Committee advances transfers, prosecutor victim-service grants and a $50,000 school donation to full council

A St. Joseph County Council committee on Sept. 24 sent several budget transfers and grant appropriations to the full council with favorable recommendations, including two prosecutor grants to support victim services, large sheriff/jail transfers, and a $50,000 donation for school health supplies.

The Budget Administration Committee moved Bill 103-24F, a $769 transfer from overtime to a computer equipment line for a new office printer. "Bill number 103 dash 24 F, transfer of $769," Mr. Schietzel said when introducing the item; an unidentified member moved to send it favorably and the committee voiced its approval.

In the Human Services/Criminal Justice discussion, Miss Drake introduced a package of prosecutor appropriations tied to victim-services grants. Bob Risinghuber of the prosecutor's office described the STOP grant as "a grant that supplies the funds for the special victims unit. It's for a $171,286. It's a 1 year grant," and answered questions about how the funds and matches would be covered. The committee moved Bill 104-24, combined with 10324A, forward with a favorable recommendation.

The committee also advanced Bill 108-24, a salary amendment and appropriation of $87,156 for the VOCA grant to help pay partial victim-services salaries. Risinghuber said VOCA funds provide certified victim advocates who accompany victims to court and notify them of changes in status; the committee voted to send the combined bill (108-24 with 10324D) forward with a favorable recommendation.

Steve Noonan, executive officer for the Saint Joe County Police Department, presented transfers from merit salaries to medical services because the department was operating about 20 merit positions below budget and the jail had experienced a sustained high population. Noonan said the department requested Bill 10324B, a $746,046 transfer of unused salaries to medical services, and Bill 10324C, a $328,000 appropriation from the misdemeanor fund to cover housing misdemeanor medical costs; both measures were moved and recommended favorably by the committee.

Ashley Hellman, School Health Liaison with the St. Joe County Department of Health, described a Community Partnership Program that visited more than 50 schools to identify needs such as clothing, hygiene items and menstrual products. She said Barb and John Fair Foundation offered a donation to "support every school in Saint Joe County, at the level of $500 per school," totaling $50,000 if accepted. The committee voted to forward Bill 10324E with a favorable recommendation.

All committee actions reported in this meeting were recommendations to the full council; committee votes were recorded as voice votes and moved the items forward for final consideration at the full council meeting.