- make it official we are now open for business town Ellsville redevelopment
- Commission I guess we'll stand and say prayer Lord I know that we can't do this
- on our own we need your strength to carry us through the day please give us
- the courage to face any challenges that come our way and resilience to keep
- going when even when it gets tough amen
- 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
- I guess we'll I guess we'll do roll call
- here Dr. hash Trevor Sager Carl Thurman approval of the minutes of March 10th
- 2025 meeting second to have motion would you like to wait for dr. hash or do you
- want to we might as well wait for dr. hash he's in he's in the building yeah we
- haven't taken a roll call so I'm gonna do a roll call for dr. hash present okay
- and then we had a motion from Trevor Sager and a second from Carl Thurman and
- now we'll do a roll call vote for approval of the minutes of the March
- 10th meeting Tom Corman here yes dr. hash approve Trevor Sager yes Carl
- Thurman yes and that was our approval the minutes are we good to go to new
- business correct new business would be review of the TIF management report is
- that someone has expertise would like to fill us in I have expertise but somebody
- who has expertise prepared this so you will recall that there are a number of
- reports due with regard to TIF management management of TIF monies and
- this is a report that Baker Tilley prepared and it's due to be filed with
- the Indiana Department of Local Government finance by tomorrow and as
- you can see there is this is the TIF management annual report and this is the
- report that I had emailed the board members last week or the week before and
- basically it shows that there are total revenues of zero dollars and total
- expenditures of zero dollars but nevertheless because the TIF districts
- had been established we need to file this report with the DLGF by tomorrow so
- the Ellsville Redevelopment Commission minutes need only to reflect that you
- have received the report and that you are passing along to the town council
- and this is an agenda item for them so okay so so based on what we have here
- anybody any questions on this before you okay I see we have reviewed the TIF
- management annual report for the Redevelopment Commission and we we've
- reviewed it with no questions no issues yeah moved to pass it on to the town
- council now you're mean it your minutes just need to reflect that you've
- received it perfect and then it will be passed along to the council uploaded to
- the gateway okay hopefully next year this will look different it won't be zero
- well and hopefully next year we'll know the process so it won't be the day before
- it's all good yeah I understand I wrote some checks out today myself
- apology accepted for the record roll call William Ellis yes all right so if we
- have put that in our minutes next would be discussion of the to clarify the TIF
- parcel numbers legal descriptions descriptions I'm going to turn that back
- over I just wanted to make the board aware that the town had turned over to
- the auditor's office the legal description parcel numbers and maps for
- the proposed TIF districts the auditor found one of the individuals in the
- auditor's office found what she believes to be inconsistencies so I am
- working through those I met with Denise last Thursday for not quite an hour and
- I am working through what the auditor's office perceives to be inconsistencies
- and then I will get with the auditor's office and hopefully we'll figure out by
- the next meeting what we need to do to correct this to make it clear because the
- auditor has found for example in the West Side TIF she says that there were
- parcels that were not listed on the survey exhibit but drew off as being
- within the legal description with regard to the downtown TIF she found again
- parcels not listed on the survey exhibit but drew off as being within the legal
- description she found three or four parcels where the opposite occurred
- listed on the survey exhibit but did not draw off within the legal so I just need
- to figure out how to fix this I don't think that we will need to start all
- over in other words resolution plan Commission town council back to the
- board I think we can just clear it up with a clarifying resolution just so
- that we're all on the same page and as long as we don't have anything contained
- in that resolution that was not already either in the legal description or in
- the parcel list that was passed by this board I think we can just clear it up
- with another resolution so I will get with the auditors office probably we'll
- get back to buying a fan you know and I'll let the board know how we are going
- to fix this yes buying a fan you prepared the legal so it's just
- clarifications all yes it's not like there's an area that was not in the
- legal description and was not in the sketch correct which that correct
- different problem yes yes and a lot of the inconsistencies are like in dot
- right aways so I can kind of see how that would be a problem but anyway we're
- working through it so I just wanted to advise the board of that any other
- questions on the clarification of the parcel numbers legal descriptions I did
- have one one question we had kind of alluded at one point under new business
- that we were going to add additional TIF area that we didn't include initially
- yes to include the land going further east is that correct where or when does
- that become a is it a working meeting or where would that actually come into play
- I think it's kind of wait now and see what happens up north and I mean we could
- call one anytime you want it was talked about a year ago or a few years ago I
- can't remember but you know it's worth exploring that's for sure
- fully established I mean and then we can right no I'm going to parallel you know
- so my thought is it not to add that into this but to not start new and then it'd
- be December of next year and we're saying oh what about that other TIF have
- we paralleled that with some of our work even with a working meeting which we've
- not had sometimes where you sit down and say okay when do we at least want to you
- know figure out where that is and not a priority yeah not it's not right not a
- priority but the thing that we want to get rolling so that it comes along with
- the rest of it so I I just wanted to bring that up and have that open for
- anybody having discussions or how we could do that down the road or if we
- just table it right now with the idea that once this gets clarified that we
- can bring it back up again I just don't know what the difference is if we wait I
- can only assume that if we wait later on to bring in a TIF then as the area is
- developed and it's not part of our TIF then we've we've missed the potential
- revenues to help develop the areas and bring even more stuff along if we wait
- till it's already developed yeah any reason to wait any longer we have to or
- need to yes okay so it'd be on our agenda for sounds fair that that's talk
- about it because we absolutely need to yeah they're doing up north okay well
- sounds good that there's only question I had on new business privilege to the
- floor thoughts discussions rumor mill okay Commissioner comments how was the
- flooding for your place so had they not done all that work along the creek it
- would have been right been chin chin high and I just one of the reasons I'm
- late I was talking some of the figure you'd be here I could talk to you and
- was talking to at the hair place and insurance place talking to them and they
- were showing me the the water line it came up pretty high all the way back and
- I'm thinking as one of the things I think we'll have to discuss before we
- can really we've I don't know if we can get it fixed but it's gonna it could
- really hinder our progress developing this area if we can't have some type of
- plan either through how they're building or whatever to fix this because getting
- a business to come in and having 12 to 15 inches of water that's just not it's a
- no-go right yeah and I want to make it clear no one that I talked to is upset
- at the town for anything I mean they're not like they're just like what what's
- the next the next steps and I think it's an RDC we have to be we almost need to
- lead with that I mean because if we get like way point signs and all this stuff
- that's great but if we have a foot of flooding we just wasted money on things
- that are not going to bring us in a return
- that's right and the first thank you the first the first phase that we've done
- the report said it should help South Street by about 14 inches so it's pretty
- close to what you say the second phase is to go to McNeely and work on McNeely
- bridge we've got a proposal from Christopher Burke might have to get it
- updated but I think for around fifty two thousand dollars they could put together
- the next phase then all we need to do is come up with half million seven or fifty
- thousand dollars and and commits to work we could go back to the county and see
- if they would help us with with the work I mean the bridge at McNeely is somewhat
- of a dam and the fix simplistically said is to put a cup of box culverts in so
- the water doesn't back up and it keeps flowing through that's only will help to
- a certain you know height of flooding but if you know if the first phase did
- what they said was doing and they come up with a second phase that says it will
- do X for flooding downtown yeah we are maybe we ought to go ahead and talk
- about spending some money and getting prepared for phase two and if we're
- prepared then if any money is available which right now swim and none but with
- if and when the time comes we would be prepared right we have a plan yeah phrase
- but so the other thing I'd say is I think when they built the reds only built
- the bridge that's at sale and 46 West now the plan was if it finally got to
- flood stage and backed up it was supposed to go across the bridge on the
- west side that was the overflow that's exactly what it does so anytime you talk
- about flood mitigation no matter what we do Mother Nature will sooner or later
- catch up with and say well try this one so yes you know but I do I do believe I
- mean all I'm interested in is when you want to start that next phase and I
- think the first idea is to spend about 50 grand and get a plan not plans but
- get a plan right ready so we can move forwards then the next question would
- that be an RDC thing or a council thing I think so but it doesn't hurt when the
- sister or brother organizations or boards work in tandem to make recommendations
- yeah it affects us I mean you can't you can't talk about making that downtown a whole new downtown
- and bring in business all these things if it's
- underwater I agree there are there's lots to talk about as soon as I knew it was
- flooding I come out about 1 1 30 and I stayed till about 4 4 30 so I got it I
- got there at the peak and by the time four o'clock come around it was
- receding I mean that's how fast it goes up and down and I had some really good
- videos of how you mitigate building in a flood zone and the church down on Vine
- Street is a real good example of how you can survive heavy flooding like the
- videos just crazy because it looks like it's sitting in the middle of the river
- but I know all their outbuildings that what wasn't built up on stilts didn't do
- as well but anyway there's several things we can do to encourage economic
- development downtown including flood mitigation but we can also there's
- different ways to build it that makes it work I regulate the building some degree
- as far as being prepared for flooding if you're an existing structure like
- Carl's has it you know it's pretty defeating every time this happens and I
- think the last flood was February 7th 2019 which kind of was just like this
- flood yeah Jill was telling me your house just had some water in the basement is
- that a lot of water okay so so if I was to walk all the way down I'd have to
- have a snorkel Wow it's how deep it was okay took out our firm yes I know that
- the furnaces yeah my parents up in Annapolis had that issue that every time
- it flooded pretty much yeah I took took out our furnace water heater washer and
- dryer everything's in the basement it was a remarkable amount of water no
- absolutely and like I want to make I'm not pointing fingers at anybody and
- saying should have what it could or anything and I want to come in the fire
- apartment and police for there's some people that needed to be rescued and
- some of the apartments there so thank you but that was the a lot of the
- questions I've been getting is kind of what are the next steps and and I want
- it's spelled out for us already I mean the original plan had a phase two right
- a phase three so I mean I probably the best time to yes we need to discuss this
- with the council tonight is it is that on your agenda for this evening well now
- soon it would come up it's not on the agenda but pretty sure yeah so is I was
- gonna say it's a good for us to recommend I mean if we're sisters and
- brothers and we're gonna talk about it do we I mean obviously don't do it
- anyways but if it helps to have backup from your other organization wouldn't
- hurt do we want to make a recommendation that wouldn't the council will talk
- about stage okay well I think that we want to make a
- recommendation to the council that they speak about the next phase of what you
- call it water not retention mitigation mitigation flood mitigation verbiage
- you might have something else to add to it I agree I do think we have to be
- careful to manage expectations it'll people know it's mitigation not
- elimination right right yeah with Mother Nature I'm also I can be sure is that
- we're gonna have another rain or another dry spell or another 2008 yes and and so
- a lot of people don't know it but in 95 or 94 Kevin it rained 11 inches just in
- Ellis 95 95 was Gavin added us and it was like in a really short amount of time
- and it literally was a cloud burst that just kept growing wouldn't move kept
- growing and they had 11 inches of rain and it flooded everything obviously
- flooded the sewer plant that's when I didn't call us and said hey we got an
- idea and it's kind of when our company started by the time you tell us so the
- county the county operates it maintains that bridge and that's normal for all
- the bridges and so we obviously have to talk to them I was just thinking I don't
- know that our funds could go toward that good probably not for necessarily the
- bridge but that's why I think Darla recommended the council that sure it
- takes all there's not like whose finger is yeah no it'll benefit the entire town
- yeah absolutely yep you're right that's a big bottleneck for for expanding on the
- west side when you can't get to the west side I know it's just that's just
- occasionally hit-and-miss but yeah yeah it is when people talk about they talk
- about like it's all the time the other idea too is is there anything we can do
- to get ahead because I saw a couple things on I'm a Facebook or a little bit
- on social media and I think they're just a lot of confusion I think a lot of
- people will really care but they're confused on we got a redevelopment
- committee but why isn't this being done the committee the City Council is like
- you said some explanation it's it's understood we're working on it's being
- prepared we understand it we agree but like you said that it can only be
- mitigated it can't be can't be stopped based on where we are from a geographic
- standpoint so I think a lot of people really care but I think they're I think
- there's a lot of confusion on who to point the finger at well and there's
- there doesn't need to be any finger pointing right there's some other nature
- sometimes you get ahead with some type of you know rationale this the City
- Council is aware of this we're working on that and I don't know just suggest I
- like to put out fires before they happen no I I completely understand I mean
- people why don't you guys why haven't you put a flood walls things like that
- and I'm thinking if I mean I'm not an expert on this but if if we're such so
- basic to just put up flood walls I'm sure we would want that option but if
- you put a flood wall just pushing like somebody else right everything you do
- has a reaction yeah and the mitigation definitely seems to help the Chandler
- side of things and I that's yeah I think there was some mud I believe that ran
- across 46 from do you have any information on that like a little mini
- mudslide
- the one place I know of is there was a little on Vine Street a little and then
- there was a little mud in the parking lot of the Presbyterian Church and what
- was reported to me to the foyer of the funeral home from across the highway
- that's yeah that's that's one of the highway and brought some of the mud his
- seven oaks is doing some kind of project there with the fields okay okay so this
- isn't probably a chronic thing just okay yeah any time you have that much rain
- you're gonna have mud somewhere well no yes but correct yeah it was I mean the
- force of the rain was kind of intense crazy I mean it took a lot of the rock
- out of Jackson feet and where our flood mitigation is now there's a creek bed if
- you go down there look and it just laid that rock out like somebody laid it out
- and so it moved from farther up east or south whatever you call it and and
- brought it into it what on Vine Street along along the banks and just laid out
- a whole new creek bed now it's dry of course right but I think the north part
- of town maybe got the most rain by the best I can tell because rat blooded
- really bad and and normally Stewart's Park Stewart Park it doesn't get out of
- its banks like it did this time right and it was it was out more than I've
- ever seen and I even see some damage to the town hall here from the winds I'm
- sorry I said there's even some damage for us here from the winds yeah that was
- yeah so anyway that's all I have to say I'll dig up all the information for I
- might even try to find it before the next meeting I think we have a Christopher
- Burke report in there somewhere I think one of the thing that I was going to
- bring up which is is I'm sure you guys are totally aware of is we had the speed
- limit change from 45 to 35 on Ellisville and I will have to say someone who lives
- on Ellisville and someone's been here at that podium more more than once on the
- speed limits I'm very happy about it I also think for redevelopment I think if
- we want to continue to develop off of 46 and make things expand people are gonna
- be more apt to want to come and do it if they realize it's not so hard to get in
- and out so I know there's been a lot of comment on that too but I'll have to say
- for someone that lives there and sees how to affect your ability to get in and
- out and not feel like you're being rammed every day I'm I appreciate whoever
- pushed pulled and whatever happened to change I think we can get people to slow
- down if we're gonna make this place beautiful especially downtown once the
- mitigation happens we wanted to be going slow enough so they can really see all
- the new things and the signs of the businesses and stop and utilize them so
- yeah and just to be clear you say people sometimes doesn't understand that came
- from a study in 2023 by NDOT and basically I mean we asked them to send
- us why they did it it's bullet points and basically they're doing this in a
- lot of towns that have the same kind of thoroughfare through it and the same
- ingredients for thinking about change in the speed limit and it really boils
- down to pedestrian activity traffic flow it's called a DT or something but it's
- average daily traffic flow and that those were really and crashes and those
- were really some of the that those were the main points of why they did this but
- they didn't do it here it's not specific to Ellitsville it is we're part of a new
- trend a new something new way NDOT does their speed limits in areas like this
- and we're just one of many so it seems like it was pointed towards us just
- because it sometimes is an Indianapolis 500 out there but it was not about that
- I mean it was all that other data so nobody I mean we actually were having a
- meeting that Monday before they changed it on Tuesday with the police and we
- were talking about traffic flow and and some of the people that weren't yielding
- right away since and we got the message while he's having a meeting that the
- next day that is going to change speed limits so that's how that came in I
- texted Mike because I thought it was an April Fool's joke with somebody because it
- was right yeah April 1st is when they put and also realistically it is the
- least expensive thing they can do to address the problems as lights right and
- lights actually will kind of clog up I mean the perfect solution is it's not I
- can't see any way it could be done but State Road 46 has to actually be a road
- not a street there should not be any right hand or turn hand left hands off
- to it it needs to have street stoplights and then frontage roads but I'm not
- kidding when I'm sure that would cost billions because not only would you have
- to do it you would have to eminent domain so many businesses right up along
- road and it would just be the access road yeah I mean it would I don't think we
- have the real estate to do that going forward that's something we probably
- should I mean we need to be really cognizant of that because that actually
- is the best way to continue traffic flow and not confuse streets in a road you
- mean streets for turnoffs right roads are supposed to be from point A to point B
- stoplight to stoplight but we've kind of gotten out of that not just us just I
- think someone had timed it and said it was it took an extra 45 seconds to go
- from one end to the next with a new speed limit you know hitting all the
- lights but it adds less than a minute to your last three minutes late so I'll say
- it's there all right well that's that's off topic but again I knew that's
- something new that happened since we had met I don't have any more new business
- you might as well talk about taxes change we did the privilege to the floor
- anybody else in this last statements make anybody want to feel like they want
- to talk about it I guess that's it right all right if that's the case and no more
- questions no more privilege of the floor this time we'll adjourn the meeting for
- the elsewhere redevelopment Commission for Monday April 14th 2025
- ("Pomp and Circumstance")
- (orchestral music)