Cindy DiFazio - Staff Writer

Outgoing Ripley County Sheriff, Bill Davison, addressed the Ripley County Council at the council’s regular meeting on Tuesday, December 12. Davison told the council that a new salary contract for incoming sheriff, Tom Grills, has not been addressed.

Council member, Ed Armbrecht, offered that they had to wait for election results before they could move on the issue. Also, council did not hold a meeting in November, further slowing the process. The upshot was that if the incoming sheriff, county council and commissioners had not met to discuss an agreement prior to January 1, 2007, the sheriff’s salary configuration falls back to a system that was in place until 1998.

That process paid the sheriff a salary from the county, plus a commission on prisoner meals and on tax warrants. In 1998, former sheriff Bill Dramman elected to collect only a straight salary from the county, relinquishing commissions. Council member, Dephane Smith, asked Dramann, currently serving on the council, why he opted to receive straight salary. Dramman answered that it made accounting simpler and was better for building a retirement fund.

Sheriff Davison explained that when the old system was still in place, the commission from prisoners’ meals was far lower than it would be now, citing the fact that the previous jail housed only 16 people and the new facility houses up to 99. He told the council that from 2003-2006 prisoner meal money given back to the county, instead of paid to the sheriff as part of his compensation package, amounted to $135,000, and that $30,000 in tax warrants have been returned to county coffers in that same time period.

Councilman Ed Armbrecht, not wishing to discuss the issue further in a public forum stated, “We need to sit down and hammer it out with a few council members and a member of the commissioners.” It was decided that incoming Sheriff Grills, Council President Donald Dunbar, Vice-President Dephane Smith and Councilman Armbrecht, along with Commissioners’ President, Robert Reiners and Attorney, Neil Comer would meet on Friday, December 15. The council will reconvene publicly on Monday, December 18 at 7:00 p.m. at the courthouse annex. Grills, who was present at the council meeting, stated he would be happy to meet with them and participate in negotiating a contract agreement.

In other business, $40,000 was appropriated to purchase land to expand the Ripley County Fairgrounds. David Simon made the motion to approve the appropriation with Dephane Smith’s second. The motion carried unanimously. Bill Neal, representing the fairgrounds, thanked the council. Simon thanked Neal, saying that Neal had worked on this project for years. Another $1,500 was appropriated to pay for appraisals and contractual services. Neal also reported that the Showmobile had been put to good use in 2006, being utilized a total of twelve times, eight of those for Ripley County events.

Ted Spurlock, county representative to the recently reactivated Ripley County Redevelopment Commission and Ripley County Economic Development Director, Brad Buening, approached the council regarding a small parcel of property the commission wishes to purchase to complement already contracted land to be used for a new business complex just outside the Versailles town limit.

Commissioners’ president Robert Reiners stated that the commissioners support this purchase. The initial request is for approximately $100,000 from commissioners’ budgeted EDIT money to purchase the land. Buening stated, “It’s a desirable piece of property fronting on 421.” Spurlock added, “It’s just an ideal site. It would complete the picture to get this last piece of property.” Buening and Spurlock also reported that the property is considered “shovel-ready.” That means that the infrastructure exists - utilities, fast-speed Internet, fiber optics, etc. so that companies can set up shop with a minimum of effort. Councilman Armbrecht inquired if the Indiana Department of Commerce will certify it. Buening replied, “This would get us on the next level.” Certification would give the complex state-sponsored national exposure.

Attorney Neil Comer told the council that although the commissioners did not have to ask for the council’s blessings to complete the transaction, “From an economic development standpoint, both of you (council and commissioners) need to agree.” Spurlock echoed that opinion stating, “The counties that are doing well and are ahead of the pack are those that are working well together.” The council unanimously backed the proposal.