Cathy May, Contributing Writer

Ripley County will soon be debt free. The Ripley County Council voted at its March meeting to appropriate $800,000 from the Cum Cap Development Fund to pay off the Ripley County Jail Bonds. This makes Ripley County one of the few, if only, counties in the state that are debt free.

New coroner Ron Buchanan appeared asking for a $6,300 appropriation to get him through the rest of the year. He had received a vehicle from the Ripley County Sheriff's Department that will be used for transport. Council had already given him $5,000 last month. The council stated that there should be some money leftover in his budget from the previous coroner. So the council said to work with what he had and then come back later if he needed more.

Ginger Bradford, Ripley County Clerk, asked for an additional appropriation of $1,138.80 for aluminum poll carts for HAVA machines for voting. The money to pay for them comes from the state. Her request was granted.

In other business:
• Julie Brancamp, Ripley County Park Manager, presented the council with copies of the park's new five-year master plan.

• Cathy May pointed out the posters of the Ripley County Tobacco Cessation role models that were on the wall of the commissioners room. The role models are athletes selected by each Ripley County school to speak out against using tobacco.

• Commissioner Robert Reiners asked the council members if they would support the county applying to the City of Lawrenceburg for funds to build a new annex. He stressed they are just “testing the waters.” Council had no objections.

• The county is obtaining two new paramedic vehicles. They are purchasing one to use as a match to obtain another one from the Rising Sun Regional Foundation granting program.

• Commissioner Chuck Folz, gave an update of the Vernon Fork Water District. He said they have received seven proposals and are starting the process of selecting one.

Neal Comer said that Rising Sun had been selected as the first location in the nation to have a bell cast on site. The Verdon Company out of Cincinnati is the only company in the world able to do that. It is a tribute to veterans. There will be 50 bells made throughout the nation.

Six of seven council members were present: Dephane Smith, Donald Dunbar, Dave Simon, Ben Peetz, Juanita Kaiser and Mark Busching. All three county commissioners were in attendance. Attorney Neil Comer and Amber May were present to advise the council. The next regular meeting of the Ripley County Council will be on Monday, April 21 at 7:00 p.m. at the commissioners room of the Ripley County Courthouse Annex.