Commissioners prep for holidays, new year

With the holidays just around the corner, the employees at the Putnam County Courthouse are repeating a creative way to help their neighbors in need.

On Monday, the Putnam County Commissioners approved a request to allow courthouse employees to wear jeans on days they bring in a canned good for the Putnam County Emergency Food Pantry.

The employees began the program during the holidays in 2013, with a number of carloads of items making their way to the pantry.

The commissioners happily approved the request 3-0.

"They certainly need the help," Commissioner Max Watts said of the pantry.

Holidays were also the topic of discussion as Auditor Lorie Hallett sought approval of the 2015 holiday schedule for county employees.

Putnam County will abide by the same schedule as the State of Indiana, with 14 observed holidays as follows: New Year's Day, Jan. 1; Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 19; Good Friday, April 3; Primary Election, May 5; Memorial Day, May 25; Independence Day (observed), Friday, July 3; Labor Day, Sept. 7; Columbus Day, Oct. 12; General Election, Nov. 3; Veterans Day, Nov. 11; Thanksgiving, Nov. 26; Lincoln's Birthday (observed), Nov. 27; Washington's Birthday (observed), Dec. 24; and Christmas, Dec. 25.

Additionally, the final pay date of 2014 will be Tuesday, Dec. 23, moved up three days from Dec. 26.

Meeting on the morning of the first significant snowfall of the season, the commissioners discussed the County Highway Department's response. Supervisor Mike Ricketts said he dispatched a partial crew at 4:30 a.m., with a full crew joining them during regular hours Monday morning.

Ricketts also reported recently ordering another 300 tons of road salt.

Near the end of the meeting, an unscheduled decision regarding filling a position in the Assessor's Office brought up a discussion of sticking to the posted agenda at meetings.

County Attorney Jim Ensley has asked that the comissioners and the Auditor's Office begin being sticklers for having the agenda set several days in advance of the meeting.

"The agenda is set, it's advertised, it's posted for a reason," Ensley said. "We really need to stick to the agenda."

Ensley's suggestions come in the face of accusations by some citizens unhappy with recent commissioners' decisions regarding planning and zoning issues. They have been accused of "railroading" through an issue.

"Sometimes our meetings are a little informal and I like it that way," Ensley said. "But if there are going to be implications like that, we need to tighten things up."

The commissioners agreed, deciding that all agenda items need to be set by noon, five days before a scheduled meeting.

The new guidelines does not affect the ability of citizens or employees to bring unscheduled issues before the commissioners, the board will simply not plan on making decisions on issues that are not posted on the agenda.

Even in the midst of this discussion, the commissioners granted the request from Assessor Nancy Dennis to fill the vacant position.

The Putnam County Commissioners will next meet at 9 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 5, a change from their usual meeting on the first Monday of the month.