- well, welcome everyone. I would like to call tonight's meeting of the Minerva County Council to
- order for Tuesday, June the 10th. I want to note that for the record, we've got Council Members Fiddle,
- Council Members Wilts, Council Member Deckard, Council Members Henry and Council Member Iverson
- present in the room.
- Do we have Council Member Crossley online?
- Does that not look like it? Do we have Council? We do? All right. Thank you for joining us Council
- Member Crossley and Council Member Hawk. Is Council Member Hawk online?
- Don't see her.
- All right, will you all please rise and join me in our Pledge of Allegiance.
- I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it
- stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
- Thank you all very much.
- I'll move on to the adoption of our agenda this evening. Does anyone wish to amend tonight's agenda?
- We have a couple of items here for us.
- We are going to be tabling the Health Department items. For those of you keeping score at home,
- those are items 8E and 8F.
- Those will be tabled to the June 24th meeting to allow more time for information gathering.
- So 8E and 8F are tabled to June 24th. And we also want to add the following items.
- 10A, approval of an appointment to the Monroe County Public Library Board.
- And 10B, discussion and approval of resolution 2025-27, approving 2026 target fund balances.
- Council, I think you do have a copy of that resolution on the desk here.
- All right. Any questions or comments? Mr. Chairman, please.
- My understanding, and this was a quick inference from staff, was that 10B was a request by Councilor
- Hawk for it to be on the agenda today for a full council discussion.
- And I'm wondering, and I'm looking towards Council, if Councilor Hawk is not here and the full
- council is not here, do we need to do that?
- And I don't want to go contrary to what the leadership wants or anything, but I just am wondering
- if we're fulfilling a purpose or taking up time.
- I think this resolution was presented at LTF and the committee wanted it to be presented to the
- full council. As a caveat, I have not presented or provided FSG our advisors a copy of this, so
- they haven't seen it yet.
- So if the item is added to the agenda, it could be a discussion item, and then I could provide it
- to FSG for feedback and we can vote on it at a different meeting, or you could do discussion and
- approval.
- I would withdraw my question and I would go ahead and move the chairs additions on if that helps.
- Right. Any other comments or questions.
- Seeing none, could we please have a roll call vote to approve tonight's agenda.
- Councilor Iverson. Yes, counselor Henry. Yes.
- Councilor Wilts. Yes. Councilor cross Lee. Yes. Councilor final. Yes.
- Councilor Decker. Yes. Motion passes unanimous.
- Thank you so much. And just before we move on to public comment we do want to wish counselor cross
- Lee health in this moment so we are eager for you to return to us. Thank you.
- This item on our agenda is public comments. If there is an item, not on the agenda that you would
- like to speak, please come up to the podium, or raise your hand on teams as a reminder there will
- be a time limit of three minutes per speaker.
- And so we are going to start with a person at the podium and then we'll go online, and then we'll
- go to another person to the podium, we'll go with that so please Mr mg, the floor is yours for
- three minutes.
- Thank you.
- counselor Thank you.
- Council and and staff today this is Christopher mg from the greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce.
- I just want to give my support for the work done by the county's long term financial planning
- committee.
- The county council is the fiscal body of county government and that two hours was a very sobering
- two hours and a very unclear two hours.
- But it has major ramifications moving forward and that specifically with bonding for one, and
- according to estimates I have in my notes, we're looking between 2026 and 29.66 million dollars
- revenue loss, and the county did not have that cushion, it makes me very glad that your stewards of
- our tax dollars with a nice rainy day fun, but that long term does not help us in matters when we're
- looking at major capital improvement projects with the highway.
- The jail, the new justice center at North Park, I don't know how that's going to work, and just
- future economic efforts but I continue to have those, I continue to encourage to have those
- conversations.
- Hopefully the more we look into this more we know I cannot begin to kind of give the details and
- point my finger on what's what, but nothing of it looked like good news from the two hours on
- Friday so just continue the work I appreciate it.
- And so do the residents here, Monroe County. Thanks.
- Thank you so much. Next we'll go online, I have a hand raised Mr muchler. Please go ahead you've
- got the floor for three minutes.
- Good evening council, Seth muchler here, resident of Monroe County. I wanted to speak today also in
- response to the news from Friday's long term finance planning committee meeting, specifically the
- cap on debt allowance for local income tax revenue.
- I want to first acknowledge that SB one has had an impact on of course all county residents but it's
- also impacted your work and make your jobs those responsible for fiscal management significantly
- harder so I sympathize with you as you navigate these unexpected challenges.
- I do think, however, this specific component of SB one has given us an opportunity to reconsider
- our county's approach to incarceration, criminal legal system and the jail. As we are unable to
- finance the proposed new jail.
- I hope that you will reconsider renovation of the existing facility as a legitimate option that
- satisfies both the need for humane conditions in our jail, and the need for a solution that fits
- within our new changing and rapidly changing fiscal needs.
- Now I know that we've heard time and time again the current jail is beyond repair, and I understand
- that's been said but the facts and figures say otherwise.
- The 2020 criminal justice and incarceration study which colloquially referred to as the kin ray
- study which the county commissioned estimated repair between 22 and $56 million.
- Now admittedly those are $20 21 and Dr Ray is not an architect, but in 2024, the county once again
- commissioned to study this time by our QAW a professional firm, and the cost of renovation was
- given as 58 to $67 million.
- They even provided an estimate of the cost of moving inmates during renovation which adds only 16
- me only but adds $16 million to that cost.
- Note that the bulk of these costs are for out of county housing at 258 inmates, if we reduced our
- jail population that cost would go down.
- Now, I know we don't want to just do something because only it's the fiscally prudent move, we also
- need to make sure it's the right move, but I believe that it is, if we spend, if we renovate the
- jail and spend the remainder of the lit funds
- which we would not need to take debt on and could disperse on an annual basis. I think it's the
- right move.
- Looking back to that Kinray study the source for much of the belief that we need a newer and bigger
- jail. In that report, they estimated that in 2025 we would need a jail with 370 beds.
- Well, according to the jails 2024 annual report, we only average 227 daily inmates last year, so
- this demonstrates that we are not beholden to this idea of linear growth in our jail population.
- If we don't have to build just a bigger jail, we can reduce our jail population and reduce our reliance
- on the facility. I know that for social service organizations, those who have recidivism, half of
- the state average, funding is often the bottleneck for service expansion.
- So I hope that you will take all this into consideration as you navigate both serving the community
- and also serving these unique fiscal needs that the state has handed to you.
- Thank you for your time and for your service.
- Thank you, Mr. Muchler you timed that perfectly.
- Right. Who would like to come to the podium next.
- You're welcome and next three minutes are all yours.
- Yes, thank you very much. My name is Stephen Clark I work for the US Small Business Administration
- Office of disaster recovery and resilience.
- And I will begin by saying that two years ago I was in Bloomington working on a tornado outbreak
- and now two years later I am back in Bloomington because of the May 16th tornado outbreak and
- wanted to specifically address the availability of SBA disaster loans for homeowners renters
- private nonprofits and small businesses in Monroe County.
- We have physical damage disaster loans for all four of those categories, which are available to
- make repairs rebuild or to be used to relocate.
- In addition to our physical damage loan program we have an economic injury disaster loan program
- available for private nonprofits and small businesses to be a working capital loan to make up for
- lost revenue due to disruptions which may have occurred due to the storms.
- Those are our basic programs.
- A couple of items I would like to highlight, we have what we call a disaster loan outreach center
- currently at Ivy Tech 200 Daniels way. It is open Monday through Friday from 8am until 5pm Saturday,
- 10 to two, and there you can get assistance applying for in person for these, these disaster loans.
- I am also a representative of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security and they have grant funds
- available for disaster survivors as well. So both of those things would be available.
- I will add that this center is scheduled to close on Wednesday, June 18 at 3pm permanently so it is
- a resource which is available for in person assistance for a period of time but not forever.
- Beyond that, the other really important deadline I would like to highlight is that the physical
- damage disaster loan application deadline is July 29th.
- I have sent all this information by email and feel free to share that information. If you do run
- into anyone who is in need of assistance, please have them give me a call on my cell phone or send
- me an email so I can try to point them in the right direction, whether it's answering questions
- myself or sending them to the Disaster Loan Outreach Center to get some in person assistance.
- We encourage people do not wait to receive an insurance settlement before applying for an SBA loan.
- We can fund you up to the extent of your uncompensated losses up to our loan limits, which for
- homeowners are $500,000 for real estate, and for homeowners and renters that be an additional $100,000
- for personal property.
- This loan limits are generally $2 million. So the funds are available to get the SBA disaster loan
- before receiving an insurance settlement, and then be able to begin and make repairs or the
- rebuilding or even relocation before you're able to, or before you have to get that so that may
- open up a lot of possibilities for people to get things done more quickly than under their
- insurance and I thank you very much for your time this evening.
- Thank you. Thank you, Mr Clark and if you would stay at the podium for just one second, I think,
- because of severity of the storm and the impact on our community. I'm going to give a minute to our
- my colleagues here to ask questions if you're okay with that.
- I'll answer questions all night long. All right. Who's our first taker here.
- I wanted some idea of how many you might have served already and what types of service you might
- have been providing already.
- Based on the data we had today, we've had, I believe, one business application and 14 homeowner or
- renter, you know, the home loan applications.
- But, you know, we're only about a week into this this was only declared I believe on May 30, so
- people have not had a lot of time really starting just last week that they were aware of it to make
- the applications.
- Thank you.
- Let's go online. I just wanted to thank you for sending this information ahead via email and giving
- us a chance to get it out.
- Two weeks ago at our last meeting we had members of our community come and speak to us about the
- damage to their property and their lives and their livelihoods and asking what could we do.
- And it's, it's tough to be in that position when you don't feel like there are a lot of options so
- hearing from you that you're in our community and actively providing options is a comfort.
- Thank you.
- Sir, thank you so much for being here I had a question and you may be able to answer it or you may
- need to get back at whatever works. Thank you so much for taking these.
- If I have a constituent that I'm working with it has indicated that getting their property getting
- their home back to normal means, finding revenue or assistance to get things off of the property
- and they cannot do it.
- Yes, you can use funds for debris removal.
- Okay, so that is an option or demolition perhaps if things need to be rebuilt in that way that
- those would both be authorized uses the loan funds.
- And beyond that you can get additional funds up to 20% greater than the amount of uncompensated
- losses for mitigation improvements to make your structure or landscaping or I guess just generally
- the premises better suited to deal with potential storms or other hazards in the future.
- So I mean for tornadoes that that might include changes to maybe pruning trees or things back so
- that you don't have limbs falling on buildings.
- It could involve anchoring buildings to foundations, but there also could be things just like
- changes to drainage. If flooding was a concern that I mean that comes up a lot in places that I've
- been.
- Anyone to me if they have additional questions because we want to get them pointed in the right
- direction and get their applications in.
- I guess I should add you know our loans. There's no application fee and there's no obligation to
- take alone when you apply.
- So I mean the downsides are will take a bit of time to get the information together.
- You know so that may be a few hours and we will run a hard credit check, but those are really the
- only downsides. So otherwise we encourage anyone who thinks they might need this.
- Please you know put in your application, then you can find out what you're eligible to get from the
- SBA, and then you can decide if you want to take it or not.
- Like I said, it's no obligation. So you know if you decide for whatever reason, it's not for you.
- You don't want to take on the debt. You get the insurance money to take care of it.
- You decide you want to go some other direction. Those are all perfectly good and then at least you
- will not be missing out by waiting too long past application deadlines or things like that.
- Thank you, Mr. President, and thank you for being here again I know your your trips to Bloomington
- are always under these circumstances hopefully you can visit us under different conditions.
- I do appreciate SBA for being here.
- Given that you know we do know there's already some challenges with the state disaster relief
- funding getting folks the resources they need here, and as well as you know we do not meet the
- federal threshold for FEMA this is really the next stop and I'm glad the resources
- and hopefully folks are hearing you tonight and continue to use the resource I know there's quite a
- few more parcels out there homes out there that were damaged that need to find their way to IV tech
- so happy to share the information wherever we can.
- Yes, thank you and I know that the county emergency management agency has already shared our
- information on on the county website and on their Facebook page and I think that's already received
- some good views and help to get some people the information they need so thank you
- very much for helping us share our information, you know with your friends and neighbors.
- I have a question I was just going to point that out that if you go to co.monroe.in.us or Google
- Monroe County, Indiana, an overview of the US Small Business Administration disaster assistance
- sheets that you just talked about is right there so you know, head over there
- there's also other disaster resources available at that website so thank you for being here and
- thank you for answering questions that we had.
- Yes, thank you very much.
- All right, do we have any more public comment I'm looking online and in the NatU Hill Room.
- Seeing none we're going to move on to department updates and tonight we're going to begin with the
- Youth Services Bureau.
- First we have Vicki Thevenile for a department updates. You've got 10 minutes, should you need it.
- I don't.
- Good afternoon, Vicki Thevenile, Youth Services Bureau. I'm here because Michelle instructed me
- that our new protocol is to come to you in a department update for this particular issue.
- I have a counselor who's leaving and is full time they're moving to Chicago we wish them good luck
- but we'll miss them.
- We have hired the replacement and we'd like a two week overlap for training these counselors work
- with families and youth and it's really abrupt for someone to leave and not have an opportunity to
- introduce the person that's replacing them in that kind of intimate setting and with our programs.
- So, we already have in our budget, a transitional temporary training position account line so that's
- already established. I have the money to cover this already in my budget I'm not asking for money
- it's $2,888 and 60 cents for that two week overlap.
- And I think I am here just to ask for your blessing to move forward is that correct is correct.
- Well thank you for that do we need a motion for a blessing.
- Like I explained to miss them and all the line is already in the, in the budget.
- She is going to do an in house transfer. I said it would be a good idea to just give you a heads up
- on what is going to be happening, and why that account lines being used again.
- Right, counsel do you have any questions or comments on this item.
- I think you have your blessing.
- Thank you so much. Have a good evening. Thank you.
- Next we have Jen Pearl with the Bloomington Economic Development Corporation and guests.
- So welcome to the podium the next 10 minutes is yours.
- Good evening my name is Jen Pearl and I'm president of the Bloomington Economic Development
- Corporation we're a nonprofit that serves all of Monroe County in helping to attract and grow
- quality jobs for the community.
- I just wanted to come and share with you some great news that a new company called all boy has
- selected Monroe County for its us expansion.
- And for that I have Monica, who's with us here from all boy to share more details. Thanks.
- Welcome. Thank you. Hi Council, Monica think with envoy, we just really wanted to come and say
- thank you to Bloomington and to all the partners that have helped us.
- You know, launch our operations here we're a Canada based company who found the need to kind of
- land in the US as our customers are really pulling us here.
- We're a steel manufacturer in the telecom industry so the easiest way to think about it is these
- devices require networks to make those happen.
- We manufacture all of the structures and the mounts and some of the other parts that put those
- networks up right so it's not an industry that off that's often thought about until those devices
- don't don't work right so.
- But, but we chose Bloomington because number one it's, you know, geographically located for all of
- our customer base, we have a heavy customer base here in the Midwest.
- We also have some great partners in Indianapolis and Louisville so Bloomington is like pleasantly
- right in the middle of all of that so we're really thrilled for that, but really from the
- standpoint of just workforce development.
- With the universities here, we have an engineering side to our business that is really important to
- the steel manufacturing.
- So, with Indiana University Purdue, you know closely located on that's a great pull from the
- engineering side and then also with Ivy Tech on the trade side I think that's a great resource for
- us as well so we've we found a home in kind of a under the live space and
- the Phoenix packaging facility they've been gracious to open that up for us and it's a great fit
- for our operations so we're really looking forward to kind of getting up and going there.
- We're anticipating between 50 and 100 jobs over the next couple years and and really telecom if you
- look at those projections the infrastructure and the funding right now from this administration has
- been great.
- Brendan car chairman the FCC is a great supporter of this industry so we're seeing a lot of
- positives in terms of the growth over the next five to 10 years within telecom so lots of positives,
- you know, in light of all of that so we're really looking forward
- to that excited to be here in Bloomington. We just love this community. So thank you just wanted to
- give a quick introduction to to envoy.
- Thank you. Please. So I wanted to add that some of your past decisions as counsel is actually
- bearing fruit here. So they're locating in the former Otis elevator facility, and that has been
- redeveloped beautifully in recent years by Phoenix, with the support
- Council in investing in Phoenix to be able to do that so that is something that has born fruit in
- other ways and we love being able to redevelop old properties to bring that investment into our
- community so thank you for that as well.
- Well, thank you. Would you stick around for questions from Council, they haven't I'll start with my
- right.
- I mean it's not so much questions but comments. Welcome. First of all, it's wonderful I do live on
- the west side of the county and anytime we can really work on the redevelopment of Curry Pike where
- our industrial heart is we tend to think of college and Walnut
- is you know the downtown of Livingston but that's the other downtown when it comes to our light
- industrial and economic core there and welcome, this is just a great opportunities exactly the
- stuff we should be doing and smartly developing our community
- and way to track jobs and, and folks I'm glad we can be home where are you located in Canada.
- We're in Toronto, Canada. Yep. So, very good. Hopefully we can do some exchange there through the
- beast you see I haven't been to that side of Lake Erie in a long time like Ontario but I'm welcome
- welcome.
- Thank you. Thank you. And I do want to commend just the Council I'm sure you've had a heavy hand in
- this we found a ton of opportunity with partners to you know play veterans we have programs with
- that.
- We have a program that helps you know employee previously incarcerated so there's some programs
- here within the community, and we just really appreciative because you don't always find that, and
- really Bloomington is opened up their arms so we're very grateful.
- So I have a personal history with that building my husband was in that building for 40 years so
- welcome welcome to the club. Thank you. But I also wanted to know how many employees you have here
- now that you currently employ so we just got the keys to the
- building. We actually I was sharing with Jen earlier we just opened Rex on we're looking at about
- 10 to 15 applications that we just opened up to help get our operations we have machinery and
- equipment still very much in the process of moving in, but
- we are anticipating 50 to 100 over the next couple years so that's going to taper out over the next
- few months. And like I said we just got started so this is we're still very much in our living in
- the building from Curry Pike there which, where are you at in the
- so we're on the side with the with the license branch the yes.
- So yep we're on the south side right there. Great. Yep. And how much area do you will your
- operation take on we were that whole back. Yes, so and we'll fill that space pretty quickly is what
- it's looking like.
- Great. Thank you. Thank you.
- All right, I'm going to go to the floating head above you.
- Councilmember Crossley has her hand raised. Hi, can y'all hear me.
- Yes.
- Okay. All right. Thank you so much and I'm apologize for not being there in person.
- So, I wanted to ask a quick question. How many jobs, did you say that you would be bringing or
- proposed, so we're projecting between 50 and 100 over the next couple of years.
- I'm sorry, say that one more time.
- 50 to 100 over the next couple of years to 100. Okay, and those are and then did I. Sorry, I'm
- going to primarily on you know like manufacturing, you know, trade type jobs.
- And then a handful of engineers as well.
- And then, did I also hear you say that you also work with incarcerated formerly incarcerated people
- to. Yes, we do have a program where we like to partner with some formerly incarcerated to help with
- their rehabilitation and get them back into the community
- and provide a path to that so that is part of our hiring practices and we found a lot of success
- with that and some of our other locations.
- So that's a program we do have intention to kind of launch here as well.
- I appreciate hearing that, and I'd appreciate you know, jobs and things like that and opportunities
- to continue to come to Monroe County.
- I also would be remiss if I didn't say I wish we could, you know, the jobs and opportunities that
- we can bring, we can attain those by the housing that we would be able to have here in Monroe
- County as well.
- So it's a I appreciate you know you all come in here and start in here and fresh, but we definitely
- want to make sure that as we are getting the jobs vital and important.
- Due to a lot of the restraints that SB one will put on us that we continue to have our dollars here
- too so there's a way that we can all work together to make that work I know that's a wish and a
- prayer right now.
- That's something else but I just wanted to take the time to say thank you so I appreciate that.
- Thank you so much.
- Thank you so much for being here and thank you this is great news that really sings our love
- language here in this county. Anytime I hear about reuse of a facility that was a loss facility
- turning into something that is putting people back to work.
- Veterans recently incarcerated. This is, these are our values, and I'll say as the child of a
- person that lost their job when some of those industries left this community in the 90s.
- I am always apprehensive Lee thinking about who do we need to bring in and get in the conversation.
- And so, this is making my heart swell. I also want to say thank you to the BDC for beating this
- drum.
- Thank you also to the chamber for also beating these drums on other issues. And these are important
- conversations that we need to have my encouragement to use you work in this community.
- As you see things that we need to be doing on our end to keep you and to get more like you, or to
- think through those things and some of these issues that counselor cross these talking about around
- housing, and what things look like.
- Do not be afraid to tell us, because that is the only way our jobs truly work and while we try to
- get as many places as we can. Sometimes it's those candid conversations like Miss Pearl has.
- And sometimes she hears me kind of go off a little bit like oh we can't fix all these things, but
- we've got to be here in those things so please bring those to us keep bringing those to us, and we
- appreciate our partners very much.
- Good to hear this. Thank you. We appreciate it and I do have to commend the BBC they've been
- fantastic to help us through this whole process and really were kind of one of the last check marks
- of why we choose Bloomington is just having partners
- available to us like that so we absolutely appreciate it and part of our philosophy and our culture
- is to be good stewards and partners in our community so we do intend to have these types of
- interactions and engagements and will provide that feedback so thank you for that
- I appreciate it.
- Let me conclude by not repeating anything my esteemed colleagues have said, other than to say, when
- you finally get set up and you got everything exactly where you need it and you've got everything
- humming around.
- Let us know we'd love to come and tour and like see how things are going particularly as you're
- coming to us in this introductory stage. We like to do that follow up so we'd appreciate that
- invitation if you, if you would.
- Absolutely. Wonderful. Great you actually be making things there. We will. Yeah, cool. It is a
- production facility so we will be welding steel and doing all kinds of really cool things.
- Very nice.
- Monica thank you so much for being here. Thank you, Jen.
- All right, before we move on to item number six on our agenda. Do we have any other departments
- with an update looking on teams and in the net you hill I don't see any we'll move on to item
- number six on our consent agenda items we don't have any, which means that we'll move on to item
- number seven ongoing
- business we don't have any there. So that means that we'll go on to new business and it looks like
- we have something from parks and rec.
- Council I moved to approve the parks request and fun 1178 0000 parks, non reverting capital for an
- additional preparation of $80,000 in the services category second.
- All right, this seems like a very interesting item as Kelly Whitmer comes to the podium, would you
- mind telling us a little bit about what's happening here in your non reverting capital fund.
- Excellent, thank you.
- We have a big project that cars farm part you probably know about it. We're putting in synthetic
- fields and improving drainage and irrigation and athletic lights. Well during this time, oh I don't
- know a few months back we had a few big storms.
- And we actually have a railroad track right next to these fields, and on the other side of the
- railroad tracks is a farm field owned by the Monroe County Airport, and they were in the middle of
- doing an erosion control project, but it was not completed
- until it really started in all the water came under the culverts under the railroad and hit our
- project.
- Unfortunately, but fortunately, with all the engineers decided that we needed to upgrade how we
- move water how we move sediment and putting in a sediment basin pond.
- I won't say pond it's a little thing of mud.
- We talked to the airport, and we've also talked to Monroe County stormwater, and they're involved
- in the project too. So, the airport is doing what stormwater once we are doing what stormwater once,
- but it costs money to do both sides and we, I believe
- there's things that will take care of everything on our side of the tracks, and they will take care
- of everything on their side of the tracks, and it will prevent water and mud coming on to the brand
- new turf fields.
- Fast forward, the park board. They did approve they want to spend our money out of non reverting.
- So I'm asking for additional 80,000 to spend out of our non reverting accounts I'm not asking you
- for a penny.
- This permission to spend the money that we already have. We have 20,000 appropriated right now on
- contractual plus 80 equals $100,000. This project is actually going to be 114,000 but we'll, we'll
- find it from other means to pay for it.
- So, any questions about water or mud.
- All right, with that enticing prompt I'm looking look to my left, Mr. Deckard is that a quick one
- related but unrelated. So we're on the synthetic fields, when can we expect to see those just, I'm
- very curious.
- Currently, we're hoping to be done in October of this year, weather permitting, there's been a lot
- of rain in the last seven days so every time it rains it pushes us back one or two days why
- everything's drying out.
- I mean, best case scenario, October 1, maybe November 1.
- But we're not rushing things to just rush and we want to make sure everything's done properly
- correctly. The first time, so the other fields six and seven should be ready to play in spring or
- summer.
- And we use largely ARPA dollars to do those, am I right on that? Correct. Most of the money is ARPA.
- Some bond and the park board is chucked in almost a half million dollars, give or take.
- Thank you, Mr. Decker. Further questions? Yes.
- So you answered the only question I was going to have, which is, have you been working with stormwater?
- And I knew, I knew you were, but it's just really, it's gratifying to hear something, I think,
- presented as, wow, we had this big problem happen, but hang tight, we've got a solution and we're
- figuring it out.
- And so I really appreciate that, especially cooperating with the other departments and having them
- involved. So, I don't, I think this is a no-brainer.
- All right.
- All right, Ms. Crossley, do you have any comments or questions? All right, I don't either. I agree
- this is a no-brainer. So let's have any public comments on this mud and water agenda item.
- Seeing none, may we please have a roll call vote.
- Councillor Decker. Yes. Councillor Iverson. Yes. Councillor Henry. Yes. Councillor Fiddle. Yes.
- Councillor Crossley. Yes. And then Councillor Wilts. Motion passes unanimous. Thank you. You're
- very welcome.
- Next, we have Emergency Management. Council, I move to approve the Emergency Management's request
- and fund 49389625 Emergency Management Duke Grant for the creation of a new account line 44220
- Emergency Response Equipment and simultaneously approve an additional appropriation of $5,500 in
- the capital category.
- Second. All right, we have Mr. Justin Baker from Emergency Management joining us online.
- Good evening, Council. Yes, the department is pleased to announce that the county has been awarded
- a grant with the Duke Energy Foundation. This grant will help purchase a multi-purpose
- communication and command and public outreach trailer. That will be used to enhance the department's
- ability to coordinate incidents throughout the county as well as provide effective education and
- outreach to the community.
- This trailer will be used through a partnership with the Indiana University Emergency Management
- Team and we have MOU with the IU drafted and it was sent to the legal department.
- All right. Thank you so much for that explanation. I'll look to my right and online. Any comments
- or questions?
- All right. Look to my left. Any comments or questions? Seeing none, I don't have any either. Let's
- go to the public to see if they have any comments and/or questions. Seeing none, let's go back to
- Mr. Henry.
- Thank you. I just got a little, I was thinking there, Justin. Thanks. Aside from the prompts, can
- you maybe walk through how you're thinking about using the fund and the preparedness phase with IUM
- EMC? I mean, I know, do you have something like a project in mind that's forthcoming?
- So it'll be for public outreach, like going to like some of the festivals and stuff in the area, in
- the county, and help coordinate events and disasters.
- So that's, and when you say go to events, you mean like help plan around the safety around those
- public events in the county? Yes, like any kind of fairness events, yes.
- Very good, thank you.
- All right, I just want to make sure that didn't jog any additional questions, my colleagues here.
- Did it jog additional questions for those in the public?
- All right, seeing none, may we please have a roll call vote.
- Councilor Iverson? Yes. Councilor Henry? Yes. Councilor Feidl? Yes. Councilor Wilts? Yes. Councilor
- Crossley? Yes.
- Councilor Decker? Yes. Motion passes unanimous.
- Thank you so much Mr. Baker.
- Thank you.
- All right, next we have courts. Council, I move to approve the courts request in Fund 1213-0000-GL-CASA
- for an additional appropriation of $50 in the services category.
- Second. Second.
- All right, we were going to have Lisa Abraham come and talk to us about it, but Kate Wilts, I think
- you have the ability to handle this.
- I do. I talked with Lisa and since this is just really a housekeeping issue and getting things
- aligned with what council had already expressed an intent, I relieved her of the obligation for
- appearing and said that I would move this one forward to you all.
- So it's really if you look at the explanation, it was something that we voted on previously and
- just had a math error, so we seem to correct it.
- All right, colleagues my left any questions or comments colleagues my right and online any comments
- or questions.
- Okay, does the public have any comments or questions about this $50 item.
- Seeing none, may we please have a roll call vote.
- Councilor welts.
- Yes, Councilor cross Lee.
- Yeah, count for Decker. Yes, Councilor Henry. Yes, Councilor Iverson. Yes, Councilor vital. Yes,
- motion passes unanimous.
- All right, thank you so much, Councilor for what's next we have the public defender.
- Council, I moved to approve the public defenders request and fund 9160000 system navigator grant,
- the creation of two account lines 18001 full time self insurance and 30006 contractual and
- simultaneously approve an additional appropriation of $86,953 in the personnel category
- and $9000 in the services category for total appropriation of $95,953.
- Second. All right, we have a request for creation of a new account line. Tell us what's going on
- here.
- Can you pull the mic close to your mouth please. We had a, we had a contractual account line in
- this fund for a data component data collection component.
- And when we drained that at the end of 2024 there wasn't an extra dollar in there to keep that line
- open so that the 9000 that I'm asking to go into that.
- I have to have a line for it to go into.
- All right, pretty simple explanation. Let me start to my right and online any questions or comments.
- Seeing none, just go to the left here.
- Any questions.
- All right, pretty straightforward.
- Let's go online to see if we have any public comments or here in the net you hill room.
- Seeing none, may we please have a roll call vote.
- Counselor cross Lee.
- Yes.
- Counselor Henry.
- Yes, counselor final.
- Yes counselor Iverson.
- Yes.
- Counselor Decker.
- Yes.
- Motion passes unanimous.
- All right. Thank you so much.
- I have and we need to move to the next.
- Yes, please.
- I think the motion read was to be the creation of new account lines and for the appropriation.
- I did a big motion. I thought I got it all.
- Yes.
- I think we're good.
- You're good. Perfect.
- How's that for efficiency.
- Good. Thank you very much. Thank you.
- Enjoy your evening.
- You too.
- All right. Items E and F were tabled.
- Next move on to presentations and discussions.
- Seeing none.
- Let's move on to item number A boards and commission appointment.
- Yes, sorry. Council. I moved to approve the appointment of Jennifer Whitley to the Monroe County
- Public Library Board of Trustees, completing the remainder of a four year term, which expires on
- January 31st, 2026.
- Second.
- All right, I'm going to present this item, the Monroe County Public Library had an opening on their
- board and they asked us for assistance and making a recommendation to fill that board.
- I had the honor and privilege of talking to all three candidates and win consultation with folks
- over there at the public library I feel very confidently in moving forward with Jennifer Whitley
- for completion of the remainder of a four year term that term would expire on January 31st, 2026 on
- that county public library board.
- Jennifer Whitley has extensive work with in this in library sciences, and has worked at numerous
- libraries, as well as on multiple boards here locally.
- So, I think, at this point, I can open it up to counsel for any comments or questions that you have
- about this appointment.
- And I believe the resume was sent virtually and it looks like one's being passed around as well.
- I appreciate anyone that is stepping forward for any board and Commission, particularly this one.
- One of the reasons I say that is our library is such a strong, strong resource in all of its
- branches.
- And to illustrate that, just if you indulge me for two seconds, I remember a few years back when
- the co-workspace craze kind of took off.
- People were saying this is like a new invention that we've got here, a place where people can
- gather, have Internet access, share resources, get information, share information, et cetera.
- And that is true about co-workspaces, but libraries were the original co-workspace doing all those
- things for many, many decades.
- And I appreciate very much the leadership of our library, which has made such a huge influence on
- all sides of this county.
- So I appreciate Miss Whitley offering her service to this.
- Any other comments or questions online or down here at the table?
- Could the director also support this appointment to the board?
- The director and I have been in pretty regular communication and he appreciated our decision making
- on this.
- And the three people that were given to us to fill this role were all exceptionally well qualified.
- And this is an incredibly difficult decision to make, but I think given Miss Whitley's resume, she'll
- do a fantastic job for my kiddos who use the library all the time.
- Thank you. Yeah.
- All right. Is there, do we take public comment on, I don't think we do.
- All right. Can we please have a roll call vote.
- Councilor Fiddle. Yes. Councilor Henry. Yes. Councilor Deckard. Yes. Councilor Iverson. Yes.
- Councilor Crossley. Yes. Councilor Wills. Yes. Motion passes unanimous.
- All right. Thank you so much. And I guess in terms of follow up.
- Will council office be communicating with the public library or is that something that I should be
- doing.
- We will take care of we have a signature page that we forward on to them.
- All right. Michelle you are always professional. Thank you so much.
- All right. Next we have an item from the legal department.
- Council I move to open for discussion and approval resolution 2025-27 approving the 2026 target
- fund balances.
- Second. All right. I believe that our legal counsel Molly Turner King is going to be tackling this
- one.
- So this resolution is similar to the one that was passed in the last year at the direction and
- advice of financial solutions group.
- Our advisors the text of the resolution and I'm trying to display it changed slightly because last
- year we had a minimum cash balance column and a target fund balance column.
- This resolution now only has a minimum balance column. And so like I said oh that's super tiny now
- that I look at it on the screen.
- The financial solutions group recommended establishing minimum cash balances for certain funds
- which help our bond rating for helps us receive a favorable bond rating.
- So like I said the language is the same. The main thing that changed was the numbers and I'm
- displaying them if Miss Gregory would like to speak to them.
- Sure. One moment. So we made a couple changes from what you saw last year as far as the minimum
- recommendation.
- The general fund last year we had a 10 million dollar minimum balance. My comfort level is raising
- that up to 15 which it's it's always higher than that amount but I don't think we should dip below
- that number and I think that's easy for us to achieve.
- Moving on down. These are, again, just kind of like guidelines thresholds that we do not want to
- dip below in order to, you know, to keep the county in great financial shape so election fund, we
- like to, you know, keep that around a million dollars.
- We raise it slightly as we have elections happen. CCD we would like to maintain about community
- cumulative capital development we'd like to maintain about a million dollars and traditionally it,
- it's exceeds that self insurance.
- We've discussed in depth lately, we would like to keep a minimum of 1.5 million, and we're hoping
- to achieve that between this year next lit edit we exceed that the million dollars.
- Right now I mean as we spend that down with future projects, you know, we'll have to revisit this
- 400,000 for reassessment rainy day we've all discussed that we'd like to keep that comfort level
- that $10 million.
- So just again, the rest of these are around a million as well with the exception of aviation fund
- where we'd like to keep that at least 250,000 so any specifics, or we'd like to dive in and see
- something from now like current balances.
- I'm happy to do that. And again, financial solutions group has yet to review this so we would like
- their consideration as well. However, this is where we are now.
- All right, I'm going to look to members of LTF for initial comments so Councilmember cross Lee, if
- you would like to say anything about this or customers are vital, if you'd like to say anything
- about this.
- Oh, I believe that we brought it to the council because we didn't want to have it just be.
- I think supporting what SG was interested in having happen is, is exactly where I'm at with this I
- think that it's. I mean, I think we have these consultants for a reason.
- And I think that they should be relied upon to give us the advice that we're paying them for.
- Councilmember cross Lee do you have anything to add to that.
- She basically said everything that I can say more. And that's again why we are bringing this to the
- full council so that we can make sure that we are on target with what we have.
- Thank you, Madam President, Mr. Deckard I saw your hand first. Yeah, so help me out with just the
- process for just a second.
- So the auditor for this. So we see these recommended amounts on these cash balances, is that FSC
- recommended balances or kind of a mix of FSC and your recommended balances, and then we will get
- comments from FSC on those amounts might saying this right.
- Sure. So, yes, these, these numbers didn't fluctuate much with the exception of the, we added
- cumulative capital development I don't, I don't think we had that one last year.
- Just because there are salaries in that fund we think that it's appropriate to maintain a minimum.
- The general funds I, I increased from the minimum last year. However, we do want FSC is review and
- recommendation but yes we have collaborated on these numbers.
- I guess my follow up question is FSC is helping us to understand what will help with bonding.
- The recommendation also helping us to understand what will help with the state. And here's what I
- mean by that we are two narratives out there, right.
- And I'm not trying to be argumentative but I am as an elected official with this community's job
- given to me. I'm trying to figure out what I'm supposed to do, because I hear two different things.
- Number one, I hear a narrative counties. You have too much money coming in from taxpayers and we
- need you to stop doing that.
- And then I hear a second narrative counties, you need to have a lot of reserves. And when you think
- you have a lot of reserves that far outpace what a human walking around this community as for their
- personal reserves, and I say this is a person that just recently looked at a medical bill that came
- in the mailbox and thought well there goes the reserves.
- You, such as you got to have the reserves but you're taking in too much you have the reserves. I'm
- just looking somewhere in this and maybe it's F SG. Maybe it's at one of our conferences, maybe it's
- somewhere.
- I'd like to hear a consistent narrative on some of this, because we clearly with the fact that we
- have a balance not every county I think can speak to that or sing to that, but the fact that we
- have a balance tells a story about the county and how we got through the pandemic,
- and how we'll figure out the next big headaches that are all emerging Mr M G's comments tonight,
- and then some, and then balance this and all that. I'm just, I'm trying to figure out as a local
- official, and I don't expect you to have those answers, but I would
- like someone out there that listens to these meetings to try to figure out what that narrative is,
- because we don't have the dollars to afford the bureaucratic state of what they have they've got 45
- people looking in on us, we have our own auditor.
- Right. And yet we also get the narrative when you push all this and hold all this and do this and
- if you don't do it by the third day and ringing of the shapes and all that jazz you'd be in trouble.
- I'm passing that message in joining you with a bit of frustration and trying to figure it out too.
- Thank you. Thank you. And with regard to this I just do you want to remind you that these are the
- minimums so these aren't target balances I mean we would like these balances to be much higher and
- typically they are.
- This is just a guideline that we will not fall below.
- With regard to SB one it's not fun. And we have to work together and we're still waiting on
- information from the state and we're all very frustrated with that, but the transition from you
- know that from tax revenue and putting that into lit it's it's going to be difficult
- it's definitely a big transition and we there's so many unknowns still so I'm with you when I
- appreciate that very much. I just see it's a continuing moving target. It's, you've got enough now
- well actually, you don't have enough now because we found this definition
- by price waterhouse Cooper blah blah blah, and it just keeps changing. So anyway, I'll leave it
- alone. Thank you.
- All right, Mr. Henry. Mr. President, I do I just have one question because I did have the good
- fortune of sitting in on some of the LG TF meeting, or, oh yeah, on Friday.
- The motor vehicle highway with that this number changed from Friday didn't it wasn't out of 2
- million and now it's a million in the second draft.
- Yeah, go ahead. I'm sorry. So there was confusion with the draft on Friday whether this was meant
- to be a target fund balance or minimum fund balance and in further clarifying communication with FSG,
- it's to be a minimum.
- So that was why the number changed.
- I know I know Mr was here to talk about that a little bit. Are there other.
- So, the numbers here that that all that all tracks is the minimum at this point is that.
- There was confusion from having the two columns which had minimum, and then target to just minimum
- so yeah we.
- There was some fluctuation with the minimum but you're basically with the exception of what I went
- through.
- You're seeing what you saw last year.
- Have you ever once had questions like Mr rigid with the highway fund, or is this okay with with the
- other departments that draw from these funds.
- If they haven't gotten back to you that's okay too.
- I don't think other departments have seen this in all honesty this is a draft that got finished
- today. And so FSG or no one else is seeing it until now.
- Thank you.
- I think the bond rating was the clincher for me if it's going to affect our bond rating I think
- that's important to consider having this established.
- Could you either counselor Henry or the folks over there. Tell me what the concern or maybe it was
- just a question from highway was sure I think I can speak to that.
- Yeah, I think there was concern about being able to achieve a $2 million I think it was we had it
- at two or $2.5 million target balance that funds is often fully utilized.
- So, I think Miss rich is more comfortable with, you know, a $1 million minimum so and you know this
- is this is new, where it's, it's been tweaked for 2026.
- So, you know, still discussing and we do need our financial advisors to review as well and give
- their blessing.
- All right, any other further questions from Council Council member cross Lee you're good.
- All right. The only thing I want to add is there's just a lot of uncertainty. If you watch the two
- hour and 11 minute video from Friday, that's kind of the underlying thing, I will point out to the
- public and to our departments that have not yet watched that that
- meeting right now on cats dot cats TV dot net, as well as YouTube. So you can catch that meeting
- and and all of the conversation that underlines this this item on those platforms which I think is
- really helpful.
- It's good to have transparency around this. And I think it's really vital that we're having these
- conversations in the public. My question is to our county attorney.
- The motion that was read was to adopt tonight, should, should, or actually the motion was
- discussion and adoption.
- So, should the motion be conditional upon
- Mr Garrett toss or others, looking at this. I think you could do it that way my preference and
- suggestion would be that we send it to miss get your gear toss before you vote on it and then I
- would bring it back to the 24th meeting.
- I would also give departments time to think about it, and that is very important. Well yeah,
- because I'm just seeing this for the first time I was, I have not caught up on the Friday streaming
- option, which I will be doing soon.
- But, can, could you just looking at I mean this is a lot of money.
- How aspirational is this and how realistic because I mean I guess, do we have this. We certainly do
- and this, this, this is, I mean at a very minimum, this is what needs to occur.
- So these, this is okay so very high rate was the only one that you said gets fully utilized and
- yeah, we can go over the detail and I can even provide those reports to counsel so you can see
- where we are, like, as of the end of last year, and then where we are currently.
- I have an idea, we settle settlement which means you know we, we get our tax revenues in, and so
- forth. This week. So, that will change our balances as well.
- Right. Okay. Yeah. Thank you.
- Right. Any other further comments and questions from counsel.
- Seeing none. I think that concludes this discussion, and it sounds like we will take this up for
- more discussion and potential approval at a future meeting.
- All right, that concludes our business for the day but before we adjourn, it is time for us to look
- down at the end of the table at a color coded sheet of legal paper, Councilmember final.
- Do you have down there, I do have some things to report I've been doing. I asked for and got to
- meet with the Monroe County Airport recently I enjoyed my time with the director.
- President, and the vice president of the board Carlos Kenan Allen, and they went over their
- strategic plan update with me, and they'll be approving that in February of 2026 they said, but you
- can see this outline of all of this at www BMG masterplan.com.
- Looking at I think if you're interested.
- They have 100 plus acres of develop a land. They offer flight instruction rental hangar space
- charter service full service barber shop right there. They have an Airbnb right on site.
- So if you want to watch planes fly in and out it's a great place to have an Airbnb.
- And they also now do an Ivy Tech auto class which I found very very interesting.
- Also, things that I went to the eldersville legislative wrap up session on Tuesday, the third
- learned a lot there.
- Five legislators I believe are there certainly state legislators, and they. I think the biggest
- takeaway I got from that was there may need to be some fixes with the section, because it was.
- I've been saying for some time now it seems like there is a lot of unintended consequences that
- came as a result of all the session this year.
- The Washington Center groundbreaking, same day. The Monroe County Fair Board I did have something
- to pass along there that I thought was good for people who want to go to the fair especially people
- who want to ride rides, they're having fair
- tickets pre sale, and they're having them at all people state bank locations they're there now they
- tell me.
- There are 22 tickets for $20 which are normally $30 so this budget friendly mother of and
- grandmother thinks that's a good deal so 22 tickets for $20 normally $30 all at people state bank
- locations.
- Their vendor market went well they they cleared about 12,000 there. The roof on the community
- building, I think I reported earlier that it was going to be repaired well once they got up there
- they realized that it was going to be not just
- repair but needed replacement because there were major water issues with water standing between the
- roof, and the next layer down so that'll be a $73,000 and change.
- That'll come with a 20 year warranty.
- I attended a conference well actually a presentation at a law firm in Indianapolis about
- legislative issues that other has been discussed earlier this evening there's still no hard
- financial numbers to base decisions on which is very frustrating
- and I found that even the attorneys there are continuing to figure it out they were there was a
- PowerPoint presentation and even one of the PowerPoint slides was incorrect that they had to
- correct on site so I just find that very frustrating.
- We talked a little bit about the long term finance committee meeting and doing. I'm going to be
- doing coed meetings when necessary I couldn't make it back in time to attend the one that they had
- earlier but I'm in contact with Randy Rogers that united way
- about that and then I've been meeting with employee services about some issues there so I've, I've
- been out and about and around and doing things. Thank you.
- Once.
- Can we do these in a different order sometimes because this is rough. Oh, how can you not start
- with the color coded legal pad maybe that would be a great finish, or maybe we should not scotch.
- I don't know.
- All right.
- I swear Councilmember Wilson this is not a competition. Well, I feel like it might be. My thing is
- I've always had to do reports on anything that I've ever done with regard to serving anywhere and
- so I'm used to going through my calendar from the last time I met to this time and that's how I
- come up with this list it doesn't just happen by magic.
- And I do that regularly, all the time, but I know if I don't write it down.
- My, my only thing is I think I have met with most of the departments on my liaison list, and to
- varying extents have talked about budget, if we haven't, please call me, look me up, we will.
- If I don't hear from you I'll call you so that's that's where we are we met today with probation
- and community corrections and they're working on, you know, trying to figure out how to face the
- challenges so I feel free off we can be of help.
- That's our job.
- My gosh now I have to follow all that. I'll just be very quick and say that if I was giving my
- actual report, I spent an hour on the phone, driving it can't present crossly about this issue or
- that now.
- That's not what I did, I will say I do want to recognize the convention center groundbreaking,
- which are our president spoke at.
- I think that when we have those big accomplishments in the community. It's important to not only
- recognize those things, but look what made those work, and then replicate it.
- And I think for our big challenges ahead.
- There's a lot of good patterns there to kind of pick up and figure it out. We as a community are
- very much in a extreme transitional period on about just every level, imaginable.
- And so my ear to the ground, or eyes to the ground ear to the ground is to figure that out for a
- lot of people right now and then try to meaningfully bring that into discussions with our
- department heads as I do my pre budget kind of warm up.
- And it's good to be able to do that now as a non leadership member and to kind of go back out into
- my folks so I'll pass.
- Thank you, Mr. Decker. All right, Mr. Henry. Thank you. I'll just keep it short.
- There's no reason to keep it to the director's cut we could actually make this a longer meeting.
- No, no, we'll see, Peter, you didn't tie me anyway.
- The emac will meet this coming week, and of course the bodies representative on that body. And, you
- know, I've made some recommendations to the county commissioners to add some seats to the emac, I
- think we do, and should have someone from the township association at the table as well as our GIS
- person Dr.
- Baton who both have, you know, and they're in townships and his role have really shown some great
- value in the last tornado response that is released recommendation, Jamie and I have made to the
- commissioners for consideration.
- I've also had a chance to start attending the co add meetings when they meet regarding the response
- we heard from us be a time which is really great.
- But I think one thing to keep in mind is that, again, the tornado exposed just how few single
- single room occupancy spaces are available in our community for both times of crisis as well as
- when townships are placing people and assistance
- I know the city is looking at their UDO to add an SRO as a housing choice within the city limits of
- Bloomington losing the economy and which was a provider of that is just exposed a huge gap in our
- housing choices so I think again as I continue to beat the drum on the recovery from
- that event, even though many have moved on there's still many that are have not been able to really
- get back on their feet on that. Secondly, I did join.
- Councilor Fiddle and counselor hawk at the old school chambers legislative wrap up I will, I do
- have to reflect on something counselor Decker brought up about, you know, things up north and kind
- of how things affect our community representative Mayfield did go out
- of her way to remind us that in her view, some of the legislation that was passed that affects our
- localities ability to collect taxes and how we use our taxes was for us to really think about our
- needs once and luxuries as she put it.
- And it's something I take umbrage with because it's a county government and being a resident of
- this community I don't think the county government deals and luxuries very often.
- Yeah, I think we've been talking about that through our whole budget process this evening but it
- does show a disconnect in the manner by which that particular representative sees this county and
- all the good work people do in this building.
- Senator again wants to join this body and take a seat here to learn about that I'm sure President
- cross he would welcome her to but it was it was not it was not it was not a well received comment
- by me in the audience and other members of the audience
- who did speak up on a variety of what she perceives to be luxuries including public education our
- community so I'm glad folks attended that and said things in the room.
- I think about you know how we budget smarter and how we really think about smart development I was
- just so excited with all my here tonight but I will also raise the council's attention.
- As your rep on the plan commission that we've had some heat of exchange at the plan commission over
- the 25 year moratorium on development in the community that has been a contentious topic in the CDO.
- We did make an attempt to discuss that at the plan commission. Last week to basically send it back
- to the ordinance review committee for further consideration.
- So that's that's a lot of words to say basically as you all know that 25 year moratorium really
- limits our ability to help parcel owners develop their properties in the community in a manner that
- helps us generate revenue to share the burden of
- the quality of life and the taxes and the escalating costs of running our government.
- I am wide open to suggestions from my peers on how to proceed with communicating that message to
- those on the plan commission that think that the county council would not be interested in
- investing in the infrastructure to help build those housing choices in the community
- there seems to be some differences of philosophy there but I'm wide open to your suggestions in
- that space as we continue to have that debate.
- Just for the historical record the last time the plan commission took a vote on the 25 year moratorium
- in 2014 to lift it it failed for for.
- So it's not a unanimous thought in our community about whether or not that is a useful tool to plan
- for smart development.
- Lastly on a good note I look forward to rooting around the Monroe County History Center sale this
- weekend hope I see you there. Also the city's Juneteenth celebration on Friday and we still do that
- Monroe County in Bloomington I hope to see you all there as well.
- And I guess for the dads upstairs and here below Happy Father's Day this weekend too. That's it Mr.
- Mr. President.
- Thank you, Mr. Henry, Councilmember Crossley would you like to have the last word tonight.
- Oh also just I'll be brief because I'm only sitting up by just weird gravity and I feel like I'm
- sitting up like I am Hannibal Lecter in silence of the lambs so I'm trying to bear through and grit
- through everything.
- I just want to say really quick, maybe to Councilmember Henry's point, we should have a state
- legislation night or we invite all the state legislators and lawmakers who think they know more
- than we do and have all the suggestions.
- Maybe they can come in instead of watching cats they can see a live action version of what luxury
- looks like versus reality.
- And so, yeah, that might be great. Just a couple of quick updates. I wish I had a time frame for
- Lieutenant Governor Beckwith to show up but I also have repeatedly checked with his office, because
- as you may know two weeks ago I decided to invite him when I went to walk with us to see the
- disaster relief efforts and to just speak with us in community, but I still haven't heard anything.
- And I just want to remind folks that whatever party you decide to run on.
- You are the elected for all the Hoosiers in the state not just one group or one centralized group.
- So just wanted to say that.
- I appreciate the groundbreaking ceremony that I was able to attend and give some brief remarks on
- and it got me to think in, you know, the, the timeline of how everything happened with the
- convention center the blood sweat the tears the annoying times that everybody had to go through all
- the things and I just think about that as we proceed forward with our justice facility complex that
- we are imagining and try to figure out how we can do all those things here.
- Um, and kind of take some take some flavor from that as well. Um, the other thing that I really
- wanted to say in addition to this. Um, I made public comment at our city council meeting last week,
- and I wanted to because there was an interesting comment.
- There was an interesting comment that was being said that we have some county buildings that have
- some affordable housing units that are going to be going away by the expansion of the convention
- center.
- And I just want to, and you know there's a council member that basically said you know it's the
- county's buildings and didn't really give much umph into what it is that we should be doing and I
- actually had a constituent that reached out that wants to talk and I promise I'll talk to that
- constituent once I get to feeling better here soon.
- But I just want to remind people that you know we, our county council have the financial body
- component to this and so I just want to reiterate to any of our city colleagues that are paying
- attention to really try to work with us and really let's talk to each other first before we start
- talking at each other and we don't know what we're talking about.
- So I just really want us to figure out how we can do that because we all are passionate about
- affordable housing and attainable housing, but we just want to make sure that we're working
- together and not out of sync.
- So I again just wanted to make sure I say that and yes Councilmember Henry said the thing that I
- wanted to say in terms of Juneteenth celebration. I know it's being ripped apart from all avenues
- but the North always remembers and as long as people that look like me are continuing to be here
- that the Juneteenth celebration will continue.
- And so I'm as long as I feel better. I look forward to being out in the community with that as well.
- And I would be remiss if I didn't have anything to say about all the uncertainty that's happening
- that we see around the country.
- And I think that we have some community members right now that are looking to other places and
- wondering if Indiana is next. And I just want folks to know that I just stand with our community
- members who are feeling some type of way.
- Feeling so scared because we have leaders with the air quotes that think that they are by leading
- with fear that it's okay. Nothing is ever okay when you lead with fear. And there is no illegal
- human, point blank period.
- So that's all I have to say again. Thanks so much for the well wishes. I hate being on teams when I'm
- not in the building. And this is like killing me to not be there.
- But hopefully I will be back in the next couple of weeks. And just a major shout out to everybody
- at IU Health that took care of me during my spa day overnight this past weekend. So thank you.
- All right. Thank you, Madam Frankenstein. All right.
- We are at the end of our meeting, please remember to respect each other.
- Remember your breath. We are adjourned.
- (orchestral music)