WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.080 - >> All right. We're going to go ahead and get this meeting started. Today is Tuesday, 00:00:06.080 --> 00:00:13.040 - March 25th, 2025. We're coming to you from the NatU Hill meeting room and Teams Connection. 00:00:13.040 --> 00:00:20.920 - I will note for the record that we have Councilmember Wilz, Councilmember Henry, Councilmember Pfeidl, 00:00:20.920 --> 00:00:28.240 - Councilmember Decker, and Councilmember Iverson in the room. I want to express our sincere 00:00:28.240 --> 00:00:36.920 - well-wishes to Councilmember Crossley, who is at home with sickness. So, yes? 00:00:36.920 --> 00:00:43.080 - >> It appears that Councilor Hock is virtual. >> Okay. Welcome, Councilmember Hock, online. 00:00:43.080 --> 00:00:48.680 - And again, I just want to make sure that your video is working for voting purposes. Let's 00:00:48.680 --> 00:00:58.440 - start today with a Pledge of Allegiance. >> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United 00:00:58.440 --> 00:01:05.360 - States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, 00:01:05.360 --> 00:01:15.520 - with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you, Council. Today's agenda can 00:01:15.520 --> 00:01:22.680 - be found on the events calendar, and I'll ask Council if you have any changes to today's 00:01:22.680 --> 00:01:37.360 - agenda or updates. Councilmember Wilz? >> I was wondering if perhaps we could pull 00:01:37.360 --> 00:01:43.200 - item B from the consent agenda out to be its own item just so that we could discuss it. 00:01:43.200 --> 00:01:47.160 - If we can discuss it anyway and it doesn't make any difference, then I'm fine with that. 00:01:47.160 --> 00:01:51.400 - I just, you know, I'm interested in hearing a little bit more either from the liaison 00:01:51.400 --> 00:01:57.760 - or if the surveyors here. It just, it seemed more interesting than a consent agenda item 00:01:57.760 --> 00:01:58.760 - to me. >> Sure. Okay. 00:01:58.760 --> 00:02:03.760 - >> Remind me which one you're talking about. >> B, it's from the surveyors office, so it's 00:02:03.760 --> 00:02:05.320 - 6B. >> Because there's several Bs here. 00:02:05.320 --> 00:02:07.760 - >> 6B. >> 6B. Now I know which one it is. 00:02:07.760 --> 00:02:11.680 - >> Councilmember Wilz, are you comfortable when we get to the consent agenda items and 00:02:11.680 --> 00:02:14.160 - we open it up for the conversation that we discussed it? 00:02:14.160 --> 00:02:15.160 - >> That's perfect. >> Excellent. 00:02:15.160 --> 00:02:18.880 - >> Thank you. >> Are there any other changes to today's 00:02:18.880 --> 00:02:24.720 - agenda? Seeing none, we will go ahead and adopt that with, we need to do a roll call 00:02:24.720 --> 00:02:27.880 - vote, right? >> There's no changes to the agenda. 00:02:27.880 --> 00:02:31.080 - >> We can adopt it as is. >> You can just voice vote the adoption of 00:02:31.080 --> 00:02:35.560 - the agenda. >> All those in favor, please say aye. 00:02:35.560 --> 00:02:40.240 - >> Aye. >> All those opposed? The ayes have it unanimously. 00:02:40.240 --> 00:02:45.240 - >> All right. Let's move on to public comments. If you would like to make public comments 00:02:45.240 --> 00:02:49.760 - for an item not on the agenda, please come up to the podium or raise your hand on Teams 00:02:49.760 --> 00:02:56.680 - and we will recognize you for your public comment. And as always, there will be a brief time 00:02:56.680 --> 00:03:01.920 - limit on your comments, and we'll go ahead and start here in the NatU Hill Room. Welcome. 00:03:01.920 --> 00:03:07.120 - >> All right. Good afternoon, evening. My name is Jen Pearl. I'm president of the Bloomington 00:03:07.120 --> 00:03:11.280 - Economic Development Corporation. We're a nonprofit that serves all of Monroe County 00:03:11.280 --> 00:03:15.840 - in attracting and growing quality jobs and wages for the community. I am here because 00:03:15.840 --> 00:03:21.480 - we are trying to spread the word about the many opportunities that are available in Monroe 00:03:21.480 --> 00:03:27.720 - County right now. We recently did a snapshot among a number of our largest employers, and 00:03:27.720 --> 00:03:32.800 - there are literally hundreds of jobs that are open in Monroe County. We know that graduation 00:03:32.800 --> 00:03:38.280 - season is coming up on us, and others might be in job transitions, so we wanted everyone 00:03:38.280 --> 00:03:44.200 - to be aware of what's out there. Folks can find the article that we published in the 00:03:44.200 --> 00:03:49.680 - Herald Times. It's also available through the LinkedIn page for the Bloomington Economic 00:03:49.680 --> 00:03:55.760 - Development Corporation. And just briefly, our driving industries that have opportunities 00:03:55.760 --> 00:04:02.720 - include healthcare and life sciences, education are really leading the way on job openings. 00:04:02.720 --> 00:04:09.560 - We also have opportunities in advanced manufacturing, tech, and there are always opportunities in 00:04:09.560 --> 00:04:14.920 - small business growth as well as defense. The article that we have talks about ways 00:04:14.920 --> 00:04:20.320 - that you can find these listings and find the employers that are in our community. And 00:04:20.320 --> 00:04:25.860 - we would also ask that folks visit our LinkedIn page, find that article, and share it with 00:04:25.860 --> 00:04:29.840 - others as well, because we want to make sure that we're really retaining and promoting 00:04:29.840 --> 00:04:34.640 - great talent for our community. Also, this is a special thank you to the County Council 00:04:34.640 --> 00:04:39.160 - because many of the employers that are listed in here are employers that you've supported 00:04:39.160 --> 00:04:45.920 - in recent years as they've worked to expand, such as Syntra, such as Phoenix, and others 00:04:45.920 --> 00:04:50.840 - across the community. Everyone in the room, you all have copies of this in front of you, 00:04:50.840 --> 00:04:56.240 - but I can also share the links for you to share as well. So thank you and tell your 00:04:56.240 --> 00:05:01.760 - friends to come work in Monroe County. Thank you, Ms. Pearl. Thank you, Jen. Are there 00:05:01.760 --> 00:05:06.960 - any other public comments? Again, looking to the podium here in that you Hill or people 00:05:06.960 --> 00:05:14.600 - raising their hands on teams? Seeing none, let's move on to department updates. Are there 00:05:14.600 --> 00:05:19.720 - department heads here in the net you Hill room or online that wish to offer a department 00:05:19.720 --> 00:05:33.400 - update? Seeing none, we will move on with our agenda for item number six. This is where 00:05:33.400 --> 00:05:39.520 - I go, right? That is correct. Perfect. This is my first time at this. Bear with me. Council, 00:05:39.520 --> 00:05:45.680 - I move to approve the following consent agenda items for March 25th at the February 25th 00:05:45.680 --> 00:05:49.960 - meeting summary minutes, the February 27th joint meeting of the Monroe County Board of 00:05:49.960 --> 00:05:55.520 - Commissioners and County Council and the March 11th executive session of the County Council 00:05:55.520 --> 00:06:06.160 - and the surveyors request in the fund 1202-0000 surveyors corner perpetuation fund to create 00:06:06.160 --> 00:06:16.720 - account line 38002 ATLP higher ed and longevity. Second. All right. We have a motion and a 00:06:16.720 --> 00:06:21.160 - second. Thank you so much for reading that. Councilmember pilot do a great job. Does council 00:06:21.160 --> 00:06:32.120 - have any comments or questions? Yes. I would just like to know a little bit more about 00:06:32.120 --> 00:06:43.200 - the item B and the program that that he the surveyor is utilizing and I don't know if 00:06:43.200 --> 00:06:51.480 - the surveyors even here since this was put on consent agenda. Oh, yeah. John, are you 00:06:51.480 --> 00:07:00.240 - there? All right, Mr. and right Randolph, we see your hand raised. Mr. President, is 00:07:00.240 --> 00:07:05.880 - that taking this point of order? Are we taking a motion to divide the question out of consent 00:07:05.880 --> 00:07:10.560 - agenda and then move it to discuss it? Or how would you like to proceed? At this point, 00:07:10.560 --> 00:07:15.800 - I think I'm comfortable with having a conversation about this this agenda item. And if we need 00:07:15.800 --> 00:07:24.320 - to take more concerted action, then I'll entertain a motion to separate it. Yes. Is there a way 00:07:24.320 --> 00:07:35.520 - you could please promote? I might be live. There you are. Yeah. And my Internet said 00:07:35.520 --> 00:07:45.880 - I had poor connectivity. So the reason to create this line is to kind of track the dollars 00:07:45.880 --> 00:07:51.640 - going into it that will be coming from the corner perpetuation line. We had a training 00:07:51.640 --> 00:07:58.520 - line in the corner perpetuation budget. But I think this is kind of a little outside of 00:07:58.520 --> 00:08:03.960 - it. So this will be a good tool to kind of track that. I actually intended to come and 00:08:03.960 --> 00:08:10.800 - give a presentation about the program itself. And I could kind of go into that. I actually 00:08:10.800 --> 00:08:16.320 - even put a presentation together. Since I am not at the office, I don't have access 00:08:16.320 --> 00:08:22.640 - to that document, that PowerPoint. But I would be more than happy to come back and give you 00:08:22.640 --> 00:08:29.360 - kind of a not just a presentation on the program, but also how that relates to our perpetuation 00:08:29.360 --> 00:08:34.400 - efforts. And, you know, I could kind of keep it tight around, you know, five to six minutes. 00:08:34.400 --> 00:08:40.040 - But I think it's a great way to show you what we're up to. And I'd be more than happy to 00:08:40.040 --> 00:08:45.600 - do this. This was just kind of something that was recommended to do to kind of set some 00:08:45.600 --> 00:08:54.000 - best practices. And, you know, unfortunately, I just kind of was trying to move this along 00:08:54.000 --> 00:08:58.040 - since we have the program in place, but I'm more than happy to come back and give you 00:08:58.040 --> 00:09:05.160 - a full presentation. If you want to approve it today or hold off, I'd leave that to your 00:09:05.160 --> 00:09:18.360 - discretion. But in a nutshell, it's investing in our employees for further education, and 00:09:18.360 --> 00:09:26.200 - it's a great opportunity. Marion County had established the program originally, and so 00:09:26.200 --> 00:09:32.320 - I'm kind of following off of their template, and it allows our survey technician to get 00:09:32.320 --> 00:09:39.360 - further education that eventually could go into getting their license, which really helps 00:09:39.360 --> 00:09:48.800 - our office with, you know, kind of streamlining our workflow, maximizing our time. Regardless, 00:09:48.800 --> 00:09:54.120 - if we had to do the research or not, we would have to take that time. So all that time spent 00:09:54.120 --> 00:10:00.320 - doing that research actually can be an incentive to our employees. So I think it just has a 00:10:00.320 --> 00:10:09.200 - great outcome. All right, thank you so much. Councilmember Wilts. 00:10:09.200 --> 00:10:15.440 - Thank you for that explanation. I think it's great from, you know, by all accounts, looking 00:10:15.440 --> 00:10:23.480 - at the description, I'm totally in support of anything that can help the folks who work 00:10:23.480 --> 00:10:29.560 - for the county pursue their education. It looks like it's an associate's degree in surveying 00:10:29.560 --> 00:10:37.680 - technology and the help program supports this. Where is that housed? What is it? Where's 00:10:37.680 --> 00:10:48.240 - the degree coming from? Well, there's an outline. Let me grab my folder. I'm not completely 00:10:48.240 --> 00:10:54.640 - unprepared. I just don't have access to the end drive with the PowerPoint. So there's 00:10:54.640 --> 00:10:59.760 - a reimbursement agreement. So basically, after they complete everything, they agree to stay 00:10:59.760 --> 00:11:06.420 - with the county for two years. And then there's a sliding scale of that reimbursement program. 00:11:06.420 --> 00:11:12.080 - So basically, after the completion of their last class, they stay with the county for 00:11:12.080 --> 00:11:16.560 - two years. If they don't complete it, then they have to go through the reimbursement. 00:11:16.560 --> 00:11:23.560 - That was put together by me and legal Mr. Schilling. And then there's an outline of 00:11:23.560 --> 00:11:32.600 - the program itself. And this is focused on Vinson's University. It's a hybrid virtual 00:11:32.600 --> 00:11:40.040 - program. And since the survey technician already has a degree, a lot of it was able to transfer 00:11:40.040 --> 00:11:45.840 - over. In the state of Indiana, there's a big need for professional surveyors. So another 00:11:45.840 --> 00:11:55.280 - couple benefits is that they're going to learn the profession. And if there's the opportunity 00:11:55.280 --> 00:12:00.640 - for them to practice, they're going to really know how the surveying was conducted in Monroe 00:12:00.640 --> 00:12:07.440 - County and how that relates to our perpetuation efforts. They're not completely different 00:12:07.440 --> 00:12:11.760 - from county to county, but there is somewhat of a way to identify when they're working 00:12:11.760 --> 00:12:18.840 - in that local area, which would be a multi-county jurisdiction, if you will. They practice surveying 00:12:18.840 --> 00:12:28.800 - a bit different in other areas. Okay. Thank you. All right. We have a motion 00:12:28.800 --> 00:12:34.480 - and a second. Are there any other council comments or questions on today's consent agenda 00:12:34.480 --> 00:12:39.720 - items? Seeing none, we'll go to the public. If you have any questions or comments on the 00:12:39.720 --> 00:12:48.240 - consent agenda items, raise your hand on teams or come to the podium. Seeing none, we'll 00:12:48.240 --> 00:12:55.080 - take a roll call vote because we have a member on zoom or teams. 00:12:55.080 --> 00:13:14.200 - Councillor Wilz. Yes. Councillor Decker. Yes. Councillor Iverson. Yes. Councillor Hawke. 00:13:14.200 --> 00:13:27.560 - You're muted. I'm going to go ahead with Councillor Henry. Yes. Councillor Feidl. Yes. And we'll 00:13:27.560 --> 00:13:36.160 - go back to Councillor Hawke. Yes. My answer is no. It sounded me like we're putting in 00:13:36.160 --> 00:13:44.320 - place an additional person there in the surveyor's office and and I'm just going to try my best 00:13:44.320 --> 00:13:55.260 - not to agree to any additional appropriations. Can we clarify that before we. Councillor Hawke, 00:13:55.260 --> 00:14:04.800 - this is not the addition. I know it isn't it but is it not approving the person placed 00:14:04.800 --> 00:14:12.320 - within the budget? No. But we have a record of the vote. It's fine. Just put me down as 00:14:12.320 --> 00:14:22.720 - a no and move forward. Thank you. All right. Motion passes by majority five to one. Excellent. 00:14:22.720 --> 00:14:31.520 - All right. We will move on to agenda item number seven. And I don't think Ms. Feidl has anything 00:14:31.520 --> 00:14:37.600 - to read here. So I'm going to recognize members of the Monroe County Civil Air Patrol, particularly 00:14:37.600 --> 00:14:44.120 - Second Lieutenant Brad Thompson to introduce the group. And I think we've got some materials 00:14:44.120 --> 00:14:51.460 - here on our desk. It looks like we've got a slide deck ready to go for our enjoyment. 00:14:51.460 --> 00:14:58.640 - So Second Lieutenant Brad Thompson, the next 15 minutes are all yours. Thank you. I'm just 00:14:58.640 --> 00:15:02.800 - going to turn it over to our cadets. Thank you, sir. 00:15:02.800 --> 00:15:08.800 - Good evening, counsel. My name is Cadet Captain Mara Keeta Thompson. I am the deputy commander. 00:15:08.800 --> 00:15:13.720 - Excuse me. Can you pull your mic a little bit closer? Yeah. Thank you. 00:15:13.720 --> 00:15:19.080 - I am Cadet Captain Mara Keeta Thompson. I am the deputy commander of operations. And 00:15:19.080 --> 00:15:24.920 - I'm here with Cadet Second Lieutenant Lydia Parker. I am the cadet commander. 00:15:24.920 --> 00:15:31.640 - I am Cadet Senior Master Sergeant Zachariah Schmidt. I am the cadet first sergeant. 00:15:31.640 --> 00:15:38.760 - And here today we are with our squadron, the Monroe County Composite Squadron. And we are 00:15:38.760 --> 00:15:43.720 - a composite squadron. So we are made of both senior members and cadet members. And cadet 00:15:43.720 --> 00:15:49.120 - members are students anywhere from 12 years old to 21 years old. If you join before you 00:15:49.120 --> 00:15:53.800 - are 18, you can stay at cadet until you are 21. But if you join after 18, you have to 00:15:53.800 --> 00:15:58.280 - join as a senior member. With that being said, we have 30 cadets and 30 senior members in 00:15:58.280 --> 00:16:05.920 - our squadron. Who we are, Civil Air Patrol is two organizations in one. We are a congressionally 00:16:05.920 --> 00:16:12.360 - chartered non-profit all of the time and an auxiliary of the Air Force some of the time. 00:16:12.360 --> 00:16:18.560 - As a part of the total force of the Air Force, Civil Air Patrol can be activated for missions 00:16:18.560 --> 00:16:24.160 - that meet the operations' call abilities. The total force consists of the Air Force, 00:16:24.160 --> 00:16:29.760 - the Air National Guard, the Air Force Reserve, and the Civil Air Patrol. Auxiliary missions 00:16:29.760 --> 00:16:34.700 - of the defense support for civil authorities typically include search and rescue, joint 00:16:34.700 --> 00:16:40.760 - readiness training, preservation of life and property, and humanitarian relief. Going into 00:16:40.760 --> 00:16:47.320 - our history, Civil Air Patrol was established in December 1st, 1941 after the United States 00:16:47.320 --> 00:16:56.040 - was thrust into World War II. Civil Air Patrol was a part of the civilian effort and an all-volunteer 00:16:56.040 --> 00:17:01.040 - force using privately-owned aircraft in a variety of roles that include patrolling the 00:17:01.040 --> 00:17:07.480 - Atlantic coast from Maine to Mexico to monitoring and harassing German U-boats and shipping 00:17:07.480 --> 00:17:13.400 - lanes, searching for survivors of ships that succumb to torpedo attacks or weather, and 00:17:13.400 --> 00:17:20.440 - training pilots for the military. Franklin Roosevelt, Franklin, President Franklin Roosevelt 00:17:20.440 --> 00:17:26.160 - transferred Civil Air Patrol from the Office of Civilian Defense to the Department of War, 00:17:26.160 --> 00:17:32.000 - which later became the Department of Defense. In 1943, Truman established Civil Air Patrol 00:17:32.000 --> 00:17:40.200 - as the Air Force Civilian Auxiliary on May 26th, 1948. On August 28th, 2015, General 00:17:40.200 --> 00:17:47.760 - Mark A. Welsh III Civil Air Force Chief of Staff officially announced Civil Air Patrol 00:17:47.760 --> 00:17:54.800 - as a member of the U.S. Air Force Total Force, joining the Regular Guard and Reserve Force 00:17:54.800 --> 00:18:00.120 - as American Airmen. And as you can see, we are actually older than the Air Force itself. 00:18:00.120 --> 00:18:13.040 - I've got my papers mixed up here. Civil Air Patrol is the nation's premier volunteer-driven 00:18:13.040 --> 00:18:20.960 - aviation-based nonprofit, which can be summed up in our mission statement, which is Volunteers 00:18:20.960 --> 00:18:28.440 - Serving America's Communities, Saving Lives and Shaping Futures. We have around 70,000 00:18:28.440 --> 00:18:38.840 - volunteers that are all volunteers, with 36,000 being adults and 32,000 being youth cadets. 00:18:38.840 --> 00:18:47.080 - Aviation-based, we operate the world's largest American fleet of 555 single-engine aircraft, 00:18:47.080 --> 00:18:55.040 - operating more than 2,200 drones and operating high-tech aerial imaging capabilities used 00:18:55.040 --> 00:19:05.900 - for damage assessment. And we are tasked with three missions from the Air Force, which are 00:19:05.900 --> 00:19:13.440 - Aerospace Education, Youth Program, and Emergency Services, which these two will go into more. 00:19:13.440 --> 00:19:21.480 - So our first mission, which is Aerospace Education, we provide aerospace education to both cadets 00:19:21.480 --> 00:19:27.440 - and the community. We can provide classrooms with support and free STEM kits to teachers 00:19:27.440 --> 00:19:33.000 - and other educators. And of course, aligning to national academic standards, AE offers 00:19:33.000 --> 00:19:37.520 - more than 40 educational products consisting of hundreds of lesson plans that span through 00:19:37.520 --> 00:19:45.440 - pre-K through grade 12. AE also offers 21 different STEM kits for ages 4 and up, textbooks, 00:19:45.440 --> 00:19:50.620 - and activity books for the youngest learners. We also have with Civil Air Patrol Aerospace 00:19:50.620 --> 00:19:56.640 - Education members or AEMs. AEMs can be teachers, homeschoolers, scout leaders, anyone that 00:19:56.640 --> 00:20:03.960 - teaches STEM. They can join for $35 a year flat rate. AEMs can get free STEM kits for 00:20:03.960 --> 00:20:10.120 - use in their classrooms as well as free TOP or teacher orientation flight program flights, 00:20:10.120 --> 00:20:14.160 - a ride in a Civil Air Patrol aircraft in which they can take control of the aircraft and 00:20:14.160 --> 00:20:19.820 - fly it themselves. So if you know an educator, let them know about our program. Pictured 00:20:19.820 --> 00:20:25.680 - on the slide is a science teacher and robotics leader at Bloomington High School North who 00:20:25.680 --> 00:20:35.840 - had just completed her teacher orientation flight last year. With Aerospace Education, 00:20:35.840 --> 00:20:41.600 - our cadets learn about weather, physics, mechanics, aerodynamics, other STEM items related to 00:20:41.600 --> 00:20:47.240 - aviation including building model rockets, getting to fly drones and fly aircraft on 00:20:47.240 --> 00:20:55.180 - orientation flights, which as part of Aerospace Education, cadets receive five powered orientation 00:20:55.180 --> 00:21:00.000 - flights in a Civil Air Patrol aircraft, getting to have their hands on the controls flying 00:21:00.000 --> 00:21:06.400 - the airplane themselves. Turn it over to Lieutenant Parker. 00:21:06.400 --> 00:21:11.400 - Our second mission is the cadet program. There are many ways youth can choose to spend their 00:21:11.400 --> 00:21:17.800 - free time such as sports, band, scouts, video games, etc. CAP is unlike any other service 00:21:17.800 --> 00:21:23.560 - organization out there. CAP is based on a military type organization so we achieve rank 00:21:23.560 --> 00:21:28.280 - by taking specific tests such as physical training tests, knowledge tests and aerospace 00:21:28.280 --> 00:21:33.480 - tests and also participating actively in our program. The aviation component in the cadet 00:21:33.480 --> 00:21:39.560 - program, every cadet gets up to five orientation rides before they turn 18. CAP can help with 00:21:39.560 --> 00:21:47.360 - college and military academy placement. About 10% of military academy cadets are CAP cadets. 00:21:47.360 --> 00:21:52.880 - It also allows cadets to enter the military with a higher rank but we are not a recruiter. 00:21:52.880 --> 00:21:57.960 - Cadets have no obligation to join any branch of military. We provide an opportunity to 00:21:57.960 --> 00:22:04.240 - serve alongside family for a shared experience and can help bring families together. Cadets 00:22:04.240 --> 00:22:09.760 - can also participate in emergency services and be involved with search and rescue, ground 00:22:09.760 --> 00:22:16.240 - teams, communications and air crews. Other things that cadets can take advantage of are 00:22:16.240 --> 00:22:20.640 - our summer camps. This is the first summer camp that cadets must attend to be eligible 00:22:20.640 --> 00:22:26.360 - to go to. I don't want to say more impressive but sometimes are more fun camps. It is kind 00:22:26.360 --> 00:22:31.320 - of like basic training for kids but it's also a lot of fun. It is called encampment. This 00:22:31.320 --> 00:22:36.600 - was at Camp Atterbury. It has since moved but the one pictured here was at Camp Atterbury 00:22:36.600 --> 00:22:41.640 - where cadets built and launched model rockets, went flying and rappelling, learned drill 00:22:41.640 --> 00:22:47.480 - and participated in physical training. Also available to cadets are unique special activities 00:22:47.480 --> 00:22:53.560 - called NCSAs or National Cadet Special Activities such as mountain rescue in Colorado, honor 00:22:53.560 --> 00:23:00.440 - guard, flight training all over the states, civil leadership academy and computer networking, 00:23:00.440 --> 00:23:09.600 - cyber security taught by the Air Force and others. Pictured on this slide is us, so next 00:23:09.600 --> 00:23:16.920 - slide. So pictured here is us helping with Rees Across America because a big part of 00:23:16.920 --> 00:23:21.800 - Civil Air Patrol is the volunteer service. Every year we help place Rees and post the 00:23:21.800 --> 00:23:30.960 - colors. And next slide. This is us helping at the 279 Food Pantry a couple years ago 00:23:30.960 --> 00:23:39.640 - near Thanksgiving. And then the next one is us helping Kiwanis Club with the Balloon Fest. 00:23:39.640 --> 00:23:45.480 - We helped launch and recover the balloons and helped with parking and other jobs. And 00:23:45.480 --> 00:23:50.840 - then this is me receiving my Mitchell Award from the mayor. The Mitchell Award is the 00:23:50.840 --> 00:23:56.920 - second milestone in the program. It is also the biggest milestone. It is the pivot point 00:23:56.920 --> 00:24:03.180 - from NCO to officer and not only do we get to have all the opportunities to come to officers, 00:24:03.180 --> 00:24:08.920 - we also if we want to enter the Air Force we would join as an E3 which is a higher pay 00:24:08.920 --> 00:24:21.480 - and higher rank. Also available to us are aerospace education scholarships. 00:24:21.480 --> 00:24:26.120 - With the picture on the right that you've seen previously, I was on our nation's capital 00:24:26.120 --> 00:24:31.440 - about ready to talk to our two senators about our budget request and just kind of letting 00:24:31.440 --> 00:24:35.440 - them know what Civil Air Patrol is getting our name out there and being able to meet 00:24:35.440 --> 00:24:39.760 - with our federal government. Later on that week I was actually able to speak with my 00:24:39.760 --> 00:24:49.000 - congresswoman and have a meeting with her giving her our budget request for the year and that 00:24:49.000 --> 00:24:53.560 - was just an amazing opportunity. I actually was able to go up there for free being able 00:24:53.560 --> 00:24:58.280 - to tour the capital, different monuments and things like that and just being able to see 00:24:58.280 --> 00:25:10.200 - how the government worked. It was absolutely amazing, such an amazing program. Our final 00:25:10.200 --> 00:25:17.520 - and third program of Civil Air Patrol Emergency Services, it's arguably the most important 00:25:17.520 --> 00:25:22.840 - program of Civil Air Patrol. Civil Air Patrol is who performs 90% of search and rescue missions 00:25:22.840 --> 00:25:28.680 - in the U.S. Many searches are conducted using proprietary cell phone forensics and radar 00:25:28.680 --> 00:25:32.760 - analysis. Advanced search capabilities make CAP an invaluable resource to facilitate searches 00:25:32.760 --> 00:25:38.080 - for downed aircraft, missing persons, stranded motorists, injured hikers, drift boaters and 00:25:38.080 --> 00:25:42.760 - much more. Before cell phone forensics and radar analysis searches took hours, days, 00:25:42.760 --> 00:25:48.960 - even weeks to complete and today in a matter of minutes Civil Air Patrol can help reduce 00:25:48.960 --> 00:25:54.560 - probable search area with our cell phone location software so rescues and resources are much 00:25:54.560 --> 00:26:01.640 - quicker even after dark and in bad weather, thereby dramatically increasing survival rate. 00:26:01.640 --> 00:26:06.560 - Our E.S. teams also respond to a variety of requests from local and state and even federal 00:26:06.560 --> 00:26:12.520 - agencies post disasters like floods, wildfires, hurricanes, earthquakes and tsunamis. Support 00:26:12.520 --> 00:26:18.720 - may include search and rescue, point of distribution, aerial imaging for rapid damage assessment, 00:26:18.720 --> 00:26:23.200 - personal and supply transport, communications networking and much more. We even have our 00:26:23.200 --> 00:26:29.600 - own communications network funded and operated by the Air Force by their equipment and frequencies. 00:26:29.600 --> 00:26:38.640 - It is secure so we are able to communicate locally or nationally securely. And Civil 00:26:38.640 --> 00:26:44.240 - Air Patrol was the only non-military aircraft that were allowed to fly after the attacks 00:26:44.240 --> 00:26:50.280 - on September 11th. Civil Air Patrol is who took most of the pictures of the Twin Towers 00:26:50.280 --> 00:26:57.960 - disaster site for federal agencies such as DHS or FEMA that were doing damage assessment. 00:26:57.960 --> 00:27:02.400 - Last year this aircraft was retired and is now on display at the National Museum of the 00:27:02.400 --> 00:27:09.000 - United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. As a total force partner of the Air Force the 00:27:09.000 --> 00:27:13.680 - Auxiliary plays an integral role in joint readiness training for the military. You can 00:27:13.680 --> 00:27:16.800 - read more about these missions in the packet that you have. 00:27:16.800 --> 00:27:21.160 - One interesting program is RPP, the Rated Preparatory Program. It's a joint training 00:27:21.160 --> 00:27:25.360 - initiative that relies on Civil Air Patrol aircraft and personnel with flight instructors 00:27:25.360 --> 00:27:29.880 - to help Air Force Airmen on their journey to become rated aircrew. The Air Force funded 00:27:29.880 --> 00:27:35.040 - program provides training for active duty non-flying Air Force personnel with skills 00:27:35.040 --> 00:27:39.860 - to improve their Airman's pilot candidate selection method score. The RPP candidates 00:27:39.860 --> 00:27:45.920 - receive more than 40 hours of training with support, discussion, simulator time, and air 00:27:45.920 --> 00:27:51.240 - and ground training. There are two locations of this training, one in Texas and one just 00:27:51.240 --> 00:27:55.880 - over in Columbus, Indiana. Some of the senior members from our squadron here in Monroe County 00:27:55.880 --> 00:28:00.800 - as well as the entirety of Indiana wing help with this program. 00:28:00.800 --> 00:28:07.660 - CAP is heavily involved in most national disasters such as the California wildfires, the fires 00:28:07.660 --> 00:28:14.860 - in Hawaii, hurricanes in Florida, flooding across Kentucky and the Carolinas. On the 00:28:14.860 --> 00:28:21.560 - next slide we have pictured cadets after participating and during participation in the Red Cross 00:28:21.560 --> 00:28:22.260 - exercise 00:28:22.260 --> 00:28:28.200 - Operation Safe Harbor in October of 2023. Cadets learned how to use a survey app on 00:28:28.200 --> 00:28:40.500 - their phone to do damage assessment for emergency management agencies and coordinating resources. 00:28:40.500 --> 00:28:46.260 - Most recently in last July our squadron here was called to help set up a point of distribution 00:28:46.260 --> 00:28:54.480 - for water after the heavy storms on June 30th. Local emergency management agencies like the 00:28:54.480 --> 00:28:58.780 - Monroe County Emergency Management can call the Indiana Department of Homeland Security 00:28:58.780 --> 00:29:04.460 - and request our help. This help can be volunteers, search and rescue teams, point of distribution 00:29:04.460 --> 00:29:10.660 - support, damage assessment, airborne photography and emergency communications. The Air Force 00:29:10.660 --> 00:29:14.380 - purchases and maintains equipment such as the Cessna 182, one of which we have at the 00:29:14.380 --> 00:29:19.220 - Monroe County Airport. The Air Force trains and coordinates Civil Air Patrol to be a service 00:29:19.220 --> 00:29:24.640 - to you and other communities. We are an all-volunteer organization. The assets of CAP are all free 00:29:24.640 --> 00:29:30.300 - to call upon except for our aircraft, but aircraft time is only about $160 an hour as 00:29:30.300 --> 00:29:35.980 - compared to a National Guard helicopter, which can be upwards of $4,000 per hour. So as you 00:29:35.980 --> 00:29:41.820 - can see, we are quite a bargain. This aircraft and air crews can be useful in events like 00:29:41.820 --> 00:29:50.080 - Like the storms last June, tornadoes in Steinsville a few years ago, and much other situations. 00:29:50.080 --> 00:29:53.300 - And lastly we'll talk about the impact by the numbers nationally. 00:29:53.300 --> 00:29:57.040 - Every year is different, but on average we save over 100 lives. 00:29:57.040 --> 00:30:06.600 - There are 555 plus aircraft, 1000 plus vehicles, 1400 plus locations, 100,000 plus hours flown, 00:30:06.600 --> 00:30:13.580 - 500,000 plus students impacted, and 200 million dollars value of time volunteered. 00:30:13.580 --> 00:30:20.060 - We have a three to one return of investment for every dollar spent in the service of others. 00:30:20.060 --> 00:30:23.380 - We can also assist in other events, not just emergencies. 00:30:23.380 --> 00:30:27.980 - During the eclipse last year we had all of our aircraft in the air and updated traffic 00:30:27.980 --> 00:30:34.460 - information to the Indiana Department of Homeland Security to support the Indiana State Police, 00:30:34.460 --> 00:30:41.460 - the Indiana Wing, 34 squadrons around the state with 470 adult volunteers, 904 cadets 00:30:41.460 --> 00:30:48.180 - ages 12 to 21, 62 air crews, and 777 emergency responders. 00:30:48.180 --> 00:30:53.940 - The assets that could be put into use are 8 aircraft and 18 vehicles consisting of cars, 00:30:53.940 --> 00:30:56.800 - trucks, and multi-passenger vans. 00:30:56.800 --> 00:31:07.420 - 60 communication systems that include 16 VHF/FM repeaters, 221 VHF/FM stations, and 31 FM stations. 00:31:07.420 --> 00:31:11.180 - This is part of a nationwide communication system. 00:31:11.180 --> 00:31:13.420 - Conclusion. 00:31:13.420 --> 00:31:17.180 - This is a great program for young people to learn leadership, character development, learn 00:31:17.180 --> 00:31:21.460 - new skills, work on STEM activities, and participate in physical training. 00:31:21.460 --> 00:31:26.680 - This organization is also a great opportunity for adults to volunteer in their community 00:31:26.680 --> 00:31:29.620 - and use their skills or learn new ones. 00:31:29.620 --> 00:31:34.220 - Adults can be active with the cadets or participate in the ground or air crew's emergency services 00:31:34.220 --> 00:31:35.220 - and communications. 00:31:35.220 --> 00:31:39.980 - We believe that the Civil Air Patrol is one of the best-kept secrets of a local community. 00:31:39.980 --> 00:31:45.580 - We can support educators, emergency management agencies, and support young people's growth. 00:31:45.580 --> 00:31:51.020 - We meet every Thursday evening from 645 to 915 p.m. at the Trinity Reform Church on End 00:31:51.020 --> 00:31:52.160 - Right Road. 00:31:52.160 --> 00:31:55.220 - You are all welcome to drop by and learn about us. 00:31:55.220 --> 00:31:59.660 - For more information, please go to our website, gocivilairpatrol.com, and we thank you for 00:31:59.660 --> 00:32:00.660 - your time. 00:32:00.660 --> 00:32:02.700 - Does anyone have any questions? 00:32:02.700 --> 00:32:06.580 - Thank you so much, Commander Thompson, Sergeant Schmidt, and Lieutenant Parker. 00:32:06.580 --> 00:32:07.580 - What a great presentation. 00:32:07.580 --> 00:32:12.440 - I'll now turn to Councilor here on my right for any questions or comments. 00:32:12.440 --> 00:32:13.440 - Thank you, Mr. President. 00:32:13.440 --> 00:32:15.300 - Thank you for your presentation tonight. 00:32:15.300 --> 00:32:19.500 - I do have one question for you each. 00:32:19.500 --> 00:32:24.780 - What's been your most memorable mission or experience that you've had in the Civil Air 00:32:24.780 --> 00:32:25.780 - Patrol? 00:32:25.780 --> 00:32:27.500 - And that's for all of you. 00:32:27.500 --> 00:32:28.500 - Wow. 00:32:28.500 --> 00:32:29.500 - Yeah. 00:32:29.500 --> 00:32:32.300 - So for me personally, I think it was probably encampment. 00:32:32.300 --> 00:32:35.660 - This past year, I got to staff encampment, which means I was the one getting to yell 00:32:35.660 --> 00:32:37.700 - at all the basics and get them learning. 00:32:37.700 --> 00:32:39.300 - So that was a lot of fun. 00:32:39.300 --> 00:32:42.260 - It also was kind of a kick in the pants to get me going in the right direction. 00:32:42.260 --> 00:32:47.500 - So I believe encampment has probably been my favorite. 00:32:47.500 --> 00:32:51.740 - For me, it was what I spoke about previously where I got to go on the nation's capital 00:32:51.740 --> 00:32:56.100 - and speak to my congresswoman, and that really influenced me in what I want to do, because 00:32:56.100 --> 00:33:01.340 - I do want to go into political science or law and work on the capital. 00:33:01.340 --> 00:33:11.300 - And I actually got to—I forgot what they're called. 00:33:11.300 --> 00:33:17.140 - When I was speaking to two of the congresspeople, they offered me an internship—that's what 00:33:17.140 --> 00:33:18.140 - it's called. 00:33:18.140 --> 00:33:19.140 - Yeah. 00:33:19.140 --> 00:33:22.220 - They offered me an internship there for when I'm old enough, because I'm only a junior 00:33:22.220 --> 00:33:28.140 - in high school, and if they are still in their term, I'm able to go back and take them up 00:33:28.140 --> 00:33:29.140 - on that internship. 00:33:29.140 --> 00:33:34.260 - I'm going to have to agree with Lieutenant Parker. 00:33:34.260 --> 00:33:36.380 - My favorite experiences also have to have been in encampment. 00:33:36.380 --> 00:33:41.780 - I've been to two as well, once as a basic student and once as an advanced student. 00:33:41.780 --> 00:33:48.380 - And next week, I will actually be—next two weekends, first two in April, I will be staffing 00:33:48.380 --> 00:33:50.940 - and encampment up in Illinois Wing. 00:33:50.940 --> 00:33:52.780 - So get at a third one. 00:33:52.780 --> 00:33:53.780 - Thank you for that. 00:33:53.780 --> 00:33:57.780 - I will just comment that you leave me hopeful. 00:33:57.780 --> 00:34:01.780 - It's another example—Civil Air Patrol—another example of how federal resources come the 00:34:01.780 --> 00:34:06.180 - whole way down from Washington to our community and how essential they are for everything 00:34:06.180 --> 00:34:08.380 - that you've described in your presentation. 00:34:08.380 --> 00:34:13.340 - I'm also hopeful, apparently from the internship offer, that our two senators remember their 00:34:13.340 --> 00:34:17.820 - Navy and Marine Corps oaths, as you have for what you've already done in service to our 00:34:17.820 --> 00:34:18.980 - country and community. 00:34:18.980 --> 00:34:20.740 - So thank you for that. 00:34:20.740 --> 00:34:22.860 - Councilmember Hawke. 00:34:22.860 --> 00:34:32.700 - Yes, Justin, I'm so sorry to you folks that I'm not there to meet with you this evening. 00:34:32.700 --> 00:34:38.180 - I bet my very best friend is watching tonight. 00:34:38.180 --> 00:34:46.820 - Helen is somebody that I graduated from high school with and been lifelong friends, and 00:34:46.820 --> 00:34:50.540 - this is her family there that's involved, the Thompsons. 00:34:50.540 --> 00:34:55.860 - So I know how proud she is of them, and I'm excited for them too. 00:34:55.860 --> 00:35:01.360 - And they are really, that whole group is doing so much more than most anybody here would 00:35:01.360 --> 00:35:04.860 - know about if they hadn't come to talk with us about it. 00:35:04.860 --> 00:35:11.740 - It sounds like an exciting opportunity for so many people. 00:35:11.740 --> 00:35:15.100 - Thank you, ma'am. 00:35:15.100 --> 00:35:17.780 - Mr. Deckard. 00:35:17.780 --> 00:35:22.780 - Thank you so much for spending some time with us this evening and for telling us this important 00:35:22.780 --> 00:35:23.780 - information. 00:35:23.780 --> 00:35:30.420 - In a community like this, we can sometimes take for granted the riches and the good things 00:35:30.420 --> 00:35:32.040 - that we have. 00:35:32.040 --> 00:35:36.460 - And I think you have reminded us, not only here on this council, but you've reminded 00:35:36.460 --> 00:35:41.420 - the public of the wondrous things that you all do and the impact that you're having in 00:35:41.420 --> 00:35:42.860 - so many different ways. 00:35:42.860 --> 00:35:47.540 - I love that you have spent some time on Capitol Hill as well. 00:35:47.540 --> 00:35:50.360 - I love that you're going to go back to Capitol Hill. 00:35:50.360 --> 00:35:54.920 - Maybe one of these days, I'll get a chance to vote for you and send you to Capitol Hill. 00:35:54.920 --> 00:36:02.180 - But it's remarkable to think of these things and the experience and the leadership you're 00:36:02.180 --> 00:36:04.220 - getting is robust. 00:36:04.220 --> 00:36:10.660 - One thing that I love about our folks that are in the service and are serving as you 00:36:10.660 --> 00:36:16.260 - are is whenever we see you, we get to see all the badges that you have. 00:36:16.260 --> 00:36:20.860 - All throughout these presentations, I go down and I look at that and it tells me that you 00:36:20.860 --> 00:36:24.620 - don't get that just walking into a convenience store and saying, "I'd like that one. 00:36:24.620 --> 00:36:25.620 - That one's cool." 00:36:25.620 --> 00:36:31.140 - You got that from a lot of work that you've done for this community and for others. 00:36:31.140 --> 00:36:33.980 - I love that that walks around with you in this role. 00:36:33.980 --> 00:36:40.180 - I know that for folks like myself and others, that is a reassuring moment in a flood, in 00:36:40.180 --> 00:36:42.980 - a tough time, at a food pantry. 00:36:42.980 --> 00:36:46.660 - And I love that that message comes to us tonight, goes out on cats. 00:36:46.660 --> 00:36:51.900 - This will be recorded that hopefully more people see this and hear that message. 00:36:51.900 --> 00:36:54.340 - And what a blessing that is for all of us. 00:36:54.340 --> 00:36:59.020 - So thank you so much for taking time to educate us on a night when you could have been doing 00:36:59.020 --> 00:37:01.320 - other things, but yet again, here you are serving. 00:37:01.320 --> 00:37:02.320 - So thank you. 00:37:02.320 --> 00:37:03.820 - Thank you, Mr. Decker. 00:37:03.820 --> 00:37:04.820 - Councilmember Wilts. 00:37:04.820 --> 00:37:08.820 - I would just like to say thanks for thinking of us. 00:37:08.820 --> 00:37:12.060 - Thanks for coming out to our meeting. 00:37:12.060 --> 00:37:13.820 - I've learned a lot. 00:37:13.820 --> 00:37:18.740 - I read in the packet and so and I was like, oh, yeah, okay, that's very cool. 00:37:18.740 --> 00:37:22.220 - But hearing you all speak about it is extra special. 00:37:22.220 --> 00:37:24.500 - And I learned even more from that. 00:37:24.500 --> 00:37:29.580 - I'm curious how each of you got involved. 00:37:29.580 --> 00:37:33.340 - So how did you find out about the program at first? 00:37:33.340 --> 00:37:36.060 - Yes, ma'am. 00:37:36.060 --> 00:37:40.540 - So funny enough, it all started when I was watching a TV show with my family and one 00:37:40.540 --> 00:37:44.700 - of the characters got into the Air Force Academy and I decided that I wanted to do that. 00:37:44.700 --> 00:37:49.340 - So I did a lot of research and I found Civil Air Patrol through the Air Force Academy website 00:37:49.340 --> 00:37:52.260 - and I did even more research into that and decided, you know what, this is something 00:37:52.260 --> 00:37:53.520 - I want to look into. 00:37:53.520 --> 00:37:56.180 - So I told my parents and funny enough, they'd already heard about it. 00:37:56.180 --> 00:37:58.060 - So they were like, yeah, we know. 00:37:58.060 --> 00:38:03.300 - And then I have been here ever since. 00:38:03.300 --> 00:38:08.140 - I was at an air show here in the state, I don't exactly remember where, but they had 00:38:08.140 --> 00:38:10.740 - a booth set up and a whole mascot. 00:38:10.740 --> 00:38:16.620 - They had one of our Cessna 182s out there and I was able to tour the plane, look at 00:38:16.620 --> 00:38:20.620 - all the different things and one of the cadets, I think she might have been 15 or 16, told 00:38:20.620 --> 00:38:24.380 - me that she had flown that before and that was really special to me and I found out that 00:38:24.380 --> 00:38:26.940 - there was a squadron in my town. 00:38:26.940 --> 00:38:30.980 - So I went and visited it and I've been in here for five years now. 00:38:30.980 --> 00:38:37.940 - Yeah, for me, I really just was so interested in the Air Force and really wanted to get 00:38:37.940 --> 00:38:44.060 - into the Air Force Academy and just wanted to do something for it and obviously because 00:38:44.060 --> 00:38:46.820 - I was 14 at the time, I couldn't. 00:38:46.820 --> 00:38:51.780 - And then I did a lot of searching around on the Air Force's website and I saw auxiliary 00:38:51.780 --> 00:38:56.340 - there and I'd never heard of it, so I looked into it and saw this looks really interesting, 00:38:56.340 --> 00:39:00.500 - I saw some of the things that cadets get to do, saw that there was a squadron here in 00:39:00.500 --> 00:39:06.340 - Bloomington and I was really scared to join the first day, but been in almost two years 00:39:06.340 --> 00:39:09.380 - and I love it every day. 00:39:09.380 --> 00:39:17.300 - Okay, I think I'm on. 00:39:17.300 --> 00:39:21.660 - So I think that I am impressed that you're here and willing to come and talk to us like 00:39:21.660 --> 00:39:25.900 - the others have said and all that you've done, but I'm interested to know when you have, 00:39:25.900 --> 00:39:33.100 - is it your weekly meetings, right, like about how many come and then also how do you go around 00:39:33.100 --> 00:39:39.260 - and sort of promote who you are in the area for young folks to find out about this, right? 00:39:39.260 --> 00:39:44.380 - Where do you put your, do you maybe even make a recording and leave it on cats where people 00:39:44.380 --> 00:39:45.380 - can find out about it? 00:39:45.380 --> 00:39:49.140 - I don't know what you do, I'd like to know how you promote yourselves. 00:39:49.140 --> 00:39:56.500 - So in our system we have 35 cats, I believe, and active around 20. 00:39:56.500 --> 00:40:01.820 - Every meeting we get that showing, putting our name out there, I'm not entirely sure 00:40:01.820 --> 00:40:04.900 - my dad is actually the recruiter for us. 00:40:04.900 --> 00:40:10.020 - But I know in my school, because I do go to Bloomington North, we have posters around, 00:40:10.020 --> 00:40:15.820 - we also go to air shows and we have booths try to promote that, send out flyers or whenever 00:40:15.820 --> 00:40:20.140 - we're volunteering anywhere, we try to talk to people, get our name out there and we also 00:40:20.140 --> 00:40:25.380 - have a booth at the fair whenever that takes place. 00:40:25.380 --> 00:40:26.380 - Very nice. 00:40:26.380 --> 00:40:27.380 - Thank you. 00:40:27.380 --> 00:40:28.380 - Thank you, ma'am. 00:40:28.380 --> 00:40:31.500 - Let me turn my mic on. 00:40:31.500 --> 00:40:37.860 - Let me conclude with this number $5,406,970. 00:40:37.860 --> 00:40:41.820 - That is the value of your volunteer hours in the Indiana Wing. 00:40:41.820 --> 00:40:43.060 - That is phenomenal. 00:40:43.060 --> 00:40:46.820 - That is such a great investment in what you're doing. 00:40:46.820 --> 00:40:49.980 - Of course, I think Councilmember Decker and I have been fortunate enough to come out and 00:40:49.980 --> 00:40:54.680 - visit you out at the airport and we're just so thankful for all you do. 00:40:54.680 --> 00:40:57.420 - Your presentation was phenomenal. 00:40:57.420 --> 00:40:58.420 - Thank you for that. 00:40:58.420 --> 00:41:04.860 - Also, for those watching, that presentation starts on page 26 of today's packet. 00:41:04.860 --> 00:41:08.300 - If you heard something you liked and want to reference that again, go ahead and head 00:41:08.300 --> 00:41:12.220 - over to today's agenda and you can see it on page 26. 00:41:12.220 --> 00:41:15.580 - Thank you for your time and again, you're welcome here anytime. 00:41:15.580 --> 00:41:18.900 - So have a good night and thank you very much. 00:41:18.900 --> 00:41:23.100 - Thank you, Council. 00:41:23.100 --> 00:41:25.820 - All right. 00:41:25.820 --> 00:41:28.460 - Let's move on to item number eight. 00:41:28.460 --> 00:41:30.980 - I think that's me again. 00:41:30.980 --> 00:41:32.460 - I think it is. 00:41:32.460 --> 00:41:33.460 - Okay. 00:41:33.460 --> 00:41:35.780 - Items A and B are combined. 00:41:35.780 --> 00:41:45.380 - Council, I move to the Emergency Management Department's request and fund 8188-9624 EMPG 00:41:45.380 --> 00:41:52.140 - salary fund to create account lines, approve additional appropriations of $55,000 in the 00:41:52.140 --> 00:41:59.620 - personnel category and simultaneously amend the 2025 salary ordinance to add account lines 00:41:59.620 --> 00:42:13.980 - 13701, Deputy Director, 40 hours, PATB, non-exempt and account line 15115, Director, 40 hours, 00:42:13.980 --> 00:42:16.660 - PATD, exempt. 00:42:16.660 --> 00:42:18.180 - Second. 00:42:18.180 --> 00:42:20.620 - We have a motion and a second. 00:42:20.620 --> 00:42:24.820 - Mr. Justin Baker is here with us from the Emergency Management Department. 00:42:24.820 --> 00:42:26.220 - Tell us about these agenda items. 00:42:26.220 --> 00:42:27.220 - Yes. 00:42:27.220 --> 00:42:28.220 - Good evening. 00:42:28.220 --> 00:42:29.220 - My name is Justin Baker. 00:42:29.220 --> 00:42:31.180 - I'm the Director of Emergency Management for the county. 00:42:31.180 --> 00:42:40.020 - This is our annual grant that we get each year that we inverses the county up to $55,000 00:42:40.020 --> 00:42:43.180 - for our salary and benefits. 00:42:43.180 --> 00:42:44.420 - So that's what this is. 00:42:44.420 --> 00:42:51.220 - It's the Emergency Management Performance Grant, and it's to make sure we're compliant 00:42:51.220 --> 00:42:54.620 - with the state and the federal, like we got to submit our timesheets, we got to have an 00:42:54.620 --> 00:42:59.900 - exercise each year, and we have to have a good program going on. 00:42:59.900 --> 00:43:00.900 - All right. 00:43:00.900 --> 00:43:01.900 - Well, thank you for that. 00:43:01.900 --> 00:43:05.020 - And may I just remark before we go to council questions how appropriate it is that you are 00:43:05.020 --> 00:43:07.340 - following the Civil Air Patrol in your presentation. 00:43:07.340 --> 00:43:08.860 - That was quite nice. 00:43:08.860 --> 00:43:09.860 - All right. 00:43:09.860 --> 00:43:12.060 - I went to my right last time, so I'll go to my left. 00:43:12.060 --> 00:43:14.740 - Any comments or questions for Mr. Baker? 00:43:14.740 --> 00:43:15.740 - Council Member Wilts? 00:43:15.740 --> 00:43:16.740 - Yeah. 00:43:16.740 --> 00:43:24.180 - Well, first, congratulations on a grant because we can't get enough of that. 00:43:24.180 --> 00:43:25.180 - I mean, that's amazing. 00:43:25.180 --> 00:43:30.940 - Bringing in money from outside to help fund things that we have to do. 00:43:30.940 --> 00:43:35.380 - And appreciate that and the work that it takes to maintain that. 00:43:35.380 --> 00:43:41.660 - As I was looking through the paperwork that you submitted in the packet, it was a little 00:43:41.660 --> 00:43:47.460 - unclear to me about the reimbursement component and the timeline. 00:43:47.460 --> 00:43:49.860 - Is it reimbursing costs for 2024? 00:43:49.860 --> 00:43:50.860 - Yes. 00:43:50.860 --> 00:43:51.860 - Okay. 00:43:51.860 --> 00:43:52.860 - 2024. 00:43:52.860 --> 00:43:53.860 - Yes. 00:43:53.860 --> 00:43:54.860 - Thank you. 00:43:54.860 --> 00:43:55.860 - Yep. 00:43:55.860 --> 00:43:56.860 - No problem. 00:43:56.860 --> 00:43:57.860 - Any other comments or questions? 00:43:57.860 --> 00:43:58.860 - Mr. Deckard. 00:43:58.860 --> 00:44:02.940 - I always appreciate when you all come before us because my observation over the years has 00:44:02.940 --> 00:44:07.620 - been that the role of what you all do and what you experience only expands over time. 00:44:07.620 --> 00:44:13.260 - And every season we learn something or think of something or somebody very fiercely tells 00:44:13.260 --> 00:44:16.780 - us something that informs our next year of service. 00:44:16.780 --> 00:44:21.920 - I know that we're starting to get into that season where we're leading towards either 00:44:21.920 --> 00:44:25.900 - June storms or heavy showers or other things. 00:44:25.900 --> 00:44:30.100 - Anything you want to share with us while you're here before us and have a camera that's recording 00:44:30.100 --> 00:44:36.240 - this that maybe folks should think about or just kind of be wary of as we head into this 00:44:36.240 --> 00:44:39.820 - season that we've had pretty steadily here for a number of years? 00:44:39.820 --> 00:44:40.820 - Yeah. 00:44:40.820 --> 00:44:42.420 - So always keep track of the forecast. 00:44:42.420 --> 00:44:46.620 - Make sure you know when bad storms are going to be coming. 00:44:46.620 --> 00:44:47.620 - Follow our Facebook page. 00:44:47.620 --> 00:44:53.860 - Sign up for the county and work system as it doesn't cost nothing for any all residents. 00:44:53.860 --> 00:44:56.660 - Have many ways to get a word. 00:44:56.660 --> 00:45:04.260 - Don't just solely focus on one thing. 00:45:04.260 --> 00:45:10.340 - Have many ways to get a word about severe letters or any kind of events. 00:45:10.340 --> 00:45:11.780 - Right. 00:45:11.780 --> 00:45:14.500 - Any other comments or questions to my left? 00:45:14.500 --> 00:45:15.500 - Seeing none. 00:45:15.500 --> 00:45:16.500 - I'll go to my right. 00:45:16.500 --> 00:45:17.500 - Mr. Deckard. 00:45:17.500 --> 00:45:18.500 - Good Lord. 00:45:18.500 --> 00:45:19.500 - I'm so sorry. 00:45:19.500 --> 00:45:22.860 - I'm from the East Coast Deckards. 00:45:22.860 --> 00:45:26.340 - Thank you, Mr. President, David Henry, for the record. 00:45:26.340 --> 00:45:28.220 - Justin, thanks for coming in. 00:45:28.220 --> 00:45:31.460 - I just want to maybe toot the horn of this program a little bit. 00:45:31.460 --> 00:45:36.540 - By the way, I'll be over on Friday in the building, so I'll say hi again. 00:45:36.540 --> 00:45:40.460 - The Emergency Management Performance Grant Program, do you know how many years we've 00:45:40.460 --> 00:45:41.900 - been getting that in the county at all? 00:45:41.900 --> 00:45:43.220 - I know it's like a trick question. 00:45:43.220 --> 00:45:45.500 - I didn't prep this, sorry. 00:45:45.500 --> 00:45:46.500 - It's been a while. 00:45:46.500 --> 00:45:53.380 - The program has been around since 1988 nationally, and just to understand for everybody just 00:45:53.380 --> 00:45:58.220 - how important this program is, it helps undergird all the work we do locally for threat hazard 00:45:58.220 --> 00:46:01.700 - identification assessment, for meeting the national preparedness goal, to show we're 00:46:01.700 --> 00:46:07.580 - doing our part as a whole here from a county up to the state, and that is a FEMA-funded 00:46:07.580 --> 00:46:08.580 - program. 00:46:08.580 --> 00:46:12.820 - It helps us to integrate with all the standards, all the technology, all the things we need 00:46:12.820 --> 00:46:18.580 - to do to be a good federal and state partner, and as FEMA has been maligned in the media 00:46:18.580 --> 00:46:23.780 - and attacked from up in DC, it's really important for folks to understand just how much we rely 00:46:23.780 --> 00:46:29.060 - on that resource not only to keep our community safe, but also to do all the work that Councilman 00:46:29.060 --> 00:46:34.140 - Decker and you mentioned on preparing for our season and getting ready for when the 00:46:34.140 --> 00:46:38.580 - next disaster happens, how to assess it, and how to continue to get, as Councilor Wills 00:46:38.580 --> 00:46:41.540 - mentioned, more federal resources to our community in times of crisis. 00:46:41.540 --> 00:46:43.660 - It is an incredibly important program. 00:46:43.660 --> 00:46:46.540 - I hope we continue to see that support year in and year out. 00:46:46.540 --> 00:46:47.620 - Happy to support it. 00:46:47.620 --> 00:46:49.620 - Thank you, Mr. President. 00:46:49.620 --> 00:46:51.700 - Mr. David Henry, thank you for your wisdom. 00:46:51.700 --> 00:46:52.700 - That was very helpful. 00:46:52.700 --> 00:46:54.700 - Council Member Hawke. 00:46:54.700 --> 00:46:55.700 - Yes. 00:46:55.700 --> 00:47:04.820 - Just to show you how far the county has come, this used to be half time for this service 00:47:04.820 --> 00:47:10.540 - and the other half of the person's time was spent with Veterans Affairs. 00:47:10.540 --> 00:47:18.240 - So as we grow, we need to have more emphasis placed on different issues. 00:47:18.240 --> 00:47:25.220 - And I'm so grateful that you were able to continue to get this grant to cover those 00:47:25.220 --> 00:47:27.420 - salaries and your expenses. 00:47:27.420 --> 00:47:30.420 - So thank you so much for everything you do. 00:47:30.420 --> 00:47:36.940 - And boy, you know, it was just last year when trees were down everywhere and you were like 00:47:36.940 --> 00:47:42.580 - doing everything you could to try to make sure that people got the news and got the 00:47:42.580 --> 00:47:45.460 - service and the protection that they needed. 00:47:45.460 --> 00:47:47.700 - So much appreciated. 00:47:47.700 --> 00:47:51.100 - Thank you, Councilmember Hawke. 00:47:51.100 --> 00:47:56.620 - Mr. Baker, I'll just ask that you share our congratulations and support with your team. 00:47:56.620 --> 00:47:59.700 - As you can hear, we're all very happy that you got this. 00:47:59.700 --> 00:48:00.700 - All right. 00:48:00.700 --> 00:48:04.580 - I'm going to ask for any public comments on these agenda items. 00:48:04.580 --> 00:48:09.080 - So I'm looking, asking for folks to come to the podium here in the NatU Hill Room or raise 00:48:09.080 --> 00:48:15.060 - your hand on teams for this grant from the Emergency Management Department. 00:48:15.060 --> 00:48:19.500 - Seeing none, may we have a roll call vote? 00:48:19.500 --> 00:48:20.980 - Councilor Wilts? 00:48:20.980 --> 00:48:21.980 - Yes. 00:48:21.980 --> 00:48:23.860 - Councilor Hawke? 00:48:23.860 --> 00:48:24.860 - Yes. 00:48:24.860 --> 00:48:26.060 - Councilor Decker? 00:48:26.060 --> 00:48:27.060 - Yes. 00:48:27.060 --> 00:48:28.060 - Councilor Henry? 00:48:28.060 --> 00:48:29.060 - Yes. 00:48:29.060 --> 00:48:30.060 - Councilor Iverson? 00:48:30.060 --> 00:48:31.060 - Yes. 00:48:31.060 --> 00:48:32.060 - Councilor Feidl? 00:48:32.060 --> 00:48:33.060 - Yes. 00:48:33.060 --> 00:48:35.860 - That passes unanimously. 00:48:35.860 --> 00:48:36.860 - Thank you, Council. 00:48:36.860 --> 00:48:37.860 - Thank you very much. 00:48:37.860 --> 00:48:40.660 - That brings us to item number nine, the Employee Services Department. 00:48:40.660 --> 00:48:52.380 - Council, I move to approve the Employee Services Department's request and fund 1,000-0309 General 00:48:52.380 --> 00:49:01.540 - Fund Employee Services for an additional appropriation of $120,334 in the personnel category. 00:49:01.540 --> 00:49:02.580 - Second. 00:49:02.580 --> 00:49:07.300 - We have a motion and a second, Denise Ensgenstein, here to tell us what is going on. 00:49:07.300 --> 00:49:08.300 - Sure. 00:49:08.300 --> 00:49:09.300 - Good evening, Council. 00:49:09.300 --> 00:49:14.660 - This is a housekeeping item related to the classification changes that you approved for 00:49:14.660 --> 00:49:21.580 - our office in the fall of last year, plus the addition of a new position. 00:49:21.580 --> 00:49:29.020 - Last year, I was able to move some funds around in our lines to account for those classification 00:49:29.020 --> 00:49:35.940 - changes but do not have all of the money to be able to do so for that new position and 00:49:35.940 --> 00:49:40.460 - the classification changes with what we budgeted for this year, so that is the reason for this 00:49:40.460 --> 00:49:41.460 - request. 00:49:41.460 --> 00:49:42.460 - All right. 00:49:42.460 --> 00:49:43.460 - Thank you very much for that update. 00:49:43.460 --> 00:49:45.780 - I'll go to my right to begin this time. 00:49:45.780 --> 00:49:46.780 - Mr. Henry. 00:49:46.780 --> 00:49:47.780 - All right. 00:49:47.780 --> 00:49:52.460 - Ms. Hawk, do you have anything to say or comments or questions? 00:49:52.460 --> 00:49:59.700 - Yes, I'd like very much to have the commissioners find this dollar amount someplace in their 00:49:59.700 --> 00:50:01.300 - budget. 00:50:01.300 --> 00:50:07.300 - They wanted so much to have this done and we know we're trying to watch every dollar 00:50:07.300 --> 00:50:15.180 - and this was not an addition that I supported during budget hearing, so I'm not going to 00:50:15.180 --> 00:50:21.900 - support this move, but I certainly think that the commissioners could get into their budget 00:50:21.900 --> 00:50:25.700 - and try to find the dollars to support this. 00:50:25.700 --> 00:50:26.700 - Thank you. 00:50:26.700 --> 00:50:28.980 - I'm going to look to my left for comments or questions. 00:50:28.980 --> 00:50:29.980 - Yes. 00:50:29.980 --> 00:50:32.020 - Council Member Woods. 00:50:32.020 --> 00:50:39.900 - Yeah, so I don't know that it would make a big difference where the money came from in 00:50:39.900 --> 00:50:45.820 - terms of whose budget, but, you know, we committed to supporting the position. 00:50:45.820 --> 00:50:53.540 - It's been created and I think it's a no-brainer to pay our bills and support the position 00:50:53.540 --> 00:50:57.140 - that's been put in place. 00:50:57.140 --> 00:51:00.580 - Any other comments or questions from my left here? 00:51:00.580 --> 00:51:01.580 - Seeing none. 00:51:01.580 --> 00:51:06.740 - Let's look to see if there's any public comments on this item, whether it's here in the Not 00:51:06.740 --> 00:51:17.460 - U Hill Room or online, seeing none, could we have a roll call vote? 00:51:17.460 --> 00:51:18.460 - Councilor Iverson. 00:51:18.460 --> 00:51:19.460 - Yes. 00:51:19.460 --> 00:51:20.460 - Councilor Henry. 00:51:20.460 --> 00:51:21.460 - Yes. 00:51:21.460 --> 00:51:22.460 - Councilor Hawk. 00:51:22.460 --> 00:51:23.460 - No. 00:51:23.460 --> 00:51:24.460 - Councilor Wilts. 00:51:24.460 --> 00:51:25.460 - Yes. 00:51:25.460 --> 00:51:26.460 - Councilor Feidl. 00:51:26.460 --> 00:51:27.460 - Yes. 00:51:27.460 --> 00:51:28.460 - Councilor Decker. 00:51:28.460 --> 00:51:29.460 - Yes. 00:51:29.460 --> 00:51:34.900 - Motion passes majority five to one. 00:51:34.900 --> 00:51:35.900 - You're welcome. 00:51:35.900 --> 00:51:36.900 - All right. 00:51:36.900 --> 00:51:40.460 - That brings us to item number 10, the prosecutor's office. 00:51:40.460 --> 00:51:47.580 - Council, I move to approve the prosecutor's request and fund four one zero two dash zero 00:51:47.580 --> 00:51:56.060 - zero zero zero donations hyphen APS unit 10, the creation of account line three eight one 00:51:56.060 --> 00:52:03.260 - one zero services and charges and simultaneously an additional appropriation of one thousand 00:52:03.260 --> 00:52:09.060 - five hundred sixty nine dollars and seventy eight cents in the services category. 00:52:09.060 --> 00:52:10.500 - Second. 00:52:10.500 --> 00:52:13.560 - We have a motion and a second and Beth Hamlin with us tonight. 00:52:13.560 --> 00:52:15.700 - What is going on with this agenda item? 00:52:15.700 --> 00:52:17.120 - Good evening, counselors. 00:52:17.120 --> 00:52:24.100 - This is a fund that we have maintained for as long as I've been here, 18 years. 00:52:24.100 --> 00:52:28.940 - We have not ever previously had to have this appropriated because it was a donation fund 00:52:28.940 --> 00:52:31.100 - that was specific for APS. 00:52:31.100 --> 00:52:35.660 - I believe there's a new rule that requires us to have this appropriated. 00:52:35.660 --> 00:52:40.460 - We are only asking to appropriate the balance that's in the fund, which is the fifteen sixty 00:52:40.460 --> 00:52:43.640 - nine seventy eight. 00:52:43.640 --> 00:52:44.640 - All right. 00:52:44.640 --> 00:52:45.640 - Short and sweet. 00:52:45.640 --> 00:52:46.640 - Looking to my left. 00:52:46.640 --> 00:52:47.640 - For any comments. 00:52:47.640 --> 00:52:48.640 - Can I make one clarification? 00:52:48.640 --> 00:52:49.640 - Of course you can. 00:52:49.640 --> 00:52:51.820 - For counselor Hawk specifically. 00:52:51.820 --> 00:52:53.900 - These funds are from donations. 00:52:53.900 --> 00:52:55.400 - These are not county general funds. 00:52:55.400 --> 00:52:56.400 - Okay. 00:52:56.400 --> 00:52:58.020 - And as your mind reader. 00:52:58.020 --> 00:52:59.020 - All right. 00:52:59.020 --> 00:53:00.020 - Going to the left. 00:53:00.020 --> 00:53:01.020 - Right. 00:53:01.020 --> 00:53:02.020 - And then we have the first concern. 00:53:02.020 --> 00:53:03.020 - Well. 00:53:03.020 --> 00:53:04.020 - Yeah. 00:53:04.020 --> 00:53:08.100 - Obviously the action seems like a no brainer. 00:53:08.100 --> 00:53:14.060 - You're just doing what what the auditor's office has asked you to do, which is great. 00:53:14.060 --> 00:53:25.500 - But reading about funding and adult protective services brings to mind some of the uncertainty 00:53:25.500 --> 00:53:28.380 - around the future of of that funding. 00:53:28.380 --> 00:53:29.580 - Do you have an update? 00:53:29.580 --> 00:53:33.780 - I haven't been keeping up like, you know, week to week or anything, but I am aware that 00:53:33.780 --> 00:53:37.940 - there might be some threats to APS funding. 00:53:37.940 --> 00:53:38.940 - That's correct. 00:53:38.940 --> 00:53:45.580 - The state did not recontract with prosecutors offices as they have for decades. 00:53:45.580 --> 00:53:55.420 - They opened an RFP and received some proposals to provide the service of protecting endangered 00:53:55.420 --> 00:53:56.660 - adults. 00:53:56.660 --> 00:54:03.260 - The prosecuting attorneys council did, on behalf of prosecutors offices, submit a proposal 00:54:03.260 --> 00:54:04.600 - that was fully funded. 00:54:04.600 --> 00:54:10.300 - That was the reason for the breakdown originally was that a program just has not been funded 00:54:10.300 --> 00:54:14.400 - adequately for a very long time. 00:54:14.400 --> 00:54:20.140 - We still have no answer from the state, which is concerning because our contract, our current 00:54:20.140 --> 00:54:29.260 - contract ends on June 30th, and to my understanding, there's no decision that's been made, which 00:54:29.260 --> 00:54:30.940 - is extremely concerning. 00:54:30.940 --> 00:54:35.180 - We've already lost one of our investigators because obviously, you know, there's such 00:54:35.180 --> 00:54:42.540 - uncertainty, you know, they need to take care of their families. 00:54:42.540 --> 00:54:47.500 - So yeah, I wish I had an update for you, but I do not. 00:54:47.500 --> 00:54:51.300 - Mr. Deckard, thank you. 00:54:51.300 --> 00:54:55.060 - Thank you very much, Beth, for being here, and I don't have any comment on this line 00:54:55.060 --> 00:55:00.860 - other than the information that Counselor Wiltz has kind of asked and that you were 00:55:00.860 --> 00:55:02.780 - very candid to supply. 00:55:02.780 --> 00:55:09.420 - I, you know, I entered into our meeting today in a better place than I've started recent 00:55:09.420 --> 00:55:13.660 - meetings and you've had to be here and listen to a couple of my editorials and my blood 00:55:13.660 --> 00:55:18.740 - pressure, I think if you took it earlier before your last comment was probably in better shape. 00:55:18.740 --> 00:55:22.940 - But now my soapbox is going to come out just for about 12 seconds. 00:55:22.940 --> 00:55:23.940 - You go, girl. 00:55:23.940 --> 00:55:24.940 - I thank you. 00:55:24.940 --> 00:55:33.940 - I have to be frank, there are sometimes I read the news, I watch things and I'm a calm entity, 00:55:33.940 --> 00:55:38.120 - but this is a regression in society. 00:55:38.120 --> 00:55:40.260 - So for folks back home, here's what I mean. 00:55:40.260 --> 00:55:45.340 - We're moving backwards in time and not in a good nostalgic backwards. 00:55:45.340 --> 00:55:47.580 - We're moving to bad nostalgia. 00:55:47.580 --> 00:55:54.620 - And I get memories from being in undergrad criminology classes, it was one of my majors. 00:55:54.620 --> 00:55:59.020 - By the way, they tell you in criminal justice criminology majors to never tell anybody that 00:55:59.020 --> 00:56:03.820 - that's your major, particularly if you get pulled over because no one will be impressed. 00:56:03.820 --> 00:56:13.420 - And they said, you'll make it worse, but I can remember vividly talking, this is 1996/7/8, 00:56:13.420 --> 00:56:20.020 - talking about how communities moving to adult protective services is the new wave of where 00:56:20.020 --> 00:56:21.020 - we're going. 00:56:21.020 --> 00:56:26.940 - And this is, we got to do this because elder abuse and other things that are unmentionable 00:56:26.940 --> 00:56:31.700 - but happen when you have older populations and all these things, they occur. 00:56:31.700 --> 00:56:34.940 - And so we were bright-eyed students there and thinking, well, this will just be one 00:56:34.940 --> 00:56:37.140 - of those things that never goes away. 00:56:37.140 --> 00:56:45.780 - Now we hear this, and I have to say for our state and our future, I keep hearing about 00:56:45.780 --> 00:56:48.060 - all these things that we're going to do this better. 00:56:48.060 --> 00:56:53.020 - This is what cutting looks like, and these are people's families, and a lot of times 00:56:53.020 --> 00:56:57.260 - they're families that are not going to have folks that can take care of them or they're 00:56:57.260 --> 00:57:00.860 - not going to have folks that are taking care of them in the right way. 00:57:00.860 --> 00:57:04.660 - And occasionally the state's got to jump in there because nobody else is. 00:57:04.660 --> 00:57:09.860 - So I hear this, and I'll say what I've said in recent meetings. 00:57:09.860 --> 00:57:13.720 - I'm sorry for going on so long, but folks, this will be one of those when we'll look 00:57:13.720 --> 00:57:15.860 - back and remember when kind of moments. 00:57:15.860 --> 00:57:22.940 - For our legislators and others of any way that are doing the people's business, this 00:57:22.940 --> 00:57:25.760 - is one, you don't want to screw this one up. 00:57:25.760 --> 00:57:30.980 - So make your calls to your agency heads, make your calls to those who are budgeting, and 00:57:30.980 --> 00:57:33.500 - say is this really where we're heading? 00:57:33.500 --> 00:57:36.500 - Is this really, really, really where we're heading? 00:57:36.500 --> 00:57:41.640 - And I hope that the answer is no, this is just one of those mistakes, oversights. 00:57:41.640 --> 00:57:49.540 - But folks moving back like this, this isn't nostalgia, this is how cruel things happen 00:57:49.540 --> 00:57:51.140 - in bad societies. 00:57:51.140 --> 00:57:57.100 - It'd be different if we were not a place that had the means and the efforts and the abilities 00:57:57.100 --> 00:57:58.660 - to figure it out. 00:57:58.660 --> 00:58:03.460 - Good Lord, we put a man on the moon in 1969, we can't look out for our seniors in the year 00:58:03.460 --> 00:58:05.740 - of 2025? 00:58:05.740 --> 00:58:06.740 - Come on now. 00:58:06.740 --> 00:58:11.940 - So thank you, Beth, and I apologize for my soapbox, but sometimes people in my job that 00:58:11.940 --> 00:58:15.980 - took an oath to the state and the federal constitution have to get a soapbox out or 00:58:15.980 --> 00:58:19.500 - two and remind folks of their oaths they took as well. 00:58:19.500 --> 00:58:21.540 - Mr. President. 00:58:21.540 --> 00:58:22.540 - All right. 00:58:22.540 --> 00:58:26.020 - After those 12 seconds, is there any other comments or questions? 00:58:26.020 --> 00:58:27.020 - All right. 00:58:27.020 --> 00:58:29.380 - I see Councilmember Hawke with her hand raised. 00:58:29.380 --> 00:58:30.380 - Right. 00:58:30.380 --> 00:58:36.940 - I would object to Trent's long dialogue there, except that he was awfully good to help me 00:58:36.940 --> 00:58:41.060 - get home the other day when I couldn't make it on my own. 00:58:41.060 --> 00:58:48.340 - So maybe I'm one of those endangered species there. 00:58:48.340 --> 00:58:52.900 - I just want to say to Beth, because that's what we were talking about to begin with, 00:58:52.900 --> 00:58:58.300 - that, of course, I understand that this is money that you've held back, not had to come 00:58:58.300 --> 00:59:01.500 - and ask for an appropriation on it. 00:59:01.500 --> 00:59:04.740 - But thank you for sharing that information with us. 00:59:04.740 --> 00:59:15.140 - And indeed, if you can see a way or if you will let me know what people you've been speaking 00:59:15.140 --> 00:59:21.420 - with at the state level, I'll do what I can to see where we are on that. 00:59:21.420 --> 00:59:24.860 - Just shoot me a message and let me know. 00:59:24.860 --> 00:59:25.860 - All right. 00:59:25.860 --> 00:59:26.860 - Thanks. 00:59:26.860 --> 00:59:29.260 - No other comments? 00:59:29.260 --> 00:59:34.460 - To my right, I will just say as someone who is a caretaker for a vulnerable adult and 00:59:34.460 --> 00:59:39.460 - as someone who is married to someone who used to work for APS, it feels really good to be 00:59:39.460 --> 00:59:42.100 - able to support you in this moment. 00:59:42.100 --> 00:59:47.840 - So I really appreciate that and I'll put an additional addendum on to what Councilmember 00:59:47.840 --> 00:59:53.020 - Deckard was saying, is that if folks have not read Senate Bill 2 yet, they should do 00:59:53.020 --> 01:00:01.500 - so because the current iteration of that bill is an all out war against the folks that APS 01:00:01.500 --> 01:00:02.820 - is serving. 01:00:02.820 --> 01:00:06.380 - So I do appreciate everything you're doing here. 01:00:06.380 --> 01:00:07.380 - All right. 01:00:07.380 --> 01:00:08.380 - Let's... 01:00:08.380 --> 01:00:09.380 - Mr. President, could I add on to that? 01:00:09.380 --> 01:00:15.180 - We're going to look for public comment because I think we're done here with Council comments. 01:00:15.180 --> 01:00:16.940 - I don't... 01:00:16.940 --> 01:00:25.740 - If you have any public comments in the NatU Hill Room or online, please raise your hand. 01:00:25.740 --> 01:00:31.340 - Seeing none, let's have a roll call vote. 01:00:31.340 --> 01:00:39.900 - Councilor Hawke, yes. Councilor Decker, yes. Councilor Feidl, yes. Councilor Wilts, yes. 01:00:39.900 --> 01:00:45.620 - Councilor Henry, yes. Councilor Iverson, yes. Motion passes unanimous. Thank you all very 01:00:45.620 --> 01:00:46.620 - much. 01:00:46.620 --> 01:00:47.620 - Thank you. 01:00:47.620 --> 01:00:48.620 - All right. 01:00:48.620 --> 01:00:51.780 - That brings us to item number 11, Board of Commissioners. 01:00:51.780 --> 01:01:02.100 - So, Council, I move to approve the Board of Commissioners request and fund 1000-0068 County 01:01:02.100 --> 01:01:08.820 - General Commissioners of an additional appropriation in the amount of $10,000 in the services 01:01:08.820 --> 01:01:09.740 - category. 01:01:09.740 --> 01:01:10.740 - Second. 01:01:10.740 --> 01:01:16.300 - All right. We have a motion and a second, and we have Angie Purdy here with us from 01:01:16.300 --> 01:01:19.700 - the Commissioner's office. Tell us what's going on here. 01:01:19.700 --> 01:01:27.140 - Well, actually, I'm hoping that Mr. Cockrell could be promoted to Panelist as he has had 01:01:27.140 --> 01:01:33.820 - firsthand connections with this particular item. 01:01:33.820 --> 01:01:39.900 - All right. We do see that Mr. Cockrell is online. 01:01:39.900 --> 01:01:40.900 - Good evening. 01:01:40.900 --> 01:01:43.420 - All right. The floor is yours, sir. 01:01:43.420 --> 01:01:49.500 - Yes. What we have here is a request for a $10,000 appropriation, and I'll give a little 01:01:49.500 --> 01:01:55.220 - bit of the background of it. I think it's pretty spelled out in the agenda cover sheet. 01:01:55.220 --> 01:02:04.460 - But last fall, the Bean Blossom Trustee was looking to add Bean Blossom Township to the 01:02:04.460 --> 01:02:10.420 - Monroe Fire Protection District, and as part of the Commissioner's kind of standard routine 01:02:10.420 --> 01:02:18.700 - is they set some rules. One of those rules was that if 50 people filed an objection, 01:02:18.700 --> 01:02:22.060 - then the commissioners would have a public hearing, and the commissioners had that public 01:02:22.060 --> 01:02:29.180 - hearing at the Steinsville Elementary School. At that hearing, what we heard from the public 01:02:29.180 --> 01:02:34.020 - was essentially a lack of information and a lack of understanding of what all the options 01:02:34.020 --> 01:02:40.500 - are, what problems they were going to address with changing the fire protection district, 01:02:40.500 --> 01:02:47.900 - and a lot of concern with essentially lack of information. So the Commissioner Thomas 01:02:47.900 --> 01:02:55.240 - and I have met with the Ellitsville Fire Chief, the Monroe Fire Protection District Chief, 01:02:55.240 --> 01:03:02.740 - and the Township Trustee, and at the last meeting there also was Representative Mike 01:03:02.740 --> 01:03:07.980 - Farmer from the town of Ellitsville, as well as the Bean Blossom Steinsville Volunteer 01:03:07.980 --> 01:03:12.820 - Chief was at the meetings, and what we're trying to do is put together an information 01:03:12.820 --> 01:03:20.900 - sheet that explains what the problem is, and what the Ellitsville's offer has been to provide 01:03:20.900 --> 01:03:25.340 - the fire protection in that area, what the Monroe Fire Protection District's plan would 01:03:25.340 --> 01:03:30.780 - be, and then also a financial analysis so that people can see what the cost differential 01:03:30.780 --> 01:03:36.580 - is for those levels of service. This $10,000, we have a quote from Baker Tilley to kind 01:03:36.580 --> 01:03:42.060 - of do run that financial analysis for that to include in that program, and so that's 01:03:42.060 --> 01:03:46.300 - what this $10,000 additional appropriations for. 01:03:46.300 --> 01:03:51.740 - Thank you very much. Anything else to add? All right. I'm going to start to my right 01:03:51.740 --> 01:04:02.420 - here, Council Member Henry. All right. Looking online. All right. I'll look over to my left. 01:04:02.420 --> 01:04:07.800 - All right. We have no comments. This is a good thing, I think, for fire protection, 01:04:07.800 --> 01:04:14.540 - so we'll look to the public to see if they want to say anything about this item. If you 01:04:14.540 --> 01:04:19.540 - would come up to the podium in that room or raise your hand on teams. Seeing none, could 01:04:19.540 --> 01:04:24.060 - we have a roll call vote? 01:04:24.060 --> 01:04:25.060 - Councilor Feidl? 01:04:25.060 --> 01:04:26.060 - Yes. 01:04:26.060 --> 01:04:27.060 - Councilor Iverson? 01:04:27.060 --> 01:04:28.060 - Yes. 01:04:28.060 --> 01:04:29.060 - Councilor Henry? 01:04:29.060 --> 01:04:30.060 - Yes. 01:04:30.060 --> 01:04:31.060 - Councilor Decker? 01:04:31.060 --> 01:04:32.060 - Yes. 01:04:32.060 --> 01:04:33.060 - Councilor Wilts? 01:04:33.060 --> 01:04:34.060 - Yes. 01:04:34.060 --> 01:04:35.060 - Councilor Hock? 01:04:35.060 --> 01:04:36.780 - No. 01:04:36.780 --> 01:04:40.460 - Motion passes, majority five to one. 01:04:40.460 --> 01:04:45.460 - All right. Thank you very much. That brings us to letter B. 01:04:45.460 --> 01:04:57.100 - Council, I move to approve the Board of Commissioners request and fund 1000-0106 County General 01:04:57.100 --> 01:05:13.190 - TSD or in fund 1186-0000 Rainy Day, the creation of account line 30006, contractual and 01:05:13.190 --> 01:05:14.300 - simultaneously 01:05:14.300 --> 01:05:20.460 - approve an additional appropriation of $200,000 in the services category. 01:05:20.460 --> 01:05:22.140 - Second. 01:05:22.140 --> 01:05:28.380 - We have a motion and a second on this unusual motion. Ms. Purdy, what do we need to know 01:05:28.380 --> 01:05:29.380 - about this? 01:05:29.380 --> 01:05:35.500 - What you need to know is that we, the commissioners currently have the option of entering into 01:05:35.500 --> 01:05:42.880 - a contract in which we make lease payments or, and when we do lease payments, then there's 01:05:42.880 --> 01:05:49.340 - an interest that's assessed. And in this particular case, it's over five years and I believe it's 01:05:49.340 --> 01:05:54.800 - $68,000. This was the information I found back in December when I was first looking 01:05:54.800 --> 01:06:03.620 - at this. And so what we wanted to do was to provide you with the opportunity to decide 01:06:03.620 --> 01:06:12.500 - if you wanted to incur the interest expenses or if you wanted to pay for it upfront in 01:06:12.500 --> 01:06:14.620 - its full amount. 01:06:14.620 --> 01:06:28.660 - I was able to locate $300,000 to go toward this expense, our older bonds. And that bond, 01:06:28.660 --> 01:06:38.980 - as you may or may not know, had some furniture and redesign for offices in the Justice Building. 01:06:38.980 --> 01:06:43.060 - I know that, for instance, the prosecutor's office, due to the fact that we've actually 01:06:43.060 --> 01:06:49.540 - started moving forward on the provision of our jail and justice center, they elected 01:06:49.540 --> 01:06:56.340 - to just get chairs because they thought it was going to be 10 years down the road. And 01:06:56.340 --> 01:07:04.260 - so that's how that happened. So we've actually moved those funds into another line for Justice 01:07:04.260 --> 01:07:09.660 - Building expenses. Also, I think included in that bond, I believe that's how that played. 01:07:09.660 --> 01:07:17.380 - But we also have another line for the clerk's office. And so we purpose that line into the 01:07:17.380 --> 01:07:18.380 - software line. 01:07:18.380 --> 01:07:23.580 - All right. Thank you for that explanation. I went to my right last time. So let's go 01:07:23.580 --> 01:07:31.380 - to my left for counsel. Do you have any comments or questions? I'm going to call on Councilmember 01:07:31.380 --> 01:07:36.550 - Wilts because it looks like you've got a question formulating. However, if it's not quite 01:07:36.550 --> 01:07:36.940 - formulated 01:07:36.940 --> 01:07:41.100 - yet, I can go on. 01:07:41.100 --> 01:07:45.300 - It's not quite formulated. Thank you. Sorry, my face was... 01:07:45.300 --> 01:07:50.540 - No, no, it's good. It's good. All right. Go to my right. Any comments or questions? Yes, 01:07:50.540 --> 01:07:51.540 - Mr. Henry. 01:07:51.540 --> 01:07:56.860 - Thank you, Mr. President. So Ms. Purdy, if you could maybe walk me through the bond piece 01:07:56.860 --> 01:08:03.300 - a little more. As I recall, I think the last time I was exposed to some conversation about 01:08:03.300 --> 01:08:10.400 - this particular item that we were looking at the bond for repurposing and not recommending 01:08:10.400 --> 01:08:18.500 - that we pull the funds out of the options here in the proposal. So are we not using 01:08:18.500 --> 01:08:23.700 - that resource? Am I missing something here in what I'm looking at? 01:08:23.700 --> 01:08:27.180 - I'm not sure I understand the question. We are using the bond. 01:08:27.180 --> 01:08:31.180 - We have an or option here for rainy day fund use. We have an or option for county general 01:08:31.180 --> 01:08:36.740 - fund, but is the bond a third vehicle or can you clarify that for me so I can understand 01:08:36.740 --> 01:08:37.740 - it? 01:08:37.740 --> 01:08:48.660 - The total cost of the software is over $500,000. So I was able to locate 300 and now I'm asking 01:08:48.660 --> 01:08:54.060 - council and giving you the option of which particular fund you would want to use if that 01:08:54.060 --> 01:08:57.140 - was your decision to pay in full. 01:08:57.140 --> 01:09:02.940 - So just so I'm clear then, so the 300 is accounted for and the balance, the 200 to apply to the 01:09:02.940 --> 01:09:06.140 - 500 is what we're talking about this evening. So I guess that wasn't clear in the notes 01:09:06.140 --> 01:09:10.060 - I had in front of me, but thank you for that. 01:09:10.060 --> 01:09:14.140 - All right. Councilmember Hawke, I see your hand raised. 01:09:14.140 --> 01:09:23.140 - Yes. Can you tell me if it's allowed to pay for this out of that QM fund? 01:09:23.140 --> 01:09:28.460 - Yes, that's where we pay for all of our software right now out of QM. 01:09:28.460 --> 01:09:32.660 - That's what I'm saying. Just you've got, what's your balance in your QM fund? Just pay for 01:09:32.660 --> 01:09:38.680 - it out of the QM fund. I mean, all these additionals, and I saw a lot of others coming from the 01:09:38.680 --> 01:09:44.780 - commissioners coming up in the next meeting or so, and either we're going to watch these 01:09:44.780 --> 01:09:50.180 - budgets and watch these dollars, but to come up with additionals when we're sitting at 01:09:50.180 --> 01:09:56.300 - the beginning of the year is, I mean, I just think you ought to go into your present dollars 01:09:56.300 --> 01:10:01.060 - and present budgets and find a way to cover this. 01:10:01.060 --> 01:10:05.100 - Want me to answer? 01:10:05.100 --> 01:10:11.580 - And going to Rainy Day to cover it is actually the same thing as doing a total additional 01:10:11.580 --> 01:10:20.580 - in general fund, because we can move that Rainy Day back over into general. 01:10:20.580 --> 01:10:25.740 - If you want to know, we have a budget of 3.8 million in our cumulative capital. We currently 01:10:25.740 --> 01:10:29.340 - have a million dollar software line. 01:10:29.340 --> 01:10:35.060 - I know, I want to know what is your balance in the CUMCAP cash balance? 01:10:35.060 --> 01:10:36.060 - 1.9 million. 01:10:36.060 --> 01:10:37.060 - What? 01:10:37.060 --> 01:10:38.060 - 1.9 million. 01:10:38.060 --> 01:10:39.060 - 9.9 million. 01:10:39.060 --> 01:10:41.060 - No, we're not going to be able to do that. 01:10:41.060 --> 01:10:44.060 - No, 1.9 million. 01:10:44.060 --> 01:10:55.700 - 1.9 million. And you'll be getting in June, you'll be getting more dollars coming into 01:10:55.700 --> 01:10:56.700 - that. 01:10:56.700 --> 01:11:05.220 - Correct, because we have a 3.8 million dollar budget. 01:11:05.220 --> 01:11:09.940 - Sometimes you have to make choices. 01:11:09.940 --> 01:11:15.380 - All right, Councilmember Wilts, looks like that question came up. 01:11:15.380 --> 01:11:22.260 - You were starting to explain about the budget that you have, and I guess I felt like you 01:11:22.260 --> 01:11:28.620 - weren't finished, or at least I wanted to hear more, so you said that you had a software 01:11:28.620 --> 01:11:29.620 - line. 01:11:29.620 --> 01:11:34.740 - Yes, there is a software line already in that particular bond, and because of that, the 01:11:34.740 --> 01:11:43.100 - bond works, you get the money to complete these projects. 01:11:43.100 --> 01:11:48.380 - Some projects are more, some are less, and some projects don't get done if other ones 01:11:48.380 --> 01:11:55.700 - become more expensive, so we would be able to transfer that into ... because we put it 01:11:55.700 --> 01:12:02.340 - in lines for the projects in the bonds, we could move it into the software line, and 01:12:02.340 --> 01:12:09.220 - we're still meeting the intent of that bond. 01:12:09.220 --> 01:12:18.660 - Sure, so to Councilor Hawke's point about your existing budget, is there a line in your 01:12:18.660 --> 01:12:23.020 - budget that you could use to fund this? 01:12:23.020 --> 01:12:28.600 - I haven't looked at your budget in a few months, so I don't remember what your options might 01:12:28.600 --> 01:12:31.940 - be, just to be fair to Councilor Hawke's point. 01:12:31.940 --> 01:12:37.700 - Sure, we have a million dollars appropriated in a software line that's in our cumulative 01:12:37.700 --> 01:12:47.620 - capital fund, and that million dollars is spoken for, so this particular project is 01:12:47.620 --> 01:12:52.060 - actually more than $500,000, and so I think it's like 50, and I don't remember off the 01:12:52.060 --> 01:12:58.100 - top of my head, and we will take that from that particular line, and hoping that we're 01:12:58.100 --> 01:13:09.420 - able to make things work, because we generally do make this fund work, but we don't have 01:13:09.420 --> 01:13:14.500 - the capability of doing the full $500,000, so that's why we came to ask. 01:13:14.500 --> 01:13:17.500 - Your choice. 01:13:17.500 --> 01:13:23.300 - You remind me then when this will come back around to us, so will your budget for next 01:13:23.300 --> 01:13:26.500 - year be in the software line $1.5 million? 01:13:26.500 --> 01:13:29.540 - No, this is five years. 01:13:29.540 --> 01:13:37.140 - So doing a $200,000 appropriation right now covers this need for five years. 01:13:37.140 --> 01:13:38.140 - Correct. 01:13:38.140 --> 01:13:48.060 - And if we, okay, so no matter where we take it from, the other part is coming from an 01:13:48.060 --> 01:13:55.300 - old bond, and you mentioned that it was coming from rearranging from some things, and one 01:13:55.300 --> 01:14:01.700 - of the things you mentioned was the clerk's office, and I'm curious as to, is that a project 01:14:01.700 --> 01:14:07.340 - that then is no longer happening, and is the clerk aware of that? 01:14:07.340 --> 01:14:10.660 - Clerk has not responded to any communications. 01:14:10.660 --> 01:14:16.740 - Okay, but the clerk has been made aware via email or some other communication. 01:14:16.740 --> 01:14:21.340 - I have not communicated this particular option. 01:14:21.340 --> 01:14:29.180 - The commissioners, I don't know if they have contacted her regarding that, so no. 01:14:29.180 --> 01:14:34.300 - So this could come as a surprise to the clerk that this project isn't going to happen? 01:14:34.300 --> 01:14:36.700 - I don't think so. 01:14:36.700 --> 01:14:37.700 - Okay. 01:14:37.700 --> 01:14:38.700 - Okay. 01:14:38.700 --> 01:14:45.020 - And again, like I said, the projects are not promised from the very beginning. 01:14:45.020 --> 01:14:46.020 - They're recommended. 01:14:46.020 --> 01:14:49.420 - They're the ideal, right, if we can get them all done. 01:14:49.420 --> 01:14:50.420 - Yeah, yeah, yeah. 01:14:50.420 --> 01:15:00.420 - Yeah, I just would hate to be less than transparent, yeah. 01:15:00.420 --> 01:15:09.140 - Okay, so presumably you're asking for $200,000. 01:15:09.140 --> 01:15:15.460 - Whether or not you're getting the rest of it from somewhere else is probably a relatively 01:15:15.460 --> 01:15:18.460 - moot point on this particular request. 01:15:18.460 --> 01:15:33.740 - So that brings me to my just putting forward that if we are going to do this, it looks 01:15:33.740 --> 01:15:43.260 - as though the remit, the fund information for county general that you've provided, Michelle. 01:15:43.260 --> 01:15:51.220 - Not accurate, the $17 million, I looked at it today and I provided it to Michelle, it's 01:15:51.220 --> 01:15:52.220 - like 19. 01:15:52.220 --> 01:15:57.220 - Do you have an update? 01:15:57.220 --> 01:15:58.220 - Yes. 01:15:58.220 --> 01:15:59.220 - Yeah, yeah, yeah. 01:15:59.220 --> 01:16:10.260 - Yeah, so as of today, we have $19,842,646 as a cash balance. 01:16:10.260 --> 01:16:17.220 - Okay, I was saying, I'm looking at your face, general fund, yes. 01:16:17.220 --> 01:16:23.220 - Okay, it was in parentheses, which implied to me that it was negative and that was freaking 01:16:23.220 --> 01:16:24.220 - me out. 01:16:24.220 --> 01:16:26.900 - That's what you're saying, yeah. 01:16:26.900 --> 01:16:30.180 - That might have just been our agenda, you know. 01:16:30.180 --> 01:16:36.460 - Right, probably at that moment, and that, yeah, so that's why I read about it, yeah. 01:16:36.460 --> 01:16:37.460 - Perfect, okay. 01:16:37.460 --> 01:16:38.460 - Thank you. 01:16:38.460 --> 01:16:40.580 - I have a moment. 01:16:40.580 --> 01:16:47.700 - I want to remind council that rainy day is to be for emergency expenses only. 01:16:47.700 --> 01:16:54.440 - So this would be above what we've already appropriated with regards to emergency expenses. 01:16:54.440 --> 01:17:04.340 - So you would have to make sure, consider that, you know, that rainy day is for emergencies. 01:17:04.340 --> 01:17:05.340 - All right. 01:17:05.340 --> 01:17:06.340 - We've got some more hands raised here. 01:17:06.340 --> 01:17:07.740 - Councilmember Henry, I saw yours next. 01:17:07.740 --> 01:17:10.140 - Thanks, and maybe we already got at it. 01:17:10.140 --> 01:17:13.380 - So the Councillor Hock brought up the CUME cap. 01:17:13.380 --> 01:17:16.060 - What's the cash fund balance on CUME cap right now? 01:17:16.060 --> 01:17:17.060 - I can tell you. 01:17:17.060 --> 01:17:18.060 - The auditors got it. 01:17:18.060 --> 01:17:19.060 - I'll just, that's okay, Angie. 01:17:19.060 --> 01:17:20.060 - Cash balance as of today is $1,957,908.78. 01:17:20.060 --> 01:17:21.060 - Further? 01:17:21.060 --> 01:17:22.060 - No, I'm all right. 01:17:22.060 --> 01:17:23.060 - All right. 01:17:23.060 --> 01:17:38.460 - Councilmember Feidl. 01:17:38.460 --> 01:17:43.460 - So I guess I have what I might call a fundamental question here. 01:17:43.460 --> 01:17:50.100 - And so I hear you talk about this other $300,000, and so we're asking for this $200,000 now. 01:17:50.100 --> 01:17:56.620 - So I guess I'm wondering what you can do with that $300,000 of the $500,000 you need. 01:17:56.620 --> 01:18:01.900 - What would you be able to do with just $300,000 of it rather than the full $500,000? 01:18:01.900 --> 01:18:05.580 - Would you be able to satisfy any of the things you're talking about, what the request is 01:18:05.580 --> 01:18:09.100 - for with $300,000 that you've already made arrangements? 01:18:09.100 --> 01:18:16.260 - It seems like you said you had money for $300,000 to apply to something, is that right? 01:18:16.260 --> 01:18:24.140 - The bond in which there were different projects, and one of those projects isn't going to happen, 01:18:24.140 --> 01:18:30.540 - and it's not going to happen because we're actually going to be moving into a new facility 01:18:30.540 --> 01:18:31.540 - sooner than later. 01:18:31.540 --> 01:18:34.740 - Originally it was going to be, everybody thought it was going to be like 10 years from now, 01:18:34.740 --> 01:18:41.500 - but we are moving forward on our justice complex, and so to expend those dollars at this point 01:18:41.500 --> 01:18:52.860 - in time would actually be by the county. 01:18:52.860 --> 01:19:01.520 - And so instead of using it for a redo of an old office, those funds will go into a software 01:19:01.520 --> 01:19:09.060 - line that was already in that bond and has already been expended to cover this other 01:19:09.060 --> 01:19:10.580 - part of this cost. 01:19:10.580 --> 01:19:12.540 - Does that make sense? 01:19:12.540 --> 01:19:16.900 - It does, but it seems to me like if I could do the math, and I don't pretend to know everything 01:19:16.900 --> 01:19:21.820 - about all those, how this works at this point in my political career, but I think that there's 01:19:21.820 --> 01:19:25.020 - a $500,000 amount here total, is that right? 01:19:25.020 --> 01:19:29.020 - You've got $300,000 from somewhere else in $200,000 now, is that not right? 01:19:29.020 --> 01:19:30.020 - Correct. 01:19:30.020 --> 01:19:37.580 - Okay, so what will the $300,000 be able to do for you for this type of project, or am 01:19:37.580 --> 01:19:39.580 - I not understanding? 01:19:39.580 --> 01:19:41.500 - It costs over $500,000. 01:19:41.500 --> 01:19:42.500 - Right. 01:19:42.500 --> 01:19:44.140 - $500,000, right? 01:19:44.140 --> 01:19:45.140 - Yeah. 01:19:45.140 --> 01:19:49.460 - Okay, so what will you get for the $300,000, I guess is my question. 01:19:49.460 --> 01:19:52.380 - We will still pay interest on whatever is left. 01:19:52.380 --> 01:19:53.380 - I don't... 01:19:53.380 --> 01:19:54.380 - Okay. 01:19:54.380 --> 01:20:00.380 - The way it was proposed to us is a five-year lease agreement or all up front, so I don't. 01:20:00.380 --> 01:20:01.860 - I think I'm beginning to get it. 01:20:01.860 --> 01:20:02.860 - Thank you. 01:20:02.860 --> 01:20:03.860 - You're welcome. 01:20:03.860 --> 01:20:07.300 - Okay, I'm going to go to Council Member Henry, and then I think our legal department has a 01:20:07.300 --> 01:20:08.300 - comment. 01:20:08.300 --> 01:20:10.060 - I'll pass in favor of legal department. 01:20:10.060 --> 01:20:13.900 - All right, and then I'll go to Council Member Deckard, who had his hands raised previously. 01:20:13.900 --> 01:20:15.500 - I'll yield to legal. 01:20:15.500 --> 01:20:16.500 - Okay. 01:20:16.500 --> 01:20:17.980 - All right, here we go. 01:20:17.980 --> 01:20:24.860 - I just wanted to clarify, I wanted to clarify what the rainy day fund could be used for. 01:20:24.860 --> 01:20:30.420 - According to Monroe County Code 27038, it's a little bit more expansive than just emergencies, 01:20:30.420 --> 01:20:36.580 - because it's stated in there for any other use or purpose determined by the council. 01:20:36.580 --> 01:20:40.500 - However, the money, if the money is an additional appropriation outside of the annual budget, 01:20:40.500 --> 01:20:43.700 - it must be supported by a super majority, so two-thirds vote. 01:20:43.700 --> 01:20:46.820 - So it's not just emergencies, it's a little bit more. 01:20:46.820 --> 01:20:47.820 - Okay. 01:20:47.820 --> 01:20:53.120 - I do have one question, I guess. 01:20:53.120 --> 01:20:57.660 - So in terms of the options presented today, I guess, I know we've spent a little time 01:20:57.660 --> 01:20:58.660 - talking about CUME-CAP. 01:20:58.660 --> 01:21:04.900 - How did we arrive at these two choices as presented as options? 01:21:04.900 --> 01:21:08.060 - What was the decision tree that got us to this point where we were looking at these 01:21:08.060 --> 01:21:10.380 - two funds tonight specifically? 01:21:10.380 --> 01:21:21.460 - Out to the board of commissioners and to you, the council, regarding this issue, and you 01:21:21.460 --> 01:21:30.220 - all had an executive session to talk about this item, and I came back from my medical 01:21:30.220 --> 01:21:41.100 - leave and reached out to see what the next steps were, and there had been no decision 01:21:41.100 --> 01:21:43.260 - really come to about how to move forward. 01:21:43.260 --> 01:21:46.860 - So I thought the best way to do that is to put it on your agenda. 01:21:46.860 --> 01:21:50.660 - Yeah, I don't mean to shoot the messenger, so I'll take it that way. 01:21:50.660 --> 01:21:54.980 - My question was specific to the two funds that were presented or proposed, but yeah, 01:21:54.980 --> 01:22:00.500 - I get that you're in the chair and messaging for Mr. Crown, who's on leave on some of the 01:22:00.500 --> 01:22:01.500 - particulars. 01:22:01.500 --> 01:22:02.500 - So thank you. 01:22:02.500 --> 01:22:03.500 - All right. 01:22:03.500 --> 01:22:04.500 - Mr. Decker. 01:22:04.500 --> 01:22:10.180 - I kind of want to pick up, and thanks for answering this and walking us through it again. 01:22:10.180 --> 01:22:15.660 - I kind of want to pick up where Councilor Feidl left off and maybe go in a direction 01:22:15.660 --> 01:22:21.780 - that she was either heading toward or could head to, but it provokes the question in me. 01:22:21.780 --> 01:22:27.660 - We have sort of two options to fund the amount that is a remainder from what you've done 01:22:27.660 --> 01:22:32.020 - to reconfigure with that existing bond money, and by the way, I want to say that any time 01:22:32.020 --> 01:22:38.980 - we can look at any existing bond money and determine where that best goes first, I think 01:22:38.980 --> 01:22:44.580 - it's a really powerful thing to do on behalf of the taxpayers, and I know that that's been 01:22:44.580 --> 01:22:49.700 - something we've talked about a number of years. 01:22:49.700 --> 01:22:56.580 - My question is, is there an additional possibility, because I believe the project, as I understand 01:22:56.580 --> 01:23:01.420 - it, needs to move along, and it's due to move along. 01:23:01.420 --> 01:23:10.700 - Is there a third potential option that 300,000 for services now and finance 200,000 later 01:23:10.700 --> 01:23:16.740 - or revisit that they get to eat a bunch of apples versus a whole bunch of apples, and 01:23:16.740 --> 01:23:23.140 - as a result, we kind of move down into additional time and can use dollars now for this? 01:23:23.140 --> 01:23:27.980 - I don't know if that's something they could be asked, have been asked, or if I'm out of 01:23:27.980 --> 01:23:28.980 - my mind. 01:23:28.980 --> 01:23:39.860 - The provider offered two options, and that's where we have been from. 01:23:39.860 --> 01:23:53.500 - I got reticent to wait, because they do know that this is before you today, but they're 01:23:53.500 --> 01:24:00.740 - not going to be going with the full payment. 01:24:00.740 --> 01:24:07.500 - The other option over five years is you do 100, so right now, out of that existing bond, 01:24:07.500 --> 01:24:14.460 - we could do the 100, pay interest, do another 100 next year, pay interest, and on down the 01:24:14.460 --> 01:24:15.460 - road we go. 01:24:15.460 --> 01:24:21.820 - Of course, the risk to that always is, A, paying interest, and what have you. 01:24:21.820 --> 01:24:24.460 - Okay, I'll stop my meandering question. 01:24:24.460 --> 01:24:32.460 - It is a good question, though, and I was with you, counselor, if I can tell. 01:24:32.460 --> 01:24:33.780 - All right. 01:24:33.780 --> 01:24:41.180 - Any other questions to my left at this moment? 01:24:41.180 --> 01:24:46.940 - I would like us to discuss which one we're doing. 01:24:46.940 --> 01:24:53.380 - I mean, are we all considering an up-down vote on the general fund? 01:24:53.380 --> 01:24:57.300 - It's just an odd motion, so I just need some clarity. 01:24:57.300 --> 01:25:04.260 - I think you actually should vote on whether or not you want to pay in full. 01:25:04.260 --> 01:25:05.860 - That makes sense. 01:25:05.860 --> 01:25:10.180 - And let's go over to my right, Mr. Henry, and then I'll defer to my colleague, counselor 01:25:10.180 --> 01:25:11.180 - Hawk online. 01:25:11.180 --> 01:25:12.180 - All right. 01:25:12.180 --> 01:25:13.180 - Thank you, Mr. Henry. 01:25:13.180 --> 01:25:14.180 - Councilmember Hawk. 01:25:14.180 --> 01:25:23.260 - Yes, I'm just wondering if we've all looked at the additional requests that commissioners 01:25:23.260 --> 01:25:30.980 - have turned in recently and to look at that total and put this in with that entire total 01:25:30.980 --> 01:25:36.380 - so that we can make a choice of what we can do about all these additionals that's coming 01:25:36.380 --> 01:25:40.020 - in from the commissioner's office. 01:25:40.020 --> 01:25:46.660 - I sent a message back earlier saying, do we have a total on what those are? 01:25:46.660 --> 01:25:49.420 - Is there any reason why we have to make this decision tonight? 01:25:49.420 --> 01:25:54.860 - Can we not look at the big picture to look at all the other requests that's coming in 01:25:54.860 --> 01:26:02.020 - at our next meeting and then see what we can do? 01:26:02.020 --> 01:26:07.400 - Thank you, Councilmember Hawk, offering us an alternative here. 01:26:07.400 --> 01:26:10.380 - Any other questions or comments from council? 01:26:10.380 --> 01:26:12.660 - Councilmember Henry, yes. 01:26:12.660 --> 01:26:14.340 - Thank you, Mr. President. 01:26:14.340 --> 01:26:18.260 - If I'm hearing the councilor right online, I would also entertain a motion to table until 01:26:18.260 --> 01:26:24.620 - we can get clarity on either the additional possibility of the CUME cap as a source or 01:26:24.620 --> 01:26:29.700 - just as you indicated there, I think waiting two more weeks on the project after potentially 01:26:29.700 --> 01:26:34.300 - nine months of waiting would probably not harm us, so we can get a better answer on 01:26:34.300 --> 01:26:35.300 - that. 01:26:35.300 --> 01:26:39.620 - But I would support a motion to table if that's what I'm hearing online. 01:26:39.620 --> 01:26:42.820 - Councilmember Wilts. 01:26:42.820 --> 01:26:46.620 - I'm not opposed to tabling if that comes up. 01:26:46.620 --> 01:26:53.460 - But I would like to know, is there any reason we shouldn't, couldn't, wouldn't consider 01:26:53.460 --> 01:26:54.740 - CUME cap? 01:26:54.740 --> 01:27:10.940 - And I'm asking people at this table. 01:27:10.940 --> 01:27:21.100 - So just looking at the, I mean we currently have $3.8 million appropriation, $1.9 million 01:27:21.100 --> 01:27:22.100 - fund balance. 01:27:22.100 --> 01:27:29.620 - So I mean it's already relying on funding coming in. 01:27:29.620 --> 01:27:35.340 - I mean we could watch the fund balance and we could always de-appropriate and appropriate 01:27:35.340 --> 01:27:36.340 - elsewhere. 01:27:36.340 --> 01:27:42.700 - There's always ways to go about it just depends on what actually gets expended. 01:27:42.700 --> 01:27:44.780 - We always have reversions as we know. 01:27:44.780 --> 01:27:45.780 - Right. 01:27:45.780 --> 01:27:46.780 - Thanks. 01:27:46.780 --> 01:27:47.780 - Council Member Deckard. 01:27:47.780 --> 01:27:53.500 - I agree with Councilor Henry and I think the sentiment we picked up a little bit from Councilor 01:27:53.500 --> 01:27:54.500 - Hawk. 01:27:54.500 --> 01:28:00.220 - I think this is a classic scenario I said to one of our staff earlier today where council 01:28:00.220 --> 01:28:05.740 - kind of sits around staring at each other like it's a strange wedding and I think probably 01:28:05.740 --> 01:28:07.120 - a table is in order. 01:28:07.120 --> 01:28:13.460 - So with that in mind, Council, I would move to table this to our next meeting. 01:28:13.460 --> 01:28:14.460 - Second. 01:28:14.460 --> 01:28:15.460 - Second. 01:28:15.460 --> 01:28:19.260 - Do we need to withdraw the motion that was originally made? 01:28:19.260 --> 01:28:20.260 - Okay. 01:28:20.260 --> 01:28:22.780 - Thank you. 01:28:22.780 --> 01:28:31.020 - If you're wanting to consider CUME-CAP, it won't be advertised for the next meeting. 01:28:31.020 --> 01:28:37.340 - The earliest meeting I could get it would be for the April 22nd. 01:28:37.340 --> 01:28:40.340 - Right. 01:28:40.340 --> 01:28:46.340 - So I don't know if you'd want to table it to the April 22nd meeting so that you could 01:28:46.340 --> 01:28:53.380 - also include a discussion with regards to using CUME-CAP. 01:28:53.380 --> 01:28:58.740 - Mr. Deckard, would you like to update your motion with this new information? 01:28:58.740 --> 01:29:00.500 - Here's the way I'm going to state this. 01:29:00.500 --> 01:29:06.020 - I would like to move to table indefinitely for the following reason. 01:29:06.020 --> 01:29:11.980 - If there is a reason we need to revisit the existing motion at the next meeting, we could. 01:29:11.980 --> 01:29:18.080 - If there's a reason that the CUME-CAP advertisement needs to be done by the 22nd, either way then 01:29:18.080 --> 01:29:23.980 - that is covered by that, and I think the council leadership at their discretion and consultation 01:29:23.980 --> 01:29:27.900 - with staff and legal can help figure that out. 01:29:27.900 --> 01:29:30.100 - I'll second the friendly amendment. 01:29:30.100 --> 01:29:31.100 - All right. 01:29:31.100 --> 01:29:34.660 - We have a motion with rationale and a second. 01:29:34.660 --> 01:29:41.460 - Is there any other comments or questions with council on this motion? 01:29:41.460 --> 01:29:44.420 - Seeing none, I will look to the public. 01:29:44.420 --> 01:29:49.240 - Comments or questions come to Net-U-Hill or raise your hand on Teams. 01:29:49.240 --> 01:29:55.220 - Seeing none, can we have a roll call vote on the motion? 01:29:55.220 --> 01:29:56.220 - Councilor Feidl? 01:29:56.220 --> 01:29:57.220 - Yes. 01:29:57.220 --> 01:29:58.220 - Councilor Hawk? 01:29:58.220 --> 01:29:59.220 - Yes. 01:29:59.220 --> 01:30:00.220 - Councilor Henry? 01:30:00.220 --> 01:30:01.220 - Yes. 01:30:01.220 --> 01:30:02.220 - Councilor Deckard? 01:30:02.220 --> 01:30:03.220 - Yes. 01:30:03.220 --> 01:30:04.220 - Councilor Iverson? 01:30:04.220 --> 01:30:05.220 - Yes. 01:30:05.220 --> 01:30:06.220 - Councilor Wilts? 01:30:06.220 --> 01:30:07.220 - Yes. 01:30:07.220 --> 01:30:08.220 - Motion passes unanimous for table. 01:30:08.220 --> 01:30:09.220 - Thank you. 01:30:09.220 --> 01:30:10.220 - Thank you for being here. 01:30:10.220 --> 01:30:11.220 - We look forward to working with you. 01:30:11.220 --> 01:30:12.220 - I didn't mean it that way. 01:30:12.220 --> 01:30:13.220 - I know you didn't. 01:30:13.220 --> 01:30:14.220 - I know you didn't. 01:30:14.220 --> 01:30:17.980 - I knew you were agreeing with me. 01:30:17.980 --> 01:30:18.980 - All right. 01:30:18.980 --> 01:30:23.780 - Let's move on to item number 12 from the council office. 01:30:23.780 --> 01:30:30.660 - All right, council, as a reminder, due to a no vote at the March 11th meeting, this is 01:30:30.660 --> 01:30:33.540 - the second reading for this request. 01:30:33.540 --> 01:30:39.020 - I move to approve the public defender's request to approve the request of a knowledge skills 01:30:39.020 --> 01:30:46.540 - and abilities KSA three-year level status, and to simultaneously amend the 2025 salary 01:30:46.540 --> 01:30:56.580 - ordinance and fund 1200 dash 0000 supplemental PD services as outlined on the agenda. 01:30:56.580 --> 01:30:58.020 - Second. 01:30:58.020 --> 01:31:02.660 - We have a motion and a second and chief public defender Michael Hunt is with us here today 01:31:02.660 --> 01:31:03.700 - with his staff. 01:31:03.700 --> 01:31:05.860 - So would you like to kick us off? 01:31:05.860 --> 01:31:06.860 - Yes. 01:31:06.860 --> 01:31:07.860 - Thank you. 01:31:07.860 --> 01:31:08.860 - Good evening. 01:31:08.860 --> 01:31:09.860 - Can you hear me? 01:31:09.860 --> 01:31:10.860 - Yes. 01:31:10.860 --> 01:31:16.940 - With me tonight, I have Miss Amy Payne, who's a senior attorney in my office, and Heather 01:31:16.940 --> 01:31:20.100 - Stufel, my administrative assistant. 01:31:20.100 --> 01:31:23.620 - I would apologize for not being here last time when this first came up. 01:31:23.620 --> 01:31:25.960 - I was out of the country. 01:31:25.960 --> 01:31:30.860 - So if I misstate something, I won't feel bad if you correct me. 01:31:30.860 --> 01:31:39.260 - It's my understanding this is the second hearing, and it's also my belief that for a change, 01:31:39.260 --> 01:31:42.260 - we are not asking for more money. 01:31:42.260 --> 01:31:54.060 - We're merely asking you to approve a potential employee being classified on a three-step level, 01:31:54.060 --> 01:31:59.620 - which as I understand it, the counsel administrator and the personnel administrator has already 01:31:59.620 --> 01:32:08.460 - determined that candidate does qualify. 01:32:08.460 --> 01:32:17.220 - That was already budgeted for this year because the prior person was already at that level. 01:32:17.220 --> 01:32:29.980 - In trying to explain that and talking about our lack of ability to hire attorneys, I was 01:32:29.980 --> 01:32:36.180 - discussing that in the office, and Ms. Payne, who despite her youth is a senior attorney 01:32:36.180 --> 01:32:45.600 - there and does the serious cases, asked if she could address the counsel with some of 01:32:45.600 --> 01:32:47.900 - her concerns. 01:32:47.900 --> 01:32:53.900 - With the counsel chairman's permission, I would ask that she be allowed to do that. 01:32:53.900 --> 01:32:58.220 - I gladly would like to hear from the wise and Ms. Payne. 01:32:58.220 --> 01:32:59.940 - Thank you. 01:32:59.940 --> 01:33:00.940 - Okay. 01:33:00.940 --> 01:33:01.940 - Yes. 01:33:01.940 --> 01:33:03.220 - I'm a deputy public defender. 01:33:03.220 --> 01:33:09.460 - I've been doing this for 14 years now, almost 15, and I work every day for the people of 01:33:09.460 --> 01:33:13.260 - Monroe County, just like the people at the fire department, just like the people at the 01:33:13.260 --> 01:33:14.260 - sheriff's department. 01:33:14.260 --> 01:33:19.380 - I work on behalf of the citizens of Monroe County every single day. 01:33:19.380 --> 01:33:24.600 - When I was here two weeks ago, I was not familiar with the process, and that's my own fault, 01:33:24.600 --> 01:33:29.620 - and that's something I obviously am going to work on becoming more familiar, and I didn't 01:33:29.620 --> 01:33:36.020 - realize that if it wasn't a unanimous vote that we would not be able to move forward, 01:33:36.020 --> 01:33:38.180 - and that's my own fault. 01:33:38.180 --> 01:33:42.020 - But because I didn't realize that, I didn't speak up, and I really kicked myself for the 01:33:42.020 --> 01:33:46.020 - last couple weeks because I didn't, so I wanted to come back and make sure that I did speak 01:33:46.020 --> 01:33:49.420 - up about what this actually means. 01:33:49.420 --> 01:33:56.980 - So my clients, your all's constituents, they are not getting what they deserve right now 01:33:56.980 --> 01:34:00.200 - from me, every single day they're not getting it. 01:34:00.200 --> 01:34:06.420 - And that's because the Constitution guarantees them adequate representation, and I don't 01:34:06.420 --> 01:34:12.660 - believe because I have to pick up the cases when we don't have enough attorneys working 01:34:12.660 --> 01:34:19.380 - in our office, my clients are not getting what they deserve of me, they're not. 01:34:19.380 --> 01:34:23.580 - Every attorney in our office has to pick up the slack when we don't have enough attorneys 01:34:23.580 --> 01:34:28.480 - and when we can't hire attorneys and when we can't hire a person at a level that they 01:34:28.480 --> 01:34:30.740 - deserve to be paid at. 01:34:30.740 --> 01:34:38.220 - And so the last two weeks, there has been a harm every single day of the last two weeks 01:34:38.220 --> 01:34:40.640 - waiting. 01:34:40.640 --> 01:34:47.780 - And so by Councilwoman Hawk voting no on the KSA request, there has been every day a tangible 01:34:47.780 --> 01:34:52.500 - harm, especially when there's no fiscal impact to the county. 01:34:52.500 --> 01:34:57.660 - This is not asking for a raise, we are not asking for more money, and it's doing a disservice 01:34:57.660 --> 01:34:59.980 - to the people that we all serve. 01:34:59.980 --> 01:35:05.700 - So I don't anticipate that Councilwoman Hawkins is going to change her vote tonight, I just 01:35:05.700 --> 01:35:13.340 - want to make sure that it's clear that that vote has caused me, my coworkers, and my clients 01:35:13.340 --> 01:35:18.740 - more strife than is necessary with no benefit to the county whatsoever. 01:35:18.740 --> 01:35:21.140 - Thank you. 01:35:21.140 --> 01:35:23.740 - I will take questions if you have any. 01:35:23.740 --> 01:35:24.860 - All right. 01:35:24.860 --> 01:35:27.820 - Thank you both for speaking, we appreciate hearing from you. 01:35:27.820 --> 01:35:28.820 - Look to my left. 01:35:28.820 --> 01:35:29.820 - Any questions or comments? 01:35:29.820 --> 01:35:32.020 - Councilmember Deckard, and we'll go down the line. 01:35:32.020 --> 01:35:37.620 - Just a point of information to clarify for all of us and the folks at home tonight, simple 01:35:37.620 --> 01:35:41.580 - majority gets us this resolved and on down we go. 01:35:41.580 --> 01:35:42.580 - Is that correct? 01:35:42.580 --> 01:35:43.580 - All right. 01:35:43.580 --> 01:35:44.580 - Thank you. 01:35:44.580 --> 01:35:45.580 - Councilmember Wilts. 01:35:45.580 --> 01:35:54.980 - I wanted to make that point as well and to thank you for speaking because I know that's 01:35:54.980 --> 01:36:04.920 - not an easy thing to do and I hear you and I appreciate not just that you've said it 01:36:04.920 --> 01:36:09.940 - but what you said. 01:36:09.940 --> 01:36:21.660 - All right, Councilmember Hawk, you're muted. 01:36:21.660 --> 01:36:22.660 - Almost there. 01:36:22.660 --> 01:36:23.660 - Okay. 01:36:23.660 --> 01:36:24.660 - Got it. 01:36:24.660 --> 01:36:31.500 - I just want to make the point and I'm sorry it caused anybody any hardship but there's 01:36:31.500 --> 01:36:38.260 - a lot of hardship going on here in county government and it's going to be for some time. 01:36:38.260 --> 01:36:45.860 - I didn't make that $3.8 million mistake but I think each of us need to see where we can 01:36:45.860 --> 01:36:53.100 - possibly try to live within what has to be a reduced budget because of reduced revenue 01:36:53.100 --> 01:37:00.900 - in my opinion and so it was not particularly this department. 01:37:00.900 --> 01:37:06.980 - I just think we should stop the KSA thing altogether until we see where we're going 01:37:06.980 --> 01:37:16.060 - to be on this budget and revenue coming in but clearly it's only the first go. 01:37:16.060 --> 01:37:21.980 - I can say no but what it does it just delays everything. 01:37:21.980 --> 01:37:29.400 - So I can either like go along and just say yes to everything or I can say look we've 01:37:29.400 --> 01:37:36.300 - got to start looking at our dollars and I regret that a department thinks that it doesn't 01:37:36.300 --> 01:37:40.980 - matter if they've already got something else budgeted high they can just use that money 01:37:40.980 --> 01:37:41.980 - anyway. 01:37:41.980 --> 01:37:46.620 - If they didn't use that money that money would go back into county general to help us all 01:37:46.620 --> 01:37:48.700 - get through. 01:37:48.700 --> 01:37:56.020 - That used to be understood by all and it appears that's not no longer understood but I wish 01:37:56.020 --> 01:38:02.900 - you well I really when I looked at the applicant I thought if we're going to do KSA well of 01:38:02.900 --> 01:38:09.580 - course that person is qualified but in my opinion I think we should stop it. 01:38:09.580 --> 01:38:16.420 - So there we go sorry you had a tough time we've all had a tough time. 01:38:16.420 --> 01:38:22.700 - Right any other comments from council yes Mr. Henry. 01:38:22.700 --> 01:38:27.300 - Thank you Mr. President I just want to thank you for your comments clearly decisions in 01:38:27.300 --> 01:38:32.420 - this room have real world impact and I can't imagine how many clients of the county's public 01:38:32.420 --> 01:38:35.640 - defenders office had to meander through a few weeks here. 01:38:35.640 --> 01:38:40.340 - So I take your words to heart these are real world situations we're talking about they're 01:38:40.340 --> 01:38:45.300 - not abstractions on a line and when we are not surgical about our approach it creates 01:38:45.300 --> 01:38:51.740 - problems but I just wanted to say thank you for sharing thank you Mr. President. 01:38:51.740 --> 01:38:59.220 - Right I also thank you all for coming as someone who also ruminates over things said and unsaid 01:38:59.220 --> 01:39:07.380 - I appreciate the candor and coming forward and speaking thank you alright at this point 01:39:07.380 --> 01:39:12.020 - I will ask for any public comments if you have any public comment please come to the 01:39:12.020 --> 01:39:22.340 - podium or raise your hand on teams seeing none may we have a roll call vote. 01:39:22.340 --> 01:39:32.940 - Councilor Fiddle yes Councilor Henry yes Councilor Wilts yes Councilor Hawk no Councilor Iverson 01:39:32.940 --> 01:39:41.900 - yes Councilor Deckard yes motion passes majority five to one thank you very much you're welcome 01:39:41.900 --> 01:39:44.700 - thank you what you do. 01:39:44.700 --> 01:39:49.980 - All right we reached that point in the agenda where it's time for county councilors to update 01:39:49.980 --> 01:39:57.340 - the public on their liaison ships and or any other comments they would like to make I'm 01:39:57.340 --> 01:40:02.100 - going to start with on the far left here Councilor Fiddle. 01:40:02.100 --> 01:40:08.780 - I'm ready with my color coded notes oh my goodness that seems to be drawing a lot of 01:40:08.780 --> 01:40:19.180 - attention these days all right let's see it so first of all I don't have a specific liaison 01:40:19.180 --> 01:40:26.140 - assignment with visit Bloomington however they made a presentation at a DBI meeting which 01:40:26.140 --> 01:40:32.700 - is my purview and I thought I wanted to share publicly some of these things that they shared 01:40:32.700 --> 01:40:37.740 - from their annual report which I found very interesting that the public may want to know 01:40:37.740 --> 01:40:39.620 - about. 01:40:39.620 --> 01:40:50.780 - For instance so this is titled what had the most impact in 2024 IU football was 60 million 01:40:50.780 --> 01:40:58.160 - dollars in estimated football economic impact the solar eclipse 90 percent lodging occupancy 01:40:58.160 --> 01:41:06.820 - Sunday through Monday during that event Airbnb short-term rental bookings grew by 27 percent 01:41:06.820 --> 01:41:14.940 - in 2024 visitors spend over a hundred and fifty million on food in Monroe County every 01:41:14.940 --> 01:41:26.620 - year and then in each of these categories it goes up the the numbers go up so from 2020 01:41:26.620 --> 01:41:34.220 - through 2023 the amount the visitors spent ranged from 309 million to 509 million in 01:41:34.220 --> 01:41:43.820 - a four-year or four-year period wages generated same time period 114 million to 191 million 01:41:43.820 --> 01:41:52.780 - job supported ranged from 4,700 to 20 or excuse me to 7,800 the tax receipts generated both 01:41:52.780 --> 01:42:04.140 - state and local went from 54 million to 90 million and then going on to economic and 01:42:04.140 --> 01:42:10.500 - impact of tourism for every hundred dollars spent by visitor in Monroe County over a third 01:42:10.500 --> 01:42:17.840 - of all food and beverage revenue in Monroe County is generated by visitors the 20 percent 01:42:17.840 --> 01:42:26.220 - of lodging rooms purchased in Monroe County in 2024 were short-term rentals a couple more 01:42:26.220 --> 01:42:37.620 - things here so this this topic is the sports travel marketing 17% of our visitors here 01:42:37.620 --> 01:42:44.100 - are here to watch or participate in sports and then they just wanted to feature also 01:42:44.100 --> 01:42:52.900 - the cars farm park investment and that begins in 2025 and visit Bloomington is already partnering 01:42:52.900 --> 01:42:57.640 - with Monroe County Parks and Rec on that effort so that's all from visit Bloomington which 01:42:57.640 --> 01:43:06.220 - I know you can find on there well for their that report for 2024 tourism report now on 01:43:06.220 --> 01:43:12.180 - to my other service with liaison assignments I met with the Youth Services Bureau learned 01:43:12.180 --> 01:43:21.040 - a lot there the ages they serve 10 to 17 at no cost they have a safe place program 24/7 01:43:21.040 --> 01:43:28.060 - and that operates for people or young folks between 8 and 22 they have Bloomington after 01:43:28.060 --> 01:43:35.500 - school network youth youth worker cafes building a thriving and compassionate community and 01:43:35.500 --> 01:43:39.980 - then leadership opportunities for young folks there's Monroe County Youth Council plus the 01:43:39.980 --> 01:43:46.340 - Youth Advisory Board and they also have programs that are community based for counseling and 01:43:46.340 --> 01:43:55.340 - community based programming then the City Economic Development Commission meeting I attended as 01:43:55.340 --> 01:44:02.580 - a council rep we made a recommendation for two resolutions that will come up at the City 01:44:02.580 --> 01:44:13.460 - Council regarding Gene B Glick's purchase of and they'll be rehabbing the projects both 01:44:13.460 --> 01:44:21.700 - at Cambridge Square on North Pete Ellis Drive which is 153 units as well as Henderson Court 01:44:21.700 --> 01:44:30.240 - 150 units which is on Winslow Court and then both of the rehab projects the developer will 01:44:30.240 --> 01:44:35.580 - apply for low income housing tax credits so that seems like some good low income housing 01:44:35.580 --> 01:44:45.420 - news my assignment is not with the highway engineer however I I met with the highway 01:44:45.420 --> 01:44:51.080 - engineer Lisa ridge because I hadn't met her yet in my capacity and I wanted to see the 01:44:51.080 --> 01:44:58.540 - facility and speak with her she was very generous in her time and I learned that they have 59 01:44:58.540 --> 01:45:06.940 - employees 80% are male 20% are female 42 or highway employees five or bridge 12 stormwater 01:45:06.940 --> 01:45:12.620 - and I got to see this special new system that they use for brining when they put down that 01:45:12.620 --> 01:45:19.140 - to apply to help with the roads before any sort of inclement weather with no they can 01:45:19.140 --> 01:45:30.700 - apply about 260 miles worth of brine in about two days before and the one of the last thing 01:45:30.700 --> 01:45:36.180 - last couple of things I did was the Monroe County Women's Commission meeting they are 01:45:36.180 --> 01:45:43.360 - developing a policy equity rubric which is almost complete and and so they're working 01:45:43.360 --> 01:45:49.760 - on getting some more professional feedback on that and it'll be shared with county and 01:45:49.760 --> 01:45:56.180 - local governments businesses community organizations they're also doing outreach to elevate the 01:45:56.180 --> 01:46:01.620 - profile of the Women's Commission plus for each meeting coming up in 2025 there'll be 01:46:01.620 --> 01:46:06.780 - a different topic it could be anything ranging from wages to health care to a variety of 01:46:06.780 --> 01:46:15.780 - others the downtown Bloomington group they are doing a downtown strategies group session 01:46:15.780 --> 01:46:21.360 - there'll be a market visit workshop in July of this year a strategic plan presentation 01:46:21.360 --> 01:46:28.100 - in October of this year and then with the result of a five-year strategic action plan 01:46:28.100 --> 01:46:35.180 - with which will come up with 20 to 30 strategies and recommendations and that's all councilmember 01:46:35.180 --> 01:46:41.900 - vital would you hold up your notebook to the camera just just so that your constituents 01:46:41.900 --> 01:46:51.420 - know they are getting what they voted for all right at a request we're going to go to 01:46:51.420 --> 01:46:57.820 - mr. Deckard next my gosh don't ask me to hold up my notes that is I'm so glad that we have 01:46:57.820 --> 01:47:03.580 - our new counselors on here to join us in this effort they strengthen us I've got just three 01:47:03.580 --> 01:47:08.060 - quick ones that I will announce and I appreciate these reports us going back to it I kind of 01:47:08.060 --> 01:47:15.180 - wish that I had had us doing this last year this is awesome but I spent a little time 01:47:15.180 --> 01:47:20.940 - also with county highway along with counselor hawk we spent some time last Friday morning 01:47:20.940 --> 01:47:28.580 - with Lisa Ridge and Toby Turner talking about some of the realities that they are facing 01:47:28.580 --> 01:47:33.780 - out there and hearing about the good work that they do one thing that highway does exceedingly 01:47:33.780 --> 01:47:38.780 - well as they figure out how to bring dollars into this county and they have the hot hand 01:47:38.780 --> 01:47:45.820 - at it and if you go up to Indianapolis and say Lisa Ridge in the halls of the state house 01:47:45.820 --> 01:47:52.140 - you get smiles and I'm not sure all of us get smiles when we go up there so awesome 01:47:52.140 --> 01:47:57.920 - work that they do I also spent this morning with the Elstville Chamber of Commerce it's 01:47:57.920 --> 01:48:03.700 - not technically a liaison ship but they invited me to come out and to meet with their policy 01:48:03.700 --> 01:48:08.420 - committee and counselors I expect that others of you and other county elected officials 01:48:08.420 --> 01:48:13.820 - will be having similar invitations and we talked a lot about mostly about what they 01:48:13.820 --> 01:48:19.740 - wanted to talk about current events related to issues facing our community in our county 01:48:19.740 --> 01:48:25.620 - and Elstville continues to be a community that is seeing tremendous growth and they're 01:48:25.620 --> 01:48:32.240 - seeing a lot of change and we also at a county have a lot of change that we are going to 01:48:32.240 --> 01:48:38.180 - be facing down ourselves we talked about recent population discussions the impact that that 01:48:38.180 --> 01:48:44.760 - has on us and how as elected officials and other concerned business leaders and community 01:48:44.760 --> 01:48:50.740 - members we need to be thinking about it the last thing that I just by the way also last 01:48:50.740 --> 01:48:55.460 - night I spent some time I get a lot of these I don't know if other counselors do but I 01:48:55.460 --> 01:49:02.620 - had a visit with the grand view scout we below I'm a grand view tiger myself it was good 01:49:02.620 --> 01:49:07.580 - to meet these new tigers and particularly to hear about their activities and I have 01:49:07.580 --> 01:49:12.860 - to tell you they had as many hard questions for me as they also chambered it this morning 01:49:12.860 --> 01:49:19.280 - and that didn't diminish either group so they asked good questions and much like the folks 01:49:19.280 --> 01:49:24.100 - that we saw at the beginning of our meeting is always awesome to see folks that are doing 01:49:24.100 --> 01:49:28.300 - something serving something when they could be doing anything else but to give giving 01:49:28.300 --> 01:49:34.220 - back finally I'll mention this not to steal anything from our liaisons that work with 01:49:34.220 --> 01:49:40.780 - the clerk and the election board but council had reminded earlier that there is a vote 01:49:40.780 --> 01:49:46.620 - center plan hearing on April 3rd at 1 30 p.m. I assume that's here in the Natu Hill room 01:49:46.620 --> 01:49:53.740 - correct correct so for folks that either want to learn about both centers or weigh in on 01:49:53.740 --> 01:49:56.940 - both centers because you have strong thoughts I know a lot of us have different thoughts 01:49:56.940 --> 01:50:02.340 - on that this would be a chance to weigh in on a proposed draft plan and I am anxious 01:50:02.340 --> 01:50:07.180 - to see that myself I don't know if a advance copy gets out but I would love to see that 01:50:07.180 --> 01:50:11.020 - as you all may recall from my time at the state I was co-director of the state election 01:50:11.020 --> 01:50:15.860 - vision when both centers were first legally authorized and I'd love to see what this plan 01:50:15.860 --> 01:50:20.940 - looks like for the community and county and figure out what's best for us and the draft 01:50:20.940 --> 01:50:27.340 - plan is available on the election website this is going to be the first of two public hearings 01:50:27.340 --> 01:50:32.100 - so at this public hearing they'll receive the draft plan and there'll be a presentation 01:50:32.100 --> 01:50:39.140 - on it it will be the start of a 30 at least a 30-day public comment period where the public 01:50:39.140 --> 01:50:45.420 - can provide written comment and details on how the election board will receive that written 01:50:45.420 --> 01:50:51.740 - public comment will be determined at that first public hearing and then after the 30-day public 01:50:51.740 --> 01:50:59.740 - comment period closes there'll be a second public hearing so really because vote center 01:50:59.740 --> 01:51:06.720 - law in the state allows that plan to tell you how it's going to be to put it no blunder 01:51:06.720 --> 01:51:12.180 - than that if you wonder how it's going to be for members of the public this would be 01:51:12.180 --> 01:51:17.900 - a good chance to see this and this is a powerful and can be really good device but this is 01:51:17.900 --> 01:51:22.620 - your chance to see that hopefully maybe ask some questions and then we all can weigh in 01:51:22.620 --> 01:51:28.500 - so that's all the reporting I have thank you so much mr. Henry thank you mr. president 01:51:28.500 --> 01:51:33.060 - and thank you counselor Deckard for covering that for me so I could talk about other stuff 01:51:33.060 --> 01:51:38.260 - but I will also say that is the it's a busy week in the board of elections as the public 01:51:38.260 --> 01:51:43.180 - hearing will happen and it's the regular meeting that week on a Thursday I think that's not 01:51:43.180 --> 01:51:47.100 - the first Thursday are we gonna miss it how what's the sequence there Molly public hearing 01:51:47.100 --> 01:51:52.940 - is scheduled during the regular meeting of the election so it is my impression that the 01:51:52.940 --> 01:51:56.820 - public hearing will take place I don't know if they have regular agenda items for that 01:51:56.820 --> 01:52:00.980 - day or not well then I stand corrected and yeah there you go that's why Trent covered 01:52:00.980 --> 01:52:04.100 - it today all right I have some other things I like to chat about in terms of my liaison 01:52:04.100 --> 01:52:11.580 - stuff first I want to offer a bit of accommodation to our Board of Health as well as Commissioner 01:52:11.580 --> 01:52:16.380 - Madeira and some members of the public that alerted us to an issue in our health department 01:52:16.380 --> 01:52:22.900 - late last Friday of a family was seeking a gender change on a birth certificate and at 01:52:22.900 --> 01:52:28.380 - our public health department which is under was under a court order to do so there was 01:52:28.380 --> 01:52:32.500 - some confusion based on the governor's executive orders on whether or not our locality could 01:52:32.500 --> 01:52:39.000 - actually execute on those changes but as Commissioner Madeira had made it clear in local media that 01:52:39.000 --> 01:52:43.060 - we will follow court orders in this county whether or not they go to Indianapolis and 01:52:43.060 --> 01:52:48.480 - they're handled correctly will be up to litigation but I'm very proud that our Board of Health 01:52:48.480 --> 01:52:53.420 - got together quickly I made it clear that for our transgender community we're not turning 01:52:53.420 --> 01:52:57.340 - folks away at our public health department even if the state does so thank you for that 01:52:57.340 --> 01:53:04.500 - good work and swift work in our community to represent our values secondly is I wanted 01:53:04.500 --> 01:53:08.980 - to also share with the surveyors office while I was aware of mr. and right Randolph's proposal 01:53:08.980 --> 01:53:15.140 - this evening which is a no-cost solution to provide a training in the county for surveyors 01:53:15.140 --> 01:53:19.060 - who'll obviously tell us more about that next time we see him here I also did get a look 01:53:19.060 --> 01:53:24.500 - at the dashboard that GIS specialist dr. Baten is working on for the auditor in terms of 01:53:24.500 --> 01:53:28.900 - what the dashboarding of our budget looks like it is going to be wonderful to play with 01:53:28.900 --> 01:53:32.920 - I don't want to give away any data previews on it but I was I walked away understanding 01:53:32.920 --> 01:53:37.500 - that our criminal justice budget the slice of the pie is actually larger than the the 01:53:37.500 --> 01:53:43.180 - talking point I usually say a 50% it's more like 62.5 but it's in there and it's a it's 01:53:43.180 --> 01:53:47.380 - a really cool gadget so I look forward to seeing that now when we get that live that 01:53:47.380 --> 01:53:53.540 - I got a preview so anyway there's that second comment I wanted to raise to the council's 01:53:53.540 --> 01:54:00.580 - attention some work that was done on the plan commission this past week to vote on a split 01:54:00.580 --> 01:54:05.660 - vote positive recommendation for the down zoning of parcels that have been long designated 01:54:05.660 --> 01:54:10.780 - as high higher density parcels within the islands and the city of Bloomington their 01:54:10.780 --> 01:54:16.340 - county property that was a 62 vote which I would just indicate that myself and the other 01:54:16.340 --> 01:54:20.260 - elected official trying to write Randolph that were on the plan commission voted in 01:54:20.260 --> 01:54:26.340 - the negative to make a recommendation to commissioners their meeting is on Thursday on that I will 01:54:26.340 --> 01:54:31.300 - just say for the record that when we remove opportunities to restore and revitalize our 01:54:31.300 --> 01:54:36.500 - community and especially in economically depressed areas we lose housing choices we lose the 01:54:36.500 --> 01:54:39.680 - property rights of parcel owners that live there and how they can use their property 01:54:39.680 --> 01:54:44.340 - that they purchased and ultimately lose the abilities of county to improve our ability 01:54:44.340 --> 01:54:50.180 - to raise revenue off of parcels to help and share the tax burden in the community so this 01:54:50.180 --> 01:54:55.320 - is not a settled issue or a partisan issue in the county where one party thinks this 01:54:55.320 --> 01:54:59.220 - is appropriate and the other does not it is definitely a contentious issue for our body 01:54:59.220 --> 01:55:05.000 - on how we approach zoning in the urbanized area and the fringe but I've said my piece 01:55:05.000 --> 01:55:09.420 - about it tonight lastly I want to thank the jail commander for the opportunity to tour 01:55:09.420 --> 01:55:14.180 - the jail last week and get my look in there I've been in there since Sheriff Kennedy was 01:55:14.180 --> 01:55:18.440 - in office when I worked for the county 18 years ago and I just want to commend the sheriff 01:55:18.440 --> 01:55:22.180 - Marte and the staff for the cleanup in there and the paint and the good work they do to 01:55:22.180 --> 01:55:26.860 - maintain the facility we have while we try to figure out next steps and just want to 01:55:26.860 --> 01:55:31.620 - share with Councillor Wills I did match your full shift with the deputy this week as well 01:55:31.620 --> 01:55:37.120 - and got to ride with Sergeant Molden who is a chatterbox like myself and so we had a very 01:55:37.120 --> 01:55:42.100 - fast eight hours driving around the county talking about all sorts of things I do want 01:55:42.100 --> 01:55:45.660 - to say one more thing with the time I have we did talk about adult protective service 01:55:45.660 --> 01:55:50.920 - tonight as one of our items I wasn't intending to talk about this but on one of our runs 01:55:50.920 --> 01:55:56.420 - we did do a visit to a household out in Harrodsburg where there's an individual that needs checking 01:55:56.420 --> 01:56:00.060 - on and it turns out when we don't have good APS our sheriff's deputies are the ones that 01:56:00.060 --> 01:56:04.460 - are doing it and it's something to keep in mind when we think about the totality of how 01:56:04.460 --> 01:56:08.520 - we're using our services here and what we fund and how we fund it so that's a lot Mr. 01:56:08.520 --> 01:56:11.580 - President but there you go thank you very much. 01:56:11.580 --> 01:56:18.260 - All right thank you Mr. Henry. Council Member Hawk would you like to share any updates? 01:56:18.260 --> 01:56:34.820 - Yes I certainly would. Today in the Tax and Fiscal Committee the House Bill 1080 was discussed 01:56:34.820 --> 01:56:42.500 - and torn apart and put back together and in a lot of different methods. You'll want to 01:56:42.500 --> 01:56:52.940 - check Amendment 13 and to check the entire bill because it is changed dramatically but 01:56:52.940 --> 01:57:02.940 - it was clear that they made it clear and because the County Commissioners are unwilling to 01:57:02.940 --> 01:57:12.860 - work with Ellitsville in order to assist getting transportation for the most needy, the aged, 01:57:12.860 --> 01:57:22.620 - the people with disabilities to be able to get to their appointments. It appears this 01:57:22.620 --> 01:57:28.620 - is not going to go through as we had hoped it would. When I say we I'm not saying the 01:57:28.620 --> 01:57:34.860 - majority of the council but certainly when we're talking about our senior citizens, whether 01:57:34.860 --> 01:57:39.180 - or not they're covered, whether or not we care what happens to them, then we should 01:57:39.180 --> 01:57:45.180 - be caring also if we're doing what we can do to assist getting them from point A to 01:57:45.180 --> 01:57:52.740 - point B. And so I'm disappointed that the County Commissioners are not willing to work 01:57:52.740 --> 01:57:59.940 - with our other communities and community partners to be able to see what we can do to address 01:57:59.940 --> 01:58:09.500 - that. So that's very worrisome. The other thing that we have to look at is we know that 01:58:09.500 --> 01:58:19.820 - many changes are going to be made, many. And so we're not in a position to be able to make 01:58:19.820 --> 01:58:26.300 - long-range plans until we know what's happening at the state. And the taxpayers have made 01:58:26.300 --> 01:58:37.300 - it clear they want an adjustment to their taxes. So we just have to have to be as prepared 01:58:37.300 --> 01:58:44.220 - as we can be. Now, we know that we were we are looking toward changing what's going on 01:58:44.220 --> 01:58:51.660 - in the health department. But it appears that indeed that budget, it looks like as if that 01:58:51.660 --> 01:58:57.820 - for the state now that to be able to send to everyone is going to be cut. It looked 01:58:57.820 --> 01:59:05.640 - like 50 million over a two-year period of time. And the state's revenue is way reduced 01:59:05.640 --> 01:59:12.580 - as well, or at least they think it will be. They won't know until they've got their estimate 01:59:12.580 --> 01:59:22.020 - of revenue before they can really make this decision. But we know that Senate Bill 1 had 01:59:22.020 --> 01:59:32.100 - a lot of changes. And we also know that Representative Thompson is working on that 1402 to get 01:59:32.100 --> 01:59:32.680 - those 01:59:32.680 --> 01:59:38.860 - numbers to them and change the way the whole system is supposed to be working. And we just 01:59:38.860 --> 01:59:44.060 - have to leave our minds open. And right now, I'd like for us to be able to tread water 01:59:44.060 --> 01:59:51.340 - and just get by until we hear what is going to happen. And remember, every time we think 01:59:51.340 --> 01:59:57.140 - it's less money for the county, it might just be that it makes more money for those people 01:59:57.140 --> 02:00:01.900 - that we represent, the taxpayers. So thank you. 02:00:01.900 --> 02:00:11.220 - >> All right. Let's go to Councillor Wilts. >> Thank you. And thank you for skipping me 02:00:11.220 --> 02:00:16.820 - and coming back. I was super intimidated by the color-coded sheet to my left and I didn't 02:00:16.820 --> 02:00:28.140 - know what to do with myself. In terms of updates from my liaison ships, I -- is that a word 02:00:28.140 --> 02:00:32.740 - or liaison ship? >> It sure is. 02:00:32.740 --> 02:00:39.960 - >> Sounds so weird. I'm liaison to the auditor's office and I don't know if you all have noticed 02:00:39.960 --> 02:00:43.660 - the past couple of weeks there have been a flurry of emails from our internal auditor 02:00:43.660 --> 02:00:53.220 - about assets and handling of assets. And I just want to commend them on really looking 02:00:53.220 --> 02:01:04.140 - carefully and closely at how the real -- or the assets are handled within the county. 02:01:04.140 --> 02:01:12.020 - You know, it's not something that is maybe the most sexy topic for everyone to be following 02:01:12.020 --> 02:01:20.620 - along with, but it's a lot of work. And really making sure that we're following the law and 02:01:20.620 --> 02:01:24.540 - doing what we need to do with those sorts of things is important. So I wanted to send 02:01:24.540 --> 02:01:30.540 - out some kudos to the auditor's office on that. In addition, the waste reduction district 02:01:30.540 --> 02:01:37.820 - is doing some really cool planning around the potential for -- and super early stages 02:01:37.820 --> 02:01:45.820 - - but the potential for solar out at the old landfill. So we're getting some free technical 02:01:45.820 --> 02:01:51.620 - assistance right now on the planning stages of what that could look like and how -- who 02:01:51.620 --> 02:01:58.380 - we could partner with to make that happen. So that's pretty exciting. One other thing 02:01:58.380 --> 02:02:06.140 - I wanted to just say, and then I promise we can end the meeting, but several times in 02:02:06.140 --> 02:02:14.780 - this meeting the concept of caring for one another came up. And I think it's important 02:02:14.780 --> 02:02:21.740 - for us to really pause and remember that that's an essential function of why we're here. It's 02:02:21.740 --> 02:02:31.140 - an essential function of government. And as we go forth, and even as members of the public, 02:02:31.140 --> 02:02:34.940 - caring for each other is fundamental. And if we don't hang on to that, especially in 02:02:34.940 --> 02:02:46.300 - these times, I think we run the risk of really falling apart individually and collectively. 02:02:46.300 --> 02:02:53.500 - And so I would encourage folks to just really think on that concept. I was in a meeting 02:02:53.500 --> 02:02:59.460 - last week, walked out of this building, and on the corner there were folks demonstrating 02:02:59.460 --> 02:03:05.820 - about the fact that the Medicaid waiver funding is under threat and people don't typically 02:03:05.820 --> 02:03:13.700 - really understand how Medicaid waiver works. I don't fully, but it's not just about money 02:03:13.700 --> 02:03:25.260 - for people who don't have resources. The waiver funding is what undergirds supports for people 02:03:25.260 --> 02:03:38.140 - with disabilities, and it provides services for a huge proportion of our population who 02:03:38.140 --> 02:03:46.960 - need services just to get through day-to-day activities. I'm reminded that that's under 02:03:46.960 --> 02:03:53.340 - threat by our state. Adult protective services funding has been revoked apparently and doesn't 02:03:53.340 --> 02:04:01.920 - have something in place yet. These are threats to how we care for each other in government, 02:04:01.920 --> 02:04:11.180 - and I know we're facing an uncertain future. Councilor Hawk pointed out we've got a lot 02:04:11.180 --> 02:04:18.300 - coming down at us from the state, and I think that we're taking measures to address those 02:04:18.300 --> 02:04:26.420 - anticipated difficulties, those anticipated harms even, but not all harms are equal. And 02:04:26.420 --> 02:04:31.220 - I don't think it's appropriate to justify our actions by drawing false equivalencies, 02:04:31.220 --> 02:04:41.660 - and when someone is in our presence and expresses that harm has been done, it is not our place 02:04:41.660 --> 02:04:50.300 - to put a value on their harm. It's our place as council to plan for and account for real 02:04:50.300 --> 02:04:57.980 - and anticipated challenges, and I think that's why we have halted considerations of new positions 02:04:57.980 --> 02:05:03.780 - that have monetary impact, but as we move forward this year we're going to face a lot 02:05:03.780 --> 02:05:08.740 - of decisions around funding and not funding, and wherever we land I just hope that we can 02:05:08.740 --> 02:05:18.660 - acknowledge any harms and mitigate those whenever possible. That's all I got. 02:05:18.660 --> 02:05:25.980 - Thank you very much. Before we conclude, I would like to remind all of you that Women's 02:05:25.980 --> 02:05:30.300 - History Month is today and every day for the month of March. It is quickly coming to a 02:05:30.300 --> 02:05:35.980 - close and I am deeply honored to share this dais with some very strong and passionate 02:05:35.980 --> 02:05:42.300 - women who take leadership very seriously, as you just heard, as well as those in council 02:05:42.300 --> 02:05:50.220 - office staff, and we're just so thankful that we are able to do the work in this community 02:05:50.220 --> 02:05:56.780 - thanks to strong women. I had the opportunity to be in Guatemala recently and was able to 02:05:56.780 --> 02:06:03.140 - talk with some women leaders, an organization called Upavim. They made the tie that I'm 02:06:03.140 --> 02:06:10.860 - wearing today. They are working diligently to train other women, to show leadership to 02:06:10.860 --> 02:06:15.700 - other women throughout the country of Guatemala, indeed the world through their wares, to not 02:06:15.700 --> 02:06:23.940 - only showcase that women can and are able to provide economically for their families 02:06:23.940 --> 02:06:28.580 - even some of the most challenging situations, but also that when women come together we 02:06:28.580 --> 02:06:34.060 - see some of the community's ills decrease, domestic violence and other forms of violence 02:06:34.060 --> 02:06:40.420 - against women. So I wear this tie today in solidarity with not only the women in my life, 02:06:40.420 --> 02:06:49.060 - but Todos Upavima and all the women around the world and I just want to express my gratitude 02:06:49.060 --> 02:06:55.820 - to those folks and I want to end this meeting with a little bit of that celebration. This 02:06:55.820 --> 02:07:02.260 - has been a pretty high stress meeting and some things have been said and I think it's important 02:07:02.260 --> 02:07:07.340 - to recognize that we are surrounded by really strong women who are doing really great things 02:07:07.340 --> 02:07:34.460 - for your community. We're adjourned. 02:08:04.460 --> 02:08:07.380 - (orchestral music) 02:08:07.380 --> 02:08:10.300 - (orchestral music) 02:08:10.300 --> 02:08:13.220 - (orchestral music)