Floyd County Council approves multiple appropriations, authorizes sheriff facility work and schedules public-safety levy workshop

Floyd County Council on Jan. 14 approved a series of appropriations and related actions including grant-funded positions for probation and corrections, a reappropriation of opioid-settlement funds for law-enforcement equipment, authorization to proceed with water-pipe repairs at the sheriff’s office and a Jan. 28 workshop to discuss reallocating roughly $5 million tied to a public-safety levy.

The council approved grant funding for two probation posts and a juvenile-attendance liaison, accepted a transitional-coordinator position funded by a corrections grant in the sheriff’s office and voted to reauthorize a previously approved but unencumbered opioid-settlement appropriation for investigative equipment. Council members also authorized moving forward with engineering and an RFP for a water-pipe project where the invoice on hand was described as roughly $22,000–$25,000 and noted that final payment would return to a future agenda for appropriation.

Why it matters: these votes finalize near-term funding for public-safety and infrastructure work and start the process for larger spending decisions the council plans to consider at a Jan. 28 workshop on how to use the county’s public-safety levy funds.

Key approvals and context

- County recorder temporary hire: County Recorder Lois Endress requested a temporary, part-time position to be funded from the recorder's perpetuation fund. The council moved and approved the request. Endress said the position would be funded “through my perpetuation fund.”

- Probation DOC grant ($131,001.50): Chief probation officer Ado described an appropriation of $131,001.50 for two positions tied to a DOC grant; the council approved the appropriation.

- Juvenile attendance liaison (opioid-restricted fund, two-year grant): Ado said the juvenile liaison position is based in juvenile probation and uses opioid-restricted funds; the position began in late September or early October and is a two-year grant running through about September–October 2026. Ado told the council the liaison has returned “5 kids” (she and others estimated the early results at between five and eight children back in school). The council approved the appropriation.

- Sheriff grants and appropriations: The sheriff reported three items: (1) an IDOC grant funding a transitional-coordinator position that runs to June, (2) an opioid-unrestricted fund appropriation to reauthorize prior approval for a package of investigative equipment (the sheriff described the item as roughly $246,000 including surveillance equipment), and (3) authorization to proceed with engineering and procurement for a water-pipe relocation project at the sheriff’s facility. The council approved all three items. The sheriff said the reauthorization was needed because the county had approved the request last year but did not encumber funds, so it was being brought back for transparent review.

- Water-pipe project (sheriff’s facility): The sheriff’s office said an engineering invoice already on hand is about $22,000–$25,000 to produce two options for relocating pipes over a server room; the council voted to allow the project to proceed to advertised RFPs and to return in February for appropriation of actual costs. Several council members asked whether commissary funds could pay part of the cost; the sheriff said staff would check the applicable statute and commissary balances and report back.

- Motor Vehicle Highway appropriations and ARP-funded projects: Nick Creevy, director of building and development, requested $275,000 in additional appropriation from the motor vehicle highway fund for two reimbursable projects tied to ARP funding. He said one is inspection services for the Charlestown Trail Road project (a construction project he described as 100% NDOT-funded at about $3,000,000) and the other is a Paoli Pike multimodal planning study funded through “Kipta MPO.” Council members asked about fund balances; staff said much of the appropriation will be reimbursed when grant claims are submitted.

- Chase building fund: Council approved establishing or appropriating to a new fund for the Chase building to cover professional services and capital improvements. The request was framed as setting the 2025 budget for the building; exact line-item details were described as part of ongoing planning.

- Redevelopment authority debt-service fund: Per State Board of Accounts guidance, the council approved establishing and appropriating a fund for debt service tied to the redevelopment authority (bonded infrastructure at Nova Park). Staff said the action follows SBOA recommendations to report and budget the special district debt-service separately going forward.

- Interlocal agreement with Georgetown (building and development services): The council approved an addendum to an existing interlocal agreement with the city of Georgetown for building and development services; staff said the county increased permit fees consistent with the county’s fee changes and updated the contractual charge to Georgetown.

- Salary ordinance update: The human-resources director presented an updated salary ordinance that removes departed employees and adds new hires; council approved the ordinance. The office said no across-the-board pay increase was included in this update and that Teamsters negotiations on remaining open issues continue.

- Health department line transfers, council dues, and transfer ordinance: The council approved health department internal line transfers, a $35 additional appropriation for county council dues, and adopted a transfer ordinance to record those transfers.

Workshop and next steps

Council scheduled a Jan. 28 workshop at 6 p.m. to discuss options for moving funds tied to the public-safety levy and to review a staff spreadsheet of suggested moves. Staff and multiple council members emphasized the workshop is for discussion and will not include formal votes; formal appropriations would return in regular meetings when invoices, encumbrances or final proposals are available.

Votes and procedure

Most items were approved by voice vote after a motion and a second; the transcript records unanimous “aye” responses on the floor but does not include a roll-call tally. Several items (notably the opioid-equipment reauthorization and the Chase building funding) were described as previously approved in principle and returned for formal appropriation because invoices or encumbrances were not in place at the end of 2024.

Public comment

Diane Topping of New Albany Township offered brief public comment welcoming newly seated council members and said she looks forward to the workshop and the conversation about use of the $5 million in public-safety-related funds.

Council members adjourned the meeting after completing the agenda. Several items approved at the meeting are scheduled to return for final appropriation or additional documentation in February or at subsequent meetings.