WEBVTT 00:00:00.994 --> 00:00:08.536 - Welcome everyone. I would like to call tonight's meeting of the Monroe County Council to order. It is 00:00:08.536 --> 00:00:16.152 - a beautiful evening here in Monroe County. It is Tuesday, October the 20th, and I want to note for the 00:00:16.152 --> 00:00:23.915 - record that those present here are Kate Wiltz, David Henry, Liz Fiddle, Trent Deckard, and myself, Peter 00:00:23.915 --> 00:00:30.718 - Iverson. We do not expect the other two to join us tonight, so those present will be at the 00:00:31.298 --> 00:00:43.998 - leave. We are going to look at the agenda tonight. 00:00:44.162 --> 00:00:51.065 - The agenda is available for everyone on the county's website. That's in.gov slash county slash Monroe. 00:00:51.065 --> 00:00:58.035 - And you can find the same agenda that we're looking at as well as the packet in case you want to follow 00:00:58.035 --> 00:01:04.737 - along with all the details. Council, does anyone wish to amend tonight's agenda? Council, I move to 00:01:04.737 --> 00:01:09.630 - add item eight, a discussion regarding the 2026 general obligation bond. 00:01:16.546 --> 00:01:26.916 - We have a motion and a second. Is there any further discussion on tonight's agenda? All right, all those 00:01:26.916 --> 00:01:37.188 - in favor of adopting tonight's agenda, please say aye. All those opposed? The ayes have it unanimously. 00:01:37.188 --> 00:01:39.262 - So council, tonight, 00:01:39.810 --> 00:01:46.556 - is the second reading and adoption for the 2027 budgets for the Monroe Fire Protection District, the 00:01:46.556 --> 00:01:53.303 - Monroe County Public Library, the Waste Reduction District, and of course, Monroe County Government. 00:01:53.303 --> 00:02:00.250 - We're glad you're joining us here in the NatU Hill Room, or for those of you joining us on Teams, thank 00:02:00.250 --> 00:02:06.462 - you for joining us as well. So that brings us to item number three on this evening's agenda. 00:02:06.850 --> 00:02:14.921 - As a reminder, Ordinance 2026-29, Monroe Fire Protection District 2027 budgets was read in full at the 00:02:14.921 --> 00:02:22.757 - October 6th meeting. Given that there are no changes to the budgets, we will not read the ordinance 00:02:22.757 --> 00:02:26.910 - in its entirety unless requested by a Councilmember. 00:02:37.954 --> 00:02:47.886 - I'm sorry, should I start again? I'm sorry. Council, I move to approve ordinance 2026-29, the Monroe 00:02:47.886 --> 00:02:57.917 - Fire Protection District 2027 budgets. Second. We have a motion and a second. Are there any questions 00:02:57.917 --> 00:02:59.294 - from council? 00:03:06.082 --> 00:03:15.138 - we're not taking are we taking question public comment on on these budgets okay is there any public 00:03:15.138 --> 00:03:24.284 - comment on the Monroe County fire protection district budget here in that you hill or on team simply 00:03:24.284 --> 00:03:31.710 - raise your hand seeing none may we please have a roll call vote counselor Iverson 00:03:35.138 --> 00:03:44.263 - Councilor Wilts? Yes. Councilor Henry? Yes. Councilor Decker? Yes. Motion passes unanimous five to zero. 00:03:44.263 --> 00:03:53.128 - Thank you so much council. Thank you to the Monroe County Fire Protection District for all their work 00:03:53.128 --> 00:03:59.038 - in this community. This leads us to item number four on our agenda. 00:03:59.778 --> 00:04:09.316 - Council as a reminder, ordinance 2026-30, Monroe County Public Library 2027 budgets was read in full 00:04:09.316 --> 00:04:19.515 - at the October 6th meeting. Given that there are no changes to the budgets, we will not read this ordinance 00:04:19.515 --> 00:04:28.958 - in its entirety unless requested by a council member. Council, I move to approve ordinance 2026-30, 00:04:29.058 --> 00:04:37.896 - the Monroe County Public Library, 2027 budgets. Second. We have a motion and a second. Are there any 00:04:37.896 --> 00:04:47.084 - questions from council on ordinance 2026-30 for the Monroe County Public Library? Seeing none, are there 00:04:47.084 --> 00:04:56.097 - any public comments either here in the historic NatU Hill Room or on Teams? Seeing none, may we please 00:04:56.097 --> 00:04:58.110 - have a roll call vote? 00:05:06.722 --> 00:05:14.853 - Councilor Henry? Yes. Councilor Decker? Yes. Councilor Iverson? Yes. Motion passes unanimous five zero. 00:05:14.853 --> 00:05:23.141 - Thank you so much. Thank you. This leads us to item number five on our agenda. This is the second reading 00:05:23.141 --> 00:05:31.272 - and approval ordinance 2026-31. And council as a reminder again, this ordinance 2026-31 waste reduction 00:05:31.272 --> 00:05:36.510 - district 2027 budgets was read in full at the October 6th meeting. 00:05:36.866 --> 00:05:45.510 - Given that there are no changes to this budget, we will not read the ordinance in its entirety unless 00:05:45.510 --> 00:05:54.493 - requested by a council member. Council, I move to approve ordinance 2026-31, the waste reduction district 00:05:54.493 --> 00:06:03.476 - of Monroe County, 2027 budgets. Second. We have a motion and a second. Council, do you have any questions 00:06:03.476 --> 00:06:05.086 - about this budget? 00:06:07.938 --> 00:06:16.639 - Seeing none, we'll go to the public. Are those in the NatU Hill Room or those on Teams? Please raise 00:06:16.639 --> 00:06:25.512 - your hand if you have any questions about or statements about this budget. Hearing none, may we please 00:06:25.512 --> 00:06:34.127 - have a roll call vote? Councilor Wilts? Yes. Councilor Henry? Yes. Councilor Decker? Yes. Councilor 00:06:34.127 --> 00:06:36.798 - Iverson? Yes. Councilor Feige? 00:06:37.698 --> 00:06:46.301 - Motion passes unanimous five zero. Next we move on to item number six in tonight's agenda. Council as 00:06:46.301 --> 00:06:55.157 - a reminder at the October 13th meeting council directed the auditor to adjust the levies to ensure funds 00:06:55.157 --> 00:07:03.676 - for 2027 would be sufficiently funded. I would like to ask Councillor Deckard read the first half of 00:07:03.676 --> 00:07:06.206 - the updated ordinance 2026-32 00:07:06.338 --> 00:07:20.469 - of the Monroe County Government 2027 budgets. And then I request that Councilor Feidl read the second 00:07:20.469 --> 00:07:34.878 - half called the home ruled funds portion. Councilor Feidl, would you please make the motion to approve? 00:07:36.514 --> 00:07:49.866 - No, it's okay. Okay, government 2027 budgets. Second. All right, we have a motion and a second. And 00:07:49.866 --> 00:08:04.286 - so I would ask Councilor Decker to begin. Testing. Okay. The remainder of ordinance resolution number 2026, 00:08:04.418 --> 00:08:14.659 - and the preceding clause remains the same. These tables have changed. I'll read them now. Fund code 00:08:14.659 --> 00:08:24.900 - 0061, rainy day, adopted budget, $3 million, adopted tax levy, $0, adopted tax rate, 000. Fund code 00:08:24.900 --> 00:08:29.406 - 0101, general, adopted budget, $49 million, 00:08:29.954 --> 00:08:37.793 - million eighty five that pardon me yeah forty nine million eighty five thousand three hundred twenty 00:08:37.793 --> 00:08:45.710 - five dollars adopted tax levy thirty five million dollars adopted tax rate zero point three seven one 00:08:45.710 --> 00:08:53.471 - three fun code zero one zero two election registration one million adopted budget one million seven 00:08:53.471 --> 00:08:58.206 - hundred fifty thousand nine hundred dollars adopted tax levy 00:08:58.306 --> 00:09:18.389 - $2,100,000 adopted tax rate 0.0223. Fund code 0124-2015 reassessment. Adopted budget $916,640. Adopted 00:09:18.389 --> 00:09:27.358 - tax levy $1 million. Adopted tax rate 0.0106. 00:09:28.834 --> 00:09:47.921 - Fund code 0180, debt service. Adopted budget $9,454,400. Adopted tax levy $18,758,067. Adopted tax rate 00:09:47.921 --> 00:09:55.262 - 0.1990. Fund code 0203, self-insurance. 00:09:55.586 --> 00:10:12.719 - Adopted budget, $12,509.00, pardon me, $12,509,960.00. Adopted tax levy, $0.00. Adopted tax rate, 0.0000. 00:10:12.719 --> 00:10:20.478 - Funds, 0.254, local income tax. Adopted budget, 00:10:20.642 --> 00:10:37.038 - $4,530,089. Adopted tax levy, $0.00. Adopted tax rate, 0.0000. Fund code, 0256, public safety local 00:10:37.038 --> 00:10:39.006 - income tax. 00:10:39.106 --> 00:10:58.302 - Adopted budget $4,176,508. Adopted tax levy $0.00. Adopted tax rate 0.000000. 0616 Convention and Visitors Bureau. 00:10:58.818 --> 00:11:16.222 - Adopted budget, $6,187,742. Adopted tax levy, $0.00. Adopted tax rate, 0.0000. Fund code, 0702 Highway. 00:11:16.738 --> 00:11:33.586 - Adopted budget, $6,626,647. Adopted tax levy, $0.00. Adopted tax rate, 0.0000. Fun code, 0706, local 00:11:33.586 --> 00:11:40.926 - road and street. Adopted budget, pardon me. 00:11:42.818 --> 00:12:02.212 - Adopted budget, $1,720,007. Adopted tax levy, $0.00. Adopted tax rate, 0.000. Fund code, 0790 cumulative 00:12:02.212 --> 00:12:08.862 - bridge. Adopted budget, $1,819,376. 00:12:10.050 --> 00:12:33.134 - Adopted tax levy $2,357,553. Adopted tax rate 0.0213. 0792 County Major Bridge. Adopted budget $9,434,058. 00:12:33.134 --> 00:12:39.390 - Adopted tax levy $3,685,751. 00:12:40.322 --> 00:13:03.589 - Adopted tax rate, 0.0333. Fund code, 0801-HELP. Adopted budget, $1,183,572. Adopted tax levy, $788,000. 00:13:03.589 --> 00:13:09.406 - Adopted tax rate, 0.0084. 00:13:11.554 --> 00:13:25.324 - All right, Fun Code 1310, non-reverting park, non-reverting capital, adopted budget $100,000. Adopted 00:13:25.324 --> 00:13:39.230 - tax levy, $0.00. Adopted tax rate, 0.0000. Fun Code 2102, aviation airport, adopted budget $1,679,089. 00:13:39.586 --> 00:13:56.899 - Adopted tax levy, $1,400,000. Adopted tax rate, 0.0149. Final Code 2391, cumulative capital development. 00:13:56.899 --> 00:14:06.462 - Adopted budget, $3,211,000. Adopted tax levy, $3,685,751. 00:14:06.946 --> 00:14:23.551 - Adopted tax rate, 0.0333. Fund code, 2402, economic development. Adopted budget, $9,496,413. 00:14:23.551 --> 00:14:32.478 - Adopted tax levy, $0.00. Adopted tax rate, 0.000. 00:14:33.058 --> 00:14:56.293 - And then I'll read the totals here for adopted budget would be $126,881,726. Adopted tax levy, $68,775,122. 00:14:56.293 --> 00:15:01.886 - Adopted tax rate, 0.7144. 00:15:03.458 --> 00:15:09.669 - So are you gonna announce it? Okay. Thank you Mr. Deckard. Thank you Mr. Deckard for reading. We're 00:15:09.669 --> 00:15:15.880 - having some microphone issues so we're gonna take a short break here to allow technical services to 00:15:15.880 --> 00:15:17.246 - reset the microphone. 00:16:34.594 --> 00:16:57.507 - I grabbed a cherry diet coke. I have my Weibo wobble bottle. Oh, yeah, yeah. It matches your shirt almost. 00:16:57.507 --> 00:17:04.574 - M&Ms. You know, we've met, Kyla. 00:17:04.738 --> 00:17:15.838 - Councilmember Henry a second to come back. 00:17:37.314 --> 00:17:57.278 - Nobody needs to invite me back into the meeting. Thank you. All right. Check one, two. 00:17:58.594 --> 00:18:05.192 - All right, we are back. Thank you for giving us that brief little intermission to reset the technology. 00:18:05.192 --> 00:18:11.599 - I think this will work better for those of you who are watching on Teams or watching this recording. 00:18:11.599 --> 00:18:18.070 - You can hear us a little bit better. So we just had Council Member Deckard read the first half of the 00:18:18.070 --> 00:18:24.731 - Mineral County budget. And now we will look to Council Member Feidl to read the home-ruled funds portion 00:18:24.731 --> 00:18:28.030 - of the Mineral County government budget. All right. 00:18:28.482 --> 00:18:39.098 - Fund code 9-5-0-0, extradition and sheriff's assistance, fund name, adopted budget 0. Fund code 9-5-0-1, 00:18:39.098 --> 00:18:49.713 - surveyor's corner perpetuation, that's the fund name. I'll try to get better at this. The adopted budget 00:18:49.713 --> 00:18:58.206 - is $89,966. Fund code 9-5-0-2, the fund name is local public health services, 1161, 00:18:58.562 --> 00:19:17.869 - Adopted budget is $1,167,000 and $762. Fund code 9503, fund name Monroe County 911 fund. The adopted 00:19:17.869 --> 00:19:28.382 - budget is $688,730. Fund code 9505, fund name auditors 00:19:28.482 --> 00:19:45.757 - Ineligible deductions. Adopted budget $348,648. Fund code 9507. Community corrections fees 1122. That's 00:19:45.757 --> 00:19:56.222 - the fund name. The adopted budget is $117,503. Fund code 9508. 00:19:56.610 --> 00:20:09.729 - The fund name is user fee, jury pay. The adopted budget is $38,000. Fund code 9509, user fees, juvenile 00:20:09.729 --> 00:20:22.974 - probation 2150 is the fund name, and the adopted budget is $7,079. Fund code 9510, fund name, user fees, 00:20:22.974 --> 00:20:25.118 - adult probation, 00:20:25.474 --> 00:20:51.742 - 2100. The adopted budget is $119,403. Code 9512, supplemental PD services. Adopted budget is $1,022,838. 00:20:53.858 --> 00:21:09.064 - Code 9513. Clerk's name is Clerk's Record Perpetuation. The adopted budget is $103,193. Fund code 9514. 00:21:09.064 --> 00:21:21.054 - The fund name is User Fees Diversion slash Prosecutor. Adopted budget is $95,437. 00:21:22.242 --> 00:21:36.276 - Fund code 9515. The fund name is user fees, court, alcohol, drug. The adopted budget is $270,175. Fund 00:21:36.276 --> 00:21:50.718 - code 9516. The fund name is local health maintenance. And the adopted budget is $190,089. Fund code 9517. 00:21:51.298 --> 00:22:04.249 - The fund name is Emergency Planning Right to Know. Adopted budget is $25,950. Fund code 9519, misdemeanor 00:22:04.249 --> 00:22:15.611 - slash, I presume that's community corrections, and the adopted budget is $128,500. Fund code 00:22:15.611 --> 00:22:20.254 - 9521, alternative dispute resolution, 00:22:20.802 --> 00:22:30.903 - is the fund name and the adopted budget is $27,700. Fund code 9522, the fund name is sales disclosure 00:22:30.903 --> 00:22:41.401 - county share, is $8 in the adopted budget. Fund code 9523, the fund name conventioners, visitors, capital 00:22:41.401 --> 00:22:47.838 - improvement and maintenance, and the adopted budget is $100,000. 00:22:48.930 --> 00:23:03.076 - Fund code 9524. Fund name County Offender Transportation. The adopted budget is $2,500. Fund code 9525. 00:23:03.076 --> 00:23:17.630 - And the fund name is Local Health Department Trust Account. The adopted budget is $35,420. Fund code 9526. 00:23:18.786 --> 00:23:32.230 - The fund name is user fees, problem solving courts, and the adopted budget is $22,544. Fund code 9527. 00:23:32.230 --> 00:23:45.282 - The fund name is West Side Economic Development, Richland Township, TIFF. And the adopted budget is 00:23:45.282 --> 00:23:46.718 - $2 million 00:23:46.818 --> 00:24:04.446 - $2,572,000 and $692. Fund code 9528. And the fund name is 46th Corridor Economic Development Bloomington 00:24:04.446 --> 00:24:15.358 - Township TIF. And the adopted budget is $67,001. Fund code 9529. 00:24:15.490 --> 00:24:28.140 - Name is Fullerton Pike Economic Development TIF with an adopted budget of $388,001. Fund code 9530 with 00:24:28.140 --> 00:24:40.791 - a fund name of Platt Book and the adopted budget is $500. Fund code 9531 with a fund name of Convention 00:24:40.791 --> 00:24:43.710 - Center Operating, 4005. 00:24:43.842 --> 00:24:56.657 - with an adopted budget of zero. Fund code 9532 with a fund name of user fees cable franchise with an 00:24:56.657 --> 00:25:09.472 - adopted budget of zero. Fund code 9533 with fund name of firearms training with an adopted budget of 00:25:09.472 --> 00:25:13.278 - $100,000. Fund code 9534 with 00:25:14.818 --> 00:25:27.311 - with a fund name of Sheriff K9-4108 with an adopted budget of $4,500. Fund code 9535 with the fund name 00:25:27.311 --> 00:25:39.443 - of PSAP Interlocal with an adopted budget of $4 million. Fund code 9543 with the fund name of Public 00:25:39.443 --> 00:25:42.686 - Health Emergency Fund with 00:25:43.010 --> 00:25:53.622 - a adopted budget of $2. Fund code 9544 with a fund name of identification security protection with a 00:25:53.622 --> 00:26:04.865 - adopted budget of $18,000. Fund code 9548 with a fund name of not, excuse me, park non-reverting operating 00:26:04.865 --> 00:26:08.542 - with a adopted budget of $300,000. 00:26:10.914 --> 00:26:25.068 - Fund code 9551, with a fund name of Recorders Records Perpetuation, with an adopted budget of $572,793. 00:26:25.068 --> 00:26:38.949 - Fund code 9552, with a fund name of Stormwater Management, with an adopted budget of $3,416,689. Fund 00:26:38.949 --> 00:26:40.446 - code 9559. 00:26:40.994 --> 00:26:51.971 - with a fund name of county elected officials training with an adopted budget of $24,000. Fund code 9564 00:26:51.971 --> 00:27:02.527 - with a fund name of Sheriff's Sale Administration with an adopted budget of $54,000. Fund code 9569 00:27:02.527 --> 00:27:10.654 - with a fund name of aviation construction with an adopted budget of $51,251. 00:27:11.554 --> 00:27:25.894 - Fund code 9571 with the fund name of Lane Mile Direct Distribution 1242 with an adopted budget of $421,932. 00:27:25.894 --> 00:27:39.173 - Fund code 9580 with a fund name of Lit Correctional Rehab Facilities 1233 with an adopted budget of 00:27:39.173 --> 00:27:40.766 - $3,242,151. 00:27:41.794 --> 00:27:54.230 - Fund code 9585 with a fund name of Donations Youth Shelter with an adopted budget of $2,250. Fund code 00:27:54.230 --> 00:28:06.304 - 9586, Donations Emergency Management with a budget, adopted budget of $1,628. Fund code 9587 with a 00:28:06.304 --> 00:28:11.134 - fund name of Donations Veterans Affairs 00:28:11.586 --> 00:28:25.113 - 4114 with an adopted budget of $160. Fund code 9588 with the fund name of federal award title IBD with 00:28:25.113 --> 00:28:38.902 - a adopted budget of $58,518. Fund code 9589 with a fund name of Curry Profile TIF with an adopted budget 00:28:38.902 --> 00:28:40.478 - of $15,000. 00:28:41.410 --> 00:28:52.409 - Fund code 9590 with a fund name of Donations Safe Place with a budget, adopted budget of $1,000. Fund 00:28:52.409 --> 00:29:03.300 - code 9591 with a fund name of Donations Sheriff's Department with an adopted budget of $12,000. Fund 00:29:03.300 --> 00:29:09.662 - code 9592 with a fund name of Donations Prevention General 00:29:10.530 --> 00:29:23.409 - with an adopted budget of $1,495. Fund code 9593 with the fund name of donations BTCC with an adopted 00:29:23.409 --> 00:29:36.918 - budget of $11,800. Fund code 9598 with the fund name of donations parks with an adopted budget of $200,000 00:29:36.918 --> 00:29:38.686 - and the total 00:29:38.946 --> 00:29:48.631 - for the adopted budget is $20,138,808. Thank you so much Council Member Feidl for reading the home ruled 00:29:48.631 --> 00:29:57.855 - funds portion of the county budget. Now that we've read all of those funds and their rates into the 00:29:57.855 --> 00:30:06.526 - record, I'm gonna look to council for any comments or statements that they would like to make 00:30:06.626 --> 00:30:13.386 - on this budget, then I'll go to the public for any comments or statements that they would like to make. 00:30:13.386 --> 00:30:20.081 - So council members, would anybody like to make a statement on this year's budget? All right, go ahead. 00:30:20.081 --> 00:30:27.166 - Council member Deckard, please lead us off. Well, I hate to have long comments and I never draft things out. 00:30:27.522 --> 00:30:35.680 - for this for very specific reasons. But I made some notes I wanted to kind of remark upon with this 00:30:35.680 --> 00:30:43.919 - budget, which I believe is heading towards adoption this evening. If it's not, then I'm sorely worse 00:30:43.919 --> 00:30:52.404 - at this job than when I first started back in January of 2019. If things in life go to plan and current 00:30:52.404 --> 00:30:55.422 - events kind of tell me that it will, 00:30:55.522 --> 00:31:00.382 - This may be the last budget I work on from this side of the table. 00:31:00.450 --> 00:31:06.408 - as a council member. And as I think about what is happening in this budget, I think a lot to 00:31:06.408 --> 00:31:12.942 - some fundamentals I come back to every time and where I was in 2019 when I first looked at one of our 00:31:12.942 --> 00:31:19.477 - budgets. And I just want to kind of compare some things and talk about it just for a second. In 2019, 00:31:19.477 --> 00:31:25.883 - when Councilor Wilts and I started together in January, although she has about 13 days seniority on 00:31:25.883 --> 00:31:28.510 - me, she remembers that, let me tell you. 00:31:28.930 --> 00:31:36.059 - we started that the state funding landscape at that time seemed a little bit more stable than what it 00:31:36.059 --> 00:31:43.048 - does now. Things that she and I talk a lot about up here and kind of our cross talk about home rule 00:31:43.048 --> 00:31:50.247 - funds and this and what you do and what the legislature might tweak or not. That was a little bit more 00:31:50.247 --> 00:31:58.494 - stable. We were in a period of lower inflation. Costs were a little bit predictable. Costs for construction were much 00:31:58.882 --> 00:32:06.163 - more manageable and predictable. But sitting in 2019, we had no idea what was going to happen in 2020. 00:32:06.163 --> 00:32:13.586 - And when I think about those comparisons, I think things are there. Workforce dynamics in 2019, counties 00:32:13.586 --> 00:32:20.655 - were preparing for a time where they were unstable with what they could recruit and what they could 00:32:20.655 --> 00:32:25.886 - do. And we've gone through several periods of kind of upheaval with that. 00:32:26.082 --> 00:32:32.646 - Largely, as we do in this budget, we're trying to continue to invest in our employees best that we can. 00:32:32.646 --> 00:32:39.147 - I have a historical memory of when councils, not this council, but councils way back could not do that 00:32:39.147 --> 00:32:45.458 - for a variety of reasons, some their will, some the forces that they were dealing with. And I think 00:32:45.458 --> 00:32:49.182 - any budget that has a year where there is a COLA in there, 00:32:49.602 --> 00:32:56.021 - of any amount is a strong star. It could always be better. But the fact that this council is thinking 00:32:56.021 --> 00:33:02.313 - actively on that always makes me feel better about some of the work that we're doing as we continue 00:33:02.313 --> 00:33:08.858 - to battle forward and figuring out how to best take care of our folks who take care of public services. 00:33:08.858 --> 00:33:15.150 - Thinking again to 2019, some of the same issues then have become maybe a little bit more difficult, 00:33:15.150 --> 00:33:17.982 - right? Affordability, housing affordability. 00:33:18.594 --> 00:33:25.146 - affordability period. I think about my own home affordability, mental health issues, substance use issues, 00:33:25.146 --> 00:33:31.330 - judicial facilities that we are still talking about and still trying to figure out. Now we have more 00:33:31.330 --> 00:33:37.636 - parties involved in all those things. We've had elected official turnover. We've had departmental head 00:33:37.636 --> 00:33:41.310 - turnover. We've got all of those things that are happening. 00:33:41.570 --> 00:33:48.090 - At the same time as I look at this budget, and I think back to those times, we absolutely then, as we 00:33:48.090 --> 00:33:54.673 - absolutely now, do not have much of a mind towards what is gonna happen in our future. In this budget, 00:33:54.673 --> 00:34:01.065 - the minute it is passed, and again, I think it's heading for that tonight, the minute it is passed, 00:34:01.065 --> 00:34:07.713 - it will be wrong in some way, and we will start correcting it, maybe even the next meeting. The auditor 00:34:07.713 --> 00:34:09.694 - often will come in and have a, 00:34:09.922 --> 00:34:16.458 - correction of some sort or the other or there'll be something that we didn't do or we didn't get some 00:34:16.458 --> 00:34:22.866 - detail right. And so I would say to any member of this body or the public, if there's something you 00:34:22.866 --> 00:34:29.530 - did not like here, don't worry. We'll come back to it again and again from multiple sides of the table. 00:34:29.530 --> 00:34:32.350 - I will say I have a mind for something that 00:34:32.866 --> 00:34:40.208 - I'm thinking more like I was in 2019 or I should have been in 2019 towards 2020 is I have some fears 00:34:40.208 --> 00:34:47.549 - on economic uncertainty that may grip our community. I have some fears on state and local government 00:34:47.549 --> 00:34:55.109 - law uncertainty on how things are going to work. And I think that that's going to continue to be before 00:34:55.109 --> 00:34:56.926 - us. I also think that we 00:34:57.026 --> 00:35:02.581 - With leadership transitions, with things going on, the mandate is still there that somebody goes to 00:35:02.581 --> 00:35:08.191 - a counter and they get service in a community and they get those things and everyone here is treated 00:35:08.191 --> 00:35:13.968 - with dignity, that they're treated with access and they're treated with affordability. Now I don't have 00:35:13.968 --> 00:35:19.634 - to say that in talking about this budget any more than anything else because the reality is every one 00:35:19.634 --> 00:35:22.078 - of our counters will open up in the morning 00:35:22.178 --> 00:35:28.419 - and departments will figure out how to do that. And I think that for our challenge on this budget is 00:35:28.419 --> 00:35:34.846 - recognizing the minute is past, what else still needs to be done? How do we get to the bigger questions 00:35:34.846 --> 00:35:41.643 - in our community? How do we still take care of the things that we need to take care of? And more importantly, 00:35:41.643 --> 00:35:43.806 - friends, how do we do it together? 00:35:44.386 --> 00:35:49.850 - because the way that we are structured doesn't permit much of anything else. And so the ledger of what 00:35:49.850 --> 00:35:55.314 - we deal with, that keeps changing. The circumstances keep changing. It's the things in the future that 00:35:55.314 --> 00:36:00.672 - always give me the most heartburn, but we will do what we always do. We'll react to it, we'll adjust 00:36:00.672 --> 00:36:06.136 - to it, and we'll move forward. And so for those that there's something you love about this budget, try 00:36:06.136 --> 00:36:11.548 - to hold onto it. For those that there's something we want to fix, let's do it together and figure out 00:36:11.548 --> 00:36:13.086 - how we get there from there. 00:36:13.474 --> 00:36:19.456 - and I think that's all I have to say. Thank you. Councilmember Deckard. Are there other council members 00:36:19.456 --> 00:36:25.437 - that would like to speak on this 2027 budget? Councilmember Henry. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, 00:36:25.437 --> 00:36:31.304 - members of council. Thank you, staff, for another budget season and working us through to this point. 00:36:31.304 --> 00:36:37.228 - And I appreciate Councilor Deckard's, I don't know how to call it, a valedictory at this point. We may 00:36:37.228 --> 00:36:42.462 - have a few more of those coming between now and the end of December, but thank you for the 00:36:42.626 --> 00:36:50.008 - the sagely words there as someone who's been through this a few times. I've given a lot of thought to 00:36:50.008 --> 00:36:57.027 - this over the past few weeks about how we've moved through our budget. It does get the job done. 00:36:57.027 --> 00:37:04.699 - On a menu, it would be a ham sandwich. It still delivers, it fills up, it gets the job done in our county 00:37:04.699 --> 00:37:11.646 - with the resources that we have. When I think ahead to next year and I think even the next day, 00:37:11.842 --> 00:37:18.456 - Yeah, there are things that continue to be. We need to continue to refine as as our revenue changes 00:37:18.456 --> 00:37:25.600 - as our circumstances change with the state to make sure that we are proactive and how we address challenges 00:37:25.600 --> 00:37:29.502 - in the community and instead of reactive when they happen. 00:37:29.602 --> 00:37:35.612 - It always seems to me that we can find money in our account lines, especially this time of year when 00:37:35.612 --> 00:37:41.682 - money is moving around with reversions. We see a lot of in-house transfers, like we talked about last 00:37:41.682 --> 00:37:47.692 - week, that we pass a budget where a line item seems to be $50,000 and we discover through the ledger 00:37:47.692 --> 00:37:54.000 - it changes mightily over a year. I don't look at that as a flexibility point. I look at it as a challenge 00:37:54.000 --> 00:37:58.046 - to say that maybe we're not budgeting right in account lines still. 00:37:58.146 --> 00:38:03.868 - that if we have so much flexibility in our ledger that we can move money around for purchases that we're 00:38:03.868 --> 00:38:09.754 - not discussing those purchases in a public setting. And those are things I think we need to start surfacing 00:38:09.754 --> 00:38:15.258 - in future budgets. It's good accountability and transparency to the public. It also help us find the 00:38:15.258 --> 00:38:20.817 - resources we need for emergent challenges. I think, again, we've met the measure of what we needed to 00:38:20.817 --> 00:38:26.267 - do this year. Budgets have been presented by departments for what they need to operate or what they 00:38:26.267 --> 00:38:27.902 - project they need to operate. 00:38:28.002 --> 00:38:34.574 - But when it comes to, when we as elected officials hear from members of the community what their priorities 00:38:34.574 --> 00:38:41.084 - are and how to start implementing new policy programs and opportunities to address the emergent challenges 00:38:41.084 --> 00:38:47.291 - in our community, just not the historic ones or the routine ones, it's on us to find that budget. And 00:38:47.291 --> 00:38:53.497 - it's gonna take a lot of work to do so, I think, in the next term, next year, to start to find in the 00:38:53.497 --> 00:38:55.262 - sheets, in the ledger lines, 00:38:55.362 --> 00:39:00.960 - the resources we need to start to really address endemic challenges in the community that people continue 00:39:00.960 --> 00:39:06.347 - to bring to us. And if we are to continue down a path where we can fund and participate in helping to 00:39:06.347 --> 00:39:11.892 - reduce homelessness in the community, to reduce substance abuse in the community, to protect our friends 00:39:11.892 --> 00:39:17.384 - and neighbors who are asylees and refugees that come to this county as emergent issues, we need to find 00:39:17.384 --> 00:39:20.606 - those resources to do that from here. And that starts early. 00:39:20.738 --> 00:39:25.933 - It's not something I think that we can pull off in August and September. It's something that really 00:39:25.933 --> 00:39:31.337 - starts in January about what the long-term finances and challenges of the county are to fund the values 00:39:31.337 --> 00:39:36.532 - of the community that puts us here every few years to serve. And so I'm proud of the work. Again, I 00:39:36.532 --> 00:39:42.143 - think it's gotta get the job done. But now it's time to look ahead to how to innovate and use the resources 00:39:42.143 --> 00:39:47.443 - we have to both meet what we've promised and also meet the future that we need to start to address in 00:39:47.443 --> 00:39:48.222 - the community. 00:39:48.354 --> 00:39:56.096 - with the dollars that we collect from taxpayers. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Mr. Henry. Are 00:39:56.096 --> 00:40:04.145 - there any other comments from council? All right, I want to conclude with my own support of this budget. 00:40:04.145 --> 00:40:12.117 - I think it's important to note that if you sum up what Councilor Deckard and Councilor Feidl read, that 00:40:12.117 --> 00:40:17.790 - number is the budget that we're adopting this year. That is $147,020,534. 00:40:18.530 --> 00:40:27.884 - A $147 million budget is an important one. I will note that that is a 16% increase from the 2026 adopted 00:40:27.884 --> 00:40:36.883 - budget. And I think there's a lot of things in here that we can be proud of. The first thing is that 00:40:36.883 --> 00:40:46.237 - it supports people. This budget is not about creating life that is harder for people. We are not putting 00:40:46.237 --> 00:40:48.286 - up obstacles for folks 00:40:48.482 --> 00:40:55.889 - This budget really does reach out and understand that folks living in Monroe County right now are really 00:40:55.889 --> 00:41:03.226 - having a hard time. We have from day one worked really hard to make sure that there's a 2% COLA in this 00:41:03.226 --> 00:41:10.351 - budget. And I think working closely with the commissioners, this is something that we're going to be 00:41:10.351 --> 00:41:11.198 - able to do. 00:41:11.522 --> 00:41:18.498 - This is the second year in a row that we've been able to, in rather difficult economic times, accomplish 00:41:18.498 --> 00:41:25.540 - this. And this gives us hope for next year that we'll be able to continue this process. We also, I think, 00:41:25.540 --> 00:41:32.249 - are getting a better grasp on self-insurance. This is, as I said before, this is the number one most 00:41:32.249 --> 00:41:33.246 - expensive item 00:41:33.858 --> 00:41:40.342 - or single item in our budget. And I think that's going to be something that we're going to continue 00:41:40.342 --> 00:41:46.957 - to wrestle with. I'm very proud of the fact that we were able to create space in the budget to handle 00:41:46.957 --> 00:41:53.441 - this, and particularly working with the council office and the auditor's office to really make sure 00:41:53.441 --> 00:42:00.574 - that in terms of the audits and the accounting that we're dealing with those in a really professional manner. 00:42:01.250 --> 00:42:10.923 - I will note also that the third way that this is dealing with people is that this budget appropriates 00:42:10.923 --> 00:42:20.597 - $1,162,000 to direct relief of our neighbors experiencing homelessness. We know that this is a crisis 00:42:20.597 --> 00:42:30.270 - that is hitting not just Monroe County but other places as well and that the crisis is getting worse. 00:42:30.530 --> 00:42:39.507 - rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage just hit 7.4. That means that folks who have a home are not going to 00:42:39.507 --> 00:42:48.397 - be moving anytime soon and that the increased number of apartments geared towards students will make 00:42:48.397 --> 00:42:57.022 - it even harder for those on the margins of our economy to be able to afford shelter. This council 00:42:58.178 --> 00:43:04.577 - by appropriating this $1.162 million. Working directly with the commissioners is going to be making 00:43:04.577 --> 00:43:11.040 - a difference in the lives of people experiencing homelessness, and I think this is something that we 00:43:11.040 --> 00:43:17.567 - can be really proud of. The second reason I support this budget is because it came about through team 00:43:17.567 --> 00:43:24.606 - mentality. When Councilmember Crossley sent her president's letter in June, she asked every single department 00:43:24.606 --> 00:43:28.062 - to hold their budgets flat, and that's what happened. 00:43:28.834 --> 00:43:36.852 - The only reason we're able to sit here today with revenues that are exceeding expenditures is because 00:43:36.852 --> 00:43:44.713 - our departments worked directly with this council to keep their budgets manageable. And for that, I 00:43:44.713 --> 00:43:53.125 - think we owe our departments a great deal of thanks for helping us get to this point with a strong budget. 00:43:53.125 --> 00:43:55.326 - I think this budget finally 00:43:55.650 --> 00:44:05.897 - that. We continue to experience a strong bond rating. We continue to have balanced levy funds- the with 00:44:05.897 --> 00:44:15.947 - strong- financial balances that exceed both- what the auditor standards and- find F. S. G. standards. 00:44:15.947 --> 00:44:25.406 - And we also when you're looking at the four B's that with the way that we look at revenues over 00:44:25.762 --> 00:44:34.400 - They are, by and large, all very positive. So we are able to not just pass a $147 million budget. We're 00:44:34.400 --> 00:44:42.789 - able to do so with a majority of our revenues exceeding our expenditures. I do want to note a little 00:44:42.789 --> 00:44:51.095 - bit about what's coming next in 2027 that we're going to have to be keeping in mind in this budget. 00:44:51.095 --> 00:44:54.750 - Number one, the jail is going to come back. 00:44:55.170 --> 00:45:02.912 - we are going to have more jail conversations next year. It is guaranteed. Number two, relying on edit 00:45:02.912 --> 00:45:10.502 - is not a long-term fiscal strategy. We can continue to do so. We might be able to do so for a time, 00:45:10.502 --> 00:45:18.395 - but it's not a long-term strategy. Number three, keep your eyes on the long-term finance group. They're 00:45:18.395 --> 00:45:25.150 - going to have a lot to deal with coming up. We also know that the shift in FY29 from lit 00:45:25.474 --> 00:45:32.819 - are too lit to income tax, excuse me, is going to be disruptive. And so we will be closely watching 00:45:32.819 --> 00:45:40.164 - this year's biennial budget session up at the State House to see what changes are going to be made. 00:45:40.164 --> 00:45:47.582 - And lastly, I'll note that salaries and job classifications are going to need to be looked at in the 00:45:47.582 --> 00:45:55.294 - next year. We have too many departments that are coming to us with reactions to the current labor market 00:45:55.810 --> 00:46:01.951 - that we cannot keep things as a status quo. So we are going to be taking a close look at some solutions 00:46:01.951 --> 00:46:07.973 - next year to this very tricky problem. Let me conclude with thanks. We absolutely could not have done 00:46:07.973 --> 00:46:13.877 - this without council staff. Thank you so much for your assistance. To our legal staff, thank you so 00:46:13.877 --> 00:46:19.782 - much for your assistance and to the auditor's office, half of which are at conference. So thank you 00:46:19.782 --> 00:46:24.446 - for being here and your support through all of this. We really appreciate you. 00:46:25.634 --> 00:46:32.648 - All right, is there any other council comments? Seeing none, let's go to the public. Is there any member 00:46:32.648 --> 00:46:39.395 - of the public that wishes to speak on this budget? We have one person here in the Not You Hill Room. 00:46:39.395 --> 00:46:46.475 - If you're on Teams, please raise your hand. Please state from the record your name and if you're a Monroe 00:46:46.475 --> 00:46:53.489 - County resident. Hello, my name is Julie Thomas and I am indeed a Monroe County resident. I am president 00:46:53.489 --> 00:46:54.558 - of the board of 00:46:54.722 --> 00:47:03.357 - commissioners and really want to thank the council staff and legal and auditor's office. How did they 00:47:03.357 --> 00:47:12.330 - have a conference this time of year? I mean, is that crazy? Okay. Anyway, I do want to thank the council, 00:47:12.330 --> 00:47:20.965 - too, and getting near the finish line is great, as fleeting as it may be, but we are compelled by the 00:47:20.965 --> 00:47:23.166 - recent sequence of events 00:47:23.330 --> 00:47:43.125 - of the surveyors. We understand why the pay was set at 90% for the surveyor. So that they can earn one 00:47:43.125 --> 00:47:52.350 - and a half times their pay if they can become a 00:47:52.866 --> 00:47:59.228 - unusual outlier on the elected official salary grid, which you're going to be talking about next. We 00:47:59.228 --> 00:48:05.528 - are both the legislative and executive branch of county government. The legislative side requires a 00:48:05.528 --> 00:48:12.079 - great deal of research preparation. The executive side makes this a 24-7 on-call position. We must make 00:48:12.079 --> 00:48:17.182 - decisions with deliberation when we can. Some decisions we have to make quickly. 00:48:17.346 --> 00:48:26.053 - We operate with an extremely small yet dedicated staff, which has been one shy for a few years now, 00:48:26.053 --> 00:48:35.632 - and we've left it that way. So we fully manage ourselves numerous administrative tasks, and we can accomplish 00:48:35.632 --> 00:48:39.550 - pay equity without impacting county general. 00:48:39.746 --> 00:48:48.534 - The tens in the stormwater fund can be increased by $45,485.39 to bring us 200% pay as elected officials, 00:48:48.534 --> 00:48:56.908 - and this includes the fringe for the additional amount. There are funds available in stormwater, and 00:48:56.908 --> 00:49:05.282 - we have worked with stormwater to determine this, and we can make this change at the next stormwater 00:49:05.282 --> 00:49:06.526 - board meeting. 00:49:06.722 --> 00:49:13.337 - And with pay equity, this issue can finally be closed. So with that, again, congratulations. Thank you 00:49:13.337 --> 00:49:19.824 - for your time. Thank you for your hard work. And I'm sure we'll be talking about a million things in 00:49:19.824 --> 00:49:26.632 - the near future. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Commissioner. Are there other members of the public, elected 00:49:26.632 --> 00:49:32.990 - or not, that wish to speak? Please raise your hand on teams or come forward in the NatU Hill Room. 00:49:35.586 --> 00:49:45.498 - We have someone that we know very well has raised their hand on Teams. Madam President, the floor is 00:49:45.498 --> 00:49:55.607 - yours for three minutes. Hi, you missed me. Hi, this is Jennifer Crossley, Council President of Monroe 00:49:55.607 --> 00:50:01.790 - County Council District 4. It's really weird saying it on this 00:50:01.986 --> 00:50:10.517 - side over yonder. Thank y'all so much as I'm still recuperating from my procedure, which I was there 00:50:10.517 --> 00:50:19.049 - with you all, but you all are doing a fine job. So I just wanted to just also echo the sentiments of 00:50:19.049 --> 00:50:27.496 - all the counselors, Deckard, Henry and Iverson. You know, obviously nothing is perfect, neither are 00:50:27.496 --> 00:50:31.550 - we. However, the job, you know, the game starts 00:50:31.810 --> 00:50:38.804 - tomorrow and we get back on the saddle and we do it again. And I'm sure all of us will reflect on what 00:50:38.804 --> 00:50:45.797 - we did during this budget cycle, what we didn't do and what we could do. And just like Councilor Henry 00:50:45.797 --> 00:50:52.926 - said, I think that work starts as of January 1st. I know that there's some things that long-term finance 00:50:52.926 --> 00:50:58.494 - could address such as step increases, longevity, those different types of things. 00:50:58.850 --> 00:51:04.906 - Um, and so I think we definitely need to work on that, you know, at the beginning of the year so that 00:51:04.906 --> 00:51:10.962 - we don't have 11th hour surprises and we can prepare because a lot of things such as what we see with 00:51:10.962 --> 00:51:16.959 - insurance and our county employees are going up. So we have to, you know, make do with what we have. 00:51:16.959 --> 00:51:22.896 - Um, we are in the spooky season and we know that, um, our state legislators definitely believe that 00:51:22.896 --> 00:51:27.230 - because we have, you know, their budgets that they'll be looking at and. 00:51:27.522 --> 00:51:35.597 - things like the sequel to SB 1 where property tax, excuse me, elimination could come about. So I think 00:51:35.597 --> 00:51:43.594 - that we all need to keep in mind what is coming ahead for 27 so we can move on through 27 beyond. But 00:51:43.594 --> 00:51:51.512 - beyond that, I definitely want to thank all of the department heads that really kept everything flat 00:51:51.512 --> 00:51:54.334 - with increases that were necessary. 00:51:54.690 --> 00:52:01.651 - I definitely want to thank my colleagues for doing their due diligence and doing a fine job with working 00:52:01.651 --> 00:52:08.346 - with your departments as liaisons. I think this was the strongest year yet that we've done that, and 00:52:08.346 --> 00:52:14.644 - I'm very thankful for that. Definitely I'm thankful for the staff, the auditors, and you know, 00:52:14.644 --> 00:52:21.472 - Ms. Turner-King and Luhua and Kim for all the work that they've done and a lot of headaches that we've 00:52:21.472 --> 00:52:23.262 - given. And plus, you know, 00:52:23.810 --> 00:52:30.107 - the partnership with the commissioners with use of edit. So I appreciate that very much. And I look 00:52:30.107 --> 00:52:36.405 - forward to continuing the work. And I urge you all, because I cannot be there, because I can't vote 00:52:36.405 --> 00:52:42.828 - on this virtually, to pass this budget. Thank you. Thank you, President Jennifer Crossley. And I will 00:52:42.828 --> 00:52:49.125 - note, I love your speaking style. You're the only person that could work in spooky season into your 00:52:49.125 --> 00:52:51.518 - analysis of the budget. So well done. 00:52:52.098 --> 00:53:02.328 - All right, we are back at public comment. If you'd like to make public comment on this 2027 Monroe County 00:53:02.328 --> 00:53:12.076 - budget, please raise your hand on teams or come forward in that room. All right, seeing none, may we 00:53:12.076 --> 00:53:21.438 - please have a roll call vote? Councilor Wilts? Yes. Councilor Henry? Yes. Councilor Decker? Yes. 00:53:21.954 --> 00:53:32.563 - Councilor Iverson? Yes. Councilor Feinold? Yes. Motion passes unanimous 5-0. All right, congratulations. 00:53:32.563 --> 00:53:42.869 - Yeah. All right, that moves us on to item seven. We are going to, as a reminder, Council, we're going 00:53:42.869 --> 00:53:46.910 - to be talking about ordinance 2026-38A. 00:53:47.010 --> 00:53:53.631 - This is the elected officials salary ordinance. We read that in full on the October 6th meeting and 00:53:53.631 --> 00:54:00.385 - given that there are no changes to the salary ordinance, we'll not read the ordinance in its entirety 00:54:00.385 --> 00:54:03.166 - unless requested by a council member now. 00:54:08.930 --> 00:54:15.212 - Council, I move to approve ordinance 2026-38A, the 2027 elected official salary ordinance. Second. 00:54:15.212 --> 00:54:22.002 - All right, we have a motion and a second on the elected official salary ordinance. Are there any questions 00:54:22.002 --> 00:54:28.475 - or comments from council members? Mr. Henry. Thank you, Mr. President, and thank you, Council, again, 00:54:28.475 --> 00:54:35.582 - and staff and everyone on the work on this issue. I want to take an opportunity to reiterate a statement I made 00:54:35.874 --> 00:54:42.192 - in some shape or form last week or last time we met, especially in regards to the comments of Mr. Thomas, 00:54:42.192 --> 00:54:47.855 - that, again, I think, as I mentioned with the other, the passage of the budget, there's always 00:54:47.855 --> 00:54:54.114 - an opportunity, I think, at the end of a budget cycle here to look under the hood or try to find account 00:54:54.114 --> 00:55:00.313 - lines that might make something happen, right? And we need to have those conversations, not at a podium 00:55:00.313 --> 00:55:05.022 - for three minutes and then never to hear again, but over the course of a year. 00:55:05.218 --> 00:55:12.280 - and to really understand executive pay and county governments in the state. As I said last week on this, 00:55:12.280 --> 00:55:19.476 - and I still think this is true, I think we can count on one hand how many counties in the state of Indiana 00:55:19.476 --> 00:55:26.471 - have a full-time county administrator position and a full-time executive legislative county commission. 00:55:26.471 --> 00:55:33.331 - And so we have to holistically look at the executive pay structure of a county to say, you know, what 00:55:33.331 --> 00:55:34.878 - are those hours doing? 00:55:34.978 --> 00:55:41.007 - know if you do elevate three positions to a full-time pay or compensation in the county then then what 00:55:41.007 --> 00:55:47.152 - is the purpose of having a fourth person paid a 40-hour a week benefit salary pension that is the county 00:55:47.152 --> 00:55:53.064 - executive statutorily right they are the county administrators statutorily even though we don't call 00:55:53.064 --> 00:55:57.278 - that here the same name by local ordinance so that's going to take work 00:55:57.378 --> 00:56:03.525 - And if that is an honest effort that the next term of the newly seated board of commissioners, which 00:56:03.525 --> 00:56:09.977 - is entertained, that would be my offering back is to say that's a January conversation and not an October 00:56:09.977 --> 00:56:11.742 - one, as we try to figure out 00:56:11.874 --> 00:56:17.772 - what executive compensation is in the state of Indiana for that kind of office. As for the remainder, 00:56:17.772 --> 00:56:23.554 - I think we've done a great job, and I thank our elected officials who hold parity because these are 00:56:23.554 --> 00:56:29.568 - positions that are of public trust. People run for office to sit here and contest these seats, and some 00:56:29.568 --> 00:56:35.581 - people win and some people don't, but it's about the public service for me. It's not the primary income 00:56:35.581 --> 00:56:39.166 - in my family, I'm sure in others that are serving government. 00:56:39.394 --> 00:56:45.724 - compensation for a little bit to get through the time that it does take in our life, but it's not, at 00:56:45.724 --> 00:56:52.301 - least in county government, that's not it. If you're looking for those kind of pay scales, you can always 00:56:52.301 --> 00:56:58.569 - run for Congress. But thank you, Mr. President. All right. Thank you, Mr. Henry. Are there any other 00:56:58.569 --> 00:57:01.982 - council comments on the elected officials salary grid? 00:57:03.138 --> 00:57:11.775 - Seeing none, let's go to the public. If you have any public comments on this elected official salary 00:57:11.775 --> 00:57:20.753 - ordinance, on how we compensate elected officials, please raise your hand on teams or come to the podium 00:57:20.753 --> 00:57:29.390 - here in the historic NatUHO room. Seeing none, may we please have a roll call vote. Councilor Henry? 00:57:29.390 --> 00:57:31.870 - Yes. Councilor Deckard? Yes. 00:57:32.578 --> 00:57:41.997 - Councilor Iverson? Yes. Councilor Feidl? Yes. Councilor Wilts? Yes. Motion passes unanimous. All right 00:57:41.997 --> 00:57:51.874 - thank you council. Next we're going to take up the employee salary ordinance and that is ordinance 2026-38B 00:57:51.874 --> 00:57:56.446 - and council as a reminder that ordinance 2026-38B 00:57:56.546 --> 00:58:06.308 - the 2027 Monroe County government employee salary ordinance was read in full at our October 6th meeting. 00:58:06.308 --> 00:58:15.976 - Given that there are no changes to the salary ordinance, we will not read the ordinance in its entirety 00:58:15.976 --> 00:58:26.110 - unless requested by a council member. All right, seeing none. Council, I move to approve ordinance 2026-38B, 00:58:26.562 --> 00:58:33.008 - twenty twenty seven Monroe County government employees salary ordinance. Second we have a motion and 00:58:33.008 --> 00:58:39.517 - a second council do you have any comments Mr. Henry thank you Mr. President I did not say this at the 00:58:39.517 --> 00:58:46.154 - front end of the adoption of the general budget but I am. Yeah I'm proud of where we ended up here with 00:58:46.154 --> 00:58:50.302 - this yeah I know a year ago we were sitting here in the face of. 00:58:50.498 --> 00:58:55.817 - Shifting sands and the state house. We were very concerned about whether or not we could have a cola 00:58:55.817 --> 00:59:01.241 - increase at all. And we spent most of this year messaging to our, our county employees that it didn't, 00:59:01.241 --> 00:59:06.244 - it wasn't looking great. And yet through again, the reiterating the statements made by others, 00:59:06.244 --> 00:59:11.879 - the partnership with the board of commissioners, we were able to meet that 2% cola. We're able to continue 00:59:11.879 --> 00:59:14.302 - to meet self-insurance and provide something. 00:59:14.402 --> 00:59:21.659 - And I think that's important as a moment in time. Now, does that mean that in future fiscals, starting 00:59:21.659 --> 00:59:28.846 - as early as tomorrow and after January 1st that our employees are experiencing inflationary pressures 00:59:28.846 --> 00:59:35.892 - in the county? Yes. Does it mean that it's so hard to live here and afford to live here on a county 00:59:35.892 --> 00:59:39.838 - salary? It sure does. To get next level on that without 00:59:39.970 --> 00:59:46.261 - overburdening our tax base, it's going to take some work to find the additional nickels in the budget, 00:59:46.261 --> 00:59:52.613 - which seem to be there for other things, right? And so I think, you know, I'm proud of what we did this 00:59:52.613 --> 00:59:58.110 - year to get here, but there's always opportunity to keep looking ahead and with hopefully 00:59:58.434 --> 01:00:04.540 - not too much more disturbance in the manner by which we collect income and property tax in the state 01:00:04.540 --> 01:00:10.647 - of Indiana. I'm hopeful that we can continue to support our good employees through the benefits, the 01:00:10.647 --> 01:00:17.055 - salary that we offer, and then also find the resources to improve their quality of life in their offices, 01:00:17.055 --> 01:00:23.162 - where they work in our buildings, and taking care of the spaces that we provide them to work in, and 01:00:23.162 --> 01:00:26.366 - opportunities to telework from home when they can't. 01:00:26.530 --> 01:00:33.334 - that's part of the package. But I'm proud of what we've done here this year. Thank you, Mr. President. 01:00:33.334 --> 01:00:40.005 - Thank you, Mr. Henry. Councilmember Feidl. So I would be remiss with the history that I have in this 01:00:40.005 --> 01:00:46.809 - community by not saying that I would definitely like to see the salaries higher. I would be interested 01:00:46.809 --> 01:00:53.877 - in seeing if there's a way to look at this after maybe the first year after we know what the final numbers 01:00:53.877 --> 01:00:55.198 - are and everything. 01:00:55.490 --> 01:01:03.375 - potentially reconsidering it. That's where I'm at. Thank you, Councilmember Feidl. Any other comments 01:01:03.375 --> 01:01:11.259 - from Council? Councilmember Deckard. I know I gave the retrospective earlier, but one thing I want to 01:01:11.259 --> 01:01:19.067 - kind of point out is, again, the COLA discussion that we have had in this last session is not unlike 01:01:19.067 --> 01:01:24.478 - previous years that we've had. And we, as folks out in the community, 01:01:24.834 --> 01:01:32.502 - whether you're at a door or you're listening to folks here or there or in the lobby at the bank, you 01:01:32.502 --> 01:01:40.702 - recognize what is happening among this economy to individuals. And people are very painstakingly discussing 01:01:40.702 --> 01:01:48.522 - that. And I'm hearing it. I absolutely hear it all the time. I sometimes call it informally the misery 01:01:48.522 --> 01:01:52.926 - index, et cetera. Our employees are not immune from that. 01:01:53.058 --> 01:02:00.735 - And I think that when Councilor Feidl is talking about keeping a monitor on things and adjusting accordingly, 01:02:00.735 --> 01:02:07.924 - this council has done things in the past to meet our employees, sometimes even beyond COLA. We've done 01:02:07.924 --> 01:02:14.974 - that around training, and training is not something that anybody salivates over because, again, your 01:02:14.974 --> 01:02:22.302 - validation is around what you're paid, right? But we also have done things in the past around retention. 01:02:22.402 --> 01:02:29.142 - efforts when we struggled with that. And so I just think keeping an open mind as this moves forward 01:02:29.142 --> 01:02:35.881 - and being able to adjust to where our folks are at and what their needs are is kind of the order of 01:02:35.881 --> 01:02:40.734 - the day. But that is sort of the order of the history that we've had to 01:02:40.834 --> 01:02:49.923 - and being nimble with whatever is happening out there as it does to take care of our folks that work 01:02:49.923 --> 01:02:59.551 - those counters, that make things happen, that answer those calls, that do the 24-7 worries right alongside 01:02:59.551 --> 01:03:09.630 - and most of the times better than we do altogether. Thank you. Mr. Deckard. Let me just say, I've got two kids. 01:03:10.274 --> 01:03:20.763 - And when it comes time to sign up for insurance, it can be really expensive. And just getting the kids 01:03:20.763 --> 01:03:31.557 - into the dentist or getting the kids into their medical appointments, and then you pile on top everything 01:03:31.557 --> 01:03:39.806 - else, summer camps or even sporting programs, the costs really, really escalate. 01:03:39.970 --> 01:03:50.802 - This council is very aware that on the same night that we passed a 2% COLA increase, there was a significant 01:03:50.802 --> 01:04:00.740 - increase in your healthcare costs here in the county. At least I feel that, and the costs sometimes 01:04:00.740 --> 01:04:04.318 - feel like they just keep on coming. 01:04:05.186 --> 01:04:12.734 - I think this is where Council Member Deckard was correct, that as soon as this budget is passed, we 01:04:12.734 --> 01:04:20.282 - are all of a sudden working on brand new challenges. And part of those challenges is as stark as on 01:04:20.282 --> 01:04:28.056 - this first day of enrollment for healthcare coverage, folks are really questioning whether or not they 01:04:28.056 --> 01:04:33.566 - can afford healthcare. And I just want you to know, we are hearing that. 01:04:34.146 --> 01:04:43.140 - and some of us are feeling it. And so we're gonna start working on that very soon here. So let me conclude 01:04:43.140 --> 01:04:51.630 - that with, let's look to the public. If you have any comments or questions, frustrations or anything 01:04:51.630 --> 01:04:59.783 - else, raise your hand on Teams or come to the podium here in the historic NatUO room. All right, 01:04:59.783 --> 01:05:03.902 - seeing none, may we please have a roll call vote 01:05:09.730 --> 01:05:25.762 - Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. 01:05:25.762 --> 01:05:39.390 - Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. 01:05:39.618 --> 01:05:49.067 - during the elected officials salary ordinance. It was brought to my attention and I'm gonna share my 01:05:49.067 --> 01:05:58.515 - screen really quick. TSD, can you give me permission to share? But with the assessors in the elected 01:05:58.515 --> 01:06:07.870 - official, they get an additional 2,000 and they get the additional 5,000 if they got the certified. 01:06:08.450 --> 01:06:21.075 - inadvertently put, it is divided over 26 pays, but that's not what we've always done. I was just doing 01:06:21.075 --> 01:06:28.062 - a copy paste. I don't know, it's not allowing me, sorry. 01:06:32.930 --> 01:06:40.045 - Yeah, go ahead, so. So what Ms. Schell is saying is there's a minor change to those two account lines 01:06:40.045 --> 01:06:47.160 - to remove the language that says over 26 pays and reflect what previous salary ordinances have, which 01:06:47.160 --> 01:06:54.344 - is that the supplementals are paid in a lump sum per year. Yeah, so it's this little piece right here. 01:06:54.344 --> 01:07:01.459 - It says over 26 pays. That's going to be removed and it'll just follow what we've always done. I just 01:07:01.459 --> 01:07:02.366 - accidentally 01:07:03.170 --> 01:07:10.747 - did a. That's my record yeah Mister president I moved that the salary ordinance amendment for our salary 01:07:10.747 --> 01:07:18.251 - ordinance for elected officials be a minute is counsel's noted and to reflect the traditional language. 01:07:18.251 --> 01:07:25.684 - As noted second. All right we have a motion and a second and just a technical question we need to open 01:07:25.684 --> 01:07:30.302 - that but that ordinance before we. Change it. Scriveners errors 01:07:30.530 --> 01:07:36.998 - I don't even think you have to make the motion. I think that it's going to be corrected just as Mr. 01:07:36.998 --> 01:07:43.532 - Henry said as a scrivener's error. It was never supposed to be there. I think we've got a motion and 01:07:43.532 --> 01:07:50.065 - a second in the will of Council. I think this is important to make Councilmember Feidl. So where was 01:07:50.065 --> 01:07:57.374 - this in the public eye that Kim wants to change? Where did it appear? In the packet. It was in the packet, okay. 01:07:57.666 --> 01:08:06.017 - that was there. So there's a part of me that says we need to do something to make it right, officially. 01:08:06.017 --> 01:08:14.207 - All right again. We have a motion and a second. Is there any further conversation on this motion? All 01:08:14.207 --> 01:08:21.915 - those in favor of this motion, please say aye. All those opposed. The eyes have it unanimously. 01:08:21.915 --> 01:08:27.134 - Thank you. All right, the 2027 budget process remains concluded. 01:08:29.314 --> 01:08:35.530 - All right, we're going to go to our last item, which was just added at the top of this meeting where 01:08:35.530 --> 01:08:41.684 - we need to have a very quick conversation on the twenty twenty six general obligation bond. I would 01:08:41.684 --> 01:08:47.899 - like to first have invite our legal counsel, Ms. Molly Turner King, to remind us where we are at the 01:08:47.899 --> 01:08:52.638 - process and why on earth we're talking about at the end of a budget session. 01:08:56.194 --> 01:09:03.566 - on October 13th, there was the first reading in public hearing on ordinance 2026 35 and 36 ordinance 01:09:03.566 --> 01:09:10.939 - 2026 35 authorizes the issuance of general obligation bond. And in that ordinance, the amount was to 01:09:10.939 --> 01:09:18.530 - not exceed $6,500,000. Ordinance 36 is the corresponding appropriation ordinance. During the discussion 01:09:18.530 --> 01:09:25.246 - on the 13th, there was some conversation whether council desired to amend those ordinances. 01:09:25.410 --> 01:09:32.121 - Um, and so I wanted to check to see if, if there was a proposed amendment, um, so that we could prepare 01:09:32.121 --> 01:09:38.702 - documents accordingly for the 27th, which is when those two ordinances will come back for a potential 01:09:38.702 --> 01:09:45.284 - approval. Thank you, Ms. Molly Turner King. Uh, council, uh, pursuant to the conversation we had just 01:09:45.284 --> 01:09:52.446 - one week ago, were there any thoughts about a, maybe a not to exceed number on those general obligation bonds? 01:09:55.394 --> 01:10:05.420 - Council member Wilts. Well, first, thank you for putting this on the agenda, because I do think it's 01:10:05.420 --> 01:10:16.042 - worth a formal consideration. And I did bring this up a couple of times that I am personally uncomfortable 01:10:16.042 --> 01:10:21.502 - with the existing amount and feel as though we should, 01:10:21.762 --> 01:10:33.494 - bring it more in line with our historical levels of bonding. Well, I guess first, I would like to hear 01:10:33.494 --> 01:10:44.885 - what others think and whether or not that feeling is shared and to what extent. But I know that the 01:10:44.885 --> 01:10:50.238 - response from the commissioner's administrator 01:10:50.562 --> 01:11:03.295 - last week was to question what projects would be cut in order to reduce that amount. I would suggest 01:11:03.295 --> 01:11:13.758 - that perhaps that's not up to us, at least not exclusively, and that projects that 01:11:14.274 --> 01:11:22.269 - maybe would be cut out of a bond could certainly be brought back at the beginning of the year to be 01:11:22.269 --> 01:11:30.343 - considered for appropriation out of any reversions that we might have. That way we are paying for it 01:11:30.343 --> 01:11:38.658 - with money we know we have and don't have to pay interest on. All right, that's my start. Okay, Council 01:11:38.658 --> 01:11:43.934 - Member Henry. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Councilor Watz 01:11:44.322 --> 01:11:50.006 - for all that. Because the question is now the what, the what, right? And it's, I think as we talked 01:11:50.006 --> 01:11:55.690 - about last week, that we end up talking about the items and then it's about the items and not about 01:11:55.690 --> 01:12:01.431 - the bond, right? It's the credit limit, not the, you know, which item are we not getting on the wish 01:12:01.431 --> 01:12:07.229 - list this cycle? Maybe I'll just ask Charlotte, do we, I mean, I think we've just brought it into the 01:12:07.229 --> 01:12:12.913 - room a few times. Do we have a handle on a reversion projection right now, like what we think might 01:12:12.913 --> 01:12:13.822 - be coming back? 01:12:14.050 --> 01:12:19.942 - Is there any way to, hey, I know, I know what I'm asking. Not at this time, but I can get one for you. 01:12:19.942 --> 01:12:25.835 - Yeah, and so I think to Councilor Wilts's point to know, for example, if we knew there was significant 01:12:25.835 --> 01:12:31.613 - reversion coming back, some of the capital purchases here on cash would make sense, but it's hard to 01:12:31.613 --> 01:12:37.391 - tell the which, right, of them. On the other hand, I reflect on what Councilor Deckard had said last 01:12:37.391 --> 01:12:42.654 - week, too, that, you know, because now you got to pick, right, or like, where do you start? 01:12:42.786 --> 01:12:48.857 - In terms of, we've scored these collectively with the board of commissioners and the council. I admittedly, 01:12:48.857 --> 01:12:54.591 - and I'll admit to the public too, I did not participate in the scoring process on here because of the 01:12:54.591 --> 01:13:00.437 - general indifference I have about the Goban process at this point. We're paying for an elevator in this 01:13:00.437 --> 01:13:06.115 - building, but not in the court, in the justice center, which I found to be challenging for my safety 01:13:06.115 --> 01:13:06.846 - perspective. 01:13:06.946 --> 01:13:12.725 - In our current justice facility, but I appreciate that work needs to be done and the consequence of 01:13:12.725 --> 01:13:15.326 - not doing now is deferred maintenance later. 01:13:15.970 --> 01:13:22.116 - and then the cost goes up there. So I know that's sort of a rambling meditation to say, I like the idea 01:13:22.116 --> 01:13:28.202 - of saying, well, here's the new cap, make it fit. The question is, as I stare at this list again about 01:13:28.202 --> 01:13:34.230 - things that we have committed ourselves to using this bond for to pay over a term every year where we 01:13:34.230 --> 01:13:40.317 - have to make payments on certain gear, I think the emergency management sirens or that, I believe some 01:13:40.317 --> 01:13:44.926 - of the sheriff's office equipment is that, that we're now back to a place of, 01:13:45.474 --> 01:13:51.760 - what's getting redlined or what can departments come back and say, can you make this fit inside a reversion 01:13:51.760 --> 01:13:57.813 - or something in your budget rather than asking for the bond for it? That is a meditation at this point, 01:13:57.813 --> 01:14:03.750 - but there's some additional remarks I have. Thank you, Mr. President. All right, thank you. Are there 01:14:03.750 --> 01:14:09.687 - any other comments or questions or more germane to this conversation, a motion? Yes, Councilor Wilts. 01:14:09.687 --> 01:14:12.830 - Can I just have a question? Yeah, yeah, yeah, please. 01:14:13.570 --> 01:14:20.602 - Makes me feel kind of dumb. But the elevator that's listed in the bond projects is for this building? 01:14:20.602 --> 01:14:27.565 - My understanding was it was for the justice building. Oh, OK. Well, it says commissioner. Again, the 01:14:27.565 --> 01:14:34.735 - PowerPoint we were presented was commissioner's item elevator repairs new at 250,000. The previous item 01:14:34.735 --> 01:14:42.043 - was the jail at 2 million for the elevator. So it's either it came down 90% or it's a different elevator. 01:14:42.043 --> 01:14:43.422 - We don't know that? 01:14:44.898 --> 01:14:50.784 - I thought it was for a non-jail building, and it's a tenth of what was offered for the justice center. 01:14:50.784 --> 01:14:56.556 - What are you referring to there? I'm looking at the PowerPoint presentation on the Go Bonds that was 01:14:56.556 --> 01:15:02.443 - presented by the commissioners. Thank you. And it's a revised version of the initial presentation, and 01:15:02.443 --> 01:15:08.558 - it has projects from New York. Does someone have that we could all see? I could try to throw it on screen, 01:15:08.558 --> 01:15:12.958 - I guess. Thank you. Yeah, let me work on that. Thank you. Sorry. No worries. 01:15:13.762 --> 01:15:25.572 - That just took me by surprise because I missed that. And, wow, okay. So, my understanding, may I talk? 01:15:25.572 --> 01:15:37.268 - I'm sorry, I just started while he's doing that. No, no, no, the floor was yours, so please continue. 01:15:37.268 --> 01:15:43.230 - Yeah, no, no, you're good. My understanding is that 01:15:43.810 --> 01:15:52.161 - The number from last time, the number in the resolution is overstated because it's the advertised number. 01:15:52.161 --> 01:16:00.039 - The number that is being requested is closer to 4.1 million. Is that correct? I think if you add up 01:16:00.039 --> 01:16:07.995 - all the projects, it's slightly under 4 million, but I think 4.1 would include the necessary amounts 01:16:07.995 --> 01:16:09.886 - for closing cost. Okay. 01:16:12.194 --> 01:16:21.190 - And in previous years, not including last year, but in previous years, we've kept it at 3 million, 01:16:21.190 --> 01:16:30.459 - but 3.1 kind of encapsulated those other costs and things. And that had been fairly stable the entire 01:16:30.459 --> 01:16:39.728 - seven previous years, I guess, or six previous years that I've been on. I would feel more comfortable 01:16:39.728 --> 01:16:41.182 - if we kept this 01:16:41.794 --> 01:16:50.392 - at that previous level, especially given just some of the other volatility that has already been brought 01:16:50.392 --> 01:16:58.744 - up about the future. And by that previous level, if you were to numericize that, that would be a $3.1 01:16:58.744 --> 01:17:07.259 - million. I'd say not to exceed number 3.1 million. OK. Are there any comments or reactions to that from 01:17:07.259 --> 01:17:09.470 - council? Love it? Hate it? 01:17:10.626 --> 01:17:17.691 - Any difference? Just surprisingly not to answer. I did put the presentation on the screen. And if you'll 01:17:17.691 --> 01:17:24.622 - permit me, you'll notice again, the line item, elevator repairs, new 250,000, but you'll notice in the 01:17:24.622 --> 01:17:31.351 - projects removed from the initial presentation, elevator 2 million, which was the separate project, 01:17:31.351 --> 01:17:38.686 - I believe. But even that apparently needs a point of clarification. Let me see if I've got it in here. Nope. 01:17:42.242 --> 01:17:49.777 - Please, Ms. Molly Turner King. I reached out to the commissioner administrator for clarity on the elevator 01:17:49.777 --> 01:17:57.242 - project and the project included is repair parts for the current elevator in the jail. I think originally 01:17:57.242 --> 01:18:04.496 - it was adding a second elevator and now they're just repairing the current one. But it's still for the 01:18:04.496 --> 01:18:09.214 - justice. Still for the jail. So it's parts and not a new elevator. 01:18:12.322 --> 01:18:25.758 - I'll leave that up. Is there any way to make that a little larger for some of us? As big as they can get. 01:18:47.266 --> 01:19:00.352 - Ms. Molly Turner King, the ordinate or the resolution that the document that governs the geo bond is 01:19:00.352 --> 01:19:05.534 - a resolution, correct, is an ordinance. 01:19:14.818 --> 01:19:26.059 - there was a resolution in the packet. There's a resolution 202635 and ordinance 202635. The ordinance 01:19:26.059 --> 01:19:37.080 - authorizes the issuance of the bond. Okay, in order to move the conversation to keep it going, does 01:19:37.080 --> 01:19:44.574 - anybody have any questions about what they're seeing on the screen? 01:19:56.674 --> 01:20:06.746 - Sorry, Council Member Feidl. I don't know if I have a question, but I have a comment, which is I really 01:20:06.746 --> 01:20:16.527 - like the idea of bonding as little as we can so we don't have as much interest. I don't think that I 01:20:16.527 --> 01:20:25.630 - or the public would probably feel that comfortable about that in these times. Okay. Is making 01:20:26.626 --> 01:20:34.194 - So what is the desired result from today's discussion? The reason why we're having a discussion tonight 01:20:34.194 --> 01:20:41.543 - is because in one week, we will do the second reading of ordinance 2026-36. If this council wants to 01:20:41.543 --> 01:20:49.039 - make a change, it would be nice to make a change tonight, one week ahead of the adoption or the second 01:20:49.039 --> 01:20:55.806 - reading and adoption, rather than doing it the night of. Otherwise, you're doing this again. 01:20:56.450 --> 01:21:04.878 - And I will just point out to the council that in section two of the now therefore clauses that did not 01:21:04.878 --> 01:21:13.387 - to exceed amount is $6,500,000. Councilmember Henry, sorry. Sorry, let me press right button. Councilor 01:21:13.387 --> 01:21:22.142 - Wilts, what was your number again? I was suggesting 3.1. 3.1, okay. And what would that cover, do we know? 01:21:25.890 --> 01:21:36.701 - It looks like of this list, this list goes to 4.1. So it would be eliminating 1 million from somewhere 01:21:36.701 --> 01:21:47.827 - in this list. And we would leave that up to the commissioners to decide. I think. Council member Deckard. 01:21:47.827 --> 01:21:54.334 - I mean, I tell you, as I've looked at this list and I did it, 01:21:54.530 --> 01:22:04.129 - last time, too. I recall this vividly. I struggled to see the obvious like pluck that, change that, 01:22:04.129 --> 01:22:14.015 - do that. A compromise option could be that we put the amount Councilor Wilts intends or amount to that 01:22:14.015 --> 01:22:22.846 - and ask for the commissioners to help figure out some prioritization or economies of scale. 01:22:23.170 --> 01:22:31.278 - The one thing I would say in their defense for this, and maybe their objection, if a shoe comes flying 01:22:31.278 --> 01:22:39.308 - at us, is again, what I said to start, there are things on there that you have to do because you have 01:22:39.308 --> 01:22:47.416 - to do, and some of it because you haven't done. And other things that I think we don't always see, but 01:22:47.416 --> 01:22:52.926 - the people making the original request do for a million good reasons. 01:22:53.186 --> 01:23:00.896 - I almost wonder if that compromise would let them assist in that process and that the language could 01:23:00.896 --> 01:23:08.530 - be advertised at the amount. Or it could be advertised at the amount that Councilor Wilts is saying 01:23:08.530 --> 01:23:16.393 - with these items on there as options for it. I don't know if that's lawful or not, but it could please 01:23:16.393 --> 01:23:20.286 - two things and maybe we could find some economies. 01:23:22.178 --> 01:23:28.732 - Councilmember Pytel. Is it possible that, I didn't count the number of items on this list, but what, 01:23:28.732 --> 01:23:35.416 - 10 or 12, whatever it is, is it possible that not all of them could be funded totally, that they could 01:23:35.416 --> 01:23:42.165 - go back and just do a partial funding of some of those lines? Yeah. I think almost anything is possible 01:23:42.165 --> 01:23:48.849 - except using the bond to pay for something that's grossly outside of this list. I mean, even when they 01:23:48.849 --> 01:23:52.094 - do it, they phrase it in ways that we're able to, 01:23:52.834 --> 01:24:02.603 - you know, by some other type of camera than the camera that was initially intended. So, I mean, we are 01:24:02.603 --> 01:24:12.182 - able to do a little bit, but I think maybe that's, I do like what I think I'm hearing from Councilor 01:24:12.182 --> 01:24:22.046 - Decker, which leave the list, leave the categories, and then set the limit, and then we have more time, 01:24:22.434 --> 01:24:30.303 - you know, to figure out how we can make adjustments. But I hope that that would work. Well, in the past, 01:24:30.303 --> 01:24:38.322 - I think you yourself, Councilor Wilts, raised this a number of years ago, and then Councilor Henry brought 01:24:38.322 --> 01:24:46.267 - it up as well. These bonds, once they, once the broad, essentially this is a project management headache, 01:24:46.267 --> 01:24:50.014 - a good headache to have, but it comes back in to, 01:24:50.146 --> 01:24:55.931 - get all of this done with all the corresponding departments. And it never looks on the other side, just 01:24:55.931 --> 01:25:01.604 - how that list looks there. I could almost bet my mortgage on that. Things change, something vanishes. 01:25:01.604 --> 01:25:07.222 - I think the gel locks issue, I think that was more of an ARPA thing. But my gosh, we chased that one 01:25:07.222 --> 01:25:12.784 - until literally, I think it was Chief Deputy Parker was like, it can't be like that or the solution 01:25:12.784 --> 01:25:15.454 - is not going to be. So I almost think that that 01:25:16.834 --> 01:25:24.936 - I hate to use this word, the squishiness of this process anyway may manifest within that 3.1 and some 01:25:24.936 --> 01:25:33.117 - of this as it materializes that it's not, the elevator repair is not quite 250, it's 220 or 210 or the 01:25:33.117 --> 01:25:39.710 - estimates tell this. That I don't know, but it could be that it works within that. 01:25:40.354 --> 01:25:45.753 - Council Member Henry. To that point, we know that because of the residuals of previous year bonds, right? 01:25:45.753 --> 01:25:50.999 - And so I brought this up a year ago. And this is why, thinking again, my whole approach to this budget 01:25:50.999 --> 01:25:56.347 - has been about scales in my head. It's mostly good, and then there's things I'd really like to get into, 01:25:56.347 --> 01:26:01.440 - and there's just no time. This is one of those. Because the other way to look at how, and I presume 01:26:01.440 --> 01:26:05.566 - somewhere in a project management space, is what you'd call a basis of estimate, 01:26:05.698 --> 01:26:11.866 - in the federal government, where you would start with, well, how many radios is 120,000 radios? How 01:26:11.866 --> 01:26:18.281 - many cars equal 128,000? And then you just start lobbing off each car until you get to the price point. 01:26:18.281 --> 01:26:24.634 - Somewhere in there is a list. We never really see it at this level. It's often considered too granular 01:26:24.634 --> 01:26:31.172 - for council to get that into the weeds, but that's where you find it, right? And so to Councilor Decker's 01:26:31.172 --> 01:26:33.886 - point, if the repair comes in under budget, 01:26:34.434 --> 01:26:40.312 - that residual gets moved around a little bit. That's a little more specific with elevator repairs, but 01:26:40.312 --> 01:26:46.190 - something like cameras general can end up being other things, which means we overbonded at that point, 01:26:46.190 --> 01:26:51.897 - right? Because then there's too much flab. So if the message is, and I agree with Councilor Wiltz's 01:26:51.897 --> 01:26:57.604 - messages, just because we can doesn't mean we should, and that we need to think ahead about bonding 01:26:57.604 --> 01:26:58.974 - at a traditional level, 01:26:59.138 --> 01:27:06.007 - especially when we look ahead to a future where we may need to be doing more capital projects in the 01:27:06.007 --> 01:27:12.808 - county where that bond rating might need to get flexed in other ways. Maybe, I mean, if it's kosher 01:27:12.808 --> 01:27:19.949 - or legal, I guess, to set the number and then have them come back where they've made those cuts in their 01:27:19.949 --> 01:27:27.294 - estimate for cars and parts and things that add up to things and be sure. I would support a 3.1. All right. 01:27:28.834 --> 01:27:41.034 - Right now, this is a discussion. There's no motion on the table. We need a motion. Would we like a motion? 01:27:41.034 --> 01:27:52.435 - It is your pleasure. Well, I then move council that we establish our preference for a not to exceed 01:27:52.435 --> 01:27:57.566 - amount in resolution 2026 ordinance 2026 36. 01:27:58.434 --> 01:28:09.018 - of $3,100,000. All right. We have a motion and a second to amend ordinance 2026-36 to set the not to 01:28:09.018 --> 01:28:20.335 - exceed limit, which is found in section two, to $3,100,000. Is there any comment from council or discussion 01:28:20.335 --> 01:28:26.622 - from council? I'm going to look to the public just in case. 01:28:26.914 --> 01:28:36.276 - Someone wants to raise their hand on Teams. Is there a second? There was a second, Council Member Henry. 01:28:36.276 --> 01:28:44.478 - Thank you, sorry. Yes, we do have a hand raised on Teams. Ms. Ford, you have three minutes. 01:28:54.210 --> 01:29:00.229 - Yes, my name is Jamie Ford. I'm a Monroe County resident. Sorry, I couldn't be there in person tonight, 01:29:00.229 --> 01:29:06.132 - but I appreciate the motion to cap the limit just because it sounds to me, I'm not an expert on this, 01:29:06.132 --> 01:29:12.208 - but it sounds to me like y'all don't know exactly what you're voting in favor of. I mean, it's one thing 01:29:12.208 --> 01:29:18.169 - for the commissioners to make a vague request for ridiculous things. I still don't know what they need 01:29:18.169 --> 01:29:23.262 - a drone for, but it's another thing for y'all to vote on this, not knowing exactly what 01:29:23.490 --> 01:29:30.818 - the money and the projects are. So, I mean, yeah, if you can limit the number, sure, but it would also 01:29:30.818 --> 01:29:38.217 - be great to, like, I wanna see the granular details. I wanna know what all this stuff is for. So again, 01:29:38.217 --> 01:29:45.545 - I support Councilor Wilson, Councilor Henry's motion to start with a limit for the GO bond. Thank you. 01:29:45.545 --> 01:29:53.086 - Thank you for your public comment. Are there others? Council Member Feidl. Would it be appropriate to ask 01:29:53.186 --> 01:30:05.392 - for some time between now and the next time we meet, we'll vote on it to get a better idea of what it 01:30:05.392 --> 01:30:18.078 - is we'll be spent on. I don't know. I don't know that they, I mean, they did present a lot of information 01:30:18.078 --> 01:30:20.830 - in that slideshow. So, 01:30:21.570 --> 01:30:28.504 - While I don't remember everything they presented, for instance, it says non-LEO vehicles. I know that 01:30:28.504 --> 01:30:35.573 - that means that these are county vehicles not used by law enforcement. I don't remember if we were told 01:30:35.573 --> 01:30:42.575 - how many or for what departments. But at that point, I do trust the fleet manager to be thinking about 01:30:42.575 --> 01:30:46.110 - what's needed at the same time when we're trying to 01:30:46.530 --> 01:30:52.226 - to conserve, maybe instead of buying five vehicles, we buy four or whatever that represents. 01:30:52.226 --> 01:30:58.413 - I don't know. And I think it's entirely appropriate to ask the commissioners. And I think it's going 01:30:58.413 --> 01:31:04.600 - to be there. I think it's expected when we vote on or when we do the second reading next week and to 01:31:04.600 --> 01:31:10.909 - be able to name that expectation that council has that we're looking for a little bit more information 01:31:10.909 --> 01:31:15.870 - on what exactly is happening here. So thank you, Councilmember Feidl. All right. 01:31:16.130 --> 01:31:27.241 - I think I'm not seeing any other hands raised. We have a motion on the table to amend ordinance 2026-36. 01:31:27.241 --> 01:31:37.824 - May we please have a roll call vote. Councilor Iverson. Yes. Councilor Feidl. Yes. Councilor Wilts. 01:31:37.824 --> 01:31:46.078 - Yes. Councilor Henry. Yes. Councilor Decker. Yes. Motion passes five to zero. 01:31:46.690 --> 01:31:57.340 - All right. This show is coming back to this council in exactly one week. So mark your calendars. Our 01:31:57.340 --> 01:32:08.096 - time is up. OK. All right. We then we are at the last item before adjournment. Does anybody else have 01:32:08.096 --> 01:32:13.790 - a final comment on tonight's budget adoption process? 01:32:16.482 --> 01:32:22.720 - Seeing none, this body is adjourned. We will gather again in one week right here in the historic NatU 01:32:22.720 --> 01:32:26.206 - Hill Room at 5 p.m. We look forward to seeing you there.