WEBVTT 00:00:01.154 --> 00:00:11.653 - All right. Well, good evening, everybody. We will go ahead and get started. Thank you very much. I will 00:00:11.653 --> 00:00:22.151 - call this Monroe County Council meeting to order. Today is Tuesday, April 14th, the day before tax day, 00:00:22.151 --> 00:00:24.574 - 2026. The time is 5.02. 00:00:24.706 --> 00:00:33.267 - and we have a quorum here in the NETU Hill Room. We currently have counselors Henry, Iverson, Deckard, 00:00:33.267 --> 00:00:41.579 - Wilts, and Feidl. And I'm sure Councilor Huck will be joining us in the room here soon. So next up, 00:00:41.579 --> 00:00:49.891 - we will go ahead and recite our pledge. So all those that are able to stand, please stand. I pledge 00:00:49.891 --> 00:00:54.462 - allegiance to the flag of the United States of America 00:00:54.754 --> 00:01:04.080 - and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice 00:01:04.080 --> 00:01:13.682 - for all. And emphasis on all. All right. Next up is the adoption of tonight's agenda. Does anybody have 00:01:13.682 --> 00:01:23.377 - any changes or wishes to amend tonight's agenda? Yes, Councillor Iverson. Council, the Health Department 00:01:23.377 --> 00:01:24.670 - has requested 00:01:24.930 --> 00:01:32.700 - Uh requested that their request for additional appropriations Which is item eight i to be tabled to 00:01:32.700 --> 00:01:40.548 - the april 28th meeting So that's item eight i tabled to our april 28th meeting Also, I would move to 00:01:40.548 --> 00:01:48.785 - table indefinitely the aviation department's request for an additional appropriation In tonight's packet. 00:01:48.785 --> 00:01:54.846 - That's item eight l Okay So are there any other changes? Yes councillor wills 00:01:55.906 --> 00:02:07.104 - I would I've been asked by the Sheriff's Department if their series of items PQ are I assume that's 00:02:07.104 --> 00:02:18.526 - a P you eight no eight P eight Q okay eight Oh eight P and eight Q if those could be moved to earlier 00:02:18.526 --> 00:02:20.094 - in the agenda 00:02:22.018 --> 00:02:33.896 - I could move those to after the highway department and right before the clerk's office. Thank you. 00:02:33.896 --> 00:02:46.134 - All right. Any other? And where did you say you were moving those two? So those are going to go right 00:02:46.134 --> 00:02:48.414 - before the clerks. 00:02:49.154 --> 00:02:59.248 - conversation. So right after the last highway department. Thank you. Okay, so seeing if there are no 00:02:59.248 --> 00:03:09.343 - more changes to tonight's agenda, we will go ahead and adopt that. So all those in favor of adopting 00:03:09.343 --> 00:03:17.438 - tonight's agenda as amended signify by saying aye. All those opposed, same sign. 00:03:18.146 --> 00:03:24.967 - Okay. Motion carries. Thank you very much. All right. Next up is public comment. And so I can't imagine 00:03:24.967 --> 00:03:31.525 - what public comment won't want to be on for tonight. But we appreciate everybody that would like to 00:03:31.525 --> 00:03:38.214 - make public comment. So the rules for public comment are the same as they've always been. So you will 00:03:38.214 --> 00:03:39.198 - sign in at the 00:03:39.330 --> 00:03:44.565 - Lectern here in the NatU Hill room. The monitors around the room, you'll have up to three minutes to 00:03:44.565 --> 00:03:49.800 - make your comment. You'll state your name for the record. After you sign in, you'll have up to three 00:03:49.800 --> 00:03:55.190 - minutes. And then after you're done, you can kindly go back to your seat. But those that are in virtual 00:03:55.190 --> 00:04:00.529 - land via Teams, you can also raise your hand. I already see somebody has their hand raised. Again, you 00:04:00.529 --> 00:04:02.654 - should have a timer. TSD will have that. 00:04:02.786 --> 00:04:11.200 - on the screen for you via Teams. Again, you'll state your name for the record. You'll have up to three 00:04:11.200 --> 00:04:19.531 - minutes. And then again, this is for items that are not on tonight's agenda. So I will go to the NatU 00:04:19.531 --> 00:04:28.190 - Hill Room first. So I will go via Teams. And it looks like our friend Christopher MG has his hand raised. 00:04:28.450 --> 00:04:34.339 - I will go to Team's land first. So if you want to state your name for the record, you have up to three 00:04:34.339 --> 00:04:40.286 - minutes. And good evening, Madam President, council members, distinguished staff. This is Chris Terengi 00:04:40.286 --> 00:04:46.003 - from the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, your friend. We're a 900 member organization with 00:04:46.003 --> 00:04:52.121 - 80% of those entities being small businesses. I want to take a moment to highlight an upcoming opportunity 00:04:52.121 --> 00:04:56.638 - for civic engagement that's especially relevant given who's in tonight's room. 00:04:56.898 --> 00:05:03.449 - This reminds me of why I appreciate being part of this wonderful 110-year-old institution that is the 00:05:03.449 --> 00:05:09.871 - Chamber. On Tuesday, April 21st, that is a week from today, the Bloomington Chamber, in partnership 00:05:09.871 --> 00:05:16.294 - with Amplified Bloomington, Indiana Uplands Realtors, VASC, the builders, will host a light connect 00:05:16.294 --> 00:05:23.230 - at Constellation Stage and Screens Waldron Arts Center. That's from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. So a future candidates 00:05:23.586 --> 00:05:28.530 - in the Monroe County Commissioner's race, Democratic One, two individuals here tonight, Trent Deckard 00:05:28.530 --> 00:05:33.474 - and David Henry. In a community like ours, it's fair to say that this primary play a significant role 00:05:33.474 --> 00:05:38.079 - in determining the county's next commissioner. And ElectConnect is designed to be approachable 00:05:38.079 --> 00:05:43.024 - and informative, not a traditional debate format, but an opportunity to hear directly from candidates 00:05:43.024 --> 00:05:48.162 - engaging in conversation around issues that matter most to our community. From the Chamber's perspective, 00:05:48.162 --> 00:05:51.070 - this is kitchen table issues, housing supply affordability, 00:05:51.554 --> 00:05:57.162 - economic growth, and business climate, effective delivery of the county's core functions, courts, jails, 00:05:57.162 --> 00:06:02.502 - infrastructure, public health. The event is open to the public, so this is not a chamber membership 00:06:02.502 --> 00:06:07.843 - requirement at all. We'd like you to register at chamberbloomington.org. Certainly not required. We 00:06:07.843 --> 00:06:13.237 - welcome anyone who wants to be part of this informed, engaged community. This is a great venue. It's 00:06:13.237 --> 00:06:18.738 - a relaxed setting. There's going to be hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar, so make it an easy stop for next 00:06:18.738 --> 00:06:19.806 - Tuesday to connect. 00:06:20.066 --> 00:06:26.392 - It's four to 445 is the networking period program begins. After that, we encourage everyone, residents, 00:06:26.392 --> 00:06:32.780 - business leaders, stakeholders, council members, attend and take advantage of this wonderful opportunity 00:06:32.780 --> 00:06:38.924 - to shape Monroe County's future. Thank you. Appreciate the time tonight. Good luck with the meeting. 00:06:38.924 --> 00:06:45.068 - Thank you. We'll need it. Thank you so much. All right. Next up, we'll go to the lectern here in the 00:06:45.068 --> 00:06:49.630 - net. You know, we on here. Okay. Thanks, Christopher. That was a very nice 00:06:50.338 --> 00:06:57.313 - We're there about the elect connect hope to see lots of you there. Good evening council my name is Eric 00:06:57.313 --> 00:07:04.220 - spoon more I'm here as a resident. In taxpayer I want to take a few moments to talk about our jail and 00:07:04.220 --> 00:07:11.061 - the plan ahead as I understand it. We're down to two very different options I urge you to ground this 00:07:11.061 --> 00:07:16.158 - decision and considerations that go beyond land acquisition and site plans. 00:07:16.898 --> 00:07:23.601 - how you decide will reflect our shared values as a county and how we treat people at one of the most 00:07:23.601 --> 00:07:30.769 - vulnerable moments in their lives. Everyday individuals leave our jail system carrying enormous challenges, 00:07:30.769 --> 00:07:37.538 - mental health struggles, addiction, poverty, and often no reliable transportation or any semblance of 00:07:37.538 --> 00:07:44.440 - a support network. What happens in those first few hours matters. It can determine whether someone gets 00:07:44.440 --> 00:07:45.502 - a second chance 00:07:46.050 --> 00:07:52.284 - or falls right back into the cycle. That's why the existing Thompson property presents such a powerful 00:07:52.284 --> 00:07:58.397 - opportunity. It's not just land we already own, it's a location that connects people to hope and the 00:07:58.397 --> 00:08:04.873 - help they need. Located on the South Rogers corridor, it's served by reliable public transit with multiple 00:08:04.873 --> 00:08:11.107 - bus stops within walking distance. From there, people can access critical services like food pantries, 00:08:11.107 --> 00:08:15.646 - center stone health services, harm reduction programs, shelter facilities, 00:08:16.226 --> 00:08:22.340 - and the central transit hub is just minutes away. The site also sits next to one of the great gems of 00:08:22.340 --> 00:08:28.395 - our community, the community kitchen of Monroe County, where someone leaving the jail can get a warm 00:08:28.395 --> 00:08:34.450 - meal and peace if needed, perhaps their first sense of stability in days or weeks. Now let's compare 00:08:34.450 --> 00:08:40.624 - that to the proposed North Park site. Outside city limits without sidewalks or walkable infrastructure 00:08:40.624 --> 00:08:42.782 - and along a busy four lane highway. 00:08:43.586 --> 00:08:49.190 - For someone leaving jail custody without a car, it's not just inconvenient. It's unsafe. It gives a 00:08:49.190 --> 00:08:54.906 - perception that once you leave the custody of Monroe County, you're out there on your own. But that's 00:08:54.906 --> 00:09:00.679 - not who we are as a community. We believe in second chances here. We believe in lifting people up, not 00:09:00.679 --> 00:09:06.507 - leaving them behind. Our public investments should reflect those values. Choosing the Thompson property 00:09:06.507 --> 00:09:10.654 - is not just the more practical decision, it's the more compassionate one. 00:09:11.266 --> 00:09:17.707 - It recognizes that a jail is not just a place for confinement, but a critical point transition back 00:09:17.707 --> 00:09:24.212 - into our community. Those who continue deliberations, I urge you to give serious weight to the human 00:09:24.212 --> 00:09:30.781 - consequences of this decision. Financial considerations and attorney imposed timelines are important. 00:09:30.781 --> 00:09:37.415 - They matter, but they can't be the sole measure of success here. We have to account for the human cost 00:09:37.415 --> 00:09:41.086 - and the value of compassion in our decisions. And to me, 00:09:41.506 --> 00:09:48.886 - compassion is worth fighting for. It's worth sustaining in our community. So please help set that example 00:09:48.886 --> 00:09:56.197 - and pursue it with all the power vested in you. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, again, if you are wanting 00:09:56.197 --> 00:10:03.368 - to say something or make a public comment on Teams, please raise your hand. But if we have people that 00:10:03.368 --> 00:10:09.982 - are here in the room that'd like to speak again, you can start lining up and sign in your name 00:10:10.082 --> 00:10:18.664 - and state your name for the record and you'll have up to three minutes. Hi, can you guys hear me okay? 00:10:18.664 --> 00:10:27.080 - All right. My name is Wes Martin. I'm a firefighter with the City of Bloomington. I'm also the chair 00:10:27.080 --> 00:10:33.662 - of the Local 586 Political Action Committee, the Local Firefighters Union PAC. 00:10:34.082 --> 00:10:42.138 - And I appreciate Mr. Spoonmore speaking about how compassion should be at the forefront of our consideration 00:10:42.138 --> 00:10:50.120 - of a new jail site. I disagree with his characterization of the Thompson property as the most compassionate 00:10:50.120 --> 00:10:57.955 - of those. One of the things that the fire department does, primarily we are an emergency medical services 00:10:57.955 --> 00:11:03.646 - provider. 80% of our runs are medical in nature. In the city of Bloomington, 00:11:03.906 --> 00:11:12.586 - those runs are typically life threatening. I personally have run on the current jail site, probably 00:11:12.586 --> 00:11:22.135 - a dozen times in different capacities on engine one on the squad. While the current site presents significant 00:11:22.135 --> 00:11:30.902 - challenges due to the nature of its stairwells, it's Sallyport, the alleyway. Those issues of access 00:11:30.902 --> 00:11:32.030 - tend to have 00:11:33.762 --> 00:11:41.450 - negative correlations to patient outcomes. What does that mean? That means that the sooner we can get 00:11:41.450 --> 00:11:48.987 - to a patient and the sooner we can get that patient loaded and in route to an emergency department, 00:11:48.987 --> 00:11:56.901 - the more likely that patient is to have a better health outcome. Putting the site on South Rogers Street 00:11:56.901 --> 00:12:00.670 - presents significant challenges for us responders 00:12:00.930 --> 00:12:08.243 - getting to that site in a way that the North Thompson property would not. The IU Health Ambulance Depot 00:12:08.243 --> 00:12:15.415 - is across the street from the proposed site, and both Monroe and IU Health Hospitals are five minutes 00:12:15.415 --> 00:12:22.446 - away. When we are considering a new jail site, we need to consider the emergency uses of that site, 00:12:22.446 --> 00:12:30.110 - not just the accessibility and general use of that site. So I would, again, say please consider emergent use 00:12:30.242 --> 00:12:38.454 - when you are considering a new jail site. Thank you for your time. Thank you. I don't see any hands 00:12:38.454 --> 00:12:46.912 - raised via Teams. But again, you can. And so I'll look at the room here to see if there's anybody else 00:12:46.912 --> 00:12:54.878 - that would like to make public comment on items not on tonight's agenda. We got to take it here. 00:13:01.602 --> 00:13:11.396 - Hello. My name is Heather bland, and I am here with new leaf new life. We work with people who are currently 00:13:11.396 --> 00:13:20.382 - impacted by the legal system, both while they are in, and after they are least. And I think moving. 00:13:20.610 --> 00:13:28.434 - the jail outside of the city limits would be a detriment again to the availability of resources. Right 00:13:28.434 --> 00:13:36.183 - now the recidivism rate in the state of Indiana is around 38%. The people that come to us, we can get 00:13:36.183 --> 00:13:44.083 - to 13% and those that we get housed are under 6%. The reality of them making it to us when they're that 00:13:44.083 --> 00:13:47.198 - far out without access to transportation 00:13:47.330 --> 00:13:53.332 - without access to services is gonna greatly increase that rate of recidivism. The people that we see 00:13:53.332 --> 00:13:59.275 - want a chance and I believe that they deserve a second chance. I don't just stand here representing 00:13:59.275 --> 00:14:05.397 - New Leaf New Life as the director, I also was a participant in that program. And without accessibility 00:14:05.397 --> 00:14:11.340 - to the services, I don't know if I would be standing in front of you today. And so I really put the 00:14:11.340 --> 00:14:12.766 - weight on accessibility 00:14:12.930 --> 00:14:20.104 - and compassion for the people that we're trying to serve right now. There is a solution, and we can 00:14:20.104 --> 00:14:27.708 - come to that if we work together, but it's not going to happen from farther away. We need to bring people 00:14:27.708 --> 00:14:35.241 - in closer together. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, I will go to team's screen name, Kathleen. You should 00:14:35.241 --> 00:14:40.478 - be able to raise or unmute yourself and you'll have up to three minutes. 00:14:44.034 --> 00:14:51.853 - Can you all hear me? Yes. Hi, my name is Kathleen Paquette. I'm a long time Monroe County resident. 00:14:51.853 --> 00:14:59.751 - Many of you know me by now with my work with Careknot Cages. I suppose I just wanted to give you all 00:14:59.751 --> 00:15:07.101 - a little bit of a pep talk today. I was really surprised to see the motion filed by our board 00:15:07.101 --> 00:15:13.982 - of commissioners yesterday. And I think some of you were surprised to see that as well. 00:15:14.306 --> 00:15:21.714 - It's really frustrating to see. I have I have kept up with many of these meetings and watched you all 00:15:21.714 --> 00:15:28.976 - on council attempt to listen to all kinds of folks in the community and collaborate and it's really 00:15:28.976 --> 00:15:35.294 - frustrating for me to see this lack of collaboration on the part of our commissioners. 00:15:35.394 --> 00:15:43.166 - You all have heard all of the many reasons why North Park is a bad idea. I know that many of you agree 00:15:43.166 --> 00:15:51.165 - with and believe a lot of the reasons why it's a bad idea. So I'm not here to rehash all of those things. 00:15:51.165 --> 00:15:59.390 - I think I just want to encourage you all to not back down in the face of this behavior from your colleagues. 00:15:59.682 --> 00:16:07.360 - And I just really appreciate the work you all have done and I look forward to continuing to work on 00:16:07.360 --> 00:16:12.350 - a future with true justice for our county. Thank you. Thank you. 00:16:35.682 --> 00:16:42.046 - afternoon my name is Seth Mutchler I am a resident of Monroe County I am here today to comment about 00:16:42.046 --> 00:16:47.970 - the jail and the proposed North Park site members of Monroe County Council I am so sorry that 00:16:47.970 --> 00:16:54.712 - the commissioners and the ACLU have put you in this position to see it to as I see it in essence blackmail 00:16:54.712 --> 00:16:58.430 - you into bending to their will is completely inappropriate 00:16:58.530 --> 00:17:04.633 - They give us what we want or else. I don't even really know where to begin with that. And just as person 00:17:04.633 --> 00:17:10.561 - to people, it is unacceptable and simply unkind of them to blindside you and the public with this new 00:17:10.561 --> 00:17:16.374 - court filing. I'm going to implore you to please, even under these pressure tactics, to remain true 00:17:16.374 --> 00:17:22.244 - to your convictions and to remain true to the desires of your constituents. The public does not want 00:17:22.244 --> 00:17:25.150 - a jail at North Park. Your colleagues at the city 00:17:25.346 --> 00:17:31.220 - do not want a jail at North Park. I know two of our city council members put out a press release to 00:17:31.220 --> 00:17:37.445 - that very sentiment yesterday. Your business community does not want a jail at North Park. Social service 00:17:37.445 --> 00:17:43.319 - providers, the folks in the trenches doing the work, as you just heard, do not want a jail at North 00:17:43.319 --> 00:17:49.192 - Park. And you yourselves in October stated in no unclear terms that you do not want a jail in North 00:17:49.192 --> 00:17:53.950 - Park. Building a jail at North Park would be a tremendous harm to our community. 00:17:54.050 --> 00:18:04.960 - And I hope that when the time comes, and it seems like it's coming, that you will once again vote no 00:18:04.960 --> 00:18:16.193 - on a purchase order for that land. Thank you. Thank you. Any other takers via Teams or here in the NatU 00:18:16.193 --> 00:18:22.782 - Hill room? Last call. We got a hand raised. The name is Lee. 00:18:23.074 --> 00:18:32.994 - So you should be able to unmute yourself, state your name for the record, and you'll have up to three 00:18:32.994 --> 00:18:42.817 - minutes. And TSD, can we make sure we get the timer back on, please? Thank you. Hello. Hello. Hi, my 00:18:42.817 --> 00:18:52.542 - name is Lise Bruenpfeffer. I'm a resident of Monroe County. When I look at what we're trying to do, 00:18:53.090 --> 00:19:01.254 - to help people who get into trouble in Monroe County, one of the things that we've always said is that 00:19:01.254 --> 00:19:09.260 - we shouldn't put all the money into the jail. And, you know, somewhere along the line, that's gotten 00:19:09.260 --> 00:19:17.345 - lost. And I just want to bring that up. If, as you know, Senate Bill 1 hadn't happened, we would have 00:19:17.345 --> 00:19:22.814 - been doing just that. Senate Bill 1 reduced our financial capability 00:19:23.522 --> 00:19:33.295 - And for some reason, I feel like the commissioners aren't living in the world of post-Senate Bill 1. 00:19:33.295 --> 00:19:43.359 - And it makes more sense to use the Thompson property, maybe not for a jail, but for something less than 00:19:43.359 --> 00:19:51.390 - a jail, like a rehab facility, and then actually provide services like longer-term 00:19:52.258 --> 00:20:01.228 - or something like that to the community at that site. That would be reimbursed operationally by some 00:20:01.228 --> 00:20:10.109 - sort of Medicaid or health insurance. You know, we are moving into new territory in our budgets and 00:20:10.109 --> 00:20:19.346 - I think that doing things that are more effective are of the utmost importance at this time. Thank you. 00:20:19.346 --> 00:20:21.566 - Thank you. Anybody else? 00:20:22.082 --> 00:20:31.037 - In the room here or via teams. Last call. All right. Well, we appreciate everybody making public comment. 00:20:31.037 --> 00:20:39.485 - Often, I always like to tell people when public comment is being made. I think my colleagues and I, 00:20:39.485 --> 00:20:47.933 - if you see us kind of looking up and down and writing things, it's not like we're trying to not pay 00:20:47.933 --> 00:20:48.862 - attention. 00:20:49.122 --> 00:20:55.110 - like to write down everything, because I like to have a reflection of everything that the public is 00:20:55.110 --> 00:21:01.338 - saying, whether I agree with it or not, or whether we agree with it or not is up to us. But I just want 00:21:01.338 --> 00:21:07.626 - to say that we appreciate all public comment. So thank you very much in the room here and to those folks 00:21:07.626 --> 00:21:09.662 - that are on via Teams. All right. 00:21:10.082 --> 00:21:18.070 - Next up we will go to item number five which is department updates and so these are for also items not 00:21:18.070 --> 00:21:25.902 - on the agenda but we have some folks walking up here and department updates are up to 10 minutes and 00:21:25.902 --> 00:21:33.502 - we have Jordan Miller that has given us the annual or not annual the quarterly commissary report. 00:21:44.642 --> 00:21:54.188 - Good afternoon, Council. Jordan Miller, Financial Coordinator, Sheriff's Office and the Correctional 00:21:54.188 --> 00:22:04.207 - Center. Here to give you the 2026 first quarter summary of the Monroe County Commissary Fund. The balance 00:22:04.207 --> 00:22:13.470 - as of January 1st, 2026, $119,796.54. There's a total of $57,029.49 worth of commissary receipts. 00:22:13.570 --> 00:22:24.090 - $203.44 worth of interest from January through March. A total of $86,720.99 in expenditures, leaving 00:22:24.090 --> 00:22:34.922 - a remaining balance as of March 31st of $90,308.48, provided the three months worth of ledger receipts, 00:22:34.922 --> 00:22:42.526 - disbursements, and balances. And just to kind of touch on those, the top 00:22:42.626 --> 00:22:53.411 - Item was item number five of the approved commissary expenses, which is equipment, approximately 51.33% 00:22:53.411 --> 00:23:03.678 - or $44,512.42, followed by approximately 29.46% for items used for commissary resale, and finally, 00:23:03.678 --> 00:23:11.870 - approximately 7.59% for activities to maintain order and discipline within our 00:23:12.034 --> 00:23:20.832 - facility for inmates. If you have questions, I'm glad to answer those. Yes, Councillor Williams. 00:23:20.832 --> 00:23:30.175 - Could you, for everybody's edifications, provide some examples of that nine percent, the last category 00:23:30.175 --> 00:23:39.426 - that those are? This one is seven point five nine. Seven point five nine percent. So these are events 00:23:39.426 --> 00:23:41.694 - that I put together that 00:23:41.794 --> 00:23:49.434 - ensure that the the correctional staff works with the members of the facility. For instance, 00:23:49.434 --> 00:23:57.813 - on New Year's, we let everybody stay out later. Usually it's locked down at midnight, provided pizza, 00:23:57.813 --> 00:24:06.193 - popcorn, drinks, to provide some normalcy in a very abnormal environment. First, I did my best to try 00:24:06.193 --> 00:24:09.150 - to take care of those guys and that 00:24:09.410 --> 00:24:15.278 - work hard every day in the facility. We brought them out for the Super Bowl. We recently brought them 00:24:15.278 --> 00:24:21.376 - out with the national championship basketball where my Michigan Wolverines won the national championship. 00:24:21.376 --> 00:24:27.243 - We played basketball on an eight foot rim. I dominated, obviously. And for our cleaning crews that we 00:24:27.243 --> 00:24:33.054 - have inside the facility, we break it down in blocks. We make sure to incentivize that a little bit. 00:24:33.054 --> 00:24:37.886 - Show like, hey, we appreciate the extra work you're doing outside of what we clean. 00:24:38.018 --> 00:24:46.666 - So that's that's. Predominantly that that 7.59% is trying to give back in from the start of Sheriff 00:24:46.666 --> 00:24:55.401 - Martez administration. We said we wanted to use the money in the facility and that's what we work to 00:24:55.401 --> 00:25:04.050 - do with that part. Thank you. But yes, counselor Hawk. Yes, as many of us know, it's been following 00:25:04.050 --> 00:25:06.558 - the news. Not every sheriff. 00:25:06.786 --> 00:25:15.760 - the state has behaved as well as I expect out of you. So can you explain to us what we are doing differently 00:25:15.760 --> 00:25:24.157 - to follow the money and make sure that there's no misuse of the dollars? Does it have to do with this 00:25:24.157 --> 00:25:32.390 - financial review or you want to help us explain to the public how this is not going to happen under 00:25:32.390 --> 00:25:35.518 - your watch? I think it's pretty easy. 00:25:35.650 --> 00:25:41.998 - you can purchase items from commissary with. We we don't operate in a gray it's not what some 00:25:41.998 --> 00:25:48.751 - this administration does and then when we do have something that comes up like this audit that I'll 00:25:48.751 --> 00:25:55.706 - touch on here in a moment. We make sure to handle that very transparently and in the public. It's. But 00:25:55.706 --> 00:26:02.730 - I was speaking about other people, other sheriffs and other administrations who have been involved with 00:26:02.730 --> 00:26:04.958 - misuse. It's not that difficult. 00:26:05.154 --> 00:26:13.755 - to stay on the right line and do the right thing, which is why we moved to as a state quarterly reviews 00:26:13.755 --> 00:26:22.274 - of the commissary fund as well. So the state's trying to work on improving that. I don't know how it's 00:26:22.274 --> 00:26:26.078 - an issue. That's my answer. Add to that work. 00:26:26.306 --> 00:26:32.063 - continually finding areas where we can add checks and balances. I mean we go to the sheriff's associations 00:26:32.063 --> 00:26:37.496 - and such and we are communicating every time with the state board of accounts to hear me what we can 00:26:37.496 --> 00:26:42.930 - do better implementing extra checks and balances where we have other you know I'm the individual who 00:26:42.930 --> 00:26:48.418 - writes the checks and things of that sort direct association with these funds. Then we have two other 00:26:48.418 --> 00:26:51.646 - staff members in our office who are going through and doing 00:26:51.842 --> 00:27:00.248 - audits and reviews of these just continually adding additional checks and balances to ensure you know 00:27:00.248 --> 00:27:08.983 - these funds are being spent and used accordingly. Other questions? Councillor Decker. I just I appreciate 00:27:08.983 --> 00:27:16.318 - with the way that you all come in and talk about items that I'd say are items of dignity 00:27:16.418 --> 00:27:22.509 - And I just want to say also that I think probably of all the public agencies we have in Monroe County 00:27:22.509 --> 00:27:28.541 - family. You probably have more eyes on you than than most, and that means a whole variety of things. 00:27:28.541 --> 00:27:34.633 - But I appreciate very much the how meticulous you are with it and bring the report and coming in here 00:27:34.633 --> 00:27:40.724 - and talking to us about that so the public can see it and follow up with questions if they have it or 00:27:40.724 --> 00:27:43.710 - just more importantly understand that it happens. 00:27:46.370 --> 00:27:57.562 - Yes, Councillor Iverson. My question is about a mileage line. Our transition team director, Todd Smith, 00:27:57.562 --> 00:28:08.753 - in January, spent $2,677.75 on mileage. Where was that to? Is that just coming from... How do you spend 00:28:08.753 --> 00:28:16.286 - that much money in one month on mileage? A number of these items that 00:28:16.546 --> 00:28:23.493 - where this check was issued on, let me see, the 16th of January stemmed from things from last year that 00:28:23.493 --> 00:28:30.574 - we received the mileage receipts and reimbursements from various facility visits and things that I really 00:28:30.574 --> 00:28:37.655 - touched on, I believe, at the last meeting that we were at in January, a lot of those visits and facility 00:28:37.655 --> 00:28:44.336 - kind of prior to some of the later things taking place. But so that in January, that was reflective 00:28:44.336 --> 00:28:46.206 - of, like I said, I believe, 00:28:46.818 --> 00:28:53.259 - October, November, December of 2025. And then you'll notice as well, I'm sure you noticed in March, 00:28:53.259 --> 00:28:59.958 - actually on the 31st, we had another mileage reimbursement taking place for January, February and March 00:28:59.958 --> 00:29:06.721 - to these various events and outings and things specific to that transition team. I can certainly provide 00:29:06.721 --> 00:29:13.290 - additional information or specifics if necessary, but I don't have those specific trips and locations 00:29:13.290 --> 00:29:16.382 - in front of me. And they are at a reduced rate. 00:29:16.674 --> 00:29:25.622 - Sure. Did I hear you just say that the March 31st mileage for the transition team was for trips taken 00:29:25.622 --> 00:29:34.658 - in January, February, and March of this year? Yes, sir. I would like to see that breakdown. That would 00:29:34.658 --> 00:29:43.694 - be really helpful. Okay. Yes, Councillor Pio. So would these transportation numbers be normal, I mean, 00:29:43.694 --> 00:29:46.238 - or average, what you usually 00:29:46.530 --> 00:29:53.767 - per month or every three months. I mean this is for the transition the transition director and as I 00:29:53.767 --> 00:30:01.076 - mentioned it's at a reduced rate 25 cents per mile as agreed upon for the contract for his position. 00:30:01.076 --> 00:30:08.458 - It's just the various outings that are taking place again. What kind of outings are we talking about? 00:30:08.458 --> 00:30:13.886 - I don't have the specifics in front of me. They've gone for the steel cell 00:30:14.178 --> 00:30:22.252 - to see what kind of. Viewings see what what kind of cells to use what kind of told us to use what kind 00:30:22.252 --> 00:30:30.326 - of infrastructure we're looking at what kind of. Equipment will have in this facility all the way down 00:30:30.326 --> 00:30:38.400 - to the tables and chairs and seats and stools and that's that's the kind of things they're doing right 00:30:38.400 --> 00:30:42.398 - now thank you that gives me a good idea thank you. 00:30:42.530 --> 00:30:49.557 - I talked to councilmember Kate and Marty about the audit the external audit that we had completed. For 00:30:49.557 --> 00:30:56.379 - the dates of June 1 to February 28 June 1 of 23 to February 28 or 26. And they confirmed the amount 00:30:56.379 --> 00:31:03.406 - that we had in the German America bank account and it is prepared to be swept over obviously last time 00:31:03.406 --> 00:31:08.318 - we talked, I said we would we would speak first before remove anything. 00:31:08.514 --> 00:31:15.882 - So that audit is complete. I provided a copy to both liaisons and then I think you guys should have 00:31:15.882 --> 00:31:23.545 - gotten the rest of it today. And you can see that it breaks it down pretty well. The cost of that audit 00:31:23.545 --> 00:31:30.913 - was $1,896 and 52 cents. Indiana code does permit us to pay for that out of commissary, so it's not 00:31:30.913 --> 00:31:33.566 - a cost to the county incurred. But. 00:31:34.082 --> 00:31:40.990 - I wanted to break down a little bit what that sweep will look like moving forward. So every month this 00:31:40.990 --> 00:31:47.698 - internal commissary that we run that we started in June of 23 will be swept over at the end of each 00:31:47.698 --> 00:31:54.405 - month. So you won't see a large buildup. You'll see that swept over each month and you'll hear that 00:31:54.405 --> 00:32:01.246 - in your quarterly reviews for commissary moving forward as pretty normal course of action. As of now, 00:32:01.634 --> 00:32:15.054 - Like Jordan said, there's $108,148.60 in that balance. Currently, that total that you see on the audit 00:32:15.054 --> 00:32:28.473 - is $587,401.78. In March, we've accrued $21,650 for that sweep total, which will look at a grand total 00:32:28.473 --> 00:32:30.558 - of $609,052.14. 00:32:30.722 --> 00:32:40.769 - total for the sweep. Once we get that sweep completed, we'll have $717,274 in our commissary. So today 00:32:40.769 --> 00:32:50.817 - we reported that we had $108,000. We're moving $609,000 plus and getting that $717,000 plus total that 00:32:50.817 --> 00:32:52.670 - you're seeing now. 00:32:53.410 --> 00:33:01.089 - And one point of clarification, I provided Lieutenant Colonel Gibbons with the balance as of today, 00:33:01.089 --> 00:33:08.768 - standing at $108,148.60, which differs from our amount reflected as of March 31st, just to clarify. 00:33:08.768 --> 00:33:16.600 - So we'll move that over after the probably next coming days. And then we'll be able to report that as 00:33:16.600 --> 00:33:18.366 - normal moving forward. 00:33:22.690 --> 00:33:30.605 - Any other questions? Yes, Councillor Williams. I know that if somebody just is tuning in right now, 00:33:30.605 --> 00:33:38.599 - they're like, what is happening? You just like ballooned your commissary fund. And I would encourage 00:33:38.599 --> 00:33:46.513 - anybody with questions to go back and look at when you presented on the issue that that you all had 00:33:46.513 --> 00:33:51.262 - discovered and then initiated the audit to investigate. But 00:33:53.634 --> 00:34:01.547 - the communication that you all have had on this issue and throughout the audit and just kind of keeping 00:34:01.547 --> 00:34:09.308 - us all up to date on it. So are you planning a trip to Disney World? No, I'm just kidding, that part. 00:34:09.308 --> 00:34:16.917 - That is not covered in the commissary. Okay, all right, no. Thank you. Councilors. Section eight of 00:34:16.917 --> 00:34:21.406 - the audit outlines four recommendations for future action. 00:34:21.570 --> 00:34:28.984 - Are any of these for they seem pretty standard, but I mean, can you kind of talk us through how are 00:34:28.984 --> 00:34:36.398 - these tweaks to procedures that are already occurring? Or are they brand new procedures that you're 00:34:36.398 --> 00:34:44.405 - going to be implementing in your department at first? Well, basically changes have been made. We discovered 00:34:44.405 --> 00:34:46.110 - and I'm sure it's you. 00:34:46.210 --> 00:34:52.682 - I'm sure you've had time to review this, but changes have been, there were some discrepancies with regards 00:34:52.682 --> 00:34:59.153 - to the reports taking place. The figures, the balances that we owed to our offsite vendors were accurately 00:34:59.153 --> 00:35:05.201 - being reported to us and we were paying those totals out. However, some of the items on the list in 00:35:05.201 --> 00:35:11.008 - the kiosks and such in various reports were reflected as onsite items. So there were some minor 00:35:11.008 --> 00:35:13.790 - discrepancies, for instance, with post stamp. 00:35:13.922 --> 00:35:20.787 - and postage letters and things of that sort that one can buy on commissary. That was kind of slightly 00:35:20.787 --> 00:35:27.518 - skewing the total on various reports, which this is reflected, and I believe in section eight, just 00:35:27.518 --> 00:35:34.249 - the standardized method, which we've determined the process now of what we're gonna do or how we're 00:35:34.249 --> 00:35:41.182 - gonna do it. We're gonna make these sweeps monthly, and we're confident moving forward this, you know, 00:35:41.570 --> 00:35:47.110 - no issues will arise. So here's what we did. We realized that there was a discrepancy with 00:35:47.110 --> 00:35:53.260 - CPC's communication with us, and that's why the money was never moved from one account to the other. 00:35:53.260 --> 00:35:59.470 - And before we moved that account and kind of touched on what Councilmember Wills just said, before we 00:35:59.470 --> 00:36:05.558 - moved anything, we wanted to make sure they were the right numbers. But we brought CPC in for three 00:36:05.558 --> 00:36:09.150 - training days, trained all staff that touched that system. 00:36:09.346 --> 00:36:17.148 - and we developed a procedure that should be seamless moving forward. The good thing about that is, is 00:36:17.148 --> 00:36:24.797 - it really made us focus on our in-house sales and how we're gonna move it and when we're gonna move 00:36:24.797 --> 00:36:32.599 - it. So we'll get these reconciliations from CPC, the company, and to move to German America and we'll 00:36:32.599 --> 00:36:38.718 - just, we will do it on the end of the last day of each month, move the in-house 00:36:39.074 --> 00:36:45.053 - And then we'll be able to correctly reflect that. So that is the procedure. A lot of this was already 00:36:45.053 --> 00:36:51.149 - in place. That's how we knew the money was there. That's how we knew what it was. We just couldn't move 00:36:51.149 --> 00:36:57.011 - it before we verified that that was the right fund. Okay. All right. Well, seeing that there are no 00:36:57.011 --> 00:37:02.462 - other further questions or comments, we thank you for your time. Appreciate that. Thank you. 00:37:03.682 --> 00:37:11.914 - great next up we have another department update from miss Lisa Ridge which is our highway department 00:37:11.914 --> 00:37:20.228 - director giving us the annual tip report. So Jeff Cockrell usually does this but I think publicly for 00:37:20.228 --> 00:37:28.542 - Indiana code at a public meeting we are to announce that you have received the annual reports for all 00:37:28.542 --> 00:37:32.862 - the tip districts. We have. We are seeing thank you. 00:37:34.114 --> 00:37:44.294 - Great. Are there any other department updates that would like to make a department update? Do the place 00:37:44.294 --> 00:37:54.082 - is okay? Fine. It's been some time since we came and spoke to council about vacancies, so I thought 00:37:54.082 --> 00:38:02.206 - it might be an appropriate time to bring everybody up to speed. Break it down into 00:38:02.338 --> 00:38:09.582 - into both the jail and on the merit officer side. So first off on the jail side it's much less complex 00:38:09.582 --> 00:38:16.615 - than the merit side. We're holding our own holding serve if you will there at the jail right now we 00:38:16.615 --> 00:38:23.648 - have two vacancies. We have one person that has already put in their two week notice that will move 00:38:23.648 --> 00:38:30.892 - that up to three and we then we have at least two individuals that have expressed to us that they will 00:38:30.892 --> 00:38:31.806 - be departing 00:38:32.034 --> 00:38:39.479 - soon so that that's going to take us up to take us up to five but in the interim time so we do know 00:38:39.479 --> 00:38:47.445 - those vacancies are approaching so Kyle does a really really good job of maintaining an applicant database 00:38:47.445 --> 00:38:55.261 - reaching out to those people beginning investigation so they almost coincide with the time that a person 00:38:55.261 --> 00:38:58.686 - is leaving to when they're hired particularly 00:38:58.946 --> 00:39:05.359 - For example, this person with two week notice, not gonna happen. It'll be maybe a two or three week 00:39:05.359 --> 00:39:12.093 - lapse where that vacancy will sit. But when we have people that come in to say, hey, I'm in this process 00:39:12.093 --> 00:39:18.570 - for another law enforcement agency, and they're telling me it's going to be a June 15th higher date, 00:39:18.570 --> 00:39:25.048 - we'll go ahead and start that selection process and get it up to a point where now all we have to do 00:39:25.048 --> 00:39:28.190 - is to do a background, and then when that person 00:39:28.354 --> 00:39:35.789 - does tell us, then we can simply go back around and get that person hired within that two week period 00:39:35.789 --> 00:39:43.079 - of time. So Kyle is very efficient at that. So we routinely run between two and five vacancies most 00:39:43.079 --> 00:39:50.442 - time on the lower end of that because of Kyle's method of operation there. So I just wanted to bring 00:39:50.442 --> 00:39:57.950 - you up to speed that the jail is still doing relatively well. I mean, there's hardly any place I think 00:39:58.082 --> 00:40:04.867 - in any employment environment right now that everybody's fully staffed all the time. There's always 00:40:04.867 --> 00:40:11.992 - this turnover and you're dealing with a bit. That speaks to his administration well that they're dealing 00:40:11.992 --> 00:40:18.778 - with it pretty quickly and efficiently. On the merit side, the selection process is much, much more 00:40:18.778 --> 00:40:25.699 - detailed. It's much more lengthy. And I know, as we mentioned earlier, Senate Bill 1 rang everybody's 00:40:25.699 --> 00:40:27.870 - bell in many different aspects. 00:40:28.098 --> 00:40:37.240 - We spoke to the council back in November of twenty twenty four and kind of. All. Could be happening 00:40:37.240 --> 00:40:46.564 - with our merit side and I it's it's starting to come to fruition here so. I just thought it before we 00:40:46.564 --> 00:40:55.706 - get into crisis mode here to at least bring you up to speed so. In just in in twenty twenty five we 00:40:55.706 --> 00:40:56.894 - ran to merit 00:40:57.474 --> 00:41:08.006 - We had 38 applicants. In that first process, we netted zero hires out of that process. We took six people 00:41:08.006 --> 00:41:18.638 - to background in polygraphs, and they all failed. Every one of them. Six failed the polygraph examination, 00:41:18.638 --> 00:41:22.910 - which as we know is a test of veracity and 00:41:23.490 --> 00:41:31.748 - what you've done in your past life that may or may not affect you. So what can we derive from that? 00:41:31.748 --> 00:41:40.006 - And unfortunately, that's a quality of applicant issue that we're struggling with right now. So the 00:41:40.006 --> 00:41:48.429 - second process we ran, ironically enough, killed 38 applicants, and we were able to take one hire out 00:41:48.429 --> 00:41:53.054 - of that for two vacancies. So as we currently sit here, 00:41:53.378 --> 00:41:59.774 - As I speak to you today, we have two vacancies. The person that we're going to be bringing on will be 00:41:59.774 --> 00:42:06.108 - bringing on, I think, next week, drop us down to one vacancy. That's the good news. For that person, 00:42:06.108 --> 00:42:12.504 - it's going to be about a year before they're ready to go. The time to go to the academy, because this 00:42:12.504 --> 00:42:15.326 - person is not a lateral, this person is just 00:42:15.938 --> 00:42:22.896 - some individuals with no police experience that will send to the academy has got to go through an FTO 00:42:22.896 --> 00:42:30.126 - training program and all that process. It's usually about a year before it before that person is eligible 00:42:30.126 --> 00:42:37.493 - to hit the road with our confidence that they can manage what comes their way. So we're starting a process. 00:42:37.493 --> 00:42:44.382 - We started at Sunday for for this year to refill our remaining vacancy. Here's here's the issue that 00:42:44.578 --> 00:42:53.045 - that I wanted to bring to your attention, that we just received notification that one of our most senior 00:42:53.045 --> 00:43:01.270 - officers, not eligible for retirement, but a senior officer, is going to be leaving our ranks, though 00:43:01.270 --> 00:43:09.414 - that drops us right back down to two vacancies. We have two other officers that have formed us. They 00:43:09.414 --> 00:43:14.494 - are in application process for other law enforcement agencies. 00:43:15.170 --> 00:43:22.971 - We have one that's in the process for another governmental agency and in the latter stages of that. 00:43:22.971 --> 00:43:30.850 - So, you know, I don't know how that's going to pan out, but I'd say the one I spoke of that's in the 00:43:30.850 --> 00:43:38.651 - latter process, I'd say there's a good chance that we're going to lose that individual. We're up to 00:43:38.651 --> 00:43:44.190 - three vacancies. If the other two happens, then that's five vacancies. 00:43:44.450 --> 00:43:51.020 - put a little icing on the cake, we have three officers out on FML. So, you know, if you if you look 00:43:51.020 --> 00:43:57.657 - at it in whole about the real picture, while we certain why I stand here today, we have one vacancy, 00:43:57.657 --> 00:44:04.358 - we can say, well, wow, we've made some progress here. But it's one step forward, two steps back here. 00:44:04.358 --> 00:44:10.206 - So and the last thing I want to throw out to you is in those processes that I mentioned, 00:44:10.722 --> 00:44:19.196 - We have lost applicants. We lost a really, really good applicant just last week that we were planning 00:44:19.196 --> 00:44:27.754 - on filling our last vacancy with to the state police. We have lost applicants to BPD, and we have lost 00:44:27.754 --> 00:44:36.228 - applicants to IUPD. So it's all concentrated in the area in which we compete where we're losing these 00:44:36.228 --> 00:44:40.382 - applicants. So it's something for us to consider. 00:44:40.674 --> 00:44:50.354 - I'm not asking for answers. I'm not looking for answers. I'm just giving you information that the Sheriff's 00:44:50.354 --> 00:44:59.586 - Office is going to be entering into a struggle here. We will do the best we can with what we have, but 00:44:59.586 --> 00:45:08.638 - that's the reality of where we sit right now. Questions? Anybody got any questions? I do. Oh, sorry. 00:45:08.802 --> 00:45:17.149 - Yes, Councilor Welch. So I did notice on social media that y'all posted the big. Yes. Advertisement, 00:45:17.149 --> 00:45:25.412 - which is cool. Yeah, I mean, get far and wide with that. But I didn't notice anything then for like 00:45:25.412 --> 00:45:33.676 - the jail position. So is is there like enough of a law, a backlog of applicants that you don't need 00:45:33.676 --> 00:45:36.734 - to do that? Yeah, ironically enough. 00:45:37.058 --> 00:45:44.424 - Uh, the jail position applications seem to scream in pretty regularly and, uh, you know, a part of that 00:45:44.424 --> 00:45:51.578 - is, is that a lot of those, the people that apply for those positions, they're looking to, they have 00:45:51.578 --> 00:45:58.873 - no experience. So they see that as a way to, I don't like this term, but get your foot in the door or, 00:45:58.873 --> 00:46:02.910 - you know, uh, get some experience. So they utilize that. 00:46:03.106 --> 00:46:09.215 - as that stepping stone and we have lost people from the jail to law enforcement agencies which when 00:46:09.215 --> 00:46:15.508 - that happens I feel pretty good about that we've hired a quality applicant that worked in our facility 00:46:15.508 --> 00:46:21.923 - to give him enough experience that he could go on to become a you know in a police officer. So yes we're 00:46:21.923 --> 00:46:28.155 - we're not in a in a situation here where we've got to go out and just you know beat the bushes to get 00:46:28.155 --> 00:46:32.798 - applicants for the jail facility and a lot of the because there are so many 00:46:32.994 --> 00:46:39.596 - jail officers, a lot of those applicants, we get our word of mouth of, hey, you know, 00:46:39.596 --> 00:46:47.504 - this jail's, comparatively, our jail payroll pays well for surrounding counties. And I think they tell 00:46:47.504 --> 00:46:55.488 - them that the work environment there is pretty good. And so we get a lot of applications simply because 00:46:55.488 --> 00:47:02.014 - of other jail officers recruiting their co-workers. Thank you. Yes, Councillor Hock. 00:47:03.234 --> 00:47:12.013 - I think you might expect some vacancies as some of the younger people that come to work at the jail, 00:47:12.013 --> 00:47:20.705 - and they're really not long term for the jail. Many of them, I think you've, someone from the jails 00:47:20.705 --> 00:47:29.310 - told me, perhaps students or someone that is graduating and moving on and not staying in the area. 00:47:29.730 --> 00:47:37.707 - So I think it's it's good if you're able to continue to keep that staff far and and it doesn't seem 00:47:37.707 --> 00:47:45.923 - like that long ago that we just couldn't keep people working in that jail. So obviously conditions are 00:47:45.923 --> 00:47:53.980 - better there because people don't want to stay where they're that unhappy. I think it's I think it's 00:47:53.980 --> 00:47:58.686 - twofold. I think it is the pay and benefit structure for a 00:47:58.946 --> 00:48:05.406 - correctional facility, which is pretty solid here. I think that the changes that Kyle has made in that 00:48:05.406 --> 00:48:11.866 - jail in terms of the environment itself, and I think the changes that he's made in terms of leadership 00:48:11.866 --> 00:48:18.137 - and accessibility to leadership, the ability to quickly interdict employment issues that, you know, 00:48:18.137 --> 00:48:24.472 - someone has a family issue, someone has something outside, he mitigates those pretty well. And then, 00:48:24.472 --> 00:48:27.294 - you know, there's increased training so that 00:48:27.586 --> 00:48:33.504 - those individuals that are in that facility, that work in that facility, feel more comfortable with 00:48:33.504 --> 00:48:39.480 - how they go about their jobs. The use force issues that once plagued that facility have been reduced 00:48:39.480 --> 00:48:45.575 - greatly, which, as you can imagine, greatly reduces the stress upon a corrections officer if they know 00:48:45.575 --> 00:48:51.552 - they're not going to face. There's always that. There's always that possibility. And that will never 00:48:51.552 --> 00:48:56.286 - go away. And that's not what I'm saying. But anything you can do to reduce that 00:48:56.514 --> 00:49:03.712 - and there are things that you can do and Kyle's proven that though all of those it's just it's all of 00:49:03.712 --> 00:49:10.770 - those things can kind of combine together to make that a little more operationally efficient than I 00:49:10.770 --> 00:49:17.897 - think it than it you know has been. Yes Councilor Frye. So I would be interested to know if you know 00:49:17.897 --> 00:49:25.025 - or have heard feedback from the people lost applicants that went to the state police or elsewhere if 00:49:25.025 --> 00:49:26.366 - they're giving you 00:49:26.722 --> 00:49:35.616 - of why they decided to come here? Well, I hesitate to say this, but almost every one of them, unilaterally, 00:49:35.616 --> 00:49:44.015 - it's pay. It's pay and benefits, but mainly pay, as I was when I started out. I knew the state police 00:49:44.015 --> 00:49:51.838 - had a pension plan. I didn't care. I thought I was going to be a state police officer forever. 00:49:51.938 --> 00:49:59.977 - and my career would last forever, but I woke up in 25 years and that patient was pretty important. So 00:49:59.977 --> 00:50:07.858 - young guys walking in the door, they're looking at training and pay and vehicle and all that stuff, 00:50:07.858 --> 00:50:15.976 - but the pay is the unilateral issue. That's what got our applicant that we just found out earlier this 00:50:15.976 --> 00:50:19.838 - week that he was going to the ISP. Anybody else? 00:50:21.986 --> 00:50:28.882 - Thank you for your time. I really appreciate your time. Thanks. All right. Anybody else that would like 00:50:28.882 --> 00:50:35.712 - to make a department updates for items not on tonight's agenda? All right. Seeing none, we'll move on. 00:50:35.712 --> 00:50:42.608 - Thank you. We normally would move to consent agenda items, but we don't have any this evening. So we'll 00:50:42.608 --> 00:50:49.570 - dive right into the meat and potatoes of our agenda. And so we will start off with the higher and freeze 00:50:49.570 --> 00:50:51.294 - review item number seven. 00:50:51.746 --> 00:50:59.051 - Council, I move to open for discussion and possible approval of the court's request to be exempt from 00:50:59.051 --> 00:51:06.428 - the hiring freeze and be allowed to hire and fund 1000-0225 County General Court's one full-time court 00:51:06.428 --> 00:51:07.646 - bailiff. Second. 00:51:07.874 --> 00:51:13.386 - All right, we got a motion in a second. Welcome. Hello. Decoff wanted me to apologize for her. She was 00:51:13.386 --> 00:51:19.004 - planning on attending, but she is at a judicial conference in Indy where they asked her to be a speaker. 00:51:19.004 --> 00:51:24.462 - So she wasn't able to make it back in time. So she's speaking up there in Indianapolis right now. She 00:51:24.462 --> 00:51:29.920 - was coming. I am here asking to fill our court bailiff position. It's been vacant now for a couple of 00:51:29.920 --> 00:51:32.382 - weeks. I currently have seven total bailiffs. 00:51:32.706 --> 00:51:38.179 - One bailiff has always stayed at the front door of the Justice Building for security and one has to 00:51:38.179 --> 00:51:43.761 - be next door in the Curry Building because Commissioner Rayper has a courtroom there. So taking those 00:51:43.761 --> 00:51:49.288 - two out, I have five bailiffs left then to cover nine courts in the Justice Building. So needless to 00:51:49.288 --> 00:51:55.034 - say, they're frantically scrounging around. Last week I had one out on a planned vacation and two called 00:51:55.034 --> 00:51:57.278 - in sick. So I was three more short down. 00:51:57.602 --> 00:52:03.217 - my poor bailiff side where they were running frantic throughout. So security, obviously, this time of 00:52:03.217 --> 00:52:08.336 - year, or any time of year, actually time of day, I should say, is very, very important. They 00:52:08.336 --> 00:52:13.841 - cover everything. I listed on here all the stuff that they do. This is a small thing. They do a lot 00:52:13.841 --> 00:52:19.401 - more than what is in there. But I'm just asking to see if we can get that filled as soon as possible 00:52:19.401 --> 00:52:24.960 - for security of the judges and the public. OK. All right. Looking at counsel here. And I already saw 00:52:24.960 --> 00:52:26.942 - a hand fly up. Counselor Hawk. Yes. 00:52:27.298 --> 00:52:34.109 - Would you say that in most counties, or in some counties, that the bailiff is under the sheriff and 00:52:34.109 --> 00:52:40.988 - trained by the sheriff? Some of them are. Some counties, actually, the bailiff is actually the court 00:52:40.988 --> 00:52:48.344 - reporter. A court reporter is a bailiff, because security, like you said, is with the sheriff's department. 00:52:48.344 --> 00:52:55.223 - But I know that that has been discussed in the past, but it's always remained underneath our judges. 00:52:55.223 --> 00:52:56.926 - It just seems to me that 00:52:58.018 --> 00:53:04.818 - that security person there in that courtroom is try to train this person in security. It would seem 00:53:04.818 --> 00:53:11.618 - to me it'd be far more appropriate for people who are accustomed to working through security. I can 00:53:11.618 --> 00:53:18.894 - tell you most of my bailiffs I have are retired from either Bloomington Police Department or the Sheriff's 00:53:18.894 --> 00:53:25.694 - Department. They retire because they can draw their pension through that and then get our bailiffs, 00:53:25.694 --> 00:53:27.870 - which obviously is a lower pay. 00:53:27.970 --> 00:53:34.288 - But that's what the majority of mine are, because of the fact that they have that experience, which 00:53:34.288 --> 00:53:40.985 - I love having that knowledge as my bailiffs. I'm just suggesting we might give that some thought, because 00:53:40.985 --> 00:53:47.556 - that would really be up to us, I think, as to where we would put that position. But I would really like 00:53:47.556 --> 00:53:54.000 - to make sure that you're not stuck with trying to train somebody, because you won't always be able to 00:53:54.000 --> 00:53:57.854 - get somebody who's retired and has already had the training. 00:53:58.050 --> 00:54:05.002 - And boy, we see lots of strange things happen. And we want to make sure people are safe in those courtrooms. 00:54:05.002 --> 00:54:11.571 - And we've had some that have worked in the jail in other counties. So they're familiar with that, too, 00:54:11.571 --> 00:54:17.694 - that we've had apply. So I'm lucky in that regard. Anybody else have any questions or comments? 00:54:21.826 --> 00:54:29.858 - All right, seeing none, we'll move on to public comment. If you have public comment on this item, you 00:54:29.858 --> 00:54:37.890 - can come forward to the lectern here in the Nattie Hill room or raise your hand via Teams. And seeing 00:54:37.890 --> 00:54:45.843 - none, maybe please have a roll call vote. Councilor Crossley? Yes. Councilor Iverson? Yes. Councilor 00:54:45.843 --> 00:54:50.174 - Feidl? Yes. Councilor Haas? Yes. Councilor Wilts? Yes. 00:54:50.978 --> 00:54:57.683 - Councilor Henry? Yes. Councilor Decker? Yes. Motion passes unanimous. Great. Thank you. I want to announce 00:54:57.683 --> 00:55:04.075 - one more thing before I leave since I haven't said anything. I am officially retiring. I've been here 00:55:04.075 --> 00:55:10.404 - for 34 years. I have decided it's time to move to Florida to warmer days. So my last day as a county 00:55:10.404 --> 00:55:16.670 - employee will be June 30th, the last day of June. So it's coming up here very quickly. So I will be 00:55:16.670 --> 00:55:19.678 - filling out paperwork to start filling my spot. 00:55:21.474 --> 00:55:27.229 - I love my three, four years. I've been in just about every spot in the justice building, not at Bailiff, 00:55:27.229 --> 00:55:32.875 - but not anything with an attorney. But for the courts, I started out as a court reporter. I became the 00:55:32.875 --> 00:55:38.576 - jury coordinator. I became the deputy court administrator, the court administrator. So congratulations. 00:55:38.576 --> 00:55:44.166 - Part of it's sad. Congratulations. I'm going to throw on get you paperwork with not telling you first 00:55:44.166 --> 00:55:48.990 - why. Well, we appreciate that. And we thank you for your service. And it will be a sad. 00:55:49.314 --> 00:55:57.374 - time. It will be sexy. We won't see you during budget. No, that's why. That's why I joined me last year 00:55:57.374 --> 00:56:05.667 - because I said hopefully maybe she'll be able to take over my spot. I've trained her well. So yes, Martin. 00:56:05.667 --> 00:56:13.649 - It just seems like yesterday the Bonnie was leaving. No, I started I was here years ago. Is that then? 00:56:13.649 --> 00:56:15.742 - 2018 is when I started. So 00:56:16.194 --> 00:56:22.850 - If you hang around here long enough, you get to retire. Actually, Vicki Tavenall hired me. She was the 00:56:22.850 --> 00:56:29.441 - court administrator 34 years ago. So she hires me. It should be a little easier. You'll have one less 00:56:29.441 --> 00:56:35.902 - court to be worried about. That's our secret, figuring out now. Please don't say, did you intend to 00:56:35.902 --> 00:56:42.752 - spend the same kind of money? Because we're going to tell you you can't. Well, before you hit retirement, 00:56:42.752 --> 00:56:45.918 - we are going to give you some evening time back. 00:56:46.050 --> 00:56:52.398 - because it's still light out. So we appreciate that. Thank you very much. And I think my husband's been 00:56:52.398 --> 00:56:58.563 - texting me how much longer because I think he's waiting for supper. Well, thank you. Congratulations 00:56:58.563 --> 00:57:03.934 - on your upcoming retirement. All right. Next up, we have item B from employee services. 00:57:05.218 --> 00:57:13.001 - Council, I move to open for discussion and possible approval of the Employee Service Department's request 00:57:13.001 --> 00:57:20.491 - to be exempt from the hiring freeze and be allowed to hire and fund 1000-0309 County General Employee 00:57:20.491 --> 00:57:27.980 - Services, a full-time HR director. Becca. All right, we got a motion and a second and I got something 00:57:27.980 --> 00:57:33.854 - in mind. But we have Ms. Purdy here, welcome. Thank you. And I want to say that 00:57:34.018 --> 00:57:41.969 - Vicki Tabana hired me also as a probation officer so Vicki's hired a lot of us county employees I think. 00:57:41.969 --> 00:57:49.617 - So yes I'm here to request the the ability to fill the recently vacated position of our HR director. 00:57:49.617 --> 00:57:57.341 - If you've got any questions I'm happy to answer them. I just kind of want to give a highlight of some 00:57:57.341 --> 00:58:02.718 - of the things that actually goes on in that office. They help with the 00:58:02.978 --> 00:58:11.132 - The office as a whole, and we've got right now basically one and a half people in there, posting vacancies, 00:58:11.132 --> 00:58:18.683 - managing outreach, screening applicants. They process all the new hire paperwork. So as Ms. Abraham 00:58:18.683 --> 00:58:26.384 - is leaving and the new is coming in, there'll be paperwork that'll be associated with this particular 00:58:26.384 --> 00:58:31.518 - office. And ideally, the director is going to have direct input on. 00:58:31.618 --> 00:58:42.013 - They process new hire paperwork, conduct mandatory trainings, ensure the adherence to merit principles. 00:58:42.013 --> 00:58:52.409 - They are an important player to ensure that the county remains compliant with federal, state, and local 00:58:52.409 --> 00:58:58.206 - laws, helping to reduce our exposure as much as possible. 00:58:58.370 --> 00:59:06.046 - The director is especially important in addressing employee relations, such as workplace concerns, conflicts, 00:59:06.046 --> 00:59:13.513 - grievances, questions related to policy interpretation. They also help in the development of our personnel 00:59:13.513 --> 00:59:20.561 - policy, which is actually ultimately underneath the board of commissioners and approved by the board 00:59:20.561 --> 00:59:22.654 - of judges and the prosecutor. 00:59:22.978 --> 00:59:33.252 - are involved in performance management, helping to guide supervisors as they are dealing with performance 00:59:33.252 --> 00:59:43.332 - situations. And they are robust in our benefits administration. So I ask for your consideration on this 00:59:43.332 --> 00:59:52.830 - and questions. Great, thank you. We'll go to Councilor Haas first. Yes, I didn't hear you mention 00:59:52.962 --> 01:00:02.426 - the payroll. Okay. Yes, payroll is in the employee services department, but that's not a true HR function. 01:00:02.426 --> 01:00:11.359 - So that's why I didn't bring it up. I get that. I understand it's not an HR function. And that's why 01:00:11.359 --> 01:00:20.204 - I have a concern with it. And that's not a secret. I've tried to share that with as many people who 01:00:20.204 --> 01:00:22.238 - I could get to listen. 01:00:22.626 --> 01:00:29.934 - I've said from the beginning, payroll is supposed to be under the auditors, and should not be under 01:00:29.934 --> 01:00:37.387 - the commissioners. And actually, the way it's set up, it's literally under the commissioners, and the 01:00:37.387 --> 01:00:45.060 - commissioners are the one who will vote up or down the payroll and claims given to them, and an employee 01:00:45.060 --> 01:00:52.222 - under them is the one that is working on this. Now, you can tell me all kinds of boohoo you want, 01:00:52.674 --> 01:00:59.673 - But I think that's an internal control problem. And I think we should address it. And that's my secret. 01:00:59.673 --> 01:01:06.604 - I've been saying that for how long ever since this happened. And I'm not saying this is your fault and 01:01:06.604 --> 01:01:13.400 - say that you made this happen. But I think if you talk to other counties, or you're not going to see 01:01:13.400 --> 01:01:17.438 - payroll being done under the auspices of the commissioners. 01:01:18.274 --> 01:01:27.706 - And this would be an opportune time before we hire a new HR position to remove the responsibilities 01:01:27.706 --> 01:01:37.421 - of those positions that's covering payroll. And I know it's a lot more for the auditor, but it's under 01:01:37.421 --> 01:01:47.230 - the auditor's responsibilities. So if we don't do that, we have no one but ourselves at fault for this. 01:01:48.354 --> 01:01:56.367 - And I've tried. Councilor Henry? Thank you, Madam President. Thank you, Councilor Hock, for bringing 01:01:56.367 --> 01:02:04.540 - that question. So I guess just to get my own education up, I'd open it to anybody that knows. When did 01:02:04.540 --> 01:02:12.474 - we move that position, the payroll, into our HR practice? How many years has that been going on? It 01:02:12.474 --> 01:02:15.806 - was before I was in the auditor's office. 01:02:15.938 --> 01:02:24.858 - So I'm actually uncertain. Do you recall, Ms. Purdy? It's been a while. It was during... I guess I'm 01:02:24.858 --> 01:02:34.219 - asking you to see if you get the answer. So I wanted to know maybe if the auditor knows if other auditors 01:02:34.219 --> 01:02:43.934 - in other counties do payroll to get that answer. Yes, most do. It's a statutory duty of the auditor's office. 01:02:44.130 --> 01:02:53.706 - However, I am aware that some counties that have HR, it has fallen under that office. They do a good 01:02:53.706 --> 01:03:03.471 - job. I don't have an issue with the way things are run. I have spoken with Jeff Cockrell, the attorney 01:03:03.471 --> 01:03:07.358 - for the auditor's office financial team. 01:03:08.578 --> 01:03:15.147 - Comfortable with the situation. I just brought up a concern having it be a statutory duty and Just any 01:03:15.147 --> 01:03:21.717 - liability I have for work. I have no control over essentially, but they do a phenomenal job We haven't 01:03:21.717 --> 01:03:28.094 - had any issues So I'm not saying it's broken It's just kind of an awkward setup if you will and I'm 01:03:28.094 --> 01:03:34.536 - gonna go back to council Henry because I don't think he was done Thank you. So I guess I guess while 01:03:34.536 --> 01:03:37.470 - the questions in the ears or someone that can 01:03:37.666 --> 01:03:44.096 - to get an answer to when we the ordinance to do that. Is that something that's easily figure out a bowl 01:03:44.096 --> 01:03:50.279 - at the desk? I would suspect you could look at the salary ordinance. I don't know. There wasn't any 01:03:50.279 --> 01:03:56.708 - kind of other change that was made other than. Well, I mean, that would have been the salary ordinance. 01:03:56.708 --> 01:04:03.262 - Do you have a recollection as the county administrator when that changed? No, that's what I said earlier. 01:04:03.874 --> 01:04:10.412 - How long has the incumbent been, or the previous incumbent been in the, how long was he in the role? 01:04:10.412 --> 01:04:16.432 - Are we talking about payroll or are we talking about the HR director, which is why I'm here? 01:04:16.432 --> 01:04:23.099 - Not HR director, E, yeah. Yeah, not E, yeah. She, I don't know how long she was actually in the actual 01:04:23.099 --> 01:04:29.572 - position of HR director, but she was with the county for 10 years. And if I recall, the HR director 01:04:29.572 --> 01:04:31.902 - got switched a couple of years ago. 01:04:32.066 --> 01:04:39.995 - We had prior HR directors. I can't remember exactly when. But it was like a term change that we did. 01:04:39.995 --> 01:04:48.003 - I want to say it was back in 24. Thank you. I couldn't hear you. A what change? In 24. A what change? 01:04:48.003 --> 01:04:55.932 - The HR director name change type. Oh, yes. There was something that happened with that. I believe it 01:04:55.932 --> 01:04:58.366 - was upgraded at that time. OK. 01:04:58.562 --> 01:05:06.271 - Before I go back to you, Councillor Hawke, I'm going to see if anybody else has any. Yes, Councillor 01:05:06.271 --> 01:05:14.208 - Wilts, and then I'll come back. So Councillor Hawke brought up the possibility that this is an internal 01:05:14.208 --> 01:05:21.993 - controls concern. And so my question is, does the auditor or you as the commissioner's administrator, 01:05:21.993 --> 01:05:26.878 - do you know what the internal control measures are for payroll? 01:05:28.002 --> 01:05:35.857 - in whether it's in I guess it's not in your office so much is but is anyone here like able to talk on 01:05:35.857 --> 01:05:43.558 - that like. But again I just want to keep pointing out that I'm here for the HR director position so 01:05:43.558 --> 01:05:51.258 - I was not prepared to talk about something that is not on the agenda but the payroll person and the 01:05:51.258 --> 01:05:57.342 - way it is set up in the the employee services office is there's one person who 01:05:57.538 --> 01:06:04.440 - who does primarily does payroll, there's another person who does kind of a split between payroll and 01:06:04.440 --> 01:06:11.342 - the other HR duties. That way that person is trained to do payroll so our payroll person can in fact 01:06:11.342 --> 01:06:16.126 - have a vacation or be sick or something of that nature. And those two 01:06:16.322 --> 01:06:23.527 - as an internal control over each other. The ones in putting the information in, the other one is then 01:06:23.527 --> 01:06:30.661 - reviewing that data. So it's just like any other office, you're going to have one person who's doing 01:06:30.661 --> 01:06:36.382 - one thing, auditor has it all the time, another who's then reviewing that input. 01:06:39.170 --> 01:06:50.251 - I know that they do have an audit process in place as well between the two of them. So there are controls 01:06:50.251 --> 01:07:01.018 - in place and my team also when we're fully staffed, we conduct payroll audits as well. Is that the way 01:07:01.018 --> 01:07:08.126 - you would do it, the internal control aspect, if it were under you, 01:07:08.898 --> 01:07:19.901 - Sounds like you're a fan of the current process. It's just not under you. I'm kind of indifferent because 01:07:19.901 --> 01:07:30.800 - it's working. However, it's a duty under control of the auditor typically, and I would not turn it away. 01:07:30.800 --> 01:07:36.094 - Of course. Some background information I have that 01:07:36.258 --> 01:07:44.725 - I understand that the county was considering outsourcing it, and I think some sort of compromise. Does 01:07:44.725 --> 01:07:53.193 - this sound familiar at all to you? No, I think that we did look at a time in attendance kind of thing. 01:07:53.193 --> 01:08:01.742 - That became a nightmare. That was like in 2014, I think. I do believe that the transition occurred when 01:08:01.742 --> 01:08:04.126 - Auditor Smith was in office. 01:08:05.666 --> 01:08:15.894 - Beyond that, I don't know. I see Ms. Turner-King has her hand up. So I looked through past salary ordinances 01:08:15.894 --> 01:08:25.465 - and the first time that the payroll administrator appears under human resources is in the 2021 salary 01:08:25.465 --> 01:08:34.942 - ordinance. Thank you. All right, I'm gonna go back to Councilor Huck. Yes, I'd like to make it clear 01:08:35.426 --> 01:08:42.131 - We have an employee who's actually doing the payroll and should be under the auditor. It isn't like 01:08:42.131 --> 01:08:48.836 - the auditor's going to have to train this person. This person could be seamlessly then placed under 01:08:48.836 --> 01:08:55.542 - the auditor. If there's ever a time that, you know, the auditor wants to make sure they have backup 01:08:55.542 --> 01:09:02.381 - training or whatever, that would be up to the auditor. And we know that she's been short a person. If 01:09:02.381 --> 01:09:04.862 - she had one and a half people there, 01:09:05.538 --> 01:09:14.045 - They were not actively working on payroll. They could be of assistance and help us out with that shortfall 01:09:14.045 --> 01:09:22.075 - there in the auditor's office. And believe me, this is not a secret to the auditor. I've talked with 01:09:22.075 --> 01:09:30.263 - you about this for some time and saying, look, this is your responsibility. Something goes wrong. It's 01:09:30.263 --> 01:09:31.774 - on your shoulders. 01:09:33.474 --> 01:09:41.732 - And she doesn't want more on top of her shoulders. But nevertheless, when it's her statutory duty and 01:09:41.732 --> 01:09:49.829 - she could use the assistance in her office, it would be remiss of us not to see if we could do some 01:09:49.829 --> 01:09:58.168 - kind of adjustment. It would help out the auditor. It's not going to shortfall her. It's going to give 01:09:58.168 --> 01:10:00.030 - her that extra person. 01:10:01.410 --> 01:10:09.535 - And the auditor wants to say I'm wrong. I will rebut that I am not responsible for work of another office, 01:10:09.535 --> 01:10:17.356 - regardless of whether or not this falls under statutory duties. I've had robust conversations with the 01:10:17.356 --> 01:10:25.329 - legal team about this, and I am covered because I have no control over the process. I can offer guidance 01:10:25.329 --> 01:10:29.278 - and advice, but I don't have that because I haven't 01:10:30.242 --> 01:10:36.949 - been involved in payroll in the past as auditor or as part of the financial team. I apologize because 01:10:36.949 --> 01:10:43.656 - I misspoke. I certainly didn't mean if they made a mistake, it's your fault. But if they're under you 01:10:43.656 --> 01:10:50.429 - and they make a mistake, people look to you to say, auditor, you need to be watching your payroll. And 01:10:50.429 --> 01:10:57.400 - that's just the way it's supposed to work. And you talk to any other county and that is the way it works. 01:10:57.400 --> 01:11:00.030 - By the way, we're doing it differently. 01:11:00.450 --> 01:11:08.813 - But we shouldn't. And we need to, when we're talking about replacing an HR director, we should be looking, 01:11:08.813 --> 01:11:16.941 - as we are required to do, is look if there needs to be any office changes, any changes in how it's run. 01:11:16.941 --> 01:11:24.834 - That's what part of what we're supposed to be doing with job descriptions and so forth. So I have no 01:11:24.834 --> 01:11:25.694 - objection. 01:11:25.794 --> 01:11:33.627 - of course to making sure we get an HR director but I just don't think they should have the responsibility 01:11:33.627 --> 01:11:41.313 - of payroll under them. I'm going to get back to the item on the agenda. Do we have any candidates ready 01:11:41.313 --> 01:11:48.924 - or that might be interested in this position that you know of at this point? I am aware of some people 01:11:48.924 --> 01:11:51.806 - within the county who have the correct 01:11:52.482 --> 01:11:59.689 - the necessary criteria for the position. I think it's really important. And that was going to be the 01:11:59.689 --> 01:12:06.896 - focus is to look for an internal candidate because understanding county government is an animal unto 01:12:06.896 --> 01:12:14.103 - itself. And so there is that. I just mentioned that because there's hundreds of county employees who 01:12:14.103 --> 01:12:21.453 - depend on this position for all sorts of benefits. And the shorter that we keep this open, the better. 01:12:21.453 --> 01:12:22.238 - Thank you. 01:12:24.290 --> 01:12:30.129 - Any other final questions or comments on this item? Yes, Councilor Decker. One thing I remember, and 01:12:30.129 --> 01:12:36.026 - I can't remember if this is when I was council president or not, but I remember, well, I knew this as 01:12:36.026 --> 01:12:42.039 - chair of long-term finance. We had a morning where payroll didn't go out. And let me tell you why. When 01:12:42.039 --> 01:12:48.051 - that didn't happen, everybody's responsible and nobody gives a rat's you know what abouts, what statute 01:12:48.051 --> 01:12:50.942 - says or constitution state, federal or otherwise. 01:12:51.106 --> 01:12:57.534 - And the first thing we did in that long term finance committee meeting was say I believe it at the time 01:12:57.534 --> 01:13:03.963 - was this employee services does the auditor does the treasurer does anybody want to make comments about 01:13:03.963 --> 01:13:10.638 - what's going on we were I think what two hours fifteen minutes late on a check going out to direct deposit. 01:13:10.638 --> 01:13:11.998 - And then it went out. 01:13:12.098 --> 01:13:18.052 - But I want to clarify, that was not an employee service issue. That was a different departmental issue, 01:13:18.052 --> 01:13:23.891 - not the auditors and not employee services. Just want to make sure that's understood. Absolutely. And 01:13:23.891 --> 01:13:29.901 - my point is this on that, when those things, because that's what people want to know, right? Absolutely. 01:13:29.901 --> 01:13:36.084 - Is the county responsibly paying its bills? Are things happening or not? But when that happened, I remember 01:13:36.084 --> 01:13:41.694 - somebody at the time said something like, well, what's a couple hours? Well, if you've got a lot. 01:13:41.890 --> 01:13:48.472 - You got bills and payments, and you burn that money. It's a lot. And it was employee services that was 01:13:48.472 --> 01:13:55.118 - very helpful with me in the after action of trying to figure out what should we have asked or not asked 01:13:55.118 --> 01:14:01.572 - because we weren't thinking about it until that hits. I think it's the only time that happened. I do 01:14:01.572 --> 01:14:05.790 - remember another time where payroll came out two days early. Yes. 01:14:05.986 --> 01:14:12.837 - also offended people, amazingly, because that wasn't the regular thing. And I think that we just, we 01:14:12.837 --> 01:14:20.095 - have to be cognizant as all this moves forward that what folks are accustomed to from that end of benefit, 01:14:20.095 --> 01:14:27.013 - end of information, end of access to all those systems, they don't want to go backwards. They want to 01:14:27.013 --> 01:14:31.422 - make sure that we're moving forward, whatever format that takes. 01:14:34.882 --> 01:14:43.780 - Anybody else with any other questions or comments? I was just going to note that we did collaborate 01:14:43.780 --> 01:14:49.118 - really well together to ensure everyone was paid on payday. 01:14:49.186 --> 01:14:56.470 - It was late, but it had to do with change and elected officials and permissions and bank issues. And 01:14:56.470 --> 01:15:04.114 - so the problem was resolved. The treasurer worked really hard to ensure that occurred beginning at 6 a.m. 01:15:04.114 --> 01:15:11.542 - when calls started to come in that people noticed that their bank accounts weren't at the balance they 01:15:11.542 --> 01:15:16.158 - anticipated. So it did work out and the collaboration was good. 01:15:19.010 --> 01:15:26.395 - great. We will move on to public comment on this. I don't Oh, sorry. Did you have some counsel? I would 01:15:26.395 --> 01:15:33.637 - just like to add make sure that we put it on our agenda to address this and and and not have it under 01:15:33.637 --> 01:15:40.738 - the HR and the job description because that that very important and I think it is something that we 01:15:40.738 --> 01:15:47.838 - need to do. So I hope that we don't just talk about it and then we just won't do anything about it. 01:15:48.546 --> 01:15:57.168 - And if we're going to say no, then I want everybody's no on record. When you say on the agenda, because 01:15:57.168 --> 01:16:05.790 - it's on there now, are you talking about for budget or? When you're talking about replacing a position, 01:16:05.790 --> 01:16:14.577 - then you look at the job description. And right now, that job description says that they're over payroll. 01:16:14.577 --> 01:16:18.142 - And then that literally means HR is under. 01:16:18.402 --> 01:16:26.742 - under commissioners administrator. Hard for me not to say under Angie, but anyway, which then means 01:16:26.742 --> 01:16:35.249 - it's right under commissioners. And so then you had somebody doing the payroll and it is going to the 01:16:35.249 --> 01:16:43.672 - commissioners to vote on the payroll. And that is where I think that needs to go back to the auditor 01:16:43.672 --> 01:16:46.174 - and it's up to us to do that. 01:16:46.498 --> 01:16:55.149 - So I would like to at no later than our next meeting have that on our agenda because all it takes is 01:16:55.149 --> 01:17:03.886 - to move it from HR in the salary ordinance, put it under auditor in the salary ordinance. It will not 01:17:03.886 --> 01:17:12.623 - change what the job description is of the auditor because it's already in her job description. Now it 01:17:12.623 --> 01:17:13.822 - might be that 01:17:14.082 --> 01:17:22.026 - the square foot of where they go. Maybe that's what happened at the time. I do not know why Auditor 01:17:22.026 --> 01:17:30.128 - Smith, it was under Kathy Smith that she wanted it done this way or thought it would work better. But 01:17:30.128 --> 01:17:38.152 - we can't just say, well, this works better, so let's just do it that way. There's rules. If I may. I 01:17:38.152 --> 01:17:44.030 - do know one of the issues was how well payroll and benefits fit together. 01:17:44.354 --> 01:17:52.651 - I think a significant component to the idea of moving a payroll position into the HR department. And 01:17:52.651 --> 01:18:01.112 - that was not ever initiated by myself or the board of commissioners. This was something that I believe 01:18:01.112 --> 01:18:09.326 - Auditor Smith at that time thought was going to be the best way to address payroll and benefits. So 01:18:09.326 --> 01:18:13.598 - I do believe that was why that was thrown in there. 01:18:14.306 --> 01:18:22.278 - And I was just going to add, I quickly looked at the job descriptions. If you're going to make that 01:18:22.278 --> 01:18:30.249 - change, you're talking about amending three job descriptions. They would have to go back to us. Two 01:18:30.249 --> 01:18:37.982 - of them would only need a reporting structure change, but the HR director would have to go back. 01:18:47.586 --> 01:18:58.329 - Did you cover the HR, does the health, is it over the health services? Yes. Did you cover that? I do. 01:18:58.329 --> 01:19:09.493 - I don't think I mentioned any of that, but that is part of the benefit prep package, so when we reference 01:19:09.493 --> 01:19:14.654 - benefits, the clinic is considered part of that. 01:19:16.674 --> 01:19:25.251 - So before I move on to public comment, is there anything else anybody would like to add? Okay, so public 01:19:25.251 --> 01:19:33.420 - comment. So if there's public comment on this item, you can come forward to the lectern here in the 01:19:33.420 --> 01:19:41.589 - night, you hill room or raise your hand via teams. Seeing none, maybe please have a roll call vote. 01:19:41.589 --> 01:19:46.654 - Councilor Iverson? Yes. Councilor Feidl? Yes. Councilor Hawk? 01:19:48.194 --> 01:20:17.694 - Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. 01:20:18.242 --> 01:20:24.190 - I move to approve the prosecutor's request be exempt from the hiring freeze and be allowed to transfer 01:20:24.190 --> 01:20:30.080 - internally a misdemeanor deputy prosecutor from account line one three zero one three to account line 01:20:30.080 --> 01:20:35.970 - one three zero zero eight and then hire and fund one thousand dash zero zero zero nine county general 01:20:35.970 --> 01:20:41.917 - prosecutor be full-time misdemeanor deputy prosecutor and account line one three zero one three Second 01:20:41.917 --> 01:20:47.230 - all right. We got a motion in a second. We are joined by the prosecutor welcome Emma Samley 01:20:48.610 --> 01:20:57.900 - Good evening. Thank you, counsel. Yeah, so by way of context, we have four criminal courts here in Monroe 01:20:57.900 --> 01:21:07.102 - County, and therefore we have four misdemeanor deputy prosecutor positions, one for each criminal court. 01:21:07.102 --> 01:21:11.134 - Each of those four caseloads is fairly large. 01:21:11.234 --> 01:21:18.872 - We would first like to move the person who is currently in the Circuit 2 misdemeanor prosecutor position 01:21:18.872 --> 01:21:26.145 - to Circuit Court 9 at his request. And then we would like to post and fill the misdemeanor position 01:21:26.145 --> 01:21:33.565 - that would then be left vacant in Circuit Court 2. So we have had a vacant misdemeanor position since 01:21:33.565 --> 01:21:40.766 - late November. It was actually the week of Thanksgiving was the last week for the person who left. 01:21:43.490 --> 01:21:51.879 - Yeah, so the position that's been open has largely been supervised by our circuit court to felony prosecutor 01:21:51.879 --> 01:21:59.345 - and myself and several of my deputies have been covering that vacancy on a rotating basis. Just, 01:21:59.345 --> 01:22:05.502 - you know, all hands on deck, making sure that those court hearings are covered. 01:22:05.666 --> 01:22:14.869 - We have had we employed part time a law clerk about a year ago and he has also been helping to prepare 01:22:14.869 --> 01:22:16.030 - those cases. 01:22:16.098 --> 01:22:23.751 - He just took the February bar exam, and he has passed that exam. And so we expect him to be a licensed 01:22:23.751 --> 01:22:31.403 - attorney here in mid-May. Yes, we're very excited. He's very smart and talented, and he's already been 01:22:31.403 --> 01:22:39.130 - lending a great hand with legal research and writing in some of our more serious felony cases, but also 01:22:39.130 --> 01:22:42.622 - pitching in to help with this vacant caseload. 01:22:42.818 --> 01:22:50.523 - I would like to offer him the open position, but obviously we will properly post the position to the 01:22:50.523 --> 01:22:58.227 - public and ensure that he does go through with his swearing in on May 12. I will say having multiple 01:22:58.227 --> 01:23:06.161 - people fill in for a vacant caseload does not do it justice. There's not continuity of knowing the case 01:23:06.161 --> 01:23:10.814 - very well. There's risk of things being missed in the cases. 01:23:10.914 --> 01:23:20.094 - and often they move a bit slower than we might like. So really these caseloads too are too high for 01:23:20.418 --> 01:23:27.793 - you know, people who already have full-time caseloads to be trying to mind them. So I did provide in 01:23:27.793 --> 01:23:35.386 - our request, or Ms. Hamlin did, the volume of the work that our deputy prosecutors have. So the circuit 01:23:35.386 --> 01:23:42.907 - court to felony prosecutor who's been largely supervising the vacant position, she handles roughly 249 01:23:42.907 --> 01:23:46.558 - felony cases at any given time, and she has tried 01:23:46.754 --> 01:23:55.328 - the majority of the homicide cases that have been tried in the last few years. There's 392 misdemeanor 01:23:55.328 --> 01:24:03.653 - cases in the vacant position. In the circuit court, two misdemeanor position, 477 pending cases. So 01:24:03.653 --> 01:24:12.227 - I'm not going to go through every single caseload, just that is pretty representative of the caseloads 01:24:12.227 --> 01:24:14.142 - that we're looking at. 01:24:14.978 --> 01:24:22.143 - You know, IPAC and WIS have assessed the need for deputy prosecutor staffing across the state. And their 01:24:22.143 --> 01:24:29.650 - determination, based on the volume of cases that's presented to my office by law enforcement for prosecution, 01:24:29.650 --> 01:24:36.611 - is that we need two additional deputy prosecutor positions on top of what we have. I'm not asking for 01:24:36.611 --> 01:24:43.230 - that, but I'd just like to remind you that even when I'm fully staffed, I'm still short staffed. 01:24:43.938 --> 01:24:51.369 - I can't afford to have long-term vacancies. We have tried our best to cover this for several months, 01:24:51.369 --> 01:24:58.800 - but we simply can't lose this position. So the prosecutor's office is responsible for the protection 01:24:58.800 --> 01:25:06.819 - of the constitutional and statutory rights of both defendants and victims, which includes certain deadlines, 01:25:06.819 --> 01:25:11.454 - procedures, and the highest burden of proof under Indiana law. 01:25:11.554 --> 01:25:19.283 - simply can't live up to our expectations and high standards without having a full team. I will remind 01:25:19.283 --> 01:25:26.936 - you the content of our work is difficult and it does come with secondary trauma. I'll spare you that 01:25:26.936 --> 01:25:33.150 - secondary trauma, but this is to the tune of between 250 and 400 some cases each. 01:25:33.282 --> 01:25:41.346 - Please allow me to shift caseloads for my person in Circuit Court 2 to Circuit Court 9 and then post 01:25:41.346 --> 01:25:48.930 - and fill the Circuit Court 2 misdemeanor position effective immediately. Thank you. All right. 01:25:48.930 --> 01:25:57.153 - Thank you. Do we have any questions? On the left here. Yes, Councillor Williams. Yes, thank you. I did 01:25:57.153 --> 01:25:58.750 - notice the numbers. 01:25:58.914 --> 01:26:08.546 - that you provided about the caseloads. And my question is how, how much is there on that? So like, 01:26:08.546 --> 01:26:18.957 - you know, I imagine those numbers are pretty stable, but there's the people involved probably move through 01:26:18.957 --> 01:26:27.422 - and off as new come on. And I'm just curious as to like how long one case stays on the 01:26:28.130 --> 01:26:34.813 - The docket, yeah. Is it a docket? Yeah, it varies depending on the level of offense, the type of offense, 01:26:34.813 --> 01:26:41.307 - whether we're waiting on laboratory testing or not. There's a lot of different factors that impact how 01:26:41.307 --> 01:26:47.738 - long it takes to prosecute a case. But I can say when you have continuity of prosecutor, it certainly 01:26:47.738 --> 01:26:54.358 - moves a little bit faster because decisions can be made more quickly and on the fly as opposed to having 01:26:54.358 --> 01:26:58.078 - to say, well, we'll have to go take a closer look at that. 01:26:58.178 --> 01:27:07.134 - I have been relatively fortunate recently that we haven't had a high amount of turnover recently. I 01:27:07.134 --> 01:27:16.180 - think that is largely due to the council's help in giving us better salaries a few years ago. People 01:27:16.180 --> 01:27:22.718 - do stay recently, but nevertheless, you do sometimes have some turnover. 01:27:23.010 --> 01:27:30.366 - My hope is we will get this person who I'm hoping we can fill the position with is very excited to be 01:27:30.366 --> 01:27:37.867 - here. And I think he will be a really good fit for the office. Yes, Councilor Iverson. In the paperwork 01:27:37.867 --> 01:27:45.079 - that your office submitted for this request, you submitted a estimated fiscal impact that was flat. 01:27:45.079 --> 01:27:49.406 - Does the updated job description change those calculations? 01:27:51.554 --> 01:27:58.864 - know they're both misdemeanor positions so they're both the same SO attorney a I believe it is at 40 01:27:58.864 --> 01:28:06.247 - hours the economic impact of this the fiscal impact of this is zero spot great thanks yes counsel yes 01:28:06.247 --> 01:28:13.775 - when you just because I simply don't know so I used to think you don't ask a question if you don't know 01:28:13.775 --> 01:28:19.710 - the answer but I'm glad I asked question if each let's say you have one defendant 01:28:19.970 --> 01:28:27.560 - who's been charged for four or five different things. Is each thing they're charged for a different 01:28:27.560 --> 01:28:35.453 - case, or is it one person, one caseload? I believe for our caseload stats, we counted individual cases. 01:28:35.453 --> 01:28:43.574 - So it may be that one defendant has multiple cases, and each of those cases would count as a case. Because 01:28:43.574 --> 01:28:49.342 - I think if you just say the number for caseload that's not really giving us 01:28:49.666 --> 01:28:56.759 - the true picture. If it's one defendant who's being charged with you know if you're if you're looking 01:28:56.759 --> 01:29:03.714 - at jail stats and whatever you see all the different things are charged with and then does that are 01:29:03.714 --> 01:29:10.877 - you counting that six different things as six different caseloads when it's really one person. I think 01:29:10.877 --> 01:29:14.910 - that that when you talk to us about caseloads it might be 01:29:15.714 --> 01:29:22.446 - For those of us who really don't know any different, it might be misleading. Well, I might just clarify 01:29:22.446 --> 01:29:28.984 - that just because you have one person that is charged with six different cases doesn't make that one 01:29:28.984 --> 01:29:35.198 - case. Each of those different pending cases has a burden of proof of beyond a reasonable doubt. 01:29:35.330 --> 01:29:43.002 - each of those six pending cases would have a different investigation with different evidence that would 01:29:43.002 --> 01:29:50.673 - have to be reviewed, potentially different lab requests and other evidentiary concerns. So just because 01:29:50.673 --> 01:29:58.640 - it is one person doesn't mean it isn't six cases. One more question. And I believe I heard you say earlier, 01:29:58.640 --> 01:30:03.582 - they work with circuit court number nine. Did I hear you say that? 01:30:03.778 --> 01:30:11.699 - person that wants to move wants to move from circuit court to to circuit court nine and so I'm asking 01:30:11.699 --> 01:30:19.542 - to fill circuit court to okay the reason I'm asking which which court number is the one that's going 01:30:19.542 --> 01:30:26.142 - to no longer be after the end of this year won't work you know the state removed and 01:30:26.498 --> 01:30:34.368 - believe me, when they looked at whether or not to remove one, it was because we didn't have as high 01:30:34.368 --> 01:30:42.395 - caseloads here as they do in other counties because, you know, the state's responsible for paying for 01:30:42.395 --> 01:30:49.950 - some of these for the judges. So which judge, which circuit court number is the judges leaving? 01:30:50.114 --> 01:30:59.233 - Yes, that is circuit court two. However, it is my understanding that the board of judges will likely 01:30:59.233 --> 01:31:08.713 - have another judge in a criminal docket. So we will still have four criminal courts. Yes. Yes, Councilor 01:31:08.713 --> 01:31:18.553 - Williams. So that I understand what you just it's your understanding that will move someone from a different 01:31:18.553 --> 01:31:19.998 - court into that 01:31:20.130 --> 01:31:27.273 - I want to be clear that the Board of Judges are still deliberating and have not officially announced 01:31:27.273 --> 01:31:34.557 - anything, but it's my understanding that we will still have four courts handling criminal cases. Okay, 01:31:34.557 --> 01:31:41.842 - thank you. Any other questions or comments on this item? Yes, Councilor. I'm sorry. This was something 01:31:41.842 --> 01:31:47.358 - I was thinking about when I was looking at budgets. Are there any cities that 01:31:47.458 --> 01:31:55.353 - have city court for misdemeanors. I thought I thought at one time we took the misdemeanors and and so 01:31:55.353 --> 01:32:00.926 - the city didn't have that responsibility that that was a long time ago. 01:32:01.346 --> 01:32:07.975 - Yeah, so several counties have town courts and city courts in addition to their county courts. It is 01:32:07.975 --> 01:32:14.670 - still the county prosecutor's office that is responsible for prosecuting those cases. So for example, 01:32:14.670 --> 01:32:21.561 - in Lake County, they have prosecutors that are assigned in Hobart, Crown Point, as well as their county. 01:32:21.561 --> 01:32:28.518 - I mean, all the different towns and cities that they have as well as there. So they have a huge sprawling 01:32:28.518 --> 01:32:30.750 - prosecutor's office. At one time, 01:32:31.170 --> 01:32:39.687 - We thought it benefited the county to have the misdemeanors. But it seems to me that there's a lot of 01:32:39.687 --> 01:32:48.204 - charges that are under the misdemeanors. And I don't know what we would have to do to get the city to 01:32:48.204 --> 01:32:56.888 - take it back, but I'd like to give them a present. It would really, because that's a lot of in and out. 01:32:56.888 --> 01:33:00.478 - And then the city will have responsibility 01:33:00.770 --> 01:33:06.663 - for that. And I would think it's just the misdemeanors and the city. It's not like if it was, but I 01:33:06.663 --> 01:33:12.850 - don't know the answer that's been so long since I studied it. Yeah, I can say that I have only practiced 01:33:12.850 --> 01:33:18.801 - in Monroe County and so I have not lived that life of town courts and city courts. So I can't advise 01:33:18.801 --> 01:33:24.753 - on that. This may sound like a lot of unusual questions, but we are right in the middle of we've got 01:33:24.753 --> 01:33:30.174 - to start making adjustments. Look at new things with new eyes and new thoughts about how we 01:33:30.562 --> 01:33:36.673 - you know, how we can operate budgets. I appreciate it. I think you're a problem solver, Marty. 01:33:36.673 --> 01:33:43.298 - I get it. All right. Any other questions or comments on this item? A good comment, Council Hawk. Okay. 01:33:43.298 --> 01:33:49.923 - All right. Moving on, we'll go to public comment. If there's public comment on this item, you can come 01:33:49.923 --> 01:33:55.198 - forward to the lectern here in the Nightingale room or raise your hand via Teams. 01:33:58.082 --> 01:34:09.473 - and seeing none, maybe please have a roll call vote. Councilor Feidl? Yes. Councilor Hawk? Yes. Councilor 01:34:09.473 --> 01:34:20.542 - Will? Yes. Councilor Henry? Yes. Councilor Decker? Yes. Councilor Crosby? Yes. Councilor Iverson? Yes. 01:34:20.542 --> 01:34:26.238 - Motion passes, majority six to one. Next up, item B. 01:34:26.786 --> 01:34:33.313 - Council I move to approve the prosecutor's request and fund ninety one fifty nine dash zero zero zero 01:34:33.313 --> 01:34:39.904 - zero high tech crime unit fund for category transfer of one thousand two hundred five dollars from the 01:34:39.904 --> 01:34:46.495 - capital category to the services category second all right well would you like to good evening um this 01:34:46.495 --> 01:34:53.150 - is uh sort of a housekeeping item it's all involving our high tech crime unit grant fund back in twenty 01:34:53.150 --> 01:34:55.838 - twenty four under fund nine one five nine 01:34:55.970 --> 01:35:02.285 - We were, we appropriated $52,000 to purchase a vehicle for the high tech crime unit director to serve 01:35:02.285 --> 01:35:08.724 - the 11 counties. It was funding that came from the IPAC. Um, the vehicle that we purchased was a little 01:35:08.724 --> 01:35:15.101 - bit under that $1,205 under that. What I'm trying to do is free that money up out of the forties, move 01:35:15.101 --> 01:35:21.478 - it over to the thirties so we can spend it on general office expenses rather than leaving it in a line 01:35:21.478 --> 01:35:22.654 - that we can't use. 01:35:28.258 --> 01:35:36.059 - questions or comments on this item. Councillor Hawke. Yes, I heard you just say general office expenses, 01:35:36.059 --> 01:35:43.637 - but this says that you're going to use it to help pay the salary for the high tax crime unit from the 01:35:43.637 --> 01:35:51.067 - town of Vellisville. Is that still your plan? My executive summary says remaining funds to be spent 01:35:51.067 --> 01:35:56.862 - on basic office expenses. I mean, they could end up being spent for that, but 01:35:57.474 --> 01:36:05.821 - those are all in the thirties as he's paid on a contract line. This is part of our agenda. I don't have 01:36:05.821 --> 01:36:14.248 - your agenda in front of me. I just have what I submitted. Yeah, it does say on here that this will allow 01:36:14.248 --> 01:36:22.354 - the remainder funds to be spent on monthly HTCU salary invoices. It says going from vehicle purchase 01:36:22.354 --> 01:36:26.046 - to contracts. Three zero zero five six. Okay. 01:36:26.274 --> 01:36:37.989 - to fund him, which will free up $1,205 in that line to spend in other lines within the 30s. Yeah. I 01:36:37.989 --> 01:36:49.938 - want to double check your request real quick. I probably asked to move it. Oh, no. I have it going to 01:36:49.938 --> 01:36:55.678 - 30030, office expenses. That's not what it says. 01:36:56.642 --> 01:37:05.981 - We need to read you the motion or something. I think Michelle is looking first and then if we need to 01:37:05.981 --> 01:37:15.320 - read. Well, yeah, we need to. Actually, my motion just mentioned categories. Yes, on your request, it 01:37:15.320 --> 01:37:23.102 - does have 30056 contracts. OK, well, I'm fine to transfer it over or appropriate it. 01:37:23.362 --> 01:37:30.978 - into there and I can make adjustments within the 30s. I don't think that's a problem. That's acceptable. 01:37:30.978 --> 01:37:37.796 - Okay. Okay. So we can do that. Okay. All right. Any other questions or comments on this item? 01:37:37.796 --> 01:37:45.485 - Being none, we'll move on to public comment. If there's public comment on this item, you can come forward 01:37:45.485 --> 01:37:49.982 - to the lectern here in the room or raise your hand via Teams. 01:37:51.810 --> 01:38:02.123 - and seeing none, maybe please have a roll call vote. Councilor Hawk? Yes. Councilor Wilts? Yes. Councilor 01:38:02.123 --> 01:38:12.143 - Henry? Yes. Councilor Deckard? Yes. Councilor Crossley? Yes. Councilor Iverson? Yes. Councilor Piddle? 01:38:12.143 --> 01:38:18.078 - Yes. Motion passed. Animos? Thank you. All right, thank you. 01:38:18.914 --> 01:38:26.656 - All right, next up is item C from the Highway Department. Council, I move to open for discussion and 01:38:26.656 --> 01:38:34.705 - possible approval of the Highway Department's request to be exempt from the hiring freeze and be allowed 01:38:34.705 --> 01:38:42.600 - to hire and fund 1176-0000 Motor Vehicle Highway at 75% and 1173-0000 Motor Vehicle Highway restricted 01:38:42.600 --> 01:38:47.966 - at 25%, a full-time traffic control technician slash laborer. Second. 01:38:48.130 --> 01:38:55.505 - All right, Ms. Bridge, welcome. What would you like to tell us on this? So a while back, you had approved 01:38:55.505 --> 01:39:02.671 - us filling a truck driver position. But the new change is with the CDL policy. We signed ourselves up. 01:39:02.671 --> 01:39:09.698 - We are a certified training facility at this point. We have a certified trainer on staff. So we hire 01:39:09.698 --> 01:39:16.726 - a traffic control technician. Doesn't have to have a CDL. But if they have interest and they want to 01:39:16.726 --> 01:39:17.630 - work towards 01:39:17.922 --> 01:39:24.770 - what we would see as a promotion, they can go through our CDL training. And then we cover the cost of 01:39:24.770 --> 01:39:31.484 - the first test. And if they pass, then we promote them to truck driver, which is an increase in pay 01:39:31.484 --> 01:39:38.466 - and everything and other benefits, overtime options. So we had a successful candidate move into a truck 01:39:38.466 --> 01:39:43.166 - driver role. So it opened up the traffic control technician position. 01:39:44.386 --> 01:39:54.098 - is basically a lot of times our flaggers. So we don't have to hire outside sources. Thank you. All right, 01:39:54.098 --> 01:40:03.351 - any questions or comments on this item from Mr. H. Yes, counselor. Well, do you do you train? Do you 01:40:03.351 --> 01:40:13.246 - train people outside county government? Yeah, it's just specifically this conduit. Yeah, we keep it within. 01:40:13.378 --> 01:40:19.053 - our department, I think like in dot has a program and such. I believe city of Bloomington sends them 01:40:19.053 --> 01:40:24.841 - to the schooling and pays for the schooling. This was just a little bit more economical for us because 01:40:24.841 --> 01:40:30.460 - they're actually working for us also doing the flagging and then when we have the time, we're doing 01:40:30.460 --> 01:40:36.191 - the training. So they're getting paid to do the training, but they're also helping us and other areas 01:40:36.191 --> 01:40:42.204 - of the department. So it's kind of been, I think we've had three or four successful candidates and they've 01:40:42.204 --> 01:40:42.878 - all stayed. 01:40:43.170 --> 01:40:51.574 - So it's been a good program for us. Thank you. Anybody else have any questions or comments on this item? 01:40:51.574 --> 01:40:59.657 - Seeing none. Before we have a roll call vote, we'll go to public comment. If there's public comment, 01:40:59.657 --> 01:41:07.740 - you can raise your hand via Teams or come forward to the lectern in the room. And seeing none, maybe 01:41:07.740 --> 01:41:11.582 - please have a roll call vote. Councillor Wilts. 01:41:13.282 --> 01:41:22.642 - Yes. Councillor Henry. Yes. Councillor Deckard. Yes. Councillor Crosley. Yes. Councillor Iverson. Yes. 01:41:22.642 --> 01:41:30.366 - Councillor Fai. Yes. Councillor Hawke. Yes. Motion passes unanimous. Next up item D. 01:41:30.914 --> 01:41:38.747 - Council I move to approve the Highway Department's request and fund 9106-0000 CCMG or Community Crossings 01:41:38.747 --> 01:41:46.210 - Matching Grant for additional appropriation of one million dollars in the services category. Second. 01:41:46.210 --> 01:41:53.600 - So this is the portion that NDOT sends us and we've received that receipt for the deposit so now we 01:41:53.600 --> 01:41:58.846 - need to appropriate it into the line so we can do the paving projects. 01:42:01.026 --> 01:42:10.783 - even time. Any other questions or comments for Ms. Ridge on this item? And none. We'll move to public 01:42:10.783 --> 01:42:20.637 - comment. You can raise your hand via Teams or come forward to the lectern here in the room. And seeing 01:42:20.637 --> 01:42:29.246 - none, may we please have a roll call vote. Councillor Henry? Yes. Councillor Decker? Yes. 01:42:29.410 --> 01:42:38.287 - Councilor Crossley? Yes. Councilor Iverson? Yes. Councilor Feidl? Yes. Councilor Hogg? Yes. Councilor 01:42:38.287 --> 01:42:46.990 - Wilts? Yes. Motion passes unanimous. Next up item E. Council I'll be combining. I will be combining 01:42:46.990 --> 01:42:55.781 - items E and F into one motion. I move to approve the Highway Department's request and fund 1135-0000 01:42:55.781 --> 01:42:57.086 - Camilla Bridge 01:42:57.282 --> 01:43:06.549 - to create a count line 15815 Highway Engineer, approve additional appropriations of $18,187 in the personnel 01:43:06.549 --> 01:43:15.476 - category, and simultaneously approve an amendment to the 2026 salary ordinance to add a count line 15815 01:43:15.476 --> 01:43:24.318 - Highway Engineer split 40 hours, SO exempt. Second. All right, we got a motion and a second. Ms. Ridge? 01:43:24.674 --> 01:43:34.000 - So this is just finishing the process. I came a few weeks ago asking for the position to be looked at 01:43:34.000 --> 01:43:43.509 - to increase, to draw candidates that can fit for a professional engineer. So this is actually the steps 01:43:43.509 --> 01:43:52.286 - to finish that process. Any questions or comments from council on this item? Seeing none, okay. 01:43:52.706 --> 01:44:00.803 - We'll move to public comment. There's public comment on this item. You can come forward to the lectern 01:44:00.803 --> 01:44:09.293 - here in the room or raise your hand being teams. And seeing none, maybe please have a roll call. Councillor 01:44:09.293 --> 01:44:17.390 - Crosley. Councillor Iverson. Yes. Councillor Feidl. Yes. Councillor Hawk. Yes. Councillor Wilkes. Yes. 01:44:17.390 --> 01:44:19.198 - Councillor Henry. Yes. 01:44:21.666 --> 01:44:29.050 - Motion passes, unanimous. Thank you. Could you please send to us where the million dollars is going 01:44:29.050 --> 01:44:36.581 - to be spent on the community crossing? Actually, yeah. I don't have the 25 roads exactly memorized in 01:44:36.581 --> 01:44:44.038 - my head at this point, but they have all been awarded. Milestone was the low contractor for this. We 01:44:44.038 --> 01:44:51.422 - just had our pre-construction meeting for it. We plan on giving them the notice to proceed May 3rd. 01:44:51.522 --> 01:44:59.728 - after our freeze and thaw period ends. We have various locations around the county. I believe there's 01:44:59.728 --> 01:45:07.854 - a couple subdivisions in there. I wish I had that list. It's actually posted on our website also for 01:45:07.854 --> 01:45:16.140 - the paving projects for just this community crossing. We plan on putting bids out for some other roads 01:45:16.140 --> 01:45:19.358 - that we want to have done in 2026 also. 01:45:20.610 --> 01:45:28.179 - and I know you've discussed that certainly with me and I appreciate that but I think since we just voted 01:45:28.179 --> 01:45:35.604 - on that million dollars boom didn't discuss it or anything I thought maybe we might want to talk about 01:45:35.604 --> 01:45:43.390 - just a little bit okay thank you thanks thank you yes do you want to read the list from the website it says 01:45:45.026 --> 01:45:52.628 - The following road subdivisions will be part of the paving season in 2026. Bennett Lane, Crum Road, 01:45:52.628 --> 01:46:00.687 - Graves Road, Mount Taper Roads, Old State Road 37 North, Popcorn Road, Prather Road, Rush Bailey Edition, 01:46:00.687 --> 01:46:08.593 - and Orchard Estates. The projects will be put out to bid in the next 30 to 60 days for the 2026 season. 01:46:08.593 --> 01:46:11.102 - All right, that's it. Thank you. 01:46:13.058 --> 01:46:19.637 - Next up, since we amended the agenda, this is where we go to the sheriff's department. Council, this 01:46:19.637 --> 01:46:26.150 - is item O. Council, I move to open for discussion the sheriff's request to move appropriations into 01:46:26.150 --> 01:46:32.859 - the overtime line. Second. All right. Hello. Hello. This is just to move money for CHIRP because we're 01:46:32.859 --> 01:46:39.372 - always overexpending. We don't really know how much we're going to spend each quarter. This is just 01:46:39.372 --> 01:46:42.238 - to kind of help from going to the negative. 01:46:43.202 --> 01:46:53.120 - Any questions or comments on this item? Pretty self-explanatory. All right. Seeing none, we'll move 01:46:53.120 --> 01:47:03.236 - to public comment. If there's public. Excuse me, this was a motion for a discussion only. There's not 01:47:03.236 --> 01:47:13.054 - a motion to allow that in-house transfer. Where are we? Okay. Somebody just needs to make a motion 01:47:13.154 --> 01:47:23.232 - to approve, to allow the department to do an in-house transfer per the resolution? Council, I move to 01:47:23.232 --> 01:47:33.112 - allow the Sheriff's Office to move these dollars as allowed in the resolution. Second. Okay, now we 01:47:33.112 --> 01:47:41.214 - got a motion and a second. Does that satisfy what we need to do? Okay, all right. 01:47:42.594 --> 01:47:49.672 - Any other final discussion on this? I have two motions in two seconds, right? No, it's only one. Technically, 01:47:49.672 --> 01:47:56.300 - we only had, it was a motion for discussion and then we have to move to approve it. And so that's what 01:47:56.300 --> 01:48:03.056 - Councillor, I was interested in. Okay, thank you. You're welcome. All right. Any other further questions 01:48:03.056 --> 01:48:09.556 - or comments? We'll move to public comment on this item. Raise your hand via Teams or come forward to 01:48:09.556 --> 01:48:11.486 - the lectern here in the room. 01:48:13.858 --> 01:48:26.039 - and seeing none, maybe please have a roll call vote. Councilor Fein. Councilor Haas. Councilor Haas. 01:48:26.039 --> 01:48:38.943 - Yes. Councilor Wilts. Yes. Councilor Henry. Yes. Councilor Decker. Yes. Councilor Crossley. Yes. Councilor 01:48:38.943 --> 01:48:43.646 - Iverson. Yes. Motion passes unanimous. 01:48:44.930 --> 01:48:53.238 - All right, next up, item P. And before I read this motion, is the amount of $12,468.75 correct? No. 01:48:53.238 --> 01:49:01.546 - I thought so. Read the motion, and then there'll be a discussion to amend it. All right. Council, I 01:49:01.546 --> 01:49:09.937 - move to approve the sheriff's request and fund 1000-0005 County General Sheriff to deappropriate the 01:49:09.937 --> 01:49:14.590 - amount of $12,468.75 in the personnel category. Second. 01:49:15.394 --> 01:49:26.486 - All right, we got a motion and a second. We need to amend this to $4,668.75. Say that again, please. 01:49:26.486 --> 01:49:37.798 - $4,668.75. Excellent. Council, I amend my emotion to be in the amount of $4,668.75. Second. All right. 01:49:37.798 --> 01:49:43.070 - Any further questions or comments on this item? 01:49:44.386 --> 01:49:55.037 - I'm not sure it's obvious to me why we're changing the number. Can somebody explain why the number got 01:49:55.037 --> 01:50:05.377 - changed? So the $12,000 is for the first quarter. Part of that is 2025 funds. Part of that is 2026. 01:50:05.377 --> 01:50:14.270 - The $4,668.75 is for 2026. Okay. No other further questions or comments on this item? 01:50:14.690 --> 01:50:23.260 - public comment time, you can raise your hand via Teams or come forward to the lectern here in the room. 01:50:23.260 --> 01:50:31.747 - Seeing none, may we please have a roll call vote? Okay. So first, do we need to vote on the amendment? 01:50:31.747 --> 01:50:39.987 - We need to do a voice vote on the amendment to change from 12 to four. And then we can do a vote on 01:50:39.987 --> 01:50:41.470 - the entire. Okay. 01:50:42.562 --> 01:50:53.612 - So all those in favor of the amendment of the $4,668.75 signify by saying aye. Aye. All those opposed, 01:50:53.612 --> 01:51:05.305 - same sign. All right, motion carries. So now can we have a roll call vote? Councillor Hawke. Yes. Councillor 01:51:05.305 --> 01:51:11.742 - Wilts. Yes. Councillor Henry. Yes. Councillor Deckard. Yes. 01:51:12.642 --> 01:51:22.111 - Councillor Cross. Councillor Iverson. Yes. Councillor Feidl. Yes. Motion passes unanimous. Okay. 01:51:22.111 --> 01:51:31.678 - All right. Next up is item Q. Council, I move to approve the sheriff's request to fund 8103-0000. 01:51:31.938 --> 01:51:38.864 - Operation pullover grant to create a count line one seven one zero one overtime and simultaneously 01:51:38.864 --> 01:51:45.929 - appropriate twelve thousand four hundred sixty eight dollars and seventy five cents in the personnel 01:51:45.929 --> 01:51:53.694 - category second What would you like to add to this item? I don't I mean it's self-explanatory just to have the 01:51:53.922 --> 01:52:04.460 - the line item. Miss Gregory has her hand raised. Yes, if we could please amend this motion to reflect 01:52:04.460 --> 01:52:15.204 - the same amount of the previous amended motion, that would be great. The $4,668.75. All right. Council, 01:52:15.204 --> 01:52:23.262 - I move to amend the original agenda to change the appropriation to $4,668.75. 01:52:23.906 --> 01:52:30.960 - second all right we got a motion and a second any further discussion on the amendment yes council office 01:52:30.960 --> 01:52:37.678 - agrees with this correct all right thank you all right any other further questions or comments from 01:52:37.678 --> 01:52:44.665 - council all those in favor of making this amended amendment signify by saying aye aye all those opposed 01:52:44.665 --> 01:52:51.518 - same sign all right motion carries now coming back to the overall is there any other final discussion 01:52:54.018 --> 01:53:09.499 - public comment you can move to our come to the- lectern here in the room or you can raise your hand 01:53:09.499 --> 01:53:23.742 - via teams. And seeing none maybe please have a roll call vote. Well. Yes sir Henry. Yes sir 01:53:23.938 --> 01:53:31.750 - Yes. For Hall. Yes. Motion passes unanimous. Thank you. Thank you. Have a good night. All right. Next, 01:53:31.750 --> 01:53:39.563 - we go right back to our original programming, which is item G from the clerk's office. Council, I move 01:53:39.563 --> 01:53:47.527 - to open for discussion the clerk's request for overtime and fund 1000-0001 County General Clerk. Second. 01:53:47.527 --> 01:53:53.822 - All right. We got a motion and a second, and we're joined by the new chief deputy. 01:53:53.986 --> 01:54:01.153 - Hello. Would you like to introduce yourself? Hi, I'm Tanner Branham. I'm the new Chief Deputy of the 01:54:01.153 --> 01:54:08.818 - Monroe County Clerk's Office. Nicole is out of town this week, so I am filling in for her tonight. Welcome. 01:54:08.818 --> 01:54:16.127 - Thank you. So our request tonight is simply to fill or to reopen our overtime fund and transfer $7,000 01:54:16.127 --> 01:54:18.398 - into that line. This is to fund 01:54:18.626 --> 01:54:25.511 - we have a lot of overtime pay for elections work so we have several employees in the clerk's office 01:54:25.511 --> 01:54:32.533 - who assist with elections during election season- that includes- a lot of it is training training you 01:54:32.533 --> 01:54:39.693 - know we have a lot of. A lot of poll workers election day poll workers who work full time jobs and they 01:54:39.693 --> 01:54:46.646 - can't make our normal training days and so we have individuals who assist with training- after hours 01:54:46.646 --> 01:54:48.574 - and on weekends- and that's 01:54:49.570 --> 01:54:59.042 - Any questions or comments for from council? Yes, counselor. Yes. And the paperwork, it looked like as 01:54:59.042 --> 01:55:08.422 - if you're asking for this over time in the general fund. And of course, we wouldn't do that. Is that 01:55:08.422 --> 01:55:10.558 - an error on your part? 01:55:11.138 --> 01:55:17.656 - When you say general fund, do you mean the clerks fund? It is an overtime fund in the clerks line, not 01:55:17.656 --> 01:55:24.174 - in the elections line, because this is for individuals who work in the clerk's office, but assist with 01:55:24.174 --> 01:55:30.565 - elections. Madam, still election fund expense needs to be under the election fund. Does that have to 01:55:30.565 --> 01:55:36.830 - be re-advertised? There's no overtime line in there. Do we just say no and let them figure it out? 01:55:36.962 --> 01:55:43.738 - Well, I think this request is slightly more complex because it would require an amendment to the overtime 01:55:43.738 --> 01:55:50.194 - resolution. The overtime resolution only allows overtime in the elections fund. So currently there's 01:55:50.194 --> 01:55:56.586 - not an overtime line in the general fund. So if you're going to do this, if you're going to approve 01:55:56.586 --> 01:56:03.106 - this request, we need to amend the overtime resolution to allow an overtime line in the general fund. 01:56:03.106 --> 01:56:06.750 - And then you would have to approve the in-house transfer 01:56:07.650 --> 01:56:14.353 - is correct that this is a request in the general fund. And so I have to advise that if you created the 01:56:14.353 --> 01:56:20.990 - overtime line in the general fund, it does not limit it to just election expenses. The clerk's office 01:56:20.990 --> 01:56:27.758 - could use that overtime amount for anyone paid out of the general line for any purposes. I know they're 01:56:27.758 --> 01:56:34.526 - saying it's for election purposes, but once the line is created, it isn't limited to election purposes. 01:56:35.778 --> 01:56:45.855 - And I also want to state that if they have employees in the general fund that are doing election work, 01:56:45.855 --> 01:56:55.833 - that just needs to be noted to the AOD payroll and that amount can be taken out of the election fund. 01:56:55.833 --> 01:57:04.638 - So that way it can be calculated and come from the fund where it's actually being worked. 01:57:06.434 --> 01:57:13.055 - Okay, because that was going to be my question is can we just if an employee is trying to do that, can 01:57:13.055 --> 01:57:19.675 - we just. There's about somewhere that this is where this they would get paid out of the election fund. 01:57:19.675 --> 01:57:26.103 - Yes, I mean we do it for other departments like in the highway. They may be out of Cume Bridge, but 01:57:26.103 --> 01:57:32.724 - they get their snow out of a different fund. You know, so just because their main fund is general fund 01:57:32.724 --> 01:57:35.102 - does not mean that they're overtime. 01:57:35.266 --> 01:57:41.963 - has to be paid out of the general fund. If they are doing election work, like they're saying they're 01:57:41.963 --> 01:57:48.593 - doing training and this kind of thing, that needs to be documented and calculated and then paid out 01:57:48.593 --> 01:57:55.422 - of election fund so that we are getting an accurate amount of how much it's costing the election fund. 01:57:56.738 --> 01:58:03.840 - I did provide a clerk overtime report from the 2024 election and there's a couple of individuals that 01:58:03.840 --> 01:58:11.291 - this exact mechanism that Michelle is describing was used for for example the election training specialist 01:58:11.291 --> 01:58:18.672 - was paid overtime out of the election fund but I do believe she's typically or that employee is typically 01:58:18.672 --> 01:58:24.382 - in the general fund so there is a past practice of using the election fund to pay 01:58:24.482 --> 01:58:31.532 - I'm gonna call it main office employees who are in the general fund. Councilor Henry. And the clerk 01:58:31.532 --> 01:58:38.582 - can't do the training. Thank you, Madam President. Thank you for being here tonight. I apologize. I 01:58:38.582 --> 01:58:45.914 - think I've inhaled all the pollen in town. So understand some operational things going on. I understand 01:58:45.914 --> 01:58:53.598 - there's an election going on. I understand you're busy. I couldn't possibly understand why. But in any case, 01:58:53.826 --> 01:59:01.027 - Before going into the election, what was the staffing? How many FTEs were operating in the elections 01:59:01.027 --> 01:59:08.299 - office before we went in? What was the plan? How many FTEs did you go in with thinking you'd have for 01:59:08.299 --> 01:59:15.429 - the month? Just the week prior, we had dropped down to one full-time and one part-time, and then we 01:59:15.429 --> 01:59:20.990 - had came for the one full part-time position to be filled. For the part-time? 01:59:21.378 --> 01:59:27.059 - That's a separate discussion. We have an additional request to fill a full-time role, but yes. It's 01:59:27.059 --> 01:59:32.854 - related because of how many FTEs we have and asking for overtime for coverage. That's why I'm asking. 01:59:32.854 --> 01:59:38.648 - Currently, there are two full-time employees in the office and one full-time employee? One full-time, 01:59:38.648 --> 01:59:44.556 - not including myself, and one part-time. Oh, not including yourself. Sorry, I was including you. You're 01:59:44.556 --> 01:59:49.726 - down two people? Two human? Where are those two people? Did they leave government service? 01:59:50.754 --> 01:59:57.980 - One is in the clerk's office. So the clerk pulled a election or voter-reg side worker in the election 01:59:57.980 --> 02:00:05.276 - month to court side during election month. Chief Deputy, do you have an explanation as to why we would 02:00:05.276 --> 02:00:12.501 - move staff around that way? I'm just kind of curious. Well, this move happened before I started in my 02:00:12.501 --> 02:00:14.910 - current position. Yes. All right. 02:00:16.674 --> 02:00:23.489 - Is there a possibility for whoever's left to take comp time or use other means to flex during this month? 02:00:23.489 --> 02:00:29.983 - I currently have one that is using comp time and then I will say I am currently sitting at 140 hours 02:00:29.983 --> 02:00:36.733 - in comp. You yourself are at 140 hours comp and then we're ratcheting up comp on somebody else and we're 02:00:36.733 --> 02:00:43.870 - down one and a half people. Correct. One was someone who left government service, the other the clerk moved to 02:00:44.034 --> 02:00:51.188 - Okay, got it. I think we already got into the difference between election and general fund. So I'll 02:00:51.188 --> 02:00:58.557 - leave that question for someone else. Thank you. Anybody else have any other questions? Yes, Michelle. 02:00:58.557 --> 02:01:00.990 - Okay, you keep raising your hand. 02:01:01.890 --> 02:01:10.524 - I would add there, as a reminder, council did allow an overtime line in the election fund in the amount 02:01:10.524 --> 02:01:18.826 - of $5,000. And I believe that none of that has been expended yet. So there's $5,000 in the election 02:01:18.826 --> 02:01:27.293 - fund. That was done late March. February 24th. Okay. We just felt this. Yeah. Yes. We just wrote this 02:01:27.293 --> 02:01:29.950 - down. They have the ability to. 02:01:30.178 --> 02:01:38.728 - pay these people in the proper fund. Yes. As a reminder to the public, and the motion here 02:01:38.728 --> 02:01:48.312 - was for discussion, and I certainly as one of the liaisons was happy to send over, make sure you have 02:01:48.312 --> 02:01:58.366 - a copy of the overtime resolution and the six points that are outlined in that resolution for when this is 02:01:58.978 --> 02:02:07.208 - could be brought back that need to satisfy that resolution. So I'm happy to continue to work with you 02:02:07.208 --> 02:02:15.277 - all as your liaison. Yes, Councillor Decker. I want to hear a little more on what that does in that 02:02:15.277 --> 02:02:23.749 - office, because I'm very aware that we are in an election right now, that people are coming out in large 02:02:23.749 --> 02:02:28.510 - amounts from what I can tell. And I want to make sure that 02:02:28.674 --> 02:02:35.151 - all of us are thinking through this properly so that we're not doing something that in two weeks you 02:02:35.151 --> 02:02:41.692 - can't fix or or do so if we do not do this amount what does that do on your end and chief deputy I'll 02:02:41.692 --> 02:02:48.362 - look to you or the election director who is in the weeds of it. So I think the biggest impact as I said 02:02:48.362 --> 02:02:55.224 - earlier would be on training so that's primarily what this funding is being used for so primarily election 02:02:55.224 --> 02:02:58.302 - day workers and those ones who cannot come to a 02:02:58.498 --> 02:03:04.914 - training during office hours. So it would potentially impact that I came I was under the impression 02:03:04.914 --> 02:03:11.394 - initially that we would not be able to pay these employees under the election line and that it would 02:03:11.394 --> 02:03:18.260 - have to come out of the clerk's line but if that is not the case and we can pay these out of the elections 02:03:18.260 --> 02:03:22.366 - line we may want to. I was also under the same impression so we 02:03:23.618 --> 02:03:29.789 - I think in the past, it's always been the individuals who've been paid out of the election is only from 02:03:29.789 --> 02:03:35.901 - from election day over time. And then everything else was from the clerks over timeline. So all of the 02:03:35.901 --> 02:03:41.895 - training that happens prior to election day was being paid out of the clerks over timeline. And then 02:03:41.895 --> 02:03:47.710 - on election day, the trainer was being paid their overtime for that day from the election budget. 02:03:50.018 --> 02:03:57.653 - I want to say now that might have been the past practice before you went to AOD but with utilizing AOD 02:03:57.653 --> 02:04:05.214 - that is you know it's not necessary any longer and it can be earmarked appropriately. I will say with 02:04:05.214 --> 02:04:12.924 - this it will be that we're going to have to re-advertise and probably come back to ask for more in that 02:04:12.924 --> 02:04:19.966 - because we were only originally anticipating to pay three people over time out of this line so 02:04:20.194 --> 02:04:27.321 - I want to make sure that our trainer is getting overtime for her extra hours that she's working because 02:04:27.321 --> 02:04:34.449 - comp time is not it's beneficial for some and for some it's not as beneficial. So I want to ensure that 02:04:34.449 --> 02:04:41.850 - we're going to have training for all of our workers. So I'll continue taking comp until we can re-advertise 02:04:41.850 --> 02:04:43.358 - until further notice. 02:04:45.090 --> 02:04:55.745 - And just so you know, the deadline for the 28th is already passed. You would have to apply, it would 02:04:55.745 --> 02:05:07.138 - be for the May 12th meeting. Yes, Councilor Williams. Or you can come back and ask for an in-house transfer 02:05:07.138 --> 02:05:14.206 - like this or a category transfer. Right. Councilor Williams. Okay. 02:05:15.682 --> 02:05:25.969 - I have a question about the trainer position. Is that person, is training a kind of a second duty that 02:05:25.969 --> 02:05:36.057 - only comes about during election time and they do something else the rest of the year, is that? Yes, 02:05:36.057 --> 02:05:45.246 - that is accurate. Okay, and what do they do? They work in a criminal. Oh, they're not even, 02:05:45.570 --> 02:05:52.803 - in the voter side? No, they are housed in the general fund. Yeah, they're in the clerk's office and 02:05:52.803 --> 02:06:00.036 - then assist with training in the elections office. But they're not in the voter part of the clerks. 02:06:00.036 --> 02:06:07.342 - Yes, they are in the other in the clerks. And is that the only person who's training or are you also 02:06:07.342 --> 02:06:09.150 - lots of people training? 02:06:09.410 --> 02:06:17.042 - So it generally is just her who is training. There have been instances in the past where I've had to 02:06:17.042 --> 02:06:24.825 - step in for a class if she's unable to do something or if she's gonna be late, so on and so forth. And 02:06:24.825 --> 02:06:32.760 - then right now we're kind of trying to figure out the way that it will work for the general just because 02:06:32.760 --> 02:06:38.654 - of some staffing that we're kind of questioning at this time. Can I continue? 02:06:38.882 --> 02:06:50.714 - this person's job over on the other side when they're training. So we have two other employees in the 02:06:50.714 --> 02:07:02.430 - criminal area. And what's the job title? Election Training Specialist. Election Training Specialist, 02:07:02.430 --> 02:07:07.070 - but they do other things. Yes, correct. 02:07:08.898 --> 02:07:17.392 - I don't even know what to ask because I'm so confused. Okay. All right. If you like, I can send you 02:07:17.392 --> 02:07:26.227 - a copy of that job description just for your review. That would be great. I clearly have more questions 02:07:26.227 --> 02:07:34.296 - than maybe we need to take time right now figuring out. There's a lot of things that's on this 02:07:34.296 --> 02:07:37.694 - job description that, you know, they're 02:07:38.178 --> 02:07:45.324 - that pertains to elections. So it's not just training. One of them is, it says, monitors the legislative 02:07:45.324 --> 02:07:51.994 - election topics and adapts existing election procedures to ensure Monroe County is in compliance. 02:07:51.994 --> 02:07:58.800 - So there's, I mean, it's just not one training. I mean, there's several things on here that they're 02:07:58.800 --> 02:08:06.014 - supposed to be doing as the training specialist. And it's just one training specialist? Yes, there's one. 02:08:06.306 --> 02:08:12.711 - other people are what's their job you said there were two other people yes yes in within the criminal 02:08:12.711 --> 02:08:19.304 - I forget their exact title but they're criminal case clerks within the clerk's office they're processing 02:08:19.304 --> 02:08:25.647 - those cases the trainer also goes to election board meetings does all the minutes for those and then 02:08:25.647 --> 02:08:32.114 - also in their description it says that if they are needed to they would go to council and Commissioner 02:08:32.114 --> 02:08:33.182 - meetings as well 02:08:36.482 --> 02:08:44.687 - in those budgets. Do they do that? Have they done that ever? They have, I believe, in early 24, late 02:08:44.687 --> 02:08:52.893 - 23 when we came for the increases for poll workers. That was a fun time. We screwed up something. It 02:08:52.893 --> 02:09:01.342 - was controversial. It was. They came to train us. They came to train us. Just so you know, it says they 02:09:01.342 --> 02:09:02.398 - assist court 02:09:02.562 --> 02:09:12.270 - case managers during non-election times. So there's positions within their office with regards to court 02:09:12.270 --> 02:09:21.605 - case managers that they work with. Make more sense, though, that they would be in the election fund 02:09:21.605 --> 02:09:30.846 - slash side of things? I think this is my opinion, but I think it could be like a split pay because 02:09:31.330 --> 02:09:38.664 - You would have this person working so much in the election stuff and so much in general fun, but there 02:09:38.664 --> 02:09:45.784 - is a year, I think, where there's no elections. So, you know, I'm not 2025 there were no elections. 02:09:45.784 --> 02:09:50.270 - Yeah. So I don't know how you would handle that kind of stuff. 02:09:53.986 --> 02:09:59.744 - I will say in 2025, the election training specialists did help with trying to amend training materials 02:09:59.744 --> 02:10:05.502 - during that time period. Those are time periods where we really try to catch up on things, or if we're 02:10:05.502 --> 02:10:11.651 - gonna just do a complete overhaul of something, that's when we do it. Yeah, that makes sense. Yes, Councilor. 02:10:11.651 --> 02:10:17.577 - And I will also reassure everyone that liaisons are very aware of this. And so as budget time gets closer 02:10:17.577 --> 02:10:23.614 - and closer, maybe we will revisit some of these conversations. Thank you. I appreciate it. Yeah, of course. 02:10:23.874 --> 02:10:33.673 - All right. Well, that was a discussion. OK. And y'all are doing good despite your clerk not being here. 02:10:33.673 --> 02:10:43.189 - So we appreciate that. All right. Next up is next item. There was a motion for a discussion only. So 02:10:43.189 --> 02:10:52.894 - since they have over time in their election fund, just going to move forward with what we got on that. 02:10:56.610 --> 02:11:03.339 - Council, this is item H, although for those of you following along in the packet, the numbering got 02:11:03.339 --> 02:11:10.203 - a little off. So this is, I move to open for discussion and possible approval for the clerk's request 02:11:10.203 --> 02:11:16.327 - to be exempt from the hiring freeze and be allowed to hire in fund 1215-0010 election fund 02:11:16.327 --> 02:11:23.123 - voter registration, a full-time voter registration clerk. Second. Okay, and what would y'all like to 02:11:23.123 --> 02:11:23.998 - add to this? 02:11:25.090 --> 02:11:32.033 - So this is going to be a individual in the office who was moved to the clerk's office. So we need to 02:11:32.033 --> 02:11:39.320 - fill this position. We do already have an idea of who we will be moving into that. It will be an in-house 02:11:39.320 --> 02:11:46.538 - transfer. And then we'll have to come back to request a part-time position to be filled at a later time. 02:11:46.538 --> 02:11:53.756 - All right, yes, Councilor Henry. Thank you. Do you have a part-time person in mind as well that's given? 02:11:53.756 --> 02:11:54.718 - Yes, correct. 02:11:55.682 --> 02:12:05.212 - So the likelihood that they start before May 5th is probably what? Not likely, just because of timeline 02:12:05.212 --> 02:12:14.467 - of coming back. We'll definitely get it ready for the general. Sorry, is the clerk on personal leave 02:12:14.467 --> 02:12:23.630 - or at a conference? At a conference. Am I asking which conference this one is? I am not sure. Okay. 02:12:23.630 --> 02:12:24.638 - Thank you. 02:12:25.986 --> 02:12:35.808 - Yes, Councillor Iverson. On the fiscal note attached to this request, it shows a savings of $7,739, 02:12:35.808 --> 02:12:46.219 - mostly due to the person who left had a hire. It was here for a longer time. Correct. Any other questions 02:12:46.219 --> 02:12:55.550 - or comments on this item? Well, because the motion was for a discussion and possible approval. 02:12:58.658 --> 02:13:06.501 - Council, I move to approve the clerk's request to be exempt from the hiring freeze and be allowed to 02:13:06.501 --> 02:13:14.656 - hire and fund 1215-0010, election fund voter registration, a full-time voter registration clerk. Second. 02:13:14.656 --> 02:13:23.198 - Okay, we got a motion and a second. Is there any other final questions or comments on this item? Seeing none. 02:13:23.714 --> 02:13:33.313 - We'll move to public comment. If there's public comment on this item, you can come forward to the lectern 02:13:33.313 --> 02:13:42.459 - here in the room or raise your hand via Teams. And seeing none, may we please have a roll call vote. 02:13:42.459 --> 02:13:44.542 - Councillor Feidl. Yes. 02:13:52.066 --> 02:14:03.610 - she just said she didn't need this yet. I thought we weren't going to vote on this. I thought we we 02:14:03.610 --> 02:14:15.615 - did and Councilor Iverson moved and it was seconded to like go ahead and move. All right I'll just vote 02:14:15.615 --> 02:14:21.502 - no since I don't know. Okay. Councillor Will. Yes. 02:14:23.618 --> 02:14:34.632 - Councilor Henry? Yes. Thank you. Councilor Decker? Yes. Councilor Crosley? Yes. Councilor Iverson? Yes. 02:14:34.632 --> 02:14:38.974 - Motion passes majority six to one. Okay. 02:14:39.266 --> 02:14:46.356 - wanted to give you guys a little bit of an update today we did have a new high for total for one day 02:14:46.356 --> 02:14:53.446 - early voting which brought us up to 197 and then we are at a grand total of 986 voters so far during 02:14:53.446 --> 02:15:00.676 - early voting this is higher than what we anticipated but this is also right now looking at higher than 02:15:00.676 --> 02:15:04.958 - any other municipal I mean midterm election in Monroe County 02:15:05.378 --> 02:15:13.439 - Thank you. And before you leave, I do want to ask a question about that. So is the the the signage and 02:15:13.439 --> 02:15:19.230 - everything. I know that was a big oopsie daisy moment from last week, but 02:15:19.874 --> 02:15:27.200 - that everything seems to be moving along smoothly yeah so all signage issues have been taken care of 02:15:27.200 --> 02:15:34.889 - we have new spacings and new lines drawn out for where they are allowed to not allowed to place candidate 02:15:34.889 --> 02:15:42.432 - signs and then I also sent out an email to both party chairs for them to send out to candidates to show 02:15:42.432 --> 02:15:46.494 - those designated spaces and then parking has also got a 02:15:46.722 --> 02:15:52.745 - for our poll workers. Originally they were parking at the Morton Street garage and it has been moved 02:15:52.745 --> 02:15:58.827 - to the trades district garage, which is directly behind the showers building. OK, and out front there 02:15:58.827 --> 02:16:05.029 - is like some no parking signs. Is that for you all as well? Yeah, so those are also additional overflow 02:16:05.029 --> 02:16:10.992 - parking for anybody who's coming in to vote. OK, I just want to follow up that. So my understanding 02:16:10.992 --> 02:16:15.166 - was that some poll workers had to pay for parking anyway due to some. 02:16:15.938 --> 02:16:23.131 - We didn't have free parking for poll workers. Yeah, I think it was the first day or two. There was some 02:16:23.131 --> 02:16:30.116 - miscommunication which we were also dealing with the sign issue with the city. So the parking passes 02:16:30.116 --> 02:16:37.516 - were set up for the wrong garage and we were told one garage but it was supposed to be the trades district 02:16:37.516 --> 02:16:45.470 - garage. So we originally told the Morton Street garage that our cards were for that but they were actually for the 02:16:45.666 --> 02:16:52.685 - trace district. So we had people trying to park but then their cars didn't work and they paid for parking. 02:16:52.685 --> 02:16:59.376 - Yeah. Chancellor, did that reimburse for our good poll workers? Something to ask the city, I suppose. 02:16:59.376 --> 02:17:06.133 - Yeah, yeah. I'm not sure. I know that a lot of them, they would just push the button and say that they 02:17:06.133 --> 02:17:12.824 - were a poll worker and they were just letting them out. But there were some individuals who just paid 02:17:12.824 --> 02:17:14.398 - for it. Yes, Councillor 02:17:15.362 --> 02:17:24.289 - Okay, a question. Is it possible or even allowable to, okay, let's say if you have 100 people show up 02:17:24.289 --> 02:17:33.215 - for early voting in whatever day, then can you go back and look at what areas they're voting in, what 02:17:33.215 --> 02:17:42.142 - precincts, so that you know with an IGPI at a higher turnout, say, you know, we know there's a lot of 02:17:42.434 --> 02:17:48.662 - discussion in Richland Township. I thought there might be a big turnout there. We generally have a larger 02:17:48.662 --> 02:17:54.714 - turnout during early voting from Richland precincts, which has always been interesting to not just us, 02:17:54.714 --> 02:18:00.765 - but a majority of the community. I can actually pull a report and come to the next meeting to give you 02:18:00.765 --> 02:18:06.700 - guys an update of where we're seeing the largest versus the smallest and do it during the department 02:18:06.700 --> 02:18:08.286 - update. Because generally, 02:18:08.930 --> 02:18:16.858 - uh richland a lot of those areas they they like voting on election day and so their early turnout is 02:18:16.858 --> 02:18:24.707 - not would not normally be higher than usual i mean only for this reason but i also was very curious 02:18:24.707 --> 02:18:31.614 - about clear creek because you know there's that discussion in clear creek about who the 02:18:31.778 --> 02:18:39.034 - trustees can be and so forth. So I mean, just as a matter, you know, I'm kind of a nerd. I like looking 02:18:39.034 --> 02:18:46.012 - at numbers and see where it takes me. So yeah. And the other question I had, first of all, I wanted 02:18:46.012 --> 02:18:53.128 - to commend the person who did go in there and work on the CFA for so that it was fillable. I did send 02:18:53.128 --> 02:18:59.966 - you that message that having trouble getting it to fill in the second column. So and I and I just 02:19:00.066 --> 02:19:07.412 - But I was grateful it did because that really saves a lot of time to be able to fill it at home and 02:19:07.412 --> 02:19:15.125 - then be able to email it. So but I assume now I'm going to go in there in person and fill out that other 02:19:15.125 --> 02:19:22.912 - column. That and also making sure that there is a physical signature on the CFA for it can't be a digital 02:19:22.912 --> 02:19:28.862 - signature. So that'll be another it will have to be filled out for that portion. 02:19:29.154 --> 02:19:35.489 - Oh, and soon I called the state and they didn't. That's something different from what they were saying. 02:19:35.489 --> 02:19:41.946 - They said that was really pretty much up to local office. So I thought, well, you know, since we'd always 02:19:41.946 --> 02:19:48.463 - done it with a signature, since you could do that, that you would say, right, well, I'll see you tomorrow. 02:19:48.463 --> 02:19:54.981 - Sounds good. Is there parking for people have to go in that if we're not voting? So anybody who's visiting 02:19:54.981 --> 02:19:58.270 - the office has been using the voter parking for that. 02:19:58.562 --> 02:20:09.741 - and there is the additional on the street that you can use as well. Just go come out and get me. Yes, 02:20:09.741 --> 02:20:21.029 - Councilor Vidal. So I'm just curious how many spots are available at any one point in time for voters? 02:20:21.029 --> 02:20:27.934 - In the parking lot, right now it's mainly open just this first 02:20:28.034 --> 02:20:33.872 - two weeks, it's not, there's been quite a few, but in our parking lot, it's coming in as like small 02:20:33.872 --> 02:20:39.885 - groups, so that it's only about three or four cars that are parking at a time, so there's still plenty 02:20:39.885 --> 02:20:45.957 - of space. I just wanna know the availability of parking, how many are available? I don't know the exact 02:20:45.957 --> 02:20:51.445 - number, I can get that and then send it to you in an email. Thank you. Yeah. All right, well, 02:20:51.445 --> 02:20:55.006 - that's about it. Again, thank you for being on the hot seat. 02:20:55.138 --> 02:21:01.675 - I'm just like your clerk not being here. So we appreciate it. So thank you very much. Thank you. 02:21:01.675 --> 02:21:08.549 - All right. Thank you. And Council, I would like to ask because we I know we got members of the public 02:21:08.549 --> 02:21:15.490 - that are here for another item if we can before we get to that bigger item, we still have the aviation 02:21:15.490 --> 02:21:22.431 - department. So we need to continue to move along. So next up is item J. Council, I move to approve and 02:21:22.431 --> 02:21:24.318 - fund 1186-0000 raining day. 02:21:24.482 --> 02:21:37.916 - creation of a count line four zero zero one six storm damage repair All right, we got a motion in a 02:21:37.916 --> 02:21:49.470 - second and we're we'll wait for mr. Labrador Oh, yeah, hello the other one yeah, okay 02:22:00.290 --> 02:22:09.200 - So yeah, I am here. We had a significant tornado event at the airport. We're looking, initially we were 02:22:09.200 --> 02:22:17.938 - thinking $2 million worth of capital damage out there and it's fluctuated between two and four. Right 02:22:17.938 --> 02:22:26.676 - now we're looking at approximately $3 million in damage. And of course the airport does not have that 02:22:26.676 --> 02:22:29.246 - kind of cash on hand to start 02:22:29.346 --> 02:22:37.730 - that we've been able to do. Uh mobilizing all of the contractors that we need to make the essential 02:22:37.730 --> 02:22:46.365 - in in urgently needed repairs. Particularly to our wildlife and perimeter fence. We had over two miles 02:22:46.365 --> 02:22:55.000 - of fence line destroyed by the tornado. That's over a million dollars in itself. And before we're able 02:22:55.000 --> 02:22:58.270 - to get to work on a lot of that fence, 02:22:58.370 --> 02:23:07.340 - So we instantly mobilize those folks. But as it stands right now, we still have large sections of perimeter 02:23:07.340 --> 02:23:15.895 - fence that is non-existent. And so we look towards the county for help in making those rainy day funds 02:23:15.895 --> 02:23:24.699 - accessible for us to start mobilizing contractors and affecting those repairs as immediately as possible. 02:23:24.699 --> 02:23:26.942 - And it's been a little bit 02:23:27.106 --> 02:23:33.353 - It's been a little bit of a process getting access to the rainy day funds. There's a lot of stuff I 02:23:33.353 --> 02:23:39.788 - don't really understand. Everyone at the county has been helping as much as possible, but there's some 02:23:39.788 --> 02:23:46.098 - legal wrangling that has to take place, and Kim and Brianne can tell you about that. What I will say 02:23:46.098 --> 02:23:52.346 - also is our insurance company, I can't remember their name right now. They've been very responsive. 02:23:52.346 --> 02:23:56.094 - They've been out on site two times, and they did forward us 02:23:56.290 --> 02:24:03.772 - $1.5 million. They did write a check after coming out on their first visit. And so we'll get to that 02:24:03.772 --> 02:24:11.846 - later. But so the insurance company is working with us. They're still working. We've given them an inventory 02:24:11.846 --> 02:24:19.327 - list of all of the damage, and we're still working with them to get a final determination. But right 02:24:19.327 --> 02:24:26.142 - now it looks like it's approximately $3 million that we're going to be eventually claiming. 02:24:27.074 --> 02:24:34.436 - Thank you. I'll go to Councillor Iverson and then I think I saw the auditor had her hand raised. I want 02:24:34.436 --> 02:24:41.727 - to start with two issues I have with this request. Number one, when we established the rainy day fund, 02:24:41.727 --> 02:24:49.230 - this was the fund of last resort. Every other general fund, special funds, all had to be exhausted before 02:24:49.230 --> 02:24:55.742 - we even touched this. So my first question to you is, do you feel you've met that standard? 02:24:56.802 --> 02:25:08.782 - What that is, sorry about that. As far as the airport goes, we have in reserves, we have approximately 02:25:08.782 --> 02:25:17.854 - one million. And a lot of that has already been allocated for other projects. 02:25:18.018 --> 02:25:26.470 - We don't have it. And so we turned to we turned to the county and after speaking with the legal department 02:25:26.470 --> 02:25:34.448 - and folks in the auditors department, we were advised that this was the avenue for us to pursue. OK. 02:25:34.448 --> 02:25:42.663 - I'm not sure that answers my question. I think I think yeah, can I go to my? Yeah, let me and then I'll 02:25:42.663 --> 02:25:47.166 - put a second question out into the ether and then we can 02:25:47.426 --> 02:25:56.784 - battle them both. Creating a line for storm damage repair, I think, is really a good idea in terms of 02:25:56.784 --> 02:26:06.693 - the fact that the effects of the climate crisis keep showing its gnarly self in our community. The derecho, 02:26:06.693 --> 02:26:16.510 - the tornadoes, right? My problem with this, though, is what standards do we use to ensure equitable access 02:26:16.674 --> 02:26:24.486 - to these dollars across the many departments in Monroe County government who feel that they are affected 02:26:24.486 --> 02:26:32.001 - by storm damage. It's a very good point. What I'm going to say is in this particular instance, we're 02:26:32.001 --> 02:26:38.846 - creating this line only so that the dollars that we're spending on this insurance claim are 02:26:38.946 --> 02:26:44.944 - are more easily tracked and they don't commingle with our regular budget. It's kind of a special item. 02:26:44.944 --> 02:26:50.883 - The reimbursements, well, if we do get access to the rainy day fund, it goes into this line, payments 02:26:50.883 --> 02:26:57.056 - go out of that fund, and reimbursements from the insurance company go into that in this to keep it clean. 02:26:57.056 --> 02:27:02.937 - So then are we gonna be seeing the emergency services department coming in and doing the same thing? 02:27:02.937 --> 02:27:08.702 - The health department coming in and doing the same thing? You see, to me, this is a Pandora's box. 02:27:10.274 --> 02:27:16.422 - Yeah, I can see how that could be an issue for the few in the future and I think there probably needs 02:27:16.422 --> 02:27:22.449 - to be a countywide policy on how we're going to handle these significant storm events in the future 02:27:22.449 --> 02:27:28.657 - because they are becoming a more regular event and there have been some conversations about that while 02:27:28.657 --> 02:27:34.744 - we were discussing this particular problem with the airport because this is this is becoming the new 02:27:34.744 --> 02:27:38.782 - normal and I think when it when it comes to the rainy day fund and 02:27:38.914 --> 02:27:44.916 - Like you said, you want that to be something of last resort, but how the county helps these different 02:27:44.916 --> 02:27:50.918 - departments as they're affected, there's gonna have to be something more permanently established. And 02:27:50.918 --> 02:27:56.978 - I think we're kind of figuring out that, unfortunately, we got hit with a really significant event and 02:27:56.978 --> 02:28:03.098 - we're kind of the guinea pig here all of a sudden. But I think what you're saying is dead on as we look 02:28:03.098 --> 02:28:06.334 - towards the future and climate change is a real thing. 02:28:06.562 --> 02:28:12.416 - How are we going to handle this? Because it's coming again. We just had the straight line issue, the 02:28:12.416 --> 02:28:18.444 - straight line wind issue last year, which caused us a lot of problems. We made an insurance claim then. 02:28:18.444 --> 02:28:24.297 - And here we are again. And so it seems like the Monroe County airport is like the new tornado alley. 02:28:24.297 --> 02:28:30.209 - And so we're also concerned about the future. And let me just conclude by saying, I in no way want to 02:28:30.209 --> 02:28:34.846 - undermine the financial strain that you're under here. We want to help you out. 02:28:35.394 --> 02:28:39.641 - but I just want to make sure that we're also thinking about the future when we're taking actions like 02:28:39.641 --> 02:28:43.971 - this. Yeah, I totally understand where you're coming from. Thanks. I'm going to pop back to the auditor 02:28:43.971 --> 02:28:45.470 - because I know she had her hand up. 02:28:46.050 --> 02:28:53.156 - Thank you, President Crossley. So just a couple of things I'd like to add is my understanding that we 02:28:53.156 --> 02:28:59.984 - appropriated, you appropriated in the rainy day fund for emergency purposes, unforeseen expenses, 02:28:59.984 --> 02:29:07.090 - et cetera. The reason that we came, we're coming to you with this recommendation to utilize rainy day 02:29:07.090 --> 02:29:13.918 - is because we can track this project in one fund this way, and it's just a bridge of funding gap. 02:29:14.082 --> 02:29:22.712 - the only funding that will not be replaced, and I would like it to be replaced, is $150,000 deductible. 02:29:22.712 --> 02:29:31.093 - So everything else will be replaced. We can track it all in one fund under one specific account line 02:29:31.093 --> 02:29:39.474 - specific to this event and this department. They will only have access to the one fund, as you know, 02:29:39.474 --> 02:29:42.046 - is proper budgeting procedure. 02:29:42.338 --> 02:29:44.606 - I'm hopeful that... 02:29:44.674 --> 02:29:52.019 - of the year we can make a recommendation for you to consider to replace that hundred fifty thousand 02:29:52.019 --> 02:29:59.363 - dollars- a transfer from general or- just where there might be access funding available that's not- 02:29:59.363 --> 02:30:06.708 - obligated. So what comes to mind immediately is- for example a supplemental lit if we happen to get 02:30:06.708 --> 02:30:14.640 - one something like that- kind of unexpected. Or- maybe- we'll have interest above what we budgeted- what we 02:30:14.640 --> 02:30:21.499 - we're not going to be able to do that again. So we'll look at all that and make a recommendation for 02:30:21.499 --> 02:30:28.427 - you. We know that funding is scarce, and we need to be really mindful. But clearly, this is something 02:30:28.427 --> 02:30:35.286 - that they need to be able to pursue and not wait for those insurance reimbursements to come through. 02:30:35.286 --> 02:30:38.750 - Now they did have a $500,000 advance. However, um. 02:30:39.106 --> 02:30:49.563 - And I think that Mr Cockrell was going to request and propose some updates to the rainy day code just 02:30:49.563 --> 02:30:57.150 - to ensure that the ex that the reimbursements follow the expenses so that 02:30:57.474 --> 02:31:04.302 - a line with what we anticipate we'd like to see for a procedure, which gets me to the procedure. The 02:31:04.302 --> 02:31:10.590 - auditor's office and the council office plans to work together to put together like a formal 02:31:10.658 --> 02:31:16.185 - you to approve with regard to how we will proceed in these circumstances, which are becoming more and 02:31:16.185 --> 02:31:22.146 - more frequent. And so, for example, you know, you have the three, like, kind of placeholder lines appropriate 02:31:22.146 --> 02:31:27.998 - and supply services and capital. We would like to continue that, but for each event and for each department 02:31:27.998 --> 02:31:33.688 - that's, you know, involved in the event, we'd like to have a separate account line so we can track those 02:31:33.688 --> 02:31:39.269 - expenditures. And then the overall event as well, because this is kind of odd. We have, you know, just 02:31:39.269 --> 02:31:40.624 - one department affected. 02:31:40.624 --> 02:31:47.166 - with this one, but there could be an event where, you know, highways involved to or wherever it may 02:31:47.166 --> 02:31:53.709 - be. So did I clarify and answer the questions? So I'm excited to see the document that you're going 02:31:53.709 --> 02:32:00.316 - to produce for the procedure. I would encourage you to build in definitions as well. Absolutely. And 02:32:00.316 --> 02:32:06.924 - maybe even some bright lines. So what level of damage are we allowing to come to the emergency fund? 02:32:06.924 --> 02:32:09.214 - Right. So I don't know. So I think 02:32:09.378 --> 02:32:19.855 - there needs to be some some standards built in and so that we don't when there is a really big disaster 02:32:19.855 --> 02:32:29.929 - and impacting multiple departments, you know, how do we not zero out the rainy day fund? And that's 02:32:29.929 --> 02:32:31.742 - a valid point. So 02:32:31.842 --> 02:32:38.360 - We have some ideas that we're working through and we're gonna put pen to paper and present those to 02:32:38.360 --> 02:32:44.944 - you. But just what comes to mind is, you know, maybe it will be a declared emergency. And maybe it's 02:32:44.944 --> 02:32:51.462 - just to where like insurance is involved and there's a deductible, but you know, everything else is 02:32:51.462 --> 02:32:58.632 - going to be reimbursed. Those are things we've discussed and will come to you. I think that sounds wonderful. 02:32:58.632 --> 02:33:01.630 - Yeah. I think she just might need assistance. 02:33:01.858 --> 02:33:08.224 - Thank you. And thank you, Director, for being the guinea pig, as you said. I wanted to put a little 02:33:08.224 --> 02:33:14.655 - more meat on the bone here, and I really appreciate the work being done between County Legal and the 02:33:14.655 --> 02:33:21.148 - auditors in our office. One of the things we discovered with this particular hit from the tornado was 02:33:21.148 --> 02:33:26.942 - the way in which the county starts to track its insurance claims. So in a well-functioning 02:33:27.234 --> 02:33:32.327 - emergency management community where we have a disaster and we go into the recovery phase. The emergency 02:33:32.327 --> 02:33:37.421 - management office would be aware of all these claims hitting in the county and that doesn't quite happen 02:33:37.421 --> 02:33:42.369 - right now. So each department kind of manages its claims and the board of commissioners as the holder 02:33:42.369 --> 02:33:47.705 - of the insurance policy are having those conversations with different departments. That's going on separately 02:33:47.705 --> 02:33:52.653 - from emergency management that's out there doing that door to door auditing of how much damage was in 02:33:52.653 --> 02:33:54.302 - the community. What we discovered 02:33:54.530 --> 02:34:00.589 - Amazingly, was that pre before the airport's report, we were under the cap for getting state assistance 02:34:00.589 --> 02:34:06.532 - from the disaster but after the airport numbers came in, we cleared the threshold to actually qualify 02:34:06.532 --> 02:34:12.766 - for state disaster but we didn't know that for about two and a half. Right, I think. So, so we discovered. 02:34:13.026 --> 02:34:18.381 - In all this you know a gap where if we can tighten that up and get to get a flow better we'd really 02:34:18.381 --> 02:34:23.950 - know what the damages to county buildings that would qualify for FEMA assistance or or state assistance 02:34:23.950 --> 02:34:29.305 - and so. that's that's the really long way of saying they're working on it and and you're the you're 02:34:29.305 --> 02:34:30.430 - the test bed for it. 02:34:30.658 --> 02:34:35.794 - It does operationalize the early rainy day fund a little better. And I think what's really great about 02:34:35.794 --> 02:34:40.830 - this is we know we're getting our cash back. This is the in and out to obligate and de-obligate that 02:34:40.830 --> 02:34:45.817 - we'll get back into that fund. To Councilor Iverson's point, yeah, there may be a disaster down the 02:34:45.817 --> 02:34:50.803 - road where we are not getting a reimbursement. We will be using that fund for its intended purpose. 02:34:50.803 --> 02:34:56.138 - I hope that doesn't happen anytime soon, but this is a really big first step. And I would keep encouraging 02:34:56.138 --> 02:34:59.230 - departments like this to keep talking to emergency management 02:34:59.362 --> 02:35:04.733 - and the board of commissioners to really try to get our insurance process under one understanding. It's 02:35:04.733 --> 02:35:09.897 - probably gonna come through the auditor's office, it sounds like. You're gonna be the first to know 02:35:09.897 --> 02:35:15.164 - how bad is bad in terms of the numbers, and then we'll know where to go, but I appreciate the effort, 02:35:15.164 --> 02:35:20.432 - and that's just some background we discovered, and I was very pleased to be in those meetings when we 02:35:20.432 --> 02:35:25.803 - had these initial discussions. Thank you for that. Yes, Councilor Vido. I have a general question about 02:35:25.803 --> 02:35:28.798 - insurance that the county has and what the insurance rate 02:35:28.962 --> 02:35:38.188 - may or may not go up as a result of all these claims? I can talk with the commission's administrator 02:35:38.188 --> 02:35:47.414 - and legal team and see what kind of information we have on that. I am not aware of any discussion or 02:35:47.414 --> 02:35:56.822 - thought of increase at this time. However, there's been a multitude of claims recently, right? And not 02:35:56.822 --> 02:35:58.558 - small ones, right? 02:35:58.882 --> 02:36:06.377 - to see something. I just haven't been made aware of anything. As a question to you, Auditor Gregory, 02:36:06.377 --> 02:36:14.020 - the $150,000 that you had mentioned earlier that wouldn't be covered, which is the deductible, because 02:36:14.020 --> 02:36:21.589 - we have the balance that we need, the minimum cash balance that we would need for our rainy day fund. 02:36:21.589 --> 02:36:28.638 - Would that need to be replaced by the end of this year or? I don't believe so. We are north of 02:36:28.770 --> 02:36:37.758 - I will pull the balance up here. We are above our minimum cash balance right now. 02:36:39.138 --> 02:36:45.803 - However, regardless, I think we will have ample documentation to demonstrate that the money is coming 02:36:45.803 --> 02:36:52.599 - in and being reimbursed. Now, it was specifically that $150,000 toward the end of the year will present 02:36:52.599 --> 02:36:59.264 - a plan to you, and you can choose yay or nay. And at that point, we could also amend the minimum cash 02:36:59.264 --> 02:37:05.406 - balance ordinance if we have that recommendation from legal and there's concern. Okay, sorry. 02:37:07.202 --> 02:37:23.845 - I just pulled the wrong fund up, I'm so sorry, one moment. Okay, so we would be just under our minimum 02:37:23.845 --> 02:37:36.126 - balance. We currently are sitting at $10,117,549. Okay, thank you for that. 02:37:37.474 --> 02:37:44.963 - I'll be quick because I don't want this to belabor the night. I'm so sorry, go right ahead. I was just 02:37:44.963 --> 02:37:52.380 - going to say that while things are also fresh in our mind not to take away from the airport, but I do 02:37:52.380 --> 02:38:00.014 - think something helpful might be long-term finance or some entity that council leadership thinks through 02:38:00.014 --> 02:38:06.558 - with us maybe to start to map out how all these various things start to get funded in the 02:38:06.722 --> 02:38:13.266 - emergency management family of items for example what two three months ago we had neighborhoods that 02:38:13.266 --> 02:38:19.939 - highway cannot plow they cannot plow right and instead of everybody staring at lisa ridge and throwing 02:38:19.939 --> 02:38:26.613 - soup cans saying what's going on lisa ridge well we know darn well she can't do it that this is a good 02:38:26.613 --> 02:38:33.157 - example we're thinking outside the box putting rolling up our sleeves and saying in that case if the 02:38:33.157 --> 02:38:35.230 - count if the commissioners wish 02:38:35.426 --> 02:38:41.002 - to make a plan for that to move forward, how that might happen, but emergency management might contract 02:38:41.002 --> 02:38:46.418 - with the plow. We somehow made contracting with the plow seem more like we were talking about, how's 02:38:46.418 --> 02:38:51.779 - Monroe County gonna take Artemis around the moon? And the reality is, we could have found about 900 02:38:51.779 --> 02:38:57.195 - people just on that corner alone to plow that. I think we need to think through those things because 02:38:57.195 --> 02:39:02.878 - we are in a different era. The airport's clearly in Tornado Alley. It's clearly coming through that area. 02:39:03.202 --> 02:39:10.339 - But also so is every other strange weather coming through this county and I think that those are things 02:39:10.339 --> 02:39:17.408 - that are not going to go away Even when the weather gets nicer and we don't think about snow Any other 02:39:17.408 --> 02:39:24.408 - further question don't sorry miss Gregory sure I apologize But I missed mentioning that we would like 02:39:24.408 --> 02:39:31.614 - to have a uniform naming mechanism for these events as well So I'd like to adjust the account name to be 02:39:31.778 --> 02:39:39.231 - to 1926 aviation storm repair, just so it's specific to the event number one and to the department. 02:39:39.231 --> 02:39:47.130 - So then moving forward as we have more events, it will be the event date and then the specific department 02:39:47.130 --> 02:39:54.657 - utilizing the line. Obviously we can't commingle that or we won't be able to track the appropriation 02:39:54.657 --> 02:39:56.446 - well. Good point, okay. 02:39:57.762 --> 02:40:05.397 - Is that a naming convention that you feel comfortable with us adopting this evening? Or is yeah. Yes, 02:40:05.397 --> 02:40:12.881 - I mean, we're we've kind of talked that through. I think Michelle, you're comfortable as well. Yes. 02:40:12.881 --> 02:40:20.591 - Right. You need to repeat that account name. I don't think we got it. It's the two 1926 aviation storm 02:40:20.591 --> 02:40:22.462 - repair. Yes, you got it. 02:40:22.658 --> 02:40:31.876 - All right, Council, I move to update my motion to rename the account line to 21926 aviation storm repair. 02:40:31.876 --> 02:40:40.920 - Second. All right, we got a motion and a second to rename that. Yes, Council. I love this. This clearly 02:40:40.920 --> 02:40:49.182 - addresses my second question. Thank you. Any other further questions or comments on this item? 02:40:52.002 --> 02:41:10.936 - motion carries. All those in favor of approving this as amended signify by saying aye. All those opposed, 02:41:10.936 --> 02:41:21.118 - same sign. Okay Motion carries now. Thank you, Michelle. 02:41:21.474 --> 02:41:29.376 - have a hand that was raised via Teams. And if you want to make a comment here, you can come to the podium 02:41:29.376 --> 02:41:36.905 - in the room. But since we already have one on Teams, screen name Lee, you can unmute yourself, state 02:41:36.905 --> 02:41:44.807 - your name for the record, and you'll have up to three minutes. Hello, my name is Lee. I'm a Monroe County 02:41:44.807 --> 02:41:50.398 - president. I think this brings up a good issue that you as council need to 02:41:51.138 --> 02:42:01.795 - rethink perhaps, you know, resolution 2025-27, which was the 2026 minimum cash balance resolution. In 02:42:01.795 --> 02:42:12.661 - rating day fund, there's 10 million, as was talked about. But in general fund, there was a minimum cash 02:42:12.661 --> 02:42:19.870 - balance of 15 million. And all of these is money that could be spent 02:42:20.290 --> 02:42:29.864 - today on useful things as I think that this, the direction that this was going from long-term finances 02:42:29.864 --> 02:42:39.253 - was to make sure that our bonding rate was low. And it's just a good thing to think about that these 02:42:39.253 --> 02:42:48.734 - minimum tax balances are something created by you and that can be lowered. Okay. Thank you very much. 02:42:49.218 --> 02:43:00.366 - All right, is there any other further questions or comments from the public on this item? Seeing none, 02:43:00.366 --> 02:43:11.514 - maybe please have a roll call vote. Councilor Wilts? Yes. Councilor Henry? Yes. Councilor Decker? Yes. 02:43:11.514 --> 02:43:19.198 - Councilor Crossley? Yes. Councilor Iverson? Yes. Councilor Feigl? Yes. 02:43:19.330 --> 02:43:29.250 - Yes. Motion passes unanimous. All right. Next up is item K. Council, I move to approve the aviation 02:43:29.250 --> 02:43:40.161 - department's request for a fund to fund transfer of cash of $500,000 from fund 4801-000 aviation construction 02:43:40.161 --> 02:43:48.990 - to fund 21926 aviation storm repair. Second. Oh, you know what? Sorry, I was being cute. 02:43:49.186 --> 02:43:58.439 - Let me restate that. Council, I move to approve the aviation department's quest for a fund to fund transfer 02:43:58.439 --> 02:44:07.435 - of cash of $500,000 from fund 4801-0000 aviation construction to fund 1186-0000 rainy day. Second. Okay, 02:44:07.435 --> 02:44:12.318 - thank you. And I'm looking to the auditor for this item. 02:44:12.450 --> 02:44:21.138 - Sure. Okay, so I prefer to handle this with a receipt correction. The $500,000 advance, which is specific 02:44:21.138 --> 02:44:29.335 - to help bridge a funding gap and also for this project, which makes me feel like it's obligated for 02:44:29.335 --> 02:44:36.958 - a specific purpose. Transfers to rainy day are supposed to be unobligated expenses. However, 02:44:37.282 --> 02:44:45.106 - Regardless, we can get the same outcome with just doing a receipt correction because it was in this 02:44:45.106 --> 02:44:54.494 - calendar year. We can simply adjust the receipt to go into the rainy day fund. It's kind of like a correction of error. 02:44:54.562 --> 02:45:02.247 - we can take care of that on our end. It's just internally an adjustment. We'll just get a request if 02:45:02.247 --> 02:45:10.085 - they're agreeable from the aviation team. However, we were going to hold on that until the code update 02:45:10.085 --> 02:45:18.226 - is reviewed and approved by the county commissioners, which will specify that any advance payments related 02:45:18.226 --> 02:45:24.542 - to an emergency, any reimbursements that are handled out of this fund will go into 02:45:24.706 --> 02:45:32.177 - the rainy day fund. So it'll kind of be part of the procedure just written in code. Appreciate that. 02:45:32.177 --> 02:45:40.019 - Thank you. All right. Anybody have any questions or comments on that for the auditor on this item? Seeing 02:45:40.019 --> 02:45:47.564 - none. We will move to public comment. If there's public comment on this item, you can come forward to 02:45:47.564 --> 02:45:53.630 - the lectern here in the room or raise your hand via Teams. And seeing none. Okay. 02:45:53.922 --> 02:46:02.180 - Just to be clear, we don't have to do this fund to fund based on what the auditor has just stated. That's 02:46:02.180 --> 02:46:10.281 - what I was trying to understand. I was like, but you're okay. Okay. Sorry for the lack of clarity. Yes, 02:46:10.281 --> 02:46:18.305 - no fund to fund receipt correction. Same outcome. So we're done. Oh, you can just withdraw the motion. 02:46:18.305 --> 02:46:22.590 - The counter argument is this is half a million dollars 02:46:23.202 --> 02:46:32.689 - for storm related damage and it would be maybe beneficial to the public to understand what's happening. 02:46:32.689 --> 02:46:41.993 - Okay, how can I explain further? So we're gonna move it essentially have the same outcome. It's gonna 02:46:41.993 --> 02:46:50.750 - go from one fund to another fund only by means that the procedure is more appropriate this way. 02:46:54.562 --> 02:47:02.953 - It's the same end result. It's just using a different procedure. I understand. I understand. Okay. So 02:47:02.953 --> 02:47:11.425 - it sounds like you might need to withdraw. Council. I withdraw my motion. Okay. Appreciate that. Okay. 02:47:11.425 --> 02:47:19.651 - Now, moving on, we will go to item M, which was tabled at our last meeting. Council, as a reminder, 02:47:19.651 --> 02:47:22.366 - the amount of $30,000 was tabled 02:47:22.978 --> 02:47:31.041 - from the March 24th council meeting. I move to approve the aviation department's request and fund 4801-. 02:47:31.041 --> 02:47:38.796 - Excuse me? Am I reading the wrong one? Yeah. No, that item was tabled indefinitely at the beginning. 02:47:38.796 --> 02:47:46.706 - Oh, I am reading the wrong one. I was supposed to be reading N not M. Thank you. Oh my goodness. Thank 02:47:46.706 --> 02:47:49.086 - you all for keeping me honest. 02:47:50.178 --> 02:48:01.025 - I move to approve the aviation department's request and fund 11 oh seven dash zero zero zero zero aviation 02:48:01.025 --> 02:48:11.264 - for a deappropriation of $35,000 in the services category second You know you missed him missed him, 02:48:11.264 --> 02:48:19.678 - but you were reading L Okay, then that means I screwed up, okay One moment, please 02:48:20.706 --> 02:48:30.307 - Yeah, we're going to hit M and hit N, I believe. This is what it's been like. This is this whole rainy 02:48:30.307 --> 02:48:39.627 - day thing, and a lot of the stuff we're trying to do with the aviation construction fund. Blazing a 02:48:39.627 --> 02:48:49.694 - new path. Just so we can discuss it. I mean, item M is the fund 4801, aviation construction. Correct. Yeah. 02:48:51.138 --> 02:49:05.014 - We're creating account lines. Okay. And it was table. Oh, I'm sorry. So let's get back to him. Yeah. 02:49:05.014 --> 02:49:14.494 - So I would draw my motion that I read for L. We're going to go to M. 02:49:15.906 --> 02:49:24.998 - I move to approve the aviation department's request and fund 4801-0000 aviation construction to create 02:49:24.998 --> 02:49:33.914 - two account lines, 20120 laundry and cleaning and 30190 promotion and advertising and simultaneously 02:49:33.914 --> 02:49:43.271 - approve additional appropriations of $1,250 in the supplies category and $71,900 in the services category 02:49:43.271 --> 02:49:45.566 - for a total appropriation 02:49:45.794 --> 02:49:55.376 - of $73,150. Second. Okay. Okay. Hello. Okay. Number one, the Monroe County Board of Aviation Commissioners 02:49:55.376 --> 02:50:04.868 - have re-entered into a contract for $30,000 with CTL Engineering to perform some preliminary geotechnical 02:50:04.868 --> 02:50:14.270 - survey work on the southwest parcel of airport property for economic development. So that's the $30,000. 02:50:14.434 --> 02:50:24.003 - And then two, the board also contracted with Woolpert for $6,900 for coordination and solicitation for 02:50:24.003 --> 02:50:33.759 - qualified geotechnical firms to do item number one. And number three, all of this request is being made. 02:50:33.759 --> 02:50:41.470 - We're moving these funds into the aviation construction fund and we're gonna start 02:50:41.858 --> 02:50:51.189 - creating separate lines in there for airport economic development specific. Ventures that are going 02:50:51.189 --> 02:51:00.894 - to be solely funded with airport generated revenue not not dollars which would be coming from the levy. 02:51:01.474 --> 02:51:08.186 - like I said, this support the establishment of an airport economic funding structure within the existing 02:51:08.186 --> 02:51:14.642 - construction fund, which will support airport growth, development, and related strategic activities. 02:51:14.642 --> 02:51:21.290 - This request creates and appropriates a new promotion and advertising account line for $35,000, laundry 02:51:21.290 --> 02:51:27.874 - and cleaning, which will be specific to the airport Airbnb, which is another revenue generator for us. 02:51:27.874 --> 02:51:31.326 - So we want that expenditure to be tracked separately. 02:51:31.490 --> 02:51:40.950 - And then this will provide a clear, like I said, provide clear, more intentional funding structure for 02:51:40.950 --> 02:51:50.318 - development related expenditures at the airport. Great. Thank you for that. Any questions or comments 02:51:50.318 --> 02:51:54.910 - from council on this item? Hey, you stumped them. 02:51:55.074 --> 02:52:05.333 - all right public comment time you know what to do raise your hand be in teams or come to the lectern 02:52:05.333 --> 02:52:15.693 - here in the room and seeing none may we please have a roll call vote counselor crossley yes counselor 02:52:15.693 --> 02:52:23.006 - iverson yes counselor fiddle yes counselor hawk yes counselor wilts yes 02:52:23.874 --> 02:52:33.690 - Councilor Henry? Yes. Councilor Decker? Yes. Motion passes unanimous. Next up is item N. Thank you, 02:52:33.690 --> 02:52:44.290 - Madam President. Good Lord. Council, I move to approve the aviation department's request and fund 1107-0000 02:52:44.290 --> 02:52:52.830 - aviation for a deappropriation of $35,000 in the services category. Second. All right. 02:52:53.602 --> 02:53:02.018 - Yeah, that $35,000 will be de-appropriated from that line and the operational budget and be placed into 02:53:02.018 --> 02:53:10.273 - and fund the same line, the same name line in the aviation construction fund. And again, this is just 02:53:10.273 --> 02:53:18.608 - to kind of support more of the economic development related activities with airport generated revenue, 02:53:18.608 --> 02:53:22.654 - not levy dollars. Okay, questions or comments for 02:53:23.042 --> 02:53:33.032 - Mr. Leverty on this side. And seeing none, we'll move to public comment. If there's public comment, 02:53:33.032 --> 02:53:43.522 - you can raise your hand via Teams or come to the lectern here in the room. And seeing none, maybe please 02:53:43.522 --> 02:53:52.414 - have a roll call. Councilor Iverson? Yes. Councilor Feinstein? Yes. Councilor Hogg? Yes. 02:53:53.794 --> 02:54:01.230 - Councilor Henry? Yes. Councilor Deckard? Yes. Councilor Crossley? Yes. Motion passes unanimous. Okay. 02:54:01.230 --> 02:54:08.666 - All right. And that's it. Thank you. Sorry about all the work. No. Okay. I got my papers out of whack 02:54:08.666 --> 02:54:16.029 - too. All right. Thank you so much. All right. Next up, since we already moved through the agenda for 02:54:16.029 --> 02:54:21.278 - the sheriff's items, the last item is item R from the legal department. 02:54:21.378 --> 02:54:29.045 - Council I move to approve ordinance 2026-11 approving and fixing terms for the transfer of property. 02:54:29.045 --> 02:54:34.814 - Second. All right we got a motion in a second and we'll look to Ms. Turner. 02:54:35.778 --> 02:54:44.062 - So this item is a transfer of the properties located that surrounds the Convention Center. It is the 02:54:44.062 --> 02:54:52.511 - properties that was requested by the CIB on February 5th. The properties, as a reminder, were paid for 02:54:52.511 --> 02:55:00.795 - by innkeeper's tax. So effectively, this resolution would transfer the properties. The commissioners 02:55:00.795 --> 02:55:05.470 - have already heard a resolution, and it passed, I think, 02:55:05.666 --> 02:55:18.192 - on the April 2nd meeting. There was one change in the resolution in section two. Hold on, I need to 02:55:18.192 --> 02:55:31.720 - look at section two. Under the now there for be it clauses, I do believe. It changes the intent to purchase 02:55:31.720 --> 02:55:35.102 - to the intent to transfer. 02:55:40.034 --> 02:55:45.895 - It said the council wishes for Monroe County to transfer the property described in exhibit a including 02:55:45.895 --> 02:55:51.642 - it Exhibits one and two to the Monroe County Capital Improvement Board The last sentence says as the 02:55:51.642 --> 02:55:57.447 - fiscal body from Monroe County this ordinance serves as the expression of the council's intent to and 02:55:57.447 --> 02:56:03.137 - it said previously Purchase but it should have been transfer because we're not purchasing the land. 02:56:03.137 --> 02:56:04.958 - We're transferring the land and 02:56:13.666 --> 02:56:21.625 - So we have two members of the CIB here, Mr. Cassidy and Mr. Whitehart. So welcome. I don't know if you 02:56:21.625 --> 02:56:24.638 - would like to add to the conversation. 02:56:24.802 --> 02:56:30.681 - please go ahead. Thank you very much and it's great to see all of you again. I haven't seen many of 02:56:30.681 --> 02:56:36.619 - you since we signed a steel beam that I discovered today in a construction meeting is about to go up 02:56:36.619 --> 02:56:42.557 - into the building. I know a couple of our counselors were not able to be there and I've arranged for 02:56:42.557 --> 02:56:48.318 - a bucket truck if you're available and you can be lifted up so you can still add your signatures. 02:56:48.834 --> 02:56:54.848 - And I have Mr. Cassidy with me, who is your third appointee to our Capital Improvement Board. 02:56:54.848 --> 02:57:01.375 - And if I may, if you'll indulge me for just a moment, I haven't been been here for a while and I want 02:57:01.375 --> 02:57:04.318 - to take this opportunity to thank all of you. 02:57:04.418 --> 02:57:10.995 - I think back as I thought back this evening I sat here and I think was twenty seventeen when- when this 02:57:10.995 --> 02:57:17.381 - body discussed and debated whether to pass a food and beverage tax to make the- construction of the- 02:57:17.381 --> 02:57:24.148 - hotel or the convention center project possible- and- you know and following that- several things happened 02:57:24.148 --> 02:57:30.534 - in twenty twenty three what we know we know that although passing the food and beverage tax- made it 02:57:30.534 --> 02:57:33.886 - possible that didn't make it happen because we hit a 02:57:34.082 --> 02:57:41.682 - a snag in 2019, and it was only revisited in 2023. The county commissioners created the capital improvement 02:57:41.682 --> 02:57:48.860 - board in 2023. We're now in our third year as a board, seven members, seven community members who are 02:57:48.860 --> 02:57:56.109 - volunteers who have been working on this project. But although those things made the project possible, 02:57:56.109 --> 02:58:01.598 - what's made it happen is you, the commissioners, the city council, the mayor, 02:58:01.858 --> 02:58:08.218 - putting your trust and faith in us and transferring that to us to make this project work and to make 02:58:08.218 --> 02:58:14.831 - it happen. We're set to have the project completed, the expansion project, January 8th of 2027. I remind 02:58:14.831 --> 02:58:21.191 - the construction people that it's Elvis's birthday. Elvis's birthday doesn't move, so January 8th is 02:58:21.191 --> 02:58:27.678 - when it's supposed to be completed. I hung a picture of Elvis in the construction office, so every day 02:58:27.678 --> 02:58:29.630 - they're reminded of that fact. 02:58:29.986 --> 02:58:36.542 - Then from January to May of next year to June of next year, we'll be involved in the renovation of the 02:58:36.542 --> 02:58:43.097 - current convention center. Coming back to the 2023 county ordinance, we were charged to do four things 02:58:43.097 --> 02:58:49.526 - in the county ordinance. And the interlocal agreement re-emphasized those four responsibilities that 02:58:49.526 --> 02:58:56.272 - we had as a board. Expand the current convention center, which was made possible by the county's donation 02:58:56.272 --> 02:58:59.582 - of land to the east. Renovate the current building. 02:58:59.714 --> 02:59:07.605 - We're on track to do. We're doing all those things and we'll do them within budget. Select a hotel developer 02:59:07.605 --> 02:59:15.061 - and a site for a hotel, and then address parking needs for the convention center and how we were going 02:59:15.061 --> 02:59:22.590 - to handle the expansion and what that meant for parking. As we've moved along on the expansion project, 02:59:22.590 --> 02:59:27.006 - parallel to us was a discussion about the hotel development. 02:59:27.202 --> 02:59:33.897 - and the hotel site and the best site for the hotel has always been recognized to be the north the north 02:59:33.897 --> 02:59:40.592 - property which the redevelopment commission purchased in two different purchases one in twenty nineteen 02:59:40.592 --> 02:59:47.416 - one in twenty twenty three and so over a fourteen month period those conversations went on until december 02:59:47.416 --> 02:59:53.918 - of this past year twenty twenty five both the hotel developer and the city told us that there was no 02:59:54.114 --> 03:00:00.229 - There was no path forward for them to complete that negotiation, kicking it back to us to determine 03:00:00.229 --> 03:00:06.650 - what we did at that point. We proposed to the developer, because when we had put out an RFP for a hotel, 03:00:06.650 --> 03:00:12.888 - we had identified sites to the south, which is the parking lot, to the west, which is another parking 03:00:12.888 --> 03:00:19.370 - lot, and asked them, can you build there? They all wanted to go north. So we said to the hotel developer, 03:00:19.370 --> 03:00:22.366 - can you still go south? And that was in January. 03:00:22.722 --> 03:00:29.219 - And in January, the hotel developer came back to us and said, yes, I can build there. In the meantime, 03:00:29.219 --> 03:00:35.717 - we had requested of the city that they transfer the parcels to us, that South parking lot to us, which 03:00:35.717 --> 03:00:42.151 - in May of 2024, they'd indicated they were making available to us. And the response we got was, well, 03:00:42.151 --> 03:00:48.648 - now it's for price or consideration. If you want the parking lot, it's for price or consideration. The 03:00:48.648 --> 03:00:51.550 - Capital Improvement Board doesn't have money. 03:00:51.810 --> 03:00:58.803 - We don't have money to buy anything. So at that point, that was when we requested of the county, can 03:00:58.803 --> 03:01:05.935 - you help us identify? Elable for us if we have to move forward with a hotel developer on a site that's 03:01:05.935 --> 03:01:12.997 - not the North site. And that's that's what brings us to tonight as the county commissioners looked at 03:01:12.997 --> 03:01:18.398 - parcels that were available. They looked at the West parcel, the parking lot. 03:01:18.818 --> 03:01:26.539 - which have been identified in 2024. And they also look at these south parcels that my geography won't 03:01:26.539 --> 03:01:34.261 - do justice here, but Smith Avenue to Second Street. Those additional parcels, which were purchased in 03:01:34.261 --> 03:01:41.907 - two purchases in 2010 by the Convention and Visitors Commission out of innkeepers' tax money for the 03:01:41.907 --> 03:01:45.086 - purpose of the Convention Center project. 03:01:45.698 --> 03:01:51.950 - so the county commissioners have now by resolution agreed to transfer those parcels in the meantime 03:01:51.950 --> 03:01:58.264 - the city reconsidered its position about the south parking lots and the redevelopment commission has 03:01:58.264 --> 03:02:04.578 - now transferred to us those the south parking lot and i'm going to call it another south parking lot 03:02:04.578 --> 03:02:10.955 - it's the one that's actually west behind the courtyard by marriott so there are two different parking 03:02:10.955 --> 03:02:14.206 - lots there those have now been transferred to us so 03:02:14.946 --> 03:02:21.454 - So what what we're asking you to consider tonight is whether you will also approve the transfer of those 03:02:21.454 --> 03:02:27.651 - additional parcels I will tell you that by coincidence the capital improvement board meets tomorrow 03:02:27.651 --> 03:02:34.035 - For its regular monthly meeting and we have scheduled an executive session at 1 30 Tomorrow before our 03:02:34.035 --> 03:02:40.356 - 3 o'clock meeting for the purpose of discussing real estate because we won't know until tomorrow What 03:02:40.356 --> 03:02:41.534 - land we have well? 03:02:42.210 --> 03:02:49.283 - Well no tonight, but I mean we will not know until 130 tomorrow in that executive session what land, 03:02:49.283 --> 03:02:56.286 - we have available to move forward with the project specifically with the hotel development. I will. 03:02:56.450 --> 03:03:02.817 - I don't I don't want to the capital print board has never discussed any of these parcels would not talked 03:03:02.817 --> 03:03:09.005 - about these parcels we've never owned these parcels. I know there's been speculation dating a year ago 03:03:09.005 --> 03:03:13.630 - when the when the county first indicated it did not intend to extend leases. 03:03:13.730 --> 03:03:20.510 - for those properties to the south there was speculation. That that we were going to grab them up for 03:03:20.510 --> 03:03:27.491 - parking lots that's that's never been a discussion that we've ever had that's never been a request that 03:03:27.491 --> 03:03:34.270 - we've ever made. I publicly stated that was not the case at the time i've been reminded and. Many of 03:03:34.270 --> 03:03:40.446 - you will not even know what i'm talking about Joni mitchell's 1970 big yellow taxi song we. 03:03:41.762 --> 03:03:48.464 - something and put up a parking lot. That was never our intention. So we never ever had an intention 03:03:48.464 --> 03:03:55.166 - of saying we want those South parcels for a parking lot. In fact, one of the reasons why the second 03:03:55.166 --> 03:04:01.935 - reason why the hotel developers response to us about the city South parking lot was not adequate was 03:04:01.935 --> 03:04:08.972 - that the developer did not include how to address parking in a structured parking above ground structure 03:04:08.972 --> 03:04:10.782 - parking within that hotel. 03:04:10.946 --> 03:04:17.509 - because we can't put a hotel in a parking lot and then lose parking spaces. So what we've been able 03:04:17.509 --> 03:04:24.138 - to preserve by the city's donation is parking spaces. That south lot, what we can preserve with your 03:04:24.138 --> 03:04:30.963 - movement forward is the west lot. It would be my intention tomorrow, and this is, I've not talked about 03:04:30.963 --> 03:04:37.592 - this with my board. I'll mention it in our discussions tomorrow in executive session. I'll see where 03:04:37.592 --> 03:04:40.414 - they want to direct me tomorrow afternoon. 03:04:40.610 --> 03:04:47.999 - But it would be my hope that if we were to receive these parcels in transfer, that we would engage the 03:04:47.999 --> 03:04:55.244 - city and the redevelopment commission into a discussion about a land exchange. Can we exchange those 03:04:55.244 --> 03:05:02.560 - south parcels to Second Street for the former Bunger Robertson lot? Can we achieve two goals? Can the 03:05:02.560 --> 03:05:09.662 - CIB then move forward to develop a hotel on that north property, which is the best fit for the CDC 03:05:10.146 --> 03:05:18.173 - see some advantage to having the South-South parcels for their own initiatives, for their own priorities, 03:05:18.173 --> 03:05:25.822 - for their own development, whatever that may be. I can't predict what will happen if we were to make 03:05:25.822 --> 03:05:33.546 - that offer. I can tell you that in private conversations I've had with the mayor, she's not indicated 03:05:33.546 --> 03:05:35.742 - support for a land exchange. 03:05:36.034 --> 03:05:42.746 - But I believe it's worthy of public discussion. I believe it's worthy of the Redevelopment Commission 03:05:42.746 --> 03:05:49.392 - considering it. A colleague told me one time that there is no horse too dead not to beat. So I would 03:05:49.392 --> 03:05:56.564 - want to continue to beat the dead horse of the North property to see if it could be used for the development 03:05:56.564 --> 03:06:03.605 - of a parking lot. If we're told no, if we get a formal no, we can't make that happen. We're not interested 03:06:03.605 --> 03:06:05.118 - in that land exchange. 03:06:05.314 --> 03:06:11.126 - Then we as a CIB will be back at the table to determine what we can now do with the parcels that we 03:06:11.126 --> 03:06:17.055 - do have for a hotel development. So the the extended parcels the city's I know I'm I know I've thrown 03:06:17.055 --> 03:06:23.042 - a lot of South and who owns what but the city's South parking lot. These additional parcels can we put 03:06:23.042 --> 03:06:28.854 - that out in an RFP for a hotel developer, you know what might we get in response to that, but those 03:06:28.854 --> 03:06:29.726 - are all steps. 03:06:30.338 --> 03:06:37.060 - I would like to go quite a bit down the line here I would hope that the that if we make such a request 03:06:37.060 --> 03:06:43.847 - to the redevelopment commission. That I would ask them that we have a very quick response on that. That 03:06:43.847 --> 03:06:50.895 - hopefully but we've hopefully by may by our next meeting we would know whether the redevelopment commission 03:06:50.895 --> 03:06:57.551 - we're going to consider a land exchange. We are from from the date a hotel project is approved as two 03:06:57.551 --> 03:06:59.966 - and a half years out to get it open. 03:07:00.066 --> 03:07:07.360 - We know we're going to open a convention center and not have a host hotel. Our local hotels are working 03:07:07.360 --> 03:07:14.373 - with us extremely well. We're already booking conventions out into 2028 and they're working with us 03:07:14.373 --> 03:07:19.422 - on room guarantees to do those things. And that's critically important. 03:07:19.522 --> 03:07:24.862 - I need to say rising tide lifts all boats if we get a host hotel with 200 rooms and we can now attract 03:07:24.862 --> 03:07:30.254 - 600 people to a convention. Unless they're willing to sleep three to a room they're going to be looking 03:07:30.254 --> 03:07:33.054 - for other places to stay and that means other hotels. 03:07:33.186 --> 03:07:39.123 - will benefit by this. We're also looking at attracting conventions in the Monday through Thursday period 03:07:39.123 --> 03:07:44.833 - of time. The hotels don't need us on football weekends. And Galen doesn't need us at the Uptown on a 03:07:44.833 --> 03:07:50.770 - football weekend. But the Monday through Thursday period of time can help our hotels and our restaurants 03:07:50.770 --> 03:07:56.481 - kind of flatten their business models. And so that's what we're working on. I know I've thrown a lot 03:07:56.481 --> 03:08:02.078 - at you. I'm happy to answer any questions. I know that two of the county commissioners are online. 03:08:02.370 --> 03:08:08.579 - if they would like to add anything to do anything that that I've said but. But we will meet tomorrow 03:08:08.579 --> 03:08:14.849 - we will then know tomorrow what we have we'll discuss an executive session will move into our meeting 03:08:14.849 --> 03:08:21.365 - we'll see if we want to make an approach to the city about a land exchange I can't I can't predict that's 03:08:21.365 --> 03:08:27.574 - going to happen tomorrow. And I can't speculate what the city would do with the land if the exchange 03:08:27.574 --> 03:08:28.926 - happen but but that's 03:08:29.058 --> 03:08:36.177 - That's how I would hope we could move forward. And that's how I would see this land transfer assisting 03:08:36.177 --> 03:08:43.158 - in that process. So happy to answer any questions you might have. I appreciate that. Thank you. I'll 03:08:43.158 --> 03:08:50.138 - start off with a question, because I appreciate your thorough explanation of that, because trying to 03:08:50.138 --> 03:08:52.350 - follow it in the media has been 03:08:52.770 --> 03:09:01.839 - I appreciate that. My question would be, considering that this is up for us tonight and considering 03:09:01.839 --> 03:09:10.999 - you have a meeting tomorrow and an executive session tomorrow, would it make sense for us to vote on 03:09:10.999 --> 03:09:19.614 - this tonight or wait until you all do what you need to do in terms of having the conversations 03:09:19.778 --> 03:09:26.640 - The purpose of the executive session would be to determine, we won't determine an executive session, 03:09:26.640 --> 03:09:29.630 - but to discuss what has been donated to us. 03:09:30.146 --> 03:09:37.038 - If you don't make a decision tonight, whatever decision you make tonight, we will then know in our executive 03:09:37.038 --> 03:09:42.854 - tomorrow how we plan to move forward. If you're donating the land to us, then that presents 03:09:42.854 --> 03:09:49.304 - us the opportunity in executive session to determine in public session later on, what are we going to 03:09:49.304 --> 03:09:56.005 - do now that we know what land we own? If you don't make a decision tonight, frankly, we can't do anything 03:09:56.005 --> 03:09:59.230 - tomorrow because we still don't know what we have. 03:09:59.810 --> 03:10:06.643 - It's important for us to know yes or no, whether or not you intend to donate the land so that so that 03:10:06.643 --> 03:10:13.678 - we'll know how to proceed. OK, I appreciate that. Thank you. All right, I'll open it up to my colleagues 03:10:13.678 --> 03:10:20.444 - here and see if anybody has any questions. All right, I'll go down the line here. Councillor Fiddle. 03:10:20.444 --> 03:10:27.344 - I wonder if you could tell us or maybe you don't know what the value of the property that we're you're 03:10:27.344 --> 03:10:29.086 - being asked to donate is. 03:10:29.442 --> 03:10:39.539 - I think I know how much it cost when it was purchased in 2010. It was purchased in two separate purchases, 03:10:39.539 --> 03:10:49.259 - and I believe the total purchase price of the two was approximately $3.2 million. And that's the total 03:10:49.259 --> 03:10:57.374 - package that you're asking for donation, right? Yes. Okay, thank you. Councilor Watz? 03:11:00.482 --> 03:11:10.502 - First of all, thank you. I know that you've been leading a process that has not necessarily been easy, 03:11:10.502 --> 03:11:20.424 - and I appreciate the work that you're doing. As I'm looking at this, and we have folks in the back of 03:11:20.424 --> 03:11:29.374 - the room who obviously have invested interest in our decision tonight, I'm curious about if 03:11:29.602 --> 03:11:42.173 - there is no land swap with the city and you are then looking at a property or putting out an RFP that 03:11:42.173 --> 03:11:55.114 - includes these parcels for a hotel. What timeline then are we looking at before really these folks might 03:11:55.114 --> 03:11:57.086 - have to vacate? 03:11:57.634 --> 03:12:05.875 - So I know that their lease is currently in and they've been told, but realistically, would there be 03:12:05.875 --> 03:12:14.199 - more time as RFP went out and a hotelier was looking at the site and putting together some proposal? 03:12:14.199 --> 03:12:21.534 - If I may answer it in two parts, if that's all right. You know, a process, first of all, 03:12:22.786 --> 03:12:29.232 - If we were to obtain these parcels, if we were to approach the city, if we knew by May, the city's yes 03:12:29.232 --> 03:12:35.553 - or no, maybe we would know before May, you know, a process of putting another RFP out is a two month 03:12:35.553 --> 03:12:41.874 - process to get responses that would need to be reviewed. Interviews of hotel developers hearing what 03:12:41.874 --> 03:12:48.133 - their plans were. So, you know, you put those timelines together and you're talking, you know, two, 03:12:48.133 --> 03:12:51.262 - four or five more months down the road. So that's 03:12:52.930 --> 03:13:03.984 - That's kind of a speculative timeline. But the other part of the question that I believe in fairness 03:13:03.984 --> 03:13:14.928 - and in full candor that I need to respond to is that the CIB is not a property manager. The CIB has 03:13:14.928 --> 03:13:18.430 - no budget to manage properties. 03:13:19.650 --> 03:13:26.731 - You know, I've learned much more about these properties over the last few weeks because they've never 03:13:26.731 --> 03:13:33.882 - been ours to think about. And so I've tried to figure it out. And what you're asking me is whether the 03:13:33.882 --> 03:13:41.241 - CIB is willing to do something the county is not willing to do. These leases. So you're asking the county 03:13:41.241 --> 03:13:48.670 - is notified both residential and commercial tenants that the leases are going to end with a date specific. 03:13:49.538 --> 03:13:56.172 - Read articles from the HT that that that that that's been known since last May. Formal notice wasn't 03:13:56.172 --> 03:14:02.806 - given till February, but it's not. It is what it is. We we have no ability to be a property manager. 03:14:02.806 --> 03:14:09.571 - You know there's been deferred maintenance on apartment buildings and I respect all the people who are 03:14:09.571 --> 03:14:16.862 - here tonight. I respect their opinions. I understand how how strongly they feel about this and I respect that. 03:14:16.994 --> 03:14:23.998 - housing. This community has many issues that are important to address. My point is, as hard as it sounds, 03:14:23.998 --> 03:14:30.605 - they're not the CIBs to address. We have no ability to make repairs to buildings. There's been much 03:14:30.605 --> 03:14:37.278 - deferred maintenance, as I understand it, on these apartments. We don't have the ability to do that. 03:14:37.278 --> 03:14:44.414 - My sister's closet makes a passionate argument about extension of time. They've been there free for a year. 03:14:45.090 --> 03:14:52.336 - Are we to extend somehow the CIB is now responsible for extending time for a year for a tenant in a 03:14:52.336 --> 03:14:59.581 - building I Get enough calls every day on the convention center property I don't I I can't help with 03:14:59.581 --> 03:15:06.827 - calls to maintain properties. I can't help if a boiler breaks down I have no money to fix a boiler. 03:15:06.827 --> 03:15:14.073 - So it's a two-part question and Is there you know, is there time? Yes, there's time. Do we have the 03:15:14.073 --> 03:15:14.942 - ability to? 03:15:15.266 --> 03:15:25.967 - to assume those responsibilities, the CIV have the ability to assume those responsibilities and carry 03:15:25.967 --> 03:15:36.878 - them forward, and my answer to that is we do not. Yeah, okay. Yeah, so okay, that makes a lot of sense, 03:15:36.878 --> 03:15:42.334 - thank you. So if we voted to transfer the property, 03:15:44.034 --> 03:15:51.060 - Then what happens like is the county still managing the property until July, even though we've transferred 03:15:51.060 --> 03:15:57.692 - it that makes. Well, let me let me let me again speculate OK, because if the transfer were to happen 03:15:57.692 --> 03:16:04.587 - and then there's a process involved where deeds are. Deeds are transferred and ownership is transferred. 03:16:04.587 --> 03:16:10.366 - You know, is there a period? Is there a period of time of overlap between now and July? 03:16:10.754 --> 03:16:20.200 - Some of those leases are up in July. Is there a period of overlap? Yes, there is. We're soon into May. 03:16:20.200 --> 03:16:29.555 - So we'd be into May, June, May and June. So there would be a two, yes, there'd be a two month overlap 03:16:29.555 --> 03:16:38.910 - period. My concern is the period beyond that. My concern is the period beyond July. It's simply that. 03:16:40.610 --> 03:16:48.028 - I guess my question maybe isn't even for you then. I'm concerned, I mean, I have to assume that there's 03:16:48.028 --> 03:16:55.161 - been some discussion of how we manage the properties when we've transferred the ownership. And yet, 03:16:55.161 --> 03:17:02.579 - I mean, yes, these folks have been given till July, but my understanding is at least one other property 03:17:02.579 --> 03:17:09.854 - has been given longer. Yeah, there's a commercial property that has a lease that expires in February. 03:17:10.306 --> 03:17:17.973 - Well, to be honest, I'm sorry and not to interrupt Councilor Wilts, but we do have county commissioners 03:17:17.973 --> 03:17:25.346 - who are on the call. If they would like to chime in, not to put you on the spot, but since we're on 03:17:25.346 --> 03:17:33.013 - the spot, you can. So if any commissioner that is online would like to answer the question to Councilor 03:17:33.013 --> 03:17:38.174 - Wilts' point, as we go through that, it would be greatly appreciated. 03:17:44.578 --> 03:17:50.592 - from I'm thinking also who would be liable for things between this interim period right. I don't know 03:17:50.592 --> 03:17:56.547 - the liability came up but I'm really interested in liability right yeah and who who made who so it's 03:17:56.547 --> 03:18:02.679 - a property and then what if something happens on the property who's liable for that I mean there's just 03:18:02.679 --> 03:18:09.164 - all kinds of unexplained things as far as I can see. Well we got a hand raised and it looks like Commissioner 03:18:09.164 --> 03:18:13.822 - Thomas has her hand raised. Yeah I can try to answer your question but I think 03:18:14.114 --> 03:18:25.091 - I'm not sure I understood the entire question. Let me give it a shot and if I've not addressed it, let 03:18:25.091 --> 03:18:35.856 - me know. Right now, the management team from the Convention Center, Talisha Copic, is working with a 03:18:35.856 --> 03:18:44.062 - property manager who is managing the properties. That's what's going on now. 03:18:44.194 --> 03:18:58.308 - If that arrangement continues for a few months, that's really up to the CIB and the Convention and Visitors 03:18:58.308 --> 03:19:11.507 - Commission to utilize, to continue that process. Wouldn't that be... What was that? There's nothing. 03:19:11.507 --> 03:19:13.598 - Okay, go ahead. 03:19:16.610 --> 03:19:24.995 - So, I mean, so there's nothing that's been laid out with respect to what happens in May, let's just 03:19:24.995 --> 03:19:33.716 - say, or June as far as property management. I mean, presumably the company that's managing the property 03:19:33.716 --> 03:19:42.437 - is paid. Maybe they've been paid ahead. I don't know. And maybe everybody's like, cool, this all works, 03:19:42.437 --> 03:19:44.030 - but I'm concerned. 03:19:44.482 --> 03:19:51.122 - Yeah. If I may take another stab at this. I think what I understand is that that to Lisha Coppock and 03:19:51.122 --> 03:19:58.022 - through the management of the Convention Center is working with the with the property management company. 03:19:58.022 --> 03:20:04.791 - The Convention and Visitors Commission has been involved in, you know, whatever maintenance activities, 03:20:04.791 --> 03:20:11.691 - you know, have been undertaken. So I would I would imagine that would simply continue till the expiration 03:20:11.691 --> 03:20:12.798 - of those leases. 03:20:13.282 --> 03:20:20.183 - I've not had conversations with them, but that would seem to be the most, make the most sense to me. 03:20:20.183 --> 03:20:27.017 - Yes, Councilor Henry. Thank you. And this question isn't really for either of you, though. I'm glad 03:20:27.017 --> 03:20:34.396 - you're here to help shepherd some of this conversation. But if Commissioner Thomas is still on, my question 03:20:34.396 --> 03:20:41.366 - here is, if the Board of Commissioners had empowered a property manager and then the property manager 03:20:41.366 --> 03:20:43.006 - hired a firm to collect 03:20:44.162 --> 03:20:52.504 - collect the rents and then deal with maintenance. Has the county ever enjoyed a revenue stream from 03:20:52.504 --> 03:21:00.179 - the ownership of these or is it just paid the property management firm over the past, well, 03:21:00.179 --> 03:21:08.522 - I guess 16 years? I can answer that in that this has been going through the Convention and Visitors 03:21:08.522 --> 03:21:11.358 - Commission as part of their work. 03:21:11.586 --> 03:21:22.202 - and it's not something that we've seen a revenue stream on, specifically to the county itself. Since 03:21:22.202 --> 03:21:33.134 - these properties were purchased for the convention center and with innkeepers tax dollars, we certainly 03:21:33.134 --> 03:21:41.438 - would not endeavor to create some sort of a profit stream that's long lasting, 03:21:41.922 --> 03:21:51.226 - because these are not really our properties, they're in our name. That's what we're trying to resolve 03:21:51.226 --> 03:22:00.348 - now is to place it into the name of the Capital Inclusion Board. We did put a piece in there asking 03:22:00.348 --> 03:22:09.470 - that if possible, that the city may acquire those properties because they have a housing authority, 03:22:09.698 --> 03:22:16.742 - become landowners, landlords. That was encouraged. We encouraged that in our resolution. But other than 03:22:16.742 --> 03:22:23.650 - that, we're silent on it because really the properties don't belong to the county. They belong to the 03:22:23.650 --> 03:22:30.559 - convention center itself and the convention visitors commission. So no, that helps. And I'll just ask 03:22:30.559 --> 03:22:37.399 - the second question anyway, though. I think you may have answered it, which is if there was going to 03:22:37.399 --> 03:22:38.686 - be a rate increase 03:22:39.202 --> 03:22:46.608 - on the properties over the 16 year period, if I'm hearing you right, that rate increase would have occurred 03:22:46.608 --> 03:22:53.534 - at the CBC level and not the board of commissioners to try to raise the rent, if you will, on either 03:22:53.534 --> 03:23:00.460 - units? Correct. We were asked, for example, I can give you an example of something. We were asked to 03:23:00.460 --> 03:23:06.494 - reduce the rent of my sister's closet as they were trying to transition to a new space. 03:23:06.882 --> 03:23:14.991 - and they need capital to build into that space. We really like that organization so much. They're so 03:23:14.991 --> 03:23:23.421 - valuable. We did agree to that. We're asked those kinds of questions along the way. But other than that, 03:23:23.421 --> 03:23:31.530 - no, we've not been involved in the day-to-day at all. Thank you. I just want to clarify that there's 03:23:31.530 --> 03:23:32.734 - the convention 03:23:32.834 --> 03:23:43.499 - and visitors commission, but then there's also the building corporation, the convention and visitor. 03:23:43.499 --> 03:23:54.165 - Because that's different. It's the convention center building corporation. And that's who's managing 03:23:54.165 --> 03:23:59.550 - the property management. So right. No, no, no, no. 03:23:59.682 --> 03:24:07.001 - And in a transfer of properties, there is a City of Bloomington Building Corporation that now has possession 03:24:07.001 --> 03:24:13.782 - of the Convention Center because they use it, in my simple terms, as collateral for the bond. So the 03:24:13.782 --> 03:24:20.429 - Monroe County Building Corporation doesn't exist any longer. It's the City of Bloomington Building 03:24:20.429 --> 03:24:26.942 - Corporation. And the City of Bloomington's Building Corporation responsibility is to simply make 03:24:27.042 --> 03:24:36.738 - payment on the on the bond on the on the debt to approve payment on the debt so there's no there's no 03:24:36.738 --> 03:24:46.815 - other party involved in management management of the of the of the convention center or these properties. 03:24:46.815 --> 03:24:56.606 - But counselor Iverson. So I. Your offer is tantalizing. And also unpredictable. So thank you for that. 03:24:58.466 --> 03:25:08.742 - Public policy, right? That's right. It is lovely to think that there is a way to beat this not dead 03:25:08.742 --> 03:25:19.018 - horse by going north and at the same time preserve some semblance of what there is in the south. My 03:25:19.018 --> 03:25:26.622 - thinking though is not trying to predict the future or predicting what is 03:25:27.042 --> 03:25:35.555 - It is that the current landlords, the current people whose name is on this, clearly do not want this 03:25:35.555 --> 03:25:43.984 - anymore. Even if we were to vote this down, even if we were to unanimously say no, I'm not sure the 03:25:43.984 --> 03:25:51.486 - outcome would change all that much in the thinking of what happens on Thursday mornings. 03:25:57.058 --> 03:26:10.222 - And so that's my current thinking is that, and I see other hands are being raised to challenge my thoughts, 03:26:10.222 --> 03:26:22.654 - but I mean, that is my thinking at this point is how much change can we effectuate realistically from 03:26:22.654 --> 03:26:25.214 - this day as tonight? 03:26:29.698 --> 03:26:36.510 - Yes, Mr. My hand is not to challenge Mr. I for instance thought my hand is to go back to a question that. 03:26:36.674 --> 03:26:43.655 - Councilor Wilts asked. I did inquire with Jeff Cockrell who has been working more closely with the CIB 03:26:43.655 --> 03:26:50.635 - regarding the transfer of these properties about who would manage the properties until July if they're 03:26:50.635 --> 03:26:57.616 - transferred and who would be liable to Councilor Feidl's point. And Mr. Cockrell's response is the CIB 03:26:57.616 --> 03:27:04.529 - would be liable once transferred. The CIB would manage if transferred prior to the lease ending. They 03:27:04.529 --> 03:27:06.494 - would manage the properties. 03:27:06.754 --> 03:27:15.989 - I'm sorry. I'm yelling at you. Sorry. Well, again, if I can take another stab. The Convention and Visitors 03:27:15.989 --> 03:27:24.878 - Commission, one of its responsibilities is to the convention center. And they currently address issues 03:27:24.878 --> 03:27:34.113 - with the current convention center. They've been paying for whatever up keeps involved in these properties 03:27:34.113 --> 03:27:36.702 - that we're talking about now. 03:27:36.898 --> 03:27:45.359 - I suspect they're continuing to do that until these leases ended, if they were to end in July, would 03:27:45.359 --> 03:27:53.904 - not be a particularly onerous burden for them. I think they would be relieved to know when the burden 03:27:53.904 --> 03:28:02.365 - would end for them. But that's the CVC, not the CIB. Yeah, there's a bunch of alphabet soup floating 03:28:02.365 --> 03:28:06.302 - around. Can I just hear, though? She said CIB. 03:28:06.594 --> 03:28:13.478 - that the CIB would own the properties and be responsible for them. So you would be liable if anything 03:28:13.478 --> 03:28:20.362 - happened? And then we would then we would need to be dealing with issues of insurance. We'd be nearly 03:28:20.362 --> 03:28:27.112 - need to deal with issues of our relationship with the CVC. And these are all things if you agree to 03:28:27.112 --> 03:28:33.726 - transfer the property that we have to act on very quickly. So are you comfortable with that? Yes. 03:28:37.538 --> 03:28:44.197 - I'm comfortable with the prospect that we can make things happen we've been trying to make happen for 03:28:44.197 --> 03:28:50.921 - a lot of years. And I know not everybody agrees with that. I know not everybody agrees with what we're 03:28:50.921 --> 03:28:57.449 - trying to do, and I respect that. But you've given us a charge, and I'm comfortable we can complete 03:28:57.449 --> 03:29:01.758 - it. And we're better capable of completing it with this transfer. 03:29:05.826 --> 03:29:12.878 - Go to your counselor Decker here in a second. But I had a quick question because Commissioner Thomas 03:29:12.878 --> 03:29:20.000 - brought up my sister's closet because I know at a previous meeting that they were at they were asking 03:29:20.000 --> 03:29:27.192 - for an extension. And to my understanding that there's another business in that area that got extended 03:29:27.192 --> 03:29:28.798 - to I believe February. 03:29:28.930 --> 03:29:35.011 - And my mistake Jeff Jeff's warehouse is a commercial property and their their lease specifically stated 03:29:35.011 --> 03:29:40.974 - that they had one year from the time they received formal notice of termination so that formal notice 03:29:40.974 --> 03:29:46.879 - happened in February so they have until February of twenty twenty seven that lease is different from 03:29:46.879 --> 03:29:52.726 - there a couple of other commercial properties and then there's obviously the residential apartments 03:29:52.726 --> 03:29:56.702 - and those are different leases with different timelines okay and so 03:29:58.274 --> 03:30:04.774 - What I'm about to say is not geared towards you all by any way, because I wrote on here, like, you are 03:30:04.774 --> 03:30:11.148 - not responsible for any of this stuff. You got a task. We created all this stuff, and now we've kind 03:30:11.148 --> 03:30:17.648 - of made a monster out of all of this. But I guess my question, and I don't know who to direct this to, 03:30:17.648 --> 03:30:23.958 - because I hear the county's name is on these things, but we're not responsible for it, which that's 03:30:23.958 --> 03:30:25.662 - interesting to me, because 03:30:27.234 --> 03:30:34.216 - My name is on something up north that I've been trying to deal with for a while. And whether I like 03:30:34.216 --> 03:30:41.478 - it or not, even though I'm here and that's there, my name is still attached to that said thing. I guess 03:30:41.478 --> 03:30:48.600 - my question is, considering the timeline of everything and all the other different possibilities, and 03:30:48.600 --> 03:30:55.093 - considering the fact that folks that live there are living there, that's their homes, that's 03:30:55.093 --> 03:30:57.118 - their livelihoods right now, 03:30:58.114 --> 03:31:07.623 - It, I guess, who do we ask if there was to be some type of extension for them, because it is my understanding 03:31:07.623 --> 03:31:16.094 - from public comment that we had a while back that folks got a letter in February explaining that. 03:31:16.834 --> 03:31:23.388 - their lease is up as of July of this year. And I know that people say that this is a conversation that 03:31:23.388 --> 03:31:30.134 - has been had for a while, but the regular Joe Schmoes aren't really technically paying attention. They're 03:31:30.134 --> 03:31:36.561 - probably doing day-to-day, daily operational things where they're not really paying attention to all 03:31:36.561 --> 03:31:43.115 - the things. And just like a lot of other things, we talk a lot, but we're still here some years later. 03:31:43.115 --> 03:31:45.406 - But I digress. But that being said, 03:31:47.938 --> 03:31:55.826 - that it would be a shock to me if I lived there to know that I'm getting something in February and in 03:31:55.826 --> 03:32:03.792 - July I have to be out and there's no type of extension. I'm looking forward to put myself on the spot. 03:32:03.792 --> 03:32:11.526 - Like I'm looking for a house right now and everything that I'm trying to look for is just not like, 03:32:11.526 --> 03:32:17.790 - you know, my situation would be up as of the end of June. And so that's a lot to 03:32:18.370 --> 03:32:26.586 - put on folks like that. So I guess to say all that, I'm trying to have some empathy while understanding 03:32:26.586 --> 03:32:34.803 - the task that the CRB has. But I'm concerned that we say, well, it's been talked about. It's been known 03:32:34.803 --> 03:32:42.703 - that we are, especially when we don't really know how long this project is going to take, who would 03:32:42.703 --> 03:32:45.310 - we need to speak with to ask for 03:32:45.666 --> 03:32:54.302 - an extension, so to speak, for my sister's closet or for them to figure out where they would have to 03:32:54.302 --> 03:33:03.024 - go. Because I believe in the convention center expansion, my heartburn is, as a bridgehead myself, is 03:33:03.024 --> 03:33:11.574 - displacing people for something that we don't even know when that timeline will happen. And so I am 03:33:11.574 --> 03:33:15.422 - really trying to grasp with this. And again, 03:33:16.322 --> 03:33:24.805 - No shade, no disrespect to you all as well because you're put on the hotspot. But I think that's a million 03:33:24.805 --> 03:33:32.812 - dollar question is trying to figure out like who's responsible. I sound like an owl. Who? Who? Who's 03:33:32.812 --> 03:33:37.886 - responsible for us asking if we can get some type of extension? 03:33:38.722 --> 03:33:45.236 - Molly can correct me, but it seems that the transfer takes place and these properties, these parcels 03:33:45.236 --> 03:33:52.137 - are transferred to the CIB, then it's going to be the CIB's responsibility to determine what, if anything, 03:33:52.137 --> 03:33:58.652 - it does about extensions of any leases, be they residential or be they commercial. And as I said, we 03:33:58.652 --> 03:34:03.102 - don't know to this minute whether we're going to have these parcels. 03:34:03.490 --> 03:34:09.822 - And and and if we have them, then that has to be part of the discussion we have in our executive session 03:34:09.822 --> 03:34:15.912 - tomorrow and has to be a discussion for the board. And that's why that's why I would hope that if if 03:34:15.912 --> 03:34:22.304 - we can move forward with a further discussion with the city and the RDC, we can have answers very quickly 03:34:22.304 --> 03:34:29.118 - to some of these questions. I know that Alicia Coppock was here and spoke to you, I think, at your last meeting. 03:34:29.442 --> 03:34:35.858 - I know that there are still ongoing efforts to assist with relocation that may or may not satisfy the 03:34:35.858 --> 03:34:42.651 - current residents of the apartment building. But I know there's been effort made. Talisha told me yesterday 03:34:42.651 --> 03:34:48.941 - that there have been four open houses at apartment buildings here recently that five of the tenants 03:34:48.941 --> 03:34:55.357 - took applications. Three tenants have already notified that they intend to move early. So it's not as 03:34:55.357 --> 03:34:58.942 - if we lack empathy. And it's not as if we're not trying. 03:34:59.650 --> 03:35:06.415 - to do this, but the question becomes, if these parcels are transferred, then this problem that you are 03:35:06.415 --> 03:35:13.113 - all wrestling with is punted to the CIB, and it's the CIB then that has to determine what we do about 03:35:13.113 --> 03:35:20.009 - these leases and whether extensions are possible or not. And I'm gonna, Ms. Turner-King, I see Councilor 03:35:20.009 --> 03:35:26.642 - Henry, but I know Decker was first, so I'll go Turner-King, Decker, and then I'll roll back to Henry 03:35:26.642 --> 03:35:28.350 - next. And I tend to agree 03:35:28.482 --> 03:35:35.860 - Upon transfer the cib is liable for the properties and management thereof I imagine that the lease would 03:35:35.860 --> 03:35:43.028 - follow and thus extensions of the lease to Last part again about the leaf I imagine that cib would be 03:35:43.028 --> 03:35:50.055 - responsible for the leases at that point and any extension thereof And I and i'm assuming that that 03:35:50.055 --> 03:35:51.390 - would mean that we 03:35:51.522 --> 03:35:57.993 - that we inherit the current leases with the current expiration date, as well as the one lease that has 03:35:57.993 --> 03:36:04.590 - a February expiration date. And then we have to wrestle with how we deal with that. Thank you very much. 03:36:04.590 --> 03:36:11.187 - And I appreciate my council colleagues asking tremendous questions. I enjoy very much listening to that, 03:36:11.187 --> 03:36:17.721 - hearing the responses. And I appreciate very much the chair, not only informing us on this, but running 03:36:17.721 --> 03:36:19.166 - through that timeline. 03:36:19.330 --> 03:36:25.660 - I don't know if you've heard it yet. I mean, I've read about 300 articles on all this, but I think, 03:36:25.660 --> 03:36:32.180 - Chancellor, I think you had the clearest. I've heard it yet. I'm retired. I have plenty of time. Well, 03:36:32.180 --> 03:36:38.636 - I appreciate all that time that you're doing to this last appreciate everything that the CIA has done 03:36:38.636 --> 03:36:45.156 - on the project. I can remember a time when we would sit in here and kind of stare at each other a lot. 03:36:45.156 --> 03:36:48.574 - Maybe a little bit like tonight. I guess my questions 03:36:49.986 --> 03:36:56.741 - At one point when we were dealing with the Napa building for elections, there was a time where we were 03:36:56.741 --> 03:37:03.299 - renting that from one of these entities that governs that. Ms. Turner King, do I have that right? I 03:37:03.299 --> 03:37:09.857 - remember that was to keep the funds straight, not to say, well, that's just county's free building. 03:37:09.857 --> 03:37:16.350 - That was us literally renting that, is that right? I remember at the time, I think Councilor McKim 03:37:16.610 --> 03:37:25.327 - fired up about that amount and goes, oh, I guess it makes sense. It's a bookkeeping or something like 03:37:25.327 --> 03:37:34.301 - that. And it's probably for Mr. King again. In 2010, when this, it's two parcels, when these two parcels 03:37:34.301 --> 03:37:42.078 - were purchased, that was done with innkeepers tax dollars, is that right? 2010 was before. 03:37:42.338 --> 03:37:50.744 - my existence in county legal, but it is my understanding that, yes, it was done with innkeeper's dollars. 03:37:50.744 --> 03:37:58.833 - My understanding is, and I don't know if this is a thing that's been discussed or if I have it wrong, 03:37:58.833 --> 03:38:07.081 - but technically, us maintaining rental property with innkeeper's tax dollars was not the intent of that 03:38:07.081 --> 03:38:10.174 - tax. Is that right? Have I heard that? 03:38:17.090 --> 03:38:23.965 - to look at that statute. Okay. Mr. Turner King, Mr. Cockrell does have his hand raised. Maybe he could 03:38:23.965 --> 03:38:30.774 - take a step at that one. Sorry to throw them all to you. Are you okay with Mr. Cockrell speaking? Oh, 03:38:30.774 --> 03:38:37.582 - 100%. Mr. Cockrell, the floor is yours if you'd like it. Can you hear me? Yes. Yes. Yeah, I apologize 03:38:37.582 --> 03:38:41.854 - for not being there tonight. I heard the last few questions and 03:38:42.402 --> 03:38:50.328 - Absolutely, when we purchased the property, I don't think we intended it to be a innkeeper's tax to 03:38:50.328 --> 03:38:58.888 - be utilized for continuing the rental of that property indefinitely into the future. It was always intended 03:38:58.888 --> 03:39:07.131 - to keep the property maintained until it was time to utilize it for the convention and center purposes. 03:39:07.131 --> 03:39:11.966 - So I think that's question one. Can you repeat question two? 03:39:13.026 --> 03:39:22.550 - I think you answered question two, if I heard it right. I think you covered that one. I think, I guess 03:39:22.550 --> 03:39:32.074 - let me go to this just overall question and I'll go back to you Chancellor on this one. If in an ideal 03:39:32.074 --> 03:39:41.598 - setting, right, if the discussion with the city goes well, this property becomes a property that swaps 03:39:42.434 --> 03:39:50.074 - And what embers on that the development that is something the city would consider down the road, but 03:39:50.074 --> 03:39:57.714 - ultimately the hotel could be in the place that was originally intended for my saying this right. If 03:39:57.714 --> 03:40:01.118 - the land exchange happened. Then it would be 03:40:01.986 --> 03:40:08.211 - And again, I'm, I'm speaking as one member of a board. So I've got a, you know, so, so if a land exchange 03:40:08.211 --> 03:40:14.202 - were to happen, it would clearly be for our intent to want to build a hotel on the North on the North 03:40:14.202 --> 03:40:20.074 - parcel. Yeah. What the city would, if the city elected to do the land exchange, what its goals were 03:40:20.074 --> 03:40:23.422 - for the South parcel would be completely up to the city. 03:40:25.378 --> 03:40:32.071 - Thank you, and I'm not gonna put you on the hook for any more questions, because you certainly answered 03:40:32.071 --> 03:40:38.250 - enough. One of the comments that I just kinda, I was listening to Councilor Iverson's thoughts, 03:40:38.250 --> 03:40:44.686 - and as always, he kinda says things a little bit clearer and more succinctly than I do with my long 03:40:44.686 --> 03:40:51.573 - stories and sometimes ridiculous asides. But in some respects, when I look at this, and of course, there's 03:40:51.573 --> 03:40:53.246 - always the dignity around 03:40:53.346 --> 03:41:00.034 - where people are living, where they're going, what's happening, and the care for all of that, 03:41:00.034 --> 03:41:07.361 - which is hard. That is a hard thing to manage, particularly when we've not always done at all a strong 03:41:07.361 --> 03:41:14.760 - job with housing options in this community. But when I look at this and where we're at present day with 03:41:14.760 --> 03:41:22.088 - the existing kind of entities saying, we're not doing this anymore the way that we have done it as far 03:41:22.088 --> 03:41:22.942 - as offering 03:41:23.842 --> 03:41:32.161 - properties for rent. We're not doing it for commercial and that sunsetting residential is changing into 03:41:32.161 --> 03:41:40.320 - something else. When I kind of look at it that way from the existing entity to me, for folks that are 03:41:40.320 --> 03:41:48.719 - concerned about those properties either maintaining residential as it exists now or future or commercial 03:41:48.719 --> 03:41:53.438 - as it exists now or future, the best hope they almost have 03:41:53.890 --> 03:42:01.914 - is us to send this out here with an exchange. I know that sounds probably ridiculous, but when Councilor 03:42:01.914 --> 03:42:09.785 - Iverson said it that way, it actually was something I don't hear here locally, elected officials being 03:42:09.785 --> 03:42:17.580 - realistic about a situation, working together with other entities and having a little bit of optimism 03:42:17.580 --> 03:42:23.006 - about the continuation of a discussion. So I offer that because to me, 03:42:23.842 --> 03:42:30.286 - I look at the location to other things that are happening in the that side of town in Bloomington, which 03:42:30.286 --> 03:42:36.424 - is not always something the County Council even talks about. And I think about kind of this project 03:42:36.424 --> 03:42:42.868 - and where a hotel would likely not be. And to me, I don't know, it starts making somewhat of some sense. 03:42:42.868 --> 03:42:49.067 - I can see, although there's so many balls in the air that I totally get that. But I also one thing I 03:42:49.067 --> 03:42:53.118 - appreciate more than anything is the strong effort to try to have 03:42:53.250 --> 03:43:00.753 - answers for folks on where they're going. Ms. Coppock did a strong, tremendous job in talking about 03:43:00.753 --> 03:43:07.655 - that. And I know that other resources, Heading Home and others have been engaged in some of 03:43:07.655 --> 03:43:15.308 - those discussions. And that's, that always is powerful to me. So I'll stop there. Thank you. And just 03:43:15.308 --> 03:43:21.310 - for the record, Councilor Hogg has left the building. You see what I did there? 03:43:21.442 --> 03:43:36.333 - All right, so next up, sorry, Councillor Henry. I'm gonna pass, I think. Go back. Okay. Here's what 03:43:36.333 --> 03:43:45.566 - I'm gonna do. I've been kind of going at it for a little bit. 03:43:47.010 --> 03:43:54.757 - I don't know if I could break the stretch. But I think what we can do right now is take a little bit 03:43:54.757 --> 03:44:02.505 - of a recess right now as we kind of wrap our heads around a lot of the stuff and kind of give people 03:44:02.505 --> 03:44:09.946 - a chance to kind of refresh and do what they need to do. So we can come back and finish out and, 03:44:09.946 --> 03:44:16.926 - of course, give members of the public a chance and opportunity for public comment as well. 03:44:19.714 --> 03:44:29.058 - Let's take a 10 minute recess. So we come back at 8.56. So we're all cool with that. So we can kind 03:44:29.058 --> 03:44:38.776 - of stretch and kind of take a break and a breather here. I'm going to ask if we take a 10 minute recess 03:44:38.776 --> 03:44:46.718 - and we'll be back at promptly 8.56. All right. So let's take a recess for right now. 03:44:49.858 --> 03:44:59.777 - So we are back in session. And so I know that I looked at Council Henry and he said he would pass, but 03:44:59.777 --> 03:45:09.695 - want to kick it back to other council members to see if they have any additional questions for members 03:45:09.695 --> 03:45:19.710 - of the CIB or other people that are in virtual land. It looks like Mr. Cockrell has joined as well too. 03:45:21.954 --> 03:45:29.939 - just a point of clarification because I pulled up a lovely interactive map of the convention center 03:45:29.939 --> 03:45:38.163 - properties in question provided by the B square and I heard you talking through all the properties but 03:45:38.163 --> 03:45:46.228 - to be honest I'm very visual and I should have brought it up beforehand and I've looked at it before 03:45:46.228 --> 03:45:49.502 - but my question is we have we the county 03:45:49.858 --> 03:45:56.652 - has offered the properties to the west of the current convention center that we own in the in the in 03:45:56.652 --> 03:46:03.379 - the current resolution from the county commissioners that the property to the west that parking lot 03:46:03.379 --> 03:46:10.173 - is offered for transfer but there are some conditions with it so i think there's some parking places 03:46:10.173 --> 03:46:17.438 - that need to be reserved there's some there's several mays in it about when that may happen but it has been 03:46:18.338 --> 03:46:25.335 - it was it was um it was listed as available to us when we asked the question in 2024 right i believe 03:46:25.335 --> 03:46:32.262 - it's in the uh resolution the county commissioners passed so that that property to the west as well 03:46:32.262 --> 03:46:39.328 - as the properties to the south so the property the property to the west is part of this yes okay okay 03:46:39.328 --> 03:46:46.671 - yes that's what i mean like there were no no detail on the paper that we got and so i'm just and i didn't 03:46:46.671 --> 03:46:47.710 - yeah there's a 03:46:47.906 --> 03:46:54.811 - there's a parking lot to the west that has the two giant duke energy poles and it's in madison street 03:46:54.811 --> 03:47:01.580 - is the western okay i'm directionally challenged madison street's the western boundary western edge 03:47:01.580 --> 03:47:08.552 - yeah yeah yeah it goes north south yeah yeah okay okay so we so this i'm glad i asked because honestly 03:47:08.552 --> 03:47:15.795 - i'm like i should at least what properties we're talking about yeah you've got you've got the west parking 03:47:15.795 --> 03:47:17.758 - lot and then and in addition 03:47:18.242 --> 03:47:25.509 - My border, Smith Avenue, just so it helps me decide, Smith Avenue down to 2nd Street is the other. And 03:47:25.509 --> 03:47:32.565 - there may be a couple of parcels involved. There's a private building there as well that's owned by 03:47:32.565 --> 03:47:39.762 - State Farm Insurance. There's a State Farm Insurance building that's privately owned. So there's kind 03:47:39.762 --> 03:47:45.054 - of a carve out for that particular building. OK. OK. I think I'm assuming. 03:47:48.002 --> 03:47:56.216 - I'm just color coded. Does anyone here know what the green if the green is the dark green is us too? 03:47:56.216 --> 03:48:03.861 - I think Green State Farm is it? No state firms down here. I know dumb questions, sorry. Yeah, 03:48:03.861 --> 03:48:12.156 - it's it is. It's just it's the South of Smith Ave to 2nd St with the car about for State Farm and the 03:48:12.156 --> 03:48:16.222 - West parking lot. Yeah, to make it simpler. This. 03:48:18.690 --> 03:48:28.050 - Any other additional questions or comments right now? Okay, so I think we've exhausted questions and 03:48:28.050 --> 03:48:37.595 - comments for you all. And so now we will move on to public comment. And so if there is public comment, 03:48:37.595 --> 03:48:41.950 - again, the rules are for this particular item, 03:48:42.210 --> 03:48:48.088 - you can sign in at the lectern here, since it's a lot of people that are still here in the NetU Hill 03:48:48.088 --> 03:48:54.025 - room, which is awesome, because normally at this time of the night, we're talking to an echo chamber. 03:48:54.025 --> 03:48:59.904 - Go ahead and start lining up so that we can get through this process. So if you want to know, if you 03:48:59.904 --> 03:49:05.782 - know that you already want to make public comment, just go ahead and line up, sign your name. Again, 03:49:05.782 --> 03:49:11.486 - you'll have up to three minutes. TSD will make sure that the timer is there once the timer is up. 03:49:11.618 --> 03:49:20.358 - your time is up. And then via Teams, I'll kind of alternate back and forth. And so if somebody wants 03:49:20.358 --> 03:49:29.357 - to speak via Teams, you can go ahead and raise your hand. Again, you can state your name for the record 03:49:29.357 --> 03:49:38.097 - in Teams land, and you'll have up to three minutes as well. So I see somebody who's already here. Go 03:49:38.097 --> 03:49:40.606 - ahead and sign in. Go ahead. 03:49:41.442 --> 03:49:46.357 - Hey, my name is Barry. So the county has kept half the affordable apartments at Seminary Point deliberately 03:49:46.357 --> 03:49:50.953 - vacant for like 10 years and has now decided to force out everyone who still lives there. We've been 03:49:50.953 --> 03:49:55.686 - over this. The whole city knows about it at this point. The county commissioners are excited to finally 03:49:55.686 --> 03:50:00.373 - shirk responsibility because they found an old statute and they claim it says the way these apartments 03:50:00.373 --> 03:50:05.106 - were purchased during Obama's first term means they have to give them to the capital improvement board. 03:50:05.106 --> 03:50:08.382 - The sweet relief of deference to procedure. We Democrats, we love that. 03:50:08.546 --> 03:50:12.854 - But the story's missing a piece. The county does not have to kick people out of their homes to do any 03:50:12.854 --> 03:50:17.204 - of that. Even if we make the ill-advised decision to take the commissioner's word that law surrounding 03:50:17.204 --> 03:50:21.428 - the innkeeper's tax makes it illegal for them not to transfer ownership to the CIB, it says nothing 03:50:21.428 --> 03:50:25.778 - about telling everyone they've got a few months to get out while they do. I finally just read the damn 03:50:25.778 --> 03:50:30.044 - thing, the Monroe County innkeeper's tax. Most of it is moot, but there is a brief passage about how 03:50:30.044 --> 03:50:31.902 - the money is to be used. So a reading from. 03:50:32.386 --> 03:50:37.334 - 2025, Indiana Code, Title VI, Taxation Article IX, Innkeepers Taxes, Other Local Taxes, Chapter IV, 03:50:37.334 --> 03:50:42.282 - Monroe County Innkeepers Tax, 6943, Powers and Duties of Commission, Section 3A, the commission may 03:50:42.282 --> 03:50:47.378 - transfer money from any funds available under Section VII of this chapter for the purpose of promotion 03:50:47.378 --> 03:50:52.376 - and encouragement in the county of convention, trade shows, visitors, or special events. So visitors 03:50:52.376 --> 03:50:57.670 - and special events have been left out of that in every conversation that we've had, including with members 03:50:57.670 --> 03:50:58.462 - of the council. 03:51:00.546 --> 03:51:05.405 - Ending these leases does not have and has never had any place in this conversation. Transfer the CIB 03:51:05.405 --> 03:51:10.456 - does not need to occur. There are already special events happening at that property all the time, places 03:51:10.456 --> 03:51:15.363 - like Friendly Beast. What does need to happen is, first, the renewal of these leases. We know you can 03:51:15.363 --> 03:51:20.173 - do it because one of the commercial tenants, as you've all mentioned, was smart enough to stipulate 03:51:20.173 --> 03:51:24.984 - an extension in their lease originally. I don't know why they get special treatment for knowing the 03:51:24.984 --> 03:51:27.870 - law better than random residents, but whatever. And second, 03:51:28.034 --> 03:51:33.099 - an assurance that Seminary Point will remain permanently, genuinely affordable housing, acknowledging 03:51:33.099 --> 03:51:38.263 - the CIB's hope to swap this land with the city for a property the CIB actually wants. It makes no sense 03:51:38.263 --> 03:51:43.428 - to ruin people's lives in the interim, but it makes perfect sense to transfer this property to the city 03:51:43.428 --> 03:51:48.394 - with assurance from the city that they intend to transfer it to a land trust and actually use their 03:51:48.394 --> 03:51:53.508 - affordable housing fund to keep Seminary Point permanently affordable. I spoke to an elderly woman who 03:51:53.508 --> 03:51:57.630 - lives at Seminary Point one week ago. I asked her if she wants to leave. She said, 03:51:58.018 --> 03:52:05.292 - No. Thank you. All right. I will alternate back and forth in the room. So since we already had a hand 03:52:05.292 --> 03:52:12.638 - raise via Teams, I'll go ahead. It looks like Christopher M.G., you're up next. Unmute yourself, state 03:52:12.638 --> 03:52:19.769 - your name for the record, and you'll have up to three minutes. Good evening again, Madam President. 03:52:19.769 --> 03:52:27.614 - Seems like it's only been five hours. It's Christopher M.G. from the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce. 03:52:28.290 --> 03:52:35.119 - I wanna speak to the point where this is a land use problem and the county doesn't need to be in the 03:52:35.119 --> 03:52:42.151 - landlord business of owning property and leasing it. I'm gonna miss the businesses there, the blue tip, 03:52:42.151 --> 03:52:49.048 - the friendly beast, but this is not where the county belongs is to be a landlord. The tenants, I feel 03:52:49.048 --> 03:52:55.742 - for all of them there, but this is the right move to make. The CIB is the right tenant to be using 03:52:55.842 --> 03:53:01.957 - this land and we need to look at the CDO and some zoning issues with the county to make more housing, 03:53:01.957 --> 03:53:08.072 - more affordable housing, not look at this as the end all and being a landlord. That's just the county 03:53:08.072 --> 03:53:14.306 - needs to get out of that business and it's taken this long to do it. And I feel for everybody involved, 03:53:14.306 --> 03:53:19.582 - but this is the right transfer of property. Thank you for your time tonight. Thank you. 03:53:19.906 --> 03:53:27.925 - All right, we'll flip back here to the NETU Hill Room. And again, if you're on Teams, please start raising 03:53:27.925 --> 03:53:35.645 - your hands. Okay, I'm Bryce. I am an organizer with the DSA in favor of affordable housing. Obviously, 03:53:35.645 --> 03:53:43.139 - big shout out to the Chamber of Commerce for being in favor of evicting people. But I'm mostly here 03:53:43.139 --> 03:53:47.486 - to talk about affordable housing as a policy problem that 03:53:48.226 --> 03:53:54.881 - you know, there's no silver bullet, but there are steps in front of us right now that we can all take. 03:53:54.881 --> 03:54:01.602 - Like this property, I mean, the fact that, you know, the CIB is willing to transfer it means that there 03:54:01.602 --> 03:54:08.192 - is a solution. The city owning the North property, transferring it. Now, regardless of whether or not 03:54:08.192 --> 03:54:15.106 - you guys transfer the property, it seems that you guys are in favor of there being more affordable housing 03:54:15.106 --> 03:54:18.014 - in Bloomington and Monroe County writ large. 03:54:18.338 --> 03:54:24.939 - And so I think one of the things that you guys can do is go and talk to the city and talk to the city 03:54:24.939 --> 03:54:31.475 - and insist that one of the ways in which we can expand and keep affordable housing in Bloomington is 03:54:31.475 --> 03:54:38.076 - by not destroying and selling off affordable housing. We've been through many different creative ways 03:54:38.076 --> 03:54:44.870 - about how to do this, be it the land transfer. Even if the county is a landlord, I understand that there 03:54:44.870 --> 03:54:47.006 - are numerous reasons why that is 03:54:47.234 --> 03:54:54.678 - a difficulty. But the city has the ability to do it. And you guys, as elected officials, have the ability 03:54:54.678 --> 03:55:01.911 - to talk to the city on the behalf of the people who live in this county. And so that's really what I'm 03:55:01.911 --> 03:55:09.565 - urging. I think that given that no one has thought through who's going to handle the liability and insurance 03:55:09.565 --> 03:55:16.798 - in between the overlap of the transfer and the lease, I think that might be indicative that maybe this 03:55:17.154 --> 03:55:23.609 - should slow down a bit. And if you're serious about wanting this to be affordable housing, holding onto 03:55:23.609 --> 03:55:29.878 - it for a few months while we figure out something with the city wouldn't affect anything. If the CIB 03:55:29.878 --> 03:55:36.085 - is going to transfer to the city eventually, well, there's no reason to rush the transfer and cause 03:55:36.085 --> 03:55:42.292 - confusion. I mean, what if something happens and the CIB isn't equipped to handle it on a liability 03:55:42.292 --> 03:55:44.030 - front? I mean, those issues 03:55:44.610 --> 03:55:50.521 - You know, obviously they should have been worked out, but since they haven't been, there's good reason 03:55:50.521 --> 03:55:56.433 - to slow this down. And if we're serious about affordable housing, well, then there's a very clear path 03:55:56.433 --> 03:56:02.229 - forward as to how this could be resolved. Throwing away 30 units of affordable housing, I mean, that 03:56:02.229 --> 03:56:08.026 - should be a major scandal. And it is a major scandal. You see the people here. There are things that 03:56:08.026 --> 03:56:12.158 - each of you can do within your power to ensure that that housing stays. 03:56:12.322 --> 03:56:20.651 - Like, you know, Mr. Chamber of Commerce said, it's a land use problem. Are we gonna use this land for, 03:56:20.651 --> 03:56:29.060 - I don't know, like a hotel that we have to subsidize, or are we gonna use it to house human beings that 03:56:29.060 --> 03:56:37.388 - make this county what it is? The choice is yours. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Next up here in the 03:56:37.388 --> 03:56:40.542 - Na'ihua room. My name is Audrey Smith. 03:56:40.930 --> 03:56:47.641 - I know the counselors are already aware that our county has had a severe shortage of meaningfully affordable 03:56:47.641 --> 03:56:53.921 - housing for many years. I've spoken with or heard from several of you that you have a lot of sympathy 03:56:53.921 --> 03:57:00.324 - for the tenants who would lose their homes if these apartments are torn down. And I've also spoken with 03:57:00.324 --> 03:57:06.911 - tenants who don't know where they'll go if they lose their homes. In our community, July is a particularly 03:57:06.911 --> 03:57:09.374 - difficult time to find a place to move. 03:57:09.922 --> 03:57:15.495 - And even with the help of heading home, only three available units have been found that are actually 03:57:15.495 --> 03:57:21.068 - of a comparable price. That's not mentioning location. As a community, we can't afford to lose these 03:57:21.068 --> 03:57:26.586 - apartments. I came into this meeting thinking you may feel that this decision has already been made 03:57:26.586 --> 03:57:32.159 - for you because the land was earmarked for the Convention Center expansion. I'm really happy to hear 03:57:32.159 --> 03:57:37.566 - the questions and options that you've been exploring during this meeting. Have the power tonight. 03:57:38.530 --> 03:57:45.761 - you can make sure that people don't lose their homes. Please wait until there's a clear plan for continuing 03:57:45.761 --> 03:57:52.857 - to manage these properties before transferring them out of your hands. Ask the CIB to commit to extending 03:57:52.857 --> 03:57:59.686 - residential leases for current tenants and to swapping the apartments for the College Square property 03:57:59.686 --> 03:58:05.310 - before you transfer this property. Or if you can, extend the leases now. Thank you. 03:58:07.234 --> 03:58:14.354 - All right, again, if you're on Teams, you can raise your hand, but I'll keep going here in the NetU 03:58:14.354 --> 03:58:21.544 - Hill room. Thank you. Hello, my name is C. Forth. I wish to express support for extending the leases 03:58:21.544 --> 03:58:28.949 - and for not transferring the property over until there is a clear plan that preserves affordable units. 03:58:28.949 --> 03:58:36.638 - I think one of the things that came up with, to steal a phrase from Bryce, but the Chamber of Commerce guy, 03:58:36.834 --> 03:58:44.340 - is the idea in which it is a land use problem. And there are long-term solutions that we need to approach 03:58:44.340 --> 03:58:51.634 - for our affordable housing. And these units, they represent a small fraction of it. But for the people 03:58:51.634 --> 03:58:58.857 - involved who are directly impacted by it, they are going to be feeling that for months, if not years, 03:58:58.857 --> 03:59:05.726 - being displaced. I have coworkers at my current job and at the building that I worked before it. 03:59:06.178 --> 03:59:13.408 - who moved out of Bloomington because there were not affordable units. And for many of these folks, when 03:59:13.408 --> 03:59:20.500 - they were pushed out of these units by a failure to account for their needs, to provide those options 03:59:20.500 --> 03:59:27.591 - for them, that go beyond just this particular issue, but towards the county and the city dealing with 03:59:27.591 --> 03:59:34.613 - affordable housing. That's a decades long process that we are all coming to realize is essential and 03:59:34.613 --> 03:59:35.934 - must be addressed. 03:59:36.514 --> 03:59:45.699 - it failing to come up with a plan that takes care of these people is just not acceptable, I think. I 03:59:45.699 --> 03:59:54.885 - thank you for your time. I'm glad that there seems to be a lot of consideration on y'all's part, but 03:59:54.885 --> 04:00:03.070 - I think that approving the transfer without guaranteeing that there will be the land swap 04:00:03.618 --> 04:00:11.573 - just guarantees that we lose affordable units in our community, in a location that is essential, rather 04:00:11.573 --> 04:00:19.451 - than providing an opportunity for it to be handed off to the city, if there can be a conversation with 04:00:19.451 --> 04:00:27.636 - the mayor about that, and providing a win for all the parties involved. If the county successfully bridges 04:00:27.636 --> 04:00:32.990 - this and allows this to happen, then they come out looking wonderful. 04:00:33.314 --> 04:00:39.433 - And for the mayor, she's been receiving a lot of flack lately, rightfully so, I would say. But when 04:00:39.433 --> 04:00:45.798 - it comes to Hopewell, for example, if she can tie that to maintaining and maybe even expanding Seminary 04:00:45.798 --> 04:00:52.039 - Point as a land trust, then she gets to have the feather in her cap of saving affordable housing that 04:00:52.039 --> 04:00:58.526 - existed, expanding it, and then providing multiple different options. Thank you for your time. Thank you. 04:01:01.698 --> 04:01:11.306 - up in the room here it'll reset I promise. Good evening I'm Gwen Zimmer somewhat new resident here in 04:01:11.306 --> 04:01:20.914 - Bloomington. I would like to ask the the council to support a potential land swap between the CIB and 04:01:20.914 --> 04:01:26.942 - the city for the north former Bunger and Robertson property but 04:01:27.202 --> 04:01:34.560 - Before that, I would like to ask the council to table this vote to potentially discuss the matter in 04:01:34.560 --> 04:01:41.918 - a more thorough way, seriously discuss it with the mayor and with members of the RDC directly. There 04:01:41.918 --> 04:01:49.277 - has been interest expressed by the CIB, obviously, to swap that property for the north property that 04:01:49.277 --> 04:01:53.502 - makes much more sense for the location of the host hotel. 04:01:53.666 --> 04:02:00.770 - And I think that's obvious to everyone who's been here and listening to the questions and the responses 04:02:00.770 --> 04:02:08.147 - from the CIB tonight. There have also been concerns raised about the conditions of the existing residential 04:02:08.147 --> 04:02:14.978 - buildings. And I would say that even though there has been deferred maintenance on those buildings, 04:02:14.978 --> 04:02:21.808 - two out of the three, just based on preliminary discussions on site that people have had with local 04:02:21.808 --> 04:02:23.038 - contractors, that 04:02:23.234 --> 04:02:30.019 - Two out of the three are structurally sound and need improvements to HVAC and things like that. But 04:02:30.019 --> 04:02:36.940 - two out of three are structurally sound. And I think that's important to note. Modernization, general 04:02:36.940 --> 04:02:43.861 - improvements, there is money in the city to help pay for those things in the Affordable Housing Fund. 04:02:43.861 --> 04:02:50.917 - And I would like to see that money get used for affordable housing. It's been sitting for a while since 04:02:50.917 --> 04:02:52.478 - the door fell through. 04:02:54.946 --> 04:03:02.412 - So that's my main point. I would love to see this take a little bit more time, slow down, talk to the 04:03:02.412 --> 04:03:10.024 - mayor and see if we can work this out. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Next up. Hi, I'm T. Randall. 04:03:10.024 --> 04:03:17.417 - I'm here to request that the county councilors condition their vote on a guarantee from the relevant 04:03:17.417 --> 04:03:21.150 - bodies like the CIB. The tenants at Seminary Point 04:03:21.442 --> 04:03:27.535 - Be given lease extensions. We know that there's no plan to build a hotel on that block that at the most. 04:03:27.535 --> 04:03:33.396 - This is a plan C location. The CIA repeatedly stated its intention to use this block as a bargaining 04:03:33.396 --> 04:03:37.342 - piece in negotiations for swap with the RDC the city of structures. 04:03:37.570 --> 04:03:42.530 - to hold affordable housing and is no stranger to supporting local community land trusts and co-ops. 04:03:42.530 --> 04:03:47.588 - The future of tenants on this block should not hang in the balance of how quickly a timeline can move 04:03:47.588 --> 04:03:52.846 - forward, especially when the foreseeable outcome is the continued inhabitation of the block. The property 04:03:52.846 --> 04:03:57.805 - has been owned by the county for 15 years without a clear articulation of its use for promoting and 04:03:57.805 --> 04:04:03.013 - encouraging conventions, trade shows, visitors, and special events. What's a little bit longer to ensure 04:04:03.013 --> 04:04:06.782 - the outcome that everyone that we've spoken to says they desire? Thank you. 04:04:12.098 --> 04:04:19.152 - Rebecca Stoops, I've lived in Bloomington my whole life. I live pretty close to the Seminary Point, 04:04:19.152 --> 04:04:26.417 - and I really think it's worth preserving. It costs so much more to build new housing now. You're never 04:04:26.417 --> 04:04:33.612 - gonna get something that affordable again. It's really worth keeping. I don't think it's fair to keep 04:04:33.612 --> 04:04:39.326 - the tenants in limbo. I recommend, since the county currently owns the property, 04:04:39.650 --> 04:04:46.742 - the county could explore extending their lease a little longer so they have some stability. Meanwhile, 04:04:46.742 --> 04:04:53.904 - discuss with the city and make sure the city is ready to receive the property. Sounds like a land trust 04:04:53.904 --> 04:05:00.996 - could be a good option and the city has their affordable housing fund that could be used to fix up the 04:05:00.996 --> 04:05:04.990 - properties. Sounds like a win-win. I also want to mention 04:05:05.410 --> 04:05:13.015 - If we're talking about efficient land use, sounds like there's a lot of talk of parking lots and making 04:05:13.015 --> 04:05:20.692 - sure the hotel has a big enough parking lot. No one talked about hotel with a parking garage underneath, 04:05:20.692 --> 04:05:28.297 - which is a great efficient land use. The graduate hotel has a parking lot underneath. So you could have 04:05:28.297 --> 04:05:33.342 - affordable housing, hotel with parking lot, and it's just a win-win. 04:05:33.762 --> 04:05:44.159 - consider discussing with the city how you can safely hand over the seminary point housing. Thank you 04:05:44.159 --> 04:05:54.556 - very much. Thank you. I see a hand raised. So I will go back to teams land. So screen name Noah, you 04:05:54.556 --> 04:06:02.174 - can unmute and you'll have up to three minutes. Hi, can you hear me? Yes. 04:06:03.106 --> 04:06:08.023 - I apologize. I'm not used to that team. Thank you so much. Hi, my name is Noah Render. I am a Bloomington 04:06:08.023 --> 04:06:13.033 - resident. I've been so for many years now. I just wanted to point out, I think a lot of my fellow residents 04:06:13.033 --> 04:06:17.671 - have made many good points about the different options here and sort of the people involved. I just 04:06:17.671 --> 04:06:22.078 - want to point out a pattern I'm noticing that there's a lot of deflecting. Every alphabet soup 04:06:22.274 --> 04:06:27.341 - gobbledygook group represented in this room keeps making all these very vague statements that kind of 04:06:27.341 --> 04:06:32.507 - put responsibility for this to somebody else, right? Like, oh, rising tides raise all boats, or we feel 04:06:32.507 --> 04:06:37.573 - sorry for tenants. But like, all this is being said to make this somebody else's problem, right? It's 04:06:37.573 --> 04:06:42.590 - not our problem, it's this different group's problem. I just want to be clear, this is your problem. 04:06:42.882 --> 04:06:47.225 - Everyone in this room who's made a comment like this is responsible for people's actual livelihoods 04:06:47.225 --> 04:06:51.698 - and a place to live. And if we're going to keep having conversations about affordable housing, we need 04:06:51.698 --> 04:06:56.041 - to acknowledge the problems that have actually created an affordable housing crisis in this town in 04:06:56.041 --> 04:07:00.688 - the first place. And it's this, this continual putting off of actual people's lives, these big development 04:07:00.688 --> 04:07:05.118 - projects that we don't know will actually benefit our town. Finally, I apologize, this is quite fast. 04:07:05.118 --> 04:07:09.548 - I want to repeat something one of my colleagues said earlier, one of my fellow residents that, right, 04:07:09.548 --> 04:07:12.414 - that this is a scandal. It will be a scandal. I want to be clear. 04:07:12.578 --> 04:07:19.026 - people lose their homes, this is a scandal. This will follow you. It will remain your fault. I urge 04:07:19.026 --> 04:07:25.538 - you to actually do something for people who live here and aren't just a big business trying to bring 04:07:25.538 --> 04:07:32.051 - whatever commerce to this town that doesn't help anyone. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Next up in 04:07:32.051 --> 04:07:38.821 - the room. Hi, my name is Mitchell Medley. I'm asking for you guys to at least table this vote currently. 04:07:38.821 --> 04:07:42.174 - It seems very clear that this is not a fully cooked 04:07:42.722 --> 04:07:48.760 - all the way through even though there's something that's been going on for years and years at this point 04:07:48.760 --> 04:07:54.568 - and if we do happen to vote yes for this transfer further to be some guarantee of an extension and a 04:07:54.568 --> 04:08:00.433 - guarantee to keep this affordable housing we should not be evicting tenants right as prices are going 04:08:00.433 --> 04:08:06.241 - to be rising more and more the that barrel of oil is definitely going to get more expensive and that 04:08:06.241 --> 04:08:11.646 - means heating is going to become more expensive electricity is going to become more expensive 04:08:12.194 --> 04:08:18.530 - everything will be more expensive. So I don't think adding making these people try and find houses in 04:08:18.530 --> 04:08:24.867 - the middle of that housing in the middle of that, which will not be affordable at all will be $300 to 04:08:24.867 --> 04:08:31.265 - $400 of an increase. It's what they're probably looking at. I don't think that's really something this 04:08:31.265 --> 04:08:37.291 - council would be interested in doing the main body else. So probably shouldn't do it. Thank you. 04:08:37.291 --> 04:08:41.950 - Thank you. And I just received word that Councilor hawk is now virtual. So 04:08:42.338 --> 04:08:48.178 - She is participating with us virtually. All right. Next up in the net, you know Thank you. My name is 04:08:48.178 --> 04:08:53.961 - Hugh Farrell I wanted to push back on the idea that Other kinds of affordable housing could possibly 04:08:53.961 --> 04:08:59.858 - be built to replace this This is some of the last affordable housing in downtown and not only that but 04:08:59.858 --> 04:09:01.118 - it's super affordable 04:09:01.250 --> 04:09:05.981 - So for folks who aren't familiar with this classification system, you know, we know there's workforce 04:09:05.981 --> 04:09:11.084 - housing that's coming in at twelve or thirteen hundred dollars a month. Affordable housing here unfortunately 04:09:11.084 --> 04:09:15.815 - is now generally considered nine hundred to a thousand and super affordable starts around five to six 04:09:15.815 --> 04:09:20.593 - hundred dollars a month. And so specifically, I just want to point out that there have been about four 04:09:20.593 --> 04:09:25.417 - hundred units of affordable housing built in the past five years in Monroe County and that there's only 04:09:25.417 --> 04:09:26.206 - been about fifty 04:09:26.306 --> 04:09:31.874 - units of super affordable housing. This is really an important sector. This is a sector that prevents 04:09:31.874 --> 04:09:37.387 - people from becoming homeless. This is a sector that's counted on for elderly folks who are on fixed 04:09:37.387 --> 04:09:43.063 - incomes. And so it's really, really important that even these 50 units have been built. I will say I've 04:09:43.063 --> 04:09:48.740 - worked on the teams that have built 90% of that super affordable housing. So we've built about 40 units 04:09:48.740 --> 04:09:54.526 - of super affordable housing over the past five years. So the loss of these buildings by itself, 29 units, 04:09:55.010 --> 04:10:01.648 - about 40 bedrooms will wipe out almost all those gains and all the work I've done to build super affordable 04:10:01.648 --> 04:10:07.795 - housing in this county in the past five years. And so I will just say that there are really simple, 04:10:07.795 --> 04:10:14.003 - rational solutions that will allow the hotel to move forward, that will allow tenants and businesses 04:10:14.003 --> 04:10:20.764 - to feel assured that they're not losing this housing, and that will set up, as other speakers have addressed, 04:10:20.764 --> 04:10:21.502 - have set up 04:10:21.666 --> 04:10:27.073 - the context in which it will be possible to have rational conversations with the city about preserving 04:10:27.073 --> 04:10:32.322 - this housing. And again, as other speakers have already addressed, this might mean the structurally 04:10:32.322 --> 04:10:37.623 - unsound building being demolished, building larger affordable housing. I know that folks on the city 04:10:37.623 --> 04:10:42.977 - side have been talking about that. But two of the buildings are sound. There's tenants and businesses 04:10:42.977 --> 04:10:48.384 - that have not received adequate notice. And in fact, one of the businesses was told a couple of months 04:10:48.384 --> 04:10:51.166 - ago that they would have until the end of the season 04:10:51.362 --> 04:10:57.291 - I know that that was just said informally by the CVC, but the fact then that they have had that moved 04:10:57.291 --> 04:11:03.105 - up to July is extremely destructive. It's the kind of thing that destroys a small business. So just 04:11:03.105 --> 04:11:09.150 - really that kind of poor communication is something that either can destroy a successful, and I'll also 04:11:09.150 --> 04:11:15.196 - say tourist attracting small business like Friendly Beasts, or it's something that can be easily solved 04:11:15.196 --> 04:11:19.614 - with assurances from the county and the CIB that the goal will be extension 04:11:19.746 --> 04:11:25.704 - of the leases and just work and a little bit of money invested, given that these are properties that 04:11:25.704 --> 04:11:31.839 - currently bring in funding, that these are technical questions, that there are organizations that exist 04:11:31.839 --> 04:11:37.915 - to help solve questions around liability, around property management, around engaging tenants, and not 04:11:37.915 --> 04:11:44.286 - enough of that work has been done to really save these particular buildings, which are themselves precious. 04:11:44.578 --> 04:11:52.367 - A very long time Bloomington lawyer just said to me last week, they represent part of old Bloomington. 04:11:52.367 --> 04:12:00.005 - There's a lot of history to these buildings and really simple steps can be taken tonight to preserve 04:12:00.005 --> 04:12:03.710 - them. Thank you. Thank you. Next up in the room. 04:12:03.842 --> 04:12:10.148 - Well, first of all, thank you. My name's Eli Beaton. I've been a Bloomington resident for about half 04:12:10.148 --> 04:12:16.454 - a decade. I had a bunch of remarks prepared that I had to throw out after listening to some of these 04:12:16.454 --> 04:12:22.760 - because there was a lot of interesting things that I didn't expect to come up. But the first thing I 04:12:22.760 --> 04:12:29.191 - want to say is with tenants here and with Bloomington Homes for All to try to support tenants and save 04:12:29.191 --> 04:12:33.374 - these buildings, as Hugh just mentioned, super affordable housing. 04:12:34.530 --> 04:12:39.721 - And one of the things over the last few months, we've been trying to schedule meetings and talk with 04:12:39.721 --> 04:12:44.963 - as many people as possible, really pursue this through the bureaucracy that I think we're all sort of 04:12:44.963 --> 04:12:50.205 - trying to wrestle with, right? Like how do we make sure that the convention center works and that the 04:12:50.205 --> 04:12:55.703 - economy of Bloomington is sound? And one of the things I've been genuinely very surprised about throughout 04:12:55.703 --> 04:13:00.894 - all these conversations, including this evening, is that most people I talk to are on the same page. 04:13:00.994 --> 04:13:07.018 - right like the bunker and Robinson property to the north is the desirable property for hotel development 04:13:07.018 --> 04:13:12.756 - and no one wants to. Like have these apartments at seminary point destroyed right like this is sort 04:13:12.756 --> 04:13:18.551 - of the general consensus that seems to have emerged but the question is like how do we move forward. 04:13:18.551 --> 04:13:24.289 - While making sure these two things don't come into tension with each other right and I think one of 04:13:24.289 --> 04:13:29.854 - the things that has been surprising to me in this meeting is that. The potential for a land swap 04:13:30.018 --> 04:13:38.197 - is one of the avenues that sets that opportunity up extremely well. But also, that land swap should 04:13:38.197 --> 04:13:46.376 - not come at the cost or the precarity of tenants in the two weeks before the swap is even possible. 04:13:46.376 --> 04:13:53.246 - And I think a swap is possible. I think that that's very important to keep in mind. 04:13:53.378 --> 04:14:01.478 - So the ask I have of this council tonight is to be a little concrete about this is I would urge to table 04:14:01.478 --> 04:14:09.424 - right not to derail the convention dinner hotel or to derail the the potential swap but to Ensure that 04:14:09.424 --> 04:14:16.830 - that swap does actually support the tenants and the hotel together, right? I know that requires 04:14:16.994 --> 04:14:25.116 - a little bit of delay, but I think that delay is worth it to make sure that we preserve this housing 04:14:25.116 --> 04:14:33.559 - in the south lot while making sure that north lot is available to support the Convention Center project. 04:14:33.559 --> 04:14:41.600 - Yeah, that's it. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Hello. My name is Matthew Joseph. I've been in 04:14:41.600 --> 04:14:44.254 - Bloomington for about six years. 04:14:44.418 --> 04:14:51.591 - I've seen you around the B school here and there. But it's cool to see you in local politics. This is 04:14:51.591 --> 04:14:58.835 - my first county council meeting ever. And it's cool. I mean, I hear y'all's hearts for your community. 04:14:58.835 --> 04:15:06.008 - It is really refreshing to see that people care. And I appreciate the time and effort that everyone's 04:15:06.008 --> 04:15:12.830 - kind of, for people that are involved in this. I will say like, this is a bit surprising for me. 04:15:13.346 --> 04:15:19.130 - It feels like we're thinking more about future tourists in Bloomington than we are the current individuals 04:15:19.130 --> 04:15:24.752 - and families that are living on this land. The fact that we haven't thought through about the liability 04:15:24.752 --> 04:15:30.211 - and who will be there when life happens for these tenants is a bit jarring and scary, especially for 04:15:30.211 --> 04:15:35.725 - the tenants and the people that care for them like us. I mean, we're talking about affordable housing 04:15:35.725 --> 04:15:41.022 - here. That means something. It's different than kind of when we think about it in our heads about 04:15:41.666 --> 04:15:47.395 - how it is in our situation. These are different lives we're talking about with difficult situations. 04:15:47.395 --> 04:15:53.295 - I mean, right now I live in housing that's considered affordable housing. I couldn't imagine not having 04:15:53.295 --> 04:15:59.194 - security in my housing and for the concerns that are inevitably coming up and not having anyone to care 04:15:59.194 --> 04:16:05.037 - for the legitimate concerns like that. I wouldn't trust them to be able to actually manage my housing, 04:16:05.037 --> 04:16:06.398 - right? So we need time. 04:16:06.914 --> 04:16:12.715 - Affordable housing is hard and we have it. So let's not lose it because we're rushing ourselves here. 04:16:12.715 --> 04:16:18.630 - So let's slow down. It's okay, we can take a breath and recollect. And let's do what we all want, which 04:16:18.630 --> 04:16:24.374 - is to make the swap happen. I mean, this is like a really, it feels like this is a cool moment to be 04:16:24.374 --> 04:16:30.403 - a part of county council. It's like, oh, we're all on the same team. It feels like, it feels like, right? 04:16:30.403 --> 04:16:34.782 - And so like, let's try it. I mean, yeah, the mayor is already thinking about 04:16:35.138 --> 04:16:41.316 - affordable housing a lot. And I mean, maybe not as much as she should, but especially with the July 04:16:41.316 --> 04:16:47.618 - 1st thing that's coming out about the criminalization of homelessness. This is a big concern for her. 04:16:47.618 --> 04:16:53.859 - There's a legitimate thing here that is pressing for her. And so we need to put pressure. And again, 04:16:53.859 --> 04:17:00.099 - because we're all on the same team here, I think the CIB can put pressure, right? The county can put 04:17:00.099 --> 04:17:02.014 - pressure. We can put pressure. 04:17:02.114 --> 04:17:08.586 - And we can save affordable housing in Bloomington and still move forward with the projects that are 04:17:08.586 --> 04:17:15.188 - at thing. But most of all, we need that time. And so let's take the time we need to make this happen. 04:17:15.188 --> 04:17:21.530 - Thank you all for letting me be a part of this. And let's save affordable housing in Bloomington. 04:17:21.530 --> 04:17:28.067 - Thank you. All right, before we alternate back here, before we go back to the room, so it looks like 04:17:28.067 --> 04:17:30.462 - screen name Erin, if you can unmute. 04:17:30.562 --> 04:17:38.866 - state your name for the record and you'll have up to three minutes. Hi, can you hear me? Yes. Okay. 04:17:38.866 --> 04:17:47.170 - Hi, my name is Aaron Comforti. I am a Bloomington resident. Thank you for having me. I just want to 04:17:47.170 --> 04:17:56.222 - encourage the County Council to do whatever it can to ensure that residents of Seminary Point and businesses 04:17:56.706 --> 04:18:06.063 - in that location are able to remain there, that they're not evicted. As many of the speakers have said 04:18:06.063 --> 04:18:15.330 - so well, it is a super affordable place to live in Bloomington, one of the few that is close to town. 04:18:15.330 --> 04:18:24.051 - And I just encourage the council to do whatever it can to ensure that it remains so. Thank you. 04:18:24.051 --> 04:18:26.686 - Thank you. Back to the room. 04:18:32.546 --> 04:18:38.643 - I'm Jason McCulloch, PhD candidate of the rhetoric program at IU and Bloomington resident since 2018. 04:18:38.643 --> 04:18:44.740 - I want to talk a bit about the precedents you're setting with this decision. Some of you are familiar 04:18:44.740 --> 04:18:51.016 - with me and some of the work that I've been and continue to be engaged in. For the purpose of my comment 04:18:51.016 --> 04:18:56.993 - this evening, I want to lift up my lived experience as a transient renter, a long-term volunteer at 04:18:56.993 --> 04:19:02.014 - Beacon Inc., a former city commissioner in the Community Advisory of Public Safety, 04:19:02.690 --> 04:19:09.620 - and co-chair of the Homelessness Task Force at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington. I named 04:19:09.620 --> 04:19:16.814 - these engagements to demonstrate that I'm not speaking out of opposition, but because of deep and consistent 04:19:16.814 --> 04:19:23.414 - care for communities, namely Bloomingtonians. In all the work I do, I aim to reduce harm and center 04:19:23.414 --> 04:19:30.014 - people first. Now, imagine I'm not the only one in this room who understands what this shirt means. 04:19:30.146 --> 04:19:37.093 - Housing First is an evidence-based approach to ending homelessness that prioritizes providing permanent, 04:19:37.093 --> 04:19:43.776 - stable housing immediately, without preconditions, followed by voluntary supportive services, before 04:19:43.776 --> 04:19:50.723 - requiring that other concomitant needs are met. The part that is often left out when considering Housing 04:19:50.723 --> 04:19:54.494 - First is the subordinating clause, but not housing only. 04:19:55.170 --> 04:20:01.990 - The next iteration of the continuum is community first, wherein we can consider things like affordable 04:20:01.990 --> 04:20:08.809 - and accessible basics of living, community services, and even entertainment and community programming. 04:20:08.809 --> 04:20:15.497 - But without putting housing first and protecting it, there's no foundation for residents to move out 04:20:15.497 --> 04:20:22.846 - from or to return to. Currently, the situation seems to be a constructed dilemma of housing versus things like 04:20:23.234 --> 04:20:31.615 - new convention center, luxury hotels and diversions, and those latter items are not in the natural opposition 04:20:31.615 --> 04:20:39.310 - of housing, we can have both affordable living and the amenities that Mr. M.G. wants to protect. But 04:20:39.310 --> 04:20:47.614 - what comes first? In 1943, Winston Churchill posited that, we shape our buildings, thereafter they shape us. 04:20:48.290 --> 04:20:55.930 - I leave you with the charge of helping Bloomington determine what kinds of buildings are going to shape 04:20:55.930 --> 04:21:03.423 - its residents and what kind of buildings are not. I say table this so you can discuss this further to 04:21:03.423 --> 04:21:10.990 - make a swap effective. Thank you. Looking in the room, just about everybody has spoken, but if I don't 04:21:10.990 --> 04:21:17.822 - recognize everybody, my fault. But if there's anybody here who hasn't had a chance to speak, 04:21:18.210 --> 04:21:28.859 - Um, again, you can come forward to the lectern here in the room. Um, but if you are virtual and you 04:21:28.859 --> 04:21:39.828 - would like to make a public comment again, this is last call. Um, please go ahead and raise your hand. 04:21:39.828 --> 04:21:46.430 - Okay. So thank you very much for, um, public comment. Thanks. 04:21:47.394 --> 04:21:58.408 - that I've heard from about 15 folks who have virtually made public comment and also came here in the 04:21:58.408 --> 04:22:09.313 - room. A couple of things that have kept coming up are a couple of things is to able to have further 04:22:09.313 --> 04:22:16.510 - discussion and make if we don't table to make this vote condition 04:22:17.026 --> 04:22:27.545 - on the potential land swap or an extension, so to speak. I want to make sure I got everybody's thoughts 04:22:27.545 --> 04:22:38.065 - together or what they're saying. What would happen if we did decide to table the discussion to continue 04:22:38.065 --> 04:22:45.246 - to have the conversation before we made a vote? Oh, no, no, no, sorry. 04:22:45.698 --> 04:22:53.771 - This is for the folks here in the room that have a responsibility in this so I don't know if it's Again, 04:22:53.771 --> 04:23:01.768 - I don't know if it's y'all at the CIB. I don't know if it's mr. King again I thought I saw mr. Cockrell 04:23:01.768 --> 04:23:09.534 - online like I'm just curious because that that's come up and I think it's deserving of an answer and 04:23:13.666 --> 04:23:24.569 - To answer from my perspective, if the transfer doesn't take place, then that limits the CIB's ability 04:23:24.569 --> 04:23:35.365 - to move forward. We have no negotiating position with the city for land transfer, for land exchange. 04:23:35.365 --> 04:23:37.182 - We would then be 04:23:38.530 --> 04:23:46.691 - We then have to decide whether we move forward with a RFP for a hotel, given what land we did have, 04:23:46.691 --> 04:23:55.015 - knowing that's not the best option. But without the transfer of the land, we have no ability to enter 04:23:55.015 --> 04:24:03.258 - into negotiations with the Redevelopment Commission for a land exchange. And I want to emphasize, we 04:24:03.258 --> 04:24:08.318 - have no guarantee that they would agree to that, and frankly, 04:24:08.738 --> 04:24:15.827 - If you made it a condition to transfer it to us, we still have no guarantee that they would agree to 04:24:15.827 --> 04:24:22.986 - it. So I don't see how making it a condition of a transfer to us helps that. But without the transfer 04:24:22.986 --> 04:24:30.566 - of the land, then we are not in any negotiating position on the land exchange. We have no land to exchange. 04:24:30.566 --> 04:24:37.374 - So that's the position it puts us in. I think we need to be aware, too, or you need to be aware, 04:24:37.474 --> 04:24:45.032 - that the Redevelopment Commission has been talking for quite some time about a public offering for that 04:24:45.032 --> 04:24:52.371 - North property. And if they were to proceed now with a public offering for that North property, then 04:24:52.371 --> 04:24:59.856 - whatever could be developed on the North property would be the result of whatever that public offering 04:24:59.856 --> 04:25:04.798 - would be. But I'm repeating myself, we would have nothing to offer. 04:25:07.618 --> 04:25:13.456 - Yes, Councilor Henry. Thank you. I have maybe a series of short questions to help me frame up the fact 04:25:13.456 --> 04:25:19.237 - pattern, because there's been a lot of words. I just want to make sure I have it clear in my head. So 04:25:19.237 --> 04:25:24.962 - the first question, and I'm happy to have it go to the table or the other table, is, and I think you 04:25:24.962 --> 04:25:30.913 - just painted a picture about there are no guarantees right now, right? So let's play out some scenarios. 04:25:30.913 --> 04:25:32.670 - Let's say we move to transfer. 04:25:33.730 --> 04:25:40.167 - You are now, you now have tenants until the end of their respective leases. And you stated that you 04:25:40.167 --> 04:25:47.119 - have no funding to property manage those individuals. So if anything happens between the moment of transfer 04:25:47.119 --> 04:25:53.621 - and the end of leases, regardless of extension, let me ask you, what happens? Are you coming back to 04:25:53.621 --> 04:26:00.766 - the county to ask for resources to manage? No, my approach would be to the Convention and Visitors Commission. 04:26:00.866 --> 04:26:09.258 - because it's been the Convention and Visitors Commission that's been funding whatever maintenance has 04:26:09.258 --> 04:26:17.979 - been required of these properties. And again, they're continuing to do it on a short term. I think what's 04:26:17.979 --> 04:26:26.782 - important is what is the timeline? When does that end? And if it's July, if it's August, I think it's the, 04:26:27.554 --> 04:26:33.662 - I think it's the odd infinitum aspects of this that are troublesome. I mean, we as a CIV can't say, 04:26:33.662 --> 04:26:40.014 - well, we'll just do this forever. That's not a reasonable position to expect us to take. Yeah, I'm just 04:26:40.014 --> 04:26:46.244 - trying to gauge steps here because very practically things happen, right? So that's one scenario that 04:26:46.244 --> 04:26:49.054 - you are now a landlord and you don't have the 04:26:49.218 --> 04:26:55.849 - the means to be one, right? So that's the point, right? And if I may, back to issues of liability, we 04:26:55.849 --> 04:27:03.000 - have insured liability for all of our properties now. This is an extension of liability for other properties. 04:27:03.000 --> 04:27:09.567 - It's as simple as that. So the next question is that, and I think, and I may have lost it because it 04:27:09.567 --> 04:27:16.458 - got muddy. So we don't have guarantees, but again, just because I don't want to set up false expectations 04:27:16.458 --> 04:27:17.758 - or hope for people. 04:27:17.922 --> 04:27:23.502 - City Bloomington has said a lot of things about if they were to acquire these whether or not you're 04:27:23.502 --> 04:27:29.193 - from everything from they don't want the properties to they do so is the current sentiment that. That 04:27:29.193 --> 04:27:34.829 - that there are the Seminary Point properties would go into the city like the land swap is viable and 04:27:34.829 --> 04:27:41.022 - that's my first that's a very blunt question just make sure we reiterate one more time, this is a possibility. 04:27:42.178 --> 04:27:48.058 - I'm sorry, is it? If we get the transfer, the city of Bloomington is open to or is open to actually 04:27:48.058 --> 04:27:53.703 - trading on these homes. I don't know that they are. The mayor had said in a previous interview, 04:27:53.703 --> 04:27:59.584 - you know, at one point, no. And then now it sounds like maybe I'm just trying to gauge. No, no, no. 04:27:59.584 --> 04:28:05.464 - She's she's been the mayor. The mayor has told me informally because we've made no formal proposal. 04:28:05.464 --> 04:28:10.462 - We've had nothing to offer that she's not interested in a land exchange of any kind. 04:28:11.554 --> 04:28:17.039 - But, but my my point would be, and you know I'm talking about a land exchange and I don't even have 04:28:17.039 --> 04:28:22.524 - the authority my own board to talk about a land exchange we haven't even talked about it as a board 04:28:22.524 --> 04:28:28.228 - I'm talking about what's john white card think might be a path forward on this. And it seems to me back 04:28:28.228 --> 04:28:33.713 - to my no horses to dead, not to keep beating that we have not formally asked the question yet about 04:28:33.713 --> 04:28:38.046 - a land exchange and that formal question goes to the redevelopment Commission. 04:28:38.242 --> 04:28:45.125 - And so the door has been open to us to make that negotiated request of them if we have something to 04:28:45.125 --> 04:28:51.389 - offer That's as good as we have right now. The third thought here is There's a possibility 04:28:51.389 --> 04:28:58.891 - another possibility that we transfer property The city may be interested in and retaining it as a affordable 04:28:58.891 --> 04:29:05.086 - housing option bring in into BHA or some some scenario but those leases still run out and 04:29:05.442 --> 04:29:10.888 - So you could end up having a property that gets pulled in a city inventory a year from now, but they 04:29:10.888 --> 04:29:16.281 - would put it on the market at any other possible rate. There's no guarantee that the rates that are 04:29:16.281 --> 04:29:21.889 - current would become part of the city of Bloomington's rate offering on those properties as a VHA unit. 04:29:21.889 --> 04:29:27.282 - I mean, you don't have to answer that, but I think this is highly speculative at this point to say, 04:29:27.282 --> 04:29:31.326 - just because the city owns it, they would somehow honor the county's rate. 04:29:32.482 --> 04:29:38.577 - Yes, I cannot speculate what would become of the properties if they agreed to a land exchange. That 04:29:38.577 --> 04:29:44.795 - helps me out. I don't know if it helps others in the room out, but this is reality. This is affecting 04:29:44.795 --> 04:29:51.195 - humans and property. I'm just trying to understand it. I just want to make a comment. I'll pass it back. 04:29:51.195 --> 04:29:56.254 - I had an opportunity to speak with a tenant and some of the advocates in the room. 04:29:56.578 --> 04:30:02.062 - between the past over the past month. I know some other counselors have as well. And my observations 04:30:02.062 --> 04:30:07.491 - of how we got here, I mean, you know, if wishes were horses, we can go back and do hindsight stuff. 04:30:07.491 --> 04:30:12.975 - But it's worth saying. The innkeeper's tax was used to purchase these properties. In Indiana code, I 04:30:12.975 --> 04:30:18.676 - cannot find a reading that says that renting them out for 15 years is somehow equivalent to the intended 04:30:18.676 --> 04:30:19.870 - purpose of purchasing 04:30:20.194 --> 04:30:26.355 - I mean, they were bought for the purpose of Convention Visitor Center. We turned them into rentals through 04:30:26.355 --> 04:30:32.113 - a, from what Commissioner Thomas told us, a property manager to a firm, to the tenants. And you can 04:30:32.113 --> 04:30:38.101 - make an argument that we probably should not have ever been in the place of renting these out as a sort 04:30:38.101 --> 04:30:44.204 - of ad hoc housing authority under the county's auspice. From the moment of purchase, they probably should 04:30:44.204 --> 04:30:48.350 - have been leveled, and that would have maybe not put us in this pickle. 04:30:48.642 --> 04:30:53.956 - and understanding how we got here is what I asked Commissioner Thomas about, which is we haven't kept 04:30:53.956 --> 04:30:59.217 - up with the market rate on these rentals. And whether we, and this is kind of the road to hell being 04:30:59.217 --> 04:31:04.479 - paved with good intentions, that you offer something as a subsidy to the community. It is subsidized 04:31:04.479 --> 04:31:09.897 - by the county government, but without keeping up with the market of it, we accidentally subsidize these 04:31:09.897 --> 04:31:15.158 - apartments. That's the best way I can think of it. And I've shared that with people in the audience. 04:31:15.158 --> 04:31:17.086 - This is, again, trying to figure out 04:31:17.506 --> 04:31:22.925 - You know on on a What I believe is good faith effort by the county to offer something in these units 04:31:22.925 --> 04:31:28.559 - over a decade and a half Was not well thought out because we're not at we don't have a housing authority 04:31:28.559 --> 04:31:34.408 - What we have is a county attorney and a county administrator and a partner in the cbc trying to do something 04:31:34.408 --> 04:31:39.827 - good But but has created a larger challenge for us to wrestle I think those are all things important 04:31:39.827 --> 04:31:41.598 - to put out there is hindsight or 04:31:41.698 --> 04:31:47.670 - you know, that's this hindsight analysis doesn't do anything at the moment here other than to say, I'm 04:31:47.670 --> 04:31:53.527 - not convinced that if you know if we had, you know, there's a lot of ifs before us too, and we would 04:31:53.527 --> 04:31:59.441 - need to understand if the city has intentions one way or another to preserve the property attorney to 04:31:59.441 --> 04:32:05.355 - rental but what we do know is this, you know, we have the parcels and I think to Councillor Iverson's 04:32:05.355 --> 04:32:10.110 - point hours ago, board commissioners are the ones that sign leases and contracts. 04:32:10.626 --> 04:32:16.801 - Yeah, we also run a scenario where we could not release the building, but there will be no tenants because 04:32:16.801 --> 04:32:22.688 - the board of commissioners will not extend leases. So now we have empty buildings that serve the CIB, 04:32:22.688 --> 04:32:28.517 - doesn't serve the county, doesn't serve the tenants because we have to rely on our other partners to 04:32:28.517 --> 04:32:34.634 - actually issue new leases or extensions there. I think that you made that point hours ago. I think that's 04:32:34.634 --> 04:32:38.270 - really where it all comes back to us that we, you know, we're, 04:32:38.850 --> 04:32:44.828 - You know, this is a Thursday morning conversation when it comes to who's in these buildings, you know, 04:32:44.828 --> 04:32:50.807 - beyond their lease. That does not provide a viewpoint one way or another, but I think these are things 04:32:50.807 --> 04:32:56.843 - that need to be said in the room about how we got here. I'll just let that hang, I mean, at this point, 04:32:56.843 --> 04:33:02.647 - but thank you, Madam President. Yes, Councilor Anderson. All right, so I think it was really clear. 04:33:02.647 --> 04:33:06.942 - I'm going to say this in way of my conclusion, inclusionary remarks here. 04:33:07.234 --> 04:33:15.134 - The optimal outcome is, I think, really clear. And I think some of the people said it best in the podium, 04:33:15.134 --> 04:33:22.735 - where it does feel like all of us are on the same page. If we can get a host hotel and preserve super 04:33:22.735 --> 04:33:30.336 - affordable housing, that is the optimal outcome. And I think it's within our reach. The question then 04:33:30.336 --> 04:33:37.118 - is, once we have shared goals, who can best get us there? Not what can we do to get there, 04:33:37.346 --> 04:33:44.415 - I think the question at this point is who. When we were thinking about building a convention center 04:33:44.415 --> 04:33:51.555 - years ago, this body was engaged in conversations about what color the carpet should be, whether the 04:33:51.555 --> 04:33:58.695 - railing should be tall or not, and it was a quagmire. We really screwed it up. Had the CIB involved, 04:33:58.695 --> 04:34:05.694 - and you guys made a ton of progress really quickly because it got the politicians out of the room. 04:34:07.906 --> 04:34:16.670 - The reason why I will be voting affirmatively tonight on this ordinance is because I think the best 04:34:16.670 --> 04:34:25.522 - way that we can get to that optimal outcome is by having someone who is not a county commissioner or 04:34:25.522 --> 04:34:34.462 - a county council member working with the city and the county and being able to do that work tomorrow. 04:34:35.906 --> 04:34:43.863 - I think if you keep having politicians like us involved in this, we're gonna continue to make a mess 04:34:43.863 --> 04:34:52.057 - of it. So that's my thinking on this matter. I want the optimal outcome. I think we can get it. I think 04:34:52.057 --> 04:35:00.014 - the answer is to go through the CIB the way that we have done so in the past. And I think tonight is 04:35:00.014 --> 04:35:05.214 - the night for action. I'll be voting yes. Okay. Councillor Wilks. 04:35:05.890 --> 04:35:26.176 - May I ask a question? I want to know if there are any other thoughts on tabling versus not tabling. 04:35:26.176 --> 04:35:35.710 - My thought is that tabling doesn't get as much 04:35:36.258 --> 04:35:45.089 - you know, some of us are having conversations with the city and, you know, so it might, yeah, we could 04:35:45.089 --> 04:35:53.748 - continue, we could press harder and that's always, always possible. But I'm just curious, is there a 04:35:53.748 --> 04:36:02.750 - reason that it might, is there something that says, hey, delaying it another three, two weeks, whatever, 04:36:02.914 --> 04:36:12.188 - or is good or bad? And I'm looking, I heard all you all and I appreciate it. So obviously I'm asking 04:36:12.188 --> 04:36:21.738 - my colleagues and any of the commissioners or council that might be online, you all at the table there, 04:36:21.738 --> 04:36:31.838 - you know, is there something that anyone would wanna share on up or down strategy wise, thought wise on this? 04:36:33.762 --> 04:36:43.033 - I'm just going to say I share your sentiments because that was my question that I was asking earlier, 04:36:43.033 --> 04:36:52.758 - because there is still a lot of unknowns right now and uncertainties. And again, I hear what Mr. Whitehart 04:36:52.758 --> 04:36:58.302 - is saying. I guess I would just tend to believe that we have 04:37:03.618 --> 04:37:12.905 - like table in this for right now gives us a little bit more time. Oh, that's me. But I hear what you're 04:37:12.905 --> 04:37:21.834 - saying. And I agree, because again, whether it's five homes, 30 homes, or one home, like one is too 04:37:21.834 --> 04:37:29.246 - many for people right now. And I guess that's the human aspect of my little brain. 04:37:29.634 --> 04:37:38.245 - is thinking right now. I understand that we've given this and we've let the politicians get out. Maybe 04:37:38.245 --> 04:37:46.606 - if we did some of this the same way, maybe some of the projects wouldn't take as long as they have, 04:37:46.606 --> 04:37:55.133 - but I digress. But again, my thought process is to try to get a little bit more time. That's just me. 04:37:55.133 --> 04:37:59.230 - I want to throw out just one other thing because 04:37:59.426 --> 04:38:10.847 - I have had a conversation with some folks on city council and that's not the mayor. Just flat out. But 04:38:10.847 --> 04:38:22.379 - the indication was that they were a little bit surprised about the possibility of a switch because they 04:38:22.379 --> 04:38:28.478 - were under the impression that the mayor has plans for 04:38:29.410 --> 04:38:38.033 - the Bunker Robertson property. This is speculation on my part. I mean, like, court of law, hearsay kind 04:38:38.033 --> 04:38:46.490 - of stuff, right? So I don't want to get all, like, rumory, but the fact of the matter is there's been 04:38:46.490 --> 04:38:54.782 - some back and forth in the media on that property. There's what I heard. And then there's obviously 04:38:54.782 --> 04:38:58.430 - the differing opinions on use of that site. 04:38:59.074 --> 04:39:07.999 - I wholeheartedly think the highest and best use of Bunga Robertson would be a hotel. I think that would 04:39:07.999 --> 04:39:16.581 - be perfect. And I think the concept that you put forward is a dream. That would be lovely. And then 04:39:16.581 --> 04:39:25.163 - we can continue to work with our city colleagues on making affordable housing more of a reality for 04:39:25.163 --> 04:39:28.510 - folks. I am concerned that if we table 04:39:30.370 --> 04:39:39.275 - There is a moment that might be missed. And I don't know. So it looks like hands are raised. Councilor 04:39:39.275 --> 04:39:47.921 - Hawke had her hand raised, and then it looks like Commissioner Jody Madeira has her hand raised. So 04:39:47.921 --> 04:39:56.998 - I'll go to Councilor Hawke first, and then after she's done, I'll go to Commissioner Madeira next. Okay, 04:39:56.998 --> 04:39:58.814 - so if you tabled it, 04:39:59.426 --> 04:40:09.853 - What are you gaining with that? Instead of that expiring in July, it would expire in August, right? 04:40:09.853 --> 04:40:20.696 - So can I go? I'll just answer that, Councilor Hawke, because I don't know if you were here when it came 04:40:20.696 --> 04:40:26.014 - up maybe, but the idea would be that it would give 04:40:26.498 --> 04:40:34.883 - for us to communicate with the city to work on putting forth, you know, our support for the land swap 04:40:34.883 --> 04:40:43.186 - option as it's come to be tonight. I did hear that. I did hear that discussion. I just was thinking, 04:40:43.186 --> 04:40:52.064 - I'm trying to think about, like, if I was the person sitting there in one of those apartments and wondering 04:40:52.064 --> 04:40:53.790 - how much time I had, 04:40:54.338 --> 04:41:03.871 - Right now, it looks like they've got until sometime in whatever, 1st of July, is that right, or mid-July, 04:41:03.871 --> 04:41:13.494 - whenever. But if we table it for a month, then they've still got 1st of July. I don't think we've extended 04:41:13.494 --> 04:41:19.070 - their time there by a month, even if we table it for a month. 04:41:19.554 --> 04:41:28.594 - And less that month will buy, like you said, time to negotiate and get a better outcome. So I'm just 04:41:28.594 --> 04:41:37.724 - trying to follow what's best all the way around. But I agree with you, Kate, that that property, that 04:41:37.724 --> 04:41:47.123 - bunker property, that's where the hotel needs to be. And I don't want to cause anything that would delay 04:41:47.123 --> 04:41:48.734 - that opportunity. 04:41:53.122 --> 04:42:02.301 - Commissioner Madeira. Thank you. I think that the County Council also should not table a vote for the 04:42:02.301 --> 04:42:11.931 - reasons mentioned. Basically, further delay risks undermining a project. This project has already required 04:42:11.931 --> 04:42:18.590 - substantial planning from several governmental bodies, including the CIB. 04:42:18.818 --> 04:42:25.717 - It's required substantial negotiation and substantial investment. Moving the property out of the county 04:42:25.717 --> 04:42:32.617 - now would provide certainty to project partners. It would protect the county's credibility and it would 04:42:32.617 --> 04:42:39.317 - help avoid added costs that often accompany postponement, including the chance that we would miss an 04:42:39.317 --> 04:42:45.952 - opportunity. I think if we vote tonight, if you guys vote tonight, it also demonstrates responsible 04:42:45.952 --> 04:42:46.814 - stewardship. 04:42:46.914 --> 04:42:53.585 - by allowing the community to move forward with a long discussed economic development project that does 04:42:53.585 --> 04:43:00.191 - promise broader public benefits, including increased tourism, new business activity, and expanded tax 04:43:00.191 --> 04:43:06.668 - revenue for the county and Bloomington that will bring investment that allows us to afford services 04:43:06.668 --> 04:43:13.144 - for everybody. And this does not mean that we're not empathic to the fact that residents are facing 04:43:13.144 --> 04:43:16.318 - very real hardship and that are being displaced. 04:43:16.546 --> 04:43:25.330 - We do know that there are five apartment complexes that are holding open houses. Some of these apartment 04:43:25.330 --> 04:43:33.947 - complexes do have rents in the neighborhood of $500, $600. They are suspending credit checks. They are 04:43:33.947 --> 04:43:42.564 - delaying or forgiving deposits. And I would really like to hear from some residents. I'm hearing a lot 04:43:42.564 --> 04:43:46.078 - from advocates, and I do appreciate that. 04:43:46.402 --> 04:43:52.825 - You know, I think that it also increases certainty for residents if we stick to a plan. And if we just 04:43:52.825 --> 04:43:59.124 - keep on kicking the can down the road, it also makes things less certain for them. And if housing is 04:43:59.124 --> 04:44:05.547 - hard to find in July, it's harder to find in August because of the college cycle. So I'm not sure what 04:44:05.547 --> 04:44:11.908 - we would gain by delaying there either, because if apartments are hard to find there, they're equally 04:44:11.908 --> 04:44:13.342 - hard to find later on. 04:44:13.666 --> 04:44:22.397 - and we know we have a definite date now and we can work with the apartment association and with Heading 04:44:22.397 --> 04:44:30.792 - Home with that goal. So I think for those reasons, I will rest my remarks. I also was curious and I 04:44:30.792 --> 04:44:39.271 - also would like to ask Jeff Cockerill his thoughts on what happens if the council does either refuse 04:44:39.271 --> 04:44:40.446 - the transfer, 04:44:40.674 --> 04:44:47.297 - or does table it because I heard a lot of remarks tonight about asking the council to extend the leases 04:44:47.297 --> 04:44:53.729 - and create you know this or that legal entity and I just wanted clarity on what the council's powers 04:44:53.729 --> 04:45:00.670 - are. Well before we do that one thing I will say Commissioner Madeira is I do believe a couple of things one 04:45:00.802 --> 04:45:09.116 - we do have residents that are in here that live there that is speaking directly with or with this year. 04:45:09.116 --> 04:45:17.271 - One particular person I spoke to does live there and is present tonight. Secondly, just because their 04:45:17.271 --> 04:45:25.425 - residents aren't here, sometimes government isn't as accessible as 10 a.m. or 5 p.m. for meetings and 04:45:25.425 --> 04:45:29.502 - so therefore I appreciate the fact that those that 04:45:29.666 --> 04:45:37.527 - are wanting to advocate for those who cannot help themselves or cannot be here due to other constrictions 04:45:37.527 --> 04:45:44.944 - such as working or trying to keep afloat with everything else that they have going on. So those are 04:45:44.944 --> 04:45:52.731 - just two couple of things that I just wanted to rebuttal and say. So I don't want to put on public here. 04:45:52.731 --> 04:45:58.590 - We got a lot of advocacy that goes around here with a lot of different things. 04:45:59.426 --> 04:46:07.042 - It's okay to advocate, but it's also should be noted for the record and talking with some of the folks 04:46:07.042 --> 04:46:14.806 - that are in here. These residents, there are residents that live currently at seminary. So I just wanted 04:46:14.806 --> 04:46:22.127 - to say that. Councilor Huck, did you have your hand raised again before we go to Mr. Cockrell? No, 04:46:22.127 --> 04:46:26.046 - I think, oh, did I? Oh, sorry. Now I sit down, okay. 04:46:26.338 --> 04:46:34.757 - I'm sorry, I thought you had your hand raised. Okay. Since Commissioner Madera had spoken your name, 04:46:34.757 --> 04:46:43.760 - Mr. Cockrell, I don't know if you want to come off and mute and explain, I guess, your idea of consequences 04:46:43.760 --> 04:46:52.262 - of what would happen if things don't go the way as planned. Well, and I think a lot of that has to do 04:46:52.262 --> 04:46:54.846 - with the CIB. Can you hear me? 04:46:56.034 --> 04:47:03.746 - Okay, great, sorry. I think her first question was council and their authority on extending the leases. 04:47:03.746 --> 04:47:11.384 - I think it's been said already, but I think I just reiterate that the county council doesn't have that 04:47:11.384 --> 04:47:19.022 - authority that lies with the county executive to extend the leases. I guess my other thought is you've 04:47:19.022 --> 04:47:19.838 - heard from 04:47:20.226 --> 04:47:27.576 - a member of the CIV. I would just remind the county council and the commissioners and everybody listening 04:47:27.576 --> 04:47:34.787 - that the CIV is composed of both members from that are appointed by county officials, county executive, 04:47:34.787 --> 04:47:41.859 - county council, and they're also members who are appointed by the city council and the mayor. So that 04:47:41.859 --> 04:47:48.862 - may be a good avenue, at least have them have those conversations with the city because the city has 04:47:49.026 --> 04:48:00.327 - membership appointed to that board. And I don't know if you have any other questions or if that covers 04:48:00.327 --> 04:48:08.446 - what you were asking. So from your understanding or do you're saying that 04:48:12.738 --> 04:48:21.634 - if this were to be, like if council were to approve this, this gives us an opportunity to try to negotiate 04:48:21.634 --> 04:48:30.614 - with the city? I think it gives us the CIB the opportunity. Ah, okay, okay. Because the CIB, their mission, 04:48:30.614 --> 04:48:37.598 - and Mr. Weichart can correct me where I'm wrong, is to do the prevention center and 04:48:37.762 --> 04:48:45.220 - other tourism related, and that's always included since we started talking about the convention center 04:48:45.220 --> 04:48:53.186 - expansion project, a convention center hotel. So that's kind of in their bailiwick of handling the convention 04:48:53.186 --> 04:49:00.499 - center hotel and where it goes and all that. And this gives them the opportunity to maybe have those 04:49:00.499 --> 04:49:06.654 - discussions. Sometimes it does work when we talk to our city colleagues. Yeah. Okay. 04:49:07.746 --> 04:49:16.654 - Anybody else? Yes, Commissioner Madeira. Thank you. I just like to recognize the fact that we have been 04:49:16.654 --> 04:49:25.476 - working with tenants and with residents actively. Jeff has been having these conversations. And that's 04:49:25.476 --> 04:49:35.326 - sort of what I meant with my comment about residents in the room. Sort of these activities are not being captured. 04:49:35.426 --> 04:49:45.033 - and it's often hard in these meetings to represent the full scale of where we are. Also, if the matter 04:49:45.033 --> 04:49:54.360 - is tabled, again, there's nothing we can gain. If the conversation continues and the properties are 04:49:54.360 --> 04:50:03.873 - transferred, the conversations with the city can also continue. Once again, it looks good when we can 04:50:03.873 --> 04:50:05.086 - talk to city 04:50:05.410 --> 04:50:30.044 - colleagues. Thank you. Yes, Councilor Williams. Okay. Point that I'm going to pretend that that just 04:50:30.044 --> 04:50:35.166 - came from the ether. 04:50:35.874 --> 04:50:46.834 - It actually, to me, it seems as though that's not actually the highest likelihood of people retaining 04:50:46.834 --> 04:50:57.580 - their leases. I frankly have, I'll just be honest, I'm heartbroken about it, but I don't have a lot 04:50:57.580 --> 04:51:05.854 - of optimism that people who have the power to extend the lease or, you know, 04:51:06.050 --> 04:51:17.170 - break the lease, whatever, they've spoken. So in my mind, the best opportunity is to get the property 04:51:17.170 --> 04:51:28.398 - out of our hands with the possibility that someone else's power could influence your lease. That's the 04:51:28.398 --> 04:51:33.086 - logic that I'm thinking through right now. 04:51:36.034 --> 04:51:50.655 - I just wanna be clear on where I am. Any other questions or comments from council here at the dais or 04:51:50.655 --> 04:52:04.990 - council member Hawke? They need to come to, if you're gonna allow them to do that. Okay, all right. 04:52:05.922 --> 04:52:13.419 - yes and then after that we'll we'll wrap it up here with your radio voice yes if the county is able 04:52:13.419 --> 04:52:20.992 - to retain the property then that extends the amount of time that the county is able to work with the 04:52:20.992 --> 04:52:28.564 - city to try and a ensure that the people stay in their homes but be a far more larger plan to ensure 04:52:28.564 --> 04:52:33.662 - that this remains affordable housing absent that you're hoping that 04:52:34.050 --> 04:52:41.468 - you're washing your hands of all this and hoping that the CIB does what we're asking you to do, which 04:52:41.468 --> 04:52:48.740 - is ensure to the best of your ability that the city accepts this property on a transfer. That's it. 04:52:48.740 --> 04:52:56.304 - Thank you. Yes, Councillor Feier. I think the only thing that I haven't heard is what the city may have 04:52:56.304 --> 04:53:01.758 - in store, right? Where is the city at on this? You haven't talked to them. 04:53:01.954 --> 04:53:11.886 - But what if they already have something in place? Okay, just let me finish. Can I finish? You need to 04:53:11.886 --> 04:53:22.305 - let me finish. Believe me, grandma is gonna have a fit here. This is not good participation in the public. 04:53:22.305 --> 04:53:31.166 - So I've been on your side before as well. So I get it, okay? I don't want to dismiss that. 04:53:31.586 --> 04:53:39.371 - but you need to be respectful and we'll go on from here. So, I am concerned about what the city may 04:53:39.371 --> 04:53:47.312 - or may not have up their sleeve to proceed on their own, not knowing what we're gonna do or not gonna 04:53:47.312 --> 04:53:55.097 - do now, right? I don't know what they're thinking, right? That's the piece we're missing here right 04:53:55.097 --> 04:54:00.702 - now. So, a result of many ways letting the CIB do what they need to do. 04:54:02.274 --> 04:54:25.406 - That's where I'm at. Other questions? Okay. All right. May we... I'm gonna actually... 04:54:26.210 --> 04:54:32.349 - move on because we've been here for a while and so I just want to be able to just kind of continue. 04:54:32.349 --> 04:54:38.734 - Unless you can make it really quick and you can make it like one minute or less and then we got to wrap 04:54:38.734 --> 04:54:45.058 - up. Absolutely. I just want to point out that we're really collapsing the city. The RDC owns the other 04:54:45.058 --> 04:54:51.197 - property that we're discussing and the RDC has members that are appointed by the mayor and that are 04:54:51.197 --> 04:54:54.942 - appointed by the City Council and the most recent resolution 04:54:55.362 --> 04:55:04.378 - that the RDC made regarding this property indicates that they would be willing to swap. It was before 04:55:04.378 --> 04:55:13.571 - the mayor's statement that she has other plans for the property, but that is what the RDC has said most 04:55:13.571 --> 04:55:22.233 - recently. Thank you. What, I'm sorry, what was your name again? Audrey Smith. Audrey Smith, okay, 04:55:22.233 --> 04:55:25.150 - thank you. So, RDC is interested 04:55:25.442 --> 04:55:32.849 - Well, nevermind. All right. Nevermind. Okay. This has been long. Um, the only thing that I will just 04:55:32.849 --> 04:55:40.182 - say that I've said before, like to just kind of wrap up before we go to comment is there's a lot of 04:55:40.182 --> 04:55:47.809 - unknowns. And I guess for me, like counselor Friddle and counselor Wilts were saying, we give this over 04:55:47.809 --> 04:55:53.822 - and then what happens? We think, you know, we give this over to the CIB and then, 04:55:54.498 --> 04:56:03.098 - good faith we think we have faith in you because you are the appointed folks from you know council and 04:56:03.098 --> 04:56:11.614 - commissioners and whatnot but um we do this and then it fails and then we're back to square one where 04:56:11.614 --> 04:56:20.798 - they have they're stuck with trying to find housing because they're done as of july 7th that's the thing that 04:56:21.282 --> 04:56:28.955 - That's a big old gamble that we are taking right now. And I understand that we're all working with people 04:56:28.955 --> 04:56:36.194 - and things like that. I completely understand that. I just, I hate the fact that we're here. I hate 04:56:36.194 --> 04:56:43.505 - the fact that we're dealing with this. And so I just, it's too much of an uncertainty for me that I, 04:56:43.505 --> 04:56:50.526 - like somebody said with public comment, like if we fail in our efforts to do this, then we fail. 04:56:51.106 --> 04:56:59.160 - with trying to make sure that folks have affordable housing. And I don't know if I want that 04:56:59.160 --> 04:57:07.907 - on my conscience. So that's just me. So without that being said, maybe please have a roll call vote. 04:57:07.907 --> 04:57:16.654 - Can we revisit what the roll call vote is about? Can we just summarize it? Just summarize it. A roll 04:57:16.654 --> 04:57:19.166 - call would be to approve the 04:57:20.962 --> 04:57:35.294 - to approve the resolution ordinance to transfer the properties to the CIV. Councillor Iverson. Yes. 04:57:35.294 --> 04:57:48.766 - Councillor Wilts. Yes. Councillor Feidl. Yes. Councillor Deckard. Yes. Councillor Hawke. Yes. 04:57:51.490 --> 04:58:11.019 - Councilor Henry? Yes. Councilor Crossley? Pass. Pass. Motion passes 6-0-1. Pass. Okay. All right. Well, 04:58:11.019 --> 04:58:18.718 - that concludes. Thank you all very much. 04:58:19.138 --> 04:58:27.503 - That concludes all of the business that we have county council tonight. But we will move on to council 04:58:27.503 --> 04:58:35.787 - liaison updates and comments and I asked for us to try to keep it brief as possible. So if we want to 04:58:35.787 --> 04:58:44.558 - start down, Councillor Henry. So a few things, maybe I'll just briefly state my surprise and blindsidedness 04:58:44.558 --> 04:58:47.806 - by the board of commissioners and their 04:58:47.938 --> 04:58:54.681 - approach to moving forward on the jail with a purchase agreement proposal at the end of April. All of 04:58:54.681 --> 04:59:01.423 - us have been operating in good faith over the past two months to try to identify properties. And then 04:59:01.423 --> 04:59:08.100 - at some point, I guess one too many executive sessions followed us into a bit of a binary in what we 04:59:08.100 --> 04:59:15.239 - saw filed in federal court with the ACLU. I am hopeful that we can get this back on track as these apparent 04:59:15.239 --> 04:59:16.958 - votes are coming through. 04:59:17.058 --> 04:59:26.878 - But it's my view, I don't know if my fellow counselors have looked at that consent agreement, that the 04:59:26.878 --> 04:59:37.079 - new articles 11 and 12 really bind our hands as a council. And the challenge we have is that if we proceed 04:59:37.079 --> 04:59:45.278 - with that agreement, I'm concerned that we will tie our hands in making future fiscal 04:59:45.506 --> 04:59:52.595 - votes on the Justice Center project. And to that point, I will ask council at our next meeting to consider 04:59:52.595 --> 04:59:59.617 - appropriations for us to retain our own council to advise us moving forward on how we're going to address 04:59:59.617 --> 05:00:06.507 - the consent agreement and our path forward. And I hope you all keep an open mind on that. I think we've 05:00:06.507 --> 05:00:13.662 - just reached a point where we need to retain our own little council to explore this question. On a positive 05:00:15.330 --> 05:00:21.572 - I want to steal it first before it gets down the desk. While we've been sitting here, the federal court 05:00:21.572 --> 05:00:27.574 - has ruled in favor of local students who have petitioned for their right to use student IDs to vote 05:00:27.574 --> 05:00:33.697 - in local elections, which would allow our college Democrats and others in town to vote in the primary 05:00:33.697 --> 05:00:37.118 - here, which has been custom in this state for some time. 05:00:37.346 --> 05:00:43.190 - Because when you have a student ID, you've got to prove a lot of identification to your university to 05:00:43.190 --> 05:00:49.092 - prove that you're here. And so the fact that we've restored that justice for students and we have some 05:00:49.092 --> 05:00:55.395 - very intrepid IU students that sought that and fought it out in court, future real leaders of this community, 05:00:55.395 --> 05:00:58.718 - they really did a good job on that. I'm proud to read it. 05:01:00.162 --> 05:01:07.011 - opinion this evening and hopefully that stays through the primary and if not the general and onwards 05:01:07.011 --> 05:01:13.859 - so good on them. Sometimes things work out and we'll add burnish to our robust election turnout that 05:01:13.859 --> 05:01:20.640 - we've already had. Thank you madam. Very briefly I hope folks have been able to watch the long-term 05:01:20.640 --> 05:01:27.760 - finance committee meeting that met on March the 31st. First quarter numbers are in and we saw a decrease 05:01:27.760 --> 05:01:29.726 - in revenue of three percent. 05:01:30.402 --> 05:01:36.601 - That's a year over a year That is something that we need to keep in mind as we're moving forward. We 05:01:36.601 --> 05:01:43.167 - also saw a decrease in expenditures of 12% So this council has been doing a lot of work watch the meeting. 05:01:43.167 --> 05:01:49.427 - There's a lot more detail there We also just received new reversion numbers in your in your email I'm 05:01:49.427 --> 05:01:55.564 - told that's gonna be available on the auditors website and you'll see three years worth of data and 05:01:55.564 --> 05:01:58.142 - the number of versions keeps dropping and 05:01:58.722 --> 05:02:06.941 - So council is doing a better and better job year over year of keeping our budgets more to what is reality 05:02:06.941 --> 05:02:14.695 - than depending on reversions. The second thing is the township trustees came and made a proposal to 05:02:14.695 --> 05:02:22.526 - the county council. If you have not watched that, please do, particularly council. People are lining 05:02:22.526 --> 05:02:28.574 - up for what we're going to be seeing in terms of lit revenue in 2029 already. 05:02:29.122 --> 05:02:35.360 - The next thing that I'll mention from the LTF meeting is that we looked at longevity numbers. We'll 05:02:35.360 --> 05:02:41.909 - see some longevity projections in the next LTF meeting. So we want to be able to recognize our employees 05:02:41.909 --> 05:02:48.521 - who have dedicated a lot of years to this county at the same time, understand the budgetary restrictions. 05:02:48.521 --> 05:02:54.821 - And then lastly, we talked a little about jail bonding, which I think we're going to hear more about 05:02:54.821 --> 05:02:57.566 - at our next council meeting. So stay tuned. 05:03:13.314 --> 05:03:20.866 - color coded thing, but I'll say a couple things. So at the Monroe County Fair Board meeting, they gave 05:03:20.866 --> 05:03:28.272 - an update on the horse and pony club. They're going to be doing some repairs on a stairway there. So 05:03:28.272 --> 05:03:35.971 - that will help their safety in that space, which I think is really good. Thing is, the main announcement 05:03:35.971 --> 05:03:43.230 - there that night in my mind was the fact of when the fireworks is, and it's going to be June 26th. 05:03:44.578 --> 05:03:52.366 - So also attended the AIC Association of Indiana County District meeting recently and brought back a 05:03:52.366 --> 05:04:00.310 - bunch of materials. And I think most of those, if not all of them, have been shared with the council. 05:04:00.310 --> 05:04:08.098 - So everybody should have that information. Went to a lovely and informative regional housing summit 05:04:08.098 --> 05:04:10.590 - today at the Convention Center. 05:04:10.914 --> 05:04:23.387 - And so I think there'll be things coming forward out of that whole update. I like that. Thank you. Yes, 05:04:23.387 --> 05:04:33.342 - Councillor Hock. Did you have some remarks that you'd like to say? You can unmute. 05:04:39.746 --> 05:04:48.318 - A big thank you to Liz for bringing back that hard copy for me to review. I think many of you will also 05:04:48.318 --> 05:04:56.807 - have that online and we really need to study that. I've looked at it and boy, I'm pretty familiar with 05:04:56.807 --> 05:05:05.379 - what you're speaking of and I'm gonna have to review it several times to really grasp all of it because 05:05:05.379 --> 05:05:07.934 - it's full of solid information 05:05:08.354 --> 05:05:16.421 - that we all need to know. And that whole thing is gonna be offered online. So you can sign up to hear 05:05:16.421 --> 05:05:24.567 - that whole presentation online. And I encourage you everyone to do it because we need that information 05:05:24.567 --> 05:05:32.792 - before we start making any movements regarding a bond or regarding meeting with the city to see if they 05:05:32.792 --> 05:05:37.854 - were part of the money. We have to know what we're doing first. 05:05:38.242 --> 05:05:49.977 - So, but thank you, Liz, for going and I'm sorry that I was not able to join you. Okay, so that was fine. 05:05:49.977 --> 05:06:01.265 - And the other thing is Sophia Travis applications are still going on right now just as an FYI. And I 05:06:01.265 --> 05:06:02.494 - appreciate 05:06:03.778 --> 05:06:12.044 - the comments in the live candor towards the end of this conversation. One thing that is on my mind is 05:06:12.044 --> 05:06:20.392 - the fact that I was during our last conversation that we kept saying that, oh, we can talk to city and 05:06:20.392 --> 05:06:29.063 - we can make things work. It's interesting that this could happen with this project. However, we're stifled 05:06:29.063 --> 05:06:30.846 - with another project. 05:06:31.170 --> 05:06:39.238 - And so I just really want us to walk it like we talk it and also say if we're going to have conversations 05:06:39.238 --> 05:06:47.154 - with city and respect with that, then I'd like to have conversations with things related to our justice 05:06:47.154 --> 05:06:50.046 - center. That's what I'll say to that. 05:06:50.242 --> 05:06:57.934 - The other thing is it's not cute nor is it cool to play uncle with county council. We are respected 05:06:57.934 --> 05:07:06.010 - elected officials and I wish three folks that sit up at the dais behind us on Thursdays could understand 05:07:06.010 --> 05:07:13.086 - that why we might not agree on just about anything right now that we we have a right to say 05:07:13.378 --> 05:07:21.931 - and have a right to do what we need to do with this project as well. So it behooves me, and I've gotten 05:07:21.931 --> 05:07:30.731 - lots of phone calls and emails from constituents regarding, and the public commenter mentioned it earlier, 05:07:30.731 --> 05:07:38.462 - the fact that we're literally being forced, an upper hand in something that has fundamentally 05:07:38.562 --> 05:07:45.619 - no infrastructure that is already put in. And so to use the words of someone who mentioned cornfield, 05:07:45.619 --> 05:07:52.608 - that's a cornfield out there, that folks would get released. And to the point of new leaf, new life, 05:07:52.608 --> 05:07:59.873 - I think about how close our Thompson site is in comparison to where they are and how we would be moving. 05:07:59.873 --> 05:08:01.118 - What we are doing 05:08:01.218 --> 05:08:08.423 - will affect people for decades to come. And Jennifer Rose Crossley has no part in doing something that 05:08:08.423 --> 05:08:15.698 - will literally F up what we do in this county. So with that being said, I really am tired of this crap. 05:08:15.698 --> 05:08:22.973 - And I really wish that we can move forward and really stop playing uncle with counsel and stop twisting 05:08:22.973 --> 05:08:24.862 - our hands behind our back. 05:08:25.122 --> 05:08:31.537 - and I'll be watching your meeting on Thursday to see if you all have anything else to say but I highly 05:08:31.537 --> 05:08:37.827 - encourage the public if you have something to say about anything that's going on they have a meeting 05:08:37.827 --> 05:08:44.304 - if you can attend because it is at 10 a.m. on a Thursday please go ahead in person or you can go attend 05:08:44.304 --> 05:08:51.155 - virtually as well if your schedule allows with that being said I think my colleagues were robust conversation 05:08:51.155 --> 05:08:53.086 - and we are adjourned thank you