WEBVTT 00:00:02.818 --> 00:00:08.999 - All right, we're going to call to order the second meeting for this evening. This is the joint public 00:00:08.999 --> 00:00:15.120 - meeting of the Richland Township Board of Monroe County, Indiana, and the town council of Ellsville, 00:00:15.120 --> 00:00:21.361 - Monroe County, Indiana. We will begin with a call to order, which we've had the roll call. So if we'll 00:00:21.361 --> 00:00:26.997 - start to our far right, introduce each other, please. Jay Thrasher, Richland Township Board. 00:00:26.997 --> 00:00:31.966 - David Willoughby, Richland Township Board. Dawn Durnall, Richland Township Board. 00:00:32.642 --> 00:00:43.594 - I think we're going to since we've done three and four we're going to move forward to five if you guys 00:00:43.594 --> 00:00:54.653 - are all fine with that. That is the discussion of reorganization plan for Richland Township in the town 00:00:54.653 --> 00:01:01.246 - of Eltsville Monroe County Indiana and the attached exhibits. 00:01:01.730 --> 00:01:09.083 - I really don't have anything else to add at this juncture. Any questions from any of the boards? Okay, 00:01:09.083 --> 00:01:16.222 - and I'm sorry I was remiss to not certify that there is a quorum present from both boards, both the 00:01:16.222 --> 00:01:23.360 - town council and the township board. Nothing from any of the council? All right, we'll move down to 00:01:23.360 --> 00:01:30.142 - public comment. This is a public comment about whether we push this to the voters in November. 00:01:30.690 --> 00:01:57.598 - So you have three minutes from the time you begin. Good evening. 00:01:57.826 --> 00:02:03.552 - My name is Clark Greiner. I'm the interim CEO for the Bloomington Economic Development Corporation, 00:02:03.552 --> 00:02:09.336 - also known as the BEDC. On behalf of the BEDC, I'm here to acknowledge and commend the comprehensive 00:02:09.336 --> 00:02:15.119 - plans submitted to the Reorganization Committee regarding the proposed reorganization of the town of 00:02:15.119 --> 00:02:21.017 - Ellsville and Richland Township. The committee has demonstrated extraordinary leadership and foresight 00:02:21.017 --> 00:02:27.030 - in the rigorous evaluating the challenges and the opportunities inherent with the reorganization effort. 00:02:27.030 --> 00:02:27.774 - Furthermore, 00:02:27.906 --> 00:02:34.656 - I am deeply impressed by the collaborative exchange of ideas and the diligence with which the subcommittees 00:02:34.656 --> 00:02:41.156 - addressed valid concerns of their fellow citizens. And I think these subcommittees were well organized, 00:02:41.156 --> 00:02:47.968 - equitably assembled, and represented a true cross section of the Ellisville and Richmond township residents. 00:02:47.968 --> 00:02:54.718 - This transparent, inclusive approach exemplifies the democratic process within our constitutional republic. 00:02:55.106 --> 00:03:01.384 - and the BEDC highly respects the forward-thinking leadership both entities have shown in shaping the 00:03:01.384 --> 00:03:07.600 - prosperous future of generations to come. Therefore, we strongly encourage a favorable vote tonight 00:03:07.600 --> 00:03:13.878 - to place the reorganization measure on the ballot and grant your residents the voice and opportunity 00:03:13.878 --> 00:03:20.218 - they deserve to decide this issue coming in November. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Is there anyone else 00:03:20.218 --> 00:03:23.326 - that would like to address the combined councils? 00:03:33.058 --> 00:03:42.102 - Hi, my name is Andrew Henry. I spoke with the last meeting. I've been involved in the reorganization 00:03:42.102 --> 00:03:51.414 - process. Since the last meeting, I've had many conversations, both in line, online, and in person, with 00:03:51.414 --> 00:03:59.294 - people both from the town and the township. And I have heard many interesting questions 00:03:59.650 --> 00:04:05.569 - positions and arguments for and against. One view I have not heard a single time, not once, is I would 00:04:05.569 --> 00:04:11.546 - like to not have the opportunity to vote on this. Every single person I've spoken to, whether they were 00:04:11.546 --> 00:04:17.465 - indifferent initially, whether they were in favor or opposed, every single person expressed the desire 00:04:17.465 --> 00:04:23.729 - to have the opportunity to cast their vote and not have this be taken away from them as a ballot initiative. 00:04:23.729 --> 00:04:29.246 - So I think this is incredibly significant. It's going to shape Ellisville and Richland Township 00:04:29.794 --> 00:04:37.165 - beyond the lives of anyone here in this room. It's going to change the political and regional future 00:04:37.165 --> 00:04:44.463 - of this area for our kids and our grandkids. So I would strongly encourage you please make sure the 00:04:44.463 --> 00:04:51.835 - voters have the opportunity to cast their votes for and against this November. Thank you. Thank you. 00:04:51.835 --> 00:04:58.622 - Is there anyone else? Seeing no one rising in chambers, no one online, we'll move now to the 00:04:59.586 --> 00:05:02.750 - Richland Township Resolution Approving Reorganization Plan. 00:05:34.818 --> 00:05:46.241 - It's up to you guys. It's your portion of this at this point. Sorry. No worries. We do things so differently. 00:05:46.241 --> 00:05:55.795 - I will call roll call for or against putting the resolution for Richland Township approving 00:05:55.795 --> 00:06:04.414 - the reorganization plan. Don Durnall, approve. David Willoughby. David Willoughby. 00:06:04.706 --> 00:06:15.780 - No, I have talked to the last eight months. I have talked to friends, neighbors, people out into the 00:06:15.780 --> 00:06:27.183 - township and the majority of the people I've talked to are against it. So therefore I say no. I'm going 00:06:27.183 --> 00:06:31.678 - to vote to put it on the ballot. So yes. 00:06:34.338 --> 00:06:42.457 - motion passes. Okay, we'll then come to the town of Ellsville resolution 11 2026, approving 00:06:42.457 --> 00:06:51.283 - the reorganization plan. Yes, that would be a vote to approve the plan and to send it to the voters 00:06:51.283 --> 00:07:00.549 - in November. Since we do do things a little different, is there any comments? Just that a yes vote isn't 00:07:00.549 --> 00:07:03.550 - saying yes, that you're approving 00:07:03.682 --> 00:07:10.282 - that you're in favor of it, it's saying that you're thinking that the public has the best opportunity 00:07:10.282 --> 00:07:16.753 - to decide it and that we as an elected board should not take that role of the voters away. It's one 00:07:16.753 --> 00:07:23.419 - of the few things we can do to give the voters a choice. They don't get a lot of referendums on things 00:07:23.419 --> 00:07:30.084 - and for representative democracy, they trust us to make the right decisions but on something this big, 00:07:30.084 --> 00:07:32.478 - I think we should finally trust them 00:07:32.706 --> 00:07:40.732 - to make the right decision and should not deny that and then that opportunity. Anyone else? Okay, then 00:07:40.732 --> 00:07:48.524 - we'll roll call for the decisions. Scott, hold on. Yes. So there's a motion on the table to approve 00:07:48.524 --> 00:07:57.017 - resolution 11-2026. I guess we should do that. Is there a motion? I'll make the motion to approve resolution 00:07:57.017 --> 00:08:02.238 - 11-2026 approving the reorganization plan for the November ballot. 00:08:03.938 --> 00:08:17.992 - Second now roll call Yes Yes Yes So as of this vote it will go to the voters For the voters to decide 00:08:17.992 --> 00:08:24.606 - do we combine and reorganize or do we stay out? 00:08:30.402 --> 00:08:37.588 - Seeing that that vote's been taken, is there any public comment that anyone wishes to make concerning 00:08:37.588 --> 00:08:44.633 - how we move forward? Seeing none. If you've got an opinion that you want to render, now is the time 00:08:44.633 --> 00:08:52.382 - to do it. If you don't, then there'll be more than ample conversations, I'm sure, in the next several months. 00:09:05.698 --> 00:09:14.316 - I'm a member of, I'm a business owner in town and I'm a resident of Richland Township and I applaud 00:09:14.316 --> 00:09:23.021 - both groups with the fact that I think Bill and William stated it very well, that you are giving the 00:09:23.021 --> 00:09:32.071 - voters the opportunity to make this decision. And I look forward to being a part of whatever your boards 00:09:32.071 --> 00:09:35.518 - decide to do to help get that vote out. 00:09:35.938 --> 00:09:44.495 - I don't mean to campaign for yay or nay, but campaign of information so that people know. Because even 00:09:44.495 --> 00:09:53.052 - as I have talked to my residents in town, in my township, in my area, still I get, what are we talking 00:09:53.052 --> 00:10:01.775 - about? And I don't want to have that be a question come November. I want them to know what we're talking 00:10:01.775 --> 00:10:04.766 - about. So whatever we can do in our 00:10:04.962 --> 00:10:14.973 - private or our business sector to help get that information out so that this is a well-informed decision. 00:10:14.973 --> 00:10:24.700 - Thank you. Thank you. Anyone else? Now I'll move to comments from any of the council members. Anybody? 00:10:24.700 --> 00:10:34.238 - I just want to thank the reorganization committee, all the subcommittees, all the people that spoke, 00:10:34.978 --> 00:10:41.316 - All the comments online, all those things were taken seriously and just about everything has 00:10:41.316 --> 00:10:48.063 - been incorporated into this plan. And I've just never seen anything like it in this much community 00:10:48.063 --> 00:10:54.946 - involvement. Keep up the good work and we will have a successful Ellisville and Richland Township no 00:10:54.946 --> 00:11:02.034 - matter which way this goes if we keep the community active and energized over their localities. I think 00:11:02.034 --> 00:11:03.806 - we have one more comment. 00:11:06.498 --> 00:11:13.026 - Just didn't know what the language will be on the ballot when it comes on the ballot Do we have that 00:11:13.026 --> 00:11:19.554 - somewhere? I don't know that we have it just yet. We were proposed. Yes Tell me I've got the packet. 00:11:19.554 --> 00:11:26.406 - Tell me where it's at in there Thank you, and it follows the statute exactly and is that packet available 00:11:26.406 --> 00:11:33.128 - to the public where they can look at page 45? Yes. Thank you And I guess in closing I'll make one final 00:11:33.128 --> 00:11:35.390 - comment This is a significant vote 00:11:36.002 --> 00:11:42.190 - I would encourage everyone to ask the questions you need to find out the answers for yourself. Don't 00:11:42.190 --> 00:11:48.317 - just believe everything that's floating around because there's a lot of misinformation both pro and 00:11:48.317 --> 00:11:54.443 - con out there. This shapes this town's future. This shapes this township's future. So let's all try 00:11:54.443 --> 00:12:00.815 - and get it as absolutely right as we can and not just believe a rumor of a rumor of a rumor of a rumor. 00:12:00.815 --> 00:12:04.062 - Come and ask one of the two boards, come and ask the 00:12:04.162 --> 00:12:11.195 - The committee who put these things together don't just go on third, fourth-hand information. This is 00:12:11.195 --> 00:12:18.228 - a very significant vote. Sir, did you have something? Yes, I'd just like to say as far as I'm really 00:12:18.228 --> 00:12:25.539 - glad that you guys are going to put it out to the public. I think that this is a Republican government's 00:12:25.539 --> 00:12:32.990 - establishment we have, so I'm glad to see you do that. I've been in Richland Township since the early 80s. 00:12:33.570 --> 00:12:40.609 - I have taken and built houses all over Monroe County and currently building M&O in County which does 00:12:40.609 --> 00:12:47.649 - not have the restrictions Monroe County has And I'm glad to see Ellisville in the Richland Township. 00:12:47.649 --> 00:12:54.618 - It encompasses a lot of area and to see that I personally in the last year moved in my house in May 00:12:54.618 --> 00:13:02.494 - of last year it took me on a piece of property that I bought had two separate warranty deeds on a share sale and 00:13:02.690 --> 00:13:08.977 - It took my wife and I a little over three and a half months to go through planning to prove to them 00:13:08.977 --> 00:13:15.327 - that I had two pieces of property, two earning deeds, two legal documents on that piece of property, 00:13:15.327 --> 00:13:21.613 - two tax bases. And after researching our personally and getting help with the records department in 00:13:21.613 --> 00:13:28.403 - Monroe County, clear back to 1926, they finally agreed that that property was two parcels. And I basically, 00:13:28.403 --> 00:13:31.358 - at that time, I've been building, like I said, 00:13:31.650 --> 00:13:37.449 - while I've been building most of my life, that I was gonna build it where I didn't really care what 00:13:37.449 --> 00:13:43.422 - they thought. But I'm glad to see at least we could have an area that is going to be in control of the 00:13:43.422 --> 00:13:49.338 - surrounding community and be a little more favorable. We're talking about an 11 and a half acre piece 00:13:49.338 --> 00:13:55.311 - of property and a three and a half acres. Either one would have met minimum requirements at that time. 00:13:55.311 --> 00:14:01.342 - But we still went through three to three and a half months to get all of the paperwork and to prove it. 00:14:01.890 --> 00:14:09.364 - them to even pass it and I'm just glad to see at least I can see some faces here I would say I'm 74 00:14:09.364 --> 00:14:16.837 - so maybe not as much but and come down talk to you guys and at least get it in Richland Township so 00:14:16.837 --> 00:14:24.311 - we don't have to deal with the far as I'm concerned the socialist system that Monroe County has and 00:14:24.311 --> 00:14:31.486 - I thank you for putting it out to the public thank you sir all right seeing no further business 00:14:31.874 --> 00:14:34.014 - Should there be any? We will stand adjourned.