The Switzerland County Commissioners held their final meeting for 2005 on Tuesday morning — and spent much of the time preparing for 2006.
One of the main topics on the commissioners agenda Tuesday morning is the possible sale of the Blair Building, which is located on East Main Street in Vevay, and currently houses the Purdue Cooperative Extension Service and Switzerland County Emergency Management.
The commissioners discussed that should the county decide to sell the building, space would have to be found for both of those offices. It was discussed that the Emergency Management offices might be relocated to the new garage building; with further discussion on the offices for the extension service.
The discussion also centered on the possibility of constructing a new building for those offices at the current site of the old county highway garage on Seminary and Arch streets.
The commissioners asked Bruce Williams to get two appraisals on the building, which is required by law before a governmental entity can sell a building or land.
The commissioners also formally reorganized their board for the coming year.
Craig Bond was elected as the new president of the commissioners; while K.C. Banta was elected vice president. Brian Morton is the third county commissioner, and stepped down as an officer after serving as the president of the commissioners.
The commissioners also rehired all county highway employees; and they also rehired Bruce Williams as a consultant until further notice.
*
In other business discussed by the commissioners:
— It was determined that the county needs an ordinance on whether a road can be cut or if it needs to be bored when someone has to cross the roadway. Attorney Greg Coy was asked by the commissioners to prepare an ordinance that a blacktop road cannot be cut, but has to be bored.
— Bruce Williams gave the commissioners an update on renovation work being done in the original portion of the Switzerland County Courthouse.
— The commissioners agreed to have Bolton and Harsin extend the jury box in the courtroom.
— After some research by Superior Court Judge John Mitchell, he found recording equipment for the courtroom at a cost of between $13,000 and $14,000. The judge said that he has $3,200 that he can apply toward the purchase of the equipment, and the commissioners agreed to pay the remainder from infrastructure casino revenue funds.
— The commissioners agreed that meetings of the Area Planning Commission and the Board of Zoning Appeals should be held in the conference room in the new portion of the Switzerland County Courthouse.
— The county owns some real estate in Florence that someone is interested in purchasing. The commissioners asked Bruce Williams to get appraisals on this property and report back to them.