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.