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Council approves $15,000 inspection appropriation and $45,000 transfer to keep school health liaison full time
Summary
The council approved a $15,000 appropriation to fund specialized inspections for a west-side data center and a $45,000 transfer to keep a full-time school health liaison funded through COVID-relief grant dollars; health staff summarized the liaison's community programs and grant activity.
The Morgan County Council approved two budget items during the May meeting: a $15,000 professional-services appropriation to pay Banning Engineering for specialized inspections at a west-side data-center project, and a $45,000 intra-budget transfer from contractual services to the school health-liaison line to sustain a full-time position funded by COVID-relief dollars.
Laura Parker, the county's plan director, told the council the inspection work is under contract with Banning Engineering and will be entirely reimbursed by the project contractor. "This just allows us to create that fund so that the money can flow into it and back out again because it's 100% reimbursed," Parker said. The council approved the $15,000 appropriation on a motion and second.
During discussion of a separate request, the health department described the activities of the county's recently filled school health-liaison position (named Rean in the record). Department staff said the liaison has helped create a school wellness hub, organized nutrition and hygiene education (including distributing oral-hygiene supplies to third graders), supported flu clinics, coordinated with IU and local partners on school wellness programming, and assisted on opioid-settlement grant work. Staff said the posture of the position is administrative and program-coordination, not social-work or clinical therapy.
Health staff said the liaison position has been funded with a COVID-relief grant (fund 8953) and that auditors established a related fund (8954) for a final installment. To continue the position through planned funding years, the department requested a $45,000 transfer from contractual services to the school-health line; the motion to approve the transfer was made by Kim Meredith and seconded by Vicki Kibet and carried on a voice vote.
What this means: The $15,000 professional-services appropriation does not add net county expense because the costs are contractor-reimbursed; the $45,000 transfer reallocates existing county budgeted resources to preserve a full-time school health-liaison role supported primarily by grant funds.
Council members thanked staff for the work in schools and for securing outside grants and partnerships.
