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Hancock County committee approves transit grants, conditionally accepts Lincoln statue
Summary
The Hancock County Building, Grounds, Insurance and Safety Committee on March 16 approved DOAP and 5311 grants for county public transportation and accepted a donated bronze Abraham Lincoln statue pending the county auditor's review; members also reviewed jail lock upgrades and set the next meeting for April 14.
The Hancock County Building, Grounds, Insurance and Safety Committee approved two transportation grants and conditionally accepted a donated bronze Abraham Lincoln statue during a March 16 meeting at the county courthouse in Carthage.
Deb Brewer presented the county's DOAP and 5311 grant applications for Hancock County Public Transportation, saying there were no changes from the prior year. Michelle Merritt moved to approve the grants; Lee Ann Lambert seconded. All members present voted aye, 6-0. The grants were accepted without amendment.
The approvals matter because DOAP and 5311 funding supports local public transit operations and service continuity in Hancock County. Committee members did not identify changes to funding amounts or project scope during the presentation.
Amy Graham said an anonymous donor offered a bronze statue of Abraham Lincoln for placement in the courthouse rotunda. The building commission's architect advised that the first-floor rotunda could support the statue. Justin Greeley, participating by phone, said the county could either process a budget amendment or consult the county auditor for guidance on how to record and fund any associated costs. Stephen Finney moved to accept the donated statue pending the auditor's approval; Lee Ann Lambert seconded. The motion passed unanimously among members present, 6-0.
Committee members also discussed upcoming facility work. The jail will receive a new set of locks that include software; the building commission will cover the physical locks while the county is expected to handle the IT/software portion, with implementation planned for next year. Members raised a procedural question about inclement-weather closures: while the sheriff is authorized to close the courthouse, the committee asked who should be contacted if the sheriff is unavailable. Justin Greeley said he would look into the appropriate contact.
A workers' compensation report was circulated to committee members during the meeting. No further action on that report is recorded in the minutes.
Votes at a glance: The committee approved the DOAP and 5311 grants for Hancock County Public Transportation (motion by Michelle Merritt; seconded by Lee Ann Lambert; vote 6-0 among members present). It approved acceptance of a donated bronze Abraham Lincoln statue pending the county auditor's review (motion by Stephen Finney; seconded by Lee Ann Lambert; vote 6-0). The committee recessed until April 14 at 6:30 p.m. on a motion by Michelle Merritt, seconded by Josh Turner (vote 6-0); the meeting adjourned at 6:07 p.m.
The committee does not record a final decision from the county auditor on the statue or any budget amendment in the minutes; the next meeting is scheduled for April 14 at 6:30 p.m.
