra Fund. A comment was made that once the jail is paid off, we will be one of the only counties in the state that has no debt.
• New Ripley County Coroner, Ron Buchanan, requested that he and the new deputy coroner, Jeff Thielking, be paid on the same schedule as the rest of the county employees instead of biannually. Auditor Mary Ann McCoy said that would not be a problem. Buchanan said that since the past coroners were funeral directors and used their own vehicles for transport, he now needs a vehicle. There were several suggestions given. An additional appropriation will be advertised for the next council meeting.
• Auditor Mary Ann McCoy said the refund checks will be ready to mail within the next few weeks. There will be 6,000 to 7,000 checks mailed valuing $800,000.
• An additional appropriation for a $16,066 grant from the Rising Sun Regional Foundation for new digital recording systems for superior court and the commissioners room was approved.
• Two funds were approved for Sheriff Tom Grills. These are actually a combination of some discontinued funds. The new funds are $25,956.71 for a Misdemeanant fund and $125,000 for the Sheriff Home Incarceration/Work Release fund.
• A new ordinance was passed which would require prisoners to pay $15 to see a doctor or dentist, $10 to see a nurse, and $3 for each prescription. The fee will be charged to the inmate’s commissary account and will go into the county’s general fund.
• Commissioner Chuck Folz introduced Mike Vonderheide, who is one of Ripley County’s representatives to the newly formed Vernon Fork Water District. Vonderheide remarked, “We are not trying to add another layer of government. We are an oversight agency. We want to get pipes in the ground instead of do studies.”
The date of the council meeting will continue to be the third Monday of each month.
Six of seven council members were present: Dephane Smith, Donald Dunbar, Dave Simon, Ed Armbrecht, Juanita Kaiser and Mark Busching. Attorney Neil Comer and Auditor Mary Ann McCoy were present to advise the council. The next meeting of the Ripley County Council will beheld on Monday, March 17 at 7:00 p.m. at the commissioners’ room of the Ripley County Annex in Versailles.