[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6236387,"mediaKeyId","3365483-3913ab31ad15f7bbb3c050a4a9b3f6d9","parentId",3365483,"title","Monroe County Council tables health department request for fourth disease-intervention specialist amid contract uncertainty","audioSeconds",3210,"startMs",3510000,"endMs",6720000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3365483-3913ab31ad15f7bbb3c050a4a9b3f6d9&start=3510&end=6720","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3365483-3913ab31ad15f7bbb3c050a4a9b3f6d9/thumbnail_3510000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6236387/Monroe-County/Indiana/Monroe-County-Council-tables-health-department-request-for-fourth-disease-intervention-specialist-amid-contract-uncertainty","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6236387-4339e0296f1f4309baa286d919a9118c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447621&Signature=H0tUPc6eTVgPlJHQW8bYuotgFFhiPRbCC~BPH0vJ5d8lzyr17ODiWSmVXBd3YkIQhAxZ3Fuif40L0rMsFlN7Oe33Dg2q71~0BI5hy-mvRJGfe6Gihq-Yfm~c3kHRk8o7bilaRVLPixpnhHv3x12lZP0kY6ENnD53d64AWA-qcBY1AKsFdguhIkVPf5jez7xAdt931txnKWy8sTcqoVFOYnN34h9ftiINSmtfQUWK1PpgA0U-Bzxnonj1ZsdrVQp9XpnJwTYM5Hn4L9XCqIgsRjz44Hay9p0wjWtoxlYHSK922ya~90f-FMeD992KUokna0sKS~LfhMQt9hpjFls6iQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Monroe County IN","date","2025-05-16T13:14:12Z","article","Monroe County Council on Tuesday delayed approving a fourth disease intervention specialist (DIS) position requested by the Monroe County Health Department, citing the absence of an executed state contract backing the additional federal funding.

The council’s action followed months of shifting grant guidance and a March award letter from the Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) notifying the county it was eligible for an additional $58,835 to support a fourth DIS. Health Department representatives said they have a signed contract covering three grant-funded DIS positions but not yet the amendment that would add the fourth position and that IDOH does not expect to issue amendments until the state’s fiscal year opens July 1.

Why it matters: Disease intervention staff perform case investigation and contact tracing for sexually transmitted infections and other reportable diseases. The county’s request touches funding that mixes state- and federally‑sourced public‑health grants and requires clear contract authority before the county changes payroll or appropriates new recurring salary costs.

County health director Lori Kelly told the council the department already has an executed IDOH contract for $289,000‑plus covering three DIS positions and that the March award letter would add $58,835 for a fourth position. “We have received an executed contract for the budget that we submitted that was approved,” Kelly said, and “when we received this contract, the first move was to move that employee to the contract so that he could begin assisting with the entire district.” Kelly said the department would prefer to hire if the money is guaranteed, but acknowledged the award letter “is not a contract.”

Councilors raised two consistent concerns: the auditor’s best‑practice guidance to avoid appropriating funds until the county holds a fully executed contract, and the recent statewide budget and health‑fund changes that have reduced predictability in public‑health funding. At the meeting Auditor’s Office staff reiterated the recommendation that the county not appropriate or hire against awarded amounts until a fully executed contract is in hand, citing Monroe County code procedures for contract‑backed appropriations.

“What we need is it in a contract,” Councilor Peter Iverson said. “A letter is helpful and gives us a lot of information, but it is not a guarantee of funding. We need it in a contract.”

Council action and next steps: Councilor Iverson moved to table the Health Department’s request indefinitely (the motion was seconded). A roll‑call vote resulted in the council tabling the request; the motion carried 4–3. Related budget items were handled separately: council later voted to table a deappropriation tied to the same set of positions (motion passed 5–2), while approving two other personnel and account‑line swaps the department requested to comply with recent Indiana program rules.

Health department context and practical effect: Kelly and other staff explained that hiring and training a DIS can take three to six months and that the department has used a mix of state Health First Indiana (HFI) and federal CDC‑funded STD program dollars. Staff said HFI funding is intended to support Monroe County‑specific services and is already budgeted; the additional $58,835 described in the IDOH award letter is federal STD funding administered through the state. The department told council it could, if authorized by council, use HFI funds temporarily to hire the fourth position and then “backfill” those HFI dollars with the federal grant once a contract was executed and funds were received.

Councilors emphasized the limits of local authority and the need for written contract terms before changing county payroll or obligating ongoing salary lines, and asked staff to return with an executed amendment or other definitive contract documentation. The council directed staff to return with the contract and related clarifications at a future meeting before taking final appropriation action.

Ending: The council’s tabling leaves the Health Department able to plan and interview candidates but prevents the county from permanently changing payroll lines or appropriating the federal award until IDOH provides an executed contract or the council otherwise authorizes use of existing HFI funds with a plan to reconcile once the contract arrives.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Monroe County Council, May 13, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Monroe County Council on Tuesday delayed approving a fourth disease intervention specialist (DIS) after health department staff said the state’s March award letter for an extra $58,835 was not an executed contract and the county auditor advised waiting for a formal amendment before appropriating funds.","taxTitle","Monroe County, Indiana","taxId",3534,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6236377,"Council updates Sofia Travis grant procedures, approves My Sister’s Closet application amendment",1913,8018000,9931000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3365483-3913ab31ad15f7bbb3c050a4a9b3f6d9&start=8018&end=9931","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3365483-3913ab31ad15f7bbb3c050a4a9b3f6d9/thumbnail_8018000.jpg","/articles/6236377/Monroe-County/Indiana/Council-updates-Sofia-Travis-grant-procedures-approves-My-Sisters-Closet-application-amendment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6236377-757f86e9ac7eb9f7b1470ecb4b6b1093/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447621&Signature=bP87qlFEjP1EvA9Ja-KYZQLA3pk78SopP3iwXaiZ9vsS4V4e1YpBjyUT58u3iwF8E8PMX8DiX8QbODfgGMWgwQOwIgI9Hxqx~Uex5NQ5tG6ZTGDFLRO8NZCUbh-CKN1o1tKWHsrifaLj9QrbLN0~-Q2dgGpdhzBRJdC8ckFFGQ7pppWnHKQP9Uc2XqpoKt~IUkopPrcb8kOnBz4X2KAzG-iBoUENWkRT5g8AAnnQBhCcfK~h4K6wz4S3dlB6txSImMMfooZoSQ9H9r8wOThqP76b0H6nQpZIATndwC3~tUM6CGVKxAUETlEbwCSGBkC-ZiIf~mkbazplFW4xisXEfw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Monroe County Council on Tuesday approved language to standardize how the Sofia Travis community‑service grant program solicits, interviews and awards grant funds, and unanimously approved a separate resolution allowing a single applicant to substitute a collaborative partner in a previously filed 2024 application.

The ordinance (first reading) consolidates prior resolutions into a single, updated procedure and clarifies committee membership, selection and application requirements. Among the changes: the review committee is defined as five members (three council volunteers plus two community members), community‑member terms end when replaced by council action and no community member may be appointed for a second consecutive term. The revised rules require applicants to submit required reporting for any prior Sofia Travis awards before being eligible to receive new funding.

During discussion county legal counsel Molly Turner King said the change was prompted by practical problems in administering collaborative grants; one 2024 applicant (My Sister’s Closet) had applied as a collaborative project but could not supply an executed memorandum of understanding with its original partner and asked permission to substitute Amethyst House as the collaborative partner instead. The Sofia Travis review committee recommended that the council allow that amendment and the council passed Resolution 2025‑25 to permit the substitution and to authorize staff to draft the MOU for commissioners’ signature. Turner King told council the revised ordinance brings prior resolutions and procedures into a single document and adds a clear requirement that applicants must be current with reporting requirements from any previously awarded grants before they can be eligible for new awards.

Why it matters: The Sofia Travis grants fund local social‑service providers and community programs using county allotments. The updated ordinance aims to reduce uncertainty about committee membership, set application timelines, require stricter reporting compliance from previously funded agencies and standardize the interview process when more than one community volunteer is needed to evaluate applicants.

Council action: The ordinance was read and received a vote (first reading) with council direction that the ordinance will require a second reading (statutory process for ordinances). Council also approved Resolution 2025‑25 allowing My Sister’s Closet to amend its 2024 collaborative application to name Amethyst House as the partner. Turner King said, if approved, staff would prepare a memorandum of understanding for commissioners’ signature so the project can proceed.

Ending: Councilors asked staff to circulate the revised ordinance, the interview and selection criteria, and any associated application forms to the public and to post application deadlines. Councilors also said they will appoint volunteers to the interview panel at a later meeting after the ordinance receives its required second reading.","Councilors approved updated procedures for awarding Sofia Travis community service grants and passed a separate resolution allowing My Sister’s Closet to change its collaborative partner for a previously filed grant; councilors strengthened application requirements and made reporting compliance a condition of eligibility.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6236382,"Council delays vote on building‑corporation appropriation after legal briefing on debt mechanism",2214,946000,3160000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3365483-3913ab31ad15f7bbb3c050a4a9b3f6d9&start=946&end=3160","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3365483-3913ab31ad15f7bbb3c050a4a9b3f6d9/thumbnail_946000.jpg","/articles/6236382/Monroe-County/Indiana/Council-delays-vote-on-buildingcorporation-appropriation-after-legal-briefing-on-debt-mechanism","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6236382-8f3ebe72b3b575befcdefe10bf674235/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447621&Signature=PEK9J1UHkp~3h3SwmCfnrLCpotdvQhMqtQ5WTIZqCbXJYMI7JY~F3P5JozoIuUJ6RO2tsIfNncUAsTvo7UCUDGIPUoEVzgcsSU92CoJG1HRj1tLFXD0mM7eCOWm4-hY0Hhh7LP7nxsozm5lGKCEgjb2xaErnrXUAOck9qCghLCC8mGkEtbIdeu6ZmRDt1KVMEsxKwnfByhW1tLAE0pZnqOcjhMCZ3METjLT36IH0cG~-ZHQnydLcD31bg2YJ5uE9TyWrG5bHPJV5w5vYrNvquulBXPGZ9mrbj6VmSlRo1eIP3hNfg8i8ENfVHZWqYDvvu9KbhvmJk1z~uqyIZ2aFOw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Monroe County Council members on Tuesday pushed a county commissioners’ request to create a small account line and authorize a $2,500 appropriation for an existing building corporation until the council can review the corporation’s bylaws and recent finances.

Legal counsel told the council the corporation—formed decades ago to hold lease‑purchase debt for county facilities—was originally used when the county built the Charlotte Zitelow (Zitlow) Justice Center and has been kept active so it can accommodate future large building debt while avoiding the state constitutional debt limit. Jeff Cockrell, deputy legal counsel, described the corporation’s purpose: “Its sole purpose is to keep us from running a foul of the constitutional debt limit,” he said.

Why it matters: Indiana’s constitution sets a county debt threshold tied to assessed value. County attorneys and financial advisers sometimes use independently constituted “building corporations” that hold lease obligations outside of the county’s direct constitutional debt calculation. That mechanism has fiscal and legal implications for how the county finances large capital projects, and it raises transparency and governance questions because building‑corporation boards historically have been self‑appointing entities.

Discussion summary: Councilors reviewed the request after the item was tabled from the April 22 meeting. Jeff Cockrell, who appeared at council’s request, described the corporation’s history and use for previous projects (the Zitlow Justice Center and, in other counties, the convention center). He said the corporation is normally used to structure lease‑purchase debt so that it does not count against the county’s constitutional debt limit and that the corporation had been maintained since the 1980s to avoid repeating the IRS/corporate set‑up process.

Several councilors raised transparency and oversight concerns. Councilor David Henry asked who appoints the corporation’s board; Cockrell said the building corporation is a stand‑alone corporation that traditionally asks the county commissioners for input on replacements but that the bylaws permit the corporation to make its own appointments. Councilors also said they wanted to see minutes, the corporation’s bylaws and last year’s budget to understand compensation, meeting frequency and whether county funds paid taxes or legal fees.

Council action: Councilor Trent Decker moved to hold (table) the item pending delivery of the building corporation’s bylaws and last year’s budget. Council agreed to table the request until the May 27 council meeting to allow legal staff time to assemble the documents and for the council to review them. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.

What was requested: The commissioners had asked the council to create account line 30006 (contractual) in Fund 4914‑0000 (Showers Building Operating Fund) and to appropriate $2,500 in contractual/services to cover the corporation’s 2024 tax/legal costs. Councilors said they were open to supporting the request once they had the corporation’s bylaws, recent minutes and accounting showing what the county had previously paid and for what purpose.

Ending: Council asked legal staff to provide the corporation’s bylaws, minutes and the most recent financials before the May 27 meeting so the council could either approve the appropriation or propose governance changes; the county’s legal counsel said he would provide the documents as soon as possible.","Councilors debated the role of a longstanding building corporation that issues lease‑purchase debt for county facilities, heard legal counsel explain the entity is used to avoid triggering the state constitutional debt limit, and voted to delay an appropriation request pending review of the corporation’s bylaws and recent financials.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Monroe County Council tables health department request for fourth disease-intervention specialist amid contract uncertainty

Council updates Sofia Travis grant procedures, approves My Sister’s Closet application amendment

Council delays vote on building‑corporation appropriation after legal briefing on debt mechanism