Beard elected to head county commissioners for another year; new meeting days approved

Friday, January 2, 2009
By Nick Schneider, Assistant Editor

The Greene County Commissioners -- meeting for the first time in more than two decades with all Democrat Party members -- formalized the change in the highway department leadership in a brief reorganizational meeting Friday morning.

The commissioners also changed their meeting days, but voted unanimously for it to remain a "day-time" meeting.

The commissioners will meet the first and third Mondays each month at 9:30 a.m. in the commissioner's meeting room, located on the third floor of the courthouse -- starting in February.

Previously, the commissioners met the first and third Tuesdays.

The next commissioner's meeting will remain as advertised on Tuesday (Jan. 6) at 9:30 a.m.

Also, the new Monday date during the third week in January (Jan. 19) had to be changed because of a conflict with the Martin Luther King holiday. That meeting will be conducted on Jan. 20.

Linton resident Mike Hennette was the unanimous pick to be county highway department superintendent -- replacing Basil Shepherd of Lyons, who served in the position for the past three years.

Hennette previously served three years as head of the highway department before retiring in 2005.

New commissioners Kermit Holtsclaw (District 1) and Steve Lindsey (District 2) joined Bart Beard (District 3) for their first official meeting.

The first order of business was election of board officers.

Beard, who is in his second term, was selected as president while newcomer Holtsclaw earned the nod as vice president.

The Bloomfield native Beard serves as the club pro at Phil Harris Golf Course in Linton. Holtsclaw is the former Center Township Trustee.

Holtsclaw was also appointed to the Southern Indiana Development Commission Board of Directors and the Greene County Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors.

Lindsey was appointed to the Greene County Drainage Board.

Beard was appointed to the Vincennes Workforce Investment Board.

Other re-appointments include: Marilyn Hartman as commissioner's attorney; Jim Wadsworth as county Weights and Measures Supervisor; Norman Sullivan as county Veteran's Affairs Officer; Gene Spinks, as courthouse maintenance superintendent; Chuck Long as county computer tech and network administrator; Morgan James to the county Alcohol and Beverage Board; William "Butch" Brown as courthouse security supervisor; Dr. William Powers as jail physician; and John Royal as county veterinarian.

John Mensch was reappointed to the WestGate Authority for a three-year term; Pete Haltstead was reappointed to the RC & D Board of Directors; Beth Burcham and Nolan Wilson were re-appointed to the PACE Community Action Agency Board.

The commissioners made four appointments to the Greene County Redevelopment Commission -- Hal Harp (reappointment), Ken Gremore, Brian Sparks, and Sandy May.

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Another term of commisioners that do not want the public to attend meetings. By having them when they know people are working and can not attend.

-- Posted by Tracy1219 on Fri, Jan 2, 2009, at 10:46 PM

You betcha Tracy,

Maybe we should see about how the taxpayers can change that. I'm sure there is some way to influence the new commiessioners to have meetings in the early evening.

-- Posted by hilljak on Sun, Jan 4, 2009, at 6:48 PM

They are going to do what they want to, when they want to. Another year of misdirection and everything else. They already made a change at the Highway Department. The guy worked their once, and retired. Now he is back, must be a friend of someone.

-- Posted by avenger on Mon, Jan 5, 2009, at 5:41 AM

Im sure he is a friend of someone...But he is also the best man for the job.

-- Posted by Mr. Robato on Mon, Jan 5, 2009, at 6:49 AM