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Home My WebLink About7-7-2026 GC Commissioner Meeting MinutesGibson County Board of Commissioners Regular Session July 07, 2026 at the Southwest Annex Commissioner Montgomery led the prayer, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Commissioners present: • Nick Burns, President • Chuck Lewis, Vice -President • Kenneth Montgomery, Commissioner Meeting Minutes - June 16, 2026 Commissioner Montgomery made a motion to approve minutes, seconded by Commissioner Lewis. The motion carried 3-0. Approval of Claims Commissioner Montgomery made a motion to approve claims, seconded by Commissioner Lewis. The motion carried 3-0. The Commissioners acknowledged the Treasurer / Clerk Reports. DEPARTMENT REPORTS EMS (Emergency Medical Services) Presented by Arica Cole • The Rural Health Grant has been submitted; if awarded the grant, it will cover the expenses of the position, except health insurance. o Ms. Cole was instructed to present this to the Council for funding of the insurance. • There has been a delay with the delivery of the ambulance. Sheriffs Department — Chief Deputy George Ballard • Staffing Report o Deputies are fully staffed. o Communication Department has two openings. o Community Corrections has one opening. o Corrections have four open positions. • There was an average of ninety-six in the detention center. • They were busy with the recent storms and high-water levels. • They are hearing that the Knox County Juvenile Detention Center may reopen; for now, they are using home detention in some juvenile cases. Highway Department - Presented by Engineer Holden • They are fully staffed, which is the first in a long time. • They plan to start chip/seal on July 20'. • The mini excavator will be delivered in a month. • The Highway Department is working with neighboring counties to explore new techniques. • The county is also working well with small towns in the county providing them with lower cost options for their supplies. Gibson County Commissioners July 07, 2026 OLD BUSINESS Old Jail Demolition Project Update — Owner's Representative George Ballard • Phase R bids will be accepted today through Garmong, the Construction Manager. • They will meet with the Council to produce the funding. Amended Policy for Community Correction Holiday — Presented by Chief Deputy/Community Corrections Director Ballard • Community Correction employees were not entitled to holiday pay on July 4" since it fell on a Saturday. • Community Corrections is a seven-day per week job. • They request they follow same guidelines as Sheriff, Jail, and Dispatch for holiday pay. • Community Corrections is a different entity outside of the Sheriff as they are a branch of the State. • Commissioner Lewis motioned to amend Community Corrections holiday schedule to align with the Sheriff, Jail, and Dispatch retroactive to July 1, 2026, seconded by Commissioner Montgomery. The vote was 3-0. Approval of Numbered Policies on pages 81-90 of Employee Handbook - Presented by Attorney Spindler • Attorney Spindler reviewed the one remaining policy with the Commissioners and requested preliminary approval. Commissioner Lewis motioned to preliminarily approve this last policy, seconded by Commissioner Montgomery. The vote was 3-0. • Attorney Spindler explained to Commissioners this concludes review of the handbook. Commissioners have given preliminary approval over the entire handbook. • Attorney Spindler will contact all parties involved to inform them this handbook could be approved at the second meeting in July. Parrish Consulting Wireless Access Point Update — Presented by Parrish Consulting Representative • Parrish has reviewed the County's access points, and he has increased his count to fourteen. • The discount pricing deadline is July 19th. There are some switches pushing 10 years old, others come in at 5-8 years old. Commissioner Lewis motioned to move forward with replacement of wireless access points at a cost of $12,534.62, seconded by Commissioner Montgomery. The motion passed on a 3-0 vote. Toyota Grant Change Order #1- Presented by Engineer Holden • This change order will bury the loops for signals. This will allow them to mill over them rather than deal with it while milling/overlaying in the future. It will also save time/money in the future. • It will not affect signal sensitivity. • They will present another change order to put battery backups on the signals. Commissioner Lewis motioned to approve the change order, seconded by Commissioner Montgomery. The motion passed on a 3-0 vote. Animal Shelter — Presented by Sharon Werne • Ms. Werne discussed how many dogs they have kenneled, fostered, and fostered to adopt at the shelter. • She responded to some of the things that were discussed at the last meeting about the shelter. • Commissioner Lewis asked if a lockbox could be provided to allow volunteer access when employees are not onsite. Gibson County Commissioners July 07, 2026 2 • Ms. Weme would like directions from Commissioners & Council regarding the Director, which is currently serving as an Interim Director. • She also stated that if the County were to take over the shelter, they would like assurance that the Shelter will remain a "no kill" shelter. • Commissioners will work on the Memorandum of Understanding and requested they work on accessibility so volunteers can enter anytime to help. • An Emmy Corporation board member asked what could be done to expedite moving the animals into the new building. • Commissioner Lewis does not feel animals should be moved until they are moving in a positive direction. Animal Shelter — Presented by Christina Nolan, Concerned Gibson County Resident • Ms. Nolan told Commissioners that she respects Ms. Weme,s & Emmy Corporation board members volunteerism and dedication to helping the animals; however, she expressed the following concerns. o There is a need for policies and procedures, especially a written intake policy. o She feels they need to manage feral animals in a different manner. o She is concerned about cats at the shelter having a highly contagious disease that is hard to cure and costly to test. Animal Control Concerns — Presented by Michael Brady, Vanderburgh County Resident With a Boarding Kennel • Mr. Brady expressed concern about the situation at the animal shelter. • He feels they need someone in charge and responsible. • He offered his help. He does not know of another county that contracts animal control to a corporation. NEW BUSINESS Road Closure Proposal Letter for Duke Energy — Presented by Robert Leek • Duke Energy is requesting daily road closures on County Road 950 from 7 a.m. — 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. They plan to start as soon as August 24 h. The project will take 120-150 working days to complete. Their work activity will be restricted to working only if weather is above 35 degrees. Duke will take care of maintaining the crossing, the signage, and return the road in as good or better condition as before the project started. Commissioner Lewis motioned to approve the Duke Road Closure for CR 950 N and CR 965 N, seconded by Commissioner Montgomery. The motion passed on a 3-0 vote. EMS Confirmation of Governmental Entity Status Under IRC 170(c) (1) — Presented by Attorney Spindler • EMS is seeking grants and Attorney Spindler has drafted a document for EMS to present to the granter that shows the deduction would be tax deductible. Commissioner Lewis motioned to approve this, seconded by Commissioner Burns. The motion passed on a 3-0 vote. Lease Between OMTFPD & EMS • Owensville Montgomery Township Fire Protection District proposes to begin renting their facility to the EMS at a cost of $500 per month; they have been providing this space to EMS for approximately 25 years at no charge. Commissioner Lewis motioned to approve the lease but rescinded the motion. • Attorney Spindler would like to make a counter offer with duration limits. Gibson County Commissioners July 07, 2026 3 Commissioner Lewis motioned to approve the lease subject to modifications to be determined by Attorney Spindler, seconded by Commissioner Montgomery. The motion passed on a 3-0 vote. Medical Leave (1) Commissioner Montgomery motioned to approve the medical leave, seconded by Commissioner Lewis. The motion passed on a 3-0 vote. Public Comments Randy Hall, Princeton • Mr. Hall expressed concern about disabled people accessing the second floor of the courthouse while the elevator is being replaced. • Auditor Watkins explained the offices will meet anyone who is not able to climb stairs in the basement. • Mr. Hall expressed concern about the ambulances being extremely hot in the transport area. Arica Cole explained that the vehicle is a box that gets hot and they take preventative measures to keep patients cool. Anthony Buckman, Fostering Animals • He expressed concern about neglected animals being returned to iiTesponsible owners. Adjournment Commissioner Montgomery motioned to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Commissioner Lewis. The vote was 3-0. Meeting Minutes July 07, 2026 All J�StA,411-- Nick Burns, President Kenn5t �M70nt.;.... C0 Paffissioner ATTEST: Mike Watkins, Auditor Chuck Lewis, Vice President Gibson County Commissioners July 07, 2026 4