WEBVTT 00:00:00.354 --> 00:00:09.798 - All right, welcome everyone, I would like to call tonight's meeting of the Monroe County Council to 00:00:09.798 --> 00:00:18.014 - order. Today is Tuesday, May the 12th, and I want to note for the record that we have. 00:00:18.178 --> 00:00:25.294 - Councilmembers, Jen Cross and Trent Deckard are not gonna be present. We do have Councilmember Henry 00:00:25.294 --> 00:00:32.691 - to my right. We have Councilmember Feidl and we have Councilmember Wilts here as well, including myself. 00:00:32.691 --> 00:00:39.948 - So we do have quorum. All right, as is our custom, we're gonna begin tonight's meeting with the Pledge 00:00:39.948 --> 00:00:46.430 - of Allegiance. So please rise as you are able and join us. To the flag of the United States 00:00:48.482 --> 00:01:02.208 - All right, thank you all very much for that We're going to start tonight by adopting our agenda and 00:01:02.208 --> 00:01:14.974 - when I look to my council colleagues and ask if anyone wishes to amend this evening's agenda 00:01:17.154 --> 00:01:25.562 - noting that council member Hawk just arrived. Welcome council member Hawk. Hearing no amendments to 00:01:25.562 --> 00:01:34.391 - tonight's agenda. All those in favor of this agenda, please. We can do a voice vote, can't we? All those 00:01:34.391 --> 00:01:43.220 - in favor, please say aye. All those opposed, same sign. The ayes have it unanimously. Next, we are going 00:01:43.220 --> 00:01:45.406 - to go to public comments. 00:01:45.794 --> 00:01:54.268 - This is for items that are not on the agenda. There will be a time limit of three minutes per speaker. 00:01:54.268 --> 00:02:02.907 - Please come forward to the podium here in the NatU Hill Room, or if you were joining us on Teams, please 00:02:02.907 --> 00:02:11.052 - raise your hand to be recognized. And so if you'd like to, please come forward to raise your hand. 00:02:11.052 --> 00:02:12.862 - All right, last call. 00:02:14.050 --> 00:02:21.881 - Seeing none, it's time to move on to department updates. There'll be a time limit of 10 minute 00:02:21.881 --> 00:02:30.372 - per department. Do we have anyone in the NatU Hill Room that would like to give a departmental update? 00:02:30.372 --> 00:02:38.698 - Anyone on Teams would like to give a departmental update? Seeing none, we will move on to, we do not 00:02:38.698 --> 00:02:42.078 - have any consent agenda items, which is, 00:02:42.498 --> 00:02:52.228 - Interesting, but then that means we'll move up. Hold on one second. We'll move on to the building department 00:02:52.228 --> 00:03:01.601 - for a hiring freeze review. Council, I move to open for discussion and possible approval of the building 00:03:01.601 --> 00:03:10.974 - department's request to be exempt from the hiring freeze and be allowed to hire and fund 1,000 dash zero 00:03:11.106 --> 00:03:22.475 - three, one, two, county general building, one full-time commercial building inspector. Second. All right, 00:03:22.475 --> 00:03:33.414 - we have Robert LaRue, building commissioner here. What do we need to know? Good evening, Councillors. 00:03:33.414 --> 00:03:39.742 - Thanks for having me here tonight. We have, the county has 00:03:40.034 --> 00:03:49.933 - two commercial building inspectors proposed and a senior commercial building inspector. These folks 00:03:49.933 --> 00:04:00.029 - are responsible for doing plan review, reviewing and issuing permits, and then performing inspections 00:04:00.029 --> 00:04:08.542 - on all of the commercial structures which include apartment buildings in the county's 00:04:08.642 --> 00:04:17.814 - jurisdictional area. So Monroe County and the city of Bloomington. Currently the senior inspector has 00:04:17.814 --> 00:04:27.076 - stayed and the commercial building inspector has decided to take a different position with a different 00:04:27.076 --> 00:04:36.158 - governmental agency. And then the second commercial building inspector position has remained vacant. 00:04:36.386 --> 00:04:46.569 - as requested with the hiring freeze. I want to let you all know this is the single most difficult position 00:04:46.569 --> 00:04:56.181 - in the department to fill. It has been very problematic to get folks to do this. It is a complicated 00:04:56.181 --> 00:05:06.078 - job. We have to know about building code, mechanical code, plumbing code, fuel gas code, electric code. 00:05:06.178 --> 00:05:16.527 - All of those things that go into building and building inspection. And to boot, I ask and we work hard 00:05:16.527 --> 00:05:25.470 - to know all of those things. So it is a tricky position to fill, but we have to have it. 00:05:25.730 --> 00:05:35.933 - We're getting towards inspection time for apartments and final inspections to commission and to provide 00:05:35.933 --> 00:05:46.332 - certificates of occupancy to lots of housing in the jurisdiction. And that is one of the responsibilities 00:05:46.332 --> 00:05:55.358 - of the commercial building inspector. I'm happy to answer questions about what it is we do. 00:05:55.714 --> 00:06:07.007 - I'll be working to do inspections, but I really need to fill one of the positions and get them going. 00:06:07.007 --> 00:06:18.411 - I think I mentioned to you before, takes probably about two years to actually have a fully functioning 00:06:18.411 --> 00:06:25.054 - independent building inspector, and we need to get started. 00:06:25.602 --> 00:06:34.894 - I did mention that we have a lot of final inspections coming up here very soon. All right. Thank you, 00:06:34.894 --> 00:06:44.094 - Mr. Leroux. Any questions from Council? Yes, Councilmember Hawke. Just a comment that this is really 00:06:44.226 --> 00:06:52.960 - in part not just supporting this department, but also supporting our local builders and all of that 00:06:52.960 --> 00:07:01.694 - comes together in supporting housing. So I certainly support this. Just a addition and I appreciate 00:07:01.694 --> 00:07:04.926 - that comment a lot. We are currently 00:07:05.026 --> 00:07:12.800 - you know, having to kind of restrict people to only certain, so many hours of inspection a day so that 00:07:12.800 --> 00:07:20.348 - we can get around to everybody in the community and try to make sure that everybody has their needs 00:07:20.348 --> 00:07:27.896 - met by our department. So that is going to, I mean, that's only gonna get worse. It's only going to 00:07:27.896 --> 00:07:34.462 - push this project out timeframe-wise, all of these projects out to a longer timeframe. 00:07:36.002 --> 00:07:44.305 - Thanks. I had two questions. The first is I just want to make sure that I understand you're keeping 00:07:44.305 --> 00:07:52.692 - one position open. Yes. You have been doing. As requested. With the hiring freeze, I'm not asking to 00:07:52.692 --> 00:08:00.995 - fill that second position, but I don't know how to function without at least one, and we're already 00:08:00.995 --> 00:08:03.486 - stretched like a rubber band. 00:08:03.618 --> 00:08:10.774 - and I see that the position is 35 hours. Are all of the positions in your department 35 hours? 00:08:10.774 --> 00:08:18.306 - They are, yes. Okay. That's all I have right now, thanks. Any other questions, comments? All right, 00:08:18.306 --> 00:08:26.064 - go to the public. Any questions or comments on this item? Seeing none, can we please, can we do a roll 00:08:26.064 --> 00:08:32.542 - call vote on this? Yes. Can we please have, oh, we need to do a roll call, excuse me. 00:08:33.218 --> 00:08:42.186 - Who's that? Councillor Iverson? Yes. Councillor Feidl? Yes. Councillor Hawke? Yes. Councillor Wilts? 00:08:42.186 --> 00:08:51.509 - Yes. Motion passes unanimous. Thank you all very much. And I also want to say thanks for your commitment 00:08:51.509 --> 00:09:00.921 - to our interlocal agreement. It really helps me plan and understand what's before us. And I know I wasn't 00:09:00.921 --> 00:09:02.430 - here super late, 00:09:02.690 --> 00:09:12.026 - couple weeks ago, but I really appreciate your help. Thank you so much. All right, that concludes our 00:09:12.026 --> 00:09:21.271 - hiring freeze reviews. Let's move on now to council business and we'll start with item number A, the 00:09:21.271 --> 00:09:23.102 - highway department. 00:09:27.170 --> 00:09:35.473 - Council I move to approve the highway department and fund 4920 dash 0000 Westside economic development 00:09:35.473 --> 00:09:41.438 - tip for an additional appropriation of $200,000 in the services category. 00:09:42.242 --> 00:09:48.199 - And with us today, we have Lisa Ridge, our Highway Director. What do we need to know? Good evening. 00:09:48.199 --> 00:09:54.156 - So we're just working to get this project closed out. I know we have some outstanding change orders 00:09:54.156 --> 00:10:00.113 - and stuff that go back and forth between NDOT and the contractor. So we anticipated these costs. So 00:10:00.113 --> 00:10:06.190 - we were just wanting to do the additional to start the process to try and get it closed out. Council, 00:10:06.190 --> 00:10:11.134 - do you have any questions about the Vernal Pike connector? I do not. Stumped them. 00:10:12.482 --> 00:10:25.479 - You stumped them. It's fine with me. All right. Let's go to the public for any questions. Seeing none, 00:10:25.479 --> 00:10:38.097 - may we please have a roll call vote? Councillor Feidl? Yes. Councillor Hock? Yes. Councillor Wilts? 00:10:38.097 --> 00:10:41.630 - Yes. Councillor Henry? Yes. 00:10:42.050 --> 00:10:49.848 - Councilor Iverson yes motion passes unanimous. Thank you. Thank you Next we're moving on to item B emergency 00:10:49.848 --> 00:10:57.073 - management Council I move to approve the emergency management department's request in fund eight one 00:10:57.073 --> 00:11:04.585 - eight eight dash nine six to five EMPG salary grant for additional appropriations of fifty five thousand 00:11:04.585 --> 00:11:07.518 - dollars in the personnel category second 00:11:07.874 --> 00:11:17.167 - And we are joined by Mr. Justin Baker, our Emergency Management Deputy Director on Teams. Mr. Baker, 00:11:17.167 --> 00:11:26.737 - when you are available, the floor is yours. Tell us what we need to know. Good evening, counselor. Yes, 00:11:26.737 --> 00:11:36.030 - this is the annual grant that we get each year that pays back our salary for $55,000. Comes from the 00:11:36.258 --> 00:11:45.043 - FEMA and it goes out to the state and it's a reimbursement to the county. Thank you Mr. Baker. Council, 00:11:45.043 --> 00:11:54.336 - do you have any questions for emergency management? This is just a way for us to help support this department 00:11:54.336 --> 00:12:01.854 - and it pays a certain percentage of their salaries and expenses. Please help. All right. 00:12:02.146 --> 00:12:11.898 - Any other comments or questions from council? Seeing none, let's go to the public. Do you have any questions 00:12:11.898 --> 00:12:20.845 - or comments about this emergency management appropriation or grant? Seeing none, may we please have 00:12:20.845 --> 00:12:30.686 - a roll call vote? Councillor Hogg? Yes. Councillor Wilz? Yes. Councillor Henry? Yes. Councillor Iverson? Yes. 00:12:31.586 --> 00:12:41.158 - Councillor Fiddle? Yes. Motion passes unanimous. All right. Thank you, Mr. Baker. Next, item C, 00:12:41.158 --> 00:12:51.328 - the courts. Council, I move to approve the court's request and fund 4018-0000 court interpreter grant 00:12:51.328 --> 00:12:59.006 - for an additional appropriation of $20,300 in the services category. Second. 00:13:00.162 --> 00:13:06.203 - All right, we have Lisa Abram here with the courts. Tell us what's going on. All right, I applied for 00:13:06.203 --> 00:13:12.185 - and received in an emergency interpreter grant to help offset costs for interpreters for the county. 00:13:12.185 --> 00:13:18.344 - And I was surprised, but they awarded me $20,300. So for the whole year, I only got 9,000, which I used 00:13:18.344 --> 00:13:24.326 - that in about two and a half months. And this time they gave me 20,000, which will be spent in about 00:13:24.326 --> 00:13:29.182 - two months time. So yeah, I have already, I think I calculated this morning about 00:13:29.826 --> 00:13:36.870 - 16,000 in change invoices that have come in. So most of this is already gone, but at least I got it. 00:13:36.870 --> 00:13:44.192 - Absolutely. This will help immensely. Yes. Council, any questions or comments for the courts? Councilman 00:13:44.192 --> 00:13:51.445 - Watts. Thank you. Miss you. Yes, this is the last time you have to see me. So, Jama Chandler, my deputy 00:13:51.445 --> 00:13:58.558 - is going to take over my spot and she's been here a couple of times. She's already familiar with her. 00:13:59.714 --> 00:14:05.497 - and writing more grants, right? Yes, she has already written a couple herself that she received the 00:14:05.497 --> 00:14:11.569 - court technology grants twice already. So, and I've showed her how to do this one, so we can keep going. 00:14:11.569 --> 00:14:17.468 - All right, thank you so much. All right, we've exhausted council questions and comments. Now we'll go 00:14:17.468 --> 00:14:23.251 - to the public. You have any questions, comments for the clerk? Seeing none, Michelle, may we please 00:14:23.251 --> 00:14:29.150 - have a roll call vote? Councilor Will? Councilor Henry? Yes. Councilor Iverson? Yes. Councilor Feidl? 00:14:29.314 --> 00:14:38.630 - Yes. Councillor Hawk. Yes. Motion passes unanimous. Thank you. Thank you for all you've done. Next, 00:14:38.630 --> 00:14:47.946 - we'll go to item D, the Youth Services Bureau. Council, I move to approve the Youth Services Bureau 00:14:47.946 --> 00:14:58.846 - request and fund 4111-0000 donations hyphen BTCC for an additional appropriation of $7,560 in the services category. 00:15:00.066 --> 00:15:05.273 - second. All right we are joined here by Melanie Veselaj, YSB prevention coordinator. Tell us what we 00:15:05.273 --> 00:15:08.830 - need to know. We have some money and we'd like to appropriate it and 00:15:08.930 --> 00:15:14.075 - To the appropriate line, delta head, we're in the fourth year of this grant, which is the CDC grant 00:15:14.075 --> 00:15:19.272 - with ICDV, the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence. The purpose of this grant is to decrease 00:15:19.272 --> 00:15:24.726 - risk factors and increase protective factors related to intimate partner violence by modifying the social 00:15:24.726 --> 00:15:30.386 - determinants of health. So we've got a lot of overlap with that in YSP. And then the MC3 summit sponsorships, 00:15:30.386 --> 00:15:35.326 - we're working on making sure that we have sufficient funding to pull off the MC3 for this year. 00:15:35.970 --> 00:15:41.793 - Think it's pretty simple, but I'm happy to answer any questions if you'd like that being said counsel 00:15:41.793 --> 00:15:47.788 - Do you have any questions or comments for the youth services bureau? Yes, that's my will Congratulations 00:15:47.788 --> 00:15:53.497 - on bringing money in and keeping these programs going they're really important Thank you All right. 00:15:53.497 --> 00:15:59.434 - I second that Are there any other comments or questions? Let's go to the public. Are there any comments 00:15:59.434 --> 00:16:02.974 - or questions from the public for the youth services bureau? I 00:16:03.810 --> 00:16:14.194 - Seeing none, Michelle, could we please have a roll call vote? Councillor Henry. Yes. Councillor Iverson. 00:16:14.194 --> 00:16:23.984 - Yes. Councillor Fiddle. Yes. Councillor Hock. Yes. Councillor Wills. Yes. Motion passes unanimous. 00:16:23.984 --> 00:16:29.918 - Thank you. Thank you. That moves us on to item E, aviation. 00:16:31.330 --> 00:16:38.405 - I move to approve the aviation department's request and fund for eight zero one dash zero zero zero 00:16:38.405 --> 00:16:45.621 - zero aviation construction fund for an additional appropriation of sixty three thousand three hundred 00:16:45.621 --> 00:16:52.696 - and fifty three dollars and fifty five cents in the capital category second all right we are joined 00:16:52.696 --> 00:17:00.478 - by mr. Carlos Laverdy the director of our airport who has joined us on teams welcome mr. Laverdy good evening 00:17:01.282 --> 00:17:11.432 - Tell us what we know. We would like to replace a truck that was damaged in an auto accident. Our insurance 00:17:11.432 --> 00:17:21.108 - provider totaled the vehicle, which was acquired with an FAA grant. It was one of the electric trucks 00:17:21.108 --> 00:17:28.318 - that we had acquired. Insurance wrote us a check for a total of $62,438.34. 00:17:28.418 --> 00:17:37.788 - we would only have to pay $915.21 for the difference of a replacement vehicle. So the insurance funds 00:17:37.788 --> 00:17:47.433 - are deposited into the aviation construction fund and we're just asking that the dollars be appropriated 00:17:47.433 --> 00:17:56.894 - to the equipment line for the purchase. All right. Council, any questions or comments for Mr. Laverty? 00:18:01.058 --> 00:18:08.098 - And Mr. Laverty, the motion that was read, at least the materials we have do indicate that the funds 00:18:08.098 --> 00:18:15.209 - will be going into that construction fund as you requested, so. Thank you. We just might want to make 00:18:15.209 --> 00:18:22.249 - it clear to anyone who's listening, this is not local tax dollars. It's still public dollars, that's 00:18:22.249 --> 00:18:29.150 - not local tax dollars. Great clarification, thank you. All right, any more questions from council? 00:18:29.986 --> 00:18:38.322 - Seeing none, let's go to the public. Does anybody in the public have any questions for the airport? 00:18:38.322 --> 00:18:46.908 - Seeing none, Michelle, may we please have a roll call vote? Councillor Iverson? Yes. Councillor Feidl? 00:18:46.908 --> 00:18:55.077 - Yes. Councillor Hogg? Yes. Councillor Wilts? Yes. Councillor Henry? Yes. Motion passes unanimous. 00:18:55.077 --> 00:18:58.078 - All right, thank you, Mr. Lavergne. 00:19:00.066 --> 00:19:09.058 - Next, we're moving on to item F, the clerk's office. Council, I move to open for discussion and possible 00:19:09.058 --> 00:19:18.136 - approval of the clerk's request to be exempt from the overtime transfer freeze and be allowed to complete 00:19:18.136 --> 00:19:27.299 - an in-house transfer in fund 1215-0062, election fund, election board clerk within the personnel category. 00:19:27.299 --> 00:19:28.926 - Second. All right. 00:19:29.058 --> 00:19:35.344 - With us, we've got the whole crew. Welcome, Madam Clerk. Glad you're here. And all those who are joining 00:19:35.344 --> 00:19:41.510 - us to really put the pressure on council here. Just to be clear, there is no child labor law violation 00:19:41.510 --> 00:19:47.617 - within the Monroe County government. That's fine. But you're looking at a pre-Harvard law student, so 00:19:47.617 --> 00:19:53.723 - she might learn something. That's just what I was thinking. Pre-Harvard law, yeah. All right, tell us 00:19:53.723 --> 00:19:55.998 - what's going on here. What can we do? 00:19:56.930 --> 00:20:08.024 - This is a request for the in-house transfer to cover some shortfalls so that we can pay our staff who 00:20:08.024 --> 00:20:19.335 - helped us with preparing for the primary election. All right. Anything else to add? All right. Council, 00:20:19.335 --> 00:20:26.078 - do you have any questions or comments for the clerk's office? 00:20:27.554 --> 00:20:36.811 - I don't really have like critical questions or anything. I just would like to know if you wanted to 00:20:36.811 --> 00:20:46.068 - take the opportunity to talk about the primary in any way. Well, I think let us tag team on that if 00:20:46.068 --> 00:20:50.974 - you don't mind. So first, I'm very proud that we got 00:20:51.266 --> 00:21:00.196 - Monroe County through the primary that you asked for, which was a robust primary. We did have better 00:21:00.196 --> 00:21:09.037 - than expected turnout every day of early voting. Everything got off to a good start on election day 00:21:09.037 --> 00:21:18.144 - until we found a glitch, but I'm very happy to report that that was less than 20 minutes long, and for 00:21:18.144 --> 00:21:21.150 - whatever reason, our e-poll books 00:21:21.346 --> 00:21:28.567 - would not if if you went to scan those of you who have early voted would know if you went to scan your 00:21:28.567 --> 00:21:35.718 - driver's license it did not show you as being in that polling site we are very very fortunate to have 00:21:35.718 --> 00:21:42.869 - an incredible e-poll book vendor as well as an incredible it vendor and they got together immediately 00:21:42.869 --> 00:21:43.710 - and by 6 18 00:21:44.482 --> 00:21:52.830 - everybody was voting and everything was going smoothly. That did not create any kind of issue. We had 00:21:52.830 --> 00:21:57.822 - more than 10,000, I don't have the number, more than 10,000. 00:21:57.922 --> 00:22:05.017 - Voters who voted on election day without problem and the weather cooperated in a better than expected 00:22:05.017 --> 00:22:12.112 - way than we anticipated I checked with Kylie this morning, and I'll certainly let her add anything We 00:22:12.112 --> 00:22:19.068 - did not have as many provisionals as I Anticipated we will reconcile provisional ballots on Friday, 00:22:19.068 --> 00:22:24.702 - but I think the winners were very clear-cut You know who won? You know who lost? 00:22:24.866 --> 00:22:32.402 - and so I don't have anything other than because of an incredible group of people and of course our poll 00:22:32.402 --> 00:22:39.793 - workers early in absentee voting we were able to deliver you the primary that you asked for. I'll add 00:22:39.793 --> 00:22:47.184 - that our staff was able to come together and work together as much as we possibly could with us being 00:22:47.184 --> 00:22:51.966 - a little bit short staffed in a couple of areas but thankfully we 00:22:52.066 --> 00:22:57.735 - We're able to just come together. A lot of us were working more hours than what we're used to. 00:22:57.735 --> 00:23:03.941 - A lot of us, well, I should say all of us were there until 6 PM almost every single day helping in some 00:23:03.941 --> 00:23:10.207 - way, some form in one of the many different areas that we needed to be. And then I was there some nights 00:23:10.207 --> 00:23:16.592 - later than the 6 PM helping with training and other items with our training specialist. And just majority, 00:23:16.592 --> 00:23:17.726 - it was really good 00:23:18.018 --> 00:23:25.501 - I have a team that is so easily able to just be flexible and say, hey, wherever you need us, 00:23:25.501 --> 00:23:28.478 - we'll be there. That's member final. 00:23:28.578 --> 00:23:34.749 - Did you mention something about provisional ballots? Did I hear that? I said we'll be reconciling provisional 00:23:34.749 --> 00:23:40.528 - ballots. So of course, and I just got this email. I asked Kylie for it this morning. So people who did 00:23:40.528 --> 00:23:46.586 - not show up with their identification or people who showed up at the wrong polling site. And unfortunately, 00:23:46.586 --> 00:23:52.365 - those who do not realize that you have to be registered in the county that you live in, there are some 00:23:52.365 --> 00:23:57.470 - I'm going to venture to guess that they are largely from the Indiana University community. 00:23:57.922 --> 00:24:05.082 - who were registered in different counties, although I have to say, Kylie does an incredible job of going 00:24:05.082 --> 00:24:12.106 - over to the university to encourage students to change their voter registration ahead so that we don't 00:24:12.106 --> 00:24:19.061 - have moments like this. Still, we find people who just were not willing to let go at the time, forgot 00:24:19.061 --> 00:24:26.494 - that they did not change it, and then it becomes too late to get an absentee by mail or something like that. 00:24:26.658 --> 00:24:34.657 - If I remember correctly, you said about 60. Yeah, we have 62 provisionals. 14 of those were no ID when 00:24:34.657 --> 00:24:42.501 - they showed up to vote. Another 14 where they were not registered in this county. 13 were not at the 00:24:42.501 --> 00:24:50.501 - correct polling location. And an additional 13, I believe, were the ones who went to the wrong polling 00:24:50.501 --> 00:24:53.918 - location. And then, so can I add something? 00:24:54.082 --> 00:25:01.958 - So, and then for this 18 minute. We're calling it where their provisional balance. Take it and then 00:25:01.958 --> 00:25:10.071 - no so actually only one provisional ballot was taken in during that time. It was because that location 00:25:10.071 --> 00:25:18.814 - didn't fully understand the concept of a form 42 which is a county created form to check in voters who are not 00:25:19.010 --> 00:25:25.509 - showing up in the poll book, or if there is an issue with the poll book, then we have that form to be 00:25:25.509 --> 00:25:32.071 - a backup check-in that we then check them in after election day to get their voting record up to date. 00:25:32.071 --> 00:25:38.506 - All right. Any other comments or questions to my right? Please, Mr. Henry. Thank you, Mr. President. 00:25:38.506 --> 00:25:41.054 - When we originally budgeted this cycle, 00:25:41.666 --> 00:25:47.516 - The thought was we would take a look at how the primary went, you know, in terms of spending and where 00:25:47.516 --> 00:25:53.536 - we spent and where there were adjustments, and then revisit for the fall. I mean, I know you just, you're 00:25:53.536 --> 00:25:59.215 - still dealing with provisional ballots and the like, but when do you think you would be back before 00:25:59.215 --> 00:26:05.178 - us to start talking about fall budget? The next meeting, correct? At the next meeting? Not for the fall. 00:26:05.178 --> 00:26:07.166 - Not the next meeting for the fall. 00:26:08.162 --> 00:26:14.519 - I asked Kylie if we could get through, I have an annual clerks conference in June. I'd like to sit down 00:26:14.519 --> 00:26:20.693 - with our budget. And I obviously haven't had a chance to do that in the last seven days. But I mean, 00:26:20.693 --> 00:26:26.928 - we are coming back to you in two weeks for some additional appropriations, but it is not connected to 00:26:26.928 --> 00:26:32.796 - the fall money. Just thinking ahead to, you know. I am thinking ahead to, sir. Good, thank you. 00:26:32.796 --> 00:26:35.486 - All right, any other comments or questions? 00:26:36.130 --> 00:26:46.528 - Seeing none, let's go to the public. Does the public have any comments or questions for the clerk? Seeing 00:26:46.528 --> 00:26:56.436 - none, may we please have, we have one public comment. Please come to the mic and state your name for 00:26:56.436 --> 00:26:58.398 - the record, please. 00:27:10.114 --> 00:27:20.173 - Good evening council members. My name is Joe Davis and as a clerk for circuit court I was there early 00:27:20.173 --> 00:27:30.133 - voting every day and I have to say to the job that everyone did the volunteers were amazing who were 00:27:30.133 --> 00:27:38.910 - working the polls. Kylie had a tight team. Anything that came up they were on top of it. 00:27:39.042 --> 00:27:47.431 - Ms. Brown was over there constantly double checking to make sure everything was going fine. They did 00:27:47.431 --> 00:27:55.820 - a fantastic job. I know for a fact that on election night some data had to be entered all the way up 00:27:55.820 --> 00:28:04.209 - until 3.30 in the morning and you know therefore that put those employees for sure into overtime but 00:28:04.209 --> 00:28:08.030 - it was just a few of the staff so at any rate 00:28:08.226 --> 00:28:16.532 - Everything went fantastic. I would constantly ask the voters as they came out after voting how it went 00:28:16.532 --> 00:28:24.757 - for them and they all had nothing but praise for the experience. It was very fast. However, there was 00:28:24.757 --> 00:28:32.257 - one issue and that many elderly folks who came who had mobility issues, for them it could be 00:28:32.257 --> 00:28:35.966 - quite challenging to walk all the way through 00:28:37.410 --> 00:28:46.183 - the whole where you enter to vote in early voting and where you exit so it might be worthwhile to staff 00:28:46.183 --> 00:28:54.702 - someone in the future who could be sort of like a concierge who has a wheelchair out there ready for 00:28:54.702 --> 00:29:03.390 - anybody who might need that assistance but overall everything went fantastic and again hats off. Thank 00:29:03.390 --> 00:29:06.174 - you very much. If I may respond. 00:29:06.434 --> 00:29:13.304 - First, I want to thank you that that your praise is incredibly generous. I is like a proud parent I 00:29:13.304 --> 00:29:20.242 - always know that I have the best team this side of heaven and that that is how we make it through so 00:29:20.242 --> 00:29:24.158 - I appreciate your publicly acknowledging that, you know, 00:29:24.898 --> 00:29:31.875 - Thank you. That's very, very generous of you. Regarding your concern, you are breaking news to me here 00:29:31.875 --> 00:29:38.650 - in this room that there were elderly people who everybody that I talked to spoke very highly of the 00:29:38.650 --> 00:29:45.695 - space, spoke very highly of how quickly things when they were able to get in and out without any issue. 00:29:45.695 --> 00:29:47.998 - And of course we have wheelchairs 00:29:48.162 --> 00:29:56.241 - on site should someone need them so unless there's something that my own election supervisor has not 00:29:56.241 --> 00:30:04.240 - told me you are breaking news that there were complaints regarding elderly voters. Oh there weren't 00:30:04.240 --> 00:30:12.239 - complaints but one time actually one of the voters who parked close in the handicapped parking area 00:30:12.239 --> 00:30:17.118 - needed a wheelchair and so I ran up to the front area to let 00:30:17.378 --> 00:30:23.671 - uh someone know that uh someone needed a wheelchair assistance and actually I got in trouble for that 00:30:23.671 --> 00:30:30.087 - for being in the shoot so you know that's why I'm gonna I'm gonna pull this back anyway yeah yeah thank 00:30:30.087 --> 00:30:36.442 - you we're talking about overtime here and yes yes and I'm I'm I'm sure this conversation will continue 00:30:36.442 --> 00:30:37.182 - on the over 00:30:37.282 --> 00:30:43.468 - over time deserves to be paid. Thank you. I simply did not want it to be on a televised meeting that 00:30:43.468 --> 00:30:49.777 - we were not attuned to the needs of our voters. I am aware of an incident where a person had a medical 00:30:49.777 --> 00:30:55.902 - unexpected a medical emergency that was addressed and I believe that I know to what he is referring 00:30:55.902 --> 00:31:02.272 - but I simply would never want any voter to think that we were not prepared to receive them receive them 00:31:02.272 --> 00:31:05.886 - well and have them have a good voting experience which was 00:31:06.114 --> 00:31:13.632 - all of the feedback that I was given. All right let that be the final word. Sorry. That's all right 00:31:13.632 --> 00:31:21.450 - it's a good final word to end on. Michelle may we please have a roll call vote. Councilor Iverson. Yes. 00:31:21.450 --> 00:31:29.043 - Councilor Feidl. Yes. Councilor Hawk. Yes. Councilor Wilts. Yes. Councilor Henry. Yes. Motion passes 00:31:29.043 --> 00:31:33.854 - unanimous. Thank you very much. Thank you. Have a good evening. 00:31:35.362 --> 00:31:44.122 - All right, next, let's move on to item G, our waste reduction district. Council, I move to approve the 00:31:44.122 --> 00:31:53.307 - Monroe County officially, excuse me, I move to approve that Monroe County officially accepts responsibility 00:31:53.307 --> 00:32:02.322 - for the post closure care on behalf of the waste reduction district of Monroe County, pursuant to Indiana 00:32:02.322 --> 00:32:05.214 - Administrative Code 329-IAC-39-3. 00:32:05.986 --> 00:32:14.258 - All right. We have Mr. Tom at glass and with us. Tell us what's going on. Yeah. Thank you. This is become 00:32:14.258 --> 00:32:22.062 - an annual request for us. We're required to put up financial assurance for the closed Monroe County 00:32:22.062 --> 00:32:25.886 - landfill in the northeastern part of the county. 00:32:26.018 --> 00:32:34.383 - there's a required third year post closure monitoring and maintenance period. So in essence, we're required 00:32:34.383 --> 00:32:42.206 - to demonstrate to the state that the funding is available to complete the monitoring and maintenance 00:32:42.206 --> 00:32:49.951 - for the remainder of that post closure period. You can see in the documents included in the meeting 00:32:49.951 --> 00:32:55.838 - packet for this year, the remaining post closure cost estimate, $2,172,977. 00:32:55.970 --> 00:33:04.611 - That's about $80,400 less than last year's cost estimate. The administrative code provides several different 00:33:04.611 --> 00:33:12.856 - mechanisms by which the demonstration can be made. We prefer to use the local government financial test 00:33:12.856 --> 00:33:20.308 - option as that does not require any expense on the part of the district or the county to make 00:33:20.308 --> 00:33:24.510 - that demonstration. This is something we've done for 00:33:24.674 --> 00:33:33.669 - 12 or 13 years in a row now. The county has graciously made that demonstration on our behalf. The district 00:33:33.669 --> 00:33:42.159 - does not meet the requirements of a local financial government test option due to our annual revenue 00:33:42.159 --> 00:33:46.782 - in relation to what the post closure cost estimate is. 00:33:46.914 --> 00:33:53.666 - To date, we have never had to request any funds from the county as a result of making this demonstration. 00:33:53.666 --> 00:34:00.036 - We've been able to absorb the monitoring and maintenance costs into our annual budget. We certainly 00:34:00.036 --> 00:34:06.470 - foresee that to be the case for the foreseeable future as well. Additionally, the district does have 00:34:06.470 --> 00:34:08.190 - a post closure trust fund. 00:34:08.418 --> 00:34:14.875 - That as of April 30th at a balance of just over eight hundred and thirty thousand dollars and those 00:34:14.875 --> 00:34:21.397 - funds obviously would be utilized before we would ever ask the county for any assistance With that I 00:34:21.397 --> 00:34:28.113 - have Lee Polson here with me who is our landfill director. We'd be happy to answer any questions Great. 00:34:28.113 --> 00:34:34.570 - Thank you so much for explaining that to us I'm gonna look to councilmember wilts first since yeah, 00:34:34.570 --> 00:34:36.830 - you have signed this document Yeah 00:34:37.218 --> 00:34:44.947 - So thank you for being here. I have some questions just for the good of the order. And then I would 00:34:44.947 --> 00:34:52.986 - like to hear a little bit from Lee about just how things are going as we're winding down on the period, 00:34:52.986 --> 00:35:00.793 - the 30-year period. But my first question, as you mentioned, a post-closure trust fund, what happens 00:35:00.793 --> 00:35:05.662 - to that money if you don't spend it by the end of this period? 00:35:07.010 --> 00:35:18.119 - management is a co-trustee on that fund so they would have to approve the disbursement of any monies 00:35:18.119 --> 00:35:29.338 - from that fund but it is the district's money and at the end of the post closure period upon approval 00:35:29.338 --> 00:35:36.158 - from the state those funds would revert back to the district. 00:35:37.474 --> 00:35:46.562 - So the other question, what is the date of anticipated all done? 2039. Sorry? 2039. OK. It's coming 00:35:46.562 --> 00:35:56.013 - up faster than you think. The tree planting. I'd like an update on how the trees are. And anything else 00:35:56.013 --> 00:36:03.102 - you'd like to tell us about what's going on out there? The trees are growing. 00:36:03.522 --> 00:36:10.754 - They're still pretty small. So we've actually Mary Beth and I have been starting to try to eradicate 00:36:10.754 --> 00:36:18.273 - some of the invasive species that are growing very quickly around those trees, but that just takes time. 00:36:18.273 --> 00:36:25.791 - But everything seems to be going just fine. Landfill is doing what the landfill is supposed to do. We've 00:36:25.791 --> 00:36:33.310 - been able to absorb all the costs that we need to maintain and keep up with it within our normal budget. 00:36:33.442 --> 00:36:41.805 - And right now everything is in decent good shape. So we're moving forward. So, yep. All right. Does 00:36:41.805 --> 00:36:50.169 - anybody else have any questions now that Councilmember Wilts asked them all? Right. Let's go to the 00:36:50.169 --> 00:36:58.616 - public. If you have questions for the Waste Reduction District, please come to the mic or raise your 00:36:58.616 --> 00:36:59.870 - hand on Teams. 00:37:01.122 --> 00:37:09.023 - Seeing none, Michelle, can we please have a roll call vote? Councillor Iverson? Yes. Councillor Feidl? 00:37:09.023 --> 00:37:16.616 - Yes. Councillor Hawke? Yes. Councillor Wilts? Yes. Councillor Henry? Yes. Motion passes unanimous. 00:37:16.616 --> 00:37:24.824 - Thank you. Thank you, folks. All right, next we'll move on to item H, the Board of Commissioners. Council, 00:37:24.824 --> 00:37:29.886 - I move to approve the Board of Commissioners request and fund 4-1 00:37:30.114 --> 00:37:37.939 - One two dash zero zero zero zero donations Sudak for the creation of account line three zero zero one 00:37:37.939 --> 00:37:46.148 - three professional services and simultaneously approve an additional appropriation of twenty nine thousand 00:37:46.148 --> 00:37:51.902 - five hundred sixty dollars and ninety four cents in the services category. 00:37:53.026 --> 00:38:01.933 - All right. Thank you all we have with us Angie pretty commissioners administrator and one of 00:38:01.933 --> 00:38:10.840 - the commissioners herself in the flesh. All right. So what do we need to know about this Sue 00:38:10.840 --> 00:38:20.609 - DAC appropriation? Okay, so this is money that's currently remaining in the specific to that and this 00:38:20.609 --> 00:38:21.758 - is based on 00:38:21.922 --> 00:38:32.440 - Excuse me, you're going to have to pull the mic here. Thank you. So this is requesting appropriation 00:38:32.440 --> 00:38:42.853 - of the funds that remain in the fund that is specific to the SUDAC fund, the SUDAC board. And these 00:38:42.853 --> 00:38:49.726 - funds will allow for the current SUDAC to begin preparing for the 00:38:49.826 --> 00:39:00.033 - all I think it is, event that's going to be handled and managed by SUDAC. All right. Are there any questions 00:39:00.033 --> 00:39:09.584 - or comments from council? Please. Councilmember Wilts. This says donations slash SUDAC. I just wanted 00:39:09.584 --> 00:39:17.918 - to make sure that it was made very clear. These are all donations from private entities. 00:39:18.018 --> 00:39:27.645 - So these are revenues that have been earned from prior events and then just straight up donations. Could 00:39:27.645 --> 00:39:36.813 - you tell us about the event? Sure. Each year we have an opioid summit and the summit is largely for 00:39:36.813 --> 00:39:45.982 - professionals in the field and those who are interested in the subject matter and this year we have 00:39:46.146 --> 00:39:54.008 - We expect approximately, I think, what, 150, 160 attendees. And we expect to get roughly 30,000 to 50,000 00:39:54.008 --> 00:40:01.426 - in subsidizing donations. And so think about like a continuing education type of event. But this is 00:40:01.426 --> 00:40:09.511 - a great opportunity to bring together resources at Indiana University, resources in the community, resources 00:40:09.511 --> 00:40:10.846 - across the state. 00:40:18.946 --> 00:40:27.106 - date set for this? Early September. September 1st and 2nd. Yes. The Bloomington Convention Center. And 00:40:27.106 --> 00:40:35.345 - for the edification of the public, we keep throwing around these acronyms as government. What is SUDAC? 00:40:35.345 --> 00:40:43.980 - We've said it 100 times. SUDAC is the Substance Use Disorder Advisory Commission. So there you go. Answering 00:40:43.980 --> 00:40:45.406 - my own questions. 00:40:46.594 --> 00:40:53.307 - I don't think I need to. All right. Councilmembers, do we have any other comments or questions? 00:40:53.307 --> 00:41:00.719 - Seeing none, let's go to the public. Do you have any questions or comments for the Board of Commissioners 00:41:00.719 --> 00:41:08.062 - regarding substance use disorder? Seeing none, Michelle, may we please have a roll call vote? Councillor 00:41:08.062 --> 00:41:13.726 - Feidl? Yes. Councillor Hawke? Yes. Councillor Wilts? Yes. Councillor Henry? Yes. 00:41:13.858 --> 00:41:22.401 - Councilor Iverson. Yes. Motion passes unanimous. All right. Thank you very much. All right. Before we 00:41:22.401 --> 00:41:30.609 - move on to the much anticipated next item, we on the council are going to take a 15 minute break. 00:41:30.609 --> 00:41:39.151 - I know, I know, because we need to prepare a little bit here. So council, we're looking at five forty 00:41:39.151 --> 00:41:42.334 - three. Please be back by six o'clock. 00:41:44.386 --> 00:41:52.009 - All right, welcome back, folks. This is, of course, the Monroe County Council. Thank you for joining 00:41:52.009 --> 00:41:59.557 - us online. Those of you who are joining us on Teams, we're going to hop right back into our agenda. 00:41:59.557 --> 00:42:07.180 - And we're going to go to item number I, which is the Board of Commissioners. And this is going to be 00:42:07.180 --> 00:42:09.822 - a long one. So buckle in. Council. 00:42:09.954 --> 00:42:17.442 - I moved to open for introduction and the first reading of ordinance twenty twenty six dash seventeen 00:42:17.442 --> 00:42:25.079 - fixing terms and conditions for the purchase of property as follows. Whereas pursuant to the authority 00:42:25.079 --> 00:42:32.715 - granted to the Monroe County Council Council excuse me by the General Assembly of the state of Indiana 00:42:32.715 --> 00:42:37.534 - under I see thirty six dash two dash two dash twenty the council 00:42:38.114 --> 00:42:45.512 - a conveyance or purchase by a county of land having a value of $1,000 or more must be authorized by 00:42:45.512 --> 00:42:53.206 - an ordinance of the county fiscal body, fixing the terms and conditions of the transaction. And whereas 00:42:53.206 --> 00:43:00.679 - the Monroe County Board of Commissioners intend to purchase land from the Logan land development LLC 00:43:00.679 --> 00:43:02.750 - seller under certain terms, 00:43:02.850 --> 00:43:14.381 - which are described in the attached and incorporated contract for purchase of real estate marked as 00:43:14.381 --> 00:43:26.719 - exhibit one. And whereas exhibit one indicates a purchase price of $11,375, the agreement requires council 00:43:26.719 --> 00:43:32.254 - approval pursuant to IC 36-1-10.5-5 and IC 36-2 00:43:32.642 --> 00:43:40.317 - Now, therefore, be it ordained and established by the Monroe County Council as follows. Section one, 00:43:40.317 --> 00:43:47.916 - the Monroe County Council has been provided two appraisals for the property owned by the seller and 00:43:47.916 --> 00:43:55.742 - shown in exhibit one. Section two, the council wishes from Monroe County to acquire the property owned 00:43:55.742 --> 00:43:58.782 - by seller and described in exhibit one. 00:44:00.130 --> 00:44:09.981 - Fiscal body for Monroe County, this ordinance serves as the expression of the council's interest in 00:44:09.981 --> 00:44:20.324 - purchasing the land as required by IC 36-1-10.5-5. Section three, per IC 36-2-2-20, the council approves 00:44:20.324 --> 00:44:28.894 - of all the terms and conditions described in the contract for purchase of real estate. 00:44:28.994 --> 00:44:36.448 - act hereto as exhibit one. The county recognizes that the purchase price does not exceed the average 00:44:36.448 --> 00:44:44.419 - of two of the appraisals received and accepted by the council. Section four, to the extent council approval 00:44:44.419 --> 00:44:51.947 - is required, the council approves the execution and deliverance of any and all documents necessary to 00:44:51.947 --> 00:44:56.670 - approve the contract for purchase of real estate and authorizes 00:44:56.866 --> 00:45:06.785 - officers of the county to take any and all action necessary to ratify, approve, or finalize the transaction. 00:45:06.785 --> 00:45:16.158 - Thank you so much, Councillor Feidl. All right. And I think we need a second. All right. So we do have 00:45:16.158 --> 00:45:24.894 - a whole group of folks before us from the board of commissioners who is going to open up today. 00:45:24.994 --> 00:45:33.291 - I will start today, but I will note that we have attorney Jeff Cockrell. We have our administrator Angie 00:45:33.291 --> 00:45:41.431 - Purdy. Commissioner Madeira and myself are here. Commissioner Jones is online. So if you could promote 00:45:41.431 --> 00:45:49.333 - her, I would appreciate it, TSD. And we're also going to ask the sheriff to offer his commentary as 00:45:49.333 --> 00:45:53.758 - well. So we do thank you for having this first reading. 00:45:53.890 --> 00:46:00.117 - to consider the purchase agreement for North Park. And for folks who are new to this or need 00:46:00.117 --> 00:46:07.147 - more information, we invite you to go to in.gov slash county slash Monroe. And in the department section 00:46:07.147 --> 00:46:13.843 - on the left-hand side menu of our website, you will find a webpage for the Jail and Justice Center. 00:46:13.843 --> 00:46:20.539 - So there are a lot of documents there and a timeline as well. So if anybody wants more information, 00:46:20.539 --> 00:46:21.342 - it's there. 00:46:21.698 --> 00:46:28.474 - We are definitely grateful and lucky that Mr. Falk of the ACLU Indiana agreed to extend the private 00:46:28.474 --> 00:46:35.453 - settlement agreement on their lawsuit against the board of commissioners and the sheriff until the end 00:46:35.453 --> 00:46:42.229 - of May. The county council had resolved to identify a specific site for the jail by April 7th ahead 00:46:42.229 --> 00:46:49.073 - of the last ACLU deadline of April 15th. That deadline was missed. The second deadline was poised to 00:46:49.073 --> 00:46:51.038 - pass without a site selected 00:46:51.906 --> 00:46:59.076 - And a member of county council asked Mr. Falk to agree to another 30 day extension, which brings us 00:46:59.076 --> 00:47:06.247 - to today's looming deadline for the end of the month. Yes. Mr. Falk has made his expectations clear 00:47:06.247 --> 00:47:13.417 - to all parties as outlined in the most recent extension. And he made it very clear to our attorneys 00:47:13.417 --> 00:47:14.206 - last week. 00:47:14.434 --> 00:47:22.467 - that he will not consider in additional extension. So one of the things that has been brought up a number 00:47:22.467 --> 00:47:30.046 - of times is the issue of our current facilities and whether they can be renovated. And Mr. Cockrell 00:47:30.046 --> 00:47:35.806 - wants to offer a few comments on space issues in our current jail facility. 00:47:36.194 --> 00:47:42.685 - I'm not sure I'm the most adequate person in the room to do this, but I did go through the report that 00:47:42.685 --> 00:47:49.240 - we have from Mr. Ray. And it has a whole section on deficiencies of the current facility. And this was, 00:47:49.240 --> 00:47:55.668 - again, produced in 2021. And a lot of those dealt with space inadequacies. So I went through, and I'm 00:47:55.668 --> 00:48:02.097 - just going to list off the space inadequacies. And I think we've all discussed the difficulty, if not 00:48:02.097 --> 00:48:05.374 - impossibility, it is to add space to that building. 00:48:05.602 --> 00:48:14.083 - So inadequate counseling spaces, inadequate housing spaces, inadequate housing for segregation, inadequate 00:48:14.083 --> 00:48:21.770 - isolation, inadequate processing booking, inadequate programming space, inadequate public lobby, 00:48:21.770 --> 00:48:29.775 - excuse me, inadequate staff areas, lack of medical interview rooms, lack of medical treatment space, 00:48:29.775 --> 00:48:33.342 - lack of padded cells, lack of suicide cells, 00:48:34.082 --> 00:48:43.200 - limited separation of contagious inmates, no segregation of sexes or special needs inmates, and no sick 00:48:43.200 --> 00:48:52.143 - beds. And I would note that that report had two different columns, a low and a high. And so the total 00:48:52.143 --> 00:49:01.436 - of all 53, including the ones I mentioned here, the low was $22,122,000. The high was $56,484,000. Again, 00:49:01.436 --> 00:49:03.102 - 2020, 2021 prices. 00:49:03.330 --> 00:49:11.938 - Of those, the ones I just mentioned were about 90%, 80 to 90% of those expenses. So this was by far 00:49:11.938 --> 00:49:20.547 - the, what required more space was by far the, cost-wise, the biggest percentage of what that report 00:49:20.547 --> 00:49:23.646 - indicated. Thank you. Commissioner. 00:49:24.354 --> 00:49:30.506 - So if the settlement agreement lapses at the end of May without meeting our obligations, a site selected 00:49:30.506 --> 00:49:36.951 - will then be open to new litigation, both from the ACLU and from individual inmates. This isn't a suggestion, 00:49:36.951 --> 00:49:42.809 - it's a real threat. A federal judge can order any number of remedies, but let's be clear, this is a 00:49:42.809 --> 00:49:48.668 - burden borne by all Monroe County taxpayers. This isn't a risk or a cost that the commissioners are 00:49:48.668 --> 00:49:51.422 - willing to accept when a good solution exists. 00:49:51.650 --> 00:49:57.631 - If the purchase agreement isn't approved, the private settlement agreement will end and we are subject 00:49:57.631 --> 00:50:03.787 - to being sued. The court will establish requirements which might be structural mediations, moving inmates 00:50:03.787 --> 00:50:09.768 - to facilities in other counties, and it may be punitive. These only divert our attention and necessary 00:50:09.768 --> 00:50:15.982 - funding from what we need to be focused on, building a new jail as soon as possible. To suggest a solution 00:50:15.982 --> 00:50:19.582 - like transferring inmates to other counties is irresponsible. 00:50:19.682 --> 00:50:25.892 - The estimated cost of $3 to $11 million in structural remediations, $1 million per year to house at 00:50:25.892 --> 00:50:32.226 - least 50 inmates in other counties' facilities, $100,000 for a transit van and $1 million per year in 00:50:32.226 --> 00:50:38.436 - wages for six new guards, and by the way, these are estimates in 2021 dollars, are sunk costs. They 00:50:38.436 --> 00:50:44.894 - do nothing to move us towards developing a new jail. They also add significant risks to our jail staff. 00:50:45.506 --> 00:50:51.830 - Our bond council has advised us to complete the bond process by July 2026, but a specific site needs 00:50:51.830 --> 00:50:58.403 - to be selected before that bond can be initiated. We're already collecting a portion of the local income 00:50:58.403 --> 00:51:04.915 - tax that aside for this project. The funding is available. It has to be structured into a bond to allay 00:51:04.915 --> 00:51:11.614 - residents concerns in the words of George HW Bush, read my lips, no new taxes. North park is shovel ready. 00:51:11.970 --> 00:51:17.905 - With a purchase agreement and a bond, we can break ground early next year and the facility can be operational 00:51:17.905 --> 00:51:23.409 - by 2030. We've done our due diligence investigating properties across the county. A few years ago, we 00:51:23.409 --> 00:51:29.020 - brought a petition before the city planning commission and the city council to build the justice center 00:51:29.020 --> 00:51:34.631 - on Fullerton Pike. Both bodies rejected the petition. We spent nearly a year on that process. We stated 00:51:34.631 --> 00:51:40.189 - at the time that if Fullerton Pike was rejected by the city, the county would look outside city limits 00:51:40.189 --> 00:51:41.214 - for this facility. 00:51:41.826 --> 00:51:47.041 - What does Thompson offer? Yes, it's in the city and yes, the county owns it. But here are the issues 00:51:47.041 --> 00:51:52.412 - with that property. The City Plan Commission and City Council must approve a change to the planned unit 00:51:52.412 --> 00:51:57.679 - development or PUD. We can't proceed with that approval. It's a necessary public process that we have 00:51:57.679 --> 00:52:03.152 - to respect and it can't be shortened or avoided. That fact alone makes any project on Thompson impossible 00:52:03.152 --> 00:52:08.522 - to complete either by Fox deadline of May 29th, 2026 or the bond council's deadline. In addition, there 00:52:08.522 --> 00:52:10.846 - are other issues with the Thompson property. 00:52:11.394 --> 00:52:16.962 - These need to be resolved before we can move forward. Cars features need to be studied and remediated. 00:52:16.962 --> 00:52:22.475 - There needs to be a large amount of dirt that must be removed. Relocation of high voltage power lines 00:52:22.475 --> 00:52:27.881 - that Duke estimates 1.5 years to complete. And a road needs to be built from the summit development 00:52:27.881 --> 00:52:33.395 - onto the Thompson property. Even if everything goes well, we would be years away from breaking ground 00:52:33.395 --> 00:52:36.638 - on Thompson and at a significant cost. And meanwhile, human 00:52:37.218 --> 00:52:42.924 - lives and inmates are suffering while we wait. This doesn't include increases in construction costs 00:52:42.924 --> 00:52:48.631 - also during that time period. The Fullerton Pike property poses concerns. It requires us before May 00:52:48.631 --> 00:52:54.508 - 29th to complete a purchase agreement and to acquire a zoning change again by the City Plan Commission 00:52:54.508 --> 00:52:56.734 - and City Council. Both are impossible. 00:52:56.834 --> 00:53:02.192 - The property was only slightly less expensive than North Park to purchase, but it has less buildable 00:53:02.192 --> 00:53:07.868 - area and will also require additional costs and time to complete stormwater remediation. It's also further 00:53:07.868 --> 00:53:13.332 - from downtown than North Park, and there isn't a transit route at this site either. The County Council 00:53:13.332 --> 00:53:18.689 - has only provided approval on two sites to date, Fullerton and North Park. Mr. Falk and the ACLU are 00:53:18.689 --> 00:53:24.100 - focused on the construction of a new jail, not a full justice center. We intend to get the jail built 00:53:24.100 --> 00:53:25.214 - as soon as possible. 00:53:25.346 --> 00:53:32.781 - The jail, jail administration offices, sheriff's office, and a few criminal courts are included. Once 00:53:32.781 --> 00:53:40.435 - we are able to, based on the state legislature, we should proceed with the construction of the remainder 00:53:40.435 --> 00:53:47.724 - of the justice center. And may I remind you guys, in the election, we just elected a whole swath of 00:53:47.724 --> 00:53:54.430 - red, red people, red Trump state electors. These people are not going to give us any relief 00:53:54.882 --> 00:54:02.754 - from criminal laws. They're going to put a more punitive slate of criminal laws before us. So the imperative 00:54:02.754 --> 00:54:10.192 - to get this project done doesn't just relate to criminalization of homelessness and the cash bail bond 00:54:10.192 --> 00:54:17.413 - amendment coming before us. We have five new people that stand to be elected in November that Trump 00:54:17.413 --> 00:54:22.974 - put lots of dark money into the election to get into place in the primaries. 00:54:23.202 --> 00:54:30.670 - We have to keep that in mind. So once we're able to, we should proceed with the construction of the 00:54:30.670 --> 00:54:38.437 - remainder of the justice center, co-location reduces security risks and overall costs in the long term. 00:54:38.437 --> 00:54:46.205 - And folks have raised questions and concerns about transit. We have the time to figure this out. Either 00:54:46.205 --> 00:54:52.254 - we work with Bloomington Transit or we expand the bus service we already provide 00:54:52.962 --> 00:54:59.319 - with rural transit shadow service. We can contract with a ride sharing service provider when transit 00:54:59.319 --> 00:55:05.738 - is not available to ensure that person gets home or to beacon or to whatever location they need to go 00:55:05.738 --> 00:55:12.158 - to in Monroe County. This would actually be better than what we currently offer at the jail downtown. 00:55:12.706 --> 00:55:19.799 - And think about it. We hear transit thrown around all the time. Is transit an issue that can be addressed, 00:55:19.799 --> 00:55:26.826 - an issue that can be managed more important than providing a community standard of care for people housed 00:55:26.826 --> 00:55:33.522 - in the Monroe County jail? The people who are not going to be at the microphone today are central to 00:55:33.522 --> 00:55:39.422 - this issue. The people currently housed in the jail and jailers who face increased risk. 00:55:39.938 --> 00:55:46.432 - If you truly care about creating a jail facility as soon as possible that can provide constitutional 00:55:46.432 --> 00:55:53.055 - care and meet the level of community care we expect in Monroe County for people that are housed there, 00:55:53.055 --> 00:55:59.742 - and you understand the potential risks and costs of a lawsuit are enormous and will impact every single 00:55:59.742 --> 00:56:06.686 - taxpayer of Monroe County, we ask you to support this purchase agreement at the second reading on May 26th. 00:56:06.786 --> 00:56:15.385 - We did take this time to review things that you've already been presented, and I apologize for that, 00:56:15.385 --> 00:56:24.239 - but we did so because there's been a lot of misinformation bandied about, and we need to make sure that 00:56:24.239 --> 00:56:32.923 - we set the record straight for the public. We do believe you understand the issues. Mr. Cockrell, can 00:56:32.923 --> 00:56:36.414 - you address the appraisal issue, please? 00:56:36.898 --> 00:56:44.467 - And in accordance with state law, we're required to get two appraisals, and we're not allowed to pay 00:56:44.467 --> 00:56:52.110 - more than the average of those two appraisals. The document before you, you guys, the appraisals are, 00:56:52.110 --> 00:56:59.679 - once we received them, were put on file with you guys two, three years ago, and so we're required to 00:56:59.679 --> 00:57:05.374 - not pay more than that. And we also want to invite Sheriff Marte to come up 00:57:06.146 --> 00:57:12.955 - and offer whatever comments he wishes to at the time. Before he speaks, I would like to just make a 00:57:12.955 --> 00:57:19.900 - comment. Yeah, no, I'm gonna finish this. Council Member Hawke. I am. The sheriff has been invited to 00:57:19.900 --> 00:57:26.914 - the microphone and there will be time for council to react to what has been said. All I am saying, the 00:57:26.914 --> 00:57:33.246 - comment was made. There will be time. To try to split up this council that's worked together 00:57:33.538 --> 00:57:42.961 - no matter what the politics, and that comment was inappropriate. Sheriff Marte, the floor is yours. 00:57:42.961 --> 00:57:52.572 - Let me start by saying that for me, this has never been about politics. Never. When I took over three 00:57:52.572 --> 00:58:00.958 - years ago, very transparent, I gave a PowerPoint and showed you what I was walking into. 00:58:02.114 --> 00:58:09.527 - and what was taking place. That was very intentional. Because I said then, and I'm saying now, time 00:58:09.527 --> 00:58:17.386 - is of the essence. I know for a fact what I said at times bothers certain people when I said we're moving 00:58:17.386 --> 00:58:25.170 - too slow. And I said it. Some of you might remember I said we're moving too slow. And it was intentional 00:58:25.170 --> 00:58:30.878 - when I said that. Because as I'm walking into that facility day in, day out, 00:58:31.874 --> 00:58:41.636 - and I'm looking at people that we're supposed to be taking care of because this city, this county, supposed 00:58:41.636 --> 00:58:50.855 - to be occurring and giving county. If everybody saw what was going on, they would be embarrassed. Not 00:58:50.855 --> 00:59:00.798 - everyone sees what goes on in there. Everyone has good ideas that they think they do, but those are opinions. 00:59:01.314 --> 00:59:09.282 - I'm dealing with facts. The years of experience that I have around me, of people that have done this 00:59:09.282 --> 00:59:17.251 - for a long time, it's offensive to us that no one has listened to us to a certain degree. We are not 00:59:17.251 --> 00:59:25.140 - going to make everybody happy. We're just not. We're not. Three years ago, I know for a fact I gave 00:59:25.140 --> 00:59:31.294 - a PowerPoint presentation. And here we are, three years ago, and here we are. 00:59:36.386 --> 00:59:47.042 - Ken Falk came to the jail, gave a last tour. I invited the council members and I invited the commissioners. 00:59:47.042 --> 00:59:57.204 - Some of you came, some of you did not. He was crystal clear what he saw. And what he saw, he's correct 00:59:57.204 --> 01:00:05.886 - because I've been saying it from day one. We cannot provide the programs that is needed 01:00:07.298 --> 01:00:15.833 - According to people that want to have. I program so they don't end up in that facility. But yet when 01:00:15.833 --> 01:00:24.622 - they do. We can provide the programs that we should be able to provide. The medical care. We can't even 01:00:24.622 --> 01:00:33.918 - keep up. And it's not my fault because I've done everything that we can. My staff has done everything we can. 01:00:35.906 --> 01:00:45.098 - When I came to you three years ago and I asked for help, then again, in 2024, I asked for help. 01:00:45.098 --> 01:00:54.769 - If you notice, I kind of stayed away for a few meetings because I just couldn't understand what else 01:00:54.769 --> 01:01:02.334 - can I say, what else can I do to have this body move on this. Now, North Park. 01:01:07.938 --> 01:01:18.300 - To me, when I first started, it was Fullerton. Okay. It didn't work out because of the zoning with the 01:01:18.300 --> 01:01:28.361 - city. Okay. And then, when we understood the challenges of Thompson, and when we, a few of us, went 01:01:28.361 --> 01:01:35.806 - and spoke to the community in that area, and they were very crystal clear 01:01:37.666 --> 01:01:44.511 - we move to North Park. So to me, I want to be crystal clear, it's not about North Park. If you could 01:01:44.511 --> 01:01:51.355 - say tomorrow morning, I have another location that we could move right now, not me right now, that's 01:01:51.355 --> 01:01:58.268 - the place I want to go to. In other words, I want to go to a place that's the fastest. And North Park 01:01:58.268 --> 01:02:05.180 - is the place, is the place. And I'm going to say it again, we are not going to please everybody. It's 01:02:05.180 --> 01:02:06.942 - just not going to happen. 01:02:07.618 --> 01:02:17.539 - I'm sorry, it's not going to happen. But I can tell you this. Every minute, every day, every hour, there 01:02:17.539 --> 01:02:27.082 - are people in that facility. But not everybody in this room sees except for me and my staff. And I'm 01:02:27.082 --> 01:02:35.774 - telling you, it's very difficult. I'm telling you, it's getting worse. It is getting worse. 01:02:37.442 --> 01:02:44.776 - I can't tell you anymore about the elevator breaking down. I just can't, I really, I don't know what 01:02:44.776 --> 01:02:52.111 - else to say about that. Now because of the mold, the mold, for me to clean the windows, the bag that 01:02:52.111 --> 01:02:59.663 - I showed some of you three years ago with the filth in there that some of you didn't wanna touch, those 01:02:59.663 --> 01:03:05.182 - windows now have to be cleaned professionally, which is gonna cost $30,000. 01:03:06.114 --> 01:03:14.321 - I can't save money now and do it myself because of the mold. So when people say you could go ahead and 01:03:14.321 --> 01:03:22.846 - remodel that place, no. I understand it's innocent when they say that. They don't understand the structure 01:03:22.846 --> 01:03:31.132 - until you're in there, day in and day out. So now, when something else happens, which I don't know when 01:03:31.132 --> 01:03:34.558 - it's going to happen, when it will happen, 01:03:37.186 --> 01:03:47.410 - It's gonna be me and my staff to deal with that. No one else in this building. Me and my staff. So yes. 01:03:47.410 --> 01:03:57.242 - Yes. I stayed away for a few because I didn't want to offend anyone. I did not. But I've never gone 01:03:57.242 --> 01:04:05.598 - to anyone's backyard and try to tell them how to do their job. I have not done that. 01:04:07.074 --> 01:04:17.475 - But people have done that to me, to my staff. It is offensive. It is. I wish I could please everybody, 01:04:17.475 --> 01:04:28.179 - but I cannot. So. You have a tough decision to make, I understand that. Please remember, there are people 01:04:28.179 --> 01:04:34.238 - in that building still waiting. And I do not want something 01:04:39.138 --> 01:04:46.035 - just let you happen. And I have to come back here and sit here and explain to you what just happened 01:04:46.035 --> 01:04:53.273 - because I just don't know. I don't know what's going to happen later. I don't know what's going to happen 01:04:53.273 --> 01:05:00.239 - tomorrow or next week in that building. This is urgent. This is urgent. Now, if you have questions of 01:05:00.239 --> 01:05:07.341 - me, I'd be more than happy to answer them. If not, I'll go back and sit down. And we can take questions 01:05:07.341 --> 01:05:08.638 - as well. Any of us 01:05:09.826 --> 01:05:16.315 - All right, great. I think this is what we're gonna do moving forward since Council Member Crossley just 01:05:16.315 --> 01:05:22.680 - arrived to the record. The way that I would recommend that we move forward is that we have a time for 01:05:22.680 --> 01:05:29.169 - council members to ask questions, then we go to the public and allow them time for public comment, then 01:05:29.169 --> 01:05:35.596 - they come back to council for a final round of questions. If we choose. And yes, and just I wanna make 01:05:35.596 --> 01:05:37.406 - sure that we're prioritizing 01:05:37.570 --> 01:05:45.148 - public comment and that we preserve the right to have a dialogue between Council Commissioners and Sheriff. 01:05:45.148 --> 01:05:52.585 - All right, Madam President, the floor is yours. Thank you. Duties call, but here we are. Okay, so looking 01:05:52.585 --> 01:05:59.671 - to and by the way, I was listening via cats. So I heard a lot, but I'll refrain for right now. But I 01:05:59.671 --> 01:06:05.214 - want to look to my colleagues to see if they have any questions. Yes, Council. 01:06:05.314 --> 01:06:13.473 - Well first of all I want to have a comment for our sheriff because as you know this council has been 01:06:13.473 --> 01:06:21.714 - many times bending over backwards to be supportive of our sheriff's department of our deputies of the 01:06:21.714 --> 01:06:29.873 - jail and the jailers when the commissioners were saying we're not going to let you put lipstick on a 01:06:29.873 --> 01:06:32.862 - pig this council stepped up and said 01:06:33.026 --> 01:06:40.273 - we will make sure you get the money. All you have to do is come on, we will make sure you've got the 01:06:40.273 --> 01:06:47.520 - money that you need to operate. And it seems to me that right now, we have every council member here 01:06:47.520 --> 01:06:54.982 - who wishes to proceed with building a new jail. So you shouldn't, in my opinion, be concerned that that 01:06:54.982 --> 01:07:01.726 - won't go forward. Yes, once again, we are reminded that the Sheriff's Department, the courts, 01:07:01.890 --> 01:07:09.376 - Commissioners at the time the council at the time Had an offer to purchase that was accepted But several 01:07:09.376 --> 01:07:16.862 - million dollars less to go to Fullerton Pike That was when we had a different mayor and different people 01:07:16.862 --> 01:07:24.134 - on the council that changed over how many years ago and I am told by the mayor nobody has come to her 01:07:24.134 --> 01:07:24.990 - to say that 01:07:25.186 --> 01:07:31.868 - Now, maybe that's changed last week or so, but at the time, nobody came to say, could we move forward 01:07:31.868 --> 01:07:38.681 - with Fullerton? If we had just grabbed the reins and started moving forward with Fullerton right there, 01:07:38.681 --> 01:07:45.429 - we would have been, you know, the first would be in, we'd be going. So it takes the commissioners, but 01:07:45.429 --> 01:07:52.242 - it also takes the council. So at one time, the commissioners and the council both agreed on a location. 01:07:52.242 --> 01:07:54.142 - That location was Fullerton. 01:07:54.370 --> 01:08:00.997 - If we could go to Thompson, then we don't have to pay money at all for the ground, but the repairs or 01:08:00.997 --> 01:08:07.818 - whatever, whatever it take it. I understand that it'd take a while, but any way you go, you're not gonna 01:08:07.818 --> 01:08:14.315 - have a new jail to go to tomorrow. So we've got to figure out what's not just best for the jail and 01:08:14.315 --> 01:08:20.877 - how that's gonna operate, but for the community at large and where is the best location that's going 01:08:20.877 --> 01:08:24.190 - to provide the best services for the entire county 01:08:24.962 --> 01:08:34.516 - and for the people that we serve there. So I just want you to know, we support you. We do. This council 01:08:34.516 --> 01:08:44.070 - as a whole has supported moving forward. And so if we don't agree on the same location, I think we need 01:08:44.070 --> 01:08:52.062 - to find one that we will agree on and that might, that's either Thompson or Fullerton. 01:08:56.354 --> 01:09:03.984 - Let me say it this way. I've only been here three years. There's some members of the council have been 01:09:03.984 --> 01:09:11.466 - here before me. This issue did not start when I came here. And I did say three years ago, let's move 01:09:11.466 --> 01:09:19.170 - on this and let's move quickly. So the matter to me is not what happened with the commissioner's annual 01:09:19.170 --> 01:09:25.022 - council. And I said that I don't want to be part of a political football here. 01:09:25.730 --> 01:09:33.385 - I want to be able to get this fixed as soon as possible. And if there's another location short of North 01:09:33.385 --> 01:09:40.893 - Park that could do it tomorrow, then that's what I prefer. Something that we could move very quickly. 01:09:40.893 --> 01:09:48.401 - Simple as that. There are certain things that I came to the council that was denied. I'm not bringing 01:09:48.401 --> 01:09:52.670 - that up. So what I'm saying very crystal clear right now, 01:09:53.122 --> 01:10:00.822 - I'm not gonna get into that right. This is not the place or time, but I will down the road and make 01:10:00.822 --> 01:10:08.676 - a crystal clear of what I was denied. However, right now, the issue is, because if you keep going the 01:10:08.676 --> 01:10:16.530 - same path, and three years ago, when I started, we're still here, some of the council was here before 01:10:16.530 --> 01:10:21.150 - me. So I don't understand why is it now we're saying, okay, 01:10:21.410 --> 01:10:28.754 - we all have to agree in the same location. We're not going to agree in the same location. We're just 01:10:28.754 --> 01:10:36.098 - not. May I also respond briefly? Sure. Thank you so much. I appreciate Sheriff Marte's words. We, as 01:10:36.098 --> 01:10:43.659 - the Board of Commissioners, have supported the Sheriff's Department's contracts throughout all of this. 01:10:43.659 --> 01:10:51.294 - And really, let's talk about, rather than pointing fingers, I think it's important to remember that this 01:10:51.426 --> 01:10:58.581 - facility, especially if we are eventually talking about a co-located facility, requires everybody to 01:10:58.581 --> 01:11:05.665 - work together. A lot of different elected officials and department heads have to work together. And 01:11:05.665 --> 01:11:13.033 - that's the only way we're going to be successful moving forward. I also want to remind the council that 01:11:13.033 --> 01:11:19.550 - when we talk to city planning, we were told that there is a six to nine month window to get 01:11:19.714 --> 01:11:30.334 - a planning zoning request through. That is their process, much like the county has a process. And even 01:11:30.334 --> 01:11:40.645 - if that were shortened by five, they're still talking about missing the deadline at the end of May. 01:11:40.645 --> 01:11:48.894 - So it's, Mr. Falk requires that a site be selected. The other thing is we have, 01:11:48.994 --> 01:11:55.755 - We have talked through a number of things that are important to us. And no site is perfect. 01:11:55.755 --> 01:12:03.471 - None of them are. But right now, all of our priorities, all the things we've talked about, oh, proximity 01:12:03.471 --> 01:12:11.260 - to transit and downtown and this and that, all of these things that we've talked about that are important 01:12:11.260 --> 01:12:18.462 - to us, we now have that element of time that has become critical because of this pending lawsuit. 01:12:19.010 --> 01:12:26.875 - And that one element has risen to the top of our priority list. And because time is going to be money 01:12:26.875 --> 01:12:34.817 - if we don't make that deadline. Thank you. So if I can council members, I want to jump in here because 01:12:34.817 --> 01:12:43.067 - specifically since time is money. And that was a question that you or something you just post Commissioner 01:12:43.067 --> 01:12:48.542 - Thomas, I guess, and not trying to play political football this point, 01:12:48.866 --> 01:12:58.154 - to whomever, but in order for us to get to where we need to go, we kind of have to know where we came 01:12:58.154 --> 01:13:07.896 - from. And this is to you specifically. I guess since time is money, how has it been that county government 01:13:07.896 --> 01:13:15.454 - has sat on this for as long as we have and has had the ACLU extend, extend, extend 01:13:15.778 --> 01:13:24.066 - throughout all this time and nobody has said anything up until the moment when we took the vote October 01:13:24.066 --> 01:13:32.194 - 28th. That's one thing. The other thing that I want to say is, yes, we did hear in city planning back 01:13:32.194 --> 01:13:40.323 - in February that they were saying approximately. However, I would like to say for the record, though, 01:13:40.323 --> 01:13:45.662 - we also heard you need to give us what you need in order for us to 01:13:46.146 --> 01:13:53.717 - to make this work. I've heard that more than one ways, I've talked to more than one city colleagues 01:13:53.717 --> 01:14:01.515 - and officials, and yet here we are. So I guess, you know, when I hear you say that we all need to work 01:14:01.515 --> 01:14:09.162 - together, that's fine, that's great. I think that's a common denominator that all of us can say that 01:14:09.162 --> 01:14:11.358 - that's something that we can 01:14:12.450 --> 01:14:18.377 - But it's frustrating to sit here and say that to us when, in January, during our public meetings, we 01:14:18.377 --> 01:14:24.303 - heard all along that North Park was a thing, even though back in October, we voted it down. That was 01:14:24.303 --> 01:14:30.289 - something that you had mentioned. And the ball's in our court, the ball's in our court, the ball's in 01:14:30.289 --> 01:14:36.333 - our court. Well, we picked it up, we dribbled, we did what we needed to do, and then we passed it back 01:14:36.333 --> 01:14:42.142 - to our colleagues who are on the same colleague team. And so what you did with that, I don't know. 01:14:42.626 --> 01:14:49.634 - But my question that I would like to ask since, and looking around, I know you've been around in county 01:14:49.634 --> 01:14:56.709 - government, both on council and as a current commissioner is, how did we get to the point where, I guess 01:14:56.709 --> 01:15:03.649 - I'd just like to know anybody. I don't know if anybody can answer this because public has been asking, 01:15:03.649 --> 01:15:06.142 - how have we sat on this for so long? 01:15:06.338 --> 01:15:13.720 - I was not in government at all, only had one child at the time, now I have three and we're still sitting 01:15:13.720 --> 01:15:21.384 - where we sat way back when. So can you explain to us and the public for that matter, how did this extension, 01:15:21.384 --> 01:15:28.696 - how does extensions keep getting granted and why didn't we do anything in the first place? I can answer 01:15:28.696 --> 01:15:33.758 - part of that question and I'm gonna ask Mr. Cockrell to also address it 01:15:33.986 --> 01:15:45.020 - because he's been here as well. I will say that the first settlement agreements related to caps on the 01:15:45.020 --> 01:15:56.054 - number of people in the facility at any given time. And I was not privy to that as a member of council 01:15:56.054 --> 01:16:02.910 - at that time. Now, there are a lot of things that have happened 01:16:04.130 --> 01:16:11.313 - between 2009 and today. But I will disagree with the assessment that we suddenly appeared last year 01:16:11.313 --> 01:16:18.568 - with a purchase agreement. This has been an ongoing discussion interrupted by COVID. It's not what I 01:16:18.568 --> 01:16:26.110 - said. That's not what I said. Okay. That's what I heard. Yeah. Okay. Because I heard, why is it suddenly 01:16:26.110 --> 01:16:32.862 - now we have to do something? It's not sudden. There isn't a rush here. But what's happened is 01:16:33.282 --> 01:16:42.147 - We have done the due diligence of working through properties, engineering reports, geotechnical, all 01:16:42.147 --> 01:16:51.802 - that good stuff, identifying, working through all of that, pros and cons of each one, meeting with neighbors, 01:16:51.802 --> 01:16:56.542 - Broadview, Vernal Pike, and at North Park especially. 01:16:57.026 --> 01:17:06.415 - but we've looked at way more properties than that. Fullerton, we didn't have to, there's only one neighbor 01:17:06.415 --> 01:17:15.365 - and that conversation was had. And those conversations were helpful and enlightening and it helped us 01:17:15.365 --> 01:17:24.140 - determine the kinds of things we need to focus on. But no property is perfect. Now we did community 01:17:24.140 --> 01:17:26.334 - study, we did the report 01:17:26.434 --> 01:17:39.588 - with Ray, the Ray report. Then there was COVID. And I will also say that it depended on which sheriff 01:17:39.588 --> 01:17:52.872 - was in charge of that jail as well. How much did they bring to us as commissioners for remediation and 01:17:52.872 --> 01:17:55.838 - remodeling, et cetera. 01:17:56.578 --> 01:18:04.601 - The fault lies everywhere. But between the Great Recession and COVID, I've consistently heard that it's 01:18:04.601 --> 01:18:12.316 - too much money. And it is a lot of money. It makes my eyes water to think about how much money this 01:18:12.316 --> 01:18:20.107 - is. And that's a huge commitment. And I get this is a big decision, probably the biggest you'll make 01:18:20.107 --> 01:18:25.662 - as a council member. It's huge. I respect the gravity of that decision. 01:18:25.762 --> 01:18:33.995 - But we, right now, are thinking about time. And Mr. Cockrell, did you want to add anything? I guess 01:18:33.995 --> 01:18:42.392 - I can maybe add a little bit. I would just start that Bill Sager handled the litigations back in 2008 01:18:42.392 --> 01:18:50.872 - and 2009. So I wasn't really a whole privy to that. But look through our geo bonds that we have issued 01:18:50.872 --> 01:18:53.918 - in the last 15, 20 years, you'll see 01:18:54.434 --> 01:19:01.450 - double bunking certain cell blocks as part of that. I mean, it's not like it was nothing was happening. 01:19:01.450 --> 01:19:08.263 - I mean, things had been happening. We double bunked our things we had. We built in the mental health 01:19:08.263 --> 01:19:15.144 - area, whatever we call it, whatever it's called now. So there were things doing that were being done. 01:19:15.144 --> 01:19:21.890 - I think the other thing I would say is really the ACLU started being a little bit more skeptical of 01:19:21.890 --> 01:19:24.318 - us in 2019, which is what triggered 01:19:24.738 --> 01:19:31.417 - the study, the Kenray study and the accompanying community assessment study. So, you know, that's when 01:19:31.417 --> 01:19:37.901 - this all started from a ramp up from kind of the ACLU's perspective as in 2019. I remember being in 01:19:37.901 --> 01:19:44.385 - a conversation with Mr. Falk who says, I think you've been using our agreed order as a crutch and I 01:19:44.385 --> 01:19:50.934 - don't think your facility is adequate. Maybe it is. Why don't you have a study done and show it? And 01:19:50.934 --> 01:19:53.982 - so we've seen the study, we know what it says. 01:19:54.114 --> 01:20:06.621 - That's really when it started ramping up from the ACLU's perspective, in my opinion. Just for the record, 01:20:06.621 --> 01:20:18.420 - I want to also say in terms of a rush, I guess what I mean by that is October 28, we sat here close 01:20:18.420 --> 01:20:22.078 - to midnight. We voted it down. 01:20:22.210 --> 01:20:29.112 - We also kept hearing, again, as I said before, you said the ball is in our court, and so we did it. 01:20:29.112 --> 01:20:36.015 - And then we answered the five questions. I guess it seems to be that if we really were truly on the 01:20:36.015 --> 01:20:42.434 - same playing field, that after that moment, we could have all sat down and we could have had 01:20:42.434 --> 01:20:49.681 - that conversation. And that's why members of the public feels that this is just a big rush. I understand 01:20:49.681 --> 01:20:51.614 - that Falk is upset with us. 01:20:51.810 --> 01:20:59.041 - But I just, it's frustrating and it kind of ticks me off that we are sitting here having to deal with 01:20:59.041 --> 01:21:06.414 - things when folks back in 2021 kept going around and saying they were the last ones to be on board with 01:21:06.414 --> 01:21:13.787 - this and now here we are. That's the part that is frustrating to me. But I digress and I'll go on. Yes, 01:21:13.787 --> 01:21:15.134 - Councilor Iverson. 01:21:15.266 --> 01:21:22.197 - I have a statement and then a question. The statement is something that I think has brought up in one 01:21:22.197 --> 01:21:29.061 - of the commissioner's remarks is that this is indeed the first reading of this ordinance. The second 01:21:29.061 --> 01:21:35.992 - reading of this ordinance will be on the 26th of this month. And so we wanted to make sure that we're 01:21:35.992 --> 01:21:43.059 - speaking that into the minutes. So I'm glad that when we can have a more robust conversation about that 01:21:43.059 --> 01:21:44.350 - should we need to. 01:21:44.642 --> 01:21:52.667 - My question to the commissioners is, in terms of costs associated with the bonding of this, we were 01:21:52.667 --> 01:22:00.852 - given two options for what this facility could be. It could be courts and a jail with corrections, or 01:22:00.852 --> 01:22:08.877 - it could also include sheriffs. So do we have any more clarity about which option the commissioners 01:22:08.877 --> 01:22:14.334 - are leaning towards at this very moment? Do you want to address it? 01:22:14.658 --> 01:22:26.027 - I have it. OK, please. So the intention to make the most sense was to option B, which was having the 01:22:26.027 --> 01:22:38.410 - jail administration, sheriff administration, and this particular estimate is based on having three courtrooms 01:22:38.410 --> 01:22:42.462 - also built out. And so for justice. 01:22:42.818 --> 01:22:50.935 - Simplify it total cost based on Sheriff Sheriff mystery jail jail administration three courtrooms is 01:22:50.935 --> 01:22:59.052 - one hundred and fifty seven million eight hundred and sixteen thousand seven hundred and two dollars 01:22:59.052 --> 01:23:06.526 - Did you say one hundred and fifty seven million or twenty seven million fifty one five seven 01:23:09.154 --> 01:23:19.822 - includes all costs that includes the soft costs before we had the 127 that did not include soft costs. 01:23:19.822 --> 01:23:30.594 - The, the, the idea for having some of the courtrooms there is to help for the security of the sheriff's 01:23:30.594 --> 01:23:33.598 - department. So that criminal 01:23:33.890 --> 01:23:39.905 - And that's what we're trying to do. We're trying to make sure that all cases can be heard where the 01:23:39.905 --> 01:23:46.220 - inmates are rather than moving them back and forth and keeping the courts all downtown now they're going 01:23:46.220 --> 01:23:52.475 - to be options. When we finally get to that point- they're going to be options- a million read a million 01:23:52.475 --> 01:23:55.422 - dollars for redesign because we're splitting the 01:23:55.682 --> 01:24:04.148 - there would have been before relating to the size of the jail, whether the sheriff's department is there 01:24:04.148 --> 01:24:12.774 - or not, et cetera. But it would have to include, we think, at least two courtrooms. So there'll be options 01:24:12.774 --> 01:24:20.918 - like how many courtrooms and how large the facility is in terms of the bed count, et cetera. So it's 01:24:20.918 --> 01:24:24.062 - not a flat number. It is a number that 01:24:24.194 --> 01:24:33.026 - You all will have to talk through that. We'll talk through with you, of course. But we don't have specific 01:24:33.026 --> 01:24:41.694 - numbers yet. I mean, that's the thing. We haven't asked them to go to bid or anything. That's the issue. 01:24:41.694 --> 01:24:50.526 - So what happens is you already know what our bonding capacity is. You guys attach that to your resolution. 01:24:50.754 --> 01:24:59.600 - Nobody wants to bond at 170 million, which would be using up all of our cash. But we can, in fact, I 01:24:59.600 --> 01:25:08.358 - believe comfortably bond at 135 million. And then we are sitting on about 70 million in reserves in 01:25:08.358 --> 01:25:16.766 - these particular funds. So the other thing to keep in mind is when we bond, we get the bond for 01:25:17.954 --> 01:25:26.091 - Whatever amount we think that we are going to want to have and the tax rate is already in place. We 01:25:26.091 --> 01:25:33.822 - are already collecting those dollars. To pay the debt and I think I need to clarify something. 01:25:34.210 --> 01:25:39.679 - We don't have $70 million in cash reserves in these funds, right? I mean, we don't have that, right? 01:25:39.679 --> 01:25:45.472 - That is a number. That's just not true. What your report indicated was that there was $135 million bonding 01:25:45.472 --> 01:25:50.995 - capacity, and then there were two areas where it says cash available for project. You added all those 01:25:50.995 --> 01:25:56.573 - up, it got to $170 million. And that was at that point in time. We are collecting still, and we're not 01:25:56.573 --> 01:26:01.987 - spending it all. So it's a little bit higher now, but it's certainly not 70, right? My mistake. And 01:26:01.987 --> 01:26:03.774 - that's based on your resolution. 01:26:04.738 --> 01:26:10.348 - I understand it. And in terms of getting to the place where we have a schematic design and we're getting 01:26:10.348 --> 01:26:15.745 - into those architectural studies, I think is the intent that the building corporation is going to be 01:26:15.745 --> 01:26:21.195 - the vehicle in which that's going to be completed in? Or is it going to be like last time where we're 01:26:21.195 --> 01:26:26.912 - having a bunch of meetings on this floor and we're going to be discussing all of those? I guess a building 01:26:26.912 --> 01:26:31.934 - corporation should not be involved with those kind of architectural decisions. That should be 01:26:33.698 --> 01:26:39.745 - the funders and the commissioners, right? I think you guys are the ones who should play a role. The 01:26:39.745 --> 01:26:45.852 - building corporation should function as the, and I think we've, I've explained this before, is their 01:26:45.852 --> 01:26:51.899 - primary function is to be able to gather enough financing in order to fund a project without coming 01:26:51.899 --> 01:26:58.066 - into butting heads with the constitutional debt limitation. It's something that the state legislature 01:26:58.066 --> 01:27:01.150 - came up with a long time ago and it's widely used. 01:27:01.250 --> 01:27:09.230 - So the building corporation's function is not to make these kind of decisions. I think that is the sheriff 01:27:09.230 --> 01:27:17.060 - clearly and his team clearly have a role to play in a lot of how particularly the jail and the sheriff's 01:27:17.060 --> 01:27:24.593 - office is designed. And I think the council and the commissioners play a role for a lot of the other 01:27:24.593 --> 01:27:31.230 - areas. And much of this has been done. They have worked with the transition team and DLZ 01:27:31.394 --> 01:27:39.171 - so much of this has basically been designed however now they have to figure out how to cut this building 01:27:39.171 --> 01:27:46.652 - in half so that it can be co-located in the future or not even but either way the building has to be 01:27:46.652 --> 01:27:54.281 - cut and that there's a fee for that and that's included in those soft costs and I and I will note that 01:27:54.281 --> 01:27:55.614 - you know we spent 01:27:56.322 --> 01:28:05.900 - about four million on design to begin with. And so there is an additional cost because we're only doing 01:28:05.900 --> 01:28:15.386 - a portion of the project. And that is something that we're not willing to spend the next approximately 01:28:15.386 --> 01:28:19.070 - million dollars to finish a new design. 01:28:19.714 --> 01:28:27.299 - until we get the purchase agreement done. Well, they won't do it because we can't. Yeah, we don't have 01:28:27.299 --> 01:28:34.663 - the property. We have to have the property for them to finish the design. I have no more questions. 01:28:34.663 --> 01:28:42.100 - I'm gonna go to Council Member Wilts and then I'll circle back to Council Member Henry. I just had a 01:28:42.100 --> 01:28:49.022 - follow-up from some things I just heard, which is about the desire to have courtrooms on site 01:28:49.410 --> 01:28:59.975 - and who is at the table making decisions because while my immediate thought is, oh, that makes sense 01:28:59.975 --> 01:29:10.435 - that you would tack courtrooms on to make it convenient for everyone, every single person that I've 01:29:10.435 --> 01:29:19.326 - talked to who works in the courts, judges and defenders, prosecutors, I've talked to 01:29:19.746 --> 01:29:27.839 - many people none of them want that and they've all actually said that would be that there's no way they 01:29:27.839 --> 01:29:35.854 - can see using that and and where's the disconnect and have you had them provide input and and that can 01:29:35.854 --> 01:29:43.791 - be something that once we initiate the bond and we get through to the point of design if that's a bid 01:29:43.791 --> 01:29:48.382 - option you want we can talk about that but the question is 01:29:48.866 --> 01:29:56.647 - the inconvenience of people who have to get in a car and go from one job site to another job site, 01:29:56.647 --> 01:30:04.506 - if they're, for example, a judge, they would have to go to do court or they could do it online, but 01:30:04.506 --> 01:30:12.837 - they would have to, they're inconvenienced and there's time involved and there's transportation involved, 01:30:12.837 --> 01:30:15.902 - so they may charge mileage, et cetera. 01:30:17.794 --> 01:30:25.113 - That's one side of the balance sheet. The other side of the balance sheet is having the jailers having 01:30:25.113 --> 01:30:32.502 - to maintain a part of the jail as operational here and also having the jailers moving people every day. 01:30:32.502 --> 01:30:39.821 - And I think that's a discussion we all need to have, but that's a discussion that needs to happen this 01:30:39.821 --> 01:30:45.150 - year, but it doesn't have to happen now, but it is out there as an option. 01:30:47.586 --> 01:30:56.943 - I agree that it seems like a very undeveloped concept, just based on all the things that I've discovered 01:30:56.943 --> 01:31:06.032 - in my conversations, but I also think that we're here to talk about a bigger issue, so let's. Council 01:31:06.032 --> 01:31:15.478 - Member Henry. Thank you. Thank you, Madam President. Thank you, commissioners, for being here and walking 01:31:15.478 --> 01:31:17.438 - through some of this. 01:31:17.794 --> 01:31:23.045 - Some questions I want to ask, but I kind of need to follow up on what I've just heard up here too, before 01:31:23.045 --> 01:31:28.495 - I get into it. And first I want to address the sheriff in saying that I don't question any of the seriousness 01:31:28.495 --> 01:31:33.499 - of what you've presented, the operational expertise your team brings to that building, the operating 01:31:33.499 --> 01:31:38.453 - environment you've been in. But I think for me, it's always been the question of the jail, which is 01:31:38.453 --> 01:31:43.407 - where you are, and where we get into these conversations that kind of grow off of them. The idea of 01:31:43.407 --> 01:31:45.438 - co-location, the idea of all these other 01:31:46.306 --> 01:31:51.635 - activities that are not really part of the lawsuit. It's always been about the jail and trying to get 01:31:51.635 --> 01:31:56.859 - back to what that care is. And so I want to honor that. I know I can tell from the frustration that 01:31:56.859 --> 01:32:02.083 - you have there. And to the extent that I've contributed to that, I want to honor that and apologize 01:32:02.083 --> 01:32:07.307 - from this seat anyway if I've contributed to that agita on your staff in any way. But I got to pick 01:32:07.307 --> 01:32:07.934 - up on this. 01:32:08.130 --> 01:32:12.740 - I don't think the answer is for us to approve a bond and hand over the purchase agreement and all of 01:32:12.740 --> 01:32:17.396 - the activities that move forward without establishing a different set of ground rules because we just 01:32:17.396 --> 01:32:22.006 - heard it. Councilor Iverson asked, well, who's the entity that's making architectural decisions? And 01:32:22.006 --> 01:32:26.708 - you rightly asked, is it the building corp, which doesn't make sense because that's a fiscal activity. 01:32:26.708 --> 01:32:31.272 - I think the community understands that we just built a convention center with a capital improvement 01:32:31.272 --> 01:32:35.928 - board that met very publicly and walked through requirements and dismissed requirements and explained 01:32:35.928 --> 01:32:37.982 - the artwork even and what was in that space. 01:32:38.210 --> 01:32:43.314 - And that's, I think, our public understanding of how one goes about building a multi-million dollar 01:32:43.314 --> 01:32:48.419 - project. That has definitely not been how this has gone up to this point. So when we have a comment 01:32:48.419 --> 01:32:53.728 - that says, oh, well, we'll work on it, or we're gonna get to it, where are those requirements gathered, 01:32:53.728 --> 01:32:58.985 - adjudicated, dismissed, or kept? Many of the public have asked for things that have been taken off the 01:32:58.985 --> 01:33:04.192 - table. This council has asked for things through the CJRC, and the JFAC activities were taken off the 01:33:04.192 --> 01:33:06.846 - table. And there was never an explanation as to why 01:33:07.458 --> 01:33:12.905 - Kind of similarly, we went through a process from January until now, where we were meeting behind closed 01:33:12.905 --> 01:33:18.145 - doors, the council had suggested properties in the city of which have never been made public, but we 01:33:18.145 --> 01:33:23.385 - went through a process in some way. But I think I would need at least a guarantee that says, I mean, 01:33:23.385 --> 01:33:28.625 - that's the question, how would you answer that to say, how can we do it differently so that we don't 01:33:28.625 --> 01:33:33.813 - relive the same process where we agree to a purchase agreement and then a few months from now, once 01:33:33.813 --> 01:33:36.926 - the design comes back and it's considerably more expensive, 01:33:37.378 --> 01:33:43.722 - for whatever reasons or maybe that we end up right back reliving last fall? I mean, how are we gonna 01:33:43.722 --> 01:33:50.380 - do this differently to make sure the public and this body is very aware of the requirements we're keeping 01:33:50.380 --> 01:33:57.164 - and the requirements we're getting rid of? I project manager, right? And I would say that in this instance, 01:33:57.164 --> 01:34:01.310 - we have one of the largest projects I've ever been involved with. 01:34:01.442 --> 01:34:08.643 - even though it's been cut in half, essentially. And I've been involved in quite a few in my time in 01:34:08.643 --> 01:34:15.988 - county government. And the process is, and as it should be, because initiating the bond is one thing, 01:34:15.988 --> 01:34:23.477 - and I know that July date is in there from our bond council. It's not something we made up. And I think 01:34:23.477 --> 01:34:31.326 - between July and December, and I know you have budget hearings in between there, but we have to talk through 01:34:31.906 --> 01:34:39.699 - we're going to have to talk through what amount we're bonding for. And if we're talking about what amount 01:34:39.699 --> 01:34:47.198 - we're bonding for, we're talking about what's included and what's not, and what our hopes are. If you 01:34:47.198 --> 01:34:54.770 - talk to those same judges, prosecutor, public defender, clerk, clerk's employees, you're going to hear 01:34:54.770 --> 01:35:01.534 - that they want co-location. That's what you hear. We can't do it thanks to the legislature. 01:35:01.954 --> 01:35:09.284 - And, but that's the bonding process. And Jeff, can you correct me if I'm wrong on any of that or add 01:35:09.284 --> 01:35:16.686 - anything if you need to? I think I might add a little bit. I think the bonding process would kick off 01:35:16.686 --> 01:35:24.089 - in July, but until the bond is finalized, which would likely be in November-ish, I don't remember the 01:35:24.089 --> 01:35:29.822 - time off my head, the amount of the bond isn't set, right? And so part of the, 01:35:30.082 --> 01:35:37.830 - Part of your question is, it got out of control. I guess I have a little different perception, but that's 01:35:37.830 --> 01:35:45.358 - fine, right? It did increase, and I don't think anybody doubts that. But the question is, how does the 01:35:45.358 --> 01:35:52.740 - council and their role is to set the budget? And so the budget gets set when, in this case, when the 01:35:52.740 --> 01:35:55.006 - bond is approved, but we can't 01:35:55.426 --> 01:36:01.627 - designed to the approval without having some idea of what the budget, you anticipate the budget to be. 01:36:01.627 --> 01:36:07.828 - Does that make sense? It does, except I would go as far as to say the budget needs to be more granular 01:36:07.828 --> 01:36:13.848 - at this point, based on trusting but verifying information that's been presented in this room up to 01:36:13.848 --> 01:36:19.929 - this point. I appreciate that walkthrough, but it gets away from what I asked, which is when someone 01:36:19.929 --> 01:36:24.926 - brings a requirement, like whether or not an office needs to be co-located or not, 01:36:26.018 --> 01:36:33.108 - It's the decision about that before the presentation of the product by the LZ to us to say, well, here's 01:36:33.108 --> 01:36:33.918 - the design. 01:36:34.114 --> 01:36:39.992 - It's the gray space. That's what I'm after. Mr. Thomas, I read the Herald Times archive way too much. 01:36:39.992 --> 01:36:45.755 - And back in 2008, when you first ran for office, you were as ardent as Counselor Wilts when it came 01:36:45.755 --> 01:36:51.690 - to alternatives for diversion programs. And you have chased some of those stride centers, for example. 01:36:51.690 --> 01:36:57.683 - I mean, there's been a history here. And so I guess for me, it's hard to sit across from you after your 01:36:57.683 --> 01:37:04.080 - 17 years of August service, where you fought for these things early days, and now we're at a point where those 01:37:04.080 --> 01:37:10.803 - things aren't in this facility and I don't know why they're off the checklist okay and so it's so it's 01:37:10.803 --> 01:37:17.396 - not even about relitigating that I just want to know how we decide when something is proposed why it 01:37:17.396 --> 01:37:24.316 - gets jettisoned or why we're keeping it and how to do that publicly okay so to answer both your questions 01:37:24.316 --> 01:37:30.974 - I would say that one of the things I would like to see us do is to combine our opioid settlement fund 01:37:31.362 --> 01:37:39.027 - dollars from the opioid lawsuit settlements with the cities. And put those things together and come 01:37:39.027 --> 01:37:46.769 - up with a mental health substance use disorder facility inpatient outpatient whatever we can do. And 01:37:46.769 --> 01:37:54.434 - maybe Thompson's the site or you we can decide to sell Thompson all of those things are things that 01:37:54.434 --> 01:37:59.646 - we all need to work together on. The other thing I will say is that 01:38:00.322 --> 01:38:07.753 - We don't have granular information about what the design looks like at this moment. We had it, but we 01:38:07.753 --> 01:38:15.111 - don't have it with the courts sort of lopped off the side of it. So we don't have that. But we don't 01:38:15.111 --> 01:38:22.614 - want to, and they won't do it, pursue that granular design work, which he said will take about a month 01:38:22.614 --> 01:38:28.734 - to readjust things. You have to readjust HVAC and plumbing and all kinds of things. 01:38:28.834 --> 01:38:36.343 - until this purchase agreement is done. And at that moment, yes, we all need to work together to figure 01:38:36.343 --> 01:38:43.852 - out what, you know, when you put out that bid, again, you put out a range of items. And it may be that 01:38:43.852 --> 01:38:51.360 - three of you want to see what it will cost to add another cord. And, you know, I might say, well, what 01:38:51.360 --> 01:38:57.630 - about this? And we put all of those things in that bid package as a range of options. 01:38:57.954 --> 01:39:06.995 - right? Two courts, one court, one in-house court, whatever it might be. Those are things that we will 01:39:06.995 --> 01:39:16.037 - be talking about. I don't think there's anything that our office would be involved in in terms of the 01:39:16.037 --> 01:39:26.142 - jail or jail administration side. Certainly, that's not our purview. So there are some issues of granularity that 01:39:27.362 --> 01:39:36.217 - are not in our... There are issues of granularity that are not things that we are masters of and that 01:39:36.217 --> 01:39:45.159 - we know enough about to be involved in. But you can clearly say, what about the size? What about this? 01:39:45.159 --> 01:39:53.841 - What about that? Et cetera. So I think there are a number of issues that would have to be resolved. 01:39:53.841 --> 01:39:55.230 - We'd have to... 01:39:55.394 --> 01:40:02.809 - We'd have to have a range of items to go out for bid. Mr. Cockrell, maybe you want to add something? 01:40:02.809 --> 01:40:10.517 - I would just say, in some ways, it's a chicken or an egg thing, right? As somebody who's worked on this, 01:40:10.517 --> 01:40:17.931 - if you gave me a budget, then I could say, we could do this, this, or this, right? And we could work 01:40:17.931 --> 01:40:23.070 - with our design team, and we could say, here are your choices, right? 01:40:24.386 --> 01:40:31.306 - what do you want in it? And then we get to tell you, well, this is what each of these components costs. 01:40:31.306 --> 01:40:38.360 - I mean, I guess from my perspective, what are people comfortable with? How do they wanna proceed forward? 01:40:38.360 --> 01:40:45.147 - Do they wanna go with the, we wanna know, I mean, I think we've said with that $157 million, which is 01:40:45.147 --> 01:40:52.068 - scary to me, I'll be honest, number that we've got three courtrooms, we've got the jail administration, 01:40:52.068 --> 01:40:53.598 - we've got the sheriffs 01:40:53.922 --> 01:41:01.230 - the sheriff's office and we've got the jail, well, at some point in time, I think we would need to know 01:41:01.230 --> 01:41:08.609 - what each of those components cost. So we can trim that number down if necessary. I appreciate it, Jeff. 01:41:08.609 --> 01:41:15.636 - So this wasn't really where I wanted to go, Madam President. I can't do project management 101 at 6 01:41:15.636 --> 01:41:17.182 - o'clock on a Tuesday. 01:41:17.378 --> 01:41:22.152 - you know, we build everything from a birdhouse to a battleship with an idea that there's a manager and 01:41:22.152 --> 01:41:27.019 - there's milestones and timelines and all that's very public and transparent. And it's something we still 01:41:27.019 --> 01:41:31.794 - need to work on because I'm talking right past the tables here. I mean, I really don't know how to get 01:41:31.794 --> 01:41:36.475 - at that this evening. Let me get to the question of the council, which is really the fiduciary piece 01:41:36.475 --> 01:41:41.111 - of this. And it was mentioned earlier because there was an article in the Herald Times asking about 01:41:41.111 --> 01:41:46.302 - this. So I want to start off by saying that I'm going to ask some questions about valuation. And it's not about 01:41:46.626 --> 01:41:52.531 - cases and divorces. It's about how we got an appraisal on a property that's been presented in the purchase 01:41:52.531 --> 01:41:58.049 - agreement, and I need to understand how we got here. So I'm going to ask some stuff about this. And 01:41:58.049 --> 01:42:03.733 - the point of that is to help the public understand where the $5 million number came from on a property 01:42:03.733 --> 01:42:09.473 - that is no longer going to be generating any economic benefit or part of it to the community. So that's 01:42:09.473 --> 01:42:12.894 - where we need to ask what we're being asked to purchase here. 01:42:12.994 --> 01:42:18.430 - We had, and I appreciate that we've mentioned tonight, there were two appraisals. Those were offered 01:42:18.430 --> 01:42:23.865 - to council. It's part of the resolution that we accept or at least entertain those or look at those. 01:42:23.865 --> 01:42:29.355 - Those appraisals started, I believe, in 2024, late 24, and they were presented to the county in March 01:42:29.355 --> 01:42:35.006 - and April of 25. I think that's the way I understand it from the sheet. One was March and one was April. 01:42:35.170 --> 01:42:41.204 - Does that last year does that sound right to Jeff you're telling me but it sounds like to me honestly 01:42:41.204 --> 01:42:44.990 - because I think when the council approved the original purchase 01:42:45.314 --> 01:42:50.891 - ordinance for North Park, I believe they approved it in October of 2024. So those appraisals would have 01:42:50.891 --> 01:42:56.361 - occurred prior to that time. Okay, so we got appraisals that are a year and a half or so stale, or at 01:42:56.361 --> 01:43:01.724 - least understanding that. There's a really big thing that happened in that timeline between the two 01:43:01.724 --> 01:43:07.140 - appraisals of the property, and this was the adviceo and the first appraisal group's assessment, and 01:43:07.140 --> 01:43:11.806 - where we are now. And it happened in April of 25 when the plan commission in this room 01:43:11.970 --> 01:43:17.011 - change the PUD for some of the properties with Mr. Crider to figure out how to simplify. I think that 01:43:17.011 --> 01:43:21.954 - was the way it was put in the room, to simplify the PUD for the purpose of doing something with the 01:43:21.954 --> 01:43:26.945 - balance of the property. In that room, I asked him, he was standing right there, I was sitting about 01:43:26.945 --> 01:43:32.382 - here in plan commission, I asked him, first of all, is this something you want to do? And it seemed like that 01:43:32.482 --> 01:43:37.190 - was affirmative and I also asked him, you know who initiated the question which I never got an answer 01:43:37.190 --> 01:43:41.897 - on if that was a council or county driven question to change the PD or if it was his desire to change 01:43:41.897 --> 01:43:46.743 - the PD based on the fact that the county was interested in purchasing that property again that's neither 01:43:46.743 --> 01:43:49.374 - here nor there tonight what's important is the timeline. 01:43:49.506 --> 01:43:55.635 - Because the appraisal was done at a time when both the appraisals had said that the the valuation was 01:43:55.635 --> 01:44:01.884 - based on commercial multifamily mixed-use that was advisee Oh the first Appraisal group said commercial 01:44:01.884 --> 01:44:07.953 - or mixed-use and so when they were appraising the property at eleven point seven five or whatever it 01:44:07.953 --> 01:44:13.961 - was looking at comps of a of what like Property in the county would generate that economic benefit, 01:44:13.961 --> 01:44:17.086 - right? It wasn't a governmental use of the property 01:44:17.250 --> 01:44:22.662 - So we made it a governmental use by rezoning to create a government center at the PUD, instead of a 01:44:22.662 --> 01:44:28.182 - lifestyle center where one would go out and buy mall type things, which was the original vision under 01:44:28.182 --> 01:44:33.811 - the comp plan. And that's where I'm having a hard time with understanding the current value. And that's 01:44:33.811 --> 01:44:39.710 - why I said what I said in the paper. So my first question on this is, and maybe for the public to understand 01:44:39.710 --> 01:44:44.094 - this a little bit better, what we're really talking about is the land out there, 01:44:44.386 --> 01:44:50.063 - isn't just dry land that has a price tag on it. There's future potential value in that property because 01:44:50.063 --> 01:44:55.631 - your county government has invested TIF bonds in that to build out infrastructure, had done a planned 01:44:55.631 --> 01:45:01.308 - urban development around it, thinking that someday the North Park property would generate a whole bunch 01:45:01.308 --> 01:45:06.767 - of tax revenue income or property for the county as a major exit point off an interstate. Now, when 01:45:06.767 --> 01:45:11.134 - we put a jail on that, that doesn't detract anybody. No one's going to do that. 01:45:11.362 --> 01:45:17.489 - And that's the challenge I'm having with the amount. So imagine a layer cake, first layer is the out 01:45:17.489 --> 01:45:23.737 - of the box yellow cake of, you know, that's North Park. Put on the chocolate layer of the PUD and then 01:45:23.737 --> 01:45:30.046 - the toppings, the fondant, the frosting, that's your TIFBOT. And when we start ripping that out through 01:45:30.046 --> 01:45:36.113 - our process, it devalues that slice of cake. We lose some layers there. It's just the value is tied 01:45:36.113 --> 01:45:38.782 - to the economic potential of that property. 01:45:39.042 --> 01:45:46.132 - So where I'm trying to get to, and helping me understand this, based on the actions of the county to 01:45:46.132 --> 01:45:53.222 - change the development plan out there, is have we ever looked in the appraisal of it as a government 01:45:53.222 --> 01:46:00.382 - property? What's its value otherwise? Is it time to take a look at that? So I'll take a look at that. 01:46:00.382 --> 01:46:04.734 - And I know, by the way, that case that you referred to in the 01:46:05.090 --> 01:46:11.937 - newspaper article intimately because I teach it. So I'm happy to talk about that. I don't think the 01:46:11.937 --> 01:46:18.990 - newspaper article reflected that case fairly or talked about the fact that that case actually rejected 01:46:18.990 --> 01:46:26.522 - the $6,000 valuation nor did it mention that the property sold, 84 acres of that property sold to Bloomington 01:46:26.522 --> 01:46:33.438 - Hospital in 2006 for $150,000. And so clearly the Bloomington Hospital is comparable to a jail site. 01:46:33.538 --> 01:46:40.478 - And that was not a particular commercial value either but your question you know was should the properties 01:46:40.478 --> 01:46:47.742 - commercial value be relevant to government. So I think that is factually true the fact that it is commercially. 01:46:47.810 --> 01:46:53.883 - is true is a description of appraisal methodology. I think but the framing of that question or the premise 01:46:53.883 --> 01:46:59.955 - is incorrect. Appraisals generally assess fair market value based on highest and best use, not the buyer's 01:46:59.955 --> 01:47:06.028 - intended subjective use. A government just doesn't get to purchase land at a discounted jail price because 01:47:06.028 --> 01:47:11.987 - it gets to build a public facility there. So if the property's market value reflects commercial or mixed 01:47:11.987 --> 01:47:17.776 - use development potential, then that's relevant to what a willing seller could command in the market. 01:47:17.776 --> 01:47:24.501 - I don't think there's a basis for the claim that a government use necessarily should be valued differently. 01:47:24.501 --> 01:47:30.977 - And certainly, we haven't ever made that claim. Well, OK. I appreciate that. And I appreciate the cases 01:47:30.977 --> 01:47:37.515 - used in divorce law or family law. I'm not really concerned with that. Here's where I'm at, Commissioner 01:47:37.515 --> 01:47:43.742 - Madera, on it. The highest and best use, according to the two appraisals, was commercial mixed use. 01:47:44.162 --> 01:47:49.855 - removing elements of the PUD that would have encouraged that development and said, now it's governmental 01:47:49.855 --> 01:47:55.005 - use and a conservation easement. And by Mr. Kreider's own words would not be used for density, 01:47:55.005 --> 01:48:00.697 - but in fact, park space. Using TIF bonds to build a road in, I don't want to lose everybody in the room, 01:48:00.697 --> 01:48:06.119 - but it's important to say, is to say originally the road was for the purpose of building commercial 01:48:06.119 --> 01:48:11.486 - things on it. And so now we have a TIF bond that funded a road that will go to a park, a jail, and 01:48:11.842 --> 01:48:18.719 - And that value of the bond is now a question here, too. So what I'm trying to get at is, I appreciate 01:48:18.719 --> 01:48:25.461 - the highest and best value use appraisal concept. I'm not denying that. But what can be built there 01:48:25.461 --> 01:48:32.472 - today is very different than what was appraised in 2013. At the end of the day, we're stuck in the same 01:48:32.472 --> 01:48:39.282 - position as any buyer would be, and we're stuck paying the same price. So if a buyer wanted to go in 01:48:39.282 --> 01:48:40.158 - there, we're 01:48:40.482 --> 01:48:46.641 - Stuck paying the same price as a Meyer would want to pay and so we don't get a discount there's no discounted 01:48:46.641 --> 01:48:52.464 - price that the government gets essentially when they go into property right we've removed value through 01:48:52.464 --> 01:48:58.286 - the PD if that's not the same value anymore we've removed I mean this is a cannot hear in a second this 01:48:58.286 --> 01:48:59.966 - is the question is that that. 01:49:00.354 --> 01:49:06.339 - the county's actions have taken value from that property. It's interesting to say, well, if it did go 01:49:06.339 --> 01:49:12.442 - on the market and we did build a commercial or residential properties there, that's where the valuation 01:49:12.442 --> 01:49:18.486 - is. The only other comp I can think of in the past two years would be the county taking into inventory 01:49:18.486 --> 01:49:24.471 - the 400 acres of Huntington Farm, which was valued much lower and is on state routes, but it will not 01:49:24.471 --> 01:49:30.046 - generate revenue. When I say, have we looked at other government-use properties in the county, 01:49:30.146 --> 01:49:37.382 - Yeah, the valuation of that particular property is very different. It was a question worth raising. 01:49:37.382 --> 01:49:44.691 - I'm concerned that we don't have an up-to-date understanding of the value of that property, but I've 01:49:44.691 --> 01:49:51.927 - taken up a lot of time. I'll turn it over. I'll just say one more thing. On the 150,000 per acre in 01:49:51.927 --> 01:49:56.414 - 2006 for Bloomington Hospital, that's a 46% increase if we're 01:49:56.674 --> 01:50:02.111 - that this this acreage at two hundred nineteen thousand in twenty twenty four by any major Bloomington 01:50:02.111 --> 01:50:07.865 - property values have appreciated far more than forty six percent so let's by all means get another appraisal 01:50:07.865 --> 01:50:13.302 - and we'll see how much this property has appreciated today I'm no expert on it though I know counselor 01:50:13.302 --> 01:50:18.687 - hogg sold a few things in her life I mean that could happen there could be another round of appraisal 01:50:18.687 --> 01:50:22.910 - price goes up it's not gonna go down the other thing is is that there's nothing 01:50:23.042 --> 01:50:31.504 - on this property now, and I do want to answer the question that was posed because we get thrown questions 01:50:31.504 --> 01:50:39.887 - and then, oh, don't worry about that. Mr. Crider contracted with a developer and came up with a proposal 01:50:39.887 --> 01:50:48.030 - for his revised PUD. The other thing I will say is that sometimes you put a Bloomington hospital or a 01:50:48.290 --> 01:50:56.627 - A whole criminal, which our hope is in the future justice center on a site and it drives development 01:50:56.627 --> 01:51:05.377 - as well. So there's two sides to that coin. Um, I'm going to move on. Um, and I'll go to counselor Irison 01:51:05.377 --> 01:51:08.926 - and then I'll pop back to counselor wills. 01:51:09.474 --> 01:51:16.522 - Section 3.3 of the contract identifies that the phase one environmental is no longer valid. How long 01:51:16.522 --> 01:51:23.709 - is that going to take to conduct a phase one environmental on this property? Not very long. We set the 01:51:23.709 --> 01:51:30.687 - period for review longer than I think twice as long as we anticipate it would take to get the phase 01:51:30.687 --> 01:51:37.246 - one reevaluated. Okay, great. And are there other evaluations we need to do on this property? 01:51:37.538 --> 01:51:43.209 - Pending approval of the purchase agreement, all that stuff. That's the important one. I think we were 01:51:43.209 --> 01:51:48.935 - ready to close on it, clearly, last October until we weren't. So I think we had everything up to date. 01:51:48.935 --> 01:51:54.606 - At that point, our phase one would have still been good. And so I think this is just the one thing we 01:51:54.606 --> 01:52:00.166 - need to make sure we get redone. And that's exactly why I asked it. In the intervening five months, 01:52:00.166 --> 01:52:02.334 - has anything dramatically or good? OK. 01:52:11.778 --> 01:52:22.274 - I think that our conversation about how we're doing this and the process, the issue that originally 01:52:22.274 --> 01:52:32.875 - is baffling. Anyway, I think it's an area that we need to work on. That said, I would really like to 01:52:32.875 --> 01:52:40.222 - hear from the public, and I do not have any more questions right now. 01:52:41.442 --> 01:52:50.615 - I just got a couple more and then we can move on. Since we keep invoking the city and now and we want 01:52:50.615 --> 01:52:59.699 - to work with them. The question that I have is because the noon edition that y'all did on Friday was 01:52:59.699 --> 01:53:06.174 - very enlightening and there were some questions that had brought or had 01:53:06.498 --> 01:53:15.315 - been brought up. And again, members of the public have asked this question, and I continue to say no, 01:53:15.315 --> 01:53:24.046 - say. And so I'll ask again for everybody, what is the transit plan? I know literally on my way here, 01:53:24.046 --> 01:53:32.950 - I was here, and we have that. Or we can figure out that plan. But I guess we got to move from concepts 01:53:32.950 --> 01:53:36.062 - of the plan into actual plan plans. 01:53:36.226 --> 01:53:44.126 - And so I've heard Commissioner Thomas like There's this notion of like uber lift. So I guess How do 01:53:44.126 --> 01:53:52.501 - we work with the city on that? What happens if the city says no and what is this contract plan? Regarding 01:53:52.501 --> 01:54:00.638 - uber lift. Okay so first and foremost we can work with the city of Bloomington which can if it chooses 01:54:00.802 --> 01:54:08.375 - decide to expand the boundaries of Bloomington Transit. And again, with commercial development and housing 01:54:08.375 --> 01:54:15.453 - and other things being added to that area, I imagine that that would happen. But we also have rural 01:54:15.453 --> 01:54:22.884 - transit shadow service, which is the urbanized area, not the rural areas, which is served by USDA money. 01:54:22.884 --> 01:54:26.494 - But this is the money that you all have allocated. 01:54:26.786 --> 01:54:34.475 - our money we purchased buses not knowing how much it turned out we needed them and You've paid for this 01:54:34.475 --> 01:54:42.164 - in the past to provide that bus service including Ellisville, which has not contributed any money We've 01:54:42.164 --> 01:54:49.705 - paid for it as the county This year fortunately in dot decided to pay for it, which has been awesome, 01:54:49.705 --> 01:54:55.102 - and I hope they do it again next year so we can add a route we can add a 01:54:55.490 --> 01:55:03.901 - to what we're already doing, right? The Uber Lyft is mainly for when transit isn't running. We don't 01:55:03.901 --> 01:55:12.395 - offer it now as though magically everybody lives within two blocks of the jail, they do not. And what 01:55:12.395 --> 01:55:20.806 - I've learned from working with BT and their micro transit system is that it's contractually possible 01:55:20.806 --> 01:55:25.470 - to establish a per ride contract with Uber and Lyft for 01:55:25.602 --> 01:55:33.181 - those times when transit is not running. So a Sunday afternoon, if somebody is released, for example, 01:55:33.181 --> 01:55:40.686 - that they would have that option at no cost to that person. But we take that cost in. And right now, 01:55:40.686 --> 01:55:48.191 - I can't say what it's going to be when the jail opens, because we never know. But right now, I think 01:55:48.191 --> 01:55:50.494 - that cost is about $20 a ride. 01:55:50.594 --> 01:55:59.262 - I think it was $20 a ride, but that would get them anywhere in Monroe County for that money So that's 01:55:59.262 --> 01:56:07.759 - sort of that backup backup plan, right? we I Know that we are we are concerned about transit. We're 01:56:07.759 --> 01:56:16.427 - concerned about distance. Although this is closer than Fullerton to downtown Fullerton Pike site that 01:56:16.427 --> 01:56:19.486 - we've looked at and I will say that 01:56:19.938 --> 01:56:26.517 - You know, much like when we first talked about Fullerton, there was nothing there. There wasn't even 01:56:26.517 --> 01:56:33.162 - a road there. There was an exit, but no roadway. And now, look, there's a roadway. And what will come 01:56:33.162 --> 01:56:39.936 - next? So you will see that other development will follow. And that will bring transit. It'll bring more 01:56:39.936 --> 01:56:47.102 - activity. And if it doesn't, we will figure that out. That is a small problem compared to we need a new jail. 01:56:47.266 --> 01:56:56.425 - And we figured out transit before, and we can do it again. And I think we should work with the city 01:56:56.425 --> 01:57:05.585 - first and foremost on a route. But we know how much it costs, because you all have agreed to the 13 01:57:05.585 --> 01:57:15.294 - line extension for this year. And that was pricey. And I imagine that that would be a similar price point 01:57:15.522 --> 01:57:22.752 - In a few years, I don't know. But but I would imagine that that that would be a similar price point. 01:57:22.752 --> 01:57:30.125 - But we've worked with the city, Bloomington Transit before it can be done. So all of this is we're not 01:57:30.125 --> 01:57:37.999 - building a rocket ship. So it's not. All that complicated, but we do have we are taking it into consideration 01:57:37.999 --> 01:57:42.366 - and we are concerned about it. And I can leave that at that. 01:57:43.778 --> 01:57:50.394 - I think also we can come up with creative solutions and contract with our local service providers and 01:57:50.394 --> 01:57:57.074 - win-win solutions where we help to fund them perhaps in paying for transportation. And that way we get 01:57:57.074 --> 01:58:04.014 - people directly who need the services directly where they need to go instead of in a warm handoff, instead 01:58:04.014 --> 01:58:10.046 - of relying on middlemen and transit. So I think that is actually what I would prefer to see. 01:58:12.002 --> 01:58:19.481 - No, I know we're not building a rocket ship. However, we are asking taxpayers to help us fund this. 01:58:19.481 --> 01:58:27.035 - I understand that's like the little potatoes, like the transportation route is like the small ideas. 01:58:27.035 --> 01:58:34.814 - But again, I keep hearing concepts of a plan. And if you're asking the fiscal body to do something that 01:58:34.814 --> 01:58:41.470 - will have consequences for decades plus to come, I feel like we got to have a little bit 01:58:41.762 --> 01:58:48.703 - more of an idea of a plan. That's what I'm saying. And transportation actually factors into this entire 01:58:48.703 --> 01:58:55.376 - thing, because as it stands right now, there's no dang gone transportation that's back there. So we 01:58:55.376 --> 01:59:02.050 - have to look at all different things. Again, I know as mentioned before in meetings before, council 01:59:02.050 --> 01:59:08.723 - needs to stay in the lane or whatever the case is. Well, I am. That's what we're trying to do here, 01:59:08.723 --> 01:59:11.326 - because we're all trying to figure out 01:59:11.906 --> 01:59:19.156 - how to pay for all of this. That's what I'm saying. So if we have, do we have any other? So, whatever, 01:59:19.156 --> 01:59:26.195 - okay. I just wanted to make a comment, and it'll be very brief. So in our April 20th, 2025 Planning 01:59:26.195 --> 01:59:32.741 - Commission meeting, the only abstention on the change to the PUD came from the surveyor, Mr. 01:59:32.741 --> 01:59:38.302 - Andrei Randolph, who brought up these concerns about transit in April of 2025. 01:59:38.818 --> 01:59:44.964 - This is where I have a challenge where we can speculate in public about plans, but then those speculations 01:59:44.964 --> 01:59:50.823 - have to become a thing. Yeah, so, so that's that's. I'll just trust what I've heard in the room today 01:59:50.823 --> 01:59:56.222 - is movement movement or ideas that could move forward. But, you know, that was 13 months ago. 01:59:57.378 --> 02:00:05.229 - I'll go to Councilor Hawke and then I will, one second, I will go to Councilor Hawke and then after 02:00:05.229 --> 02:00:13.394 - Councilor Hawke, I do want to be respectful of public time since they are here in person and virtually. 02:00:13.394 --> 02:00:21.481 - So briefly, Commissioner Thomas, if you want to wrap it up and then I'll go to Councilor Hawke. I just 02:00:21.481 --> 02:00:27.134 - want to say that I would not institute a bus service now to North Park. 02:00:27.618 --> 02:00:35.566 - to talk about a plan for transit is part of a timeline. You know what it costs for the county and the 02:00:35.566 --> 02:00:43.671 - city to share a bus line. It's the 13 line. So you know that cost. You know what we're paying for rural 02:00:43.671 --> 02:00:51.775 - transit services, for the shadow service that we're doing in the urbanized area. So all of those things 02:00:51.775 --> 02:00:53.022 - are part of it. 02:00:53.218 --> 02:01:01.673 - There's no bus at Fullerton. There's no bus that runs to Thompson right now. But we would certainly, 02:01:01.673 --> 02:01:10.211 - we know it's important. But we know it's important, and we would make sure that there was. And if you 02:01:10.211 --> 02:01:18.917 - want to see a plan for that, I would say I would like to see a purchase agreement first, because a plan 02:01:18.917 --> 02:01:22.014 - can be made for any property, right? 02:01:22.594 --> 02:01:31.158 - I feel like we researched all these properties. We did our due diligence. We did our homework. We shared 02:01:31.158 --> 02:01:39.476 - everything publicly with the council. Then the council said, no, let's do it all again. And we did it 02:01:39.476 --> 02:01:47.714 - all again. We did it all again. We reviewed our homework that we'd already done. And to say that not 02:01:47.714 --> 02:01:51.710 - having a bus going to a farm field right now is, 02:01:52.098 --> 02:02:01.050 - somehow detrimental to what can be done, I would say we can do it. And if you understand and you do 02:02:01.050 --> 02:02:10.092 - understand the fiscal costs of bus services, you do know it. I know it. Let's work on that next. And 02:02:10.092 --> 02:02:18.686 - I also want to work on mental health and substance use disorder treatment. So a lot to work on. 02:02:19.170 --> 02:02:25.274 - That was something that Kate Wilson actually talked about. All right, I'm going to go. I really want 02:02:25.274 --> 02:02:31.378 - to move to public comment now. So that's what I'm all about. OK, I just wanted to make sure and I've 02:02:31.378 --> 02:02:37.542 - done is have to listen to it. Sure, I want to hear what they have to say. I do want to rebut a little 02:02:37.542 --> 02:02:44.190 - bit about that transit because you know there's 1.2 that we you know when we start operating with income tax. 02:02:44.386 --> 02:02:53.463 - We got 1.2 for county operations, we got 0.4 for fire or EMS, and we've got a 0.2 at the bottom that 02:02:53.463 --> 02:03:02.809 - we could use for transit or for the library or for townships. Transit would love to see us do the whole 02:03:02.809 --> 02:03:10.718 - 0.2 to them, but does that mean we don't help the library already? And we can't even do 02:03:10.882 --> 02:03:17.354 - the whole 0.2, we may have to cut it to 0.1 because we can only have 1.7 as a total. I'm not hearing 02:03:17.354 --> 02:03:23.890 - that from anybody. Maybe they don't know. Maybe they think the sky is going to open up and drop money 02:03:23.890 --> 02:03:30.362 - for transit. But I just think we need to know that. But please, let's listen to these good folks who 02:03:30.362 --> 02:03:33.438 - take the time in their evening to talk with us. 02:03:34.050 --> 02:03:40.699 - I know they may all think that we're crazy and that's okay because we probably are. So we will go on 02:03:40.699 --> 02:03:47.348 - to public comment. There is a public comment sheet at the lectern here and then at you hope room. If 02:03:47.348 --> 02:03:53.931 - you are making a public comment again please since we got a lot keep it to three minutes once three 02:03:53.931 --> 02:04:00.382 - minutes is up all of the monitors around here will have a timer tst please make sure we have that 02:04:00.450 --> 02:04:07.601 - I'll do two in the NETU Hill room and then I'll alternate between here and Teams. So if you have a hand 02:04:07.601 --> 02:04:14.752 - raised via Teams, we'll call on you as well. I already see one that's already raised and like lightning 02:04:14.752 --> 02:04:21.766 - round. Here we go. So again, if you want to make public comment, go ahead and start lining up so this 02:04:21.766 --> 02:04:28.642 - can go on. And we already have our first one here. Again, state your name for the record and you'll 02:04:28.642 --> 02:04:30.430 - have up to three minutes. 02:04:31.298 --> 02:04:38.689 - Thank you. My name is Cheryl Langdon. I'm a Monroe County taxpayer. I live on Vernal Pike. I was there 02:04:38.689 --> 02:04:46.009 - at the meeting that was held with the commissioners and they explained us. We were absolutely against 02:04:46.009 --> 02:04:53.256 - it. We have one neighbor who would have ended up having her house literally sitting in the middle of 02:04:53.256 --> 02:05:01.150 - this at when they were proposing that. And it was a Ellisville Bloomington Chamber of Commerce backroom deal. 02:05:01.506 --> 02:05:09.660 - didn't include us, and I spent my time, my money, and canvassed not just on the outside of Bloomington 02:05:09.660 --> 02:05:17.655 - city limits, but on the other side, because they would be affected as well. So I covered both people 02:05:17.655 --> 02:05:25.729 - that are just county and city taxpayers. We weren't happy with that. We weren't happy with how it was 02:05:25.729 --> 02:05:27.550 - just kind of snuck in. 02:05:27.970 --> 02:05:35.695 - I understand that they're using the ACLU to bully us, to hold us hostage, to quickly find this. And 02:05:35.695 --> 02:05:43.420 - I understand that we wanna make sure that the welfare of inmates are taken care of, but the welfare 02:05:43.420 --> 02:05:51.299 - of citizens, the taxpayers who are paying the bills is number one. No, it's Sandra Betts, buts there, 02:05:51.299 --> 02:05:55.934 - because we are paying the bills. And having that jail word, 02:05:56.098 --> 02:06:03.949 - they were going to propose to do it, this Hail Mary at the last minute, would have brought a light pollution, 02:06:03.949 --> 02:06:11.229 - noise pollution, traffic to neighborhoods right next to a park where kids play. So I think it's a lot 02:06:11.229 --> 02:06:18.724 - more than just the money and all of that. It's what that land is getting used for. So that was important 02:06:18.724 --> 02:06:24.862 - about the value, how the zoning is done. We're literally a neighborhood of residents. 02:06:25.090 --> 02:06:32.485 - So I wanted to point out that I feel that it's terrible that the ACLU is allowed to bully taxpayers 02:06:32.485 --> 02:06:40.990 - to quickly make a decision. And that was it. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Next up here in the night, you over. 02:07:03.682 --> 02:07:10.478 - Good evening, counselors. My name is Susan Easton. I'm a resident of the Stony Brook neighborhood which 02:07:10.478 --> 02:07:17.209 - I think you're aware of is adjacent to the proposed North Park site. First of all, I want to thank you 02:07:17.209 --> 02:07:20.542 - in advance for your past support of voting against 02:07:20.802 --> 02:07:29.500 - North Park as the new jail site and ask you for your continued fiscal diligence in that area and continue 02:07:29.500 --> 02:07:37.787 - voting against it. I want to enter into the public record tonight an email that I sent to all of the 02:07:37.787 --> 02:07:46.239 - county commissioners and this council group in early April. Dear Monroe County Board of Commissioners, 02:07:46.239 --> 02:07:48.126 - Monroe County Council, 02:07:48.258 --> 02:07:56.468 - We are writing to urge both parties to unify behind the Thompson PUD as the most viable fiscally responsible 02:07:56.468 --> 02:08:04.452 - and humane site for the new Monroe County jail. Well, we understand the commissioner's concerns regarding 02:08:04.452 --> 02:08:12.737 - the unreasonable delay clause in the recent March 26th resolution. And we know there's been other resolutions 02:08:12.737 --> 02:08:14.846 - besides the March 26th one. 02:08:15.042 --> 02:08:23.675 - We believe the Thompson PUD offers the only path that reconciles the Council's $118 million to $135 02:08:23.675 --> 02:08:32.826 - million budget with the modern constitutional care requirements that our community deserves. The Thompson 02:08:32.826 --> 02:08:39.646 - PUD is the superior choice for three primary reasons. First, fiscal stability. 02:08:39.970 --> 02:08:47.754 - Unlike the North Park proposal, which requires now greater than $11 million land purchase and significant 02:08:47.754 --> 02:08:52.894 - new utility extensions, the Thompson site is already in county hands. 02:08:53.154 --> 02:09:01.617 - Using our local income tax and economic development income tax reserves to fund the cleanup of the debris 02:09:01.617 --> 02:09:09.921 - pile is a far more efficient use of taxpayer dollars than the $50 million budget gap currently stalling 02:09:09.921 --> 02:09:17.905 - the North Park plan. Secondly, accessibility and social justice. The North Park site is essentially 02:09:17.905 --> 02:09:19.422 - a suburban island. 02:09:19.522 --> 02:09:27.685 - disconnected from public transport, as we heard earlier here this evening, and legal services. The Thompson 02:09:27.685 --> 02:09:35.773 - PUD is located on a Bloomington transit route in the Beeline power line trail. This ensures that families, 02:09:35.773 --> 02:09:43.710 - public defenders, and those reentering society are not further marginalized by a lack of transportation. 02:09:44.226 --> 02:09:51.686 - a key factor in reducing recidivism and helping improve future public safety. And thirdly, concurrent 02:09:51.686 --> 02:09:59.072 - progress versus sequential delay. Concerns regarding the Duke energy power line should not be a deal 02:09:59.072 --> 02:10:06.385 - breaker for us. Given the 40 acre footprint of the Thompson site, construction and site grading can 02:10:06.385 --> 02:10:13.406 - begin on the uninstructed portions of the land while utility relocation happens simultaneously. 02:10:13.922 --> 02:10:23.971 - Engineering 101 for some of us. And that is your time. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Next up, we 02:10:23.971 --> 02:10:34.422 - will go to I'll go to the two individuals on team, and then I'll kick it back to here and the NatU Hill 02:10:34.422 --> 02:10:41.758 - room. So again, the screen name Richard Garza, if you are able to unmute 02:10:41.890 --> 02:10:51.762 - Again, state your name for the record and you'll have up to three minutes. Hello everybody. Can you 02:10:51.762 --> 02:11:01.831 - guys hear me? Yes. Wonderful. My name is Richard Garza and I worked in the justice center last summer 02:11:01.831 --> 02:11:09.630 - and I am here to implore the council to approve this purchase agreement. It is 02:11:09.954 --> 02:11:18.645 - incredibly irresponsible and not caring to deny this. Enough is enough. It's been almost 20 years. There 02:11:18.645 --> 02:11:27.667 - are people who are working in harsh conditions. There are people who have to live there in harsh conditions. 02:11:27.667 --> 02:11:36.606 - And if it was not for this lawsuit and the ACLU and the Constitution, I imagine the county would do nothing 02:11:36.802 --> 02:11:45.761 - to improve the situation of those who have to work there for their careers or those who are there as 02:11:45.761 --> 02:11:54.898 - incarcerated individuals. Again, I implore you to do the caring thing, stop delaying, stop kicking the 02:11:54.898 --> 02:12:03.946 - can down the road, approve the purchase agreement. I yield the rest of my time. Thank you. Thank you. 02:12:03.946 --> 02:12:06.430 - Next up is Peyton Prospell. 02:12:06.850 --> 02:12:15.829 - Again, you should be able to unmute state your name for the record and you'll have up to three minutes. 02:12:15.829 --> 02:12:24.894 - Okay, first I want to thank you for the opportunity to share a comment today. My name is being possible. 02:12:25.154 --> 02:12:31.716 - and I'm a staff member at New Leaf New Life. I am the READ2ME program coordinator and I facilitate the 02:12:31.716 --> 02:12:38.532 - reentry class at the Monroe County Jail with help from volunteers. READ2ME is a program where incarcerated 02:12:38.532 --> 02:12:44.902 - individuals are able to connect with their children through reading. I interact with many different 02:12:44.902 --> 02:12:51.400 - people and READ2ME becomes a staple for many when it comes to staying connected with their family and 02:12:51.400 --> 02:12:53.566 - looking forward to their reentry. 02:12:53.666 --> 02:12:59.336 - When working closely with incarcerated individuals, I see how eager people are to discuss resources 02:12:59.336 --> 02:13:05.063 - and coordination with their reentry. I also see how reentry planning is already a struggle for many. 02:13:05.063 --> 02:13:10.734 - They deal with different types of discouragement, whether that be due to the uncertainty about when 02:13:10.734 --> 02:13:16.687 - they'll be released, where they're going to go, and how they're going to get there. It takes a community 02:13:16.687 --> 02:13:19.806 - to help someone to support someone with their reentry. 02:13:19.970 --> 02:13:25.714 - By having a jail built in North Park, it complicates their access and can lead to more discouragement 02:13:25.714 --> 02:13:31.571 - for them to have a successful re-entry. It also makes it harder for them to be able to access community 02:13:31.571 --> 02:13:37.315 - resources to support them during their release. I stand with New Leaf New Life in the stance of being 02:13:37.315 --> 02:13:42.046 - opposed to the building of the North Park jail. Thank you for your time. Thank you. 02:13:44.194 --> 02:13:50.946 - Next up, we'll go to two here in the NetUHO room. Again, if there's other people that have their hand 02:13:50.946 --> 02:13:57.764 - or would like to make public comment on Teams, go ahead and raise your hand. My name is Heather Bland. 02:13:57.764 --> 02:14:04.648 - I appreciate the opportunity to speak tonight. I'm representing New Leaf New Life and work closely with 02:14:04.648 --> 02:14:11.334 - individuals impacted by incarceration, substance use, mental health challenges, and reentry into our 02:14:11.334 --> 02:14:12.062 - community. 02:14:12.290 --> 02:14:17.768 - We stand opposed to the new jail at North Park because we believe we're being asked to invest millions 02:14:17.768 --> 02:14:23.192 - of dollars into a system that addresses the symptom rather than the root causes of incarceration. One 02:14:23.192 --> 02:14:28.935 - of the biggest concerns of North Park location is lack of access to resources. When people are incarcerated 02:14:28.935 --> 02:14:34.306 - far away from treatment providers, social services, transportation routes, attorneys, family support 02:14:34.306 --> 02:14:39.518 - and community programs, it becomes even harder for them to successfully reintegrate into society. 02:14:39.842 --> 02:14:45.802 - Isolation does not improve outcomes connection does We already know that many people entering our jail 02:14:45.802 --> 02:14:51.994 - system are struggling with untreated mental health conditions substance use disorders poverty homelessness 02:14:51.994 --> 02:14:58.012 - and trauma Expanding a jail without equally expanding meaningful treatment and prevention services risk 02:14:58.012 --> 02:15:01.310 - continuing a cycle that's failed people for way too long 02:15:01.538 --> 02:15:08.120 - Imagine what would happen if even a portion of the funding for this project were directed toward solutions 02:15:08.120 --> 02:15:14.395 - that actually reduce incarceration in the first place. We could invest in addiction treatment, mental 02:15:14.395 --> 02:15:20.608 - health care, supportive housing, transportation assistance, workforce development, crisis responsive 02:15:20.608 --> 02:15:27.006 - teams, and reentry services. These are the kind of investments that create safer communities long term. 02:15:27.842 --> 02:15:33.700 - As someone who works directly with people returning from incarceration, I can tell you that stability 02:15:33.700 --> 02:15:39.500 - and support are what reduce reduce recidivism, not building a bigger, larger, newer facility. A jail 02:15:39.500 --> 02:15:45.415 - should never come before the primary response to unmet social and behavioral health needs. If we truly 02:15:45.415 --> 02:15:51.158 - want to improve public safety, we must prioritize rehabilitation, treatment and prevention over the 02:15:51.158 --> 02:15:52.766 - expansion of incarceration. 02:15:53.090 --> 02:15:59.523 - I asked the council to carefully consider whether this project reflects the future we want for our community. 02:15:59.523 --> 02:16:05.371 - We have an opportunity to invest in people instead of investing primarily in confinement. I hope we 02:16:05.371 --> 02:16:11.336 - choose solutions that strengthen lives, strengthen families, and strengthen our community as a whole. 02:16:11.336 --> 02:16:12.798 - Thank you for your time. 02:16:29.026 --> 02:16:34.846 - Good evening, Council. Eric Spoonmore. I've been here before to talk to you about what I thought some 02:16:34.846 --> 02:16:40.552 - of the human consequences were for putting a jail at North Park. Now, tonight, I want to talk about 02:16:40.552 --> 02:16:46.715 - some of the numbers behind that. And I know Commissioner Thomas mentioned she didn't have specific numbers, 02:16:46.715 --> 02:16:52.877 - but I do have specific numbers that I want to present to you all because I know you all care about numbers. 02:16:52.877 --> 02:16:57.214 - So the proposed purchase price is approximately $11.3 million for 52 acres. 02:16:57.570 --> 02:17:04.489 - or about $219,000 per acre. The figure deserves serious scrutiny before the county council commits taxpayer 02:17:04.489 --> 02:17:11.024 - dollars to this purchase. When we look at other Indiana counties who have recently moved forward with 02:17:11.024 --> 02:17:17.559 - jail or justice center projects, the comparison is striking. Allen County, which faced a similar ACLU 02:17:17.559 --> 02:17:24.350 - case, purchased approximately 140 acres for its new jail site for $6.3 million or about $45,000 per acre. 02:17:24.482 --> 02:17:31.535 - That property also included the largest existing building on it. Marion County in Indianapolis acquired 02:17:31.535 --> 02:17:38.385 - approximately 140 acres for its community justice campus for $4.2 million or about $30,000 per acre. 02:17:38.385 --> 02:17:44.896 - Vigo County, which also faced a similar ACLU case, moved forward with land for its jail project 02:17:44.896 --> 02:17:52.018 - at approximately $900,000 for around 22 acres or roughly $41,000 per acre. So the question for taxpayers 02:17:52.018 --> 02:17:53.374 - is straightforward. 02:17:53.922 --> 02:18:00.221 - Why were Allen County, Marion County, and Vigo County able to acquire land for jail or justice center 02:18:00.221 --> 02:18:06.705 - projects at roughly $30,000 to $45,000 per acre, while Monroe County is being asked to pay approximately 02:18:06.705 --> 02:18:13.251 - $219,000 per acre? That's about five to seven times more expensive per acre than those comparable Indiana 02:18:13.251 --> 02:18:19.797 - jail land purchases. For families in Monroe County, the median household income is approximately $66,000. 02:18:19.797 --> 02:18:23.070 - That's what an entire household lives on for a year. 02:18:23.618 --> 02:18:29.450 - Under this proposal, the county would spend the equivalent of more than three years of median household 02:18:29.450 --> 02:18:35.113 - income for each acre of dirt. And that's exactly why this decision deserves more scrutiny. At a time 02:18:35.113 --> 02:18:41.057 - when residents are struggling, residents and workers are struggling with housing costs, taxes, childcare, 02:18:41.057 --> 02:18:46.552 - utilities, and everyday affordability, it's difficult to justify paying a land price that appears 02:18:46.552 --> 02:18:51.486 - dramatically higher than what other Indiana counties paid for comparable jail projects. 02:18:51.746 --> 02:18:57.455 - And I understand that Monroe County has unique challenges, but the common refrain that Monroe County 02:18:57.455 --> 02:19:03.222 - is unique cannot become the default explanation for why everything here always seems to cost more for 02:19:03.222 --> 02:19:09.270 - our people. At some point, local leaders have to push back on that pattern and demand clear justification. 02:19:09.270 --> 02:19:15.036 - Every unnecessary dollar spent on land is a dollar that cannot go toward public safety, mental health 02:19:15.036 --> 02:19:20.350 - services, substance use treatment, staffing, infrastructure, housing or economic development. 02:19:20.898 --> 02:19:27.425 - So given the scale of this project, I respectfully urge the council to take the time needed to ensure 02:19:27.425 --> 02:19:33.888 - taxpayers are not being asked to absorb an unavoidable cost. Please insist on stronger justification 02:19:33.888 --> 02:19:40.607 - before approving this purchase and make sure Monroe County is not once again accepting a cost that other 02:19:40.607 --> 02:19:44.382 - communities somehow manage to avoid. Thank you. Thank you. 02:19:46.018 --> 02:19:52.096 - Next up, I only see one hand on Teams. So screen name Nicole, you should be able to unmute, state your 02:19:52.096 --> 02:19:55.518 - name for the record, and you'll have up to three minutes. 02:20:04.994 --> 02:20:12.201 - Nicole Myers and I just am wanting to ask the council again to vote no on North Park. I don't know a 02:20:12.201 --> 02:20:19.337 - lot about how local government works, but I'm actually surprised that you guys can be asked to vote 02:20:19.337 --> 02:20:26.686 - again on the same thing when it seemed like it was decided back in October. So I just hope that you'll 02:20:26.686 --> 02:20:33.822 - vote no again today. I feel like we've heard from some folks that live near the North Park site and 02:20:38.210 --> 02:20:45.138 - that don't want the jail built there. I live in Broadview near the Thompson property. I really don't 02:20:45.138 --> 02:20:52.272 - think we need a big giant justice complex anywhere, but I still feel like the Thompson site is a better 02:20:52.272 --> 02:20:59.406 - choice than North Park. Building a jail out there on a big four lane highway is just dangerous and just 02:20:59.406 --> 02:21:06.334 - seems like a terrible idea. And also just the idea that in general Bloomington's been working toward 02:21:06.498 --> 02:21:13.713 - more density, which is just good for the community in lots of ways. I feel like it's brawling. Just 02:21:13.713 --> 02:21:20.927 - this complex is just the opposite of what we've been moving towards in so many ways. So just asking 02:21:20.927 --> 02:21:28.214 - that that you vote no on this and that we can look at something different. Thank you. Thank you. Are 02:21:28.214 --> 02:21:35.934 - there any other members on members of the public on teams that would like to speak again? Raise your hand. 02:21:38.594 --> 02:21:49.188 - We'll go ahead and move back to, oh, sorry. Before we move back here, we just got a hand that popped 02:21:49.188 --> 02:21:59.992 - up. So Robert Freeman Day, again, state your name for the record. You'll have up to three minutes, but 02:21:59.992 --> 02:22:07.230 - you'll also need to unmute first. Hello, this is Robert Freeman Day. 02:22:07.426 --> 02:22:16.147 - just wanted to put out that if we're looking to communicate and work with folks that are, you know, 02:22:16.147 --> 02:22:25.130 - community support areas like New Leaf New Life or the city of Bloomington itself, I think that we need 02:22:25.130 --> 02:22:34.548 - to listen to the input of them. And so I'm just kind of putting it back to, you know, if they're expressing 02:22:34.548 --> 02:22:36.990 - a little bit of concern and 02:22:37.442 --> 02:22:44.907 - a put opposition to the North Park. I think that the council should be definitely considering that. 02:22:44.907 --> 02:22:52.222 - That's really all I had to say. I yield the rest of my time. Thank you. All right, now we'll move 02:23:04.066 --> 02:23:11.306 - Good evening council, I thank you for the opportunity to speak and also for wanting to involve the public. 02:23:11.306 --> 02:23:18.139 - I have five points that I'd like to make so I'm going to try and make this quickly. First, I want to 02:23:18.139 --> 02:23:22.334 - begin by responding to some of Commissioner Medea's comments. 02:23:22.402 --> 02:23:28.599 - regarding what the state legislature could do with these potential new Republican Trump candidates. 02:23:28.599 --> 02:23:35.169 - I think it's inappropriate to try and state what a legislator and a lawmaker's gonna do when they haven't 02:23:35.169 --> 02:23:41.490 - even won a general election. Because running on a platform and actually doing something in office are 02:23:41.490 --> 02:23:46.014 - two different things, and I think it's important that we recognize that. 02:23:46.146 --> 02:23:52.836 - And then secondly to Commissioner Modillo when she said it's irresponsible if we do something, I believe 02:23:52.836 --> 02:23:59.844 - that this is one of the least fiscally responsible things that council could do. So I would just respectfully 02:23:59.844 --> 02:24:06.661 - disagree with that claim completely. And to my second point, I now like to respond to some of Commissioner 02:24:06.661 --> 02:24:13.224 - Thomas's comments. I'd first like to make a quote of Commissioner Thomas regarding the transit. Quote, 02:24:13.224 --> 02:24:15.326 - we have time to figure this out. 02:24:15.618 --> 02:24:21.404 - end quote. Why should we vote on something when we can figure it out later? I would like I feel like 02:24:21.404 --> 02:24:26.846 - as a human, I want to know exactly what I'm going to vote on before I'm going to do it. When I 02:24:27.010 --> 02:24:33.111 - Thank many council members that asked about the transit. And I wasn't able to get any response. And 02:24:33.111 --> 02:24:39.456 - regarding at one point when Commissioner Thomas brought up the idea of this being a farmland bus route, 02:24:39.456 --> 02:24:45.618 - logically, if we were to do this North Park, which I am no way stating we should, we wouldn't have a 02:24:45.618 --> 02:24:51.781 - bus route that would go solely from downtown, see the bus transit center to North Park and then come 02:24:51.781 --> 02:24:54.526 - back. That makes sense to absolutely nobody. 02:24:54.722 --> 02:25:01.651 - I will say on my way here I was going from 10th Street to the courthouse. I was late to the meeting 02:25:01.651 --> 02:25:08.650 - because I couldn't get a bus that got me there on time. Logically we would not have a bus route with 02:25:08.650 --> 02:25:11.006 - a single location and furthermore 02:25:11.234 --> 02:25:18.386 - while we can get a bus route out there. We have bus route 13. It is just not logical. And then I would 02:25:18.386 --> 02:25:25.468 - also like to thank and further restate a point that Councilor Henry made when Commissioner Thomas has 02:25:25.468 --> 02:25:32.689 - been in county government virtually the entire time that this lawsuit has been done. I still don't know 02:25:32.689 --> 02:25:34.078 - what has been done. 02:25:34.178 --> 02:25:39.357 - to say that, oh, we had COVID and we had these other problems. The lawsuits still remain during COVID, 02:25:39.357 --> 02:25:44.384 - and we didn't do anything. I'm going to have to speed it up here. I'm running out of time. Thirdly, 02:25:44.384 --> 02:25:49.462 - I would just like to say that this location just sucks. And I would also like to add that government 02:25:49.462 --> 02:25:54.590 - is about collaboration. I heard many commissioners say this. But then why are we going to vote on the 02:25:54.590 --> 02:25:57.406 - exact same thing twice? I haven't seen any differences. 02:25:57.538 --> 02:26:03.973 - Fourthly, very quickly, I would like to thank Councilor Wilts' thoughts about co-location, and that 02:26:03.973 --> 02:26:10.859 - if the people that work there don't want it, why are we doing it? And then fifth, very quickly, in regards 02:26:10.859 --> 02:26:17.552 - to the city and Commissioner Thomas' thoughts there, we have a new mayor, and five out of the nine city 02:26:17.552 --> 02:26:24.116 - council members were new after the 2023 elections. So that's a new thought. You can hear more from me 02:26:24.116 --> 02:26:25.854 - later. Thank you, Council. 02:26:26.242 --> 02:26:35.449 - You did well, thank you. Can you please state your name for the record? Oh yes, Kayden Smith, sorry. 02:26:35.449 --> 02:26:44.565 - Okay. Thank you. Next up here in the room, again, state your name for the record and you'll have up 02:26:44.565 --> 02:26:46.206 - to three minutes. 02:26:57.090 --> 02:27:03.096 - Okay, sorry. Okay, hi. Good evening, my name is Jessica Groves. I have three points to make. I'm a mom 02:27:03.096 --> 02:27:08.986 - and a resident. You've seen my kids running around and crying. I live in the neighborhood right next 02:27:08.986 --> 02:27:14.817 - to that area, the proposed area. First of all, I wanna say I'm not opposing the jail. I wanna thank 02:27:14.817 --> 02:27:20.765 - the charity for being a compassionate person and caring about the inmates. I care about that too, but 02:27:20.765 --> 02:27:25.022 - I have a family. Our neighborhood, have you driven to our neighborhoods? 02:27:25.378 --> 02:27:32.756 - There's kids running around, we have block parties, we have Easter egg hunts, we walk at night. I don't 02:27:32.756 --> 02:27:40.062 - even lock my car. We live in this safe neighborhood. You should see how many kids we have. Only in our 02:27:40.062 --> 02:27:47.156 - cul-de-sac we have like 30 kids, and we're always playing outside. We save so much money to buy our 02:27:47.156 --> 02:27:53.470 - house. We put in a pool this year, and now doing this is gonna affect my property value. 02:27:53.570 --> 02:28:00.318 - you know, I'm not gonna be able to sell my house if I ever wanna sell my house. That's our 02:28:00.318 --> 02:28:07.734 - biggest investment. So I feel like, and my third point is $200 million, like someone making $60,000 02:28:07.734 --> 02:28:15.224 - a year will have to work 4,000 years or 3,000 years to make that money. And we're just talking about 02:28:15.224 --> 02:28:19.006 - like, oh, we'll see, I don't know. I know this is, 02:28:19.202 --> 02:28:26.008 - Honestly, it's heartbreaking. I worked for a school. Sometimes we don't even have paper. We don't have 02:28:26.008 --> 02:28:33.210 - pencils. And we're just talking about $200 million just like that. We'll see, we'll figure it out. Honestly, 02:28:33.210 --> 02:28:40.149 - it's so sad. As a resident, as a taxpayer, it's so sad. I thought about this house, our neighbors, being 02:28:40.149 --> 02:28:46.558 - my forever home. But if this happened, I know my family, some of our neighbors were just moving. 02:28:47.074 --> 02:28:55.410 - We're gonna find another community. We'll probably move to Fitchers somewhere else, but we're not staying 02:28:55.410 --> 02:29:03.511 - here. That's it, thank you. Thank you. Don't see any hands raised via Teams, so while we wait for more 02:29:03.511 --> 02:29:11.454 - hands to light up on our Teams screen, I'll keep going back here to the Nattie Hill room. So please. 02:29:23.074 --> 02:29:32.027 - I have a special request. I'm not able to see the countdown of the three minutes. Is there any way that 02:29:32.027 --> 02:29:41.325 - Jeff McKinnon always was so kind to turn his computer around? And if it helps Mr. Davis? But I'm addressing 02:29:41.325 --> 02:29:49.934 - all of you council members. I don't want to turn my head like this. Do you want me to give you like 02:29:49.934 --> 02:29:51.742 - a 30 second warning? 02:29:51.874 --> 02:30:02.657 - Tell me when you want me to tell you your time's almost up. One minute and then 30 seconds. One minute 02:30:02.657 --> 02:30:13.336 - and 30 seconds. Yeah, thank you. Good evening. My name is Joe Davis and thank you council members for 02:30:13.336 --> 02:30:21.502 - hearing my comments. First off, I want to say I strongly encourage you to not 02:30:21.602 --> 02:30:31.560 - move forward on the purchase of the North Park property. It doesn't make any sense at all. As any independent 02:30:31.560 --> 02:30:40.251 - candidate for county clerk for the circuit court and also while campaigning during the primary, 02:30:40.251 --> 02:30:49.214 - I had many, many, many conversations with individuals who do not wish for the justice campus to be 02:30:49.634 --> 02:30:59.630 - to leave the downtown area. As a matter of fact, that translated into 2,545 or 49 votes for me. Many 02:30:59.630 --> 02:31:09.526 - of those people felt this strongly. This is my constituency already established. It makes no sense. 02:31:09.526 --> 02:31:18.334 - There's a sunk cost fallacy. We should not throw more money, bad money, at this project, 02:31:18.434 --> 02:31:27.928 - this architectural design that came from a sprawl state, an architectural firm that devalues the cost 02:31:27.928 --> 02:31:29.790 - of the land because 02:31:29.890 --> 02:31:37.399 - They come from Arizona or the Southwest where land is dirt cheap. OK, it makes no sense. We have the 02:31:37.399 --> 02:31:44.834 - possibility of developing something, keeping the jail, the justice center still downtown. The ideal 02:31:44.834 --> 02:31:52.343 - spot would have been where the expansion of the convention center is happening right now. And if you 02:31:52.343 --> 02:31:58.142 - ask me, that frame would be a great start to a new jail. But right next door, 02:31:58.306 --> 02:32:05.376 - or close by is the Hopewell area where the former hospital site was. The least buildable site right 02:32:05.376 --> 02:32:11.102 - now for those homes is the one where the actual hospital was on top of the hill. 02:32:12.226 --> 02:32:18.059 - This is a very logical place for the Justice Campus to be built. There's already a parking garage. It 02:32:18.059 --> 02:32:24.120 - is shovel ready. There is no need to put in a water treatment plant. It's already hooked up to the sewer. 02:32:24.120 --> 02:32:30.125 - All the infrastructure is in place. The city of Bloomington is responsible primarily for the individuals 02:32:30.125 --> 02:32:35.900 - who are being housed in the jail. They offend in the city of Bloomington. It's not the county people 02:32:35.900 --> 02:32:41.790 - who are doing it. It's the people in the city. So the city should pony up. There could be a land swap. 02:32:41.954 --> 02:32:49.982 - which could take place and then the county could use that property to build a multi-story jail. 02:32:50.082 --> 02:32:55.928 - This could be the jail on the bottom, the courts on the second level with ramps to be able to get the 02:32:55.928 --> 02:33:01.487 - individuals up just in case their elevators would break. There could be community justice above. 02:33:01.487 --> 02:33:07.276 - Above that, even there could be an exercise yard where those inmates could look out over the city of 02:33:07.276 --> 02:33:12.606 - Bloomington and be inspired to get their act together and get out of there. So please do not 02:33:12.802 --> 02:33:21.925 - Go forward with this. We have the opportunity to find something in town that is going to serve us better 02:33:21.925 --> 02:33:30.875 - Thank you very much for considering these comments Again, please do not move forward on this purchase. 02:33:30.875 --> 02:33:39.390 - Thank you. Thank you Still seeing no hands raised via teams will still keep coming back again and 02:33:39.650 --> 02:33:56.277 - If folks want to make public comment in their own teams, again, raise your hand. Good evening. My name 02:33:56.277 --> 02:34:04.510 - is Seth Mutchler. I'm a resident of Monroe County. 02:34:04.898 --> 02:34:11.547 - I know many, and I think I know all of you, you know that I like my prepared remarks, but I'm just trying 02:34:11.547 --> 02:34:17.945 - to try to speak from the heart today. I know I have said to you before that I do not envy all of you. 02:34:17.945 --> 02:34:24.217 - You have hard jobs. You have to make hard decisions. And even on the easiest day, your job is hard. 02:34:24.217 --> 02:34:30.553 - And I know this is not an easy day. There are a lot of factors here. I know that your job is to take 02:34:30.553 --> 02:34:33.438 - many different constituencies, many different 02:34:33.666 --> 02:34:40.165 - influences, many different things, juggle them all and make the best choice you can. I also know that 02:34:40.165 --> 02:34:46.536 - we elected you to do that and to do the hard thing and to make the right choice. I know that it has 02:34:46.536 --> 02:34:53.226 - been said many times that if we don't do this, that we're gonna get sued. And that might happen. I can't 02:34:53.226 --> 02:34:59.597 - say it won't. I can't say it will, I can't say it won't. But it might happen. But that doesn't mean 02:34:59.597 --> 02:35:03.038 - we make mistakes out of fear and that doesn't mean we 02:35:03.298 --> 02:35:08.710 - We do the wrong thing, even if we think we might be doing it for the right reason. We step up and we 02:35:08.710 --> 02:35:14.337 - say, I'm going to do the right thing. And we all know North Park is just not the right place for a jail. 02:35:14.337 --> 02:35:19.856 - We could talk about big picture. I've had many conversations with all of you. I could go for more than 02:35:19.856 --> 02:35:25.268 - three minutes, three hours about all of the reasons about criminal legal system and all of this. But 02:35:25.268 --> 02:35:29.662 - the decision at hand is North Park. And we just know it. You all voted last year. 02:35:29.858 --> 02:35:36.228 - no on North Park, the city council has said no on North Park, the community says no, so everything else 02:35:36.228 --> 02:35:42.476 - set aside, we just know that we can't make this choice, we can't say yes to no North Park in order to 02:35:42.476 --> 02:35:48.846 - save ourselves because we're just setting ourselves up for decades of hurt and for decades of the wrong 02:35:48.846 --> 02:35:54.910 - decision and I feel that we will as a community regret it and so I'm just gonna ask you, I'm gonna 02:35:55.138 --> 02:36:01.853 - I'm going to thank you in advance for making the hard choice for even when your backs are up against 02:36:01.853 --> 02:36:08.568 - the wall, looking out for your constituents. And I hope that will end up in a Novo North Park. Thank 02:36:08.568 --> 02:36:15.417 - you again for all the work that you do and for your public service. Thank you. OK, like we have a hand 02:36:15.417 --> 02:36:22.065 - raised via team, so screen name Kathleen, you can state your name for the record and you'll have up 02:36:22.065 --> 02:36:23.262 - to three minutes. 02:36:26.658 --> 02:36:34.424 - Hi, can you all hear me? Yes. My name is Kathleen Paquette. I'm a longtime Bloomington and Monroe County 02:36:34.424 --> 02:36:41.893 - resident. I just really wanted to second everything that Seth Mutchler just said. And I think I also 02:36:41.893 --> 02:36:49.289 - just really want to make it very clear, especially to the public, that we have all talked at length 02:36:49.289 --> 02:36:54.910 - and heard a lot about all of the reasons that North Park is a bad location. 02:36:55.394 --> 02:37:03.439 - And what we're talking about now, like back in October, you all voted against North Park as mostly based 02:37:03.439 --> 02:37:11.331 - on concerns with the cost and the location. And if we're talking about phasing this project now, we're 02:37:11.331 --> 02:37:19.070 - talking about a higher cost. So what you all voted against in October was the cost and the location. 02:37:19.070 --> 02:37:24.510 - And now we're looking at the same location at a higher cost. So to me, 02:37:25.602 --> 02:37:33.026 - The choice here seems obvious, but I also really want to, like Seth said, I know that you all have such 02:37:33.026 --> 02:37:40.306 - difficult jobs and this is a really hard thing and the threat of a lawsuit is really scary. But yeah, 02:37:40.306 --> 02:37:47.873 - I also just really want to second that we shouldn't make these decisions out of fear of what might happen 02:37:47.873 --> 02:37:53.726 - in a way that's going to deeply, deeply affect our community for decades to come. 02:37:53.858 --> 02:38:01.361 - And I would really like to see more finances invested in things that actually make our community better 02:38:01.361 --> 02:38:08.936 - rather than a larger jail. Thank you so much. I appreciate your time and work. Thank you. Next up, we'll 02:38:08.936 --> 02:38:12.254 - come to back to the lectern here in the room. 02:38:26.434 --> 02:38:34.051 - Yes, my name is Jeff Richardson. I have no position on what site you select, ultimately. I just want 02:38:34.051 --> 02:38:41.668 - to just clarify, as I did last time when I briefly spoke to you, ACLU is not the enemy. They are not 02:38:41.668 --> 02:38:49.436 - the Antichrist. They did not cause this to happen. And President Crossley, I'm glad you, although it's 02:38:49.436 --> 02:38:54.942 - well known, I'm glad you asked for that repetition. How did we get here? 02:38:55.106 --> 02:39:01.881 - Some of you may remember Marty here from my generation, Jamie Murphy, who was a big presence back in 02:39:01.881 --> 02:39:08.722 - the 60s and 70s, and she talked about againers. I'm against this, I'm against that, I'm against this. 02:39:08.722 --> 02:39:15.698 - We have a lot of people against certain things over the past 17 years, and only recently now is it some 02:39:15.698 --> 02:39:22.607 - clarity around what we're for. But that's how we got there, a lot of againers, and we've gotta somehow 02:39:22.607 --> 02:39:25.022 - turn that around. I was encouraged, 02:39:25.314 --> 02:39:32.864 - by the photo that went around with you, President Crosley, Isak Azari, President of City Council, Julie 02:39:32.864 --> 02:39:40.124 - Thomas, of course, we all know, and Mayor Thompson. And I sent it around to many, many people and I 02:39:40.124 --> 02:39:47.166 - said, hope abounds. And so I'm curious to know, this is a question for you folks, what happened? 02:39:47.298 --> 02:39:54.133 - What is happening between meetings? What is the plan? We know what a lot of people are against, and 02:39:54.133 --> 02:40:01.036 - I appreciate that, and I've been against a number of things, but I also feel, in my life, I've tried 02:40:01.036 --> 02:40:08.076 - to also come up with a solution, like a plan, or at least a pathway to a plan. So my plea, once again, 02:40:08.076 --> 02:40:14.910 - is what is happening between meetings? What is the plan? What is the plan for the plan? And how can 02:40:14.910 --> 02:40:16.414 - we best move forward? 02:40:16.514 --> 02:40:23.105 - with the commissioners, working with the mayor, working with the city council to get this done. Again, 02:40:23.105 --> 02:40:29.760 - bears repeating, I think what I'm gonna, my plea again is we can do this and I hope that you folks come 02:40:29.760 --> 02:40:36.479 - up with a plan sooner rather than later and thank you for your hard work and I would echo what the young 02:40:36.479 --> 02:40:43.262 - man just said earlier. This is what we hire you to do. These are complex, multi-layer problems but that's 02:40:43.262 --> 02:40:45.438 - why you're elected and I wish you 02:40:45.666 --> 02:40:52.620 - all the best moving forward. Thank you so much. Thank you. Next up in the room, again, sign your name, 02:40:52.620 --> 02:40:59.102 - state your, sign your name, state your name for the record and you'll have up to three minutes. 02:41:11.458 --> 02:41:17.060 - My name is Christian Easton, and my wife was up here earlier. She's very well prepared. I'm not. I wasn't 02:41:17.060 --> 02:41:22.503 - going to say anything. But I've sat here and listened to a lot of rhetoric, just things that are going 02:41:22.503 --> 02:41:27.946 - on. It doesn't sound like there's been a really good plan for years. That's just my opinion. I started 02:41:27.946 --> 02:41:33.231 - out in law enforcement in 1970 after I got home from the Army. I can remember the old building down 02:41:33.231 --> 02:41:38.515 - on South Walnut Street. It had been down there since the turn of the century. They were still using 02:41:38.515 --> 02:41:39.678 - it. We maintained it. 02:41:40.098 --> 02:41:46.243 - It was cleaned up every day. We took care of the building. Right next door was a jail. They took care 02:41:46.243 --> 02:41:52.448 - of that building forever. We built the new one. Myself and another officer moved everything out of our 02:41:52.448 --> 02:41:58.532 - police department into the new place for Bloomington Police Department, which used to be down on the 02:41:58.532 --> 02:42:04.677 - bottom floor. I can't believe that, and Sheriff, you took that place over. I saw what it looked like. 02:42:04.677 --> 02:42:09.918 - There's no reason for that. It was not your fault, but that needed better maintenance. 02:42:10.434 --> 02:42:17.066 - I think that rather than spending money on a whole lot of other things like buying property all over 02:42:17.066 --> 02:42:23.894 - the county and still looking for another piece of property to buy, we ought to fix the jail or at least 02:42:23.894 --> 02:42:30.723 - build one and take care of it and spend the money, try to spend the money on maintenance and the future 02:42:30.723 --> 02:42:37.617 - because these buildings ought to last a lot longer than that building lasted. I can't remember the exact 02:42:37.617 --> 02:42:39.390 - date that they built that. 02:42:39.906 --> 02:42:47.211 - but it's less than 50 years old, and I'm a little older than that now, and I'm still gonna make it for 02:42:47.211 --> 02:42:54.304 - a while longer, and I'm taking care of it, okay? So I'm asking you all to do the same thing. If you 02:42:54.304 --> 02:43:01.964 - own property somewhere already, this is my argument to begin with, why are you still shopping for property? 02:43:01.964 --> 02:43:08.702 - You got property. You had an opportunity to already make a decision to build on that property. 02:43:08.834 --> 02:43:16.086 - down to crunch time now, you should have already got started on that. OK, so I'm for the sheriff having 02:43:16.086 --> 02:43:23.199 - the best facility he can have. The people need to have the best facility they can for the people that 02:43:23.199 --> 02:43:30.242 - are in there. They're not all bad. I served as a minister in that place for as a police officer that 02:43:30.242 --> 02:43:37.216 - I would go in and do Sunday night services there, prisons and stuff. I've had a lot of good people, 02:43:37.216 --> 02:43:38.750 - a lot of good people. 02:43:39.362 --> 02:43:46.082 - I met some really bad people. They need all of the courts and all the things that need to be in that 02:43:46.082 --> 02:43:52.801 - facility, need to be there and not taking everybody on a tour all over your community. Because these 02:43:52.801 --> 02:43:59.654 - guys are at a greater risk when they hit the Sally port and are transferring criminals in and out. And 02:43:59.654 --> 02:44:06.706 - that's where the accidents happen. That's where the attacks happen. And if we could just keep this design 02:44:06.706 --> 02:44:08.702 - that was here in Bloomington, 02:44:08.930 --> 02:44:16.246 - was a great design. And they touched it very much before they built it. They just needed better. They 02:44:16.246 --> 02:44:23.419 - just need a little better maintenance. So that's my that's my take on it. That's my recommendation. 02:44:23.419 --> 02:44:30.734 - Thank you. Thank you. Great. Still again, raise your hand via teams. I'm going to go back to the room 02:44:30.734 --> 02:44:35.038 - here. So again, if you're on teams, please raise your hand. 02:44:49.506 --> 02:44:56.675 - My name is Stacey Dosky and I am here to thank you for the support that you've given us in rejecting 02:44:56.675 --> 02:45:03.915 - the North Park site. I am begging you to please continue to hold fast to that decision and to support 02:45:03.915 --> 02:45:11.085 - the community. I feel that it is an injustice, one, that you're having to go through this again with 02:45:11.085 --> 02:45:17.118 - the public and have another vote and all of this to have commissioners tell you that 02:45:17.410 --> 02:45:26.419 - we have to do this. I don't understand how something can be done back door or whatever under the carpet 02:45:26.419 --> 02:45:35.255 - all of a sudden it's going to be pushed through without the public being involved in that. That's not 02:45:35.255 --> 02:45:42.878 - my understanding the way government works. I will say regarding the jail I feel for the 02:45:43.074 --> 02:45:50.421 - Inmates there the employees who work there. They should not have to work in those types of conditions 02:45:50.421 --> 02:45:57.769 - Back to what Chris was saying take the money invest in what you have Do maintenance we can't just buy 02:45:57.769 --> 02:46:04.972 - things. Let it go. We have to continue to invest invest in the positions and the properties what we 02:46:04.972 --> 02:46:09.150 - have spend the money wisely the way most people would and 02:46:09.762 --> 02:46:16.537 - I don't just buy a house and get rid of it when I need needs a new roof and go do something else. Remediate 02:46:16.537 --> 02:46:22.999 - the mold. Do those types of things. Spend the money the best. We don't have a community that has a lot 02:46:22.999 --> 02:46:29.398 - of money. We just don't. Where are you going to get all this from? You're going to put it out forever 02:46:29.398 --> 02:46:32.158 - and ever? I mean, I want to know, honestly. 02:46:33.346 --> 02:46:39.292 - Who's getting a kick back here? Why does this keep coming up? The same people are getting offered, oh, 02:46:39.292 --> 02:46:45.526 - it's their property, and then they're getting offered to do all these different things. I don't understand. 02:46:45.526 --> 02:46:51.588 - I don't understand how this keeps coming around and what the problem is. Again, we need to address this. 02:46:51.588 --> 02:46:57.822 - We need to address the jail. It needs to be taken care of. Use the money to maintain it. Do not, I beg you. 02:46:58.178 --> 02:47:07.360 - go to the North Park site. It is not the best use of our finances, of our money, anything for the community. 02:47:07.360 --> 02:47:15.783 - That site, like Councilman Henry was saying, we could get all kinds of revenue. We could make money 02:47:15.783 --> 02:47:24.206 - from that location. It is a prime location for all sorts of different types of activities that will 02:47:24.206 --> 02:47:25.470 - be bringing in 02:47:25.794 --> 02:47:32.134 - money to our community, bringing in services, all sorts of different things. So think outside of the 02:47:32.134 --> 02:47:38.663 - box, find a different way instead of just buying more property to start something else that what you're 02:47:38.663 --> 02:47:45.003 - not going to maintain it because you don't have any more money anyway. So like 10 years later, we're 02:47:45.003 --> 02:47:51.657 - going to be in the same position means ridiculous. It's just insane. There's no way that we can't utilize 02:47:51.657 --> 02:47:53.854 - the land that's there to add more. 02:47:54.306 --> 02:48:03.849 - Clean up what we have. I guarantee you, it's not just disposable. Clean it up and use it. Thank you 02:48:03.849 --> 02:48:13.584 - for listening to me. And I appreciate the support that you have given us. And I apologize that you're 02:48:13.584 --> 02:48:21.982 - having to revisit this again. Thank you. Anybody else here in the net? Oh, hello again. 02:48:22.498 --> 02:48:29.210 - Sign in your name, state your name for the record, and you'll have up to three minutes. My name is James 02:48:29.210 --> 02:48:35.921 - Hovias. And if you could speak into the microphone so it can pick it up in team's land. My name is James 02:48:35.921 --> 02:48:42.313 - Hovias, and I just walked in. I've been to a few of these meetings in the past as this thing's kind 02:48:42.313 --> 02:48:48.833 - of rolled on over the years. And I think I'm probably going to echo what other people have said about 02:48:48.833 --> 02:48:51.198 - fiscal responsibility, transparency. 02:48:51.874 --> 02:48:59.026 - You guys specifically are looking at this site that is overvalued. You're going to pay too much for 02:48:59.026 --> 02:49:06.179 - it. Former Superfund site, as an adjacent property owner with a well, I would have to test my water 02:49:06.179 --> 02:49:13.546 - before I could drink it, but you're going to build a facility here? You find issues with all the other 02:49:13.546 --> 02:49:21.342 - properties. Oh, there's dirt piled up here. We can't surmount that. Oh, no, this one's got some other issue. 02:49:21.538 --> 02:49:29.252 - just a litany of issues with North Park, right? From the lack of infrastructure, from bus lines. And 02:49:29.252 --> 02:49:37.653 - from my point of view, I see you guys looking at these problems in the future, no support, no infrastructure, 02:49:37.653 --> 02:49:45.672 - you're gonna solve those problems with more taxpayer money. Again, you guys bought the Thompson property 02:49:45.672 --> 02:49:50.942 - specifically for a jail. How about we follow through on that, right? 02:49:51.810 --> 02:49:57.603 - How about we treat government the way we treat private enterprise? You know, I built bridges and roads 02:49:57.603 --> 02:50:03.396 - in the state for 27 years. And if I sucked at my job, as much as I see some of you guys suck at yours, 02:50:03.396 --> 02:50:09.021 - I wouldn't have a job. Right. So how about that person who decided to pile up all the debris on the 02:50:09.021 --> 02:50:14.926 - Thompson site rather than prep it for the jail that we knew we were going to need? How about that person 02:50:14.926 --> 02:50:20.382 - gets their walking papers and clean it up and build it where it goes, where it's supposed to go? 02:50:22.306 --> 02:50:29.758 - That's it. Thank you. Very much. All right. Next up in the room. 02:50:52.834 --> 02:50:59.485 - Good evening. Thank you, Council. My name is Andy Klein. I'm a property owner in Stony Brook, also a 02:50:59.485 --> 02:51:06.069 - public school teacher and have financial responsibilities as a public school teacher for the school 02:51:06.069 --> 02:51:12.127 - system that I serve. And I would challenge you listening to this this evening and listening 02:51:12.127 --> 02:51:18.909 - to the conversations over a year ago at the Ellisville Fire Station. I know Councilman Hawk was there. 02:51:18.909 --> 02:51:21.214 - Commissioner Thomas was there that 02:51:23.074 --> 02:51:28.819 - The challenge for you to work together with the commissioners, I think you need to take a step back 02:51:28.819 --> 02:51:34.564 - because it bothers me when I heard Commissioner Thomas talk about, we got to come up with ideas, we 02:51:34.564 --> 02:51:40.482 - got to figure out ways to cut this, but you have no dollar amount that you're talking about in setting 02:51:40.482 --> 02:51:46.629 - a bond. And I know a little bit about bond and bond counsel with my job. So when you issue a bond, correct 02:51:46.629 --> 02:51:51.742 - me if I'm wrong, counsel, you have three years to spend that money, correct? Five. Five? 02:51:52.834 --> 02:51:58.970 - Okay, I am limited to three. But I would charge you to make sure you know what you are bonding and what 02:51:58.970 --> 02:52:05.105 - you are spending your money on. Because as the taxpayers are going to be dealing with this, you're also 02:52:05.105 --> 02:52:11.064 - dealing with the impact of Senate Bill one. And I'll allude to the fact of the other Commissioner, I 02:52:11.064 --> 02:52:15.902 - apologize, I don't recall your name, you know, impacts of the elections coming up 02:52:16.002 --> 02:52:22.445 - in November, what may or may not happen, Senate Bill 1 is still there. And with the homestead credits 02:52:22.445 --> 02:52:28.826 - and the impacts of those, the $300 that we're all getting back, I didn't see $300 on my property tax 02:52:28.826 --> 02:52:35.585 - that I paid just the other day, but that's going to have an impact as well. So I would ask you to consider 02:52:35.585 --> 02:52:41.586 - those things as you are going through this. I'd also ask you to have a further discussion with 02:52:41.586 --> 02:52:45.566 - the commissioners about, they talked about design, bid, build, 02:52:45.698 --> 02:52:52.005 - Why don't you do build, occupy, transfer, that model. And I have a corporation who's building a $100 02:52:52.005 --> 02:52:58.312 - million school up the road under build, occupy, transfer. And if it comes in over cost, it's not the 02:52:58.312 --> 02:53:04.806 - school that's paying for the extra cost. It's the person who said they would build it for $100 million. 02:53:04.806 --> 02:53:11.550 - And I would ask you to think about those things as well. I yield the rest of my time. Thank you. Thank you. 02:53:14.722 --> 02:53:24.360 - Are there any other members of the public who have yet to make public comment on this item? Again, you 02:53:24.360 --> 02:53:34.091 - can come forward to the lectern here in the room and then, or rather you can raise your hand via Teams. 02:53:34.091 --> 02:53:40.734 - All right, last call via Teams. Seeing none and last call in the room. 02:53:42.690 --> 02:53:55.741 - Sorry, I just saw a hand go up. Okay. Screen name, Matt Jacobs, state your name for the record and you 02:53:55.741 --> 02:54:08.919 - all have up to three minutes. And then you also need to unmute. Sorry. Maybe. Yes, we can hear you now. 02:54:08.919 --> 02:54:11.326 - Okay, cool. Again, 02:54:11.458 --> 02:54:24.111 - I think you all heard most of the comments are going to be echoed. Here we are, you know, almost 20 02:54:24.111 --> 02:54:37.143 - years into this. And the $219,000 an acre. I don't know, has there been any kind of a study done about 02:54:37.143 --> 02:54:39.294 - maybe moving the 02:54:40.770 --> 02:54:49.363 - back to the original courthouse and expanding the jail where it's at and renovating that to see what 02:54:49.363 --> 02:54:57.956 - that cost is. And then, you know, understand there's still potentially a transportation issue to get 02:54:57.956 --> 02:55:06.719 - prisoners across the street, but there's several options for that. I mean, we just, we're building the 02:55:06.719 --> 02:55:10.462 - skyway right now for the convention center. 02:55:10.626 --> 02:55:27.382 - I'm sure that could be an option. Just down the road from there, there was industrial commercial property 02:55:27.382 --> 02:55:37.182 - that with utilities ready to hook onto it at $75,000 an acre. 02:55:40.226 --> 02:55:50.817 - believe is the old Westinghouse site. I just, after obviously just, as we all know, pay property taxes 02:55:50.817 --> 02:56:01.305 - that have went up a lot. I still just don't understand how it's even feasible to think about $219,000 02:56:01.305 --> 02:56:08.606 - an anchor for an old quarry hole. To me, that's just insane. And then, 02:56:14.978 --> 02:56:23.374 - I think as I look at attendance here, I think there's maybe some council members that are not there 02:56:23.374 --> 02:56:32.191 - this evening, but I just think it's important that as elected officials that everybody stays transparent 02:56:32.191 --> 02:56:40.923 - and stays, you know, when you're making the laws, you're still not above them. And then also, I do want 02:56:40.923 --> 02:56:42.686 - to thank the sheriff 02:56:43.650 --> 02:56:51.915 - He is a very compassionate person. This mess should have already been handled before he was ever elected. 02:56:51.915 --> 02:56:59.711 - And it's really unfortunate that he's having to deal with it and all of our law enforcement. I know 02:56:59.711 --> 02:57:07.586 - just a few weeks ago was a crazy weekend. But that's really all I have is just, if it was your money 02:57:07.586 --> 02:57:12.030 - and your bank account, would you spend $219,000 an acre? 02:57:13.314 --> 02:57:21.752 - You know, I know we got to get these inmates some better facilities, but I think there's a lot of buildings 02:57:21.752 --> 02:57:29.800 - around where things can be moved around. And that don't come with that kind of a price tag. And that's 02:57:29.800 --> 02:57:37.613 - all I got. Thanks. All right. Thank you very much. Looks like we got another hand raised via Teams. 02:57:37.613 --> 02:57:41.598 - Curtis Cummins, you should be able to unmute state 02:57:41.730 --> 02:57:49.204 - officially say your name for the record and you'll have up to three minutes. Yes, good evening. My name 02:57:49.204 --> 02:57:56.533 - is Curtis Cummings and I'm a Monroe County resident. I also work professionally in public service and 02:57:56.533 --> 02:58:03.863 - human systems. I'm in and out of the jail on a weekly basis. I'm also in and out of the courtrooms on 02:58:03.863 --> 02:58:08.606 - a weekly basis. So I really understand that the county's facing a 02:58:09.122 --> 02:58:14.809 - obviously real pressure regarding the jail situation and the ACLU concerns. But I wanna begin 02:58:14.809 --> 02:58:20.981 - by acknowledging that the constitutional jail conditions do matter. Staff safety matters, the dignity 02:58:20.981 --> 02:58:27.031 - and safety of incarcerated individuals matter. Monroe County does have a responsibility to act, but 02:58:27.031 --> 02:58:33.081 - I believe that tonight's discussion is bigger than simply a jail decision. This is a long-term land 02:58:33.081 --> 02:58:37.982 - use and economic development decision that will shape Monroe County for decades. 02:58:38.370 --> 02:58:44.397 - My concern is not whether the county needs to address the jail. My concern is whether North Park is 02:58:44.397 --> 02:58:50.485 - just too strategically important to become only a jail. North Park may represent one of the county's 02:58:50.485 --> 02:58:56.934 - most valuable future development corridors for retail, restaurants, mixed-use development, jobs, long-term 02:58:56.934 --> 02:59:03.263 - tax-based growth. As I've heard council members talk earlier, the jail is a permanent land-use decision. 02:59:03.263 --> 02:59:07.422 - Once it's built there, the county loses flexibility for generations. 02:59:07.714 --> 02:59:13.546 - And I worry that we may be unintentionally conflating two separate ideas, the urgency to act and the 02:59:13.546 --> 02:59:19.493 - urgency to permanently commit North Park. They're just not necessarily the same thing. I hope that the 02:59:19.493 --> 02:59:25.497 - county carefully considers the opportunity cost of placing a non-revenue generating government facility 02:59:25.497 --> 02:59:30.174 - on land that may otherwise strengthen Monroe County's long-term economic future. 02:59:30.338 --> 02:59:40.024 - And I also hope that we continue investing in broader solutions alongside construction discussions, 02:59:40.024 --> 02:59:50.291 - including diversion, mental health, and just adding more mental health resources and addiction treatment, 02:59:50.291 --> 02:59:58.718 - reentry support, and upstream strategies that we can use to help with more prevention. 02:59:58.946 --> 03:00:07.645 - At the end of the day, urgency just should inform decision-making. It should not replace strategic planning. 03:00:07.645 --> 03:00:15.865 - Fast actions necessary, but permanent decisions still deserve caution. Thank you very much. Thank you. 03:00:15.865 --> 03:00:24.005 - Another hand raised via Teams and I don't see it anymore. So I'll give it a couple of more seconds to 03:00:24.005 --> 03:00:26.878 - see if that other hand will pop up. 03:00:28.450 --> 03:00:36.950 - And while we do that, I'll go back to here and see if there's any final comment from members of the 03:00:36.950 --> 03:00:45.450 - public who have not made comment yet. See. Oh, the hand came back. OK, so screen name Sherry again, 03:00:45.450 --> 03:00:51.230 - state your name for the record and you'll have up to three minutes. 03:01:05.538 --> 03:01:15.328 - Sherry, you'll need to unmute. Okay. Hello, my name is Sherry Morris. Can you hear me? Yes, we can hear 03:01:15.328 --> 03:01:24.836 - you. Please proceed. I really am no expert in buildings by any stretch. I do work for the county and 03:01:24.836 --> 03:01:34.814 - I simply have a couple of thoughts to share. To be honest, every time I drive by a field that is unbuilt, 03:01:35.490 --> 03:01:45.208 - near downtown Bloomington, it dawns on me that this could be a potential location, not to start from 03:01:45.208 --> 03:01:55.695 - ground Greenfield to build an entirely new facility, but I can definitely understand the need for additional 03:01:55.695 --> 03:02:02.430 - structures that would provide mental health and addiction support and 03:02:02.722 --> 03:02:11.818 - You know, I heard padded cells, you know, different additional structures and facilities that are needed 03:02:11.818 --> 03:02:20.308 - in the current facility that could be additive as opposed to starting and replacing what we have. 03:02:20.308 --> 03:02:26.718 - I say, why don't we use the money, keep what we have and build, you know, 03:02:26.882 --> 03:02:34.192 - Maybe it's Hopewell, maybe it's reconfiguring the Curry Building, maybe it's the old Johnson Hardware 03:02:34.192 --> 03:02:41.501 - Building, the old health center, the fields around the trades district. I don't know where, but there 03:02:41.501 --> 03:02:49.384 - are options. And then we can build what we need to add the services that are required. And I also appreciated 03:02:49.384 --> 03:02:54.974 - two things, how Mr. Spoonmore did a comparative analysis and we were woefully 03:02:55.202 --> 03:03:02.562 - out of line with other communities financially with building structures. And I also appreciated the 03:03:02.562 --> 03:03:10.069 - sheriff's comment that where it is isn't important. We just need the facilities, but I don't know why 03:03:10.069 --> 03:03:17.576 - we need to start rebuild everything we have to add these extra facilities. Can't we keep what we have 03:03:17.576 --> 03:03:24.126 - improve where we need and build additional or acquire and reconfigure existing buildings 03:03:24.386 --> 03:03:37.968 - to provide those extra services in downtown Bloomington. That's all. Thank you. Okay, um, see if we 03:03:37.968 --> 03:03:51.006 - don't have any other further comment from the public. I want to say thank you all very much for 03:03:51.330 --> 03:04:00.629 - Um, making your comment here and coming in the room here and also, um, making public comment virtually. 03:04:00.629 --> 03:04:09.929 - So you appreciate that. Um, I'm going to go back for a final comment from council. So just kind of look 03:04:09.929 --> 03:04:18.334 - down the dais and see if there is any comments, um, from council based upon what we've heard. 03:04:20.386 --> 03:04:30.816 - Anybody have a public comment or comment? Yes, Councilor. I want to hear you talk first. Well, I think 03:04:30.816 --> 03:04:41.246 - these good people are here and they want a decision. And we know how we're going to vote, whether it's 03:04:41.246 --> 03:04:49.246 - tonight or two weeks from now. And it seems to me that they deserve an answer. 03:04:50.018 --> 03:04:58.994 - They thought they had the answer last year. And then, you know, now we're having to do it again. And 03:04:58.994 --> 03:05:07.880 - if we don't get it, and here's the way it works, folks. If we don't all agree tonight, then we will 03:05:07.880 --> 03:05:16.767 - be required to do it in two weeks from now. Then it won't take all of us. It just takes a majority. 03:05:16.767 --> 03:05:19.966 - So it takes four votes if we do it. 03:05:20.258 --> 03:05:30.151 - in two weeks from now. But if we do it tonight and one or two do not agree, well, it won't hurt anything. 03:05:30.151 --> 03:05:39.577 - We just go ahead and meet again two weeks from now. So not vote at all is, it's just not correct. We 03:05:39.577 --> 03:05:48.350 - should just go ahead and vote. People will know where we stand. You like voting? No, vote no. 03:05:48.738 --> 03:05:57.184 - We'll just vote again two weeks from now. But my concern is that folks and people at home are getting 03:05:57.184 --> 03:06:05.547 - tired of hearing about the jail. I know my daughter's getting tired of hearing about the jail. We've 03:06:05.547 --> 03:06:13.827 - been talking about it for years. So I think since we've already decided we're going to build a jail 03:06:13.827 --> 03:06:17.470 - someplace, and many of us no longer want to 03:06:17.794 --> 03:06:27.950 - build it at North Park. Let's just vote and be done. Anybody else want to vote tonight? Does anybody 03:06:27.950 --> 03:06:38.006 - have any other comments before? Councillor Henry, did you? Yeah, I think we've said a lot of words. 03:06:38.006 --> 03:06:46.654 - So I agree with Councillor Hawk that I don't know what more we can add in commentary. 03:06:46.754 --> 03:06:54.411 - We tend to get in that mode around here where we say it all over again. But I'll go ahead and make the 03:06:54.411 --> 03:07:02.142 - motion to call the question on whether or not to adopt the purchase agreement or ordinance 26, 2026-17. 03:07:02.142 --> 03:07:06.974 - I'll call the question on whether or not to adopt the ordinance. 03:07:15.458 --> 03:07:23.160 - I don't know what the motion is, so I'm. I thought we had any clarification. Councilmember Sir Henry, 03:07:23.160 --> 03:07:30.786 - can you repeat the motion? It's calling the question, so I move to vote on the adoption of ordinance 03:07:30.786 --> 03:07:38.336 - 2026-17. Move to approve, let's go with that. Second. Okay, we got, excuse me, we have a motion and 03:07:38.336 --> 03:07:44.830 - a second. Is there any other further questions or questions or comments from council? 03:07:46.818 --> 03:07:54.536 - that a no vote, it says we're not in favor. I think that if you wouldn't mind, Molly, Mr., you did a 03:07:54.536 --> 03:08:02.637 - really nice job of explaining the implications of voting up and down vis-a-vis the wording of the motion, 03:08:02.637 --> 03:08:10.279 - which is I think what gave some of us pause. If you wouldn't mind explaining that again, that would 03:08:10.279 --> 03:08:14.558 - be helpful for I think everyone to be on the same page. 03:08:14.754 --> 03:08:21.760 - So pursuant to Indiana code, in order for the ordinance to pass tonight on the same day that it's introduced, 03:08:21.760 --> 03:08:28.129 - it requires unanimous consent. Tonight is an introduction first reading. It doesn't require a vote, 03:08:28.129 --> 03:08:34.689 - but a vote has been called for. If there's not a vote tonight, then the vote will occur on May 26. And 03:08:34.689 --> 03:08:41.758 - that vote would either, if it passed, it would pass by majority. It would not have to be unanimous that night. 03:08:42.434 --> 03:08:51.516 - I think Council has two options. They can move forward with the vote tonight or consider whether to 03:08:51.516 --> 03:09:01.142 - table it to the 26th. The motion at hand is a motion to approve the ordinance. That is the motion. Unless 03:09:01.142 --> 03:09:10.678 - I misunderstood Council Member Henry's motion, I believe the motion on the table is a motion to approve. 03:09:10.678 --> 03:09:12.222 - Is that correct? 03:09:12.354 --> 03:09:19.750 - Yes. Okay. Whether or not it gets approved is a different story, but the motion is to approve the ordinance, 03:09:19.750 --> 03:09:26.942 - right? No vote would signal not approving the ordinance. A no vote would be to not approve the ordinance. 03:09:26.942 --> 03:09:33.862 - That is not the same as a denial or to deny the ordinance. A failed motion to approve is not the same 03:09:33.862 --> 03:09:39.358 - as a denial. Does that make sense to everyone? I'm getting some concerned looks. 03:09:44.674 --> 03:09:55.481 - It makes sense to those of us who've heard it before. So it might bear repeating in a, I don't know, 03:09:55.481 --> 03:10:06.073 - I'm sorry. This is the same that would happen. So to be clear. And restate the motion. Councillor, 03:10:06.073 --> 03:10:11.102 - one second. So just to make sure I understand. 03:10:11.714 --> 03:10:19.572 - This is the same as what we've done back in October. This is the same thing that happened with the additional 03:10:19.572 --> 03:10:26.716 - appropriation. A failed motion to approve is not the same as a denial. Right. And so last year when 03:10:26.716 --> 03:10:34.002 - we voted unanimously no, we had to come back around and vote around or say it again just to make sure 03:10:34.002 --> 03:10:39.646 - that was all clear. OK. So should that happen, we would have to vote again no. 03:10:41.122 --> 03:10:48.852 - Just making it clear should the motion on the table? Fail that is a failed motion to approve and so 03:10:48.852 --> 03:10:56.814 - that is not the same as a denial as I have an amendment like to motion to deny ordinance twenty twenty 03:10:56.814 --> 03:11:04.776 - six dash one seven. That would that would that would solve that would answer the question right? Would 03:11:04.776 --> 03:11:08.254 - end it tonight. Is that your interpretation? 03:11:09.442 --> 03:11:16.831 - I'm hardly hearing you, sorry. Ms. Turner-King, is that an interpretation of the motion to deny, then 03:11:16.831 --> 03:11:24.147 - we're done? If the new motion is to deny the passage of the ordinance, when you say then we're done, 03:11:24.147 --> 03:11:31.826 - do you mean that we're not gonna have a second reading? Before I answer, I need to understand the context 03:11:31.826 --> 03:11:39.070 - of this question. Let's try again. My intention is to take a vote on the ordinance to either accept 03:11:39.330 --> 03:11:46.381 - We accept the ordinance or we deny it this evening. There will not be a second reading because we will 03:11:46.381 --> 03:11:53.433 - have killed the ordinance on that vote. The word denial seems to do that. Yes, if a motion to deny the 03:11:53.433 --> 03:12:00.484 - ordinance would not require a second reading on the 26th. My amendment still stands. And I didn't hear 03:12:00.484 --> 03:12:04.318 - your amendment. Motion is to amend amending the motion. 03:12:05.602 --> 03:12:16.148 - to deny ordinance 2026-17. Mr. Iverson was my second, but it seems like he doesn't agree. I do not consent. 03:12:16.148 --> 03:12:26.107 - Mm-mm. Okay, may I second it then? Okay, I second. If that's what you want. Okay. So we have a motion 03:12:26.107 --> 03:12:31.966 - and a second to deny. On amending. Yes, Councillor Iverson. 03:12:32.098 --> 03:12:38.674 - And I wanted to clarify why I wasn't wanting to second that. And the reason is because we have an empty 03:12:38.674 --> 03:12:45.124 - chair next to us. We need to have all seven members weigh on this very important issue. And it is not 03:12:45.124 --> 03:12:51.574 - appropriate to be making this decision when we have an empty chair. Point of information. We may have 03:12:51.574 --> 03:12:58.087 - two empty chairs next to us. Point of information, Madam President. Yes. What was the vote on the last 03:12:58.087 --> 03:13:01.502 - time we considered the North Park Purchase Agreement? 03:13:02.658 --> 03:13:13.987 - So not 6-0. Were we not missing a member that evening? I believe Michelle is looking up that information 03:13:13.987 --> 03:13:25.748 - in the minutes. There's no requirement that you have everybody in. My question is for Ms. Molly Turner-King. 03:13:25.748 --> 03:13:32.222 - On a motion to deny, if there is a less than unanimous vote 03:13:34.498 --> 03:13:43.745 - Is the outcome the same? Does it need a simple majority? For the motion to deny to pass, it would be 03:13:43.745 --> 03:13:53.267 - a majority vote. What happens in a tie? If the motion, if the vote on a motion to deny is three, three, 03:13:53.267 --> 03:14:00.958 - it neither passes nor is neither passes nor fails. So it moved to a second reading. 03:14:04.706 --> 03:14:14.306 - So technically, this is an amendment to deny, right? And so is a motion to deny the ordinance. And well, 03:14:14.306 --> 03:14:23.541 - he also talked about or he made an amendment to his motion. So nevermind, nevermind. I just answered 03:14:23.541 --> 03:14:32.318 - my own question. Okay. Can we restate what we're potentially voting on here, please? I'm sorry. 03:14:32.834 --> 03:14:40.521 - So Councilor Henry had made an amendment to deny the ordinance. Originally, it was to approve it, but 03:14:40.521 --> 03:14:48.208 - when we approve it, because it's first reading, that would require a unanimous consent. If it did not 03:14:48.208 --> 03:14:56.197 - have unanimous consent, then see you in two weeks on the 26th for a second reading where majority passes. 03:14:56.197 --> 03:15:01.246 - In this particular case, correct me if I'm wrong, Ms. Turner-King, 03:15:01.346 --> 03:15:09.929 - because we are denying ordinance, not necessarily approving it, that kills this ordinance for tonight 03:15:09.929 --> 03:15:18.344 - and there is no second reading. Did I understand that? It passes majority. Passes majority. If your 03:15:18.344 --> 03:15:26.844 - motion to deny passes majority, it would then kill in essence the ordinance and there would not be a 03:15:26.844 --> 03:15:28.190 - second reading. 03:15:28.322 --> 03:15:39.501 - If the motion ties, it neither passes nor fails, and there would be a second reading. Go ahead. The 03:15:39.501 --> 03:15:47.102 - motion to deny the motion to deny fails. We still haven't approved. 03:15:53.954 --> 03:16:14.238 - I concur with Councillor Iverson. You know, I think 03:16:16.578 --> 03:16:23.909 - I'm sorry, I think that it's important that we have all seven counselors here. We're not gonna have 03:16:23.909 --> 03:16:31.534 - seven next meeting either. What, are you skipping? Yes, we're not going to be here seven. Oh, Poopyloo. 03:16:31.534 --> 03:16:39.305 - Yeah, and this, I'm not going into my personal life up here, but I had something that was already planned 03:16:39.305 --> 03:16:44.510 - and I had not decided to be here, but I guess if duty calls, then I'll 03:16:44.866 --> 03:16:53.710 - just like I did tonight, leave what I do personally and come back here, because that's what I get paid 03:16:53.710 --> 03:17:02.467 - the big bucks to do. But again, I feel like folks know what they want, or they already know what they 03:17:02.467 --> 03:17:11.054 - need to do. Do we need to push this off for another couple of weeks, or do you want to go ahead and 03:17:11.054 --> 03:17:11.998 - do it now? 03:17:12.290 --> 03:17:22.377 - the topic of the question, and that's the vote. My motion's on the floor, Madam President. So we'll 03:17:22.377 --> 03:17:32.564 - take the vote or we don't. I mean, the motion's on the floor. I'll call the question. OK. So we have 03:17:32.564 --> 03:17:40.734 - called the question. So now we. The amendment is his amendment to deny. Correct. 03:17:41.826 --> 03:17:51.619 - Are we voting on an amendment to his motion? There was an amendment to the motion. There was a second. 03:17:51.619 --> 03:18:01.318 - There has not been a vote on the amendment. So you want to take a vote on the amendment first? That's 03:18:01.318 --> 03:18:08.734 - usually what we do. So let's vote on the amendment. Let's read the amendment. 03:18:10.370 --> 03:18:20.177 - To clarify, what you're voting on is a motion. Counselor Henry made a motion to approve ordinance 202617. 03:18:20.177 --> 03:18:29.521 - That's the number. It was seconded. And then there was subsequently a motion to amend that motion to 03:18:29.521 --> 03:18:37.662 - change the language to a motion to deny ordinance 202617. So this is not a vote on that 03:18:37.762 --> 03:18:46.276 - underlying motion this is just a vote on the amendment to that motion then do we go back to the first 03:18:46.276 --> 03:18:54.790 - motion if the amendment passes then you would vote on that now motion which is to be a motion to deny 03:18:54.790 --> 03:19:00.382 - if the amendment fails we go back to the approval question correct 03:19:01.570 --> 03:19:08.243 - Right, I mean, yes. So do we want to do that? We've got a motion in a second. Madam President, seeing 03:19:08.243 --> 03:19:14.916 - as this has caused some confusion to go with the more assertive posture this evening and maybe not go 03:19:14.916 --> 03:19:21.785 - for it, I'll withdraw the motion. I'll withdraw my amendment. So that would take us back to the original 03:19:21.785 --> 03:19:28.523 - motion of just voting up or down, but it means... Second reading. It doesn't deny it. It means it goes 03:19:28.523 --> 03:19:30.878 - to second reading, is that correct? 03:19:32.034 --> 03:19:40.291 - Withdrawing your emotion means that the emotion then is a motion to approve ordinance 2026-17. Voting 03:19:40.291 --> 03:19:48.385 - yes approves the motion. If it's not unanimous, then it would go to a second reading. Voting no is, 03:19:48.385 --> 03:19:56.480 - and if that fails, then it's a failed motion to approve, which is not the same as a motion to deny. 03:19:56.480 --> 03:19:59.070 - So Madam President, I withdraw. 03:19:59.778 --> 03:20:09.604 - so we can return to the original question. So we have the or it's withdrawn and now it's the overall 03:20:09.604 --> 03:20:19.332 - original one where he said to vote to approve. All we have to do is just. So I'm going to ask for a 03:20:19.332 --> 03:20:28.574 - roll call. OK, so to reiterate, yeah, so to reiterate. The motion to deny. Has been withdrawn. 03:20:28.706 --> 03:20:42.323 - We are going back to the original motion where it's the motion to adopt ordinance 2026-17. So this is 03:20:42.323 --> 03:20:55.806 - to approve the ordinance of the purchase of the property. Councillor Iverson. Yes. Councillor Wills. 03:21:00.930 --> 03:21:15.162 - We'll come back. Councillor Hawke. No. Did she answer? No. Okay. Thank you. Councillor Crossley. No. 03:21:15.162 --> 03:21:20.798 - Councillor Henry. No. Councillor Feidl. 03:21:30.210 --> 03:21:46.591 - You're approving. You're approving the purchase. No. Councillor Wilts. Can we need to count? Pardon? 03:21:46.591 --> 03:21:58.430 - Count right now. It is four no's, one yes. Not going to pass. So no. No. 03:21:59.746 --> 03:22:17.856 - one to five with a second reading required. All right. So thank you all for that. And this comes back 03:22:17.856 --> 03:22:24.958 - again for a second reading on the 20th. 03:22:25.858 --> 03:22:40.929 - Okay, so I'm going to jump back into the. The agenda, because that was a lot. Alright, so. Presentations 03:22:40.929 --> 03:22:51.838 - discussions, boards and commissions. As we wrap up tonight, Council please. 03:22:51.970 --> 03:23:00.319 - Council Henry had some scheduling conflicts with emergency management in the MPO meetings, and he also 03:23:00.319 --> 03:23:08.830 - would need to step down. So is there anybody that- Can I ask that the audience please be quiet? I cannot 03:23:08.830 --> 03:23:16.935 - hear Councilor Crossley. Thank you. Is there anybody that would like to take Council Member Henry's 03:23:16.935 --> 03:23:21.150 - appointments? When are the meeting dates and times? 03:23:22.338 --> 03:23:35.883 - I think it's like the third Tuesday of the month. It matters when they are. I understand. I didn't prepare 03:23:35.883 --> 03:23:48.796 - that. And then the MPO meets every other month. There's a quarterly. It's quarterly. I can look it up 03:23:48.796 --> 03:23:51.454 - while we're meeting. 03:23:52.386 --> 03:23:57.709 - We do have a little time before the next meetings of these bodies. Do they meet monthly? The MAC is 03:23:57.709 --> 03:24:03.192 - not monthly. Say that again. No, neither one of them are monthly. Oh, then can we wait till next time? 03:24:03.192 --> 03:24:08.568 - Let me get the date and times here. Can we wait till next time? Madam President, I think we can wait 03:24:08.568 --> 03:24:13.944 - till next time. They're not meeting between now and then. And I can always ask for a proxy to attend 03:24:13.944 --> 03:24:19.268 - until I figure it out. So ideally, what will happen next is if anybody wants to take it, we got two 03:24:19.268 --> 03:24:22.142 - more weeks to figure it out. Sounds great. All right. 03:24:22.754 --> 03:24:32.091 - next up update on legal counsel I'm gonna I ain't got it so we're just gonna move on with that one the 03:24:32.091 --> 03:24:41.247 - review of our colon numbers Michelle is that something you want to do now or should we I can just do 03:24:41.247 --> 03:24:46.142 - it really quick it won't it won't take that long okay 03:25:08.738 --> 03:25:21.618 - This is the time of year that we always go through the Midwest Consumer Price Index, which is the CPI. 03:25:21.618 --> 03:25:34.123 - We always use the December of the prior year, so this 2026. So we always use the December 2025 CPI. 03:25:34.123 --> 03:25:37.374 - And for 2025, it is 2.7%. 03:25:39.330 --> 03:25:49.900 - I went through, did a breakdown, did all the calculations. A flat rate of the 2.7% COLA would be 90 03:25:49.900 --> 03:26:00.787 - cents on the hour. So that's where you stand with that information. This history, it was in the packet 03:26:00.787 --> 03:26:08.926 - for your review. It shows what you've done. I can go back further, but this, 03:26:09.090 --> 03:26:21.136 - particular spreadsheet takes you back to 2021 with all the history. So I just want to let you guys know 03:26:21.136 --> 03:26:32.951 - this is where you're at. We, you know, Councilor Crossley has yet to do the the 2027 budget president 03:26:32.951 --> 03:26:38.974 - letter. I know that there was a push for last year. 03:26:39.298 --> 03:26:48.526 - to do the 3% COLA, even though we probably technically couldn't handle it budget-wise, but we did manage 03:26:48.526 --> 03:26:57.490 - to get it on there. So, you've said many times, several times since then that there probably wouldn't 03:26:57.490 --> 03:27:06.366 - be a COLA, but I just wanted to get you that information out there to you. In the year that I do it. 03:27:08.290 --> 03:27:15.666 - Yep. Councillor Henry and then Iverson. Thank you, Madam President. Councillor Iverson, in your very 03:27:15.666 --> 03:27:23.334 - statue-wear around here, did this come up at FSG in your long-term finances? It did not. We talked about 03:27:23.334 --> 03:27:31.002 - this a little bit, but it's in the sustainability report that we are going to have them come and present 03:27:31.002 --> 03:27:34.654 - sometime next month? In June, yes. Yeah, in June. 03:27:35.074 --> 03:27:42.879 - don't have it in front of me, but there was a recommendation in that sustainability report, and it was 03:27:42.879 --> 03:27:50.533 - 2%? It was a 2%. OK. And we're showing a 2.7 is what CPI is? Yes. So there's your answer. Thank you. 03:27:50.533 --> 03:27:58.338 - Appreciate it. Let's see. I did get confirmation. He is coming to the June 23rd meeting. So we'll have 03:27:58.338 --> 03:28:03.870 - an update with the sustainability to the entire council at that meeting. 03:28:06.082 --> 03:28:16.394 - I was going to raise the same exact topic, so it's been addressed. Anybody else? Seeing none. Yeah, 03:28:16.394 --> 03:28:26.810 - don't have the letter for as Michelle said, lots of things have come about that has pushed that back 03:28:26.810 --> 03:28:33.822 - for me. And I will have that for my colleagues at the 26th meeting. 03:28:34.210 --> 03:28:42.182 - All right, next up we will move on to council liaison updates and comments before we adjourn So I will 03:28:42.182 --> 03:28:49.922 - look down to my left here and start with miss vital So I attended the last fair board meeting and I 03:28:49.922 --> 03:28:57.740 - want to remind folks This month and next month that the fair coming up is June 27th through July 5th 03:28:57.740 --> 03:29:03.390 - of this year So it's a Saturday through the following Sunday if you want 03:29:03.554 --> 03:29:12.683 - Vendor space, you can email mcfcommercialbooths at gmail.com. So it's mcf, Monroe County Fair, 03:29:12.683 --> 03:29:22.293 - commercialbooths, B-O-O-T-H-S at gmail.com, if you want fair. And then I was involved in an airport 03:29:22.293 --> 03:29:31.422 - master plan meeting. I don't have my thoughts collected on, so I'll talk about that next time. 03:29:34.178 --> 03:29:43.019 - Councilor Williams? Councilor Emerson? No comments. Councilor Henry? Not this evening, thank you, Madam 03:29:43.019 --> 03:29:51.690 - President. All right, well, yeah, that was interesting. Okay, so I don't have anything either. End of 03:29:51.690 --> 03:30:00.361 - the school year is upon us for MCCSE, and I'm sure RBB, but I am a mom of MCCSE folks, so hats off to 03:30:00.361 --> 03:30:03.166 - those that made it another year. 03:30:03.330 --> 03:30:09.894 - And again, I just want to say thank you to the public comments that stuck around and gave comments. 03:30:09.894 --> 03:30:13.438 - So with that being said, we are adjourned. Thank you.