The Marion County Board has approved a $26,000 bid from Henson Painting of Salem to complete the painting of the public areas on all three floors of the courthouse. Originally, the county had sought bids for only the third floor but later expanded the project when being told the other two floors could be painted without as much setup time if it was done at the same time. Sheriff Kevin Cripps had approached two other painting contractors, but neither submitted bids. Henson is expected to begin the painting work in January.
The board also approved a 12-year extension of the City of Salem’s west side tax increment financing district, but during discussion, it became clear board members were not clear about the letter of support that had been sought by the city. Some members referred to what they saw as benefits of what is really the Salem Enterprise Zone at the Patoka Oil Tank Farm. As a result, Salem Economic Development Director Leah Dellicarpini will be invited to a January meeting to explain the TIF extension. The only no vote came from Brock Waggoner who said he was generally opposed to TIF districts.
The board received an update on its overdue audits. Finance Committee Chair Chris Krupp says they are now expecting the 2021 audit to be finished in early January after further delays due to illness and the marriage of one of those involved in completing the project. He says the 2022 audit should then follow quickly getting the county up to date and off of several state no-pay lists due to not having a current audit in place.
Building Committee Chair Dr. Creighton Engel reported the sewer odor problem at the Public Service Building is still unresolved. Tate Plumbing thought they had found the problem without removing much of a bathroom wall, but the odor was still there. Engel says more extensive work will now be required to track down the problem.
The board agreed to seek a bid and consider increasing the amount of their insurance for sexual abuse liability above the current $1 million coverage.
