(BEDFORD) – The Lawrence County Council finally gave approval for the Prosecutor’s Office to purchase a color copy machine and office furniture.
The purchase was put on hold at last month’s meeting until additional details could be obtained about the purchase. The main issue was whether the copy machine was being leased or purchased.
Prosecutor Sam Arp stated the copy machine will be purchased. The total cost of the purchase is $6,300 with a rebate of $1,200. The purchase of office furniture for the amount of $3,700 was also approved.
“We got a better price for the purchase of the copy machine versus a lease,” said Arp.
The copier was purchased from a company in Bloomington. The other copy machine is being offered to other county departments if needed.
Due to a large number of jury trials in the coming months this purchase was needed. The other copy machine would only print in black and white.
In other business:
- Lawrence County Highway – approved a request to transfer $75,267 from Motor Vehicle Highway for wages and other line items. This must be done every year since 2016 due to Indiana State legislators changing the distribution to local and county governments. Local and county governments also are getting less in their distribution of funds now which was a 53/47 split. This split is now a 63/37 percent split which is why local and county governments receive only 37 percent of the highway funding from the state.
- Approved Sheriff’s Mike Branham’s request for transfer of $27,800 and a request for an additional appropriation of $5,000 for central dispatch. Part of the $27,800 transfer was for body armor. The department will be purchasing 11 new pieces of body armor for replacement and for new officers. A total cost of $800 – $1,500 is expected.
- Public Defender Bruce Andis’s request for $40,000 was also approved. He also reports the grant funding for Social Worker has been discontinued and will not be available for next year.
- Three resolutions were approved for the tax abatements for Indiana Limestone. Indiana Limestone abatements cover three townships, verses only one township listed in the original abatement. This includes Indian Creek, Marshall, and Shawswick townships. The abatements cover a ten year period.
- Approved County Commissioner Rodney Fish’s request of $55,000 for the purchase of a new air conditioner for the courthouse. The purchase comes after several repairs and replacement of the compressor on three occasions. A total of three air conditioners were purchased back in 2013. The commissioners plan to purchase the new air conditioner from HFI, of Bloomington.
- Approved the public safety funds to the volunteer fire departments for Bono, Indian Creek, Marion, Marshall, Perry, Pleasant Run, and Shawswick Township. There was no distribution for Guthrie Township.
