The Greene County Board of Supervisors met Monday in regular session.
The main item on the agenda was an update on the Boone County Probation pilot program. Greene County contracted with Boone County Probation Services to have the first 20 convicts who were placed on informal probation were eligible for the new program. However, Diane Hinderaker with Boone County Probation Services told the Supervisors they currently have five in the system. She said she wanted to keep doing the program and expressed that all pieces were working well, except for District Court Judge Joseph McCarville. She said the issue is McCarvilleis not giving criminals informal probation, but rather having prison/jail sentences suspended and placing them on probation through the Department of Corrections.
The pilot program was intended to have convicts who were on informal probation to have more accountability and supervision than what they were receiving with the sheriff’s office. Board Chair John Muir said it’s a good option to have and wanted to see it continue. County Attorney Thomas Laehn noted that crime in the County was down 15-percent and he is using a tactic of recommending criminals to jail instead of probation. The Board agreed to renegotiate the current contract.
The Board also approved hiring Quinten Pote and David Kersey as part-time emergency medical technicians for the ambulance department and an engagement letter with S&P Global Ratings for credit rating. This is the next step toward issuing general obligation bonds to access tax increment financing (TIF) funds from the wind turbines.
During open forum, Sheriff Williams asked to give recognition for the bravery of Deputy Shane Allen and Nate Byerly of Churdan Rescue when they pulled a woman from her vehicle that went in a creek last week. The Board agreed and told Williams to organize it. Additionally, Greene County Ambulance Director Michele Madsen told the Board there are two ambulance rigs under repair. In the meantime, Madsen said they are borrowing a back-up rig from Churdan to use. Currently there are two operational rigs.