The Dallas County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Tuesday.
At the meeting the Board approved payroll change notices for the conservation and public health departments.
A public hearing in regards to the Xenia Rural Water District bike trail easement was set for March 31st at 9:30am. Conservation Director Mike Wallace says the water district wants to run a water line north of Ortonville.
A seasonal, eight month liquor license for the Woodward Golf Club was then approved, along with the refund of a portion of last year’s unused license fee in the amount of $97, since they are closed four months out of the year.
Several Board appointments were then made to the Board of Health, Weed Commission and Planning and Zoning Commission.
The Board then approved a temporary meter use agreement with the Xenia Rural Water District. This is in regards to the human services campus renovation project. The drilling company who plans who drill wells for the geothermal portion of the project says the house water provided will not be sufficient. The plan is to tap directly into the water line in that location. Xenia will install a water meter in the area with a $2,000 refundable deposit, $200 installation fee and costs for the utilities used. For example, a quarter of a million gallons of water would come at a cost of $250, though it’s unknown how much water will be needed.
Next the Board discussed possible relocation of the sheriff’s office’s civil division. Sheriff Chad Leonard wants to move the division from the upstairs portion of the building to the first floor in his office. He said they would be using existing equipment but making modifications, including adding a counter to do business. Of the move, Supervisor Kim Chapman said it’s another case of “here we go again, another expensive bandaid to get you by.” Supervisor Mark Hanson said even if a positive bond referendum was passed, they’re more than two years out from when the Sheriff’s space issues could be alleviated with a new facility. Leonard said the company that is looking to help with the move, Keifer Construction, has done all of the relocation projects for the Sheriff’s office and operates locally. County Attorney Wayne Reisetter expressed safety concerns for both staff and the public who would use the office during construction, since there was no formal contract or agreement presented. Sheriff Leonard said he expects the majority of the heavy work to be completed in the evening, outside of normal business hours. The goal is to have the project completed as soon as possible. Leonard was asked to have the construction company come up with an agreement and the week long project is expected to begin once that is reviewed and approved next week.
An E-911 communications project workshop was then held. Sheriff Leonard said there are communication holes in the County they are hoping to improve. Radio Systems Consultant Michael Mazzitello was in attendance at the meeting to share his observations and possible options. He said the narrow-banding process that was done to comply with federal regulations a few years ago, decreased the communication reach in some areas. He recommends the County stays in the current radio band, as opposed to joining the state band. He also said all law enforcement and fire departments should go to a digital format and reusing the south tower antenna. Mazzitello said he expects these upgrades to keep the County up-to-date for the next 10 to 20 years because it is not computer based. These upgrades would be for four new counsels, compared to the three they currently have. The proposed concept would have the County tapped into Perry with their current system so they could continue to fall back on if need be as a redundant system. The has been discussion about moving the E911 department out to the new human services campus, though Supervisor Chapman says that’s another bandaid solution to a bigger problem and would cause inconvenience for the Sheriff’s office. In addition, Chapman mentioned that that campus is not built to withstand a natural disaster which he feels is necessary for an E911 department. Board Chair Brad Golightly said the workshop helped explain the need for the upgrades, now the issues is determining how to pay for it. Sheriff Leonard said the E911 Board hopes the County will bond for the project. Operations Administrator Connie Kinnard also noted that the County cannot bond for maintenance costs so those would need to be funded through other means. Moving forward, the E911 Board will organize a workshop meeting to discuss options.
The meeting adjourned at 11:35am.