- We call to order this special meeting of the Eltsville Town Council Friday, October 17th, 2025. Chief.
- Again, thank you so much for this little town. Thank you for its employees. Just be with us as we choose
- the things we need to do for this town. That's the same Jesus name. Amen. Pledge allegiance to the flag
- of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God,
- indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Roll call whenever you're ready. Scott Willem. Here. Dan
- Swafford. William Ellis. Here. Trevor Sager. Here. Pamela Samples. Action to pay accounts, I'm sorry,
- action to approve the minutes from September 22nd, 2025 meeting. Second. Motion to second, all those
- in favor say aye.
- Aye. Any opposed? Any abstaining? Action to pay accounts payable vouchers and payroll vouchers. So moved.
- Motion second. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstaining? Okay we're gonna move on
- to resolutions and just as a point of note this is a
- special meeting because we had to alter the time for a quorum. However, it is the regular meeting for
- this week for the Ellsville Town Council. There are four resolutions this evening, or this morning.
- First resolution is resolution 29, 2025 to approve the Ripley Annexation Fiscal Plan. At its October
- Plan Commission meeting, the Plan Commission approved the Ripley Annexation, which consists of
- 71.93 acres into the town of Ellitsville, and it was approved five to zero. So what is before you is
- the resolution for the fiscal plan for that annexation. Okay. Questions from Council? Mike, do you want
- to say anything about this? I have nothing to say, but we welcome micro police properly into town is
- what we're looking for.
- Anything from the public? Seeing none, we're back to council. Make a motion to approve resolution 29-2025
- to approve the Ripley annexation fiscal plan. I'll second. Motion to second, roll call when you're ready.
- Scott Oldham? Yes. William Ellis? Yes. Trevor Saker? Yes. Motion passes.
- Next resolution is 30-2025 to increase the labor costs for the Town of Ellsville water utility. Yeah,
- I'll take that. So the utilities and street department, which is now the Department of Public Works,
- we have many pieces of equipment and of course the labor force. And from time to time, we have to repair
- something damaged by maybe another party
- or somebody's asked us to build something that helps them with a construction project and it's an extra
- ordinary charge. So we have a list of equipment and including labor that needs to every once in a while
- be updated. We've waited a long time to update it. Anyway, we have costs associated with each piece
- of equipment and it's based on
- industry standards. So we want to get this approved so we can utilize the list. Okay. Questions from
- council? Anything from the public? Back to council. I make a motion to approve resolution 30-2025 to
- increase the labor costs for the town of Ellisville water utility. Second. Whenever you're ready. Scott
- Oldham? Yes.
- William Ellis? Yes. Chancellor Sager? Yes. Motion passes. Next resolution is 31-2025, a transfer of
- funds for parks. Okay, so we asked to transfer funds out of one line into the material or construction
- line, Noel, which line did? Town improvements. Oh, town improvements, thank you. Which encompasses all
- of the things you would need.
- So anyway, we asked for the transfer. It's funds that are already available to be transferred so we
- can utilize them to finish out some of the pavement and concrete parts of the project for the Heritage
- Center, which I always call the barn. We're just moving the money from one line to another, right? Yes,
- sir. Here we go. Actually, two lines to one. Any questions from council?
- Yes, well, this is this pretty much will be done with it then, or will we be needing more money later
- on? Well, I'd like to say we've come to the point where we will not be asking for any more funds. But
- with all the things that we had to prepare for DNR, we there may be a few more items, but we will keep it within
- reason, but these are the last capital amounts that we'll need. It's a phenomenal project so far, it
- looks wonderful. Yeah, anybody that hasn't been there, I would invite them to call me or Denise and
- we'll walk you through it. It's absolutely beautiful. Any other comments, questions from council? Anything
- from the public? Back to council. Make a move.
- Motion to approve resolution 31-2025, transfer of funds for parks. I'll second. Motion to second, when
- you're ready to move. Scott Oldham? Yes. William Ellis? Yes. Trevor Sager? Yes. Motion passes. Next
- is resolution 32-2025, resolution of the Ellsville Town Council approving a declaratory resolution and
- economic development plan of the town of Ellsville
- Redevelopment Commission to amend the Eltsville Riverfront Economic Development Division and order the
- order of the Eltsville Planning Commission. That is a mouthful. Someone explain it. So in August or
- at its August Redevelopment Commission meeting, the Redevelopment Commission passed a resolution, a
- declaratory resolution to amend the Eltsville Riverfront Economic Development District to just to clarify
- some parcel numbers and legal descriptions.
- That came before the Plan Commission at its October meeting. They approved that plan. It's before the
- Council now. And if you approve that Plan Commission order, it goes back before the Redevelopment Commission
- for a final hearing and a confirmatory resolution. I think I understand that. I'd be happy to try and
- explain it for you. If you would. Okay.
- When the redevelopment commission passed in February of this year, the confirmatory resolution to establish
- two TIP districts, Westside TIP and Downtown or the Riverfront district, the auditor who was handling
- this had some issues with the legal description and the parcel numbers. They didn't necessarily match.
- So there was about 30 or 32 properties that were up in the air with regard to a question mark. We had
- a question mark about it.
- And since then, the auditor has sent me, and I'm happy to send it to town council members if they want
- to see it, what is in the TIP district. So the town, and if you look on Elevate, you'll see TIP districts
- or economic development areas have been established. There's just these properties hanging out that
- we have to do something with, and unfortunately, I shouldn't say unfortunately, it's what the legislature
- wants. If you change your paperwork with regard to the resolution, you have to go through this whole
- process again. So that's why we started with the Redevelopment Commission,
- to amend the downtown district and then you have to go through that whole procedure back to Planning
- Commission, to council, back to RDC. So all we're doing is we're just clarifying, hopefully, for the
- auditor and so that what we thought was in the downtown district will actually be in the downtown district.
- Because again, there was over 100 properties and there was like 30, 32 that there was a question about.
- So so essentially we're just showing up the foundational documents for the statute. Yes, okay Okay,
- not clear other council questions Anything from the public back to council I'll make a motion to approve
- a resolution of the Ellisville town council approving of the court declaration
- How to pronounce that? Declaratory, thank you. Resolution and Economic Development Plan of the Town
- of Ellisville, Redevelopment Commission to amend the Ellisville Riverfront Economic Development District
- in order of the Ellisville Planning Commission. Could we have made that longer? I just took what Darla
- had for the record. I'll second it. Motion and a second, whenever you're ready. Scott Oldham?
- William Ellis? Yes. Trevor Sager? Yes. Motion passes. Next resolution is resolution 33, 2025 to amend
- the pay for Plan Commission, Board of Zoning Appeals, Parks Board, and Redevelopment Commission members.
- I can take this. So when we were going through the budget, we made a couple of changes to all the boards
- We recommended a change from $50 to $100 to all the boards aside from the town board from $50 to $100
- and we included a language that says you must be present to be paid and so that's all this is. And I'd
- like to point out we still have an opening on the BZA and we cannot get somebody to
- set in that seat, and I think in these times, it's important to have public participation, so we like
- to encourage it as best we can. Does this cover council members that are serving on other boards? That
- was gonna be my question. Yes, the way it's written, it does. Yes, and I think there's been some talk
- of amending this
- It's double dipping for council members that are on boards. We get paid pretty well for being on the
- council. And if you're getting paid additionally for going to these other boards, I think that, I mean,
- Trevor and I serve on boards. We're not asking for anything. It's part of our duties as the town council.
- So. I appreciate you taking the lead on that. And I would, I would make a motion to approve, well,
- Yeah, I would approve this with the difference that if you serve on the town council That's your want.
- That's your only pay. Yeah, that's your only pay. That's the town council is considered part of your
- pay I Would agree 100% All right anything from the public Coming back to council for
- Motions or amendments. I'll make a motion to approve the amended amendment to approve, amend the pay
- for Plan Commission Board of Zoning Appeals, Parks Board and Redevelopment Commission members, that
- if you're currently a council member, that your council pay constitutes pay for those boards also. Would
- that be a better way, a good way to say it? I can amend it to reflect that, yes.
- RDC is already like that, but the other boards are not. So this would just be getting the other boards
- in line with what we established for the RDC. Second. Motion to second. Just so I'm clear before I do
- the vote really quick. I understand the amendment. Are you going Darla to revise the resolution or
- The second preamble will state as follows, the Ellsville Town Council has determined it should increase
- the compensation to $100 per meeting for board members on the Ellsville Plan Commission Park Board Board
- of Zoning Appeals and Redevelopment Commission who are not already receiving compensations, town council
- members. And then I'll also modify section one to reflect that language. Perfect, thank you. Okay, now
- for roll call if you're ready, sir.
- So I'm just asking a question here. This affects only the town council members. It would not affect
- other employees who serve on the boards or commission. Just the town council members. Okay, correct.
- All right, I just want to make sure we're clarifying that. Thank you for that. Scott Oldham? Yes. William
- Ellis? Yes. Trevor Sager? Yes. Motion passes. Ordinances on first reading and seeing the first ordinance
- is ordinance 2025-23,
- Recommending the amendment of the schedule of non-recurring charges for tap and meter deposit fees.
- This is something about a bunch. Yes actually the schedule non-recurring charges for tap and meter deposits
- it's pretty simplistic when somebody somebody builds a
- a commercial building or a new home in Ellisville, they need water. They call it a hook on fee when
- they ask for us to hook them onto the system, receive a meter and start paying a monthly bill. We are
- required to not overcharge for that. So there's no, when we create the hook on fee, it's based on materials
- and labor and it's supposed to be a break even. And so we also need to be
- conscious of if we don't charge enough, it affects all of our current customers. So anyway, we have
- a new fee with inflation and labor costs rising. We've just amended this, so we break even.
- and not lose money. So this is what that is. The deposit fees, we raise them to reflect what a meter
- costs in case we lose it and the deposit fee covers that. For those who might question this, this has
- been years in the making that we've talked about this and we have been consistently going well into
- the red for years on these things.
- I'm not keeping up with everybody else. Well, since 2019, inflation has been extraordinary, and so you
- can get behind in six months. We've potentially kept them low to encourage building, but we just can't
- keep going into the red this deeply every year for more and more hook-ons. Yes. Because our rate payers
- pretty much have to subsidize that.
- This is normalizing it across the board for everybody. Other questions, comments on this? Any public
- comment? So in some first reading, it'll come back next meeting. Can we pass this in one setting? I
- recommend that if we could. Okay. Baker-Tilley intends to file a 30-day filing and there's no public
- hearing required on this
- It involves non-recurring charges. Then we can certainly do that if the council so leases. Good.
- We tried. Okay. All right. I move that ordinance number 2025-23 be submitted for first reading, which
- we've already, has that already been submitted or do we? Okay. Be submitted for first reading. Second.
- Motion to second. Roll call, please. Sorry, you can catch up. Scott Oldham. Yes.
- William Ellis. Yes. Trevor Saker. Yes. Motion passes. I move that ordinance number 2025-23 be adopted
- on the same day at which it's introduced. Second. Motion to second. Scott Oldham. Yes. William Ellis.
- Yes. Trevor Saker. Yes. Motion passes. I move that ordinance number 2025-23 be adopted. Second. Motion
- to second. When you're ready.
- Scott Oldham? Yes. William Ellis? Yes. Trevor Saker? Yes. Motion passes. I would like to comment to
- the council that I will be publishing this in the newspaper as soon as I leave this meeting as well.
- Do we put that on the website too or does it follow, just track along? It is on the website in the packet,
- but I'm sure that we can put it separately. Yeah, there's some denotation that we went ahead and passed
- it so it's not, I guess, conflicting with what the newspaper says.
- Okay so we're down to the next one which is ordinance 2025-24 to establish signing authority for community
- crossing matching grants. So the state with new laws that were passed with streets and community crossing
- matching grants before I always had to provide the minutes that showed you had permission to sign but
- now they want to ordinance
- giving you the authority to sign it. And I submit that with the application. And I also submit it if
- we're awarded the grant. And if you would, please, can you do this on one reading? Approve it on one
- reading. Because we have a deadline from the state? Yes. OK. Yeah, I thought that was coming up. OK.
- So seeing that, we're going to kind of handle this as a second reading. So is there comments from council
- on this? Anything from the public on this?
- I guess I would, when we establish the authority, would it be you, Denise? Is that what we'd be doing
- or? And no, it'd be Scott. Scott, okay. He's the signing authority. Okay, all right. Well, town council,
- town council, presidents. Gotcha. Serving as that and the town council. Instead of doing it every single
- time. Right. Got it. All right. Any other comments, questions? All right, now we're to the council for
- some type of motion. I move that ordinance number 2025-24 be submitted for first reading.
- Second. Motion to second. Scott Oldham. Yes. William Ellis. Yes. Trevor Sager. Yes. Motion passes. I
- move that ordinance number 2025-24 be adopted on the same day at which it is introduced. Second. Motion
- to second. Scott Oldham. Yes. William Ellis.
- Yes. Trevor Sager. Yes. Motion passes. Move that ordinance number 2025-24 be adopted. Second. Yes. William
- Ellis. Yes. Trevor Sager. Yes. Motion passes. All right. We'll handle that one the same way, right?
- Noel. Yes, sir. Okay. Thank you. Now we're going to ordinances on second reading. The first is
- Adoption of the budget. So adoption 2026 budget, which is ordinance 2025-21 appropriation of taxes and
- rates. I'm sorry, tax rates. You have something different on your sheet? I have ordinance on second reading.
- the Ripley annexation. That's on there, but the budget. Budget came first. I don't mind flip-flopping
- them, but. I didn't have a budget. Yeah, there's two pages today. Sorry. We got one. Let's do business.
- Noel, do you want to do this now, or do you want to hold this and do it some other time? No. The budget.
- No, my name under a different category.
- No, sir, whatever the council's pleasure. Okay. While we handle this, then we'll get into the briefly
- annexation. Yeah, okay. We're already here, so you're already that? All right, so again, we're gonna
- call adoption 2026 budget, ordinance 2025-21, Appropriations and Tax Rates.
- has changed on it I didn't know if the council had any questions or any additional public comment or
- anything this has been on the website it is also on the gateway the public hearing for this was right
- over a month ago yes sir the
- Budget's fairly tight. I wouldn't say it's a zero increased budget, but as close as we could come. We
- also have failed to be able to afford to replace a policeman that is now currently vacant, and there
- were no raises for our employees. This is in reaction to the SB1 legislation.
- And we anticipate this being the status quo for the next budget as well. Just because it always gets
- asked, this is a funded budget. It is not a balanced budget, correct? Actually, it is a balanced budget.
- Did we finally get to that point where we're completely balanced?
- are able to approve the growth levy appeal. That was my point, yes. Then it would be. If that were not
- to pass, then it would not be a balanced budget. But it would be a funded budget. Correct, yes, sir.
- Yes, okay. Just so everyone understands, because we get that question every year, is it balanced or
- funded? No. Here we are. Other questions, comments? Anything from the public, questions or comments?
- Back to council.
- Make a motion to adopt the 2026 budget ordinance 2025-21 appropriation and tax rates. Second. Motion
- and a second when you're ready. Scott Oldham? Yes. William Ellis? Yes. Trevor Sager? Yes. Motion passes.
- Next ordinance is ordinance 2025-22, the Ripley annexation. Thank you.
- At its meeting on October 2nd, the Plan Commission voted unanimously to forward a favorable recommendation
- to town council for approval of a petition by Michael and Megan Ripley to voluntarily annex three parcels
- totaling 71.93 acres of land. Subject parcels are located at 5711 North Union Valley Road, 4601 West
- McNeely Street, and 4.10 acres next to 4601
- West McNeely Street. This is a super voluntary annexation. Parcels will be located in Council Ward 3.
- Parcels are currently zoned Agricultural Residential by Monroe County and the Planning Commission recommended
- they be designated as Agricultural upon annexation. Petitioner is not present and I'll be happy to answer
- any questions you may have. Questions, comments from Council? Just good job.
- the town, everybody involved with this. Thank you. Anything from the public? Seeing none, back to council.
- I second. Motion and a second when you're ready, Noel. Scott Oldham? Yes. William Ellis? Yes.
- Trevor Saker? Yes. Motion passes.
- We have no old business this morning. We are now moving to new business, the first of which is the growth
- levy appeal petition that we just discussed. So because of our growth over the last three-year average,
- we qualify for the last year of this three-year growth factor. We did include that in the budget to
- get to a balanced budget. If the council had any questions on that, one size
- submit the forms, Baker-Tilley has the rest of the packet together, and we can make sure that you get
- a copy of that, and we can also put it on the website. Questions, comments from council? If I'm not
- mistaken, this is the last year we can do this, correct? Correct, unless legislation changes.
- As of now. Yes. Anything you wanna talk about? Well, yeah, sure. So this is the last year
- take this and then next year's budget when we talk about it.
- extra amount of money that might be left over in this year's budget. If anybody pays attention or reads
- it, it will be gone in the next year and then even worse in 2028. So you will see a balanced budget
- if this is approved and there will be some, we will be in the black. Let's just leave it at that. But
- that money will go away. So anybody that says,
- Well, why didn't you get your police officer or whatever else you needed in 2027? That money won't be
- there anymore because our revenues are sliding down. They're not growing. So just want everybody to
- know what we're dealing with. And we are not the only entity. Every governmental entity in Indiana is
- dealing with this, and it's painful.
- Anything more from council? Anything from the public? Seeing none, back to council. I'll make, is this
- a motion to approve the growth levy appeal? Yes, please. Second. Motion and a second when you're ready.
- Scott Oldham? Yes. William Ellis? Yes. Trevor Sager? Yes. Motion passes.
- The next under new businesses request for permission to hang a sign in the right of way at 113 North
- sale Street. Business today at 113 North sale Street. We're glad to see that and she would like to hang
- a sign over the right away and this is comes under the town Council's approval because it's in right
- away. I provided the specifications for it.
- and her husband Eric Block is able to be here and can answer any questions you may have. Can you talk
- just a little bit about how big and how high? Sure. The sign is going to be three feet across,
- two feet tall. The sign will be nine feet off from the bottom of the sidewalk. American Disabilities
- Act requires a minimum of
- 80 inches of clearance from ground level so it meets that. And it will hang about eight inches from
- where it's attached to the building. If we do approve this, they will still get signed permit approval
- then. Questions, comments from council? I was asking both Denise probably this isn't, I mean,
- just looking at it, I can't see it, but if there's something I'm missing where it would interfere with
- anybody turning or driving on Sale Street and buying. It's high and yeah, I really, but I'm not the
- expert, so. Okay. Anyone else want to speak to this? Seeing none, back to council. Make a motion to
- approve the request
- To hang a sign in the right-of-way at 113 North Sale Street second motion a second Yes, William Ellis,
- yes Yes Next under new businesses request to authorize town manager to sign the Duke easement for Harmon
- Farms development
- In any event, you will recall that Chris Smith is working on a development at Harmon Farms and just
- south of the development is Wells Park and he needs to have an easement go through the town's property
- for the benefit of that development.
- So that's the purpose of this easement document. Duke prepared it and Duke needs to have this easement
- signed or Chris needs to have Mr. Smith needs to have an easement signed so he can continue with his
- development. And you will recall also that this is close to the section. We did a land swap with Mr.
- Smith, the town, and Mr. Smith did a land swap a few months ago.
- And May of 2024, Richland beam blossom school corporation deeded to the town as 60 foot right away that
- would allow basically parents to get their kids from hard farms to the school. And then continuing on
- from that 60 foot right away is the land swap
- where Mr. Smith or Harmon Farms is going to give to the town some land and in exchange the town cut
- off a little corner of Wells Park and give it to Harmon Farms. But this utility easement is pretty close
- to where that land swap occurred, if that helps you visualize it. But it is in Wells Park, the easement
- is going through Wells Park.
- I have nothing to say except I'd like to be able to sign this and keep business around here efficient
- and timely. Motions from council or discussion from council? Is there a motion? I make a motion to approve
- the request to authorize the town manager to sign the Duke easement for Harmon Farms Development.
- I'll second. Motion to second. When you're ready to vote. Scott Levin? Yes. William Ellis?
- Yes. Motion passes. While it's not necessarily listed on the agenda, I'm sorry, it is. Privilege of
- the floor. Anyone have any business for the council not part of this morning's agenda? Seeing none,
- we'll move into supervisor comments. Go lose yours at 3.30 tomorrow. You better clean out your gutters
- and your ditches.
- And there's going to be wind involved. Wind. Okay, it's all got. There may not be tornadoes, but the
- chance of tornadoes is not zero. So be careful. Moving on from the cherry part of today. Yes. Deputy Chief.
- Monumental event this afternoon. We're going to be putting the bull back up on the barn The original
- cow goes back up it does Several members of the public will be quite excited for that. Yeah, and It's
- been a nice question guys. I'm just saying they were concerned Yeah, so we're we're very close and we'll
- let everybody know when it's open and
- I think we need to let PETA know it's not a real cow. Council comments? Anything from the council? Nothing?
- At this point I know no further business for the council. We stand adjourned.