Wanda English Burnett, Editor

Ripley County Council members unanimously approved a 10-year tax abatement for Belletech at a hearing held at their regular meeting Monday, October 20.

Barry Lauber, president of the Ripley County Redevelopment Commission, spoke on behalf of Belletech, saying officials from the company were in Versailles earlier in the day for an official ground breaking ceremony at the Versailles Industrial Park. He reported that an early agreement had been signed earlier that day for Runnebohm, the construction firm hired to build the facility, to begin breaking ground.

Council member Ed Armbrecht noted that a tax abatement is not forever. He said that after the first year, the company will start paying and by the fifth year they will be paying fifty percent of the taxes on real and personal property. Lauber also explained that there is language in the agreement that protects the county even if a company such as Belletech would pull out and not fulfill their 10-year agreement. Those in attendance agreed it was a great win for the community and were pleased to have Belletech locating in Versailles.

Council members heard the requests from Sheriff Tom Grills as he asked that $35,000 be appropriated for meals for prisoners from the county general fund. He estimated that amount would be needed to pay bills for food through the end of this year. He also requested $17,500 from the Garage and Motors/Home Incarceration fund to pay for additional fuel.

The sheriff noted that he has more inmates now, 102 at the present time. He said fuel expenditures are up due to the high cost of fuel.

Armbrecht made a motion that the $35,000 request be granted and it was approved unanimously. However, he made a motion that the request for $17,500 for fuel be tabled until the next meeting where he asked the sheriff to provide some documentation as to the deputies’ miles. This request had been made at the meeting the month before.

The sheriff said he had asked deputies to keep track of their mileage, but wasn’t sure if it had been done. He said he would get that information for the council. Armbrecht noted that as a council member, he wanted to see something being done on their (deputies) part to cut the mileage. “I don’t think we have a choice,” he noted. The sheriff agreed to make it mandatory that deputies keep a weekly log of their miles.

In other business:

• On behalf of the County Highway Department, Commissioner Robert Reiners requested $50,000 for fuel usage to be taken from the Gas, Oil & Lubes/Cumulative Bridge fund. He also asked that $25,000 be taken from the Garage & Motors/Highway Department fund to be used for items such as tires, engines, transmissions, etc. to finish out the year. Both received unanimous approval.

• Julie Brancamp, Ripley County Fairgrounds Park Manager, made several requests that were unanimously approved: $450.20 from Gasoline & Diesel/Park & Recreation to appropriate reimbursement received from the F.O.P. and 4-H Corporation; $1,108.05 from Water & Gas/Park & Recreation/reimbursement received from 4-H Corporation; $1,805.52 from Electricity/Park & Recreation/reimbursement received from 4-H Corporation; $2,825.00 from Show Mobile Personnel/Park & Recreation to appropriate additional funds for show mobile operators; and $425.00 from Rental Deposits/Park & Recreation to appropriate paid rental deposits.

• The request of $3,500 for office supplies from Ripley County Auditor Mary Ann McCoy was approved unanimously.

• The council signed paperwork for the Sheriff’s Pension plan. This was to bring the agreement current with state guidelines.

• The sheriff noted that the jail will be needing a new intergrator system that will cost about $32,000.
He said they are currently running on one computer and if that goes down, they’ll be in trouble. “It’s going to have to be done,” he noted. He didn’t request the money at the October meeting, but made the council aware of the situation, saying in January he would ask for an appropriation out of the Home Incarceration fund.

• Julie Brancamp noted that the Ripley County Fairgrounds Park Board has applied to the Ripley County Community Foundation and the Rising Sun Regional Foundation for grants to enhance six-plus acres the park has purchased. The first phase will deal with lighting and electrical needs.

All members of the council were present with Neil Comer, county attorney present to advise the council. The next regularly scheduled meeting of the county council will be November 17 at 7 p.m. at the courthouse annex in the commissioners’ room.