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Council debates shared planning director hire and town contributions amid battery ordinance deadline
Summary
Ripley County councillors discussed whether a recently approved shared planning director hire should proceed before neighboring towns finalize ~$15,000 in combined contributions, and whether an $18,000 contingency appropriation should be rescinded to prevent spending before interlocal funds arrive. Staff also raised concerns about meeting advertising deadlines for a battery energy-storage ordinance.
Council members questioned whether the county should have announced or finalized a hire for a shared area planning director before interlocal contributions from towns were secured.
A staff member told the council that the planning director candidate ‘‘will take office on August 1st’’ and said drafts of an interlocal agreement were circulating. Several councilors said they had been told the hire would begin sooner and expressed concern that the hire was contingent on towns contributing at least $15,000 annually toward the $80,000-per-year position.
Council discussion centered on whether an $18,000 contingency appropriation — set aside if the director wasn’t hired and for use if outside help was needed to draft an ordinance — should be rescinded or reduced so the funds would not be available for immediate spending while town contributions were not finalized. The chair noted that the $18,000 had already been appropriated and that any reduction would require action at a subsequent meeting and public advertisement.
Staff provided a town-by-town breakdown of proposed contributions that would reach roughly $15,000: Versailles about $4,553; Milan about $3,890; Osgood about $3,317; Holton $887; Napoleon $495; Milin/Milan (name variant) and others making up the balance; Sunman said it would not participate. Staff said the shortfall if Sunman does not contribute could be absorbed by the other towns.
Commissioner Jeff Balls later explained that part of the $18,000 could be used to fund battery pack work tied to an August 18 advertising/filing deadline for battery energy-storage ordinance elements. Balls said he had attempted to get a price for the battery pack work but had not yet received a firm estimate.
Council members and staff agreed to revisit whether to reduce the $18,000 appropriation at the next meeting to prevent unintended spending before interlocal agreements and final cost estimates are in place.
The council did not rescind the appropriation at the meeting but directed staff to pursue final interlocal paperwork and pricing and to return with a recommended course of action.
