County continues website discussion

With the Putnam County website still sadly outdated, county commissioners learned last week the power to update it could be placed in the hands of individual offices.

Jon Tesmer, who helped get the website up to date in early 2011, spoke with the current commissioners at their Monday, Nov. 18 meeting regarding his past work on the site and what can be done moving forward.

He told the commissioners there was no contract for any ongoing work following his 2011 efforts. Tesmer was paid $1,200 for the initial upgrade and for hosting the website.

Moving forward, Tesmer said the county has more than one option.

The first is to update the site and move to a portal server. The portal server would set up a user-friendly interface that allows each department head or designated deputies to update their own information for their portion of the site.

"We can bypass me completely," Tesmer said.

For this work, Tesmer said there is a $200 charge per portal. Counting there to be 35 county departments, Tesmer figured this would come out to $7,000 for the upgrade.

However, he added that he would discount the rate to $86 per portal, which comes to $3,010.

In addition to this, Tesmer offered to host the site which would come at a $120 annual fee for the entire site.

Besides this, the county could continue with the current site, with Tesmer doing updates on a contract. He also said the county could choose to take its business elsewhere.

No decision was made on what to do in the long run, although commissioners seemed interested in the portal system.

Approval was given for Tesmer to update the current site. He estimated the work would take him two hours at a rate of $35 per hour.

In other business:

* The commissioners continued a previous discussion on what to do with animal control.

They listened to County Councilman Phil Gick, who has headed the county's animal control advisory board, and Humane Society of Putnam County President Lynn Bohmer.

Gick plans to step aside at year's end, and Bohmer will be moving out of the county during 2014. Both are hoping a decision is made before they leave.

No decisions have been made, but the commissioners agreed to advertise the animal control ordinance so that they can possibly vote on it at their Monday, Dec. 2 meeting.

* The commissioners approved the 2014 Operation Life budget. OL Executive Director Kraig Kinney was in attendance, and County Attorney Jim Ensley had reviewed the documents.

* Putnam County will follow the State of Indiana holiday schedule in 2014, meaning county offices will be closed on the following dates:

-- New Year's Day: Wednesday, Jan. 1

-- Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Monday, Jan. 20

-- Good Friday: Friday, April 18

-- Primary Election Day: Tuesday, May 6

-- Memorial Day: Monday, May 26

-- Independence Day: Friday, July 4

-- Labor Day: Monday, Sept. 1

-- Columbus Day: Monday, Oct 13

-- General Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014

-- Veterans Day: Tuesday, Nov. 11

-- Thanksgiving Day: Thursday, Nov. 27

-- Day after Thanksgiving: Friday, Nov. 28

-- Christmas Day: Thursday, Dec. 25

-- Day after Christmas: Friday, Dec. 26

* The commissioners also approved this New Year's Eve, Tuesday, Dec. 31, as a half work day for county employees. As is normally the custom, all county offices will close at noon.

* Additional work in Edgelea subdivision was approved.

The construction includes a curb and gutter at the end of Country Club Lane, not the rip rap and earthen berm suggested by project contractor DLZ.

David Taylor, who owns the land adjacent to the problem spot, spoke at the previous meeting objecting to the rip rap plan.

The commissioners agreed, choosing the plan that included the curb and gutter, along with two inlets and a manhole cover.

The new construction should not only make the neighborhood look better, but keep water from flowing into the adjacent agricultural field.