WEBVTT 00:00:00.162 --> 00:00:07.984 - We will go ahead and get started because we have some things I think folks want to talk about this evening. 00:00:07.984 --> 00:00:15.227 - So welcome everybody to today's County Council meeting. Today is Tuesday, May 26, 2026. I will call 00:00:15.227 --> 00:00:22.543 - this meeting to order since we have a quorum. Here in the Natt U Hill room, we have Councilors Hawk, 00:00:22.543 --> 00:00:25.150 - Iverson, Deckard, Wilts, and Feidl. 00:00:25.538 --> 00:00:34.262 - I believe Council Member Henry is going to be joining us virtually. I don't see him as of yet, but I 00:00:34.262 --> 00:00:43.073 - believe he will be virtual. So all those that are able to stand, please stand for the reciting of the 00:00:43.073 --> 00:00:52.315 - Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the Black of the United States of America and to the Republic 00:00:52.315 --> 00:00:55.166 - for which it stands, one nation, 00:00:55.490 --> 00:01:04.329 - Under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Okay, thank you very much. We will move on 00:01:04.329 --> 00:01:13.079 - to the adoption of tonight's agenda. Does anybody wish to amend tonight's agenda? All right, seeing 00:01:13.079 --> 00:01:21.918 - no amendments. And because we don't have Councilmember Henry just yet, we can do this by voice vote. 00:01:22.050 --> 00:01:29.922 - So all those in favor of adopting tonight's agenda as presented signify by saying aye. Aye. All those 00:01:29.922 --> 00:01:33.086 - opposed same sign. Okay. Motion carries. 00:01:34.626 --> 00:01:40.389 - Next up, we will have item number four, which is public comment. So those are usually, well, not usually 00:01:40.389 --> 00:01:45.932 - they are, for public comment for items not on the agenda. So if there are members of the public that 00:01:45.932 --> 00:01:51.421 - are here tonight that would like to speak to items not on tonight's agenda, you can come forward to 00:01:51.421 --> 00:01:57.239 - the lectern here in the NETU Hill Room, or if you are in Teams land, you can raise your hand. Each person 00:01:57.239 --> 00:02:02.014 - that would like to make a public comment on tonight, or items not on tonight's agenda, 00:02:02.210 --> 00:02:14.709 - You will state your name for the record and you'll have up to three minutes. Do we have anybody? No, 00:02:14.709 --> 00:02:27.084 - we will move this on. All right, so next up we will have department updates and oh, I thought I saw 00:02:27.084 --> 00:02:32.158 - a hand briefly. It was. Okay. All right. 00:02:32.258 --> 00:02:38.466 - going to keep going. I saw a little yellow hand raise up, and so I'm just going to keep going. OK, so 00:02:38.466 --> 00:02:44.614 - for department updates, those are items not on the agenda. So if there is a department update that's 00:02:44.614 --> 00:02:50.822 - present here in the NETU Hill Room, or if you are virtual, again, you can come forward to the lectern 00:02:50.822 --> 00:02:55.326 - here, and you'll have up to 10 minutes for items not on tonight's agenda. 00:03:02.626 --> 00:03:10.153 - Okay, so we will move on to our consent agenda items. And before we get into the meat and potatoes of 00:03:10.153 --> 00:03:17.974 - our meeting, I know that we have a lot of folks that are here present in the room and probably in virtual 00:03:17.974 --> 00:03:25.353 - land as well. So I asked my colleagues if we can expedite through this agenda so that we can get to 00:03:25.353 --> 00:03:27.198 - the heavy topic at hand. 00:03:27.746 --> 00:03:34.065 - All right, so next up is item number six, which is our consent agenda items. Council, please note that 00:03:34.065 --> 00:03:40.200 - there was a Scrivener's error with regards to the February 4th joint executive session minutes. The 00:03:40.200 --> 00:03:46.396 - correct date is April 2nd, which was included in the meeting packet. I move to approve the following 00:03:46.396 --> 00:03:52.408 - consent agenda items for May 26th. A, the approval of the following summary minutes as presented, 00:03:52.408 --> 00:03:56.702 - April 2nd, 2026 joint executive session of council and commissioners. 00:03:57.282 --> 00:04:04.956 - 30th 2026 joint executive session of council and commissioners April 14th 2026 County Council meeting 00:04:04.956 --> 00:04:12.705 - April 28th 2026 County Council meeting and item be the highway department's request and find 1176 dash 00:04:12.705 --> 00:04:20.454 - zero zero zero zero motor vehicle highway for a category transfer of $4,000 from the services category 00:04:20.454 --> 00:04:26.398 - to the supplies category All right. We got a motion and a second. Is there any 00:04:26.786 --> 00:04:36.134 - Um, just further discussion from council members on this, uh, consent agenda items. And it also looks 00:04:36.134 --> 00:04:45.482 - like we have council member Henry that is joining us virtually as well. Okay. Seeing none, because we 00:04:45.482 --> 00:04:55.838 - need to do this, uh, as a roll call vote. Uh, maybe please have a roll call vote. Councillor Crossley. Yes. Yes. 00:04:56.386 --> 00:05:08.631 - Councillor Fiddle. Yes. Councillor Hawke. Yes. Councillor Wilts. Yes. Councillor Henry. Yes. It is his 00:05:08.631 --> 00:05:20.638 - face. There it is. Okay. Thank you. Yes. Thank you. Councillor Decker. Yes. Motion passes unanimous. 00:05:21.954 --> 00:05:29.016 - Next up are items regarding the hiring freeze review, which is item number seven. Council, I move to 00:05:29.016 --> 00:05:36.077 - open for discussion and possible approval of the technical service department's request to be exempt 00:05:36.077 --> 00:05:43.139 - from the hiring freeze and be allowed to hire in fund 1138-0000 cumulative capital development fund, 00:05:43.139 --> 00:05:50.270 - a full-time help desk slash remote desktop technician. Second. Okay. Welcome. Good evening, everyone. 00:05:50.754 --> 00:05:57.506 - Unfortunately we've had a position come open in our office that is one of our full time technical support 00:05:57.506 --> 00:06:04.004 - positions. The help desk remote support position is actually the first line of defense we have in our 00:06:04.004 --> 00:06:10.629 - office. When calls are placed to our main line number the help desk operator is the one answering that. 00:06:10.629 --> 00:06:12.094 - They typically address 00:06:12.962 --> 00:06:19.165 - smaller tickets, updates, things like that that they can help the user with remotely, anything above 00:06:19.165 --> 00:06:24.814 - that, they start dispatching onto the other techs, or if it's a web issue onto the web team 00:06:24.814 --> 00:06:31.263 - or telecommunications, whatever it needs dispatched to. This person in this position is also responsible 00:06:31.263 --> 00:06:37.772 - for one week of the every four week on-call rotation we have that's shared with the other three full-time 00:06:37.772 --> 00:06:41.150 - technicians that's in that section. So in the interim, 00:06:41.250 --> 00:06:48.128 - Because we have been without the position filled fully for a little while We've redistributed the duties 00:06:48.128 --> 00:06:54.810 - as best we could our webmaster our office manager Never hesitate to pick up the phone and answer when 00:06:54.810 --> 00:07:00.574 - people call to try to help out the on calls been moved around to try to keep certain to 00:07:00.962 --> 00:07:07.400 - keep our three techs from being overburdened with comp time or having to flex out which leaves us short 00:07:07.400 --> 00:07:13.775 - as well so this is a very vital position to our office which all are we don't have a lot of fat in our 00:07:13.775 --> 00:07:20.151 - budget there if you want to put it that way for lack of a better term and I do count on each and every 00:07:20.151 --> 00:07:26.527 - one of my people to be there and present so I'd appreciate the consideration to fill the vacancy thank 00:07:26.527 --> 00:07:29.374 - you very much does anybody have any questions 00:07:29.762 --> 00:07:38.982 - on this item. All right. Seeing none, we will move on to public comment. If there's public comment on 00:07:38.982 --> 00:07:48.472 - this item, you can raise your hand via Teams or come forward to the lectern here in the room. And seeing 00:07:48.472 --> 00:07:57.692 - none, may we please have a roll call vote? Councillor Iverson? Yes. Councillor Feidl? Yes. Councillor 00:07:57.692 --> 00:07:58.686 - Hock? Yes. 00:08:00.322 --> 00:08:11.747 - Councillor Henry? Yes. Councillor Deckard? Yes. Councillor Crossley? Yes. Motion passes unanimous. Okay. 00:08:11.747 --> 00:08:23.390 - Thank you. Thank you very much. Up is county council business item number eight with emergency management. 00:08:24.034 --> 00:08:34.171 - Council I move to approve the Emergency Management Department's Request and Fund 4938-9626 Emergency 00:08:34.171 --> 00:08:39.390 - Management Duke Grant to create account lines 28900 00:08:39.522 --> 00:08:48.518 - CO emergency response supplies and 38350 grant distribution and simultaneously approve additional 00:08:48.518 --> 00:08:58.616 - appropriations of $150 in the supplies category and $5,350 in the services category for a total appropriation 00:08:58.616 --> 00:09:06.878 - of $5,500. Second. All right. We got a motion and a second and I see Mr. Baker is online. 00:09:07.266 --> 00:09:15.055 - So Mr. Baker, you should be able to unmute and you can go ahead with your presentation. Yes, good evening 00:09:15.055 --> 00:09:22.549 - council. This is a Duke grant that we got to help Manila Fire Protection District fulfill their water 00:09:22.549 --> 00:09:30.117 - safety and boating safety campaign that they're starting. And this will help them purchase life jacket 00:09:30.117 --> 00:09:34.526 - loaner stations throughout the county near bodies of water. 00:09:35.330 --> 00:09:43.810 - Their locations are still unknown at this time, but they are working with some more safety specialists 00:09:43.810 --> 00:09:52.371 - to get that going. So this will help keep people safe on the water, especially on Lake Monroe and Fifth 00:09:52.371 --> 00:10:00.686 - Lake and stuff. And leftover funds will help us purchase more flood radios to keep people alerted of 00:10:00.686 --> 00:10:04.638 - storms and stuff. Thank you very much for that. 00:10:04.962 --> 00:10:12.973 - Does anybody have any questions or comments for Mr. Baker on this item? Yes, Councilmember Decker. I 00:10:12.973 --> 00:10:21.142 - was very happy to see this come in and the emergency management alongside the fire protection district 00:10:21.142 --> 00:10:29.866 - were proactively talking about something that I think that haunts a lot of us and many families, particularly 00:10:29.866 --> 00:10:33.118 - as we enter a season where water traffic 00:10:33.442 --> 00:10:44.008 - increases and extends and so I appreciate very much that the folks who respond to emergencies are thinking 00:10:44.008 --> 00:10:54.377 - proactively about things that might assist us to have one less, two less, multiple less and I'm grateful 00:10:54.377 --> 00:11:00.894 - for that immensely. Any other questions or comments on this item? 00:11:02.082 --> 00:11:11.105 - All right, seeing none, we will move on to public comment. If there's public comment on this item, raise 00:11:11.105 --> 00:11:19.785 - your hand via Teams, or you can come forward to the lectern here in the room. And still seeing none, 00:11:19.785 --> 00:11:28.465 - maybe please have a roll call vote. Councilor Feidl? Yes. Councilor Hawk? Yes. Councilor Wilts? Yes. 00:11:28.465 --> 00:11:31.902 - Councilor Henry? Yes. Councilor Decker? 00:11:32.450 --> 00:11:39.341 - Councilor Crossley? Yes. Councilor Iverson? Yes. Motion passes unanimous. All right. Next up is item 00:11:39.341 --> 00:11:46.369 - B from the Board of Commissioners. All right. This is a long one, so be patient. Council is a reminder 00:11:46.369 --> 00:11:53.192 - to everyone due to a lack of unanimous vote to the May 12th meeting, this is the second reading and 00:11:53.192 --> 00:11:59.742 - approval of ordinance 2026-17, fixing terms and conditions for the purchase of land as follows. 00:12:00.450 --> 00:12:06.658 - Whereas pursuant to the authority granted to the Monroe County Council, hereby after a council, by the 00:12:06.658 --> 00:12:12.866 - General Assembly of the State of Indiana under Indiana Code 36-2-2-20, the council quote, a conveyance 00:12:12.866 --> 00:12:18.893 - or purchase by a county of land having a value of $1,000 or more must be authorized by an ordinance 00:12:18.893 --> 00:12:24.318 - of the county fiscal body, fixing the terms and conditions of the transaction, end quote. 00:12:24.418 --> 00:12:30.929 - Whereas the Monroe County Board of Commissioners intend to purchase land from the Logan land development 00:12:30.929 --> 00:12:37.129 - LLC Hereafter seller under certain terms which are described in the attached and incorporated quote 00:12:37.129 --> 00:12:43.578 - contract for purchase of real estate in quote marked as quote exhibit one end quote and whereas exhibit 00:12:43.578 --> 00:12:49.406 - one indicates a purchase price of 11 million three hundred seventy three thousand dollars the 00:12:50.018 --> 00:12:56.502 - Eleven million three hundred seventy five thousand dollars. Thank you. The agreement requires council 00:12:56.502 --> 00:13:02.986 - approval pursuant to Indiana code thirty six one dash one dash ten dash five point five dash five and 00:13:02.986 --> 00:13:09.470 - Indiana code thirty six dash two dash two dash twenty now therefore be it ordained and established by 00:13:09.470 --> 00:13:14.238 - the Monroe County Council as follows section one the Monroe County Council 00:13:14.434 --> 00:13:20.704 - has been provided two appraisals for the property owned by the seller as shown in exhibit one. 00:13:20.704 --> 00:13:27.568 - Section two, the council wishes for Monroe County to acquire the property owned by seller and described 00:13:27.568 --> 00:13:34.234 - in exhibit one. As the fiscal body for Monroe County, this ordinance serves as the expression of the 00:13:34.234 --> 00:13:40.702 - council's interest in purchasing the land as required by Indiana code 36-1-10.5-5. Section three, 00:13:41.122 --> 00:13:47.684 - Per Indiana Code 36-2-2-20, the Council approves of all the terms and conditions described in the Contract 00:13:47.684 --> 00:13:53.817 - for Purchase of Real Estate, which is attached here, too, as Exhibit 1. The Council recognizes that 00:13:53.817 --> 00:14:00.379 - the purchase price does not exceed the average of the two appraisals received and accepted by the Council. 00:14:00.379 --> 00:14:01.054 - Section 4. 00:14:01.506 --> 00:14:08.001 - To the extent council approval is required, the council approves the execution and deliverance of any 00:14:08.001 --> 00:14:14.624 - and all documents necessary to approve the contract for purchase of real estate and authorizes officers 00:14:14.624 --> 00:14:20.992 - of the county to take any and all action necessary to ratify, approve, or finalize the transaction. 00:14:20.992 --> 00:14:27.870 - Second. All right, we got a motion and a second, and I don't know who's presenting, but somebody, go ahead. 00:14:30.274 --> 00:14:38.638 - Here at the table, so I'm assuming it's you. Hello, Sherrod. Good evening, council members and Madam 00:14:38.638 --> 00:14:47.002 - President. This past weekend, well, it was a long weekend, I spent a lot of time thinking about what 00:14:47.002 --> 00:14:55.863 - I was gonna present to the council. Gave a tremendous amount of thought. At one point, I gave some thought 00:14:55.863 --> 00:14:59.838 - in the sense of repeating the first president's 00:14:59.970 --> 00:15:08.183 - a PowerPoint presentation that I presented. And as I thought about that, I'm thinking, well, you really 00:15:08.183 --> 00:15:16.160 - showed that. And I also thought about, what about the photographs that presented before in the past? 00:15:16.160 --> 00:15:24.136 - So would I present those as a refresher? And well, you really did that as well. I even thought about 00:15:24.136 --> 00:15:29.822 - repeating some of the stories and what we have been through, the staff, 00:15:29.922 --> 00:15:39.626 - the residents in that facility and why is it that we need a brand new facility at this point? I'm thinking, 00:15:39.626 --> 00:15:48.611 - well, we have done that as well. So decided just to really talk about the facts and what you really 00:15:48.611 --> 00:15:58.494 - know and hopefully go from there. As you know, when I took over five years and a half ago, we discussed this. 00:15:59.362 --> 00:16:07.663 - very transparent and really thought about how to bring the council members up to speed as far 00:16:07.663 --> 00:16:16.935 - as constitutional job because we're at the borderline right now, not being constitutional. So my thought 00:16:16.935 --> 00:16:25.854 - process was knowing that there was a consent decree that's been in effect for 17 years, as you know, 00:16:26.658 --> 00:16:34.689 - Okay, how do we move forward? Because 17 years is quite a long time and believe it for the staff members 00:16:34.689 --> 00:16:42.873 - and for the people in that facility, that's a long time to make improvements. But the issue still remains. 00:16:42.873 --> 00:16:50.675 - We talk about being very caring and humane, but the lack of medical care that we could provide is not 00:16:50.675 --> 00:16:54.270 - there right now because of this lack of space. 00:16:56.162 --> 00:17:02.943 - The population for us is growing slowly. I can't tell you why. I just can't tell you. But I could tell 00:17:02.943 --> 00:17:09.592 - you when it does and we have people there that need medical care, we have to step up right. But it's 00:17:09.592 --> 00:17:16.241 - so difficult at this point because of the space. We're lacking space tremendously. And God forbid we 00:17:16.241 --> 00:17:22.891 - have to quarantine people. We won't be able to do it. We just don't have the space. Programs. I know 00:17:22.891 --> 00:17:24.734 - this county is very caring. 00:17:25.634 --> 00:17:31.979 - as the council members are, because you do talk about how do we provide assistance to people before 00:17:31.979 --> 00:17:38.577 - they end up in our facility, which is a very good concept, and I'm 100% behind that. We have to do both 00:17:38.577 --> 00:17:45.303 - at the same time, because the majority of the people that we have are people that need help. We're trying 00:17:45.303 --> 00:17:51.711 - to be a proactive team in the sense of trying to meet them where they're at, meaning not everyone is 00:17:51.711 --> 00:17:55.454 - the same, but the staff for us, the size remains the same. 00:17:55.682 --> 00:18:02.496 - It's a very, very difficult task for us, I could tell you. And when I come and sit in front of you and 00:18:02.496 --> 00:18:09.310 - I say to you, because I want, I'm gonna keep my word and be transparent, but to be fair to you, if I'm 00:18:09.310 --> 00:18:15.992 - gonna come to you and ask you for certain things, I need you to understand why. And I could tell you 00:18:15.992 --> 00:18:22.078 - right now, the numbers are concerning to me right now as they're creeping up, it really is. 00:18:22.210 --> 00:18:28.926 - I won't get too deep into that right now, but I assure you it is. And we cannot keep up trying to help 00:18:28.926 --> 00:18:35.512 - someone with programs if the numbers keep up and our staff numbers remain the same. It's just really 00:18:35.512 --> 00:18:42.228 - impossible to do that. And the thing is, we all agreed upon that we want to provide them with the best 00:18:42.228 --> 00:18:49.009 - programs in the system and assist them as much as we can. We all agree to that. We have that in common. 00:18:49.009 --> 00:18:51.422 - But I can sit here and tell you that 00:18:52.450 --> 00:19:01.128 - We're falling short. It's just it is what it is. I can't. The staff that we have are doing a phenomenal 00:19:01.128 --> 00:19:09.640 - job. We hold them to a very high standard. But when you're tired. You make mistakes. Our use of force 00:19:09.640 --> 00:19:17.984 - has dropped 80 percent. It has. But when you have people that are in a facility that's overcrowded, 00:19:17.984 --> 00:19:19.486 - tempers flare up. 00:19:20.290 --> 00:19:27.079 - And which means is the potential for our staff members to get hurt, the percentage rises. So I'm gonna 00:19:27.079 --> 00:19:33.670 - ask you for help in the sense of we have to do something, we have to do something fast because when 00:19:33.670 --> 00:19:40.393 - I said to you also, I don't know what tomorrow is gonna bring and it's coming fast. It truly is, it's 00:19:40.393 --> 00:19:47.380 - coming fast because we cannot keep up at the momentum that people are coming in, which we have no control 00:19:47.380 --> 00:19:48.830 - over, but it's there. 00:19:51.714 --> 00:19:59.169 - We also have the lack of the ADA providing people that need their service. We just don't have it. Um, 00:19:59.169 --> 00:20:06.551 - we are caring community. Yes, we are. We want to provide those services, but at the present time, we 00:20:06.551 --> 00:20:14.153 - just can't do it the level that we should be able to do it. I really touched on the safety of the staff 00:20:14.153 --> 00:20:16.126 - and, and, and the inmates. 00:20:16.674 --> 00:20:23.946 - That's something that I think about dramatically. So when I thought about what I'm gonna say to the 00:20:23.946 --> 00:20:31.217 - council, that forefront, that was one of the things I wanted to make repeat myself to you that it's 00:20:31.217 --> 00:20:38.707 - a situation that if I could bring them in and talk to themselves, you could hear from their voices the 00:20:38.707 --> 00:20:40.670 - stress that they're under. 00:20:41.698 --> 00:20:49.605 - but I can't because some of them have to go home to sleep to work the midnight shift or the second shift 00:20:49.605 --> 00:20:56.759 - or the third shift. So it's very difficult. So they're doing the very best that they can under 00:20:56.759 --> 00:21:04.289 - the circumstances. So for the new facility, one of the things that I thought about and I agree with 00:21:04.289 --> 00:21:11.518 - the council when you mentioned multiple time is what we need to do the first step is just build 00:21:11.746 --> 00:21:21.261 - the office, the sheriff's office, and to jail. I agree with you 100%. I really do. The time is now. 00:21:21.261 --> 00:21:31.441 - I always stood the ground that whatever we take position, we take whatever location we select, the fastest 00:21:31.441 --> 00:21:37.150 - that we could move at the present time. I always said that. 00:21:39.458 --> 00:21:47.454 - not to move forward at the present time is literally putting a tremendous amount of more stress on the 00:21:47.454 --> 00:21:55.295 - staff that are already stressed to a point that concerns me. It really does. So we all agree that we 00:21:55.295 --> 00:22:03.135 - want to treat people humanly. We agreed upon that. We also agreed that we want to have public safety 00:22:03.135 --> 00:22:08.414 - to the utmost. This is a public safety issue because we tried to do 00:22:08.546 --> 00:22:14.937 - is when they come in and provide specifically residents. Now I'm talking about is provided with all 00:22:14.937 --> 00:22:21.584 - the help that we can. So when they leave the facility, they don't go back to the same pattern or habits 00:22:21.584 --> 00:22:28.104 - that cause them to be in there. We're trying to be proactive, but here again, it keeps coming back to 00:22:28.104 --> 00:22:34.559 - the facility and the staff number. And when I say to you that when we release people and the numbers 00:22:34.559 --> 00:22:35.326 - are higher, 00:22:36.258 --> 00:22:43.898 - Releasing people that we know for fact need assistance And it takes time to provide that assistance 00:22:43.898 --> 00:22:51.844 - and we don't have the staff and or the size of facility to do that It concerns me because At what point 00:22:51.844 --> 00:22:59.637 - do we realize that? Once we hit that number that's the point of no return and we're creeping up to it 00:22:59.637 --> 00:23:05.214 - very quickly One of the things that I thought about this weekend as well 00:23:06.050 --> 00:23:14.871 - I mean, I'm not an attorney for what I'm about to say. I might ask Commissioner Maduro to step to come 00:23:14.871 --> 00:23:23.777 - up here for a minute in case I missed something that I didn't say properly, because I want to make sure 00:23:23.777 --> 00:23:32.512 - that I provide adequate information to you. I thought about this. Let's say the lawsuit goes through. 00:23:32.512 --> 00:23:34.910 - I know for a fact, testify. 00:23:36.258 --> 00:23:46.506 - I don't know if the fact is going to be the chief deputy. I don't know if the fact that the jail commander 00:23:46.506 --> 00:23:56.180 - is going to be, is going to be asked to testify as well. And once we do, if we go that route, in the 00:23:56.180 --> 00:24:05.662 - 17 years of being given extension, a federal judge is going to look at the whole picture and lose. 00:24:07.234 --> 00:24:15.950 - And once we do, there's the part that I'm a little puzzled because my understanding, the main concern 00:24:15.950 --> 00:24:25.094 - for the council was being cost effective, and I agree with that 100%. But if it goes to a federal lawsuit, 00:24:25.094 --> 00:24:34.750 - it's gonna cost the county taxpayers a whole lot more money. We're gonna lose control of how we proceed forward. 00:24:35.010 --> 00:24:42.442 - Because at this point, it's going to be a court order telling us what to do and when to do it. And I 00:24:42.442 --> 00:24:49.873 - believe there will be deadlines. And there will be consequences if we don't meet those deadlines. So 00:24:49.873 --> 00:24:57.232 - I thought about that this weekend as well. I really wanted to make sure that the council understood 00:24:57.232 --> 00:25:03.486 - that. Because it could be you at one point also being subpoenaed to testify as well. 00:25:03.778 --> 00:25:11.630 - It won't have to be just us, it could be you as well, because you're the ones making the decision. So, 00:25:11.630 --> 00:25:19.482 - thinking that through, I don't know what else we'll be facing if that happens. And I don't know, maybe 00:25:19.482 --> 00:25:27.258 - Commissioner Madara, can you elaborate a little bit, if you have anything else you wanna add to this, 00:25:27.258 --> 00:25:32.670 - what I just said? Wanna add to it a little bit? The reason I'm asking, 00:25:35.554 --> 00:25:45.068 - As an attorney, I think I might be missing some of the steps, but I want them to fully understand what, 00:25:45.068 --> 00:25:54.216 - if we do get subpoenaed to testify, what will happen after that. Are you asking our county attorney 00:25:54.216 --> 00:26:00.894 - to make comments or the county commissioner? He's a county commissioner. 00:26:02.946 --> 00:26:09.544 - So I think many of you members of the public and colleagues have asked what comes next. The ACLU through 00:26:09.544 --> 00:26:16.392 - Ken Falk has stated its intentions clearly. They will file immediately, and they will seek summary judgment. 00:26:16.392 --> 00:26:22.676 - Summary judgment isn't a request for further negotiation or dialogue. It's a request for a court to 00:26:22.676 --> 00:26:29.022 - decide the ultimate legal question without a trial because the facts aren't meaningfully in dispute. 00:26:29.122 --> 00:26:35.467 - The question here will be, did Monroe County have an unconstitutional jail? I don't know that any elected 00:26:35.467 --> 00:26:41.573 - official in this room would say that it's not unconstitutional. In recent days, our population was as 00:26:41.573 --> 00:26:48.037 - high as 272. This jail has a functional capacity of 235. This is a structural problem. All the new services 00:26:48.037 --> 00:26:52.766 - in the world won't create new ADA cells, rec space, or alleviate overcrowding. 00:26:53.186 --> 00:26:59.382 - So if summary judgment is granted, the only remaining question is what remedy a federal court will impose 00:26:59.382 --> 00:27:04.936 - on Monroe County. We stop acting as one county and start acting as separate legal adversaries. 00:27:04.936 --> 00:27:11.191 - The commissioners, the sheriff, and the council will each retain separate attorneys, file separate briefs, 00:27:11.191 --> 00:27:17.212 - and present separate arguments. And from what I've seen of the record from the past 17 years, the ACLU 00:27:17.212 --> 00:27:22.590 - will prevail. Some have asked whether we can negotiate our way out at this point. We can't. 00:27:23.522 --> 00:27:29.376 - Mediation works when both sides are vulnerable, exposed to legal risk, and sit at the table as equals. 00:27:29.376 --> 00:27:35.173 - That's not Monroe County's situation. We've known for years that this jail is unconstitutional. We've 00:27:35.173 --> 00:27:40.857 - said so publicly, we've studied it repeatedly. We've agreed on the record that the current facility 00:27:40.857 --> 00:27:46.711 - cannot be repaired as a constitutional jail. We've even entered into a settlement agreement to resolve 00:27:46.711 --> 00:27:50.974 - prior litigation. That history doesn't give us leverage, it undermines it. 00:27:51.906 --> 00:27:57.681 - Once summary judgment is entered against us, we'll walk into a federal courtroom again as divided defendants. 00:27:57.681 --> 00:28:03.246 - The judge will ask the ACLU what relief it seeks and what recommendations it has. Then each county party, 00:28:03.246 --> 00:28:08.705 - the commissioners, the sheriff, and the council will be asked to respond, and then the judge will rule. 00:28:08.705 --> 00:28:13.955 - That ruling, as we've said before, could be sweeping. A court could order population reductions and 00:28:13.955 --> 00:28:17.630 - mandatory out of county transfers of at least $75 per person per day. 00:28:18.210 --> 00:28:24.324 - It could mandate specific staffing levels, medical care, mental health services, sanitation standards, 00:28:24.324 --> 00:28:30.380 - and safety measures. It could require us to make structural changes to the jail, which the transition 00:28:30.380 --> 00:28:36.316 - team has estimated would cost 3.5 to 13 million in 2026 dollars. It could impose outside monitoring 00:28:36.316 --> 00:28:42.430 - and rigorous reporting requirements lasting for years. It could set hard deadlines for site selection, 00:28:42.430 --> 00:28:46.942 - financing, design, and construction with tight benchmarks of 60 or 90 days. 00:28:47.522 --> 00:28:52.964 - A federal court might not be able to choose a site for us, but it can narrow our choices so severely 00:28:52.964 --> 00:28:58.459 - that local control becomes largely theoretical. At the best, it's compromise. That's court-supervised 00:28:58.459 --> 00:29:03.901 - compliance, and it's the opposite of negotiation or mediation. Litigation doesn't give us options we 00:29:03.901 --> 00:29:09.288 - don't already have. It takes options away. So this vote will define how Monroe County is remembered 00:29:09.288 --> 00:29:14.622 - on this issue, not the years of studies and stalled decisions, but what we choose to do right now. 00:29:14.850 --> 00:29:19.805 - And so while I'm here, I'd like to take a point of prerogative. That's OK with you, Sheriff? Yes, please. 00:29:19.805 --> 00:29:24.573 - I'm asking each council member to stand together and to end this before federal court ends it for us, 00:29:24.573 --> 00:29:29.575 - not because we're forced to, but because we're capable of governing, because the people living and working 00:29:29.575 --> 00:29:34.484 - in that jail are our neighbors and they deserve better. And because the residents of this county deserve 00:29:34.484 --> 00:29:38.878 - a government that can make hard decisions together rather than be driven apart by litigation. 00:29:39.586 --> 00:29:44.535 - The path forward requires all of us. It requires setting aside institutional defensiveness and past 00:29:44.535 --> 00:29:49.584 - disagreements. It necessitates moving with urgency that matches the seriousness of what we're facing. 00:29:49.584 --> 00:29:54.137 - The courthouse door isn't yet closed, and we can still avoid walking through it altogether. 00:29:54.137 --> 00:29:59.334 - And as a lawyer, I'm really scared of being dragged through it separately without my colleagues, without 00:29:59.334 --> 00:30:04.729 - you guys. I'm ready to do whatever it takes to make the site work alongside you, my commissioner colleagues, 00:30:04.729 --> 00:30:07.006 - the sheriff, the mayor, and the city council. 00:30:07.234 --> 00:30:12.302 - So let's resolve this together on our terms before a federal judge resolves it on theirs. I also want 00:30:12.302 --> 00:30:17.370 - to add that however tonight ends, it's a given that our relationship, our collaboration, and our work 00:30:17.370 --> 00:30:22.537 - together continues. Monroe County faces real challenges that will outlast this litigation. In combating 00:30:22.537 --> 00:30:27.705 - homelessness, building infrastructure, improving public health, making housing attainable, accelerating 00:30:27.705 --> 00:30:28.798 - economic development, 00:30:28.898 --> 00:30:33.599 - delivering basic services to our residents. None of these challenges can be solved by anyone office 00:30:33.599 --> 00:30:38.628 - or any one branch of county government acting alone. They require the same commissioners, the same sheriff 00:30:38.628 --> 00:30:43.752 - and the same council working in good faith towards shared goals. So the habits we build now of communicating 00:30:43.752 --> 00:30:48.546 - early, treating each other as partners rather than adversaries, bringing problems to the table before 00:30:48.546 --> 00:30:53.247 - they become crises are the habits that will determine what kind of county government we are for the 00:30:53.247 --> 00:30:54.046 - next generation. 00:30:55.042 --> 00:30:59.761 - A protracted legal battle leaves scars, breeds distrust, drains resources, and makes every subsequent 00:30:59.761 --> 00:31:04.527 - conversation harder. A collaborative resolution demonstrates to our constituents and to ourselves that 00:31:04.527 --> 00:31:09.385 - we're capable of so much more than managed dysfunction. But whatever happens, I stand as your colleague, 00:31:09.385 --> 00:31:14.104 - and we'll still get down to the hard business of governing together. I fear that it limits resources, 00:31:14.104 --> 00:31:18.869 - and that will just make it much, much harder. So when I was getting ready for tonight, I realized that 00:31:18.869 --> 00:31:23.496 - the situation reminded me of one of my favorite songs, Kenny Rogers, The Gambler. The chorus of the 00:31:23.496 --> 00:31:24.190 - song is short. 00:31:24.322 --> 00:31:29.884 - You've got to know when to hold them, know when to fold them, know when to walk away, and know when 00:31:29.884 --> 00:31:35.779 - to run. You never count your money when you're sitting at the table. There'll be time enough for counting 00:31:35.779 --> 00:31:41.340 - when the dealing's done. We have the hand we're dealt. It isn't great, but we do still hold the get 00:31:41.340 --> 00:31:47.013 - out of court card free with the jail. So what this is about to me is human dignity and constitutional 00:31:47.013 --> 00:31:51.518 - responsibility, legal obligations. One of the things that I also consider before 00:31:51.650 --> 00:31:58.470 - talking to the council. I thought about this weekend, the tremendous responsibility of the correctional 00:31:58.470 --> 00:32:05.094 - officers and the deputies. We haven't had a chance to talk to you about the role of deputies, but we 00:32:05.094 --> 00:32:11.849 - will in the future, and explain to you what I mean by that. We, at the department within itself, we're 00:32:11.849 --> 00:32:18.079 - in a position that it's crucial that we move forward with this. It really is. Clear than that, 00:32:18.079 --> 00:32:20.702 - I cannot be. We are at a certain point, 00:32:22.050 --> 00:32:29.312 - that is going to hurt this office worse than where we are right now. So we cannot repair that jail, 00:32:29.312 --> 00:32:36.719 - we just can't at the point where right now. North Park is ready, so I strongly recommend that we move 00:32:36.719 --> 00:32:44.198 - forward at this point. The commission mentioned something which is so true. I know for a fact that for 00:32:44.198 --> 00:32:51.678 - me to do my job and be successful in what we do, my staff, excuse me, and to provide the best programs 00:32:51.810 --> 00:32:59.074 - to the residents in that facility, I need you. There's just no way around it. I need you to help me 00:32:59.074 --> 00:33:06.991 - do what I need to do with my job in the sense of providing certain services. And I also need the commissions 00:33:06.991 --> 00:33:13.310 - as well. So we all need each other. And I acknowledge that. And also, I also wanted to 00:33:13.570 --> 00:33:20.685 - consider and be respectful to the council. I wanted to make sure that I did not miss anything legally, 00:33:20.685 --> 00:33:27.041 - and I knew she could explain it better than I can, in a sense, meaning Commissioner Medora. 00:33:27.041 --> 00:33:33.948 - So with that, I'm going to conclude my statement here, because I really wanna be respectful of your 00:33:33.948 --> 00:33:41.133 - time, I really do, but also I want to make a fully educational decision for this evening, because we're 00:33:41.133 --> 00:33:42.238 - at a point that 00:33:42.434 --> 00:33:48.325 - I don't want it to be said, we never came to you and explained every single thing that we're dealing 00:33:48.325 --> 00:33:54.216 - with right now because it's not fair to you. But at the same time, I really want you to consider the 00:33:54.216 --> 00:34:00.165 - people that are working in there. This weekend, we had a long weekend, but guess what? A good portion 00:34:00.165 --> 00:34:06.289 - of my staff did not enjoy this weekend. They were in that facility dealing with a large number of people 00:34:06.289 --> 00:34:10.430 - that I don't want to get graphic right now that they had to deal with. 00:34:11.138 --> 00:34:17.959 - to deal with that large number of people in there. And I assure you, no one, council member wanted to 00:34:17.959 --> 00:34:24.980 - go through that. No one, council member's family, you would want them in there this past weekend because 00:34:24.980 --> 00:34:31.800 - it was really bad. It just was. I'm not going to shoot a code. So I need you to help us to do our job 00:34:31.800 --> 00:34:37.150 - professionally and we will continue to do what we need to do, but we need help. 00:34:38.818 --> 00:34:47.368 - If you have questions for me, I'd be more than happy to answer. If not, to be respectful of your time, 00:34:47.368 --> 00:34:55.668 - I conclude my speech. Thank you. I'm going to look to my council members here to see if anybody has 00:34:55.668 --> 00:35:04.384 - any questions or comments from what we just heard. Council Member Hawke? Well, I look forward to hearing 00:35:04.384 --> 00:35:07.870 - what our county attorney has to say about 00:35:08.226 --> 00:35:16.069 - legal advice because that's who we pay to give us legal advice. But I don't want to take up your time 00:35:16.069 --> 00:35:24.143 - for it now. I think perhaps there were some things advice given to us was really sounded like, you know, 00:35:24.143 --> 00:35:31.832 - come and agree with us because you can get a smack down if you don't. But at any rate, I appreciate 00:35:31.832 --> 00:35:36.830 - everything that you said. And I just think that you need to know 00:35:37.538 --> 00:35:44.319 - from what I've heard over and over again from the members of this council, we want to move forward with 00:35:44.319 --> 00:35:51.036 - the jail. What we're talking about right now is where's that jail going to be? You shouldn't ever take 00:35:51.036 --> 00:35:58.078 - it into your thoughts that we don't plan to move forward and help to make sure that jail is a better place. 00:35:58.466 --> 00:36:05.560 - best it can be while we're still using it, but make that a short time and be able to move forward with 00:36:05.560 --> 00:36:12.517 - a new one. And every time we spend millions of dollars on a location where we could get one millions 00:36:12.517 --> 00:36:19.404 - of dollars for less money, that just means there's gonna be more square foot for you folks and more 00:36:19.404 --> 00:36:25.534 - operational dollars for you folks. And I hope that you'll all learn how the budgets work 00:36:26.338 --> 00:36:34.666 - because it's all coming out of the same pot of money. So I'd be happy to sit down and go over this, 00:36:34.666 --> 00:36:43.078 - every bit of this income tax money so that you can understand if we can save millions, we can put it 00:36:43.078 --> 00:36:51.572 - where you want it to be, which includes your salaries. Well, I'm not gonna tell the council how to do 00:36:51.572 --> 00:36:55.070 - their job. I'm not. Please consider that. 00:36:55.714 --> 00:37:06.982 - We know what we're doing. I know specifically what I'm referring to. The statement that you just made, 00:37:06.982 --> 00:37:18.031 - it's not gonna change the fact of what we faced, continue to face, at the rate that we're going. Any 00:37:18.031 --> 00:37:25.470 - other questions or comments? Got the public that's here, so I think 00:37:25.762 --> 00:37:32.790 - it might be safe to say that we might be in agreement that we want to hear from our public before so 00:37:32.790 --> 00:37:39.957 - how about this we will move to public comment and then maybe we'll come back for um further discussion 00:37:39.957 --> 00:37:46.915 - is it or i i had a few things i wanted to say i might i'm sorry so yeah thank you and then we'll go 00:37:46.915 --> 00:37:48.446 - to public comment yep 00:37:48.674 --> 00:37:56.157 - I just want to quickly remind everyone that we have two deadlines facing us. The first one is Friday's 00:37:56.157 --> 00:38:03.713 - ACLU deadline. The other is the bond council's deadline to initiate a bond in July. Anything other than 00:38:03.713 --> 00:38:11.196 - North Park at this moment means we miss both deadlines. We've heard from Commissioner Madera what that 00:38:11.196 --> 00:38:17.662 - could mean in terms of legal cases. We've had time. We've had a lot of years, especially 00:38:17.762 --> 00:38:27.642 - lately uh but four council members have not yet pointed to a different location it's not clear to me 00:38:27.642 --> 00:38:37.717 - why the council would abdicate its responsibility and rights at this moment to a federal judge who can 00:38:37.717 --> 00:38:41.630 - make a range of decisions we don't know 00:38:43.810 --> 00:38:52.219 - Two thirds of the elected bodies that are required to choose the property have done so. It's the sheriff's 00:38:52.219 --> 00:39:00.471 - office and the board of commissioners. If the purchase of North Park is not supported today, we're going 00:39:00.471 --> 00:39:08.330 - to be squandering both time and money. And that money that's going to be squandered is a sunk cost. 00:39:08.330 --> 00:39:13.438 - It's not a capital investment into anything, right? It would be, 00:39:13.570 --> 00:39:22.600 - treading water and that's something the community will pay the price for. Meanwhile, correctional officers 00:39:22.600 --> 00:39:31.293 - continue to work in an unsafe system which may be made worse if transfers are required and individuals 00:39:31.293 --> 00:39:39.817 - will remain in a facility that we have all agreed does not meet the community's standard of care. So 00:39:39.817 --> 00:39:42.686 - I ask you to please consider this 00:39:43.202 --> 00:39:50.911 - with all the weight and gravity that it has. Thank you. Thank you. So next up, we will move on to public 00:39:50.911 --> 00:39:58.400 - comment. So if you have public comment, you can come forward to the lectern here. And again, you will 00:39:58.400 --> 00:40:05.742 - have up to three minutes. After three minutes are up, your time is over. And then we will alternate 00:40:05.742 --> 00:40:11.102 - back and forth between here and on Teams. So it looks like I already see 00:40:11.266 --> 00:40:19.751 - A couple of hands via Teams. I already see we have someone here in the room. So I'll do two here and 00:40:19.751 --> 00:40:28.657 - two via Teams and I'll start here in the room. Thank you. Thank you. Greetings, county colleagues. Isabel 00:40:28.657 --> 00:40:35.294 - Piedmont-Smith, City Council District 1. First, I want to start by saying that 00:40:35.554 --> 00:40:43.642 - Council President Isaka sorry does not speak for me on this issue You received a letter that was signed 00:40:43.642 --> 00:40:51.496 - by him recently. Just wanted to clarify that Commissioner Madeira said that she would like to have a 00:40:51.496 --> 00:40:59.273 - collaborative approach to resolving this issue and I hold that The county commissioners perhaps not 00:40:59.273 --> 00:41:03.006 - her in particular since she is new but as about 00:41:04.642 --> 00:41:12.336 - The county commissioners have not engaged in a collaborative approach for many years. Sorry, I have 00:41:12.336 --> 00:41:20.261 - some disparate thoughts, so it's not going to flow so great. But I agree with the letter that was sent 00:41:20.261 --> 00:41:27.262 - to you by former Mayor John Hamilton when he was in office. He and I did not always agree. 00:41:27.394 --> 00:41:33.245 - I really feel strongly that our county government has not done enough to prevent people going into the 00:41:33.245 --> 00:41:39.152 - jail through funding mental health care, addiction treatment, reentry support. I know some of the funds 00:41:39.152 --> 00:41:44.890 - have been used for that, but not nearly as much as have been used already for planning for the jail. 00:41:44.890 --> 00:41:50.740 - The consultant the commissioners used is also someone who builds large jails, so it's not an impartial 00:41:50.740 --> 00:41:51.422 - consultant. 00:41:51.586 --> 00:41:57.922 - Overall, the jail proposal at the North Park site is a poor use of taxpayer money. We're not only burdening 00:41:57.922 --> 00:42:03.907 - future generations with debt, but we're also burdening them with a status quo criminal justice system 00:42:03.907 --> 00:42:09.891 - that is focused on punishment and where it should be focused on prevention. This is an opportunity to 00:42:09.891 --> 00:42:15.816 - change this system, which I've been saying for years, but due to the non-collaborative nature of the 00:42:15.816 --> 00:42:21.566 - commissioners on this, it was ignored. And many in the community have been saying the same thing. 00:42:22.466 --> 00:42:30.718 - Any facility, as the current proposal is, that has a significantly higher number of beds will be, could 00:42:30.718 --> 00:42:39.050 - very well be used by ICE, could be used by the federal government, which is repressing American citizens 00:42:39.050 --> 00:42:47.382 - and legal immigrants to this country across the board. Public safety is not arresting people and putting 00:42:47.382 --> 00:42:52.222 - them in jail. Public safety rests on the principle that true 00:42:52.514 --> 00:42:59.879 - Safety comes only from racial and economic justice where residents have the resources and stability 00:42:59.879 --> 00:43:07.538 - they need to survive and hopefully to thrive. You are in a very difficult situation. I do not envy you. 00:43:07.538 --> 00:43:15.050 - I'm kind of glad I'm not up there. But this situation was caused by our county commissioners and they 00:43:15.050 --> 00:43:21.310 - should have acted and one of them has been on the board of commissioners since 2012. 00:43:21.538 --> 00:43:31.049 - had plenty of time to act sooner, in a more collaborative fashion, to come up with a solution that furthers 00:43:31.049 --> 00:43:40.121 - justice and is supported by the members of this community. You're at a dead end now where none of that 00:43:40.121 --> 00:43:47.166 - is true, and I don't envy you, but I still think you should vote no. Thank you. 00:43:52.546 --> 00:44:00.220 - Next up in the room and then we'll go to teams next. Hello, I am Heather Bland. Good evening council 00:44:00.220 --> 00:44:07.818 - members. My name is Heather Bland and I'm a Monroe County resident and the director at New Leaf New 00:44:07.818 --> 00:44:15.491 - Life. I'm here today to ask you to vote no on the proposed North Park jail location. I want to share 00:44:15.491 --> 00:44:20.734 - a story about a man I'll never forget. He came to New Leaf New Life. 00:44:21.090 --> 00:44:26.301 - He'd just been released from incarceration. He didn't have an ID. He didn't have a home. He didn't have 00:44:26.301 --> 00:44:31.763 - a job. And honestly, he didn't have much hope left either. But he showed up. And because he could physically 00:44:31.763 --> 00:44:36.873 - get to us, because we were accessible, he kept showing up. At first, it was small steps, sitting down 00:44:36.873 --> 00:44:41.934 - with someone that would actually listen, getting a bus pass so he could make it to appointments, and 00:44:41.934 --> 00:44:47.095 - starting the process to get his birth certificate. And then we were able to get him into substance use 00:44:47.095 --> 00:44:47.646 - treatment. 00:44:47.970 --> 00:44:53.179 - From there, he moved into sober living somewhere safe, structured, and supportive. It wasn't instant. 00:44:53.179 --> 00:44:58.337 - It wasn't easy. There were setbacks, and there were days he almost gave up. But over time, something 00:44:58.337 --> 00:45:03.699 - shifted. He found a job, and then he kept that job. He started rebuilding relationships with his family. 00:45:03.699 --> 00:45:08.857 - He began to believe that his life could look different. And eventually, he wasn't just surviving. He 00:45:08.857 --> 00:45:09.470 - was stable. 00:45:09.634 --> 00:45:15.138 - He was giving back. He became someone other people could look at and say, if he can do it, maybe I can 00:45:15.138 --> 00:45:20.589 - too. That didn't happen because the system worked perfectly. It happened because he had access, real, 00:45:20.589 --> 00:45:25.933 - consistent, direct access to support, to transportation, and to people who could walk alongside him 00:45:25.933 --> 00:45:31.705 - when it mattered the most. And that's what's at risk at North Park. We all know the current jail conditions 00:45:31.705 --> 00:45:34.270 - are not where they need to be, and that's real. 00:45:35.042 --> 00:45:40.656 - But moving people farther away from resources, farther away from transportation, and farther away from 00:45:40.656 --> 00:45:46.162 - community support does not fix that. It creates a new problem. Because distance isn't just distance. 00:45:46.162 --> 00:45:51.613 - Distance is missed appointments. Distance is lost opportunities, and distance is disconnection. And 00:45:51.613 --> 00:45:57.500 - disconnection is where people fall through the cracks. This is one man's story, but it represents thousands 00:45:57.500 --> 00:46:02.951 - of community members that we've served at New Leaf New Life over the past 20 plus years. We've seen 00:46:02.951 --> 00:46:05.022 - what works, and what works is access. 00:46:05.346 --> 00:46:10.864 - What works is connection. What works is meeting people where they are, not placing them further out 00:46:10.864 --> 00:46:16.659 - of reach. This proposal has been denied before and for good reason. And a threat of lawsuit is not worth 00:46:16.659 --> 00:46:22.232 - the long-term impact this decision will have on real people trying to rebuild their lives. We can do 00:46:22.232 --> 00:46:28.192 - better than this. We can invest in solutions that reduce recidivism, strengthen our community, and actually 00:46:28.192 --> 00:46:33.766 - support the people in changing their lives. I urge you to vote no on this North Park location. Thank 00:46:33.766 --> 00:46:34.814 - you for your time. 00:46:35.490 --> 00:46:49.272 - Thank you. Next up, we will go to the two and teams that are saw first. First up is Matt Jacobs, you 00:46:49.272 --> 00:47:02.782 - should be able to unmute, state your name for the record and you'll have up to three minutes. TSD. 00:47:02.946 --> 00:47:08.718 - Yeah, we can hear you. Go ahead and state your name for the record. You have up to three minutes. My 00:47:08.718 --> 00:47:14.661 - name is Matt Jacobs and. In Indiana, it's called statement of economic interest or conflict of interest 00:47:14.661 --> 00:47:20.489 - disclosure. For county council members specifically, if the vote financially benefits their employer, 00:47:20.489 --> 00:47:26.432 - a family member or a business they're affiliated with, they're required to verbally disclosed. Conflict 00:47:26.432 --> 00:47:29.118 - on record before the vote abstain from voting. 00:47:29.538 --> 00:47:37.760 - filed Indiana Ethics Commission as it involves a state matter. The relevant Indiana code is IC 35-44.1-1-4 00:47:37.760 --> 00:47:45.521 - for official misconduct and it's Indiana code 4-2-6 for ethics violations by public servants. The IU 00:47:45.521 --> 00:47:53.359 - affiliation, if any council member has employment contractual or financial ties to IU and IU benefits 00:47:53.359 --> 00:47:58.430 - from this vote, which it does because of the land that's adjacent 00:47:59.394 --> 00:48:06.120 - will then be provided with utility access that it has not had. That's a disclosable conflict. Same for 00:48:06.120 --> 00:48:12.912 - the Crider bonds. Crider's selling the land, Crider owns the bonds, and Crider will presumably be doing 00:48:12.912 --> 00:48:19.573 - the infrastructure. As every council member with a financial or employment relationship to any entity 00:48:19.573 --> 00:48:26.364 - that benefits from this vote filed a conflict of interest disclosure, I'd like that confirmed on record 00:48:26.364 --> 00:48:28.062 - before any vote is taken. 00:48:29.314 --> 00:48:40.303 - Also, additionally, has every elected official in that room filed their CAN-12 document? Because I can 00:48:40.303 --> 00:48:51.186 - only find eight of those on record in the county clerk's office. Also, has a structural engineer ever 00:48:51.186 --> 00:48:57.374 - looked at the jail? We have two PhDs in criminal justice, 00:48:58.146 --> 00:49:07.312 - and an architect that did jail report. So the jail's falling down is based on people that are great 00:49:07.312 --> 00:49:16.477 - at creating rehabilitation programs for criminals, but they're not at all engineers. And we already 00:49:16.477 --> 00:49:25.826 - have land that's available, that's already on the bus route behind the old RCA or Catalan or whatever 00:49:25.826 --> 00:49:27.934 - it's called this week. 00:49:31.714 --> 00:49:39.275 - You know, only Ms. Hawk is the only one in that room that doesn't have an affiliation with IU. And IU 00:49:39.275 --> 00:49:47.207 - stands for their land to substantially be worth more money after we spend millions and millions of dollars 00:49:47.207 --> 00:49:54.694 - creating the generational debt. That's really all I have to say about it. I've already submitted the 00:49:54.694 --> 00:50:00.254 - letters and all this to the ACLU. And I think the ACLU and a federal judge 00:50:01.154 --> 00:50:06.904 - would do a better job than y'all have done in the last 18 years. I know some of you are pretty new, 00:50:06.904 --> 00:50:12.712 - and so I'm not putting this all on you, but my family's been here for over 100 years. I can take you 00:50:12.712 --> 00:50:18.520 - to buildings where my father and my grandfather's hand touched the limestone. I've worked on many of 00:50:18.520 --> 00:50:24.271 - these buildings myself. My niece and my nephew, they've wired these buildings, they've put pipes in 00:50:24.271 --> 00:50:29.619 - these buildings. You know, how many people are from here that are voting on this? Thank you, 00:50:29.619 --> 00:50:30.654 - that's your time. 00:50:31.010 --> 00:50:41.624 - All right, next up we have Sarah Mosher. So if you want to be able or you should be able to unmute, 00:50:41.624 --> 00:50:52.556 - state your name for the record and you have up to three minutes. Thank you. I just wanted to encourage 00:50:52.556 --> 00:50:59.774 - you to vote no on the North Park location for the same reasons that 00:50:59.906 --> 00:51:09.012 - Matt Jacobs and the director of New Leaf New Life and Isabel Piedmont-Smith mentioned. Honestly, at 00:51:09.012 --> 00:51:18.210 - this point, I think if there was a lawsuit and a federal judge or someone else perhaps required that 00:51:18.210 --> 00:51:27.499 - the jail be located more centrally, that would benefit the folks that are incarcerated. And we should 00:51:27.499 --> 00:51:29.502 - be, if we really are, 00:51:29.794 --> 00:51:38.376 - wanting to be collaborative, we should be collaborating with New Leaf New Life and others to not arrest 00:51:38.376 --> 00:51:46.628 - so many people in the first place, rather than build a bigger jail. And perhaps Professor Madera, I 00:51:46.628 --> 00:51:55.375 - know she's a law professor at IU, maybe she knows more about how likely it is that the federal government 00:51:55.375 --> 00:51:57.438 - would pick a location or 00:51:57.890 --> 00:52:04.714 - make us pick a location that's closer to things than the North Park site. But it's already been discussed 00:52:04.714 --> 00:52:11.216 - why that site isn't good. So that's all I had to say. Please vote no on the North Park site. And can 00:52:11.216 --> 00:52:17.653 - you state your name for the record one more time, please? I don't think you said it. Oh, I'm sorry. 00:52:17.653 --> 00:52:24.670 - I'm Sarah Mosier. I'm a resident of Bloomington and Monroe County. OK, thank you so much. I appreciate that. 00:52:26.402 --> 00:52:34.247 - Next up, we'll go to two more here, and then at you, Hoveram. Hello. Hi there. My name is Zach Ammerman. 00:52:34.247 --> 00:52:42.391 - I emailed all of you earlier today, but I'm here to talk at your face now. I just jotted down some thoughts. 00:52:42.391 --> 00:52:50.011 - I don't have a speech prepared or anything, but I'm just going to read through a couple thoughts. One 00:52:50.011 --> 00:52:54.494 - of the things I emailed to you is one thing I want to read. 00:52:54.594 --> 00:52:59.712 - And that is, according to data that I got from the Vera Institute of Justice, there is no county in 00:52:59.712 --> 00:53:04.932 - the state of Indiana that has managed to increase its population adjusted jail size, so the number of 00:53:04.932 --> 00:53:10.407 - beds adjusted for the number of people in the county, without also increasing its per capita incarceration 00:53:10.407 --> 00:53:15.627 - rate. Not a single one. Adding more beds absolutely means those beds will be filled at a greater rate 00:53:15.627 --> 00:53:16.702 - than they are today. 00:53:17.890 --> 00:53:23.925 - The data across the state proves that. I also looked at data from counties all over the country to the 00:53:23.925 --> 00:53:29.842 - thousands of counties across the country. It's the same trend. It's a straight up line. You add more 00:53:29.842 --> 00:53:35.935 - beds per capita, the incarceration rate goes up, period. So doing that in the context of ICE and rising 00:53:35.935 --> 00:53:41.852 - authoritarianism is frankly insane. I think it's nuts. So I'm asking you to please hold the line and 00:53:41.852 --> 00:53:44.606 - vote no again. The fact that we're here again, 00:53:44.994 --> 00:53:50.746 - asking you to vote no is not your fault, it's the county commissioner's fault, is ridiculous because 00:53:50.746 --> 00:53:56.897 - I think there is no way in hell that this would pass a referendum in the county. The people, the population 00:53:56.897 --> 00:54:02.763 - of this county would not vote in favor of what you're being asked to vote in favor of tonight. I think 00:54:02.763 --> 00:54:08.629 - you know that, or you should know that. You are here to represent them. So I ask that you would please 00:54:08.629 --> 00:54:13.982 - do what the people of this county obviously and very clearly and loudly have said repeatedly. 00:54:14.210 --> 00:54:21.326 - And that's not to vote in favor of a giant jumbo jail that allows the county to continue incarceration 00:54:21.326 --> 00:54:28.373 - first policies. I've got a minute left. So what this all really comes down to is you've already voted 00:54:28.373 --> 00:54:35.419 - against this more than once. Nothing materially has changed since you voted against this, except that 00:54:35.419 --> 00:54:40.670 - the county commissioners have failed to understand what the words NO means. 00:54:41.698 --> 00:54:48.830 - You've told them no repeatedly. Nothing has changed since you told them no, really. I'm sorry, the situation 00:54:48.830 --> 00:54:55.439 - that we're in is crappy, but it's entirely their fault. If they had understood what no meant and had 00:54:55.439 --> 00:55:01.983 - gotten to work and found another site, of which there are several, we wouldn't be here today. Yeah, 00:55:01.983 --> 00:55:08.657 - so any time that has been squandered was done entirely on the part of the commissioners, not you. And 00:55:08.657 --> 00:55:10.686 - so I ask you to vote no again. 00:55:10.882 --> 00:55:18.837 - hopefully for the last time on this land deal. And I also wanna thank a couple of members who I know 00:55:18.837 --> 00:55:26.791 - have, Marty Hawk, Council Member Crossley and Council Member Henry who a bit stood publicly and said 00:55:26.791 --> 00:55:34.667 - no repeatedly. Thank you for your work on this and I hope the other three members of the council on 00:55:34.667 --> 00:55:39.550 - this side will follow their lead. So thank you. Good evening. 00:55:40.610 --> 00:55:47.827 - My name is Janet Johnson and I'm a resident of Monroe County. I don't have a lot to add. I just wanted 00:55:47.827 --> 00:55:55.045 - to agree with everyone that's been here thus far. And I did want to add one additional thing that I've 00:55:55.045 --> 00:56:02.192 - not heard discussed, which is transportation for the people, not the inmates, but the families of the 00:56:02.192 --> 00:56:06.046 - inmates that might visit. I don't know how many people 00:56:06.146 --> 00:56:12.474 - visit the jail. But I do feel like being in jail, you're isolated somewhat. And I've heard it bandied 00:56:12.474 --> 00:56:18.865 - about that an Uber would be about $20, which doesn't sound that substantial to many of us in the room. 00:56:18.865 --> 00:56:25.565 - But for the families of people that are in jail, that could be a real impact. And so I want you to consider 00:56:25.565 --> 00:56:32.266 - the impact that would have on the families as well as the inmates, because I think that that could increase 00:56:32.266 --> 00:56:35.678 - isolation, which is not going to lead to good incomes. 00:56:36.226 --> 00:56:42.387 - I heard the sheriff talk a lot about why we need to move forward with this, and we do need to have a 00:56:42.387 --> 00:56:48.731 - new jail. I'll go with that, or at least to do something about the jail. But a lot of what he discussed 00:56:48.731 --> 00:56:55.074 - this evening sounded to me like staffing issues. I think if we build this giant new jail with the price 00:56:55.074 --> 00:57:01.235 - tag that it's got, I don't see how there's gonna be any room left to increase staff. So that seems a 00:57:01.235 --> 00:57:05.566 - little confusing to me. And then I just wanted to close by saying that 00:57:05.794 --> 00:57:14.828 - action for the sake of action to avoid this potential lawsuit seems like a really irresponsible plan 00:57:14.828 --> 00:57:23.861 - of action to me. Anytime you do something just for the sake of taking action, it tends to not have a 00:57:23.861 --> 00:57:33.342 - great result. That's it for me. Thank you. Next, I'm going to pop back onto teams. So screen name, Mindy. 00:57:33.698 --> 00:57:46.929 - You should be able to unmute and state your name for the record you have up to three minutes. Hi Mindy 00:57:46.929 --> 00:57:50.654 - flat Monroe County resident. 00:57:50.850 --> 00:57:58.607 - and I stand with them and honestly I say vote no and let a judge take this out because they're a hundred 00:57:58.607 --> 00:58:06.365 - percent not going to put it far away from town and all the resources for the people who are incarcerated 00:58:06.365 --> 00:58:13.900 - and the people who are affected by this. So vote no please. Thank you. Next up on team's land. Screen 00:58:13.900 --> 00:58:15.230 - name Jay Burrell. 00:58:25.826 --> 00:58:33.151 - It's Jennifer Burrell. I'm speaking only as a Monroe County resident today and I just want to add into 00:58:33.151 --> 00:58:40.619 - the conversation another voice that is asking you to vote no. I have engaged with you all multiple times 00:58:40.619 --> 00:58:47.518 - via email when I can outside of work. The only individuals who have interacted with me have been 00:58:47.746 --> 00:58:54.605 - those on council. So thank you, Jennifer Crossley, David Henry and Marty Hawk. I'm very disappointed 00:58:54.605 --> 00:59:01.396 - that no commissioners, despite their continued action for pushing the site have not interacted with 00:59:01.396 --> 00:59:08.458 - community members. That has continued in my individual experience as well with actually taking the time 00:59:08.458 --> 00:59:14.366 - to reach out. So as I was asked by some council members to speak, I'm here doing that. 00:59:14.562 --> 00:59:20.332 - It's really disappointing because I have also heard many people, including the commissioners tonight, 00:59:20.332 --> 00:59:26.158 - talk about determining the government for the next generation and state a lot of things about how this 00:59:26.158 --> 00:59:31.871 - will impact another generation. I am one of those. You all were the leaders that I didn't know about 00:59:31.871 --> 00:59:37.528 - as I was a child in this town. When this issue was ongoing and could have already been worked on, a 00:59:37.528 --> 00:59:43.184 - jail could have been built at another location and could have been done before I was here of voting 00:59:43.184 --> 00:59:44.542 - age with my own family. 00:59:44.834 --> 00:59:51.239 - Now I'm speaking because my daughter is running around while I am taking the time out of my night to 00:59:51.239 --> 00:59:57.644 - make sure that I can tell her later that I told them no please don't build an enlarged expanded jail 00:59:57.644 --> 01:00:04.493 - over on the northwest side of town. There are lots of reasons as everybody else has mentioned and continues 01:00:04.493 --> 01:00:09.630 - to mention for it to not be at the North Park location. I stand by that as well. 01:00:09.730 --> 01:00:16.582 - I also just took various notes again while everybody was speaking today. Um, and the only additional 01:00:16.582 --> 01:00:23.434 - thing I have to add is just that, uh, saying that squandering time and money by saying no tonight is 01:00:23.434 --> 01:00:30.422 - a bit insulting. Um, because saying the community will pay the price, I feel so the community will pay 01:00:30.422 --> 01:00:37.342 - the price of the vote is yes tonight. Um, so again, I'm just asking for you all to vote no, um, hope, 01:00:37.762 --> 01:00:43.919 - hope everybody can come to that agreement tonight. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, we'll go back to the 01:00:43.919 --> 01:00:50.136 - room here. Hi, my name is Barry. It is my understanding from the mayor's state of the city a few months 01:00:50.136 --> 01:00:56.352 - back that the state of Indiana recently more or less criminalized not having a house to sleep in. We're 01:00:56.352 --> 01:01:02.390 - in a housing crisis, but our city, county, and state have failed to build or even maintain the super 01:01:02.390 --> 01:01:07.710 - affordable housing and public housing that could actually help people get on their feet. 01:01:07.810 --> 01:01:14.535 - Instead, the housing solution put forward appears to be, put them all in jail. That's probably unintentional, 01:01:14.535 --> 01:01:20.831 - and it won't happen overnight. In fact, it'll probably happen so slowly a lot of us don't even notice. 01:01:20.831 --> 01:01:27.067 - But if it is a crime to become too poor, and the jail has vacancies, who do you think is going to end 01:01:27.067 --> 01:01:33.180 - up in that jail? Supposedly, this is about safety. I live right near Seminary Square. I walked next 01:01:33.180 --> 01:01:36.542 - to unhoused people every day. Some of them pet my dog. 01:01:36.802 --> 01:01:42.745 - They do not make me feel unsafe. But at night, I watch them get tased, followed, harassed, and arrested. 01:01:42.745 --> 01:01:48.744 - It's an everyday occurrence. One night recently, I got home late and opened my car door to hear screaming 01:01:48.744 --> 01:01:54.461 - and shouting. It was the police. Something like 10 cop cars and a bunch of officers were surrounding 01:01:54.461 --> 01:02:00.403 - a man who was kneeling on the ground in the rally's parking lot, and they were tasing him. I felt unsafe 01:02:00.403 --> 01:02:05.950 - because a dozen police officers were across the street shouting at a man while they attacked him. 01:02:09.154 --> 01:02:14.577 - but it does not need to be crushed with a bigger fist. Every dollar spent on this jail is a dollar that 01:02:14.577 --> 01:02:19.792 - will not be spent on housing and social services for the people who need them, and it's going to be 01:02:19.792 --> 01:02:25.475 - a lot of dollars. As I understand it, this jail and the necessary amenities are so extraordinarily expensive 01:02:25.475 --> 01:02:31.003 - that the local government are not even allowed to take out enough money to construct everything it wants, 01:02:31.003 --> 01:02:36.269 - and will instead be spending further tens of millions of dollars for like a decade. When people need 01:02:36.269 --> 01:02:37.886 - help, they need housing first, 01:02:38.178 --> 01:02:54.330 - That's where the money needs to go, not incarceration. Thank you. Please. Good evening. My name is Sarah 01:02:54.330 --> 01:03:06.174 - Rider Band. I am the county health officer and I am here because I represent 01:03:06.690 --> 01:03:17.006 - all of Monroe County, their health and their wellbeing, including those who are incarcerated. This is 01:03:17.006 --> 01:03:27.221 - not a question of how, this is a matter of when. This jail has been under consideration for a number 01:03:27.221 --> 01:03:36.222 - of years, ever since we learned it was inadequate. COVID proved we cannot easily isolate 01:03:36.418 --> 01:03:46.359 - individuals within our current jail. The health issues that I envision when you cannot isolate individuals 01:03:46.359 --> 01:03:55.743 - with communicable diseases is serious. It is not a question of whether incarceration is good or bad. 01:03:55.743 --> 01:04:05.406 - I don't think there are too many of us in this room who would say, yeah, let's incarcerate more people. 01:04:06.210 --> 01:04:15.172 - This is not homelessness. I don't think any of us support homelessness. But there are people in this 01:04:15.172 --> 01:04:24.488 - community who need to be incarcerated. If people want to fight, then they should be looking at the laws. 01:04:24.488 --> 01:04:33.627 - They should be speaking to our legislators who create these laws. They should be looking to our jurors 01:04:33.627 --> 01:04:35.934 - and to our jurists, those 01:04:36.226 --> 01:04:43.655 - actually put people in jail. It is not a matter of whether or not we need this jail. It is a matter 01:04:43.655 --> 01:04:51.381 - of having a facility that will allow us to actually do some of the rehabilitation that I've heard about 01:04:51.381 --> 01:04:59.032 - this evening. Access isn't really the big issue. When we were going to build the hospital out at North 01:04:59.032 --> 01:05:04.158 - Park, we already talked about creating a new bus line to North Park. 01:05:06.818 --> 01:05:16.073 - We have looked at all of sites within the city bounds. It is not feasible. Either the city has not allowed 01:05:16.073 --> 01:05:24.895 - it, the neighbors have not allowed it, whatever it is, it is not feasible to do that within the city. 01:05:24.895 --> 01:05:32.766 - We cannot also afford city prices. And I'd be happy to tear down many of the housing units 01:05:33.090 --> 01:05:42.240 - that have students in them, but I don't think that's gonna happen either. So let's be realistic. We 01:05:42.240 --> 01:05:51.573 - have a piece of land, we have people who need to be in our jail, and we need that jail to be safe and 01:05:51.573 --> 01:06:00.723 - manageable. And it needs to be within the same area as our new courthouses. We cannot afford to let 01:06:00.723 --> 01:06:02.462 - our current people 01:06:02.562 --> 01:06:14.630 - be sent out to other counties. The transportation back is, again, a safety issue for all of those. And 01:06:14.630 --> 01:06:26.464 - that is your time. Thank you. Next up, we will go back to virtual land. Looks like screen name Jack, 01:06:26.464 --> 01:06:28.222 - you are first. 01:06:30.850 --> 01:06:38.182 - Can you hear me? Yes, we can hear you. I have a question and a comment. How is whatever you do with 01:06:38.182 --> 01:06:45.515 - the new jail, how is the bond paid for income taxes or property taxes? Well, this is not a time for 01:06:45.515 --> 01:06:53.140 - a back and forth, so we can maybe address that. But again, I'll give you a little bit more of your time 01:06:53.140 --> 01:06:59.006 - back. But again, state your name for the record and go ahead with your comment. 01:06:59.714 --> 01:07:08.006 - Okay, Jack speaker. I think we all have noticed that there's been a significant shift to the right in 01:07:08.006 --> 01:07:16.217 - the federal judiciary. I think it might be worth letting the judge decide it because the council and 01:07:16.217 --> 01:07:24.591 - the commission have been working on it for a long time and haven't found an answer that anybody really 01:07:24.591 --> 01:07:28.574 - likes. That's all I have. Okay, thank you. Next. 01:07:29.314 --> 01:07:50.987 - Curtis Cummings. Hello there. My name is Curtis Cummings and I work in human social services here in 01:07:50.987 --> 01:07:54.206 - Monroe County. 01:07:54.786 --> 01:08:00.417 - I'm in and out of our courts and jail system, working with individuals and families involved in some 01:08:00.417 --> 01:08:05.993 - of the most difficult moments of their lives. So I want to begin by acknowledging something clearly 01:08:05.993 --> 01:08:11.959 - like I did last meeting, and that the concerns surrounding the jail are very real. Safe and constitutional 01:08:11.959 --> 01:08:17.981 - conditions do matter. Staff safety matters. Human dignity matters. Monroe County does have a responsibility 01:08:17.981 --> 01:08:23.166 - to act. And I also recognize that current leadership inherited a pretty difficult situation. 01:08:23.458 --> 01:08:31.129 - You know, we can't change what previous leadership was or was not able to accomplish over the last several 01:08:31.129 --> 01:08:38.370 - years, but the County can't continue kicking this problem down the road. I believe leadership is not 01:08:38.370 --> 01:08:45.611 - only about solving today's crisis, but it's about solving today's crisis without limiting tomorrow's 01:08:45.611 --> 01:08:46.686 - opportunities. 01:08:47.234 --> 01:08:52.926 - And that's where my concern about North Park comes in. From the perspective of many of the individuals 01:08:52.926 --> 01:08:58.563 - and families I work with every day, many are facing poverty, transportation issues, not being able to 01:08:58.563 --> 01:09:04.587 - afford bus passes, mental health challenges and addiction. I do not believe North Park is the best long-term 01:09:04.587 --> 01:09:10.445 - location. At the same time, North Park may also be one of the county's most strategically valuable future 01:09:10.445 --> 01:09:15.198 - development corridors for jobs and retail restaurants and long-term tax-based growth. 01:09:15.330 --> 01:09:21.160 - A jail is a very permanent land use commitment. The lawsuit may explain why action is necessary, but 01:09:21.160 --> 01:09:27.106 - it does not automatically answer whether this is the best long-term location. And I also struggle with 01:09:27.106 --> 01:09:33.225 - the idea that site readiness is fixed and not movable. In the private sector, developers create readiness 01:09:33.225 --> 01:09:39.229 - and urgency all the time while still balancing budgets, building infrastructure, and meeting aggressive 01:09:39.229 --> 01:09:42.750 - timelines when the long-term value justifies the investment. 01:09:42.946 --> 01:09:48.826 - I can see a Chicago apartment complex get built in Bloomington in less than a year, and it's taken us 01:09:48.826 --> 01:09:54.591 - this long to build a jail. So I think it's fair for the public to ask whether North Park became the 01:09:54.591 --> 01:10:00.471 - ready option, partly because momentum had already formed around it earlier in the process. And again, 01:10:00.471 --> 01:10:06.236 - I wanna be clear, I'm not suggesting the county stop moving forward, but I think current leadership 01:10:06.236 --> 01:10:08.542 - now has to put its developmental hat on 01:10:08.642 --> 01:10:15.110 - and aggressively move this progress forward with urgency, accountability, and transparency. But responsible 01:10:15.110 --> 01:10:21.219 - leadership is not choosing between urgency and strategic planning. Responsible leadership is creating 01:10:21.219 --> 01:10:27.508 - a process that can accomplish both. At the end of the day, my final words are that urgency should inform 01:10:27.508 --> 01:10:32.958 - decision-making. It should not replace strategic planning. Thank you very much. Thank you. 01:10:36.194 --> 01:10:44.063 - We'll go back to the room here, so you're in. Hi, I'm Misty James. I work for New Leaf New Life. I'm 01:10:44.063 --> 01:10:52.165 - the assistant director there. I know I have a real polished story to tell you guys, but I have a couple 01:10:52.165 --> 01:11:00.189 - real human stories to tell you. I had a client who was released from a rural county jail in the middle 01:11:00.189 --> 01:11:06.110 - of the evening. He walked from that county to here. It took him nine hours. 01:11:06.530 --> 01:11:12.847 - to get here. The weather conditions were terrible. He told me today that he thought he would probably 01:11:12.847 --> 01:11:19.102 - die walking. People drove by him, they did not stop and he walked all the way back to Monroe County. 01:11:19.102 --> 01:11:25.418 - He still lives in this county and he met me at my desk that day and he took his glove off of his hand 01:11:25.418 --> 01:11:31.797 - and his hand was so frostbitten that we couldn't continue with the appointment and that we had to take 01:11:31.797 --> 01:11:36.318 - him to the hospital because of his exposure. It is absolutely dangerous. 01:11:36.546 --> 01:11:43.762 - I know this because I work with people who are released from county rule places who have no transportation 01:11:43.762 --> 01:11:50.641 - or no way to get anywhere. And we talk about Ubers and we talk about all the things, but I can assure 01:11:50.641 --> 01:11:57.722 - you that my time in county jail, I had no one to call to come and get me. The second human story I wanna 01:11:57.722 --> 01:12:04.736 - tell you about is if you think about this, I want you guys to think about two blocks, okay? Two blocks, 01:12:04.736 --> 01:12:05.950 - there was a girl, 01:12:06.722 --> 01:12:15.551 - who was a victim of the opioid crisis, who was overprescribed to oxycodone. And that oxycodone later 01:12:15.551 --> 01:12:24.293 - turned into a heroin addiction that made her unhoused, that kept her sleeping outside for over five 01:12:24.293 --> 01:12:33.034 - years. She went to jail, rinse, wash, repeat numerous times, so many times that I cannot count. And 01:12:33.034 --> 01:12:36.094 - she was released for the last time 01:12:37.506 --> 01:12:46.257 - And the difference this time was two blocks. I walked from the county jail door. That person was me. 01:12:46.257 --> 01:12:54.922 - It's me. I walked from the county jail door, two blocks. Two blocks, you guys. Damn it, this. Had I 01:12:54.922 --> 01:13:03.760 - had to walk from Ellisville, you'd think I would've went. If I had to find a way from another county, 01:13:03.760 --> 01:13:07.486 - you'd think I would've went. And I'm like, 01:13:07.586 --> 01:13:15.693 - So I think I am well respected in this community, but there was a time when I had nobody to call to 01:13:15.693 --> 01:13:23.882 - come and get me from jail, you guys. Nobody. I beg you guys not to do this to our community members. 01:13:23.882 --> 01:13:32.232 - There is other answers. Pour in the resources. There are so many misties sitting in that jail that two 01:13:32.232 --> 01:13:36.286 - blocks will change their life in their direction. 01:13:38.946 --> 01:13:43.486 - Thank you for your time. Sorry for crying. It was really weird. 01:14:04.738 --> 01:14:11.067 - Hi, my name is Matthew Joseph. I've been a resident here for seven years, first school and then after. 01:14:11.067 --> 01:14:17.211 - I speak in disapproval of a new jail. Let's not be speculative about what the outcome of a new jail 01:14:17.211 --> 01:14:23.601 - is. Let's look at what other communities have already gone through when this has happened. In Missouri, 01:14:23.601 --> 01:14:29.806 - they faced the exact same problem, an overcrowded jail. They spent more than hundreds of millions of 01:14:29.806 --> 01:14:34.046 - dollars on a new jail with the hope that it would maintain capacity. 01:14:34.434 --> 01:14:44.285 - for more than 10 years. It was overcrowded again in two years. They again had to spend hundreds of millions 01:14:44.285 --> 01:14:53.498 - of dollars on another bigger jail. Please look up this happened. And so I want you to imagine us all 01:14:53.498 --> 01:15:02.620 - sitting here again in two years after this gets built being in the exact same scenario. And why did 01:15:02.620 --> 01:15:03.806 - this happen? 01:15:04.450 --> 01:15:11.386 - How do they accelerate so quickly, right, 10 to 2? And it's already been talked about, right? Research 01:15:11.386 --> 01:15:18.119 - has shown that police are tougher on crime when a jail has lots of space. But why does that happen? 01:15:18.119 --> 01:15:24.988 - OK, consider this. Look at all that we have gone through to make this decision. You know that they're 01:15:24.988 --> 01:15:31.721 - going to make it their mission to justify the fact that we paid hundreds of millions of dollars and 01:15:31.721 --> 01:15:34.078 - burdened our tax paying community. 01:15:34.818 --> 01:15:42.359 - We are incentivizing him to say, we need a new jail. See, guys? See, county council members? See, general 01:15:42.359 --> 01:15:49.901 - public? We need a new jail. We are incarcerating more and more people, and we're getting full. His budget 01:15:49.901 --> 01:15:57.300 - and his name relies on this being a successful project. And success means another filled jail. And what 01:15:57.300 --> 01:16:03.774 - are the other options? This is what I want us to consider. We already have that visionary. 01:16:04.002 --> 01:16:10.484 - diversionary programs, problem-solving court, et cetera. If we put a fraction of this money into those, 01:16:10.484 --> 01:16:16.966 - I think that would be an incredible option. And why not assess who's in the jail currently? Who's there 01:16:16.966 --> 01:16:23.323 - for petty theft? Who's there for marijuana? Who needs substance use? Currently, I actually do intakes 01:16:23.323 --> 01:16:30.366 - at the probation office. I met a lady today who was in jail for stealing a car while she was in active psychosis 01:16:30.722 --> 01:16:38.278 - and actively grieving the death of three family members who died in the matter of weeks from each other. 01:16:38.278 --> 01:16:45.619 - Jail did not help. You know what she said helped? EMDR, an evidence-based treatment for trauma. What? 01:16:45.619 --> 01:16:52.888 - Wow. Fascinating. So can we let this moment make us question how we incarcerate? We can put pressure 01:16:52.888 --> 01:16:56.126 - on our community to think about new options. 01:16:57.090 --> 01:17:05.046 - We can get creative in this simple-minded and expensive excuse for a solution. Pick us in two years 01:17:05.046 --> 01:17:13.162 - facing the exact same problem today if we don't make a right decision today. Let's not make a mistake 01:17:13.162 --> 01:17:21.198 - that other communities have already learned. We're a smart city. We're a creative city. That is your 01:17:21.198 --> 01:17:27.006 - time. Thank you. Thank you. OK. Next up, we will go back to teams. Hopi? 01:17:27.330 --> 01:17:35.380 - you now should be able to unmute and state your name for the record and you'll have up to three minutes. 01:17:35.380 --> 01:17:43.046 - Hi this is Hopi Stasberg and I am city council representative for district three and I just want to 01:17:43.046 --> 01:17:50.942 - say you know about a month ago city council passed a resolution continuing to support the no vote that 01:17:51.074 --> 01:17:56.696 - that you guys originally had regarding North Park. We had lots of reasons why and community members 01:17:56.696 --> 01:18:02.317 - have shared a lot of those reasons tonight. And I'm sure that you guys have read the resolution. So 01:18:02.317 --> 01:18:08.051 - I don't need to repeat that, but I do need to say that I was dismayed when I saw a press release that 01:18:08.051 --> 01:18:13.786 - had the council president listed as though the council had made some sort of different decision or as 01:18:13.786 --> 01:18:19.070 - though he represents more than just himself. Okay. So city council, just like county council, 01:18:20.002 --> 01:18:26.438 - We all represent ourselves. We cannot represent the whole body unless the whole body has had some sort 01:18:26.438 --> 01:18:32.686 - of an action or resolution about it or a public discussion about it. And our last public discussion 01:18:32.686 --> 01:18:39.060 - about it was, I believe, unanimously in support of a no vote on North Park and the support of keeping 01:18:39.060 --> 01:18:45.433 - jail within the city limits as close to centrally located as possible. And I just wanted to make that 01:18:45.433 --> 01:18:49.182 - clear tonight that the statement put out yesterday does not 01:18:49.378 --> 01:19:00.274 - represent me and as it was written only represents one council member and other City Council members 01:19:00.274 --> 01:19:11.171 - can make whatever decisions they want to on this but I wanted to make that clear about myself. Thank 01:19:11.171 --> 01:19:19.262 - you very much and have a great night. Thank you. Next up is Richard Garza. 01:19:19.586 --> 01:19:26.541 - Yes. Thank you for your time. My name is Richard Garza. I worked in the Justice Center last summer. 01:19:26.541 --> 01:19:33.706 - My comments right now are about buying the land. I hear a lot of conversation tonight about the merits 01:19:33.706 --> 01:19:40.800 - of arresting less people, improving public services, jails in general, and the incarceration process. 01:19:40.800 --> 01:19:46.782 - My comments are only about buying the land. Please vote yes. In August, the estimated 01:19:47.362 --> 01:19:55.911 - cost of building this facility was $224 million. The inflation rate between then and April is about 2.79%, 01:19:55.911 --> 01:20:04.141 - about $6.2 million just because of inaction, which breaks down to about $966 an hour just because this 01:20:04.141 --> 01:20:12.211 - is still being deliberated. It will cost taxpayers even more if you vote no. Why would bus routes go 01:20:12.211 --> 01:20:15.966 - to an empty field? It's going to take a lot of 01:20:16.290 --> 01:20:21.390 - It can take about five years to build this thing, so I'm sure a bus stop can be added in that time. 01:20:21.390 --> 01:20:26.593 - The incarceration rate is low because the beds don't exist. They're either being moved somewhere else 01:20:26.593 --> 01:20:31.948 - or perhaps released before they should be. I've heard a lot of finger pointing going on tonight. I point 01:20:31.948 --> 01:20:37.151 - my finger at everyone who has kicked the can down the road. Everyone that has spoken up today against 01:20:37.151 --> 01:20:40.670 - the jail or against buying the property, they should run for office. 01:20:41.218 --> 01:20:46.948 - They should volunteer their time at the jail or maybe even open up their homes to those who shouldn't 01:20:46.948 --> 01:20:52.565 - be in jail and just need a place to get back on their feet. A standard is not what is communicated. 01:20:52.565 --> 01:20:58.520 - A standard is what is tolerated. If it was not for this lawsuit and our constitution, the county probably 01:20:58.520 --> 01:21:04.362 - would not have done anything to improve the conditions for those incarcerated individuals or the people 01:21:04.362 --> 01:21:10.260 - who have worked in that building since the lawsuit started. That to me does not sound concerning, caring 01:21:10.260 --> 01:21:10.878 - or humane. 01:21:11.874 --> 01:21:18.572 - If this process to build the jail had started 10 years ago, imagine what the county could have done 01:21:18.572 --> 01:21:25.538 - with all that time, money, and energy spent on this issue that applied to other things. Everything that 01:21:25.538 --> 01:21:32.370 - could have been has been wasted on circular conversations that end up being forgotten because whoever 01:21:32.370 --> 01:21:39.403 - asked those questions and made decisions along the way, they're no longer in office, and each generation 01:21:39.403 --> 01:21:40.542 - of officials has 01:21:40.706 --> 01:21:46.223 - just kick the can down the road asking critical questions and waiting for answers. But apparently those 01:21:46.223 --> 01:21:51.528 - answers hasn't been shared with future officials. And for other people in the room that have heard, 01:21:51.528 --> 01:21:57.098 - you know, there's a, there's enough procedural checks, balances, and obstacles in place that have forced 01:21:57.098 --> 01:22:02.669 - the decision making process to take this long. Every question that has been asked tonight has been asked 01:22:02.669 --> 01:22:08.451 - and answered before. We are here today as a result of those questions, answers, and decisions. The questions 01:22:08.451 --> 01:22:09.406 - I hear are great. 01:22:09.730 --> 01:22:17.519 - But they've been asked an answer before. Enough is enough. Approve the purchase agreement. Thank you. 01:22:17.519 --> 01:22:25.155 - Thanks. All right. Next up, we had two already. So I'll go here to the NetEU room. So there, again, 01:22:25.155 --> 01:22:33.021 - please go ahead and start lining up. And you'll sign your name. State your name for the record. You'll 01:22:33.021 --> 01:22:35.006 - have up to three minutes. 01:22:49.538 --> 01:22:55.950 - Hello, my name is Sam Holdeman. I am here to ask you to vote no on North Park. I think we need to start 01:22:55.950 --> 01:23:02.363 - by understanding why people are in jail, as other public commenters have brought up. People are in jail 01:23:02.363 --> 01:23:08.529 - because we live in a state and a society that has criminalized poverty. What I hear is that you are 01:23:08.529 --> 01:23:14.756 - scared about what a federal judge could force you to do, and so you are preemptively doing more than 01:23:14.756 --> 01:23:16.606 - they could ever force you to. 01:23:16.770 --> 01:23:23.775 - They cannot force you to build on a specific site, they cannot force you to build a specific size jail, 01:23:23.775 --> 01:23:30.645 - and they cannot force you to build a new jail, period. The logic seems to be that if you placate them 01:23:30.645 --> 01:23:37.380 - now, they will treat you kindly in the future. That will not work. What they will do is make use of 01:23:37.380 --> 01:23:41.758 - the giant jail you hand them to lock up anybody they don't like. 01:23:42.914 --> 01:23:50.746 - A new jail is being presented as a final solution, as a way of washing our hands of this whole not once 01:23:50.746 --> 01:23:58.276 - and for all. And I get why you would want to do that. It's taken up a lot of your time. It's not an 01:23:58.276 --> 01:24:05.806 - easy problem. But a new jail is not actually a final solution. We don't get to build a new jail and 01:24:05.806 --> 01:24:11.454 - then walk away from it and the issue is solved. The new jail will be full. 01:24:12.258 --> 01:24:21.285 - very quickly, we will be facing overcrowding again. We will be open to fresh litigation as soon as a 01:24:21.285 --> 01:24:30.580 - new jail is built. Boating a new jail does not mean that we're like magically no longer under any legal 01:24:30.580 --> 01:24:40.412 - obligations or immune to lawsuit. But I'm also not asking you to do nothing. As Council Member Piedmont-Smith 01:24:40.412 --> 01:24:42.110 - mentioned earlier, 01:24:42.242 --> 01:24:52.076 - I'm paraphrasing approximately, but public safety is not arresting people. Public safety is providing 01:24:52.076 --> 01:25:01.911 - access to housing, to healthcare, to jobs, to transportation, and you as the council, as the county's 01:25:01.911 --> 01:25:11.070 - financial body, have the power to do that. So I am asking you to make a decisive commitment to 01:25:11.298 --> 01:25:19.641 - funding, housing, healthcare, transportation, and our overall economic prosperity in this county. If 01:25:19.641 --> 01:25:28.150 - you build a giant new jail, you simply will not be able to do that. Your hands will be tied and you'll 01:25:28.150 --> 01:25:36.410 - be left figuring out how to make the most of the change that has left you. So I ask you to take the 01:25:36.410 --> 01:25:38.558 - decisive step and vote no 01:25:38.850 --> 01:25:47.582 - on North Park and instead to vote towards spending our county resources on our community. Thank you. 01:26:09.122 --> 01:26:14.668 - Hello, my name is Seth Mutchler, resident of Monroe County. I'm going to try to keep this kind of brief, 01:26:14.668 --> 01:26:19.950 - I know it's a long night. I have the privilege of actually serving on the board of directors of New 01:26:19.950 --> 01:26:24.862 - Leaf New Life, so I just want to take a moment to say thank you so much to Heather and Misty 01:26:25.026 --> 01:26:31.392 - for sharing their stories and I can tell you that that is only really the tip of the iceberg of their 01:26:31.392 --> 01:26:37.757 - knowledge and their expertise and their compassion and the gifts that they give to this community and 01:26:37.757 --> 01:26:44.123 - to the people who have previously been incarcerated or are incarcerated in Monroe County. I really am 01:26:44.123 --> 01:26:50.551 - kind of struck by, there's kind of two different things being said here. The people who are asking you 01:26:50.551 --> 01:26:54.046 - to vote yes, notably the commissioners and the sheriff, 01:26:54.210 --> 01:27:00.300 - are really speaking about a lot of what ifs, a lot of could bes. Well, we don't know what a judge could 01:27:00.300 --> 01:27:06.624 - make us do. We don't know what could happen. But what I'm hearing from a lot of the people who are speaking 01:27:06.624 --> 01:27:12.597 - and asking you to vote no on this is a lot of concrete. It's those personal anecdotes that you heard. 01:27:12.597 --> 01:27:13.534 - It's the facts. 01:27:13.634 --> 01:27:21.377 - and figures given by people and it's the actual solutions that will make our community better. And so 01:27:21.377 --> 01:27:28.968 - I just would ask you please to listen to sort of the folks here who are bringing these sort of real 01:27:28.968 --> 01:27:36.559 - tangible solutions to this problem and not to sort of give in to what I'm just going to say plainly 01:27:36.559 --> 01:27:37.470 - and simply. 01:27:37.794 --> 01:27:45.917 - as threats and fear mongering from the other sort of side of this discussions. I hope that you vote 01:27:45.917 --> 01:27:54.202 - no on this North Park purchase today. Thank you so much for your time. OK. Next I'll pop back over to 01:27:54.202 --> 01:28:02.487 - teams. So first person up is John Hamilton. Again state your name for the record you have up to three 01:28:02.487 --> 01:28:07.198 - minutes. Thank you very much. Can you see me and hear me. 01:28:07.842 --> 01:28:13.799 - It's John, John Hamilton. Thank you. I'm a county resident and former mayor. I appreciate everybody 01:28:13.799 --> 01:28:19.815 - their time. There are many, many good people in the room tonight doing good things. Uh, I'm sorry, I 01:28:19.815 --> 01:28:25.950 - can't be there in person, but I just wanted to make a few points. Uh, I did submit a written statement 01:28:25.950 --> 01:28:31.907 - to many of you. I hope it could be included in the record. I won't read it. Um, but one of the most 01:28:31.907 --> 01:28:35.838 - important things was just reminding us the late Charlotte Zitlow. 01:28:36.194 --> 01:28:43.092 - and I and many other people seven months ago discussed the same issue and urged that we not buy the 01:28:43.092 --> 01:28:50.265 - big property for a big new jail and the County Council unanimously agreed and I greatly appreciate that 01:28:50.265 --> 01:28:57.232 - as the City Council unanimously spoke. I guess I might want to say I'm asking you to vote no on this 01:28:57.232 --> 01:29:04.268 - again but I also think that no vote can include several yeses because it is important to move forward 01:29:04.268 --> 01:29:05.854 - together as been said. 01:29:06.722 --> 01:29:14.229 - I believe this is a really important pivot point for our community, and the yeses can include the following. 01:29:14.229 --> 01:29:21.185 - The yes should include a uniform, unanimous view that we want constitutional incarceration services. 01:29:21.185 --> 01:29:28.141 - We are all committed to that. Some may think that exists now. Those who think it does not exist now, 01:29:28.141 --> 01:29:31.998 - I believe, should be asking for more money, more staff, 01:29:32.290 --> 01:29:38.645 - Many of us, Charlotte and I, and many of you have been urging that money be invested in better services 01:29:38.645 --> 01:29:44.755 - years ago. And that should be a yes today. We are committed to constitutional services. The jail we 01:29:44.755 --> 01:29:51.171 - have is going to be the jail we have for several years. So we ought to be doing that kind of investment. 01:29:51.171 --> 01:29:58.014 - And that should be a yes tonight from all of us. Another yes should be we ought to immediately invest in funds. 01:29:58.882 --> 01:30:04.992 - to improve the human services. There are many people in our community doing great things to improve 01:30:04.992 --> 01:30:11.285 - the lives of people who otherwise might be incarcerated. You've heard from several of them. Again, for 01:30:11.285 --> 01:30:17.640 - many years, many of us have been urging that that money, 20 million a year that's coming in now, should 01:30:17.640 --> 01:30:23.811 - be invested now to improve those services. That's a yes that can happen. Another yes that can happen 01:30:23.811 --> 01:30:27.966 - is to say, let's set a goal. Let's say we want 150 residents in our 01:30:28.098 --> 01:30:34.744 - in our jail in 10 years. Not the 200 plus that we have now, certainly not the 300 that we had several 01:30:34.744 --> 01:30:41.259 - years ago. Let's set a positive goal and yes, what will it take to get us there? And if we set that 01:30:41.259 --> 01:30:47.774 - kind of goal, we have a very, very different process which can begin. How would we build a jail for 01:30:47.774 --> 01:30:55.006 - 150 people in 10 years and what kind of services will get us there? The last other thing I would say is a yes, 01:30:55.394 --> 01:31:02.663 - and some of us averged this for some time too, is to just say, for every dollar we put into new incarceration 01:31:02.663 --> 01:31:09.669 - costs, let's be sure we put a new dollar into diversion and service costs that will reduce incarceration. 01:31:09.669 --> 01:31:16.608 - You are being told that you have no choice. That is just not true. A no vote is really important, moving 01:31:16.608 --> 01:31:23.414 - us in the right direction. Charlotte and I talked about that. Many of you in the room did as well. And 01:31:23.414 --> 01:31:24.670 - that is your time. 01:31:25.282 --> 01:31:42.390 - Thank you very much. Thank you. Next up, screen name, Alice Silver. Can you hear me? Yes, if you can 01:31:42.390 --> 01:31:54.078 - speak up a little bit, because it's a little faint. OK, right there. 01:31:54.370 --> 01:32:00.669 - Yes, just state your name for the record and you'll have up to three minutes. Okay, good evening. My 01:32:00.669 --> 01:32:07.154 - name is Alice Silver. I'm a resident and I'm a mom of four small children and I live three minutes from 01:32:07.154 --> 01:32:13.515 - the North Park location. We keep hearing officials just fear to justify this project. They say people 01:32:13.515 --> 01:32:20.001 - shouldn't be released because of safety, but at the same time, they want to place these facilities near 01:32:20.001 --> 01:32:22.558 - our neighborhoods and near our children. 01:32:22.818 --> 01:32:29.104 - three minutes from where my children play. If these individuals are not safe, then why are residents 01:32:29.104 --> 01:32:35.391 - expected to feel safe with this happening in the middle of our neighborhoods? And let's be honest, I 01:32:35.391 --> 01:32:41.926 - have another concern and a lot of our neighbors have the same concern. How can we know this is not gonna 01:32:41.926 --> 01:32:48.213 - become a nice detention facility or just be used to target the immigrant population or the own house 01:32:48.213 --> 01:32:49.022 - communities? 01:32:49.506 --> 01:32:57.673 - We need to know what agencies can be involved once you build this giant facility, who is involved, and 01:32:57.673 --> 01:33:05.761 - what protection exists for residents. Instead of pushing this jail to get done, you should be pushing 01:33:05.761 --> 01:33:13.928 - new businesses, new facilities, things that make our life easier and better. You also keep referencing 01:33:13.928 --> 01:33:15.038 - the ACLU, but 01:33:15.426 --> 01:33:23.982 - Where in that lawsuit says that we need brand new state of the art courtrooms, chair of office, or a 01:33:23.982 --> 01:33:32.538 - millionaire style government complex. Improving conditions for inmate is one thing, but building new 01:33:32.538 --> 01:33:42.110 - expensive spaces is something different. Right now, a lot of people feel ignored, but we want safe neighborhoods 01:33:42.498 --> 01:33:52.840 - And we want honest answers. And that's not extreme. People need to know that this money to buy this 01:33:52.840 --> 01:34:02.769 - and to build this does not exist. We don't have the money. This is debt. That's all. Thank you. 01:34:02.769 --> 01:34:06.078 - Thank you. Next up in the room. 01:34:20.386 --> 01:34:27.659 - Good evening, counselors. My name is Susan Easton. I'm a resident of the Stony Brook neighborhood, and 01:34:27.659 --> 01:34:34.790 - my husband and I have lived there for the past 22 and a half years. Along with the with the 23 other 01:34:34.790 --> 01:34:41.992 - residences in Stony Brook, I stand opposed to the new jail located at the North Park site. We believe 01:34:41.992 --> 01:34:47.358 - that the Thompson site is the better choice for the taxpayer are documented 01:34:48.066 --> 01:34:55.866 - and loudly repeats what other taxpaying citizens and social services organizations have stated. Firstly, 01:34:55.866 --> 01:35:03.816 - fiscal stability. Secondly, accessibility and social justice, which is a key factor in reducing recidivism 01:35:03.816 --> 01:35:11.393 - and helping to improve public safety. And thirdly, concurrent progress versus sequential delay. I was 01:35:11.393 --> 01:35:16.222 - up here two weeks ago. Tonight, I'm up here really to thank you. 01:35:16.770 --> 01:35:24.369 - for your extreme patience as the county commissioners continuously attempt to promote North Park versus 01:35:24.369 --> 01:35:31.675 - other logical thought processes. Secondly want to thank you for your continued request of financial 01:35:31.675 --> 01:35:39.055 - data as you fight for each taxpayer dollar being spent now and in future generations. And lastly and 01:35:39.055 --> 01:35:42.270 - ultimately thank you for your perseverance. 01:35:42.402 --> 01:35:53.276 - in opposing and your opposition to the new jail for those of you that continue to vote no and the impending 01:35:53.276 --> 01:36:03.143 - justice complex center that will come in the future. It's not just the new jail today. Thank you. 01:36:03.143 --> 01:36:11.902 - Thank you. Anybody here in the net who would like to make public comment on this item? 01:36:33.922 --> 01:36:41.357 - Thank you for letting me speak this evening. My name is Mike Shields. Born in Bloomington, Indiana, 01:36:41.357 --> 01:36:48.867 - 1946. Stayed in Bloomington, Indiana, 1926. Have no plans to leave. Love my city. I back the police. 01:36:48.867 --> 01:36:56.526 - I really do love the police. Behind them 100%. I don't know what the answer to this is, but I can tell 01:36:56.526 --> 01:37:00.318 - you what the answer's not. Building on North Park. 01:37:01.378 --> 01:37:08.069 - 43 years ago I built a new home one mile from there. Quiet. Today we have a real nice facility with 01:37:08.069 --> 01:37:15.094 - ambulances 24 7 sirens sirens sirens. We're going to get the same thing from the Police Department right 01:37:15.094 --> 01:37:21.851 - here in this article. It says the Council, the staff, Sheriff and the Board of Commissioners can can 01:37:21.851 --> 01:37:29.278 - comment securing better safety and more constitutional conditions for the people housed in Monroe County Jail. 01:37:29.794 --> 01:37:35.842 - while in protecting Monroe County from the financial and legal consequences of further delay. How about 01:37:35.842 --> 01:37:41.657 - the people who live around there? We're not even mentioned. You're going to take care of the people 01:37:41.657 --> 01:37:47.530 - in the jail. What about the residents? I don't think we can feel safe with that out there like that. 01:37:47.530 --> 01:37:53.578 - You've got a real traffic problem. Highway 46, nobody's mentioned that. I can't imagine what that would 01:37:53.578 --> 01:37:59.742 - be. And then you've got an elderly facility real close by that that will affect. We probably need a jail. 01:38:00.226 --> 01:38:07.116 - but we probably need to be a little more reasonable about what we're doing here. That's a lot of money. 01:38:07.116 --> 01:38:13.808 - My taxes are gonna go up. I'm old, I'm retired. I don't wanna pay more taxes. I wanna be safe, but I 01:38:13.808 --> 01:38:20.565 - don't wanna pay more taxes. And all I can say is North Park is not it. Find something better. I don't 01:38:20.565 --> 01:38:25.534 - know what the answer is. And I hope we find something, but this is not it. 01:38:33.858 --> 01:38:46.988 - I'm going to pop back here to team's screen name, Cheryl. Hello. Hi, we can hear you. Can you hear me? 01:38:46.988 --> 01:38:58.334 - My name is Cheryl Langdon. I'm a citizen of Monroe County. I was there the last meeting. 01:38:58.530 --> 01:39:07.861 - Again, I'm going to point out a couple of things that I agree with. I agree with Mr. Garza. I think 01:39:07.861 --> 01:39:17.472 - he made a lot of great logical points and it sounds understandable. The last gentleman that just spoke 01:39:17.472 --> 01:39:25.310 - made some great points because here on Vernal Pike, we were put up by two different 01:39:25.410 --> 01:39:33.027 - Chambers of Commerce, Bloomington, and Ellisville and thrown under the bus as a Hail Mary. No one cared 01:39:33.027 --> 01:39:40.790 - about that being in our front yard, backyard, and bedroom windows. So it's funny how it's not my backyard 01:39:40.790 --> 01:39:47.821 - for everybody, but I agree with that last gentleman. And then John Hamilton, the ex-mayor, gee, 01:39:47.821 --> 01:39:54.046 - I don't know, yet opened up the door to welcome people that have addiction problems. 01:39:54.370 --> 01:40:01.378 - that are homeless that are struggling. And now the Monroe County taxpayers have to pay for the Welcome 01:40:01.378 --> 01:40:08.182 - Act that Mr. Hamilton put out there. So with all that being said, you know, maybe it is better that 01:40:08.182 --> 01:40:15.054 - a federal judge has something to say. I didn't have a problem with it being at North Park because we 01:40:15.054 --> 01:40:21.246 - are going to grow. I don't see an issue with the whole ice thing. I think that's paranoia. 01:40:21.442 --> 01:40:28.496 - One minute someone doesn't want it in their yard, but they're trying to say that it's going to be used 01:40:28.496 --> 01:40:35.413 - for ICE. Are you saying that what ICE does and who they pick up is dangerous or not dangerous? I'm a 01:40:35.413 --> 01:40:42.468 - little confused because everyone is in every direction. So honestly, I don't want it over here outside 01:40:42.468 --> 01:40:49.659 - of the city of Bloomington. Mayor Hamilton made that all happen. If you stay in the city of Bloomington, 01:40:49.659 --> 01:40:50.686 - in my opinion, 01:40:51.362 --> 01:41:08.786 - and keep it their problem. Mayor Hamilton made that happen. Thank you. Thank you. So next up we have, 01:41:08.786 --> 01:41:21.086 - excuse me, R. Miller. R. Miller, you should be able to unmute yourself. 01:41:23.010 --> 01:41:30.161 - And you hear me now? Yes, stay your name for the record. You'll have up to three minutes. Great, I was 01:41:30.161 --> 01:41:37.311 - having a hard time unmuting. It's OK. Renee Miller, thank you for your time this evening. I appreciate 01:41:37.311 --> 01:41:44.392 - it. This body has already voted no on this location, and the people are pushed and bullied or scared. 01:41:44.392 --> 01:41:50.918 - They vote in ways not always in all's best interest. I think we see that on a national level, 01:41:50.918 --> 01:41:52.862 - don't we? So surely by now, 01:41:53.026 --> 01:42:01.162 - people know what no means. I know as a woman, I sure as heck know what the word no means. It's a refusal. 01:42:01.162 --> 01:42:08.990 - Stop asking our county government to waste their time yet again on this poor location. We need social 01:42:08.990 --> 01:42:16.666 - services close by. This isn't going to work. Also, I'd just like to point out, just because someone 01:42:16.666 --> 01:42:19.966 - is arrested does not mean they are guilty. 01:42:20.450 --> 01:42:28.453 - Statistics show that over 70% of people being held in jail haven't been convicted of any crimes. So 01:42:28.453 --> 01:42:36.617 - I want you to think about that. We don't need a larger jail. We certainly don't need one farther away 01:42:36.617 --> 01:42:45.021 - from the downtown area. Thank you for your time. I will come back to the room here. Hi, my name is Jamie 01:42:45.021 --> 01:42:47.902 - Ford. I'm a Monroe County resident. 01:42:48.258 --> 01:42:52.484 - Good evening, counsel. I've been following this jail issue for a long time now, and since I wasn't even 01:42:52.484 --> 01:42:56.629 - living in Indiana at the time this lawsuit was originally filed, I've tried to do my own research and 01:42:56.629 --> 01:43:00.856 - read up on the history of this whole thing. Based on what I've seen both historically and in statements 01:43:00.856 --> 01:43:03.294 - from the commissioners, I have more questions than answers. 01:43:03.362 --> 01:43:08.123 - first in the 12th May council meeting commissioner Madeira makes the statement about the Thompson property 01:43:08.123 --> 01:43:12.661 - saying which I'm quoting from the cats TV YouTube transcript of the meeting quote here are the issues 01:43:12.661 --> 01:43:17.111 - with that property speaking out Thompson the City Plan Commission and the City Council must approve 01:43:17.111 --> 01:43:21.649 - a change to the plan unit development or PUD we can't proceed without that approval my question is is 01:43:21.649 --> 01:43:23.518 - the city of Bloomington's quote ordinance 01:43:23.650 --> 01:43:29.270 - 02-16 to amend the preliminary plan for the Thompson area planned unit development that was passed and 01:43:29.270 --> 01:43:34.781 - signed in August of 2002 still in effect. Granted, I don't know specifically what exact area track D 01:43:34.781 --> 01:43:40.674 - of the Thompson property is or how big it is, but the synopsis on the second page underneath the signatures 01:43:40.674 --> 01:43:41.438 - from the then 01:43:41.762 --> 01:43:46.800 - Common Council President, Clerk, and Mayor, it states, quote, this ordinance amends the preliminary 01:43:46.800 --> 01:43:52.191 - plan for Track D of the Thompson area planned unit development to allow for juvenile and adult corrections 01:43:52.191 --> 01:43:57.381 - and rehabilitative facilities and a range of institutional uses. This ordinance also changes the shape 01:43:57.381 --> 01:44:00.958 - of Track D and amends some of the developmental conditions, end quote. 01:44:01.090 --> 01:44:06.697 - This means that, in addition to the county purchasing the Thompson property for a jail, as confirmed 01:44:06.697 --> 01:44:12.637 - by a Herald Times article dated December 14, 2002, the city of Bloomington, at least at one time, approved 01:44:12.637 --> 01:44:18.188 - a PUD change for the purposes of building a jail on the Thompson property. Is this PUD still valid? 01:44:18.188 --> 01:44:21.630 - Did the commissioners try to renew or update it? If not, why? 01:44:21.954 --> 01:44:26.271 - Second, I'm disturbed by what can be at best described as a misrepresentation of the truth or, 01:44:26.271 --> 01:44:31.225 - in my opinion, an outright lie from the commissioners. At the last council meeting on May 12th, Commissioner 01:44:31.225 --> 01:44:35.678 - Madari gave the following statement, which again I'm quoting from the CATS TV YouTube transcript. 01:44:35.810 --> 01:44:40.456 - quote, we've done our due diligence investigating properties across the county, end quote. She then 01:44:40.456 --> 01:44:45.195 - mentions the Fullerton and Thompson properties, et cetera, and the various issues. Yet in the comment 01:44:45.195 --> 01:44:50.119 - section of a post related to the jail lawsuit on her own public Facebook page approximately a week later, 01:44:50.119 --> 01:44:54.905 - she contradicts what she said in the meeting. A fellow Monroe County resident was asking questions and 01:44:54.905 --> 01:44:59.922 - making statements in favor of choosing the Thompson property since the county already owns it. Commissioner 01:44:59.922 --> 01:45:04.568 - Madera responds, citing the most recent ACLU extension agreement, as well as, quote, a decision for 01:45:04.568 --> 01:45:05.776 - Thompson at this point is 01:45:05.776 --> 01:45:12.075 - responsible since we don't have our due diligence done on that site." End quote. The Monroe County resident 01:45:12.075 --> 01:45:17.965 - responds again still in favor of Thompson. Commissioner Madera replies, quote, that's one reason why 01:45:17.965 --> 01:45:23.914 - we're in this situation. North Park is the only site we have due diligence on. It's the site that the 01:45:23.914 --> 01:45:26.014 - county chose beforehand. End quote. 01:45:26.242 --> 01:45:30.893 - Again, in a statement to this council in a public government meeting, Commissioner Madeira said that 01:45:30.893 --> 01:45:35.682 - the commissioners had done their due diligence on various properties and commissioners Thomas and Jones 01:45:35.682 --> 01:45:40.426 - didn't correct her or didn't amend it or say it was accurate. Yet on a public social media page a week 01:45:40.426 --> 01:45:44.478 - later, Commissioner Madeira states that the only due diligence was done for North Park. 01:45:44.578 --> 01:45:50.738 - My question for that is, what is the truth? Have they done their due diligence or have they not? It 01:45:50.738 --> 01:45:57.022 - seems that Monroe County does already have the property and if the PUD is valid, then we have what we 01:45:57.022 --> 01:46:02.750 - need to proceed with the Thompson property. I'll point out that to the best of my knowledge, 01:46:02.750 --> 01:46:08.911 - the commissioners have not proposed a plan to remedy the currently unconstitutional conditions. And 01:46:08.911 --> 01:46:14.270 - that is your time, unfortunately. Thank you. All right, thank you. All right, next up. 01:46:30.498 --> 01:46:36.745 - My name is Kathleen Paquette. I'm a resident of Monroe County. I'm sorry, my thoughts might be a little 01:46:36.745 --> 01:46:42.872 - bit jumbled today. I've just been taking notes as we've been sitting here. But I think it's important 01:46:42.872 --> 01:46:49.119 - to point out for those watching online that Commissioner Thomas left as soon as public comment started. 01:46:49.119 --> 01:46:55.426 - I think that that's telling. The sheriff's presentation was intended to convince you all to move forward 01:46:55.426 --> 01:46:59.390 - with North Park. For me, it did the opposite. I'm sorry, sheriff. 01:47:00.354 --> 01:47:06.897 - The sheriff says that the numbers are going up. To me, that's the crisis that needs intervention. He 01:47:06.897 --> 01:47:13.439 - talks about public safety. We are in a housing unaffordability crisis, and our state has just passed 01:47:13.439 --> 01:47:20.435 - a law criminalizing homelessness. That is the crisis that needs intervention. Our most vulnerable neighbors 01:47:20.435 --> 01:47:27.108 - are in danger of being thrown into jail. That is the crisis that needs intervention. I understand that 01:47:27.108 --> 01:47:29.310 - lawsuits are expensive and scary, 01:47:29.538 --> 01:47:39.631 - But I can't help but wonder if some of this is a little bit of a manufactured crisis to force consent 01:47:39.631 --> 01:47:49.527 - for this. Because to me, I see crises elsewhere. And considering the amounts of money we're talking 01:47:49.527 --> 01:47:59.422 - about with hundreds and hundreds of million dollars on a new jail, the lawsuit seems cheaper. Also, 01:47:59.522 --> 01:48:06.620 - The statement issued by the commissioners, City Council President Asari and Mayor Thompson says that 01:48:06.620 --> 01:48:13.719 - no one should pretend that North Park is the outcome anyone hoped for. And that continues to outline 01:48:13.719 --> 01:48:20.817 - all of the reasons that North Park is a bad site. There's an admission in that document that this is 01:48:20.817 --> 01:48:28.126 - a doubling down of a bad decision. I've seen you all listen. Thank you for listening to us all tonight. 01:48:28.258 --> 01:48:39.994 - Thank you all for being here and speaking. I'm sorry that your colleagues are throwing you under the 01:48:39.994 --> 01:48:51.731 - bus with this. But please continue to vote no on North Park. Thank you. I don't see any hands raised 01:48:51.731 --> 01:48:58.238 - via Zoom. So we'll keep going in here until we have it. 01:48:58.562 --> 01:49:10.562 - Um, so we just had one just popped up, but then we got, it's okay. You're here. So we'll, we'll go back. 01:49:10.562 --> 01:49:19.934 - Good evening council. My name is Kayden Smith. I'm a resident of the county, but. 01:49:20.066 --> 01:49:25.495 - more importantly, a taxpayer. I have five points to make, so I got to go quickly. So first, I'm going 01:49:25.495 --> 01:49:30.923 - to respond to the commissioner's comments. And I want to say why I have to respond is because I can't 01:49:30.923 --> 01:49:36.299 - attend a 10 AM meeting on a Thursday. Like most of the people here, I work on Thursdays, and I don't 01:49:36.299 --> 01:49:41.621 - have time. And I'm often late to these meetings because I work until 5 PM. So firstly, Commissioner 01:49:41.621 --> 01:49:42.366 - Medeo is top. 01:49:42.466 --> 01:49:47.512 - comments. She says she wants to work collaboratively, but if the council voted no in October, why are 01:49:47.512 --> 01:49:52.756 - you bringing it back again? Shouldn't you bring something different? It doesn't sound like you're working 01:49:52.756 --> 01:49:57.753 - collaboratively to me. And like other people said, if the council voted no, I just don't believe the 01:49:57.753 --> 01:50:02.849 - commissioners can really accept that. And that's why they're continuously bringing this back. And then 01:50:02.849 --> 01:50:07.895 - I'll also highlight the grip that the commissioners have on the government. When the sheriff turns to 01:50:07.895 --> 01:50:11.358 - Commissioner Medillo in her personal life as an attorney, rather than 01:50:11.522 --> 01:50:16.426 - the two attorneys that I'm looking at over on the side table over here, because the sheriff and the 01:50:16.426 --> 01:50:21.379 - commissioners are really tight, apparently. My second point on to Commissioner Thomas, the fact that 01:50:21.379 --> 01:50:26.381 - she left the room because she doesn't... The meetings are at 10 a.m. because she doesn't want to hear 01:50:26.381 --> 01:50:30.942 - from the public, and she doesn't want to hear from the public now because she left the room. 01:50:32.130 --> 01:50:37.777 - And to restate, she's been in county government since 2008. Isn't that when the lawsuit started? And 01:50:37.777 --> 01:50:43.703 - now she wants the council to solve the problems in two seconds. And thirdly, I'll go into public transit, 01:50:43.703 --> 01:50:49.686 - which is something I reiterated before. And Commissioner Thomas doesn't know how to solve it. She admitted 01:50:49.686 --> 01:50:55.445 - that we'll figure it out later, but why should I figure it out later? I'd like to know what I'm voting 01:50:55.445 --> 01:50:59.582 - on now. And she was like, I don't want to have a bus line to a cornfield. 01:50:59.682 --> 01:51:06.677 - I'm sorry, if we're gonna have a bus line, isn't it gonna go to more places than a cornfield? I just 01:51:06.677 --> 01:51:14.018 - feel like Commissioner Thomas doesn't understand how public transit works, which is honestly frightening. 01:51:14.018 --> 01:51:21.013 - And also, just to add that the location is just abysmal, which is gonna have sprawling neighborhoods 01:51:21.013 --> 01:51:27.038 - and large interstates, which just decreases public safety and walkability to the jail. 01:51:27.426 --> 01:51:33.648 - As many people said, I'm willing to vote yes on something, but I think the Thompson site looks a lot 01:51:33.648 --> 01:51:39.994 - more likely because we do need to solve something quickly. Forwardly, back to the federal judge issue. 01:51:39.994 --> 01:51:46.155 - The threat of a federal judge is way more likely than we think. And I'm honestly looking forward to 01:51:46.155 --> 01:51:52.624 - the fact, instead of paying $200 million in taxpayers because I don't want my taxes to increase, I think 01:51:52.624 --> 01:51:56.382 - that's one thing that I can agree with the commissioners on. 01:51:57.154 --> 01:52:05.263 - And finally, before my time runs out, I'll reiterate. In case you forgot what I was saying, I would 01:52:05.263 --> 01:52:13.778 - like a vote no. And I agree with what Councilmember Isabel P. Mott-Smith said, but I'm going to disagree 01:52:13.778 --> 01:52:22.049 - with one thing. When she said she wasn't envious, I actually am, because I would sit in your seat and 01:52:22.049 --> 01:52:26.590 - vote no. So I want you to consider that. Thank you. OK. 01:52:26.754 --> 01:52:34.865 - I'll pop back to teams and if there are other people that want to raise their hand via teams and want 01:52:34.865 --> 01:52:43.214 - to speak, go ahead and do that. Don Johnson, unmute yourself and you'll have up to three minutes. Hello, 01:52:43.214 --> 01:52:51.484 - thank you for this opportunity. I'm not going to repeat all of the, any of the comments previously made 01:52:51.484 --> 01:52:53.790 - urging you to vote no again. 01:52:54.530 --> 01:53:02.370 - I want to make just one additional point. So I'm Dawn Johnson. I'm a constitutional law professor at 01:53:02.370 --> 01:53:10.599 - Indiana University. And I've worked many years at the Department of Justice, the United States Department 01:53:10.599 --> 01:53:18.828 - of Justice. I just want to put this in a national context briefly and say I started my career as a lawyer 01:53:18.828 --> 01:53:22.942 - for the American Civil Liberties Union back in 1988. 01:53:23.650 --> 01:53:32.076 - the national organization, the national office. And at that time, I actually worked with the ACLU of 01:53:32.076 --> 01:53:40.502 - Indiana on at least three cases. But going back to the national position that I believe reflects the 01:53:40.502 --> 01:53:49.095 - view of our community in Monroe County, the National ACLU, if you look at their website, is very clear 01:53:49.095 --> 01:53:52.766 - about what we should be doing. And I agree. 01:53:53.122 --> 01:54:00.785 - completely about this. We should be reducing the rate of incarceration and focusing our resources on 01:54:00.785 --> 01:54:08.600 - that. Addiction services, affordable housing. And I just want to read just a couple sentences from the 01:54:08.600 --> 01:54:16.187 - ACLU national website on mass incarceration. And here's a quote. I urge you all to look at the full 01:54:16.187 --> 01:54:21.726 - statement. Despite making up close to 5% of the population of the world, 01:54:21.826 --> 01:54:29.912 - The US has more than 20% of the world's prison population. Since 1970, our incarcerated population has 01:54:29.912 --> 01:54:38.155 - increased by 500%. It includes our prison system costs taxpayers $80 billion per year. This money should 01:54:38.155 --> 01:54:46.397 - be spent building up, not further harming communities. Investments, not incarceration, is how we improve 01:54:46.397 --> 01:54:50.558 - safety. So of course, we need a constitutional jail. 01:54:51.010 --> 01:54:59.675 - But what we should be doing and should have been doing, and now let's start today, is investing in decreasing 01:54:59.675 --> 01:55:08.104 - the number of our fellow residents that we incarcerate. Thank you for this opportunity. Thank you. Anybody 01:55:08.104 --> 01:55:11.806 - else on teams that would like to make comment? 01:55:16.002 --> 01:55:22.050 - So while people deliberate on teams, because there's lots of y'all out there, I'll come back to the 01:55:22.050 --> 01:55:26.526 - room here. So if you'd like to make comment, please go ahead and step up. 01:55:47.234 --> 01:55:55.523 - My name is Christian Easton. My wife Susan spoke earlier. I was the last to speak last time, last week, 01:55:55.523 --> 01:56:03.494 - I think. I'm probably gonna say almost exactly the same thing. The sheriff needs a jail. So you had 01:56:03.494 --> 01:56:11.783 - a chance last week to take a vote and be two weeks ahead of the game. Moving down this, I mean, I don't 01:56:11.783 --> 01:56:14.334 - understand, you can't even get, 01:56:15.490 --> 01:56:23.540 - You can't get the vote right. I mean, so when I were here again doing this, talking about this, I thought 01:56:23.540 --> 01:56:31.135 - that the council had decided last week what they thought about the North Park. They could have then 01:56:31.135 --> 01:56:38.654 - moved on to where is the jail going to be? I worked in this town as a police officer for 32 years. 01:56:39.234 --> 01:56:45.002 - I trained officers. I did a lot of things. I was in the jail and out of the jail. I go to jail and ministry 01:56:45.002 --> 01:56:50.449 - and stuff like that. So I think I know how all that stuff works. A lot of people get their own ticket 01:56:50.449 --> 01:56:56.109 - to jail because they evidently want to go there. Policemen don't drive down the street looking for people 01:56:56.109 --> 01:57:01.663 - to grab. They're not going around looking for trouble to slow somebody in a jail to overcrowd the jail. 01:57:01.663 --> 01:57:07.003 - They're just not doing that. That just happens to be part of life right now. And it's getting worse 01:57:07.003 --> 01:57:08.926 - instead of better. And so the jail, 01:57:09.058 --> 01:57:16.531 - will have to be a little larger. And I think the facility needs to have all the tools there nearby for 01:57:16.531 --> 01:57:23.787 - the court, for the offices that are gonna be in that jail or need to furnish the people in the jail 01:57:23.787 --> 01:57:31.477 - their rights. They have to go to court, they have to have the hearing, they need judges, they need public 01:57:31.477 --> 01:57:38.878 - defenders, and they need medical attention. Now, as far as the other things that have been mentioned, 01:57:39.106 --> 01:57:44.950 - I don't know about taking them out of jail and letting them be told the things that they should have 01:57:44.950 --> 01:57:50.851 - known to do in public to begin with. But I think if they want to, the jail can accommodate that, that 01:57:50.851 --> 01:57:56.753 - would be right. But those are the things that need to be designed into the new facility and be put in 01:57:56.753 --> 01:58:02.538 - place and realize that from that point on, if you don't want the thing to be gone, like some people 01:58:02.538 --> 01:58:08.382 - say two years, it'll be, if you want it to be gone in 50 years, I mean, you start taking care of it. 01:58:08.898 --> 01:58:14.931 - because you can make that building last. They have lasted. If they're designed right and you get in 01:58:14.931 --> 01:58:21.024 - and you build it right and then the money and the staff and then the way it's operated, it can work, 01:58:21.024 --> 01:58:27.117 - but it can't be done if you don't start. And I'm urging you to quit talking about it and start doing 01:58:27.117 --> 01:58:33.210 - it, okay? This is probably the last time you ought to talk about this and have a vote, have a lot of 01:58:33.210 --> 01:58:38.398 - people come up here and stand and vent and frustrate about the way things go in life. 01:58:38.498 --> 01:58:46.269 - I know the man's got, he would like to see North Park because it's close to being decided. It's not. 01:58:46.269 --> 01:58:54.426 - You have property. I live in North Park. I don't care if you build there, but I just think that if you've 01:58:54.426 --> 01:59:02.351 - already got something, you better start building on it now. Thank you. Appreciate you. Thank you. Next 01:59:02.351 --> 01:59:03.582 - up in the room. 01:59:20.738 --> 01:59:27.816 - My name is Stacey Dawski and I want to thank you guys for letting us speak again. I was here two weeks 01:59:27.816 --> 01:59:34.689 - ago and I'm really not going to repeat everything that I said last week. There's a lot I'm going to 01:59:34.689 --> 01:59:41.699 - beg you to vote no and to continue. I know that you've done that in the past and it's ridiculous that 01:59:41.699 --> 01:59:48.777 - we're here again. To the county commissioners. The fact that you brought up. You need to use your mic. 01:59:48.777 --> 01:59:50.014 - The fact that you 01:59:50.178 --> 01:59:58.546 - brought up this lawsuit and basically threatening everybody about what's going to happen and what could 01:59:58.546 --> 02:00:06.834 - happen and all of these things is a joke. Because this could have been resolved months ago, years ago, 02:00:06.834 --> 02:00:15.283 - when they said no to this site, another site could have already been selected. We could have been moving 02:00:15.283 --> 02:00:19.870 - forward instead of just sitting here not doing anything. 02:00:20.194 --> 02:00:27.020 - They've already said no. The people have already said no. And yet, here we are. You've brought it back 02:00:27.020 --> 02:00:33.780 - up. I do believe that you need resources, space, services. We have the Thompson site. It's out there. 02:00:33.780 --> 02:00:40.739 - Why are we spending more money, throwing more money away? And I know I said I wasn't going to talk about 02:00:40.739 --> 02:00:43.390 - what I said last week or two weeks ago. 02:00:43.778 --> 02:00:50.905 - I really just want to thank you guys for the support that you've given us in the past and I really hope 02:00:50.905 --> 02:00:58.238 - that you're listening to the community and you're voting with your hearts and that you vote no. Thank you. 02:01:10.786 --> 02:01:16.531 - Good evening. My name is Andrew Henry. I'm a Monroe County resident. We heard that the sheriff needs 02:01:16.531 --> 02:01:22.333 - a jail and the sheriff has a jail. It's in terrible shape and it did not get that way overnight. This 02:01:22.333 --> 02:01:28.021 - entire process has been a slow motion train wreck over years where the jail we have has ended up in 02:01:28.021 --> 02:01:33.879 - this current condition and now we feel that we have an emergency and we have to act. The commissioners 02:01:33.879 --> 02:01:35.358 - have said that we have to 02:01:35.490 --> 02:01:41.910 - play the hand we're dealt and yet it seems that every opportunity they draw three more cards and now 02:01:41.910 --> 02:01:48.458 - haven't they've given us an uno hand full of problem cards. It's called going on tilt if we don't have 02:01:48.458 --> 02:01:55.005 - a good hand and I don't believe North Park is a good hand I urge the council to vote no on North Park. 02:01:55.005 --> 02:02:01.553 - There isn't an easy solution to this problem but the fact that it is dragged on for so long means that 02:02:01.553 --> 02:02:04.350 - rather than abdication the recognition that 02:02:04.898 --> 02:02:11.516 - The current organs of government in this county are not able to reach a workable solution. Maybe a federal 02:02:11.516 --> 02:02:17.824 - judge has to tie break that because we have a responsibility to our residents who are incarcerated to 02:02:17.824 --> 02:02:24.565 - put them in a safe and humane facility. If we don't have that, we have to provide it. Spending an inordinate 02:02:24.565 --> 02:02:30.750 - amount of money on the North Park site is no solution at all to the actual problem. It just creates 02:02:31.042 --> 02:02:37.030 - much larger, bigger problems down the road. So I urge the council to vote no on it. The last comment 02:02:37.030 --> 02:02:43.255 - was Commissioner Madera specifically has repeatedly said, both online and in previous meetings and here, 02:02:43.255 --> 02:02:49.361 - that the lawsuit is a foregone conclusion. We don't have a leg to stand on. And at the same time seems 02:02:49.361 --> 02:02:55.468 - to be saying, and yet we're going to have to spend a ludicrous amount of money continuing to fight the 02:02:55.468 --> 02:02:59.262 - lawsuit that we know we can't win. If we can't win the lawsuit, 02:02:59.458 --> 02:03:05.172 - The responsible action would be to take the shortest possible path to concede that lawsuit and move 02:03:05.172 --> 02:03:11.000 - on to whatever actions a federal judge enforces on the county. It would be ridiculously irresponsible 02:03:11.000 --> 02:03:16.885 - to continue to burn more taxpayer money trying to fight a lawsuit that we've already admitted we can't 02:03:16.885 --> 02:03:20.542 - win. So I urge the council to vote no on North Park. Thank you. 02:03:27.874 --> 02:03:35.418 - I'll go to one more here, and then it looks like we got a hand raised via Teams. Steve Olin. 02:03:35.418 --> 02:03:43.773 - The commissioners are solely responsible for initiating the construction of a jail. The county council 02:03:43.773 --> 02:03:51.885 - did not have authority to draw up plans and present them. When you rejected this proposal, did they 02:03:51.885 --> 02:03:55.454 - work assiduously to present another option? 02:03:55.938 --> 02:04:02.004 - Did they do any soul searching to ask why so many of their prior proposals were rejected? Did they listen 02:04:02.004 --> 02:04:07.783 - to anyone? They did not. They came back to you with the same objectionable proposal. There is no one 02:04:07.783 --> 02:04:14.020 - else who prefers this location for a jail. The sheriff will tell you we need a jail. The newest commissioner 02:04:14.020 --> 02:04:20.086 - will tell you we no longer have a choice. Their responses are understandable. Yet those do not constitute 02:04:20.086 --> 02:04:22.718 - endorsements of this site as inherently good. 02:04:23.074 --> 02:04:28.814 - there simply attempts to deal with the problem the other commissioners created. Because no one has said 02:04:28.814 --> 02:04:34.443 - this site is preferable on the merits except commissioners Thomas and Jones. They ignored the will of 02:04:34.443 --> 02:04:40.072 - this body and have doubled down. For years, they've ignored the opinions of everyone else who weighed 02:04:40.072 --> 02:04:45.977 - in on the merits. I was a city council member when the commissioners floated Fullerton Pike as a location. 02:04:45.977 --> 02:04:52.158 - That body, the city council rejected the site 90, which is really saying something about that contentious body. 02:04:52.546 --> 02:04:57.948 - But it wasn't because the city collectively was unwilling to work with the commissioners. We all were. 02:04:57.948 --> 02:05:03.297 - I personally authored the ordinance allowing Bloomington Transit to go outside the city. Thompson was 02:05:03.297 --> 02:05:08.542 - always a viable site that could have been converted long ago. It was that the commissioners weren't 02:05:08.542 --> 02:05:13.891 - even willing to follow the spirit of our zoning law, let alone the letter. It was because they didn't 02:05:13.891 --> 02:05:17.982 - ask, what can we get done together? They asked, why can't you do what we say? 02:05:18.882 --> 02:05:23.978 - Either the commissioners aren't competent to fulfill their duties, or they've been dealing with you 02:05:23.978 --> 02:05:29.074 - in bad faith. They're counting on you to overlook their failure of imagination, their incompetence, 02:05:29.074 --> 02:05:34.323 - their many years of unwillingness to brook dissent, however politely. If you approve this, you'll show 02:05:34.323 --> 02:05:39.470 - that if the commissioners drag their feet long enough, they'll get their druthers in the face of all 02:05:39.470 --> 02:05:44.617 - evidence that shows it's a bad idea. You'll reward their negligence, their intransigence, even their 02:05:44.617 --> 02:05:45.534 - contempt for you, 02:05:45.666 --> 02:05:51.449 - for the city of Bloomington, the people of Monroe County, and most of all, the incarcerated, whom the 02:05:51.449 --> 02:05:57.175 - commissioners could have spared an unconstitutional jail years ago if only they had applied an ounce 02:05:57.175 --> 02:06:02.901 - of diplomacy. Whatever your vote tonight, do not take responsibility for a failure that rests solely 02:06:02.901 --> 02:06:08.684 - with the commissioners. Send the message that the county must not be subjected to a reorganization of 02:06:08.684 --> 02:06:12.766 - its physical plant that will be permanent, catastrophic, and avoidable. 02:06:12.930 --> 02:06:25.237 - If this was the best they had to offer, let their next act be to send a message that might get the ACLU 02:06:25.237 --> 02:06:37.662 - to back off. Let them do the honorable thing and resign their seats. Thank you. Okay, we will go back to 02:06:37.826 --> 02:06:54.733 - So Jason Funk, please go ahead and unmute and you'll have up to three minutes. Jason, you should be 02:06:54.733 --> 02:06:57.438 - able to unmute. 02:07:08.194 --> 02:07:17.438 - We're going to move on to the other public comment, and then we'll go back to Jason. Tracy, you should 02:07:17.438 --> 02:07:26.683 - also be able to unmute, state your name for the record. You have 30 minutes. Hi, yes. My name is Tracy 02:07:26.683 --> 02:07:28.478 - Hutchings-Gatz. Hi. 02:07:28.706 --> 02:07:35.853 - I'm actually calling in from the airport because this is so important to me. I testified previously 02:07:35.853 --> 02:07:43.358 - in opposition to the North Park location and shared some of my family's own experience, which was really 02:07:43.358 --> 02:07:50.791 - about underscoring the human impact of moving these services out away from where the majority of people 02:07:50.791 --> 02:07:57.438 - in the county live and the majority of services reside. So if you'll recall, my uncle Wally, 02:07:57.730 --> 02:08:03.605 - who had been experiencing homelessness at the time, struggled with addiction, struggled with 02:08:03.605 --> 02:08:10.049 - jail incarceration, never was actually sent, you know, like convicted, but spent a lot of time in and 02:08:10.049 --> 02:08:16.430 - out of jails because he was someone who was struggling with his mental health and his addiction. And 02:08:16.430 --> 02:08:23.190 - he is someone who walking home tripped and fell and broke his neck. And these are the kinds of experiences 02:08:23.190 --> 02:08:27.486 - that if we commit to this North Park location are going to increase 02:08:27.778 --> 02:08:34.818 - for our residents and their loved ones if we insist on building far away from where people are and the 02:08:34.818 --> 02:08:41.721 - services that they need. So I'm just calling in again to underscore my opposition to this particular 02:08:41.721 --> 02:08:48.967 - location and my profound disappointment and frustration that we have not yet been able to find a solution 02:08:48.967 --> 02:08:55.870 - when this litigation has been ongoing for, you know, over a decade at this point. Thank you so much. 02:08:57.634 --> 02:09:23.143 - Thank you. Okay, we're gonna go back to Jason. Are you able to unmute? TSD, are we able to help him? 02:09:23.143 --> 02:09:26.174 - TSD, hello. 02:09:35.970 --> 02:09:48.583 - Um. Is he able to unmute TSD or okay. All right. So I'm going to pop back over. Um, while that's still 02:09:48.583 --> 02:10:00.829 - a work in progress and see if there's anybody else that's here that want to make public comment. In 02:10:00.829 --> 02:10:03.646 - the net you hillbilly. 02:10:11.170 --> 02:10:24.612 - Okay, I will pop back over to teams to see if there is anybody on teams that would like to make final 02:10:24.612 --> 02:10:38.582 - public comment on this item. And to see if screen name Jason Funk is still able to unmute and make public 02:10:38.582 --> 02:10:41.086 - comment. Oh, okay. 02:10:42.210 --> 02:10:51.602 - way anybody's ability to not be able to speak. Okay. So with that being said, I'm going to go ahead 02:10:51.602 --> 02:11:00.993 - and close public comment. And I'm going to bring it back to council members for final questions and 02:11:00.993 --> 02:11:11.230 - or comments before we take a vote on this. Yes, Councillor. I'd like to offer my statement. Madam President. 02:11:12.386 --> 02:11:20.088 - I am optimistic about the future of Monroe County. What follows are my thoughts on this problem. This 02:11:20.088 --> 02:11:28.168 - window of opportunity presented this ordinance in my mind is the only path forward in 17 years of decrepit 02:11:28.168 --> 02:11:35.719 - discussion and move us toward action based on an ancient requirement that we might do justice, that 02:11:35.719 --> 02:11:39.646 - we might love mercy, and that we might walk humbly. 02:11:41.218 --> 02:11:47.868 - ahead of this vote, I have done what I feel is my due diligence. I have discussed this vote with as 02:11:47.868 --> 02:11:55.183 - many constituents as I can from as many diverse backgrounds as I can. This includes clergy, first responders, 02:11:55.183 --> 02:12:02.033 - mental health professionals, public safety professionals, county employees, former and current elected 02:12:02.033 --> 02:12:08.816 - officials, attorneys, and more. What I'm hearing from folks out in the first district is they want us 02:12:08.816 --> 02:12:10.878 - to end 17 years of indecision. 02:12:12.194 --> 02:12:19.048 - What I'm hearing is that they want action. What I detail now is the way that I see this issue through 02:12:19.048 --> 02:12:25.835 - an intersectionality lens. Thanks to these constituent conversations, I now think in four commingled 02:12:25.835 --> 02:12:32.555 - categories, financing, timing, the law, and community values. I hope that you'll agree with me that 02:12:32.555 --> 02:12:39.006 - affirmative action tonight is not the ideal choice, but it is the optimal one. First, finances. 02:12:40.258 --> 02:12:48.175 - We do have a viable fiscal path forward. And this is the cheapest option for the people of Monroe County. 02:12:48.175 --> 02:12:55.643 - I call this the affirmative option. In October 2025, this body correctly and unanimously rejected a 02:12:55.643 --> 02:13:03.559 - purchase agreement for this property because the state restricted our funding. We simply could not afford 02:13:03.559 --> 02:13:08.862 - the jail project as designed. This would change just six months later. 02:13:09.730 --> 02:13:16.594 - At the April 28th, 2026 meeting, this council meeting, a path opened. In the presentation with the Financial 02:13:16.594 --> 02:13:23.017 - Solutions Group, our community learned about a $135 million bond. Council asked questions, and it was 02:13:23.017 --> 02:13:29.377 - clear that it was an opportunity to move forward. The media covered this topic. CATS recorded it. It 02:13:29.377 --> 02:13:35.801 - was reposted on YouTube. I wrote an explainer on my website. And this financing allows us to at last, 02:13:35.801 --> 02:13:39.390 - after 17 years, move forward. There is a counter option. 02:13:39.554 --> 02:13:46.556 - that relies on litigation to solve this problem. This is the litigation option. This option is initially 02:13:46.556 --> 02:13:53.359 - attractive because it offers a solution that avoids commissioner control. But on further examination, 02:13:53.359 --> 02:14:00.161 - the litigation option is much more costly. But it would mean that the following costs we added to the 02:14:00.161 --> 02:14:06.430 - taxpayer burden, millions of dollars in current building renovations throughout the lawsuits, 02:14:07.010 --> 02:14:14.183 - millions of dollars in prisoner transfers throughout the lawsuits, and millions of dollars in legal 02:14:14.183 --> 02:14:21.500 - fees. And what happens at the end of litigation? We will still have construction costs. We will still 02:14:21.500 --> 02:14:28.673 - have bond interest to pay. We will still have other costs associated with various locations to pay. 02:14:28.673 --> 02:14:36.062 - The point is that adding no adds dollar amounts, millions of dollars, to an already outrageous budget. 02:14:36.802 --> 02:14:42.810 - But since I mentioned the deadline, let me move on to timing, my second point. This is a complicated 02:14:42.810 --> 02:14:48.817 - project, we all know this. We've been talking about it for 17 years, but now an opening does appear, 02:14:48.817 --> 02:14:54.944 - converging at least four deadlines in an opportunity to act. And for those of you who don't think that 02:14:54.944 --> 02:15:00.892 - we have a reason to act other than false urgency, the most urgent deadline is the most important to 02:15:00.892 --> 02:15:03.390 - me. This deadline has passed, time is up. 02:15:04.098 --> 02:15:12.886 - This is the deadline set by those who are the most forgotten. This is the deadline set by our neighbors 02:15:12.886 --> 02:15:21.844 - who are most ignored. It is those who are incarcerated, the 263 persons who slept in the jail last night. 02:15:21.844 --> 02:15:30.378 - They are experiencing the worst harms and has been explained over and over again by those working in 02:15:30.378 --> 02:15:31.646 - those facility 02:15:31.778 --> 02:15:39.101 - We need to move folks out now. We don't have time to wait for the litigation option. We are far, far 02:15:39.101 --> 02:15:47.004 - behind in this inmate deadline and action is needed tonight. The second clear deadline is the ACLU deadline. 02:15:47.004 --> 02:15:54.472 - We've talked about this ad nauseam. I don't need to discuss it. The third is the legislative deadline. 02:15:54.472 --> 02:15:58.750 - According to both FSG and excuse me, Barnes and Thornburg, 02:15:58.978 --> 02:16:05.239 - They recommend action before the biannual budget session later this year. Only the affirmative option 02:16:05.239 --> 02:16:11.376 - allows us to stay on track with the legislative timeline. The final deadline is the lengthy bonding 02:16:11.376 --> 02:16:17.391 - timeline. According to Barnes and Thornburg, the bonding process, the incorporation of a building 02:16:17.391 --> 02:16:23.713 - corporation, the leasing processes, these complicated in and of themselves will take up to five months 02:16:23.713 --> 02:16:26.782 - to complete. Thus, action is recommended by July. 02:16:27.074 --> 02:16:34.152 - meaning that our action tonight on the purchase agreement allows us to adhere to this timeline. It should 02:16:34.152 --> 02:16:40.896 - be clear now that I feel that the window for action is tonight. It has to be tonight. The litigation 02:16:40.896 --> 02:16:47.573 - option misses every single one of these deadlines. And the most egregious part in my mind is that a 02:16:47.573 --> 02:16:54.450 - vote for this option looks into the eyes of those hundreds of people that slept in the jail last night 02:16:54.450 --> 02:16:57.054 - and says that you are still forgotten. 02:16:58.082 --> 02:17:05.017 - The litigation option has no timelines. And for those of you saying, oh, hold on, Peter, hold on. You're 02:17:05.017 --> 02:17:11.886 - being too binary. There's more than two options. I appreciate this. And I understand that we're looking 02:17:11.886 --> 02:17:18.491 - at more than one location. But we haven't seen a viable timeline for any other location. We haven't 02:17:18.491 --> 02:17:25.162 - seen a timeline for Thompson. We haven't seen a timeline for Fullerton. We don't have a timeline for 02:17:25.162 --> 02:17:27.870 - the litigation option that we can go to. 02:17:28.386 --> 02:17:34.951 - excuse me, the sheriff or the correctional officers to say, this is how much longer you have to wait. 02:17:34.951 --> 02:17:41.581 - We do have a timeline for this ordinance. We do know how long folks are going to have to linger in the 02:17:41.581 --> 02:17:48.146 - jail. From a purely timeline perspective, my vote is to stop ignoring the inmates and those that work 02:17:48.146 --> 02:17:54.583 - in this building. And my vote is to give hope that this council understands that this hard decision 02:17:54.583 --> 02:17:55.870 - is a just decision. 02:17:57.730 --> 02:18:04.675 - Now let me move on to my fourth point, my final point, which is community values. I reflected on this 02:18:04.675 --> 02:18:11.688 - at a past church service that I attended where there's a passage that says that I am eager to do good. 02:18:11.688 --> 02:18:18.497 - And I wanted to raise this because I think that's what unifies all of us in this room. I think that 02:18:18.497 --> 02:18:22.174 - all of us come to the table with a desire to do good. 02:18:23.554 --> 02:18:29.783 - I've seen it in the JFAC meetings. I've seen it in numerous meetings that we've been in together, that 02:18:29.783 --> 02:18:35.952 - there is a desire to do good. And in fact, I wanted to highlight that in 2023, together with a lot of 02:18:35.952 --> 02:18:42.242 - people in this room, we enumerated community values using the sequential intercept model. We know where 02:18:42.242 --> 02:18:48.472 - we need to go. Community services, and some of you are in this audience right now that are doing great 02:18:48.472 --> 02:18:52.766 - work. Reentry from jail. How do we do this and how do we do it better? 02:18:53.250 --> 02:18:58.968 - Community Corrections has the right people right now. They just need more resources. Diversity, Equity, 02:18:58.968 --> 02:19:04.576 - Inclusion. We know that there's an over-representation of African Americans in our jail. We know that 02:19:04.576 --> 02:19:10.130 - ICE is racially profiling people on the streets in our cities. Treatment. The Substance Use Disorder 02:19:10.130 --> 02:19:16.123 - Advisory Commission is right now putting the finishing drafts on recommendations to the county commissioners 02:19:16.123 --> 02:19:21.566 - for treatment facilities. We are putting dollar amounts on facilities as we speak. That is coming. 02:19:21.698 --> 02:19:28.035 - also made recommendations regarding justice building system-wide topics. We know that our community 02:19:28.035 --> 02:19:34.436 - values, these seven areas of values, are important long-term work. And we know that our time on this 02:19:34.436 --> 02:19:40.964 - dais in public service is short, that we can only do the best while we're here. But friends, we cannot 02:19:40.964 --> 02:19:47.364 - continue to enact these community value recommendations if we spend three more years arguing, not in 02:19:47.364 --> 02:19:51.230 - front of the public, not in recorded sessions, but in court. 02:19:52.194 --> 02:20:00.517 - We must act affirmatively to do justice. The time for debate is over. The time to do is now. So let 02:20:00.517 --> 02:20:08.922 - me conclude that I think it's clear that I plan to vote yes on this ordinance because I believe that 02:20:08.922 --> 02:20:17.328 - the confluence of financing, timing, local control, and community values demand that we vote and act 02:20:17.328 --> 02:20:20.990 - decisively, not because of a false urgency. 02:20:21.410 --> 02:20:29.984 - but because and on behalf of those incarcerated. My vision is that we can influence decisions toward 02:20:29.984 --> 02:20:38.474 - mercy, that this council can end 17 years of stalemate by doing justice, that this council can move 02:20:38.474 --> 02:20:47.133 - with humility, knowing that our role in this messy process is important. And let me repeat, there are 02:20:47.133 --> 02:20:49.086 - no ideal choices here. 02:20:49.634 --> 02:20:57.379 - This is a terrible decision to be making right now. A vote for the litigation option is kicking the 02:20:57.379 --> 02:21:04.660 - can down the road at least three years. A vote for the affirmative option presents a solution 02:21:04.660 --> 02:21:12.561 - that perpetuates a system that jails too many people. There are no ideal solutions to us tonight, but 02:21:12.561 --> 02:21:19.454 - there is a marginally optimal one. This evening, we have a viable path forward to end 17 02:21:19.586 --> 02:21:31.663 - years of stalemate. Sit with that for a second. We have an opportunity to end a stalemate that predates 02:21:31.663 --> 02:21:43.741 - all of our service. It's available today and I affirmatively to do justice, to love mercy while walking 02:21:43.741 --> 02:21:48.734 - humbly is now. Thank you, Madam President. 02:21:53.826 --> 02:22:03.448 - to hearing what others said. We have not heard from Council Member Deckard, but he wasn't present at 02:22:03.448 --> 02:22:13.450 - our last meeting. And we missed you. So I'll be able to- Sure. I'll just go and those that wish to speak 02:22:13.450 --> 02:22:19.166 - can speak. So go ahead. First, I wrote some notes out here. 02:22:19.330 --> 02:22:25.557 - about three pages. I never read anything for anyone that's ever watched me in a meeting and I'm going 02:22:25.557 --> 02:22:31.844 - to try that for once because I think it's an important night. We've heard a lot of tremendous comments 02:22:31.844 --> 02:22:38.010 - and I want to thank all the constituents that have weighed in on this. Some of you over the years, I 02:22:38.010 --> 02:22:44.236 - see Seth out there, others at different times. I want to thank you for that. I also want to thank the 02:22:44.236 --> 02:22:47.838 - county officials who have reached out to me numerous times 02:22:48.162 --> 02:22:55.321 - over the weeks and particularly the last week with a whole range of opinions on this purchase agreement. 02:22:55.321 --> 02:23:02.413 - It is not easy for any constituent to walk into a room like this or go on to a team's meeting like that 02:23:02.413 --> 02:23:09.640 - and to talk. It's not. And I can remember when I was in the opposite side of that, it can be intimidating 02:23:09.640 --> 02:23:16.254 - not to mention the time required to track something we struggled to track and struggle to follow 02:23:16.674 --> 02:23:23.453 - is hard enough. But I do appreciate all those emails, phone calls, public comments. And when I was council 02:23:23.453 --> 02:23:29.916 - president, and Councilor Crossley is our president in her second year has really kept us up. I always 02:23:29.916 --> 02:23:36.315 - was insistent that we welcome public comments that the day that Nat U Hill doesn't have people in it 02:23:36.315 --> 02:23:42.778 - is the day that we probably need to call it quits on this democracy, but there's something here worth 02:23:42.778 --> 02:23:45.502 - fighting for. My day job did take me away. 02:23:45.730 --> 02:23:52.666 - at our last council meeting. I have earnestly watched those proceedings. I listened to all those thoughts. 02:23:52.666 --> 02:23:59.148 - So everyone that said something, I heard that, I read your emails, and I've seen that. We have been 02:23:59.148 --> 02:24:05.631 - talking about this a long time. Some of the comments that I've heard over the years, I could almost 02:24:05.631 --> 02:24:10.622 - kind of say, well, I think that this is going to go like this, and sometimes 02:24:10.722 --> 02:24:20.701 - that's why we have public. Comment we've had a supporters and detractors- from this very purchase agreement 02:24:20.701 --> 02:24:30.218 - and to me tonight is about. This purchase agreement I voted no on the original purchase agreement last 02:24:30.218 --> 02:24:40.382 - October's party believe is last October. I did so at that time because a whole host of issues vex the council 02:24:40.898 --> 02:24:47.332 - Regardless of those opinions that each of those council members had, we always have to remember this. 02:24:47.332 --> 02:24:53.892 - This gets lost in the shuffle, and I'll say this as a person that's been a candidate for another office 02:24:53.892 --> 02:25:00.768 - in recent months. It should never be lost that county council members truly represent the voice of taxpayers 02:25:00.768 --> 02:25:03.102 - before significant public decisions. 02:25:03.490 --> 02:25:10.565 - through the seven souls that say on that funding, based on that whole crowd of 140,000 behind me, some 02:25:10.565 --> 02:25:17.572 - that voted for and some that voted against, I think we need to do that. This is not an easy burden to 02:25:17.572 --> 02:25:24.578 - just kind of shrug off. A county council has to consider how things are funded, what that looks like, 02:25:24.578 --> 02:25:31.516 - and where that gets to. And some of these counselors here have heard, some of you in the public have 02:25:31.516 --> 02:25:32.478 - heard me say, 02:25:34.434 --> 02:25:41.769 - any movement forward has to get to four votes in this body out of seven. It has to get to two votes 02:25:41.769 --> 02:25:49.104 - in the other body, the commissioners. And of course, the sheriff whose input we've heard throughout 02:25:49.104 --> 02:25:57.026 - this process and leadership we've seen has weighed in over time, but those are kind of the bodies. Anything 02:25:57.026 --> 02:26:03.774 - that's not hitting four, hitting two and getting a nod out of that sheriff is sort of like, 02:26:04.514 --> 02:26:11.865 - I don't know, putting water on that light socket over there. And unfortunately, the county, we spend 02:26:11.865 --> 02:26:19.288 - a lot of time putting water on light sockets. And I wish that weren't so. I wish I could change that, 02:26:19.288 --> 02:26:26.420 - but it's probably the nature of how we're built when the state built us this way. But regardless, 02:26:26.420 --> 02:26:31.806 - in October, there was concern. At that time, it was a unanimous agreement 02:26:32.386 --> 02:26:40.648 - of council not to move forward and in time we've continued to hear opinions from taxpayers regarding 02:26:40.648 --> 02:26:48.828 - this site that some of which that was added in to tonight that keep the community from having peace 02:26:48.828 --> 02:26:53.982 - with the North Park site. We've heard that regardless. I think 02:26:54.210 --> 02:27:01.220 - much of that discord comes from many comments and questions we continue to get. And I'm not going to 02:27:01.220 --> 02:27:08.786 - belabor all of them, because this audience covered them well. But logistically, there are strong discussions 02:27:08.786 --> 02:27:16.352 - of which folks are not satisfied. And I would have to bet my mortgage tonight to say, based on conversations 02:27:16.352 --> 02:27:24.126 - I've had, based on furrow brows, that four votes are not necessarily forthcoming to have peace on some of this. 02:27:24.770 --> 02:27:35.173 - I have kept an open mind I've suspended judgment I've tried to put this matter in the best light, ultimately 02:27:35.173 --> 02:27:44.813 - this evening, I will vote the way I voted in October and I will vote no. That said, that said I want 02:27:44.813 --> 02:27:47.294 - to be clear by my nature. 02:27:47.746 --> 02:27:55.071 - by the nature of how I think, and you can hear this four and this two, which I've said over and over, 02:27:55.071 --> 02:28:02.539 - and the sheriff in the mix with that, I believe you solve problems, you don't extend them. And so while 02:28:02.539 --> 02:28:09.720 - I appreciate very much what my colleague, Councilor Iverson, who's a strong leader and a tremendous 02:28:09.720 --> 02:28:16.542 - voice for this council, has said about tonight, to me, we're continuing to solve this problem. 02:28:17.058 --> 02:28:24.563 - I'm sure that many people will say voting no extends the problem, and that's fair. I'll take that. I'll 02:28:24.563 --> 02:28:31.923 - take that punch on the chin. But respectfully, that zero-sum kind of argument is what's killing us in 02:28:31.923 --> 02:28:39.139 - politics and in this county, particularly when we're in a time when people are not only counting us 02:28:39.139 --> 02:28:43.902 - on to move, but honor a constitution which says you have to move. 02:28:44.354 --> 02:28:51.403 - One thing I have said consistently in this process, or I've tried, our sheriff has done a remarkable 02:28:51.403 --> 02:28:58.382 - job in improving our jail. He's gone above, beyond, and remarkably transparent in talking about the 02:28:58.382 --> 02:29:05.571 - changes that have been made. His staff comes in here with passion, including the commander there. They 02:29:05.571 --> 02:29:11.294 - come in here with a passion that I would hope everyone would have for their work. 02:29:11.426 --> 02:29:19.923 - and that's made a huge difference. No one can reasonably question that reality. But a solution to this 02:29:19.923 --> 02:29:28.254 - problem to get to four-year, two in the other, has to be feasible, believable, fiscally sustainable. 02:29:28.254 --> 02:29:36.998 - It has to contend with long-term realities and bring peace for folks making that decision. And too often, 02:29:36.998 --> 02:29:40.958 - friends, too often, I hear murmurings that say, 02:29:41.122 --> 02:29:47.649 - It's a decent and well, I don't know that it's a decent choice, but it's got a lot of issues. I don't 02:29:47.649 --> 02:29:54.176 - know how this is gonna work. That's not been put to peace, okay? So the solution that we come up with 02:29:54.176 --> 02:30:00.575 - has to have answers to big questions on logistics within the community and it has to ultimately get 02:30:00.575 --> 02:30:07.038 - to that passage. So again, peace comes in the form of four here, two in there. Now, some people say, 02:30:07.038 --> 02:30:09.022 - well, when you want four here, 02:30:09.506 --> 02:30:16.337 - and two there on an ideal side, that's looking for perfection. That's not perfection. Perfection would 02:30:16.337 --> 02:30:23.036 - be seven here, three there. And if perfection is so hard that we can't get to majority vote, we need 02:30:23.036 --> 02:30:29.934 - to redefine our use of perfection. We gotta work harder. So what do we do now? In my opinion, I'm sorry 02:30:29.934 --> 02:30:36.964 - for going so long here, but I wanna make sure I cover what I need to. I think we move forward in earnest, 02:30:36.964 --> 02:30:37.694 - continuing 02:30:37.922 --> 02:30:47.234 - our talks between what site works for a location. We've had before us North Park four times, three, 02:30:47.234 --> 02:30:57.013 - four times. It's clearly not working. And I wish for all the passion around it, I wish I had a different 02:30:57.013 --> 02:31:07.070 - answer, but we've had colleagues that have mentioned the Thompson site. I remember our Fullerton discussion 02:31:07.490 --> 02:31:14.793 - And I have to admit that while both of those sites have problems, I think that eyesight on them changes 02:31:14.793 --> 02:31:22.026 - over time as we continue to examine this. If I had a preference there, and I know this is probably not 02:31:22.026 --> 02:31:29.118 - popular with a lot of folks, to me it's more Fullerton than not, because I think that there's issues 02:31:29.118 --> 02:31:36.702 - that we've not addressed. But again, regardless of what I think, one of these sites has to get to four here 02:31:36.930 --> 02:31:43.846 - and two in the other body with agreement with our sheriff. A newer city council has indicated it wants 02:31:43.846 --> 02:31:50.897 - to help. We've heard the mayor weigh in and President Asari. We've also heard from other council members 02:31:50.897 --> 02:31:57.813 - that have other thoughts. I take that on face value that they wanna help, that they want to do things. 02:31:57.813 --> 02:32:03.454 - They've talked about expediting, but regardless, a willingness to get to a solution 02:32:03.554 --> 02:32:10.225 - Wherever it is, I think doesn't end tonight on one boat. I think it continues towards what we do. And 02:32:10.225 --> 02:32:16.765 - the last thing I'll just say, and then I'm going to shut up. We all talk a lot about collaboration. 02:32:16.765 --> 02:32:23.698 - I spent just the last four or five months talking about collaboration. Some people like that. Some people 02:32:23.698 --> 02:32:27.230 - doubt it. Tonight, I've heard it three million times. 02:32:27.906 --> 02:32:34.332 - And collaboration means that you got one body offering something to another body, another body offering 02:32:34.332 --> 02:32:40.696 - it back in a give and take there with that and a whole lot of host of other actors. The county has got 02:32:40.696 --> 02:32:46.998 - to make that the order of the day. Friends, we are spending a lot, all our bodies are spending a long 02:32:46.998 --> 02:32:53.177 - time in public meetings where things aren't going well. And I think it's pretty predictable if that 02:32:53.177 --> 02:32:57.502 - collaborative tone doesn't start at the right time in the right place 02:32:57.698 --> 02:33:12.490 - among all people. So with that I'll be quiet. Thank you. Okay. I have like notes put everywhere. And 02:33:12.490 --> 02:33:26.110 - I think that that I've you know like my colleagues I've been thinking about what are the key 02:33:26.722 --> 02:33:35.922 - important considerations when you're faced with a decision that feels as big as this one. And I think 02:33:35.922 --> 02:33:45.122 - what I go to is the idea of representation. Like Councillor Packard said, you know, we represent you. 02:33:45.122 --> 02:33:55.134 - We represent our neighbors. We represent the community. We represent the folks living and working in the jail. 02:33:55.234 --> 02:34:05.372 - And I go to, what would Monroe County do? If this were put out there, what would the decision of the 02:34:05.372 --> 02:34:15.409 - people be? And I think months, if not actually years of seeking out input, talking with folks about 02:34:15.409 --> 02:34:23.038 - the problems and the concerns with our jail and our criminal justice system 02:34:23.682 --> 02:34:33.663 - as a whole has really been a Journey and has really informed. I think you know where we are tonight 02:34:33.663 --> 02:34:43.844 - Yeah, it's it's been a lot and it's and it's been important but the part of course of being on County 02:34:43.844 --> 02:34:51.230 - Council is the idea of fiscal stewardship you've heard this already and I 02:34:51.970 --> 02:35:02.985 - I think that's a mandate that we have to live up to if we're going to spend vast amounts of money. And 02:35:02.985 --> 02:35:13.893 - no mistake, we will. That's what, either way. It should be for the things that reflect our values. It 02:35:13.893 --> 02:35:19.454 - should be for what we want to see in our community. 02:35:20.418 --> 02:35:30.161 - So let's be clear, our community is going to pay the price regardless. Income taxes will be the revenue 02:35:30.161 --> 02:35:39.997 - source. And no matter which route we take, there will be more money than most of us think is reasonable, 02:35:39.997 --> 02:35:50.302 - spent to solve these very complicated problems. It's a daunting reality. It is reality. So that brings us to, 02:35:51.394 --> 02:36:00.743 - If we're spending the money and we want it to be reflective of values and the community values, how 02:36:00.743 --> 02:36:10.560 - are we doing that? We're collecting evidence, we're thinking empathetically. And that's sort of my third 02:36:10.560 --> 02:36:18.974 - consideration in all of the decisions is how do I balance evidence and empathy and really 02:36:19.746 --> 02:36:35.966 - I know that a vote against this site is going to cost a lot of money. And that doesn't change, you know, 02:36:35.966 --> 02:36:48.478 - that's not all that different to me from a vote for this site. The current jail, 02:36:48.898 --> 02:36:58.677 - the conditions there, the people working there and residing there, all of that is, it weighs on my soul. 02:36:58.677 --> 02:37:08.456 - It really does. And it must be fixed. And it must be fixed quickly. And yes, we've wasted a lot of time, 02:37:08.456 --> 02:37:17.118 - most notably since our council vote in October, if you ask me, I think that we've squandered 02:37:17.538 --> 02:37:27.581 - several months where we could have really been working on fixing these problems. These problems and 02:37:27.581 --> 02:37:37.725 - the remedies for them must be done on a continual basis while we also are collaboratively working on 02:37:37.725 --> 02:37:47.166 - the long-term solution that is actively and transparently undertaken. I think we can do that. 02:37:47.938 --> 02:37:59.911 - I don't see it as a dichotomy of North Park or we just give up. This is a process and we're working 02:37:59.911 --> 02:38:12.602 - through it. We have no timeline for Thompson per Councilor Iverson or other locations. And that's because 02:38:12.602 --> 02:38:17.630 - we have not been using that collaborative 02:38:17.730 --> 02:38:30.380 - active, transparent approach. And I am aghast and appalled, and it has not been the approach of those 02:38:30.380 --> 02:38:41.790 - who hold the cards moving forward. Sincerely, that my vote no, with my colleagues' vote no, 02:38:47.490 --> 02:39:04.414 - And I hope that it's a clear message that we want a solution, but North Park is not the right solution. 02:39:04.414 --> 02:39:10.110 - Thanks. I'm the new me here still. 02:39:10.562 --> 02:39:16.920 - I understand that I could vote yes, I understand I could vote no, and it probably wouldn't change much 02:39:16.920 --> 02:39:23.093 - of anything here, but I want to go on the record of saying that I come from a representative world. 02:39:23.093 --> 02:39:29.267 - So I was in the union business representing people on the job for a very long time, either with the 02:39:29.267 --> 02:39:35.440 - union itself or in the community representing people on the job, place from workplaces, whatever it 02:39:35.440 --> 02:39:37.662 - was they needed, I got involved in. 02:39:38.466 --> 02:39:46.990 - If I put my representative hat on, and that's my most familiar hat, I vote no. I don't think that having 02:39:46.990 --> 02:39:55.190 - it far away as we've heard others tonight and before and all during emails or texts or whatever that 02:39:55.190 --> 02:40:03.715 - I've gotten messages of, I don't think it's the right service for the community. I just don't. It really 02:40:03.715 --> 02:40:07.774 - doesn't have anything to do with the fact that it 02:40:08.418 --> 02:40:14.733 - that North Park is there and it's on the way to Ellisville has everything to the fact that it's far 02:40:14.733 --> 02:40:21.175 - from services for me. It's just far. People can't get, we heard testimony this evening about how that 02:40:21.175 --> 02:40:27.869 - two blocks made such a difference in a life. Well, I don't wanna be on record as not supporting something 02:40:27.869 --> 02:40:34.311 - that could help someone. And I think being closer to those services is very important to me. I was at 02:40:34.311 --> 02:40:37.342 - United Way for, in some capacity, for 25 years. 02:40:37.474 --> 02:40:44.363 - They're working with labor in United Way or working on the board with United Way. And so for me, it's 02:40:44.363 --> 02:40:51.116 - about services. For me, it's about, and I'm like, Councillor Wilk said, we have to get what we have 02:40:51.116 --> 02:40:58.207 - now fixed. We can't go through this whole thing of not taking care of the people who work in the current 02:40:58.207 --> 02:41:02.462 - justice building, as well as who are inmates in that building. 02:41:02.722 --> 02:41:12.054 - We have to figure out right now going forward and make a commitment to do so, to remedy the situation 02:41:12.054 --> 02:41:21.569 - at the same time while we find another site immediately and go forward. So I'm all about going forward. 02:41:21.569 --> 02:41:30.718 - Councillor Hock, I'll go to you before I go to Councilmember Henry. Hello. Good evening, everybody. 02:41:30.850 --> 02:41:37.543 - And thank you for everyone's words in the room, my colleagues, our county government partners, 02:41:37.543 --> 02:41:44.730 - and the public. I want to start by saying and directing my attention to the public this evening who's 02:41:44.730 --> 02:41:51.846 - spent time and trying to understand this issue in the press and in the room. I think my vote is well 02:41:51.846 --> 02:41:57.342 - known. I've been a no vote on this since before I became an elected official. 02:41:57.538 --> 02:42:04.435 - And I think tonight back to October and the promise that I made to Charlotte Zitlow and working through 02:42:04.435 --> 02:42:11.331 - and maintaining our community values to make sure we do not put this facility at North Park. And I hope 02:42:11.331 --> 02:42:18.161 - tonight we see through what Charlotte would do. And I think that's really important to bring into this 02:42:18.161 --> 02:42:24.793 - room again. Again, we have to bring them to this room. I want to say I don't question the sincerity 02:42:24.793 --> 02:42:26.782 - of my colleagues in the city. 02:42:27.010 --> 02:42:34.132 - in the county, in their views and their concerns about people in the jail today, about the ethics that 02:42:34.132 --> 02:42:41.462 - we've been put into. No one doubts that the conditions in the current jail are serious. The people living 02:42:41.462 --> 02:42:48.516 - there and working there deserve safety. They deserve dignity. They deserve constitutional conditions. 02:42:48.516 --> 02:42:55.638 - No one's disputing that. But what is a dispute is the urgency and whether or not that urgency has been 02:42:55.638 --> 02:42:56.606 - manufactured. 02:42:56.770 --> 02:43:03.105 - has been created and forcing a decision of this body and its fiscal authority to help our community 02:43:03.105 --> 02:43:09.631 - and our taxpayers make the best decisions that we can for the community. So I wanna focus my attention 02:43:09.631 --> 02:43:15.967 - on our duty, on that question of fiscal oversight, which as Councilor Wills pointed out, we've been 02:43:15.967 --> 02:43:22.302 - denied on many occasions because we never get all the information. Things are handed out piecemeal. 02:43:23.394 --> 02:43:29.107 - a transportation plan sent out in an email right before Memorial Day weekend that's shared with council 02:43:29.107 --> 02:43:34.766 - but not the public that may or may not be an answer. This way of doing business has to end and I think 02:43:34.766 --> 02:43:40.260 - our oversight responsibility is the first stepping stone to getting that regardless of lawsuits. It 02:43:40.260 --> 02:43:45.808 - has been alleged that we will lose local control but I look at the public and tell you I don't think 02:43:45.808 --> 02:43:48.830 - you've ever quite had local control over this project. 02:43:48.930 --> 02:43:54.276 - I certainly don't believe the county council has had local control over this project. When people talk 02:43:54.276 --> 02:43:59.673 - about local control, I want to know whose control they're speaking of. And I do believe it is the board 02:43:59.673 --> 02:44:05.019 - of commissioners, the longer they've sat there that are concerned that stakeholders that have contrary 02:44:05.019 --> 02:44:10.312 - opinions cannot voice them or put them into the conversation. I've heard members of city council this 02:44:10.312 --> 02:44:15.658 - evening going back a decade or more speak to their frustration about being a stakeholder with interest 02:44:15.658 --> 02:44:17.630 - that has been kept outside that door. 02:44:17.826 --> 02:44:23.516 - So, local controls interesting concept as we move forward. But here's where I land and I think on the 02:44:23.516 --> 02:44:29.262 - fiscal questions that we have asked for weeks now about valuation assumptions and land use assumptions 02:44:29.262 --> 02:44:31.326 - and the realities of infrastructure. 02:44:31.522 --> 02:44:37.495 - and the operational impacts that the sheriff has raised. We've only asked for the cost of running this 02:44:37.495 --> 02:44:43.525 - facility for over a year. And what the public forgets is that one of the reasons we voted no in October 02:44:43.525 --> 02:44:49.382 - of 25 was it took a year to get information out of the board of commissioners and DLZ, the designers 02:44:49.382 --> 02:44:55.296 - of the facility, of the rising costs and why they were rising. We didn't have the information to work 02:44:55.296 --> 02:44:55.934 - with then. 02:44:56.194 --> 02:45:01.540 - I don't believe we're going to have that information working forward in good faith, which leads me to 02:45:01.540 --> 02:45:06.782 - my last thought. And it really does address the authors of the letter that came out this afternoon. 02:45:06.782 --> 02:45:11.761 - No one doubts, as Councilor Deckard has pointed out, the need for collaboration in the county. 02:45:11.761 --> 02:45:17.107 - But to me, collaboration without any compromise at all is not consensus building. It is a little more 02:45:17.107 --> 02:45:22.558 - than just painting public comity over consciousness. And that is the part that I have a hard time with. 02:45:22.914 --> 02:45:28.258 - So let us collaborate but not at the tail end of a decision already made, but one that we really do 02:45:28.258 --> 02:45:33.709 - need to make together including the voices in this room that want to see that Monroe County answer to 02:45:33.709 --> 02:45:37.182 - this problem. I don't want to go on and make this a debate club. 02:45:37.250 --> 02:45:42.704 - I think that there has been legion of words, dumps in social media and in this room. And the community 02:45:42.704 --> 02:45:48.212 - deserves the full debate someday as to why and how we got here. But the only thing I got to worry about 02:45:48.212 --> 02:45:53.666 - tonight is the fact that the taxpayers of this community, especially the working people, they're going 02:45:53.666 --> 02:45:59.174 - to be asked to pay not for one, but two phases at a project that will eventually reach 400 million with 02:45:59.174 --> 02:46:04.628 - interest over 20 years is too much of a burden for working people in this community that cannot afford 02:46:04.628 --> 02:46:06.270 - groceries or gas at this time. 02:46:06.402 --> 02:46:19.672 - I'm a no vote and I continue to be a no vote. Thank you very much. I prayed about this. God was listening. 02:46:19.672 --> 02:46:32.570 - I do believe that the choice that for the people that's in that jail now and the ones who will be there 02:46:32.570 --> 02:46:34.430 - in the future, 02:46:35.010 --> 02:46:44.819 - is one that we have to make with full knowledge that we save millions going someplace else, going closer 02:46:44.819 --> 02:46:54.349 - to services. Those millions can be spent on services within that jail. I really believe that this was 02:46:54.349 --> 02:47:04.158 - meant to go to a location closer to services. And I'm just grateful for the people who showed up to say, 02:47:05.506 --> 02:47:13.783 - Let's get it closer to services and I am so thankful for the council colleagues here because believe 02:47:13.783 --> 02:47:22.387 - me, this has not been an easy road. It really has not. I agree that this is not just a no to North Park. 02:47:22.387 --> 02:47:30.664 - This is a yes to moving forward in the future and we need to make a decision on another location and 02:47:30.664 --> 02:47:34.270 - I mean quickly. I think we've already heard 02:47:34.402 --> 02:47:42.145 - And I appreciate what council member Deckard had to say because he recalls that when we met the offering 02:47:42.145 --> 02:47:49.667 - on Fullerton, we had the sheriff on board for Fullerton, we had the courts on board for Fullerton, we 02:47:49.667 --> 02:47:57.263 - had the county commissioners on board for Fullerton, we had the county council on board for Fullerton, 02:47:57.263 --> 02:48:00.286 - the offer was made that seller, we were, 02:48:00.546 --> 02:48:09.574 - You know, go to the seller. The seller agreed to it. It was all ready to go. At the time, under a different 02:48:09.574 --> 02:48:18.267 - administration, the city planning said no. That does not mean they would say no now. But I've been told 02:48:18.267 --> 02:48:26.710 - that the county commissioners had not even, unless I spoke with the mayor, the mayor said nobody had 02:48:26.710 --> 02:48:29.886 - been to even inquire from the county. 02:48:30.338 --> 02:48:37.876 - So that is a lack of moving forward with options. Now, Thompson's already paid for, if that would work, 02:48:37.876 --> 02:48:45.486 - that's fine. That's close to services, et cetera. But if what we've got to do is get all of those people 02:48:45.486 --> 02:48:52.879 - to agree to move forward, if it takes Fullerton, boy, I'm on board for that, if that's what it takes. 02:48:52.879 --> 02:48:56.286 - And thank you everyone for being here tonight. 02:49:04.386 --> 02:49:15.213 - So I guess it's my turn. I want to thank the public for coming back out yet again. And it looks like 02:49:15.213 --> 02:49:26.041 - there were 33 people that showed up tonight, both via Teams and in person. And two weeks ago, we had 02:49:26.041 --> 02:49:33.438 - a little under 25 people. You came back, and we heard you yet again. 02:49:34.594 --> 02:49:44.074 - To the sheriff and his staff for your presentation that you continue to give, I appreciate all the things 02:49:44.074 --> 02:49:53.018 - that you have continued to do in our current jail with what little you have to make it as humane as 02:49:53.018 --> 02:50:01.246 - possible. He shed a light, him and his staff shed a light on what it looked like beforehand 02:50:01.858 --> 02:50:10.480 - how it looks like now is complete night and day. And I think that should be very commend, like you should 02:50:10.480 --> 02:50:19.184 - be commended for that because you've tried. Here's a couple of things that I heard in this entire process. 02:50:19.184 --> 02:50:27.806 - And it's very frustrating. As council president, it has been extremely frustrating to be in conversations 02:50:27.806 --> 02:50:29.758 - where we feel, I think, 02:50:29.954 --> 02:50:38.402 - heard from Commissioner Thomas, board members have not said which location they would like to have it 02:50:38.402 --> 02:50:46.685 - be. And I guess I didn't need, I didn't think that we needed to spell it out because I think it has 02:50:46.685 --> 02:50:55.217 - been, we have been continuous to say no to North Park. You cannot spell North Park without no. So that 02:50:55.217 --> 02:50:57.950 - being said, that's where we are. 02:50:59.362 --> 02:51:06.000 - And I don't have any notes or anything like that that I have. I'm just kind of going off the cliff of 02:51:06.000 --> 02:51:12.769 - my head here. So let me go ahead and spell it out for people. If you didn't already know, now you know, 02:51:12.769 --> 02:51:19.537 - because you're hearing it from me. I think we need to look at what we already have. The public has made 02:51:19.537 --> 02:51:26.306 - comments about what we already have. Use what we already have. And years ago, that was a Thompson site. 02:51:26.306 --> 02:51:27.998 - And I looked at some all. 02:51:28.098 --> 02:51:35.222 - All things considered, way back when, when studies were done, that that was supposed to be a juvenile 02:51:35.222 --> 02:51:42.416 - justice facility. And back then, in the term of the economic crisis that we were facing then, my times 02:51:42.416 --> 02:51:49.400 - have changed, that we needed to do something then because costs will continue to skyrocket and will 02:51:49.400 --> 02:51:56.524 - increase. And here we are, yet again, those costs are skyrocketed and increased with building and all 02:51:56.524 --> 02:51:57.502 - of the above. 02:51:58.114 --> 02:52:04.820 - I think with this whole fight of SB1, where we are kind of taking a look back, and some of us have continued 02:52:04.820 --> 02:52:11.156 - to say that SB1 is the part where we can't do certain things and we're restricted with our funding and 02:52:11.156 --> 02:52:17.493 - our lit rates and all of those different things. I think that was the moment where we collaboratively, 02:52:17.493 --> 02:52:23.706 - not just talking it, but just actually doing it, could have said, let's take a step back here, let's 02:52:23.706 --> 02:52:27.582 - see what we are really doing, and let us do with what we have. 02:52:27.970 --> 02:52:34.287 - How many of us have struggled to make ends meet and have really different upbringings, whether it's 02:52:34.287 --> 02:52:40.605 - now or past or whatever the case is, and you look at what you have in your cupboards, you've looked 02:52:40.605 --> 02:52:47.049 - at what you have in your bank accounts, and you see the ask, and then you see what you actually have. 02:52:47.049 --> 02:52:53.492 - And then you go, I think we need to make do with what we have. That's all of this right now. We gotta 02:52:53.492 --> 02:52:55.198 - make do with what we have. 02:52:55.714 --> 02:53:05.043 - It is fiscally irresponsible with a capital I for me to continue to say, let's say yes to a $11 million 02:53:05.043 --> 02:53:14.910 - purchase agreement when we already have things that we could be using right now. So again, if it's not known, 02:53:15.266 --> 02:53:21.395 - I would like for us to seriously look at yet again Thompson. And if you don't want me to keep talking 02:53:21.395 --> 02:53:27.584 - about Thompson, please make me shut up so I don't have to keep talking about it. But I tend to believe 02:53:27.584 --> 02:53:29.086 - that our city colleagues 02:53:29.282 --> 02:53:35.154 - will work and what we need to do with getting that PUD. By the way, it is not county council that is 02:53:35.154 --> 02:53:41.026 - responsible for submitting that PUD request. It is the commissioners that can do that. So if anybody 02:53:41.026 --> 02:53:46.898 - has anything to say, then that is where that goes with. I think I heard something two weeks ago or I 02:53:46.898 --> 02:53:53.758 - almost kind of alluded that we were responsible. The hell we're not. No, we are not. We are not responsible for that. 02:53:54.498 --> 02:54:01.521 - The last thing that I'll say, because I think we've heard enough and then we need to take our roll call 02:54:01.521 --> 02:54:08.882 - vote here, is this has meant so much to me. This has meant I wake up literally at 5 a.m. and I go downstairs 02:54:08.882 --> 02:54:15.702 - and I do all the things that I do in the morning before the rest of my house wakes up. I eat, sleep, 02:54:15.702 --> 02:54:21.847 - breathe these conversations. Today is my son's birthday. I was supposed to be out of town. 02:54:21.847 --> 02:54:23.198 - I cancel all plans. 02:54:23.362 --> 02:54:30.896 - to be in this room with all of y'all tonight. That's why it matters to me. The last thing I'll say about 02:54:30.896 --> 02:54:38.287 - what really matters to me is a couple of weeks ago, we had our meeting on March 12th, or May 12th, and 02:54:38.287 --> 02:54:45.749 - then the next day we had our Sophia Travis Grant Committee meeting. And I felt real broken. And at that 02:54:45.749 --> 02:54:47.902 - moment I was like, can I say, 02:54:48.546 --> 02:54:56.614 - Can I dare to say yes to North Park? Is there something that I can really find in my heart? Jen, 02:54:56.614 --> 02:55:05.180 - is there, like, take all your biases away that you might have on this site, separate those from facts, 02:55:05.180 --> 02:55:13.913 - and try to look at and see what you can say yes to. And Heather Bland actually came in our Sophia Travis 02:55:13.913 --> 02:55:18.238 - Grant Committee, and she talked about a story about 02:55:18.530 --> 02:55:26.831 - what New Life does for their clients, and it was the ask that she said, and she made a comment about 02:55:26.831 --> 02:55:35.132 - a client needing to be helped, and then she said that the client was her. That has stuck with me for 02:55:35.132 --> 02:55:43.597 - the past two weeks, and then Misty comes in here and wants to make everybody cry that has a heart, and 02:55:43.597 --> 02:55:48.446 - say that two-block radius can make and break a difference. 02:55:49.922 --> 02:55:56.539 - I want my name to attach to not a building in this county that will screw people over for years to come, 02:55:56.539 --> 02:56:02.967 - period. I am raising children in this community that will have to pay for this if they choose to live 02:56:02.967 --> 02:56:09.648 - here or if they want to ride off into the sunset and go somewhere else. That's what we really want people 02:56:09.648 --> 02:56:16.139 - to do. That's what we really want people to take care of. I understand the human concept. I understand 02:56:16.139 --> 02:56:19.038 - the people that are working in that building. 02:56:19.170 --> 02:56:26.968 - Yes, I understand. So please don't anybody at me and try to tell me I don't because I do. I take all 02:56:26.968 --> 02:56:34.844 - things into consideration. But this is the part right now where I feel like this is a moment where we 02:56:34.844 --> 02:56:42.874 - can either do well or we can screw it over. And I was a no back in October. I was a no back in a couple 02:56:42.874 --> 02:56:48.510 - of weeks ago. And I'm still a no. But again, here's where I can say yes. 02:56:48.674 --> 02:56:53.680 - I can say yes to true active collaboration. I can say yes to really getting down in the trenches. 02:56:53.680 --> 02:56:58.891 - Like today, like after this is all, well, maybe not today, because I literally want to spend a little 02:56:58.891 --> 02:57:04.101 - bit of time with my son. Or the next day, where we can come back in a room and say, let's figure this 02:57:04.101 --> 02:57:09.260 - out. Mr. Richardson back there has continued to say, let's talk about this. Let's talk about this. I 02:57:09.260 --> 02:57:14.420 - can tell you, we are trying to talk about it. Whether or not other people really want to come to the 02:57:14.420 --> 02:57:18.302 - table and really want to talk to us about it, that's a whole other subject. 02:57:18.818 --> 02:57:27.630 - But again, I think about, as Council Member Henry has said before, Charlotte's last conversations were, 02:57:27.630 --> 02:57:36.527 - you all can do hard things, you just need to know how to do it and go do it. Since we are quoting songs, 02:57:36.527 --> 02:57:45.255 - I really like to think of songs as well to get me through hard times. And a great lyricist by the name 02:57:45.255 --> 02:57:46.526 - of Tupac said, 02:57:50.818 --> 02:57:56.927 - I want to say one thing. For every dark night, there's a bright day. And after that, so no matter how 02:57:56.927 --> 02:58:02.916 - hard it gets, stick your chest out, keep your head up and handle it. Colleagues, that's what we got 02:58:02.916 --> 02:58:09.085 - to keep doing. County commissioners, that's what we have to keep doing. City colleagues, sheriff here, 02:58:09.085 --> 02:58:15.074 - like that's what we have to keep doing. Yes, I understand the repercussions. I come from people who 02:58:15.074 --> 02:58:19.326 - understand consequences of many things that have come up against them. 02:58:19.714 --> 02:58:36.277 - But this right here, this is where we are. So with that being said, may we please have a roll call vote? 02:58:36.277 --> 02:58:46.846 - Councillor Hawk. I continue to be no. I was no from the beginning. 02:58:47.234 --> 02:59:01.926 - First, second, third, and fourth vote have many votes. It's been no. Councillor Iverson. Yes. Councillor 02:59:01.926 --> 02:59:16.478 - Deckard. No. Councillor Henry. No. Councillor Crossley. No. Councillor Wilts. No. Councillor Feidl. No. 02:59:16.706 --> 02:59:29.082 - fails one to six. Council colleagues as a way to make sure like we still got a couple of more things 02:59:29.082 --> 02:59:41.581 - on the agenda. As a point of privilege, I want to be able to take a five minute recess. So I think we 02:59:41.581 --> 02:59:45.502 - could take a five minute recess 02:59:45.858 --> 02:59:55.462 - Let's be back at 806 promptly at 806 so we can finish up with this meeting. Thank you And we are back 02:59:55.462 --> 03:00:05.442 - oh I'd like to note for the record that we do not have Councilmember Henry anymore and so we will proceed 03:00:05.442 --> 03:00:13.822 - with the rest of the agenda here and I saw councilmember Decker has his hands raised and 03:00:14.210 --> 03:00:23.227 - Madam President, based on my studying of the agenda, I believe item C should probably be now removed 03:00:23.227 --> 03:00:32.333 - from this agenda. And if that were the will of the body, I'd take a second for that and a vote if you 03:00:32.333 --> 03:00:41.886 - want. But I think we have to have a denial, or how does that? So we could combine. So I would second that. 03:00:44.578 --> 03:00:53.704 - And then I would like to offer another motion after we, I guess we have to discuss one at a time. What 03:00:53.704 --> 03:01:02.830 - is the attorney thing? Is this the right way to do it? Yeah, I would just I would just call it up. And 03:01:02.830 --> 03:01:11.779 - if he meant to be unneeded, didn't die. Yeah. Okay, draw my motion. Oh, okay. All right. I feel like 03:01:11.779 --> 03:01:14.526 - there are two there's actually 03:01:14.690 --> 03:01:23.149 - There are two things. There's the item C appropriation, which we don't need and could just drop, right? 03:01:23.149 --> 03:01:31.365 - And I'm here to request it be removed from the agenda. There you go. I think that's one thing. But I 03:01:31.365 --> 03:01:39.662 - think we also, just to be very clear and to avoid what happened in October, we need to add an item to 03:01:39.662 --> 03:01:44.542 - clarify our most recent vote. So we, instead of just voting 03:01:44.706 --> 03:01:54.204 - no or against approval of the resolution, we should have a vote to deny the resolution. If you recall, 03:01:54.204 --> 03:02:03.609 - last October we had to come back just to make ourselves clear, and I think it might be a good idea to 03:02:03.609 --> 03:02:07.390 - get that out there. Do you agree? Sorry. 03:02:07.522 --> 03:02:16.073 - That was something that we did at the very end of the lengthy meeting is that Ms. Turner King had us 03:02:16.073 --> 03:02:24.962 - go back and do that. So, okay, so yeah. Council, I move to remove item C from the board of commissioners 03:02:24.962 --> 03:02:33.428 - from today's agenda. Second. All right, we got a motion and a second. Any further debate or comment 03:02:33.428 --> 03:02:36.222 - on this item from council? None. 03:02:36.514 --> 03:02:46.082 - I would just say it concerns me that we don't just deny it, but. Oh, we will. Yeah, that's what we, 03:02:46.082 --> 03:02:56.128 - I think that's what we're moving towards next. She meant deny this one and you meant deny the ordinance. 03:02:56.128 --> 03:03:06.078 - Okay. Is there a difference? If you deny the appropriation, they can't budget it. I mean, if it's bold, 03:03:06.434 --> 03:03:12.609 - And you haven't tabled it to a different meeting, it can't go anywhere. If it's not continued, 03:03:12.609 --> 03:03:19.173 - it's dead. It's dead even if we take it. Because it'd have to be re-advertised. You can deny it too, 03:03:19.173 --> 03:03:25.933 - if that's what your preference is. But if not approving it and not continuing it would kill it as well, 03:03:25.933 --> 03:03:32.562 - because you'd have to re-advertise. My motion would mean that they would need to have to re-advertise 03:03:32.562 --> 03:03:35.422 - it. So yeah. I think it's good. Yeah. Okay. 03:03:36.450 --> 03:03:43.867 - So motion is to strike it. Is there any other further question or comments? Yes. Oh, would it ever come 03:03:43.867 --> 03:03:50.998 - back or only if they submit another request and could they submit another request no matter what we 03:03:50.998 --> 03:03:58.486 - do? Yeah. Okay. Yeah, you can submit a request for an additional appropriation any time. How many times? 03:03:58.486 --> 03:04:00.126 - Yeah. All right. Okay. 03:04:01.634 --> 03:04:11.584 - So seeing no other further question or comment on this, we can do a voice vote. Okay, so all those in 03:04:11.584 --> 03:04:21.632 - favor of removing this from our agenda, signify by saying aye. Aye. All those opposed, same sign. Yes, 03:04:21.632 --> 03:04:31.582 - motion, so motion carries. Yes, Councilor Iverson. Council, I move to deny ordinance 2026-17. Second. 03:04:32.002 --> 03:04:39.043 - All right, we got a motion and a second to deny the resolution. Is there any other further question 03:04:39.043 --> 03:04:46.294 - or comment? Yes, council. I do want to make a quick comment. I did vote against or for the resolution, 03:04:46.294 --> 03:04:52.913 - and I am going to make a different vote on denial. It doesn't mean that I've changed my mind, 03:04:52.913 --> 03:05:00.094 - but it is, I think, important to say I understand the will of council and I want to move forward with 03:05:00.094 --> 03:05:01.150 - the community. 03:05:01.442 --> 03:05:12.543 - So this is not me changing my vote. This is simply a different topic in my mind. Any other further questions 03:05:12.543 --> 03:05:22.728 - or comments? Seeing none, all those in favor of denying resolution? I believe that should be a roll 03:05:22.728 --> 03:05:30.366 - call vote. May we please have a roll call vote? Thank you. You're welcome. 03:05:32.002 --> 03:05:45.345 - Yes to deny. Yes to deny. Councillor Deckard. Yes. Councillor Crossley. Yes. Councillor Iverson. Yes. 03:05:45.345 --> 03:05:58.688 - Councillor Feidl. Yes. Councillor Hock. Yes for denial. Yes. Motion passes unanimous. 6-0. So next up 03:05:58.688 --> 03:06:01.566 - we jump back into our 03:06:01.762 --> 03:06:08.514 - County business with the Health Department. Council, I move to open for discussion and possible approval 03:06:08.514 --> 03:06:15.136 - of the Health Department's request to be exempt from the hiring freeze and be allowed to hire and fund 03:06:15.136 --> 03:06:21.438 - 8111-9623 Crisis COAG Supports Workforce, a full-time public health nurse school liaison. Second. 03:06:21.438 --> 03:06:28.318 - All right, we have a motion and a second. Our joined by Ms. Kelly and board member Lisa Robinson. Welcome. 03:06:30.082 --> 03:06:37.218 - Welcome and good evening. So this request is just essentially to backfill our public health nurse and 03:06:37.218 --> 03:06:44.495 - school liaison position. This just recently, unfortunately, became a vacant position, but it is crucial 03:06:44.495 --> 03:06:51.561 - to supporting our school health services, our public health nursing services, and meeting those core 03:06:51.561 --> 03:06:58.558 - service requirements for Health First Indiana. Any questions or comments from council on this item? 03:07:02.146 --> 03:07:11.928 - Seeing none, we will move on to public comment. There's public comment on this item. You can come forward 03:07:11.928 --> 03:07:21.526 - to the lectern here in the room or raise your hand via Teams. And seeing none, maybe please have a roll 03:07:21.526 --> 03:07:31.678 - call vote. Councillor Deckard? Yes. Councillor Crossley? Yes. Councillor Iverson? Yes. Councillor Feidl? Yes. 03:07:32.066 --> 03:07:42.218 - I move to approve the Health Department's request and fund 8112-9626, sexually transmitted 03:07:42.218 --> 03:07:53.150 - disease strengthening prevention grant, a category transfer of $164.99 from the supplies category 03:07:53.314 --> 03:08:02.856 - $15,533.77 from the services category and $12,500 from the capital category for a total appropriation 03:08:02.856 --> 03:08:06.878 - of $28,198.76 into the personnel category. 03:08:07.586 --> 03:08:13.057 - We got a motion and a second. What would you like to tell us about this? So this is basically just a 03:08:13.057 --> 03:08:18.583 - housekeeping item. So we're looking at the remaining grant funds that we have and made some decisions 03:08:18.583 --> 03:08:24.216 - that we're going to be running short on our personnel lines. So just these category transfers will help 03:08:24.216 --> 03:08:29.633 - us to cover those personnel expenses. We do have a new grant that was just recently approved by the 03:08:29.633 --> 03:08:34.942 - county commissioners. So that will be coming to you soon just to continue receiving this funding. 03:08:38.018 --> 03:08:46.158 - Thank you for that. Any questions or comments? As she said, it's pretty much bookkeeping. Yes, Councillor 03:08:46.158 --> 03:08:53.990 - Wilks. Do you anticipate then needing to move money back once you get the new funding or is this, I'm 03:08:53.990 --> 03:09:01.823 - just looking at some of the lines here, equipment, training, travel, they're pretty large amounts. So 03:09:01.823 --> 03:09:07.966 - do you anticipate needing to come to us to refill those accounts at some point? 03:09:08.194 --> 03:09:16.166 - So when we receive the new executed grant, we will have funding that set aside specifically for some 03:09:16.166 --> 03:09:24.058 - of these other areas. We do spend a lot in mileage. So a large portion of that will be going to the 03:09:24.058 --> 03:09:30.846 - training and travel. OK, thank you. Other further questions or comments on this item? 03:09:33.122 --> 03:09:42.998 - Seeing none, we'll move to public comment. If there is public comment on this item, you can come forward 03:09:42.998 --> 03:09:52.873 - to the lectern in the room or raise your hand via Teams. May we please have a roll call vote? Councillor 03:09:52.873 --> 03:10:01.150 - Deckard? Yes. Councillor Crossley? Yes. Councillor Iverson? Yes. Councillor Feidl? Yes. 03:10:12.450 --> 03:10:21.887 - say no. Councilor Wilts. Yes. Motion passes five to one. Majority. Okay. Next up is item F. Council, 03:10:21.887 --> 03:10:30.483 - I move to approve the health department's request to approve the creation of a new position 03:10:30.483 --> 03:10:38.238 - and simultaneously approve the job description for the clinical assistant. Second. 03:10:40.578 --> 03:10:47.363 - I'm sorry. We got a motion and a second. And what would you like to add to this item. So back in March 03:10:47.363 --> 03:10:54.083 - of this year we came before you all to ask for an approval to create a job description for a clinical 03:10:54.083 --> 03:11:00.802 - assistant position. So this clinical assistant position will help to support our nursing services and 03:11:00.802 --> 03:11:02.910 - maternal child health services. 03:11:03.010 --> 03:11:09.832 - So one thing that I just want to make sure that's very clear. This is more than just a front desk role. 03:11:09.832 --> 03:11:16.457 - This is really a critical position for our daily operations and help to ensure that our services are 03:11:16.457 --> 03:11:21.246 - functioning effectively, legally and safely for Monroe County residents. 03:11:21.954 --> 03:11:30.051 - This role is really going to serve as the operational backbone of our clinical services. It will ensure 03:11:30.051 --> 03:11:37.214 - that patients can access care, maintain medical records, and billing for Medicaid services. 03:11:37.378 --> 03:11:43.740 - sorry, will support nearly every patient interaction. So from when patients are walking through the 03:11:43.740 --> 03:11:50.229 - door, they will be checking them in, they will be checking them out, helping to oversee our inventory 03:11:50.229 --> 03:11:56.082 - for our health supplies, and really being able to support our nurses and our maternal child 03:11:56.082 --> 03:12:02.571 - health coordinator. So the request tonight is for the county council to consider approving us to move 03:12:02.571 --> 03:12:04.798 - forward with hiring this position. 03:12:06.818 --> 03:12:14.882 - I just wanna add, oh, go ahead. I just wanna add, I wanna remind council that we lost our contract with 03:12:14.882 --> 03:12:22.790 - IU Health. And so we are in the, we are trying to recreate our infrastructure to provide services for 03:12:22.790 --> 03:12:30.621 - the county residents. And so this is part of that movement. This person is the equivalent of someone 03:12:30.621 --> 03:12:36.126 - who is front lines there to talk with the patients, schedule patients, 03:12:36.226 --> 03:12:44.665 - They are an MA, so they can provide vaccines. And so they're doing a lot of different roles. But again, 03:12:44.665 --> 03:12:53.509 - in our effort to replace that infrastructure and have people to do it and provide care. Thank you. Questions 03:12:53.509 --> 03:13:01.867 - or comments? Yes, Councilor Iverson. I'm really happy to see this come to fruition. I think we've been 03:13:01.867 --> 03:13:04.382 - talking about this for months. 03:13:04.834 --> 03:13:12.096 - And so there's been a lot of hard work. Kim Schell worked on this job description. I know Molly Turner 03:13:12.096 --> 03:13:19.498 - King worked on this job description. You all worked hard on this job description. It's gone before with. 03:13:19.498 --> 03:13:26.548 - So I'm really excited this is coming here. And I guess for those who haven't seen the latest health 03:13:26.548 --> 03:13:33.246 - board meeting, the health board has reviewed this and this is good to go. Yes. Excellent. Yes. 03:13:33.602 --> 03:13:41.953 - So maybe, can you tell me how it's been working up this new, I mean, how many people have been filling 03:13:41.953 --> 03:13:50.141 - in instead of this one create? Well, so we had, so when IU was providing all of these services, they 03:13:50.141 --> 03:13:58.654 - had probably the equivalent, we're not sure exactly because we kept trying to get information that maybe 03:13:58.786 --> 03:14:08.524 - for people providing services and covering for each other. And so we are literally trying to create 03:14:08.524 --> 03:14:18.457 - those positions in order to provide the services. So right now, Lori has actually been filling in and 03:14:18.457 --> 03:14:27.806 - trying to do her job and provide cross coverage, which is obviously not ideal. Okay, thank you. 03:14:37.218 --> 03:14:46.693 - So if there's no other further questions or comments from council, I'll move to public comment. If there 03:14:46.693 --> 03:14:55.896 - is public comment, you can come forward to the lectern here in the room or raise your hand via Teams. 03:14:55.896 --> 03:15:05.822 - And seeing none, maybe please have a roll call vote. Oh, are you? Councilor Crossley? Yes. Councilor Iverson? 03:15:06.946 --> 03:15:19.327 - Councilor Hawk, do you wanna vote? Okay. Councilor Hawk is leaving the meeting. Councilor Wilts? Yes. 03:15:19.327 --> 03:15:31.586 - Councilor Deckard? Yes. Councilor Feidl? Yes. Motion passes five to zero. Okay. And now we're to the 03:15:31.586 --> 03:15:34.014 - bare bones of corn. 03:15:34.306 --> 03:15:42.702 - So next up is item G. Council, I move to approve the health department's request and fund 1159-0000 03:15:42.702 --> 03:15:51.686 - health fund, the creation of account line 10190, clinical assistant, and simultaneously approve a category 03:15:51.686 --> 03:15:59.998 - transfer of $41,351 from the services category to the personnel category. Second. Okay, Ms. Kelly. 03:16:01.314 --> 03:16:09.370 - So this request is essentially we are taking some of the funding that was set aside for the IU health 03:16:09.370 --> 03:16:17.583 - contract. It will be transferring those funds to be able to support the funding of this position moving 03:16:17.583 --> 03:16:25.086 - forward. Okay. Any questions or comments from council on this item? Very helpful. Seeing none. 03:16:26.242 --> 03:16:35.196 - We'll move to public comment. If there's public comment on this item, you can raise your hand via Teams 03:16:35.196 --> 03:16:44.495 - or come forward to the lectern here in the room. Seeing none, maybe please have a roll call vote. Councilor 03:16:44.495 --> 03:16:53.191 - Iverson? Yes. Councilor Feidl? Yes. Councilor Wilts? Yes. Councilor Decker? Yes. Councilor Crossley? 03:16:53.191 --> 03:16:55.774 - Yes. Motion passes unanimous. 03:16:56.002 --> 03:17:02.846 - Council, I move to approve the health department's request to amend the 2026 salary ordinance to add 03:17:02.846 --> 03:17:09.757 - in fund 1159-0000, health fund, account line 10190, clinical assistant, Comet B, 35 hours, non-exempt 03:17:09.757 --> 03:17:16.669 - level. Second. All right, we got a motion and a second. I think this is basically just a housekeeping 03:17:16.669 --> 03:17:23.512 - item to ensure that we have this added to the salary ordinance. All right, any questions or comments 03:17:23.512 --> 03:17:25.342 - from council on this item? 03:17:28.866 --> 03:17:39.094 - Seeing none, we'll once again go back to public comment. If there's public comment on this item, you 03:17:39.094 --> 03:17:49.422 - can come forward to the room here or raise your hand via Teams. Still seeing none. May we please have 03:17:49.422 --> 03:17:57.726 - a roll call vote? Councillor Feidl? Yes. Councillor Wilz? Yes. Councillor Decker? 03:17:58.242 --> 03:18:05.096 - Councillor Crossley. Yes. Councillor Iverson. Yes. Motion passes unanimous. All right. Next up is item 03:18:05.096 --> 03:18:12.150 - I. I'd like to open for discussion the reclassification of the health services director position. Second. 03:18:12.150 --> 03:18:14.878 - All right. We got a motion and a second. 03:18:15.714 --> 03:18:22.585 - So recently we had the pleasure of meeting with counselor Iverson and during that time we discussed 03:18:22.585 --> 03:18:29.868 - some different strategies for really being able to recruit the best fit for this health services director 03:18:29.868 --> 03:18:37.151 - position. So while we have received applicants and we have been actively interviewing it's been extremely 03:18:37.151 --> 03:18:44.022 - challenging to find a candidate with years of experience that come come in through the door at that 03:18:44.022 --> 03:18:45.534 - entry level pay rate. 03:18:45.730 --> 03:18:53.697 - So really the discussion that we had with Councillor Iverson was to bring this to the full council to 03:18:53.697 --> 03:19:01.821 - discuss options for being able to reclassify this position to change the pay rate and what options that 03:19:01.821 --> 03:19:09.866 - we would have available just to be able to widen the candidates that we could potentially bring in for 03:19:09.866 --> 03:19:11.038 - this position. 03:19:13.410 --> 03:19:23.730 - I would like to add, we currently are paying this position $34 an hour. For comparison, Allen County 03:19:23.730 --> 03:19:34.153 - pays their person $39 an hour. The real issue we run into is that we are competing against IU Health, 03:19:34.153 --> 03:19:42.430 - who they offer usually a $30,000 bonus for RNs to come on board with them. So we 03:19:43.010 --> 03:19:51.076 - we have the only way we can be competitive really is to increase the dollar amount per hour. So our 03:19:51.076 --> 03:19:59.303 - thinking and we discussed this at our board meeting was, you know, we may be coming to you asking for 03:19:59.303 --> 03:20:07.934 - maybe $36 an hour, but the best way to approach that is to change the pay structure. So that's the that's. 03:20:13.442 --> 03:20:20.820 - I think since my name is invoked in the agenda, as the liaison to this department, I do want to point 03:20:20.820 --> 03:20:28.125 - out that there is a lot of documentation in your packet. There is a there's all sorts of information 03:20:28.125 --> 03:20:35.431 - about what other counties do and and in particular, I if this is earlier in the meeting, I'd ask for 03:20:35.431 --> 03:20:37.022 - this to be displayed. 03:20:37.122 --> 03:20:45.739 - but take a look at page 92 in the packet. It's the org chart for Allen County. Can you talk a little 03:20:45.739 --> 03:20:54.271 - bit about why you included the org chart for Allen County in the packet? Yes. So the population for 03:20:54.271 --> 03:20:57.598 - Allen County is around 430,000 and our 03:20:57.698 --> 03:21:06.613 - By comparison, Monroe County is about 30%. If you look at the org chart, they have 23 full-time clinical 03:21:06.613 --> 03:21:15.698 - staff to support their population. We think that eventually we will need, as a percentage, eight full-time 03:21:15.698 --> 03:21:23.934 - employees to support the health department in what we're doing, and that makes sense with having 03:21:24.066 --> 03:21:32.635 - again lost our contract, so we're just using Allen County structure. If you also see there, there are 03:21:32.635 --> 03:21:41.457 - two positions, full-time positions they have for data management and IT management, and eventually those 03:21:41.457 --> 03:21:50.362 - positions we will be discussing more with you all, because those are gonna be critical to our maintaining 03:21:50.362 --> 03:21:51.454 - our funding, 03:21:51.618 --> 03:22:01.095 - with the state, so we're just trying to get the number of people we have to serve Monroe County kind 03:22:01.095 --> 03:22:10.760 - of in line with other counties per population. And to give you, so you don't panic, we currently have, 03:22:10.760 --> 03:22:13.950 - I would say, four full-time folks 03:22:14.498 --> 03:22:25.210 - and eventually we'll need four additional full-time folks, which we've just asked for another one of 03:22:25.210 --> 03:22:35.922 - those positions here. So we are just behind in trying to provide these services that are required by 03:22:35.922 --> 03:22:43.134 - law for our county. Thank you. The other thing that's in the packet 03:22:43.394 --> 03:22:51.351 - is a job description from Allen County. Are we to interpret that that is similar to what the director 03:22:51.351 --> 03:22:59.619 - job description looks like? Yes and no I would say. So I think that part of it is there is some crossover 03:22:59.619 --> 03:23:07.966 - with some of those duties but there's also a position under that like a nurse supervisor and really if you 03:23:08.066 --> 03:23:14.731 - Again, if we're trying to compare, we're trying to replace these services through IU Health, through 03:23:14.731 --> 03:23:21.395 - those contracted positions. They had three nursing positions that were covering vaccinations and our 03:23:21.395 --> 03:23:27.994 - communicable disease, our lead and our health screenings. We were funding a full time school health 03:23:27.994 --> 03:23:34.988 - liaison. They also then had a nurse supervisor. So the health services director for the health department 03:23:34.988 --> 03:23:36.638 - had already been created 03:23:36.770 --> 03:23:43.850 - specifically for the health department as separate from overseeing nurses and nurse duties. So some 03:23:43.850 --> 03:23:51.071 - of those additional duties had to kind of be combined into this health services director position and 03:23:51.071 --> 03:23:58.151 - some of these nursing positions, again, because we really are trying to be respectful of the hiring 03:23:58.151 --> 03:24:05.373 - freeze. We know that, you know, finances are tough. So, you know, kind of trying to weigh and balance 03:24:05.373 --> 03:24:06.718 - how can we combine 03:24:06.978 --> 03:24:15.268 - multiple kind of positions and duties into positions instead of just asking for more positions. But 03:24:15.268 --> 03:24:23.559 - it is also becoming very challenging for us just to be able to get services really up and going and 03:24:23.559 --> 03:24:27.870 - to have layers of protection. So when I look at our 03:24:28.002 --> 03:24:34.563 - organizational chart and some of the proposed changes. If you look at our environmental health services, 03:24:34.563 --> 03:24:40.812 - you can see, when I see that, I see layers of protection because they have a director and then they 03:24:40.812 --> 03:24:47.186 - have three different subcategories of environmental health services that have those senior positions, 03:24:47.186 --> 03:24:53.434 - so that team lead, that supervisor, and then they have positions under that. It's very similar with 03:24:53.434 --> 03:24:55.934 - our vital records. Those are two of our 03:24:56.162 --> 03:25:02.986 - best functioning areas in the health department. And really that's because they have those layers of 03:25:02.986 --> 03:25:09.878 - protection, those people who can fill in and cover gaps, cover absences, cover vacations, really have 03:25:09.878 --> 03:25:16.769 - this wealth of knowledge, but they're also more subject matter experts. So what we're kind of running 03:25:16.769 --> 03:25:18.526 - into is how do we balance 03:25:18.722 --> 03:25:26.992 - fulfilling these nursing services and these maternal child health services because at some point it's 03:25:26.992 --> 03:25:35.585 - going to be a question of do we want jack of all trades but masters of none? Or do we want subject matter 03:25:35.585 --> 03:25:43.774 - experts who can also be able to somewhat fill in the gaps from time to time? So in an ideal scenario 03:25:43.774 --> 03:25:44.990 - in the future, 03:25:45.090 --> 03:25:53.432 - we would have a nurse supervisor who is that first nurse supervisor overseeing our three public health 03:25:53.432 --> 03:26:01.854 - nurses, and then we would have the health services director. For example, we need at least two clinical 03:26:01.854 --> 03:26:04.446 - or nursing positions who is our 03:26:04.610 --> 03:26:15.705 - primary vaccine coordinator for our Vaccines for Children program, and we need at least one backup. 03:26:15.705 --> 03:26:27.466 - We really just need more positions available to be able to fill those roles. Other questions or comments? 03:26:27.466 --> 03:26:33.790 - Yes, Councillor Decker. Anytime we have something that's 03:26:34.114 --> 03:26:41.744 - a little bit complicated and it's a bit jump ball for us. It's often like watching the movie 2001 when 03:26:41.744 --> 03:26:49.447 - the apes were like around the monolith, because it's hard for us to, I think, construct it. And my hope 03:26:49.447 --> 03:26:56.855 - is that we can get some sort of solution, recommendation that we can play around with. One question 03:26:56.855 --> 03:27:03.966 - I have is, going back, Doctor, you had mentioned that we compete with IU Health just generally. 03:27:04.162 --> 03:27:12.933 - for that nursing bonus, would you say it was 30,000? It's 20 to 30,000, I believe. Some RNs are getting, 03:27:12.933 --> 03:27:21.955 - so we just can't compete. And we had actually someone apply to one of our positions, and they were perfect. 03:27:21.955 --> 03:27:30.142 - And their quote was, well, I just can't do that. I mean, I can't feed my family. I can't do that. 03:27:30.274 --> 03:27:39.493 - more money elsewhere. So I think the difficulty is you all are facing budget cuts, of course, but I 03:27:39.493 --> 03:27:48.897 - think we are here to say we sort of have to do this. And the other thing I will remind you is that we 03:27:48.897 --> 03:27:59.038 - have this money in the health fund currently. So we're just asking for a reclassification. We have the funds. 03:27:59.202 --> 03:28:07.975 - thank you on all this. And that bonus is something someone like me should know, and I had no idea about 03:28:07.975 --> 03:28:16.580 - that. If we reclassify this, does it start triggering any other movement on the chain? Any time I see 03:28:16.580 --> 03:28:25.185 - a... Well, I guess we're saying we are going to be having discussions over the next few months to try 03:28:25.185 --> 03:28:29.150 - to create our infrastructure. So yes, perhaps. 03:28:29.250 --> 03:28:40.201 - This is an important start, and we worked with Peter to try to figure out what was the best solution 03:28:40.201 --> 03:28:51.585 - for right now. Okay. Yes, Councillor Wolk. I was pointing at him. Oh, okay. I talked too much. Why don't 03:28:51.585 --> 03:28:57.982 - you go? I guess my question is, and I don't know who or if 03:28:58.402 --> 03:29:09.273 - there's answering happening. So feel free to just ignore me if this isn't answerable. But my concern, 03:29:09.273 --> 03:29:20.037 - and it's been expressed before by others, is the sustainability of the health fund and what is going 03:29:20.037 --> 03:29:28.030 - to happen. And I guess my question is, what's your thinking on that topic? 03:29:28.354 --> 03:29:36.858 - Well, it's a catch 22, right? Because if we don't meet the criteria, we're going to lose the funding. 03:29:36.858 --> 03:29:45.696 - And I believe it's the commissioners that accepted the funding and made that decision in the first place. 03:29:45.696 --> 03:29:54.033 - So if we don't meet criteria, we're going to lose the funding. So I can't answer that. I don't know 03:29:54.033 --> 03:29:57.118 - what the legislature is going to do. 03:29:57.474 --> 03:30:06.834 - Do you in your opinion is the funding that's currently? allocated enough to sustain a Your current but 03:30:06.834 --> 03:30:16.285 - also this vision of expansion that you have Well, I think we have to work through that I I think Monroe 03:30:16.285 --> 03:30:25.918 - County is underserved in the realm of public health I I think we have been behind for a while I think the 03:30:26.050 --> 03:30:33.987 - pulling out of IU from the contract has now brought that to light acutely. And I think it's 03:30:33.987 --> 03:30:42.787 - our responsibility to work through that and figure that out. Good luck. It just, yeah, it's daunting. 03:30:42.787 --> 03:30:51.846 - Go ahead. Can I ask a follow up to that, doctor? Sure. Do you think the IU health contract kind of masks 03:30:51.846 --> 03:30:53.054 - some of that? 03:30:53.986 --> 03:31:02.466 - the underfunding for a while now, this is bringing it to light. I would love any thoughts on that. I 03:31:02.466 --> 03:31:10.947 - think that we continue to ask for data to try to figure out exactly how much money was coming in for 03:31:10.947 --> 03:31:19.427 - their services, how much they were charging patients, their co-pays, et cetera. And then in addition 03:31:19.427 --> 03:31:22.366 - to that, also trying to figure out 03:31:23.074 --> 03:31:32.499 - how many exactly, how many people were providing these services and we never could sort of get answers. 03:31:32.499 --> 03:31:41.742 - So I'm not sure how to answer that. We're trying to, that's kind of behind us now. So here's where we 03:31:41.742 --> 03:31:50.442 - are and we're thankful that you all and Peter are willing to listen and hopefully work with us. 03:31:50.442 --> 03:31:52.798 - All right, so next steps. 03:31:53.538 --> 03:31:59.353 - I've heard a vision that's articulated or Laura you articulated where you've got a job an org chart 03:31:59.353 --> 03:32:05.575 - for our health department here in Monroe County where you've got a three deep system where there's backups 03:32:05.575 --> 03:32:11.506 - to the backup. I've heard now we've got this admin we've voted that in so you've got an admin you can 03:32:11.506 --> 03:32:17.320 - go out and hire and we're thinking about a director here to kind of get that clinic structure going 03:32:17.320 --> 03:32:20.286 - up and running so you don't have to do everything. 03:32:22.850 --> 03:32:47.262 - What would be the next step, Michelle? Okay, this is our current org chart. 03:32:51.266 --> 03:33:01.205 - This is the section here that we're talking about. Here's the health services director. And then here 03:33:01.205 --> 03:33:11.145 - are the three public health nurses. So if I'm understanding this correctly, you're wanting the health 03:33:11.145 --> 03:33:19.038 - services director. Then under that, to have that tiered system, you're wanting a 03:33:19.842 --> 03:33:27.723 - Senior I'll just call it a senior public health nurse and then under that would then be these three 03:33:27.723 --> 03:33:35.840 - positions along with the clinic Assistant that was just hired. Is that correct? Correct. Okay, so that 03:33:35.840 --> 03:33:44.429 - means that would be a new position and we would have to Do just like what we did with the clinical assistant 03:33:44.429 --> 03:33:48.606 - is create work together create a job description and 03:33:48.994 --> 03:33:58.341 - that has the supervisory duties, probably other nursing duties as well, because I'm assuming the senior 03:33:58.341 --> 03:34:07.329 - public health nurse would also be doing seeing patients, giving vaccines, that kind of thing. So we 03:34:07.329 --> 03:34:15.958 - would have to create that job description and either come back to you and go to whip, you know, 03:34:15.958 --> 03:34:18.654 - and say, hey, we're ready or, 03:34:19.010 --> 03:34:30.838 - We, you guys give us the go-ahead, we get it together, and then we send it off to WIS. Is that amenable? 03:34:30.838 --> 03:34:41.427 - Yes, and I really, I mean, that's really the structure that we need to be able to operate the 03:34:41.427 --> 03:34:48.862 - most efficiently for the department. Have we, have you considered 03:34:51.842 --> 03:35:00.982 - Taking one of those three positions and, I mean, basically not creating a new position and working with 03:35:00.982 --> 03:35:09.507 - just the three, but make one the supervisor with two under and the assistant. We've tried. Well, 03:35:09.507 --> 03:35:18.472 - go ahead. Yes, it's just not working. It's too much to just keep combining and compiling all of these 03:35:18.472 --> 03:35:19.966 - different areas. 03:35:22.146 --> 03:35:31.291 - Perhaps we could try to make it work and come back in another six months or so. But again, to be able 03:35:31.291 --> 03:35:40.975 - to kind of replace some of that structure that was in place previously, we really just need that additional 03:35:40.975 --> 03:35:44.382 - layer to help support these services. 03:35:50.370 --> 03:35:56.966 - really challenging as well. We had the health services director previously again before we knew that 03:35:56.966 --> 03:36:03.496 - we were going to be taking on these services. We had a really great candidate the that was going to 03:36:03.496 --> 03:36:10.092 - come into that position. Then we learned of the changes and how that job description was going to be 03:36:10.092 --> 03:36:17.406 - modified to absorb these additional duties. And I mean that alone was they were no longer interested. It's just 03:36:17.762 --> 03:36:29.724 - too much, there's no increase in pay and a lot for that role to take on. And that's the very top purple. 03:36:29.724 --> 03:36:41.230 - Correct. But that would be alleviated by creating a position under it that then supported from above 03:36:41.230 --> 03:36:44.990 - kind of the rest of the nursing. 03:36:50.210 --> 03:36:59.537 - So we are talking, I just want to clarify, because this has been a long night and I think I'm a little 03:36:59.537 --> 03:37:08.864 - slow. We're talking about creating a new position and also at the same time making the health services 03:37:08.864 --> 03:37:18.101 - director an SO. Correct. And I believe within the request, there was, they were asking to change this 03:37:18.101 --> 03:37:19.550 - health services 03:37:20.354 --> 03:37:28.726 - your position from a 35 hour to a 40 hour as well. Correct. Correct. Again, just trying to think of 03:37:28.726 --> 03:37:37.265 - different strategies that we could discuss to be able to help kind of absorb some of these duties. Do 03:37:37.265 --> 03:37:46.139 - I think that that would be needed with the supervisor? No. But again, really just trying to be respectful 03:37:46.139 --> 03:37:49.822 - that we need to be mindful of our finances. 03:37:50.178 --> 03:38:03.032 - And how can we balance that with also providing the best services that we can for the community? I just 03:38:03.032 --> 03:38:15.639 - want to remind council that our next pandemic is, I hope not, but just around the corner. Things like 03:38:15.639 --> 03:38:17.246 - Ebola, which 03:38:17.506 --> 03:38:25.806 - was contained in the DRC and now is in Italy and now there are 220 cases in there, et cetera, et cetera. 03:38:25.806 --> 03:38:34.107 - So we are just trying to get our ducks in a row so that we are more prepared if anyone could be prepared 03:38:34.107 --> 03:38:41.854 - for things that we may not even be aware of at this time. There's a recent scare in our own case. 03:38:42.690 --> 03:38:51.028 - Correct. Yes. And I really just think that that emphasizes how important it is. I really just want to 03:38:51.028 --> 03:38:59.447 - take a moment to to just really stress how wonderful it is that we do have health department staff who 03:38:59.447 --> 03:39:07.294 - will step up and fulfill whatever capacity that they can. And in that situation we were able to 03:39:07.682 --> 03:39:17.928 - call upon to other employees to help us navigate and work through that situation. But that won't always 03:39:17.928 --> 03:39:28.469 - be the case because we do have certain services that require that nursing credential to be able to provide 03:39:28.469 --> 03:39:35.070 - those very specific services. Okay. Are there any other questions? 03:39:37.442 --> 03:39:46.039 - Did I understand your answer to Councillor Iverson's question to be that you didn't necessarily think 03:39:46.039 --> 03:39:54.804 - that the health services director needed 40 hours a week, but that was a strategy that you were putting 03:39:54.804 --> 03:40:03.822 - forth? If we had a supervisor, again, if we had that three tier system, because that would help to balance 03:40:03.822 --> 03:40:05.086 - that workload. 03:40:11.554 --> 03:40:23.194 - just offer that current position of the health services director for 2026 when they come in at minimum 03:40:23.194 --> 03:40:34.834 - that hourly rate is 3252 so they're up they requested 36 which would be at the close to the three year 03:40:34.834 --> 03:40:36.190 - because the 03:40:36.514 --> 03:40:46.808 - The pat D for three years, actually a 36 is 36 14 and out. The 35 hour, yeah. And all of those are pat 03:40:46.808 --> 03:40:56.803 - D's across the top. The health services director is a pat D. What are the other directors? Pat D's. 03:40:56.803 --> 03:41:06.398 - Yeah, they're all pat D's. And they're at 40? Just one, is that 40? No, no, no, I'm sorry, two. 03:41:06.850 --> 03:41:16.568 - Two are and two are not. A little bit more challenging not being able to have that flexibility to possibly 03:41:16.568 --> 03:41:26.195 - offer the midpoint hiring rate. So again, that's just one of the challenges that we're trying to navigate 03:41:26.195 --> 03:41:36.094 - with recruiting. Health services director is a Pat D. The environmental health services director is a Pat D. 03:41:36.514 --> 03:41:45.708 - and public health preparedness director is a pat D at 40 hours and the vital records director is a pat 03:41:45.708 --> 03:41:54.635 - D at 40 hours. It's not unheard of within their department. I've talked before about those types of 03:41:54.635 --> 03:42:04.990 - positions trying to make them more equivalent in terms of I think. And that's kind of how the preparedness position 03:42:05.250 --> 03:42:15.934 - came into the 40 hours because there was discussion of, hey, should we make all of these 40 hours? Should 03:42:15.934 --> 03:42:26.114 - we move to that point? That's something that we could do until perhaps we have more options. I mean, 03:42:26.114 --> 03:42:32.766 - it's not to the exclusion of other things you've suggested, just, 03:42:34.754 --> 03:42:42.979 - I just want to say that if you put somebody at 40 hours and you hire them on, it's more difficult to 03:42:42.979 --> 03:42:51.204 - move them back to a 35 hour. Why would I do that? Well, that's what I'm saying. I mean, you know, if 03:42:51.204 --> 03:42:59.673 - you're going to go ahead with that model, I mean, if you're going to add another position, she's saying 03:42:59.673 --> 03:43:04.478 - the 40 hour would be great if we're not going to have that 03:43:04.610 --> 03:43:17.939 - senior. Are there any other further questions or does anybody wish to make a motion regarding this? 03:43:17.939 --> 03:43:32.734 - I think the next step is that we're going to just simply work together. Well, no, this is on the SO, isn't it? 03:43:33.634 --> 03:43:41.852 - Yeah, right now we are talking about the reclassification of the Health Services Director position. 03:43:41.852 --> 03:43:49.577 - And part of their request was for the reclassification as well as the hours. So if you do the 03:43:49.577 --> 03:43:58.042 - reclassification to an SO, you also have to set an hourly rate at the same time. And you had mentioned 03:43:58.042 --> 03:44:01.822 - one earlier in the meeting, I think, correct? 03:44:02.498 --> 03:44:17.684 - Or was I imagining that? No, they said 36. Or to suspend our midpoint higher. Oh, that's Pandora's box, 03:44:17.684 --> 03:44:29.950 - isn't it? Are you going to do that for every position? Is this too much on the fly? 03:44:32.866 --> 03:44:46.474 - I mean, he gets down on paper and do a fiscal impact and all that. Until our next meeting, I don't want 03:44:46.474 --> 03:44:57.726 - to stay. I just think that maybe. About the equity of the position. And I'm not sure. 03:45:03.234 --> 03:45:13.567 - if I'm the only one who's thinking that. All right, council, I move to reclassify the health services 03:45:13.567 --> 03:45:24.507 - director to an SO at $36 an hour. Second. All right, we got a motion and a second. Is there other questions 03:45:24.507 --> 03:45:32.510 - or comments from council on this item? Yes, Michelle. Are we keeping it at 35? 03:45:32.706 --> 03:45:44.686 - hours. Yes? That would be acceptable. Yes. Okay. So for now we'll keep it at 35. That way it at least 03:45:44.686 --> 03:45:56.431 - gives you a jumping off. That's good with me. Okay. So not my decision. We'll work on reclassifying 03:45:56.431 --> 03:46:01.246 - and come back. Is that right here? Okay. 03:46:01.570 --> 03:46:08.628 - Okay, so no other further questions or comments. Can we recap what it is we're doing here, please? Yes. 03:46:08.628 --> 03:46:15.415 - So essentially, we are moving to reclassify this as a SO position. And we're going to keep it. Tell 03:46:15.415 --> 03:46:22.406 - me the hourly rate again. 36. 36? For right now, we are not going to do anything with the hours. We're 03:46:22.406 --> 03:46:28.854 - going to keep it at 35. I just didn't get the hours. I should have just asked that. Thank you. 03:46:28.854 --> 03:46:30.686 - So we're there. All right. 03:46:31.362 --> 03:46:40.944 - Who seconded? I'm sorry. Council member. Thank you. Okay. Um, I'll see if there's any public comment. 03:46:40.944 --> 03:46:50.620 - There's public item. Please come forward to the lectern here in the room or raise your hand via teams. 03:46:50.620 --> 03:46:59.262 - Sauntering up. Evening council. Sarah writer banter community Monroe County health officer. 03:47:00.322 --> 03:47:12.936 - I encourage you to support this. I went to a state symposium now two weeks ago. And when I went to all 03:47:12.936 --> 03:47:25.550 - of the tables of all of the counties in our state and asked how to get public health nurses, they just 03:47:25.550 --> 03:47:28.734 - looked at me and laughed. 03:47:29.858 --> 03:47:44.036 - It is next to impossible, which is why we need to be paying any nurse $36 an hour. Indeed, across the 03:47:44.036 --> 03:47:58.910 - state, IU and other hospitals are offering $30,000 sign-on bonuses and then are paying $36 to $38 an hour. 03:47:59.874 --> 03:48:09.607 - I then went looking to see what other health services are recruiting nurses and at what pay scale, and 03:48:09.607 --> 03:48:19.151 - it's above that. So for us to be at all competitive, for us to be able to serve the people of Monroe 03:48:19.151 --> 03:48:28.222 - County with the nursing care that our public health nurses have provided for the last 60 years, 03:48:29.058 --> 03:48:38.256 - in conjunction with the hospital, we need to be paying them what the going rate is. I wish it were otherwise. 03:48:38.256 --> 03:48:46.618 - I wish that everyone simply wanted to serve the community and that it didn't make a difference, but 03:48:46.618 --> 03:48:54.980 - we also know how expensive it is and how much more it becomes expensive to support a family in this 03:48:54.980 --> 03:48:58.910 - community or anywhere in the state. Thank you. 03:48:59.810 --> 03:49:12.704 - Okay, any other questions or sorry, any other public comment? And seeing none, Michelle, maybe please 03:49:12.704 --> 03:49:25.598 - have a roll call vote. This is a vote to reclassify the Health Services Director position as an SO at 03:49:25.598 --> 03:49:28.126 - a $36 an hour rate. 03:49:29.794 --> 03:49:41.340 - Councillor Wilz. Yes. Councillor Deckard. Yes. Councillor Crossley. Yes. Councillor Iverson. Yes. Councillor 03:49:41.340 --> 03:49:51.933 - Feidl. Yes. Motion passes unanimous. Find someone good. Thank you. Thank you for sticking through a 03:49:51.933 --> 03:49:56.382 - long meeting. Have a good night. You too. 03:49:57.506 --> 03:50:07.148 - All right, next up we are almost done. So we are going to, it's that time of year again, yay, where 03:50:07.148 --> 03:50:17.176 - we have to look at the president's letter. And so I'm gonna look to Michelle as she gladly will display 03:50:17.176 --> 03:50:18.526 - it on screen. 03:50:52.514 --> 03:51:02.548 - So we were a little delayed in getting this out. My apologies. And thanks for staff and the patients 03:51:02.548 --> 03:51:12.483 - with me. I hope everybody had a chance and an opportunity to take a look at the letter. Again, this 03:51:12.483 --> 03:51:21.822 - was just really reiterating the fact that SB1, the sequel trilogy, still loom in our budgets. 03:51:22.146 --> 03:51:31.317 - So this time around, we are asking for folks to budget on a flat. Budget time this time around, the 03:51:31.317 --> 03:51:40.579 - other biggest thing that we have in this letter is the fact that we are asking for people to put in, 03:51:40.579 --> 03:51:49.566 - I know we would have that factored in as people would do that, that doesn't necessarily mean that 03:51:50.530 --> 03:51:57.262 - There won't be a COLA, however, I think we need to get through all of our budget items first to kind 03:51:57.262 --> 03:52:04.193 - of take a look at that. With longevity, I know that was a big controversial thing that happened towards 03:52:04.193 --> 03:52:11.258 - the end of our budget season last time around, but I've asked Councilor Iverson and the Long-Term Finance 03:52:11.258 --> 03:52:17.790 - Committee team to take a look at that, and I believe that is something that will happen in the... 03:52:19.138 --> 03:52:27.717 - Do a meeting, why am I going back to February? So we are not going back. So that is another thing as 03:52:27.717 --> 03:52:36.296 - well. And overall, I think the sentiment is, much like we did last year, is help us like departments 03:52:36.296 --> 03:52:45.045 - again. We had a lot of departments that kind of did a lot of work on the fly to really try to continue 03:52:45.045 --> 03:52:47.678 - with that same kind of spirit. 03:52:48.130 --> 03:52:59.916 - as we try to keep the county moving forward as we still deal with our budget concerns going. That been 03:52:59.916 --> 03:53:11.472 - budget cycle. Did I miss anything Michelle? The only thing that I want to say is with regards to the 03:53:11.472 --> 03:53:15.134 - full time self insurance we are 03:53:16.450 --> 03:53:27.415 - or asking for the departments to appropriate high. We're going with 18,000 per position. Right now the 03:53:27.415 --> 03:53:38.806 - current amount is 16,005. I've been speaking with the Commissioner's Administrator as well as the Employee 03:53:38.806 --> 03:53:45.406 - Services Department. And we will get a good idea come June on 03:53:45.634 --> 03:53:54.506 - how that amount that we settled for last year, because we really kicked it up last year to 16-5, and 03:53:54.506 --> 03:54:03.291 - how that amount is working with the budget for 2026. So June will give us at least a half of a year 03:54:03.291 --> 03:54:12.691 - to see how the claims have been coming in and what's been going out. Like the commissioner's administrator 03:54:12.691 --> 03:54:15.326 - believes that not stay at 18, 03:54:15.714 --> 03:54:26.474 - But they really don't want to guess anything until they get that mid-year review. So once we get that 03:54:26.474 --> 03:54:37.761 - done, we'll come back before the end of the budgets. But for right now, we're just going to have everybody 03:54:37.761 --> 03:54:43.774 - do it at the 18th. The only other thing I want to say is 03:54:44.546 --> 03:54:56.883 - Crossley did say that she wanted, you know, that the budgets are to be flat. Also, what we put in here 03:54:56.883 --> 03:55:09.339 - is for 2026, departments, well, council moved the supplies as well as travel and training into the edit 03:55:09.339 --> 03:55:12.094 - fund. So to get a true 03:55:12.930 --> 03:55:22.471 - look at what the budget is going to cost, we would like those amounts put back into your original request 03:55:22.471 --> 03:55:32.011 - so that we can see what needs to be moved, you know, at all, that kind of thing. So we're asking everyone 03:55:32.011 --> 03:55:40.382 - that has an edit fund budget to put those amounts back into their original requested budget. 03:55:40.706 --> 03:55:49.900 - And in that way, that's gonna give you a good estimate on this is what the budget would look like without 03:55:49.900 --> 03:55:58.747 - the edit funding. So. So earlier tonight, we heard people invoke gas prices and grocery prices. Could 03:55:58.747 --> 03:56:07.768 - you talk a little bit about your thinking around COLA? Well, you all have a long-term finance committee 03:56:07.768 --> 03:56:10.110 - meeting that is coming up. 03:56:10.754 --> 03:56:18.962 - I know last year the conversation was, we gave a COLA, let's look at how other things kind of play out 03:56:18.962 --> 03:56:27.090 - with this year, and that's the same sentiment. From my understanding, Mr. Garitas is supposed to give 03:56:27.090 --> 03:56:35.297 - you all like a review, like a pre-budget review, and so I was thinking along with longevity, if that's 03:56:35.297 --> 03:56:40.158 - something that could be discussed in terms of COLA increase, 03:56:40.290 --> 03:56:49.403 - that could be brought up and then be brought to the council as we consider that for budget cycle. Because 03:56:49.403 --> 03:56:58.431 - last year I know the COLA, to give a COLA barely passed. And so with this year and a lot of prices going 03:56:58.431 --> 03:57:06.942 - up and up and people really wanna be able to sustain and retain our employees as much as possible. 03:57:08.194 --> 03:57:14.505 - That's a way for us to kind of look at all things. I hope nobody will look at this and go, oh, she's 03:57:14.505 --> 03:57:20.753 - talking about getting rid of people. No, I'm not, no, I'm not, no, I'm not. I'm just saying what we 03:57:20.753 --> 03:57:27.376 - talked about last year is also something that we should look at this year for 2027. So as we are prepping 03:57:27.376 --> 03:57:33.686 - that in June and whatnot, we can have those conversations now instead of September, October, when we 03:57:33.686 --> 03:57:37.310 - get a room full of people again, we talk about something. 03:57:38.818 --> 03:57:45.605 - It's better to start proceeding and letting people know ahead of time what our thoughts are. We said 03:57:45.605 --> 03:57:52.459 - we would do that a lot earlier this year. Obviously lots of other things have taken hold of Council's 03:57:52.459 --> 03:57:59.582 - attention so far. And so now as we kind of move all over the place, that's the idea there. I think that's 03:57:59.582 --> 03:58:00.926 - helpful. Thank you. 03:58:10.018 --> 03:58:17.457 - still working on trying to get you a fiscal impact of what a no cola for next year would look like, 03:58:17.457 --> 03:58:25.565 - but it also includes the step increases where everybody's going to be at come next year based on a snapshot. 03:58:25.565 --> 03:58:33.226 - You know, so I do know that we've got a couple people that are retiring, you know, that kind of thing. 03:58:33.226 --> 03:58:39.326 - So, but like I said, it'll be based on a snapshot of a particular period of time. 03:58:39.618 --> 03:58:47.113 - and I will get you, you know, what I can to show what a no cola with the step increases, because I know 03:58:47.113 --> 03:58:54.248 - that one council member had mentioned maybe not even allowing people to have their step increases. 03:58:54.248 --> 03:59:02.104 - So we'll, you know, that kind of thing, which might end would be a nightmare. That is not in the president's 03:59:02.104 --> 03:59:08.734 - letter. No, but I want to, you know, but the president's letter does say, you know, budget, 03:59:08.930 --> 03:59:16.709 - with no COLA, include all the step increases and this kind of thing. But I wanted to get you that information 03:59:16.709 --> 03:59:24.134 - and it will be forthcoming hopefully before the long-term finance so that we can review it at that time. 03:59:24.134 --> 03:59:31.630 - Look at us working together. And then as well as the longevity. I'm working on a reduction kind of thing. 03:59:31.630 --> 03:59:38.206 - That's right. Either full turkey or over the years. What that fiscal impact would look like. 03:59:38.306 --> 03:59:45.755 - Good, okay. And in plenty of time for budget season, right? We don't want to leave that to the last 03:59:45.755 --> 03:59:53.204 - second. That's too emotional. And then the other thing that we, what I thought, it sounded like the 03:59:53.204 --> 04:00:00.877 - feedback that I got from last budget cycle was the fact that we met with, as liaisons with departments 04:00:00.877 --> 04:00:07.358 - a lot earlier to kind of explain things. I hope that went okay. Right again this year. 04:00:07.458 --> 04:00:16.701 - And, you know, so liaisons can help people out in case there is any other things that we need to talk 04:00:16.701 --> 04:00:25.854 - about. But again, I thought that was, I thought it went fine. I think we could do it again. And this 04:00:25.854 --> 04:00:35.006 - is my last president letter, because I ain't doing president. Yay. Happy. You are. Yes, Ms. Gregory. 04:00:36.066 --> 04:00:44.087 - Just a quick comment that my team and I will continue to update our self insurance fund analysis. And 04:00:44.087 --> 04:00:52.107 - that kind of shows the trend as well because we do know like more people meet their deductible in the 04:00:52.107 --> 04:00:59.577 - second half of the year is more heavy as far as expenses for the county. It's okay. It's true. 04:00:59.577 --> 04:01:03.902 - Thank you. All those last minute surgeries. All right. 04:01:04.578 --> 04:01:12.466 - There is no other further questions that are needed, so Michelle will kind of get together and that'll 04:01:12.466 --> 04:01:20.277 - go out. And those departments are working through, because it will be June in about another week. And 04:01:20.277 --> 04:01:28.164 - before you know it, we'll be sitting here for long hours yet again. Yeah. Thanks for doing the letter. 04:01:28.164 --> 04:01:32.606 - Thanks for doing the letter. You're welcome. My pleasure. 04:01:32.962 --> 04:01:40.956 - staff that was kind of kicking me for it. So I appreciate that. Okay. Thank you. All right. Now is the 04:01:40.956 --> 04:01:49.260 - moment we've all been waiting for is Council liaison updates and comments. I know last meeting and because 04:01:49.260 --> 04:01:57.099 - Councillor Henry is not here, we had to give up some of his duties. And so I think Councillor Frido, 04:01:57.099 --> 04:02:00.126 - you might have been thinking about it. 04:02:00.674 --> 04:02:07.294 - I probably should hold off on that another time. I don't know that somebody's reported when they meet. 04:02:07.294 --> 04:02:13.977 - Yeah. I would need to know that before I decide. We'll just hold off and we'll wait on that. Thank you. 04:02:13.977 --> 04:02:20.725 - But I'm going to look down to the left over here and see if we have any final liaison comments as before 04:02:20.725 --> 04:02:27.602 - we adjourn. I do not come with my color-coded time. First time, I think, in probably three or four months. 04:02:27.602 --> 04:02:30.494 - And so I'll just say jail, jail, jail. Yeah. 04:02:31.810 --> 04:02:46.061 - I just have a comment that I just have been reflecting on in the in the kind of rest of this meeting 04:02:46.061 --> 04:02:56.926 - which is you know earlier mission Madeira I think it was said that this this 04:02:59.138 --> 04:03:12.233 - decision and vote that we made today really is taken in the context of how we wish to be remembered. 04:03:12.233 --> 04:03:25.457 - And I've been thinking on that and I hope that we and this time are remembered as people who knew the 04:03:25.457 --> 04:03:28.958 - importance of deliberation 04:03:29.922 --> 04:03:43.296 - and intentional system change. I hope that we're seen as people who have thought outside of the typical 04:03:43.296 --> 04:03:56.670 - parameters of how we do things because that's the opportunity that we have right now. And in that vein, 04:03:57.442 --> 04:04:10.934 - I would really like to call on the commissioners to seize the day and perhaps call a meeting where we 04:04:10.934 --> 04:04:26.014 - or at least some of us could participate with them and the mayor and the common council and the sheriff to really 04:04:27.426 --> 04:04:39.287 - the possibilities and not not the past but the future and do it this week I mean let's let's let's just 04:04:39.287 --> 04:04:42.366 - look toward what we can do 04:04:53.698 --> 04:05:02.499 - be really quick I want to give a shout out to a my council colleagues I was gone for work part of some 04:05:02.499 --> 04:05:11.044 - of what a lot of us do is we have jobs that are our day jobs and then we have this is the other job 04:05:11.044 --> 04:05:14.718 - and I was gone with students to Greece for 04:05:14.914 --> 04:05:22.533 - part of my duties, an assigned duty about a year. And I appreciate all my council colleagues who pitched 04:05:22.533 --> 04:05:29.934 - in and did their work in a meeting where you don't wanna see empty chairs. They saw one next to them. 04:05:29.934 --> 04:05:37.335 - And I know that we're gonna have plenty more meetings where we do lots of things. I did wanna mention 04:05:37.335 --> 04:05:43.358 - an effort, a pamphlet here that I've kind of been looking at the last month or so. 04:05:43.490 --> 04:05:49.876 - And this pamphlet may seem a little bit odd, but it actually is appropriate for our time because it's 04:05:49.876 --> 04:05:56.262 - a pamphlet about the Revolutionary War Patriots of Monroe County. And as a person that descended from 04:05:56.262 --> 04:06:02.523 - one of them, so many people have had to hear that I come from a nine-generation family that they're 04:06:02.523 --> 04:06:08.158 - probably gagged when they hear it. But as a person that comes from one of those families, 04:06:08.258 --> 04:06:14.869 - One of the things that sometimes when you grow up in a family like that, where things were not written, 04:06:14.869 --> 04:06:21.225 - people were poor and couldn't pass it down, is you never knew that. But we have these individual, I 04:06:21.225 --> 04:06:27.645 - didn't know until I was in my 20s, that there wasn't even a remote connection. And some great folks, 04:06:27.645 --> 04:06:34.066 - including Barbara Hawkins, there's some sponsors that assisted with it. They put together a pamphlet 04:06:34.066 --> 04:06:36.926 - that really memorialized some of these souls 04:06:37.026 --> 04:06:44.134 - that are buried here in the community, including not only men, but women that are remembered. And so 04:06:44.134 --> 04:06:51.523 - you can get these at the courthouse, the history center, it's the Revolutionary War, Patriots of Mineral 04:06:51.523 --> 04:06:58.631 - County, you can visit many of these gravesites. But when I think about people doing the hard and the 04:06:58.631 --> 04:07:05.246 - impossible, I look at some of the conditions that they overcame when things did not look very 04:07:05.954 --> 04:07:14.588 - Normal at all and it's kind of a reminder that all throughout our time You just we got to go back to 04:07:14.588 --> 04:07:23.136 - work and I know there's probably a lot of sore everything But we got to do it. So anyway, I'll stop 04:07:23.136 --> 04:07:32.026 - talking and thank you Nothing I need to say is I heard there's a birthday tonight and I think we should 04:07:32.026 --> 04:07:34.078 - get going. Oh, yeah Yes 04:07:34.242 --> 04:07:40.855 - Ms. Turner-King has a birthday, and she's not here, but yes. Oh, I wasn't talking about that one. No. 04:07:40.855 --> 04:07:47.338 - I'm talking about that one. My poor team. So that being said, I don't think I have anything else to 04:07:47.338 --> 04:07:53.822 - add. I think Councillor Wilts was very, very spot on in what she said, and I think that work starts 04:07:53.822 --> 04:07:59.786 - now. I think, you know, perhaps, I don't know if that's something that we could do together 04:07:59.786 --> 04:08:03.806 - with commissioners. I think that's the moment that we are in. 04:08:04.290 --> 04:08:11.799 - And it's been asked for and I think that's, vote tonight should not mean that we just sit here and we 04:08:11.799 --> 04:08:19.309 - stop. I think we need to continue to keep, we've heard the sheriff say all the things. I think we all 04:08:19.309 --> 04:08:26.818 - are in agreement that we do need to do something. Our community is asking us to do something. There's 04:08:26.818 --> 04:08:33.150 - just a site that just didn't work tonight. So that being said, I appreciate everybody 04:08:33.346 --> 04:08:42.478 - and all the work that we've done. Oh, one other thing I would like to say, one other thing is I think 04:08:42.478 --> 04:08:51.432 - we have some conflicts with June 9th. June 9th is the second Tuesday that we have. And so Councilor 04:08:51.432 --> 04:08:55.998 - Iverson is out and I actually will be out as well. 04:09:04.034 --> 04:09:12.822 - Oh, yes, yeah. And so last year, I remember I was saying that I think we should try to put in a recess 04:09:12.822 --> 04:09:21.525 - for that reason, just in case we have people that need to do things. And so I am going to say that we 04:09:21.525 --> 04:09:30.142 - are going to cancel June 9th. So did I have it down correct that we're supposed to do this if he had 04:09:30.142 --> 04:09:31.934 - traveled that night? 04:09:34.818 --> 04:09:44.266 - Well, we could bump that to the 23rd. Yeah. Especially because we are really, really early with Sophia 04:09:44.266 --> 04:09:53.622 - Travis. Shout out to staff for making that work and easy. And we have a meeting this upcoming Friday. 04:09:53.622 --> 04:10:01.694 - OK, so if you cancel the meeting, I would like to have that in a motion just so that we 04:10:02.882 --> 04:10:10.713 - Council, I move to cancel the June 9th County Council meeting. Second. Okay, we got a motion and a second. 04:10:10.713 --> 04:10:17.447 - Does anybody just want to sit here and have a meeting without the President and the Pro-10? 04:10:17.447 --> 04:10:24.766 - You can do it. All right, so all those in favor of canceling the June 9th meeting signify by saying 04:10:24.766 --> 04:10:32.158 - aye. Aye. All those opposed, same sign. Okay, June 9th is officially canceled. Yes, Councilor Feidl. 04:10:33.122 --> 04:10:42.975 - I'm really neglected to mention that I enjoyed the Memorial Day service this week, yesterday, right? 04:10:42.975 --> 04:10:52.926 - It hadn't been that long ago. So I was at the Rose Hill Cemetery with others, Councillor Crossley and 04:10:52.926 --> 04:11:00.926 - Councillor Decker, and then proceeded to go to the cemetery also, and it was just 04:11:01.858 --> 04:11:08.717 - what an expansive event that was. I wasn't expecting quite to be a big deal, but it turned out to be 04:11:08.717 --> 04:11:15.644 - quite the production and the speaker was just fantastic. So I think there was just a lot of heartfelt 04:11:15.644 --> 04:11:22.570 - messages there and appreciation for our veterans and my granddaughter serves in the Air Force now. So 04:11:22.570 --> 04:11:29.701 - I have two people close to my heart that I just wanted to say how much I appreciated doing part of that. 04:11:29.701 --> 04:11:31.806 - And that's Stephen and Andrew. 04:11:33.762 --> 04:11:43.231 - So thank you for putting that on and being able to get out and show support. Made the ultimate sacrifice. 04:11:43.231 --> 04:11:50.110 - All right, so with that being said, we are adjourned. Happy birthday, Mason.