- All right, we're going to call to order the second meeting for this evening. This is the joint public
- meeting of the Richland Township Board of Monroe County, Indiana, and the town council of Ellsville,
- Monroe County, Indiana. We will begin with a call to order, which we've had the roll call. So if we'll
- start to our far right, introduce each other, please. Jay Thrasher, Richland Township Board.
- David Willoughby, Richland Township Board. Dawn Durnall, Richland Township Board.
- I think we're going to since we've done three and four we're going to move forward to five if you guys
- are all fine with that. That is the discussion of reorganization plan for Richland Township in the town
- of Eltsville Monroe County Indiana and the attached exhibits.
- I really don't have anything else to add at this juncture. Any questions from any of the boards? Okay,
- and I'm sorry I was remiss to not certify that there is a quorum present from both boards, both the
- town council and the township board. Nothing from any of the council? All right, we'll move down to
- public comment. This is a public comment about whether we push this to the voters in November.
- So you have three minutes from the time you begin. Good evening.
- My name is Clark Greiner. I'm the interim CEO for the Bloomington Economic Development Corporation,
- also known as the BEDC. On behalf of the BEDC, I'm here to acknowledge and commend the comprehensive
- plans submitted to the Reorganization Committee regarding the proposed reorganization of the town of
- Ellsville and Richland Township. The committee has demonstrated extraordinary leadership and foresight
- in the rigorous evaluating the challenges and the opportunities inherent with the reorganization effort.
- Furthermore,
- I am deeply impressed by the collaborative exchange of ideas and the diligence with which the subcommittees
- addressed valid concerns of their fellow citizens. And I think these subcommittees were well organized,
- equitably assembled, and represented a true cross section of the Ellisville and Richmond township residents.
- This transparent, inclusive approach exemplifies the democratic process within our constitutional republic.
- and the BEDC highly respects the forward-thinking leadership both entities have shown in shaping the
- prosperous future of generations to come. Therefore, we strongly encourage a favorable vote tonight
- to place the reorganization measure on the ballot and grant your residents the voice and opportunity
- they deserve to decide this issue coming in November. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Is there anyone else
- that would like to address the combined councils?
- Hi, my name is Andrew Henry. I spoke with the last meeting. I've been involved in the reorganization
- process. Since the last meeting, I've had many conversations, both in line, online, and in person, with
- people both from the town and the township. And I have heard many interesting questions
- positions and arguments for and against. One view I have not heard a single time, not once, is I would
- like to not have the opportunity to vote on this. Every single person I've spoken to, whether they were
- indifferent initially, whether they were in favor or opposed, every single person expressed the desire
- to have the opportunity to cast their vote and not have this be taken away from them as a ballot initiative.
- So I think this is incredibly significant. It's going to shape Ellisville and Richland Township
- beyond the lives of anyone here in this room. It's going to change the political and regional future
- of this area for our kids and our grandkids. So I would strongly encourage you please make sure the
- voters have the opportunity to cast their votes for and against this November. Thank you. Thank you.
- Is there anyone else? Seeing no one rising in chambers, no one online, we'll move now to the
- Richland Township Resolution Approving Reorganization Plan.
- It's up to you guys. It's your portion of this at this point. Sorry. No worries. We do things so differently.
- I will call roll call for or against putting the resolution for Richland Township approving
- the reorganization plan. Don Durnall, approve. David Willoughby. David Willoughby.
- No, I have talked to the last eight months. I have talked to friends, neighbors, people out into the
- township and the majority of the people I've talked to are against it. So therefore I say no. I'm going
- to vote to put it on the ballot. So yes.
- motion passes. Okay, we'll then come to the town of Ellsville resolution 11 2026, approving
- the reorganization plan. Yes, that would be a vote to approve the plan and to send it to the voters
- in November. Since we do do things a little different, is there any comments? Just that a yes vote isn't
- saying yes, that you're approving
- that you're in favor of it, it's saying that you're thinking that the public has the best opportunity
- to decide it and that we as an elected board should not take that role of the voters away. It's one
- of the few things we can do to give the voters a choice. They don't get a lot of referendums on things
- and for representative democracy, they trust us to make the right decisions but on something this big,
- I think we should finally trust them
- to make the right decision and should not deny that and then that opportunity. Anyone else? Okay, then
- we'll roll call for the decisions. Scott, hold on. Yes. So there's a motion on the table to approve
- resolution 11-2026. I guess we should do that. Is there a motion? I'll make the motion to approve resolution
- 11-2026 approving the reorganization plan for the November ballot.
- Second now roll call Yes Yes Yes So as of this vote it will go to the voters For the voters to decide
- do we combine and reorganize or do we stay out?
- Seeing that that vote's been taken, is there any public comment that anyone wishes to make concerning
- how we move forward? Seeing none. If you've got an opinion that you want to render, now is the time
- to do it. If you don't, then there'll be more than ample conversations, I'm sure, in the next several months.
- I'm a member of, I'm a business owner in town and I'm a resident of Richland Township and I applaud
- both groups with the fact that I think Bill and William stated it very well, that you are giving the
- voters the opportunity to make this decision. And I look forward to being a part of whatever your boards
- decide to do to help get that vote out.
- I don't mean to campaign for yay or nay, but campaign of information so that people know. Because even
- as I have talked to my residents in town, in my township, in my area, still I get, what are we talking
- about? And I don't want to have that be a question come November. I want them to know what we're talking
- about. So whatever we can do in our
- private or our business sector to help get that information out so that this is a well-informed decision.
- Thank you. Thank you. Anyone else? Now I'll move to comments from any of the council members. Anybody?
- I just want to thank the reorganization committee, all the subcommittees, all the people that spoke,
- All the comments online, all those things were taken seriously and just about everything has
- been incorporated into this plan. And I've just never seen anything like it in this much community
- involvement. Keep up the good work and we will have a successful Ellisville and Richland Township no
- matter which way this goes if we keep the community active and energized over their localities. I think
- we have one more comment.
- Just didn't know what the language will be on the ballot when it comes on the ballot Do we have that
- somewhere? I don't know that we have it just yet. We were proposed. Yes Tell me I've got the packet.
- Tell me where it's at in there Thank you, and it follows the statute exactly and is that packet available
- to the public where they can look at page 45? Yes. Thank you And I guess in closing I'll make one final
- comment This is a significant vote
- I would encourage everyone to ask the questions you need to find out the answers for yourself. Don't
- just believe everything that's floating around because there's a lot of misinformation both pro and
- con out there. This shapes this town's future. This shapes this township's future. So let's all try
- and get it as absolutely right as we can and not just believe a rumor of a rumor of a rumor of a rumor.
- Come and ask one of the two boards, come and ask the
- The committee who put these things together don't just go on third, fourth-hand information. This is
- a very significant vote. Sir, did you have something? Yes, I'd just like to say as far as I'm really
- glad that you guys are going to put it out to the public. I think that this is a Republican government's
- establishment we have, so I'm glad to see you do that. I've been in Richland Township since the early 80s.
- I have taken and built houses all over Monroe County and currently building M&O in County which does
- not have the restrictions Monroe County has And I'm glad to see Ellisville in the Richland Township.
- It encompasses a lot of area and to see that I personally in the last year moved in my house in May
- of last year it took me on a piece of property that I bought had two separate warranty deeds on a share sale and
- It took my wife and I a little over three and a half months to go through planning to prove to them
- that I had two pieces of property, two earning deeds, two legal documents on that piece of property,
- two tax bases. And after researching our personally and getting help with the records department in
- Monroe County, clear back to 1926, they finally agreed that that property was two parcels. And I basically,
- at that time, I've been building, like I said,
- while I've been building most of my life, that I was gonna build it where I didn't really care what
- they thought. But I'm glad to see at least we could have an area that is going to be in control of the
- surrounding community and be a little more favorable. We're talking about an 11 and a half acre piece
- of property and a three and a half acres. Either one would have met minimum requirements at that time.
- But we still went through three to three and a half months to get all of the paperwork and to prove it.
- 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
- so maybe not as much but and come down talk to you guys and at least get it in Richland Township so
- we don't have to deal with the far as I'm concerned the socialist system that Monroe County has and
- I thank you for putting it out to the public thank you sir all right seeing no further business
- Should there be any? We will stand adjourned.