Morgan County Council approves health department spending to map septic systems and make school liaison full time

Morgan County Council approved two appropriations for the county health department at its April 7 meeting, voting to spend legacy trust funds to buy GIS equipment for septic‑system mapping and to convert a part‑time school liaison to a full‑time position with additional contractual support.

The council voted 7–0 to appropriate $15,000 from the health department trust and maintenance account to buy software and two GIS locating units for septic inspectors, and voted 6–1 to approve a $165,000 appropriation to convert a part‑time position to full time and to fund related contractual services for school‑based behavioral and wellness programs. The 6–1 vote included one recorded dissent; the transcript does not record the dissenting member’s name.

The health department representative said the $15,000 package combines equipment and software to allow inspectors to locate on‑site septic systems to within about two feet and to map systems onto an online map. “So that’s what that’s for,” the presenter said when describing the mapping project. The presenter added the equipment carries a modest subscription/maintenance cost (about $55 per month) that could be paid from HFI funds in future years if the county spends down the trust balance as planned.

On the larger appropriation, the health department said the funding will convert an existing part‑time position into a full‑time school liaison focused on tobacco and vaping prevention, physical activity, nutrition education and other school health programming; the department said the full‑time salary request of about $20,000 is for base pay and that PERF, FICA and group insurance are already budgeted elsewhere in the line item. The presenter described ongoing partnerships with Kendrick Foundation, Youth First, Centerstone and Adult & Child to place counselors and provide services in area schools and said the appropriation will help sustain those services while grant funding diminishes.

Council members pressed on pay and job classification. Council members and staff discussed the PAT pay bands used by county personnel. The health department noted the midpoint for the advertised PAT 3 band is $36.0218 per hour, with the low end at about $32.41 per hour; during debate the council approved a motion that the new hire start at the PAT 3 lower end of $32.41 per hour. The presenter warned that Health First Indiana (HFI) funds and other grant sources are not guaranteed indefinitely and that long‑term continuation of school services will require other funding sources.

Why it matters: the $15,000 will create a searchable map of septic systems for residents and staff, reducing the need for individual office requests to locate aging records. The $165,000 request funds an on‑the‑ground public health position and contractual mental‑health supports that county staff say help sustain school‑based services that were expanded during the COVID era and are facing funding uncertainty.

The council’s actions: - $15,000 appropriation from trust account 1206 for GIS software and locating equipment for the health department — motion carried 7–0 (mover: Melissa Green; seconder: Joe [surname not specified in transcript]). - $165,000 appropriation to convert a part‑time school liaison to full time and for contractual services — motion carried 6–1 (mover: Melissa Green; seconder: Chip Keller). The motion included direction that the hire begin at the PAT 3 lower pay band ($32.41/hour).

The health department presenter said the county currently has roughly $94,000 projected to remain in the trust account at year end and plans to spend down leftover trust funds on related projects this year, returning to the council for additional appropriations as needed.

Speakers quoted or recorded in this item are listed below.