All right. Well, good evening, everybody. We will go ahead and get started. Thank you very much. I will
call this Monroe County Council meeting to order. Today is Tuesday, April 14th, the day before tax day,
2026. The time is 5.02.
and we have a quorum here in the NETU Hill Room. We currently have counselors Henry, Iverson, Deckard,
Wilts, and Feidl. And I'm sure Councilor Huck will be joining us in the room here soon. So next up,
we will go ahead and recite our pledge. So all those that are able to stand, please stand. I pledge
allegiance to the flag of the United States of America
and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice
for all. And emphasis on all. All right. Next up is the adoption of tonight's agenda. Does anybody have
any changes or wishes to amend tonight's agenda? Yes, Councillor Iverson. Council, the Health Department
has requested
Uh requested that their request for additional appropriations Which is item eight i to be tabled to
the april 28th meeting So that's item eight i tabled to our april 28th meeting Also, I would move to
table indefinitely the aviation department's request for an additional appropriation In tonight's packet.
That's item eight l Okay So are there any other changes? Yes councillor wills
I would I've been asked by the Sheriff's Department if their series of items PQ are I assume that's
a P you eight no eight P eight Q okay eight Oh eight P and eight Q if those could be moved to earlier
in the agenda
I could move those to after the highway department and right before the clerk's office. Thank you.
All right. Any other? And where did you say you were moving those two? So those are going to go right
before the clerks.
conversation. So right after the last highway department. Thank you. Okay, so seeing if there are no
more changes to tonight's agenda, we will go ahead and adopt that. So all those in favor of adopting
tonight's agenda as amended signify by saying aye. All those opposed, same sign.
Okay. Motion carries. Thank you very much. All right. Next up is public comment. And so I can't imagine
what public comment won't want to be on for tonight. But we appreciate everybody that would like to
make public comment. So the rules for public comment are the same as they've always been. So you will
sign in at the
Lectern here in the NatU Hill room. The monitors around the room, you'll have up to three minutes to
make your comment. You'll state your name for the record. After you sign in, you'll have up to three
minutes. And then after you're done, you can kindly go back to your seat. But those that are in virtual
land via Teams, you can also raise your hand. I already see somebody has their hand raised. Again, you
should have a timer. TSD will have that.
on the screen for you via Teams. Again, you'll state your name for the record. You'll have up to three
minutes. And then again, this is for items that are not on tonight's agenda. So I will go to the NatU
Hill Room first. So I will go via Teams. And it looks like our friend Christopher MG has his hand raised.
I will go to Team's land first. So if you want to state your name for the record, you have up to three
minutes. And good evening, Madam President, council members, distinguished staff. This is Chris Terengi
from the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, your friend. We're a 900 member organization with
80% of those entities being small businesses. I want to take a moment to highlight an upcoming opportunity
for civic engagement that's especially relevant given who's in tonight's room.
This reminds me of why I appreciate being part of this wonderful 110-year-old institution that is the
Chamber. On Tuesday, April 21st, that is a week from today, the Bloomington Chamber, in partnership
with Amplified Bloomington, Indiana Uplands Realtors, VASC, the builders, will host a light connect
at Constellation Stage and Screens Waldron Arts Center. That's from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. So a future candidates
in the Monroe County Commissioner's race, Democratic One, two individuals here tonight, Trent Deckard
and David Henry. In a community like ours, it's fair to say that this primary play a significant role
in determining the county's next commissioner. And ElectConnect is designed to be approachable
and informative, not a traditional debate format, but an opportunity to hear directly from candidates
engaging in conversation around issues that matter most to our community. From the Chamber's perspective,
this is kitchen table issues, housing supply affordability,
economic growth, and business climate, effective delivery of the county's core functions, courts, jails,
infrastructure, public health. The event is open to the public, so this is not a chamber membership
requirement at all. We'd like you to register at chamberbloomington.org. Certainly not required. We
welcome anyone who wants to be part of this informed, engaged community. This is a great venue. It's
a relaxed setting. There's going to be hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar, so make it an easy stop for next
Tuesday to connect.
It's four to 445 is the networking period program begins. After that, we encourage everyone, residents,
business leaders, stakeholders, council members, attend and take advantage of this wonderful opportunity
to shape Monroe County's future. Thank you. Appreciate the time tonight. Good luck with the meeting.
Thank you. We'll need it. Thank you so much. All right. Next up, we'll go to the lectern here in the
net. You know, we on here. Okay. Thanks, Christopher. That was a very nice
We're there about the elect connect hope to see lots of you there. Good evening council my name is Eric
spoon more I'm here as a resident. In taxpayer I want to take a few moments to talk about our jail and
the plan ahead as I understand it. We're down to two very different options I urge you to ground this
decision and considerations that go beyond land acquisition and site plans.
how you decide will reflect our shared values as a county and how we treat people at one of the most
vulnerable moments in their lives. Everyday individuals leave our jail system carrying enormous challenges,
mental health struggles, addiction, poverty, and often no reliable transportation or any semblance of
a support network. What happens in those first few hours matters. It can determine whether someone gets
a second chance
or falls right back into the cycle. That's why the existing Thompson property presents such a powerful
opportunity. It's not just land we already own, it's a location that connects people to hope and the
help they need. Located on the South Rogers corridor, it's served by reliable public transit with multiple
bus stops within walking distance. From there, people can access critical services like food pantries,
center stone health services, harm reduction programs, shelter facilities,
and the central transit hub is just minutes away. The site also sits next to one of the great gems of
our community, the community kitchen of Monroe County, where someone leaving the jail can get a warm
meal and peace if needed, perhaps their first sense of stability in days or weeks. Now let's compare
that to the proposed North Park site. Outside city limits without sidewalks or walkable infrastructure
and along a busy four lane highway.
For someone leaving jail custody without a car, it's not just inconvenient. It's unsafe. It gives a
perception that once you leave the custody of Monroe County, you're out there on your own. But that's
not who we are as a community. We believe in second chances here. We believe in lifting people up, not
leaving them behind. Our public investments should reflect those values. Choosing the Thompson property
is not just the more practical decision, it's the more compassionate one.
It recognizes that a jail is not just a place for confinement, but a critical point transition back
into our community. Those who continue deliberations, I urge you to give serious weight to the human
consequences of this decision. Financial considerations and attorney imposed timelines are important.
They matter, but they can't be the sole measure of success here. We have to account for the human cost
and the value of compassion in our decisions. And to me,
compassion is worth fighting for. It's worth sustaining in our community. So please help set that example
and pursue it with all the power vested in you. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, again, if you are wanting
to say something or make a public comment on Teams, please raise your hand. But if we have people that
are here in the room that'd like to speak again, you can start lining up and sign in your name
and state your name for the record and you'll have up to three minutes. Hi, can you guys hear me okay?
All right. My name is Wes Martin. I'm a firefighter with the City of Bloomington. I'm also the chair
of the Local 586 Political Action Committee, the Local Firefighters Union PAC.
And I appreciate Mr. Spoonmore speaking about how compassion should be at the forefront of our consideration
of a new jail site. I disagree with his characterization of the Thompson property as the most compassionate
of those. One of the things that the fire department does, primarily we are an emergency medical services
provider. 80% of our runs are medical in nature. In the city of Bloomington,
those runs are typically life threatening. I personally have run on the current jail site, probably
a dozen times in different capacities on engine one on the squad. While the current site presents significant
challenges due to the nature of its stairwells, it's Sallyport, the alleyway. Those issues of access
tend to have
negative correlations to patient outcomes. What does that mean? That means that the sooner we can get
to a patient and the sooner we can get that patient loaded and in route to an emergency department,
the more likely that patient is to have a better health outcome. Putting the site on South Rogers Street
presents significant challenges for us responders
getting to that site in a way that the North Thompson property would not. The IU Health Ambulance Depot
is across the street from the proposed site, and both Monroe and IU Health Hospitals are five minutes
away. When we are considering a new jail site, we need to consider the emergency uses of that site,
not just the accessibility and general use of that site. So I would, again, say please consider emergent use
when you are considering a new jail site. Thank you for your time. Thank you. I don't see any hands
raised via Teams. But again, you can. And so I'll look at the room here to see if there's anybody else
that would like to make public comment on items not on tonight's agenda. We got to take it here.
Hello. My name is Heather bland, and I am here with new leaf new life. We work with people who are currently
impacted by the legal system, both while they are in, and after they are least. And I think moving.
the jail outside of the city limits would be a detriment again to the availability of resources. Right
now the recidivism rate in the state of Indiana is around 38%. The people that come to us, we can get
to 13% and those that we get housed are under 6%. The reality of them making it to us when they're that
far out without access to transportation
without access to services is gonna greatly increase that rate of recidivism. The people that we see
want a chance and I believe that they deserve a second chance. I don't just stand here representing
New Leaf New Life as the director, I also was a participant in that program. And without accessibility
to the services, I don't know if I would be standing in front of you today. And so I really put the
weight on accessibility
and compassion for the people that we're trying to serve right now. There is a solution, and we can
come to that if we work together, but it's not going to happen from farther away. We need to bring people
in closer together. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, I will go to team's screen name, Kathleen. You should
be able to raise or unmute yourself and you'll have up to three minutes.
Can you all hear me? Yes. Hi, my name is Kathleen Paquette. I'm a long time Monroe County resident.
Many of you know me by now with my work with Careknot Cages. I suppose I just wanted to give you all
a little bit of a pep talk today. I was really surprised to see the motion filed by our board
of commissioners yesterday. And I think some of you were surprised to see that as well.
It's really frustrating to see. I have I have kept up with many of these meetings and watched you all
on council attempt to listen to all kinds of folks in the community and collaborate and it's really
frustrating for me to see this lack of collaboration on the part of our commissioners.
You all have heard all of the many reasons why North Park is a bad idea. I know that many of you agree
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.
I think I just want to encourage you all to not back down in the face of this behavior from your colleagues.
And I just really appreciate the work you all have done and I look forward to continuing to work on
a future with true justice for our county. Thank you. Thank you.
afternoon my name is Seth Mutchler I am a resident of Monroe County I am here today to comment about
the jail and the proposed North Park site members of Monroe County Council I am so sorry that
the commissioners and the ACLU have put you in this position to see it to as I see it in essence blackmail
you into bending to their will is completely inappropriate
They give us what we want or else. I don't even really know where to begin with that. And just as person
to people, it is unacceptable and simply unkind of them to blindside you and the public with this new
court filing. I'm going to implore you to please, even under these pressure tactics, to remain true
to your convictions and to remain true to the desires of your constituents. The public does not want
a jail at North Park. Your colleagues at the city
do not want a jail at North Park. I know two of our city council members put out a press release to
that very sentiment yesterday. Your business community does not want a jail at North Park. Social service
providers, the folks in the trenches doing the work, as you just heard, do not want a jail at North
Park. And you yourselves in October stated in no unclear terms that you do not want a jail in North
Park. Building a jail at North Park would be a tremendous harm to our community.
And I hope that when the time comes, and it seems like it's coming, that you will once again vote no
on a purchase order for that land. Thank you. Thank you. Any other takers via Teams or here in the NatU
Hill room? Last call. We got a hand raised. The name is Lee.
So you should be able to unmute yourself, state your name for the record, and you'll have up to three
minutes. And TSD, can we make sure we get the timer back on, please? Thank you. Hello. Hello. Hi, my
name is Lise Bruenpfeffer. I'm a resident of Monroe County. When I look at what we're trying to do,
to help people who get into trouble in Monroe County, one of the things that we've always said is that
we shouldn't put all the money into the jail. And, you know, somewhere along the line, that's gotten
lost. And I just want to bring that up. If, as you know, Senate Bill 1 hadn't happened, we would have
been doing just that. Senate Bill 1 reduced our financial capability
And for some reason, I feel like the commissioners aren't living in the world of post-Senate Bill 1.
And it makes more sense to use the Thompson property, maybe not for a jail, but for something less than
a jail, like a rehab facility, and then actually provide services like longer-term
or something like that to the community at that site. That would be reimbursed operationally by some
sort of Medicaid or health insurance. You know, we are moving into new territory in our budgets and
I think that doing things that are more effective are of the utmost importance at this time. Thank you.
Thank you. Anybody else?
In the room here or via teams. Last call. All right. Well, we appreciate everybody making public comment.
Often, I always like to tell people when public comment is being made. I think my colleagues and I,
if you see us kind of looking up and down and writing things, it's not like we're trying to not pay
attention.
like to write down everything, because I like to have a reflection of everything that the public is
saying, whether I agree with it or not, or whether we agree with it or not is up to us. But I just want
to say that we appreciate all public comment. So thank you very much in the room here and to those folks
that are on via Teams. All right.
Next up we will go to item number five which is department updates and so these are for also items not
on the agenda but we have some folks walking up here and department updates are up to 10 minutes and
we have Jordan Miller that has given us the annual or not annual the quarterly commissary report.
Good afternoon, Council. Jordan Miller, Financial Coordinator, Sheriff's Office and the Correctional
Center. Here to give you the 2026 first quarter summary of the Monroe County Commissary Fund. The balance
as of January 1st, 2026, $119,796.54. There's a total of $57,029.49 worth of commissary receipts.
$203.44 worth of interest from January through March. A total of $86,720.99 in expenditures, leaving
a remaining balance as of March 31st of $90,308.48, provided the three months worth of ledger receipts,
disbursements, and balances. And just to kind of touch on those, the top
Item was item number five of the approved commissary expenses, which is equipment, approximately 51.33%
or $44,512.42, followed by approximately 29.46% for items used for commissary resale, and finally,
approximately 7.59% for activities to maintain order and discipline within our
facility for inmates. If you have questions, I'm glad to answer those. Yes, Councillor Williams.
Could you, for everybody's edifications, provide some examples of that nine percent, the last category
that those are? This one is seven point five nine. Seven point five nine percent. So these are events
that I put together that
ensure that the the correctional staff works with the members of the facility. For instance,
on New Year's, we let everybody stay out later. Usually it's locked down at midnight, provided pizza,
popcorn, drinks, to provide some normalcy in a very abnormal environment. First, I did my best to try
to take care of those guys and that
work hard every day in the facility. We brought them out for the Super Bowl. We recently brought them
out with the national championship basketball where my Michigan Wolverines won the national championship.
We played basketball on an eight foot rim. I dominated, obviously. And for our cleaning crews that we
have inside the facility, we break it down in blocks. We make sure to incentivize that a little bit.
Show like, hey, we appreciate the extra work you're doing outside of what we clean.
So that's that's. Predominantly that that 7.59% is trying to give back in from the start of Sheriff
Martez administration. We said we wanted to use the money in the facility and that's what we work to
do with that part. Thank you. But yes, counselor Hawk. Yes, as many of us know, it's been following
the news. Not every sheriff.
the state has behaved as well as I expect out of you. So can you explain to us what we are doing differently
to follow the money and make sure that there's no misuse of the dollars? Does it have to do with this
financial review or you want to help us explain to the public how this is not going to happen under
your watch? I think it's pretty easy.
you can purchase items from commissary with. We we don't operate in a gray it's not what some
this administration does and then when we do have something that comes up like this audit that I'll
touch on here in a moment. We make sure to handle that very transparently and in the public. It's. But
I was speaking about other people, other sheriffs and other administrations who have been involved with
misuse. It's not that difficult.
to stay on the right line and do the right thing, which is why we moved to as a state quarterly reviews
of the commissary fund as well. So the state's trying to work on improving that. I don't know how it's
an issue. That's my answer. Add to that work.
continually finding areas where we can add checks and balances. I mean we go to the sheriff's associations
and such and we are communicating every time with the state board of accounts to hear me what we can
do better implementing extra checks and balances where we have other you know I'm the individual who
writes the checks and things of that sort direct association with these funds. Then we have two other
staff members in our office who are going through and doing
audits and reviews of these just continually adding additional checks and balances to ensure you know
these funds are being spent and used accordingly. Other questions? Councillor Decker. I just I appreciate
with the way that you all come in and talk about items that I'd say are items of dignity
And I just want to say also that I think probably of all the public agencies we have in Monroe County
family. You probably have more eyes on you than than most, and that means a whole variety of things.
But I appreciate very much the how meticulous you are with it and bring the report and coming in here
and talking to us about that so the public can see it and follow up with questions if they have it or
just more importantly understand that it happens.
Yes, Councillor Iverson. My question is about a mileage line. Our transition team director, Todd Smith,
in January, spent $2,677.75 on mileage. Where was that to? Is that just coming from... How do you spend
that much money in one month on mileage? A number of these items that
where this check was issued on, let me see, the 16th of January stemmed from things from last year that
we received the mileage receipts and reimbursements from various facility visits and things that I really
touched on, I believe, at the last meeting that we were at in January, a lot of those visits and facility
kind of prior to some of the later things taking place. But so that in January, that was reflective
of, like I said, I believe,
October, November, December of 2025. And then you'll notice as well, I'm sure you noticed in March,
actually on the 31st, we had another mileage reimbursement taking place for January, February and March
to these various events and outings and things specific to that transition team. I can certainly provide
additional information or specifics if necessary, but I don't have those specific trips and locations
in front of me. And they are at a reduced rate.
Sure. Did I hear you just say that the March 31st mileage for the transition team was for trips taken
in January, February, and March of this year? Yes, sir. I would like to see that breakdown. That would
be really helpful. Okay. Yes, Councillor Pio. So would these transportation numbers be normal, I mean,
or average, what you usually
per month or every three months. I mean this is for the transition the transition director and as I
mentioned it's at a reduced rate 25 cents per mile as agreed upon for the contract for his position.
It's just the various outings that are taking place again. What kind of outings are we talking about?
I don't have the specifics in front of me. They've gone for the steel cell
to see what kind of. Viewings see what what kind of cells to use what kind of told us to use what kind
of infrastructure we're looking at what kind of. Equipment will have in this facility all the way down
to the tables and chairs and seats and stools and that's that's the kind of things they're doing right
now thank you that gives me a good idea thank you.
I talked to councilmember Kate and Marty about the audit the external audit that we had completed. For
the dates of June 1 to February 28 June 1 of 23 to February 28 or 26. And they confirmed the amount
that we had in the German America bank account and it is prepared to be swept over obviously last time
we talked, I said we would we would speak first before remove anything.
So that audit is complete. I provided a copy to both liaisons and then I think you guys should have
gotten the rest of it today. And you can see that it breaks it down pretty well. The cost of that audit
was $1,896 and 52 cents. Indiana code does permit us to pay for that out of commissary, so it's not
a cost to the county incurred. But.
I wanted to break down a little bit what that sweep will look like moving forward. So every month this
internal commissary that we run that we started in June of 23 will be swept over at the end of each
month. So you won't see a large buildup. You'll see that swept over each month and you'll hear that
in your quarterly reviews for commissary moving forward as pretty normal course of action. As of now,
Like Jordan said, there's $108,148.60 in that balance. Currently, that total that you see on the audit
is $587,401.78. In March, we've accrued $21,650 for that sweep total, which will look at a grand total
of $609,052.14.
total for the sweep. Once we get that sweep completed, we'll have $717,274 in our commissary. So today
we reported that we had $108,000. We're moving $609,000 plus and getting that $717,000 plus total that
you're seeing now.
And one point of clarification, I provided Lieutenant Colonel Gibbons with the balance as of today,
standing at $108,148.60, which differs from our amount reflected as of March 31st, just to clarify.
So we'll move that over after the probably next coming days. And then we'll be able to report that as
normal moving forward.
Any other questions? Yes, Councillor Williams. I know that if somebody just is tuning in right now,
they're like, what is happening? You just like ballooned your commissary fund. And I would encourage
anybody with questions to go back and look at when you presented on the issue that that you all had
discovered and then initiated the audit to investigate. But
the communication that you all have had on this issue and throughout the audit and just kind of keeping
us all up to date on it. So are you planning a trip to Disney World? No, I'm just kidding, that part.
That is not covered in the commissary. Okay, all right, no. Thank you. Councilors. Section eight of
the audit outlines four recommendations for future action.
Are any of these for they seem pretty standard, but I mean, can you kind of talk us through how are
these tweaks to procedures that are already occurring? Or are they brand new procedures that you're
going to be implementing in your department at first? Well, basically changes have been made. We discovered
and I'm sure it's you.
I'm sure you've had time to review this, but changes have been, there were some discrepancies with regards
to the reports taking place. The figures, the balances that we owed to our offsite vendors were accurately
being reported to us and we were paying those totals out. However, some of the items on the list in
the kiosks and such in various reports were reflected as onsite items. So there were some minor
discrepancies, for instance, with post stamp.
and postage letters and things of that sort that one can buy on commissary. That was kind of slightly
skewing the total on various reports, which this is reflected, and I believe in section eight, just
the standardized method, which we've determined the process now of what we're gonna do or how we're
gonna do it. We're gonna make these sweeps monthly, and we're confident moving forward this, you know,
no issues will arise. So here's what we did. We realized that there was a discrepancy with
CPC's communication with us, and that's why the money was never moved from one account to the other.
And before we moved that account and kind of touched on what Councilmember Wills just said, before we
moved anything, we wanted to make sure they were the right numbers. But we brought CPC in for three
training days, trained all staff that touched that system.
and we developed a procedure that should be seamless moving forward. The good thing about that is, is
it really made us focus on our in-house sales and how we're gonna move it and when we're gonna move
it. So we'll get these reconciliations from CPC, the company, and to move to German America and we'll
just, we will do it on the end of the last day of each month, move the in-house
And then we'll be able to correctly reflect that. So that is the procedure. A lot of this was already
in place. That's how we knew the money was there. That's how we knew what it was. We just couldn't move
it before we verified that that was the right fund. Okay. All right. Well, seeing that there are no
other further questions or comments, we thank you for your time. Appreciate that. Thank you.
great next up we have another department update from miss Lisa Ridge which is our highway department
director giving us the annual tip report. So Jeff Cockrell usually does this but I think publicly for
Indiana code at a public meeting we are to announce that you have received the annual reports for all
the tip districts. We have. We are seeing thank you.
Great. Are there any other department updates that would like to make a department update? Do the place
is okay? Fine. It's been some time since we came and spoke to council about vacancies, so I thought
it might be an appropriate time to bring everybody up to speed. Break it down into
into both the jail and on the merit officer side. So first off on the jail side it's much less complex
than the merit side. We're holding our own holding serve if you will there at the jail right now we
have two vacancies. We have one person that has already put in their two week notice that will move
that up to three and we then we have at least two individuals that have expressed to us that they will
be departing
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
those vacancies are approaching so Kyle does a really really good job of maintaining an applicant database
reaching out to those people beginning investigation so they almost coincide with the time that a person
is leaving to when they're hired particularly
For example, this person with two week notice, not gonna happen. It'll be maybe a two or three week
lapse where that vacancy will sit. But when we have people that come in to say, hey, I'm in this process
for another law enforcement agency, and they're telling me it's going to be a June 15th higher date,
we'll go ahead and start that selection process and get it up to a point where now all we have to do
is to do a background, and then when that person
does tell us, then we can simply go back around and get that person hired within that two week period
of time. So Kyle is very efficient at that. So we routinely run between two and five vacancies most
time on the lower end of that because of Kyle's method of operation there. So I just wanted to bring
you up to speed that the jail is still doing relatively well. I mean, there's hardly any place I think
in any employment environment right now that everybody's fully staffed all the time. There's always
this turnover and you're dealing with a bit. That speaks to his administration well that they're dealing
with it pretty quickly and efficiently. On the merit side, the selection process is much, much more
detailed. It's much more lengthy. And I know, as we mentioned earlier, Senate Bill 1 rang everybody's
bell in many different aspects.
We spoke to the council back in November of twenty twenty four and kind of. All. Could be happening
with our merit side and I it's it's starting to come to fruition here so. I just thought it before we
get into crisis mode here to at least bring you up to speed so. In just in in twenty twenty five we
ran to merit
We had 38 applicants. In that first process, we netted zero hires out of that process. We took six people
to background in polygraphs, and they all failed. Every one of them. Six failed the polygraph examination,
which as we know is a test of veracity and
what you've done in your past life that may or may not affect you. So what can we derive from that?
And unfortunately, that's a quality of applicant issue that we're struggling with right now. So the
second process we ran, ironically enough, killed 38 applicants, and we were able to take one hire out
of that for two vacancies. So as we currently sit here,
As I speak to you today, we have two vacancies. The person that we're going to be bringing on will be
bringing on, I think, next week, drop us down to one vacancy. That's the good news. For that person,
it's going to be about a year before they're ready to go. The time to go to the academy, because this
person is not a lateral, this person is just
some individuals with no police experience that will send to the academy has got to go through an FTO
training program and all that process. It's usually about a year before it before that person is eligible
to hit the road with our confidence that they can manage what comes their way. So we're starting a process.
We started at Sunday for for this year to refill our remaining vacancy. Here's here's the issue that
that I wanted to bring to your attention, that we just received notification that one of our most senior
officers, not eligible for retirement, but a senior officer, is going to be leaving our ranks, though
that drops us right back down to two vacancies. We have two other officers that have formed us. They
are in application process for other law enforcement agencies.
We have one that's in the process for another governmental agency and in the latter stages of that.
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
latter process, I'd say there's a good chance that we're going to lose that individual. We're up to
three vacancies. If the other two happens, then that's five vacancies.
put a little icing on the cake, we have three officers out on FML. So, you know, if you if you look
at it in whole about the real picture, while we certain why I stand here today, we have one vacancy,
we can say, well, wow, we've made some progress here. But it's one step forward, two steps back here.
So and the last thing I want to throw out to you is in those processes that I mentioned,
We have lost applicants. We lost a really, really good applicant just last week that we were planning
on filling our last vacancy with to the state police. We have lost applicants to BPD, and we have lost
applicants to IUPD. So it's all concentrated in the area in which we compete where we're losing these
applicants. So it's something for us to consider.
I'm not asking for answers. I'm not looking for answers. I'm just giving you information that the Sheriff's
Office is going to be entering into a struggle here. We will do the best we can with what we have, but
that's the reality of where we sit right now. Questions? Anybody got any questions? I do. Oh, sorry.
Yes, Councilor Welch. So I did notice on social media that y'all posted the big. Yes. Advertisement,
which is cool. Yeah, I mean, get far and wide with that. But I didn't notice anything then for like
the jail position. So is is there like enough of a law, a backlog of applicants that you don't need
to do that? Yeah, ironically enough.
Uh, the jail position applications seem to scream in pretty regularly and, uh, you know, a part of that
is, is that a lot of those, the people that apply for those positions, they're looking to, they have
no experience. So they see that as a way to, I don't like this term, but get your foot in the door or,
you know, uh, get some experience. So they utilize that.
as that stepping stone and we have lost people from the jail to law enforcement agencies which when
that happens I feel pretty good about that we've hired a quality applicant that worked in our facility
to give him enough experience that he could go on to become a you know in a police officer. So yes we're
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
applicants for the jail facility and a lot of the because there are so many
jail officers, a lot of those applicants, we get our word of mouth of, hey, you know,
this jail's, comparatively, our jail payroll pays well for surrounding counties. And I think they tell
them that the work environment there is pretty good. And so we get a lot of applications simply because
of other jail officers recruiting their co-workers. Thank you. Yes, Councillor Hock.
I think you might expect some vacancies as some of the younger people that come to work at the jail,
and they're really not long term for the jail. Many of them, I think you've, someone from the jails
told me, perhaps students or someone that is graduating and moving on and not staying in the area.
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
like that long ago that we just couldn't keep people working in that jail. So obviously conditions are
better there because people don't want to stay where they're that unhappy. I think it's I think it's
twofold. I think it is the pay and benefit structure for a
correctional facility, which is pretty solid here. I think that the changes that Kyle has made in that
jail in terms of the environment itself, and I think the changes that he's made in terms of leadership
and accessibility to leadership, the ability to quickly interdict employment issues that, you know,
someone has a family issue, someone has something outside, he mitigates those pretty well. And then,
you know, there's increased training so that
those individuals that are in that facility, that work in that facility, feel more comfortable with
how they go about their jobs. The use force issues that once plagued that facility have been reduced
greatly, which, as you can imagine, greatly reduces the stress upon a corrections officer if they know
they're not going to face. There's always that. There's always that possibility. And that will never
go away. And that's not what I'm saying. But anything you can do to reduce that
and there are things that you can do and Kyle's proven that though all of those it's just it's all of
those things can kind of combine together to make that a little more operationally efficient than I
think it than it you know has been. Yes Councilor Frye. So I would be interested to know if you know
or have heard feedback from the people lost applicants that went to the state police or elsewhere if
they're giving you
of why they decided to come here? Well, I hesitate to say this, but almost every one of them, unilaterally,
it's pay. It's pay and benefits, but mainly pay, as I was when I started out. I knew the state police
had a pension plan. I didn't care. I thought I was going to be a state police officer forever.
and my career would last forever, but I woke up in 25 years and that patient was pretty important. So
young guys walking in the door, they're looking at training and pay and vehicle and all that stuff,
but the pay is the unilateral issue. That's what got our applicant that we just found out earlier this
week that he was going to the ISP. Anybody else?
Thank you for your time. I really appreciate your time. Thanks. All right. Anybody else that would like
to make a department updates for items not on tonight's agenda? All right. Seeing none, we'll move on.
Thank you. We normally would move to consent agenda items, but we don't have any this evening. So we'll
dive right into the meat and potatoes of our agenda. And so we will start off with the higher and freeze
review item number seven.
Council, I move to open for discussion and possible approval of the court's request to be exempt from
the hiring freeze and be allowed to hire and fund 1000-0225 County General Court's one full-time court
bailiff. Second.
All right, we got a motion in a second. Welcome. Hello. Decoff wanted me to apologize for her. She was
planning on attending, but she is at a judicial conference in Indy where they asked her to be a speaker.
So she wasn't able to make it back in time. So she's speaking up there in Indianapolis right now. She
was coming. I am here asking to fill our court bailiff position. It's been vacant now for a couple of
weeks. I currently have seven total bailiffs.
One bailiff has always stayed at the front door of the Justice Building for security and one has to
be next door in the Curry Building because Commissioner Rayper has a courtroom there. So taking those
two out, I have five bailiffs left then to cover nine courts in the Justice Building. So needless to
say, they're frantically scrounging around. Last week I had one out on a planned vacation and two called
in sick. So I was three more short down.
my poor bailiff side where they were running frantic throughout. So security, obviously, this time of
year, or any time of year, actually time of day, I should say, is very, very important. They
cover everything. I listed on here all the stuff that they do. This is a small thing. They do a lot
more than what is in there. But I'm just asking to see if we can get that filled as soon as possible
for security of the judges and the public. OK. All right. Looking at counsel here. And I already saw
a hand fly up. Counselor Hawk. Yes.
Would you say that in most counties, or in some counties, that the bailiff is under the sheriff and
trained by the sheriff? Some of them are. Some counties, actually, the bailiff is actually the court
reporter. A court reporter is a bailiff, because security, like you said, is with the sheriff's department.
But I know that that has been discussed in the past, but it's always remained underneath our judges.
It just seems to me that
that security person there in that courtroom is try to train this person in security. It would seem
to me it'd be far more appropriate for people who are accustomed to working through security. I can
tell you most of my bailiffs I have are retired from either Bloomington Police Department or the Sheriff's
Department. They retire because they can draw their pension through that and then get our bailiffs,
which obviously is a lower pay.
But that's what the majority of mine are, because of the fact that they have that experience, which
I love having that knowledge as my bailiffs. I'm just suggesting we might give that some thought, because
that would really be up to us, I think, as to where we would put that position. But I would really like
to make sure that you're not stuck with trying to train somebody, because you won't always be able to
get somebody who's retired and has already had the training.
And boy, we see lots of strange things happen. And we want to make sure people are safe in those courtrooms.
And we've had some that have worked in the jail in other counties. So they're familiar with that, too,
that we've had apply. So I'm lucky in that regard. Anybody else have any questions or comments?
All right, seeing none, we'll move on to public comment. If you have public comment on this item, you
can come forward to the lectern here in the Nattie Hill room or raise your hand via Teams. And seeing
none, maybe please have a roll call vote. Councilor Crossley? Yes. Councilor Iverson? Yes. Councilor
Feidl? Yes. Councilor Haas? Yes. Councilor Wilts? Yes.
Councilor Henry? Yes. Councilor Decker? Yes. Motion passes unanimous. Great. Thank you. I want to announce
one more thing before I leave since I haven't said anything. I am officially retiring. I've been here
for 34 years. I have decided it's time to move to Florida to warmer days. So my last day as a county
employee will be June 30th, the last day of June. So it's coming up here very quickly. So I will be
filling out paperwork to start filling my spot.
I love my three, four years. I've been in just about every spot in the justice building, not at Bailiff,
but not anything with an attorney. But for the courts, I started out as a court reporter. I became the
jury coordinator. I became the deputy court administrator, the court administrator. So congratulations.
Part of it's sad. Congratulations. I'm going to throw on get you paperwork with not telling you first
why. Well, we appreciate that. And we thank you for your service. And it will be a sad.
time. It will be sexy. We won't see you during budget. No, that's why. That's why I joined me last year
because I said hopefully maybe she'll be able to take over my spot. I've trained her well. So yes, Martin.
It just seems like yesterday the Bonnie was leaving. No, I started I was here years ago. Is that then?
2018 is when I started. So
If you hang around here long enough, you get to retire. Actually, Vicki Tavenall hired me. She was the
court administrator 34 years ago. So she hires me. It should be a little easier. You'll have one less
court to be worried about. That's our secret, figuring out now. Please don't say, did you intend to
spend the same kind of money? Because we're going to tell you you can't. Well, before you hit retirement,
we are going to give you some evening time back.
because it's still light out. So we appreciate that. Thank you very much. And I think my husband's been
texting me how much longer because I think he's waiting for supper. Well, thank you. Congratulations
on your upcoming retirement. All right. Next up, we have item B from employee services.
Council, I move to open for discussion and possible approval of the Employee Service Department's request
to be exempt from the hiring freeze and be allowed to hire and fund 1000-0309 County General Employee
Services, a full-time HR director. Becca. All right, we got a motion and a second and I got something
in mind. But we have Ms. Purdy here, welcome. Thank you. And I want to say that
Vicki Tabana hired me also as a probation officer so Vicki's hired a lot of us county employees I think.
So yes I'm here to request the the ability to fill the recently vacated position of our HR director.
If you've got any questions I'm happy to answer them. I just kind of want to give a highlight of some
of the things that actually goes on in that office. They help with the
The office as a whole, and we've got right now basically one and a half people in there, posting vacancies,
managing outreach, screening applicants. They process all the new hire paperwork. So as Ms. Abraham
is leaving and the new is coming in, there'll be paperwork that'll be associated with this particular
office. And ideally, the director is going to have direct input on.
They process new hire paperwork, conduct mandatory trainings, ensure the adherence to merit principles.
They are an important player to ensure that the county remains compliant with federal, state, and local
laws, helping to reduce our exposure as much as possible.
The director is especially important in addressing employee relations, such as workplace concerns, conflicts,
grievances, questions related to policy interpretation. They also help in the development of our personnel
policy, which is actually ultimately underneath the board of commissioners and approved by the board
of judges and the prosecutor.
are involved in performance management, helping to guide supervisors as they are dealing with performance
situations. And they are robust in our benefits administration. So I ask for your consideration on this
and questions. Great, thank you. We'll go to Councilor Haas first. Yes, I didn't hear you mention
the payroll. Okay. Yes, payroll is in the employee services department, but that's not a true HR function.
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
I have a concern with it. And that's not a secret. I've tried to share that with as many people who
I could get to listen.
I've said from the beginning, payroll is supposed to be under the auditors, and should not be under
the commissioners. And actually, the way it's set up, it's literally under the commissioners, and the
commissioners are the one who will vote up or down the payroll and claims given to them, and an employee
under them is the one that is working on this. Now, you can tell me all kinds of boohoo you want,
But I think that's an internal control problem. And I think we should address it. And that's my secret.
I've been saying that for how long ever since this happened. And I'm not saying this is your fault and
say that you made this happen. But I think if you talk to other counties, or you're not going to see
payroll being done under the auspices of the commissioners.
And this would be an opportune time before we hire a new HR position to remove the responsibilities
of those positions that's covering payroll. And I know it's a lot more for the auditor, but it's under
the auditor's responsibilities. So if we don't do that, we have no one but ourselves at fault for this.
And I've tried. Councilor Henry? Thank you, Madam President. Thank you, Councilor Hock, for bringing
that question. So I guess just to get my own education up, I'd open it to anybody that knows. When did
we move that position, the payroll, into our HR practice? How many years has that been going on? It
was before I was in the auditor's office.
So I'm actually uncertain. Do you recall, Ms. Purdy? It's been a while. It was during... I guess I'm
asking you to see if you get the answer. So I wanted to know maybe if the auditor knows if other auditors
in other counties do payroll to get that answer. Yes, most do. It's a statutory duty of the auditor's office.
However, I am aware that some counties that have HR, it has fallen under that office. They do a good
job. I don't have an issue with the way things are run. I have spoken with Jeff Cockrell, the attorney
for the auditor's office financial team.
Comfortable with the situation. I just brought up a concern having it be a statutory duty and Just any
liability I have for work. I have no control over essentially, but they do a phenomenal job We haven't
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
gonna go back to council Henry because I don't think he was done Thank you. So I guess I guess while
the questions in the ears or someone that can
to get an answer to when we the ordinance to do that. Is that something that's easily figure out a bowl
at the desk? I would suspect you could look at the salary ordinance. I don't know. There wasn't any
kind of other change that was made other than. Well, I mean, that would have been the salary ordinance.
Do you have a recollection as the county administrator when that changed? No, that's what I said earlier.
How long has the incumbent been, or the previous incumbent been in the, how long was he in the role?
Are we talking about payroll or are we talking about the HR director, which is why I'm here?
Not HR director, E, yeah. Yeah, not E, yeah. She, I don't know how long she was actually in the actual
position of HR director, but she was with the county for 10 years. And if I recall, the HR director
got switched a couple of years ago.
We had prior HR directors. I can't remember exactly when. But it was like a term change that we did.
I want to say it was back in 24. Thank you. I couldn't hear you. A what change? In 24. A what change?
The HR director name change type. Oh, yes. There was something that happened with that. I believe it
was upgraded at that time. OK.
Before I go back to you, Councillor Hawke, I'm going to see if anybody else has any. Yes, Councillor
Wilts, and then I'll come back. So Councillor Hawke brought up the possibility that this is an internal
controls concern. And so my question is, does the auditor or you as the commissioner's administrator,
do you know what the internal control measures are for payroll?
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
that like. But again I just want to keep pointing out that I'm here for the HR director position so
I was not prepared to talk about something that is not on the agenda but the payroll person and the
way it is set up in the the employee services office is there's one person who
who does primarily does payroll, there's another person who does kind of a split between payroll and
the other HR duties. That way that person is trained to do payroll so our payroll person can in fact
have a vacation or be sick or something of that nature. And those two
as an internal control over each other. The ones in putting the information in, the other one is then
reviewing that data. So it's just like any other office, you're going to have one person who's doing
one thing, auditor has it all the time, another who's then reviewing that input.
I know that they do have an audit process in place as well between the two of them. So there are controls
in place and my team also when we're fully staffed, we conduct payroll audits as well. Is that the way
you would do it, the internal control aspect, if it were under you,
Sounds like you're a fan of the current process. It's just not under you. I'm kind of indifferent because
it's working. However, it's a duty under control of the auditor typically, and I would not turn it away.
Of course. Some background information I have that
I understand that the county was considering outsourcing it, and I think some sort of compromise. Does
this sound familiar at all to you? No, I think that we did look at a time in attendance kind of thing.
That became a nightmare. That was like in 2014, I think. I do believe that the transition occurred when
Auditor Smith was in office.
Beyond that, I don't know. I see Ms. Turner-King has her hand up. So I looked through past salary ordinances
and the first time that the payroll administrator appears under human resources is in the 2021 salary
ordinance. Thank you. All right, I'm gonna go back to Councilor Huck. Yes, I'd like to make it clear
We have an employee who's actually doing the payroll and should be under the auditor. It isn't like
the auditor's going to have to train this person. This person could be seamlessly then placed under
the auditor. If there's ever a time that, you know, the auditor wants to make sure they have backup
training or whatever, that would be up to the auditor. And we know that she's been short a person. If
she had one and a half people there,
They were not actively working on payroll. They could be of assistance and help us out with that shortfall
there in the auditor's office. And believe me, this is not a secret to the auditor. I've talked with
you about this for some time and saying, look, this is your responsibility. Something goes wrong. It's
on your shoulders.
And she doesn't want more on top of her shoulders. But nevertheless, when it's her statutory duty and
she could use the assistance in her office, it would be remiss of us not to see if we could do some
kind of adjustment. It would help out the auditor. It's not going to shortfall her. It's going to give
her that extra person.
And the auditor wants to say I'm wrong. I will rebut that I am not responsible for work of another office,
regardless of whether or not this falls under statutory duties. I've had robust conversations with the
legal team about this, and I am covered because I have no control over the process. I can offer guidance
and advice, but I don't have that because I haven't
been involved in payroll in the past as auditor or as part of the financial team. I apologize because
I misspoke. I certainly didn't mean if they made a mistake, it's your fault. But if they're under you
and they make a mistake, people look to you to say, auditor, you need to be watching your payroll. And
that's just the way it's supposed to work. And you talk to any other county and that is the way it works.
By the way, we're doing it differently.
But we shouldn't. And we need to, when we're talking about replacing an HR director, we should be looking,
as we are required to do, is look if there needs to be any office changes, any changes in how it's run.
That's what part of what we're supposed to be doing with job descriptions and so forth. So I have no
objection.
of course to making sure we get an HR director but I just don't think they should have the responsibility
of payroll under them. I'm going to get back to the item on the agenda. Do we have any candidates ready
or that might be interested in this position that you know of at this point? I am aware of some people
within the county who have the correct
the necessary criteria for the position. I think it's really important. And that was going to be the
focus is to look for an internal candidate because understanding county government is an animal unto
itself. And so there is that. I just mentioned that because there's hundreds of county employees who
depend on this position for all sorts of benefits. And the shorter that we keep this open, the better.
Thank you.
Any other final questions or comments on this item? Yes, Councilor Decker. One thing I remember, and
I can't remember if this is when I was council president or not, but I remember, well, I knew this as
chair of long-term finance. We had a morning where payroll didn't go out. And let me tell you why. When
that didn't happen, everybody's responsible and nobody gives a rat's you know what abouts, what statute
says or constitution state, federal or otherwise.
And the first thing we did in that long term finance committee meeting was say I believe it at the time
was this employee services does the auditor does the treasurer does anybody want to make comments about
what's going on we were I think what two hours fifteen minutes late on a check going out to direct deposit.
And then it went out.
But I want to clarify, that was not an employee service issue. That was a different departmental issue,
not the auditors and not employee services. Just want to make sure that's understood. Absolutely. And
my point is this on that, when those things, because that's what people want to know, right? Absolutely.
Is the county responsibly paying its bills? Are things happening or not? But when that happened, I remember
somebody at the time said something like, well, what's a couple hours? Well, if you've got a lot.
You got bills and payments, and you burn that money. It's a lot. And it was employee services that was
very helpful with me in the after action of trying to figure out what should we have asked or not asked
because we weren't thinking about it until that hits. I think it's the only time that happened. I do
remember another time where payroll came out two days early. Yes.
also offended people, amazingly, because that wasn't the regular thing. And I think that we just, we
have to be cognizant as all this moves forward that what folks are accustomed to from that end of benefit,
end of information, end of access to all those systems, they don't want to go backwards. They want to
make sure that we're moving forward, whatever format that takes.
Anybody else with any other questions or comments? I was just going to note that we did collaborate
really well together to ensure everyone was paid on payday.
It was late, but it had to do with change and elected officials and permissions and bank issues. And
so the problem was resolved. The treasurer worked really hard to ensure that occurred beginning at 6 a.m.
when calls started to come in that people noticed that their bank accounts weren't at the balance they
anticipated. So it did work out and the collaboration was good.
great. We will move on to public comment on this. I don't Oh, sorry. Did you have some counsel? I would
just like to add make sure that we put it on our agenda to address this and and and not have it under
the HR and the job description because that that very important and I think it is something that we
need to do. So I hope that we don't just talk about it and then we just won't do anything about it.
And if we're going to say no, then I want everybody's no on record. When you say on the agenda, because
it's on there now, are you talking about for budget or? When you're talking about replacing a position,
then you look at the job description. And right now, that job description says that they're over payroll.
And then that literally means HR is under.
under commissioners administrator. Hard for me not to say under Angie, but anyway, which then means
it's right under commissioners. And so then you had somebody doing the payroll and it is going to the
commissioners to vote on the payroll. And that is where I think that needs to go back to the auditor
and it's up to us to do that.
So I would like to at no later than our next meeting have that on our agenda because all it takes is
to move it from HR in the salary ordinance, put it under auditor in the salary ordinance. It will not
change what the job description is of the auditor because it's already in her job description. Now it
might be that
the square foot of where they go. Maybe that's what happened at the time. I do not know why Auditor
Smith, it was under Kathy Smith that she wanted it done this way or thought it would work better. But
we can't just say, well, this works better, so let's just do it that way. There's rules. If I may. I
do know one of the issues was how well payroll and benefits fit together.
I think a significant component to the idea of moving a payroll position into the HR department. And
that was not ever initiated by myself or the board of commissioners. This was something that I believe
Auditor Smith at that time thought was going to be the best way to address payroll and benefits. So
I do believe that was why that was thrown in there.
And I was just going to add, I quickly looked at the job descriptions. If you're going to make that
change, you're talking about amending three job descriptions. They would have to go back to us. Two
of them would only need a reporting structure change, but the HR director would have to go back.
Did you cover the HR, does the health, is it over the health services? Yes. Did you cover that? I do.
I don't think I mentioned any of that, but that is part of the benefit prep package, so when we reference
benefits, the clinic is considered part of that.
So before I move on to public comment, is there anything else anybody would like to add? Okay, so public
comment. So if there's public comment on this item, you can come forward to the lectern here in the
night, you hill room or raise your hand via teams. Seeing none, maybe please have a roll call vote.
Councilor Iverson? Yes. Councilor Feidl? Yes. Councilor Hawk?
Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.
I move to approve the prosecutor's request be exempt from the hiring freeze and be allowed to transfer
internally a misdemeanor deputy prosecutor from account line one three zero one three to account line
one three zero zero eight and then hire and fund one thousand dash zero zero zero nine county general
prosecutor be full-time misdemeanor deputy prosecutor and account line one three zero one three Second
all right. We got a motion in a second. We are joined by the prosecutor welcome Emma Samley
Good evening. Thank you, counsel. Yeah, so by way of context, we have four criminal courts here in Monroe
County, and therefore we have four misdemeanor deputy prosecutor positions, one for each criminal court.
Each of those four caseloads is fairly large.
We would first like to move the person who is currently in the Circuit 2 misdemeanor prosecutor position
to Circuit Court 9 at his request. And then we would like to post and fill the misdemeanor position
that would then be left vacant in Circuit Court 2. So we have had a vacant misdemeanor position since
late November. It was actually the week of Thanksgiving was the last week for the person who left.
Yeah, so the position that's been open has largely been supervised by our circuit court to felony prosecutor
and myself and several of my deputies have been covering that vacancy on a rotating basis. Just,
you know, all hands on deck, making sure that those court hearings are covered.
We have had we employed part time a law clerk about a year ago and he has also been helping to prepare
those cases.
He just took the February bar exam, and he has passed that exam. And so we expect him to be a licensed
attorney here in mid-May. Yes, we're very excited. He's very smart and talented, and he's already been
lending a great hand with legal research and writing in some of our more serious felony cases, but also
pitching in to help with this vacant caseload.
I would like to offer him the open position, but obviously we will properly post the position to the
public and ensure that he does go through with his swearing in on May 12. I will say having multiple
people fill in for a vacant caseload does not do it justice. There's not continuity of knowing the case
very well. There's risk of things being missed in the cases.
and often they move a bit slower than we might like. So really these caseloads too are too high for
you know, people who already have full-time caseloads to be trying to mind them. So I did provide in
our request, or Ms. Hamlin did, the volume of the work that our deputy prosecutors have. So the circuit
court to felony prosecutor who's been largely supervising the vacant position, she handles roughly 249
felony cases at any given time, and she has tried
the majority of the homicide cases that have been tried in the last few years. There's 392 misdemeanor
cases in the vacant position. In the circuit court, two misdemeanor position, 477 pending cases. So
I'm not going to go through every single caseload, just that is pretty representative of the caseloads
that we're looking at.
You know, IPAC and WIS have assessed the need for deputy prosecutor staffing across the state. And their
determination, based on the volume of cases that's presented to my office by law enforcement for prosecution,
is that we need two additional deputy prosecutor positions on top of what we have. I'm not asking for
that, but I'd just like to remind you that even when I'm fully staffed, I'm still short staffed.
I can't afford to have long-term vacancies. We have tried our best to cover this for several months,
but we simply can't lose this position. So the prosecutor's office is responsible for the protection
of the constitutional and statutory rights of both defendants and victims, which includes certain deadlines,
procedures, and the highest burden of proof under Indiana law.
simply can't live up to our expectations and high standards without having a full team. I will remind
you the content of our work is difficult and it does come with secondary trauma. I'll spare you that
secondary trauma, but this is to the tune of between 250 and 400 some cases each.
Please allow me to shift caseloads for my person in Circuit Court 2 to Circuit Court 9 and then post
and fill the Circuit Court 2 misdemeanor position effective immediately. Thank you. All right.
Thank you. Do we have any questions? On the left here. Yes, Councillor Williams. Yes, thank you. I did
notice the numbers.
that you provided about the caseloads. And my question is how, how much is there on that? So like,
you know, I imagine those numbers are pretty stable, but there's the people involved probably move through
and off as new come on. And I'm just curious as to like how long one case stays on the
The docket, yeah. Is it a docket? Yeah, it varies depending on the level of offense, the type of offense,
whether we're waiting on laboratory testing or not. There's a lot of different factors that impact how
long it takes to prosecute a case. But I can say when you have continuity of prosecutor, it certainly
moves a little bit faster because decisions can be made more quickly and on the fly as opposed to having
to say, well, we'll have to go take a closer look at that.
I have been relatively fortunate recently that we haven't had a high amount of turnover recently. I
think that is largely due to the council's help in giving us better salaries a few years ago. People
do stay recently, but nevertheless, you do sometimes have some turnover.
My hope is we will get this person who I'm hoping we can fill the position with is very excited to be
here. And I think he will be a really good fit for the office. Yes, Councilor Iverson. In the paperwork
that your office submitted for this request, you submitted a estimated fiscal impact that was flat.
Does the updated job description change those calculations?
know they're both misdemeanor positions so they're both the same SO attorney a I believe it is at 40
hours the economic impact of this the fiscal impact of this is zero spot great thanks yes counsel yes
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
the answer but I'm glad I asked question if each let's say you have one defendant
who's been charged for four or five different things. Is each thing they're charged for a different
case, or is it one person, one caseload? I believe for our caseload stats, we counted individual cases.
So it may be that one defendant has multiple cases, and each of those cases would count as a case. Because
I think if you just say the number for caseload that's not really giving us
the true picture. If it's one defendant who's being charged with you know if you're if you're looking
at jail stats and whatever you see all the different things are charged with and then does that are
you counting that six different things as six different caseloads when it's really one person. I think
that that when you talk to us about caseloads it might be
For those of us who really don't know any different, it might be misleading. Well, I might just clarify
that just because you have one person that is charged with six different cases doesn't make that one
case. Each of those different pending cases has a burden of proof of beyond a reasonable doubt.
each of those six pending cases would have a different investigation with different evidence that would
have to be reviewed, potentially different lab requests and other evidentiary concerns. So just because
it is one person doesn't mean it isn't six cases. One more question. And I believe I heard you say earlier,
they work with circuit court number nine. Did I hear you say that?
person that wants to move wants to move from circuit court to to circuit court nine and so I'm asking
to fill circuit court to okay the reason I'm asking which which court number is the one that's going
to no longer be after the end of this year won't work you know the state removed and
believe me, when they looked at whether or not to remove one, it was because we didn't have as high
caseloads here as they do in other counties because, you know, the state's responsible for paying for
some of these for the judges. So which judge, which circuit court number is the judges leaving?
Yes, that is circuit court two. However, it is my understanding that the board of judges will likely
have another judge in a criminal docket. So we will still have four criminal courts. Yes. Yes, Councilor
Williams. So that I understand what you just it's your understanding that will move someone from a different
court into that
I want to be clear that the Board of Judges are still deliberating and have not officially announced
anything, but it's my understanding that we will still have four courts handling criminal cases. Okay,
thank you. Any other questions or comments on this item? Yes, Councilor. I'm sorry. This was something
I was thinking about when I was looking at budgets. Are there any cities that
have city court for misdemeanors. I thought I thought at one time we took the misdemeanors and and so
the city didn't have that responsibility that that was a long time ago.
Yeah, so several counties have town courts and city courts in addition to their county courts. It is
still the county prosecutor's office that is responsible for prosecuting those cases. So for example,
in Lake County, they have prosecutors that are assigned in Hobart, Crown Point, as well as their county.
I mean, all the different towns and cities that they have as well as there. So they have a huge sprawling
prosecutor's office. At one time,
We thought it benefited the county to have the misdemeanors. But it seems to me that there's a lot of
charges that are under the misdemeanors. And I don't know what we would have to do to get the city to
take it back, but I'd like to give them a present. It would really, because that's a lot of in and out.
And then the city will have responsibility
for that. And I would think it's just the misdemeanors and the city. It's not like if it was, but I
don't know the answer that's been so long since I studied it. Yeah, I can say that I have only practiced
in Monroe County and so I have not lived that life of town courts and city courts. So I can't advise
on that. This may sound like a lot of unusual questions, but we are right in the middle of we've got
to start making adjustments. Look at new things with new eyes and new thoughts about how we
you know, how we can operate budgets. I appreciate it. I think you're a problem solver, Marty.
I get it. All right. Any other questions or comments on this item? A good comment, Council Hawk. Okay.
All right. Moving on, we'll go to public comment. If there's public comment on this item, you can come
forward to the lectern here in the Nightingale room or raise your hand via Teams.
and seeing none, maybe please have a roll call vote. Councilor Feidl? Yes. Councilor Hawk? Yes. Councilor
Will? Yes. Councilor Henry? Yes. Councilor Decker? Yes. Councilor Crosby? Yes. Councilor Iverson? Yes.
Motion passes, majority six to one. Next up, item B.
Council I move to approve the prosecutor's request and fund ninety one fifty nine dash zero zero zero
zero high tech crime unit fund for category transfer of one thousand two hundred five dollars from the
capital category to the services category second all right well would you like to good evening um this
is uh sort of a housekeeping item it's all involving our high tech crime unit grant fund back in twenty
twenty four under fund nine one five nine
We were, we appropriated $52,000 to purchase a vehicle for the high tech crime unit director to serve
the 11 counties. It was funding that came from the IPAC. Um, the vehicle that we purchased was a little
bit under that $1,205 under that. What I'm trying to do is free that money up out of the forties, move
it over to the thirties so we can spend it on general office expenses rather than leaving it in a line
that we can't use.
questions or comments on this item. Councillor Hawke. Yes, I heard you just say general office expenses,
but this says that you're going to use it to help pay the salary for the high tax crime unit from the
town of Vellisville. Is that still your plan? My executive summary says remaining funds to be spent
on basic office expenses. I mean, they could end up being spent for that, but
those are all in the thirties as he's paid on a contract line. This is part of our agenda. I don't have
your agenda in front of me. I just have what I submitted. Yeah, it does say on here that this will allow
the remainder funds to be spent on monthly HTCU salary invoices. It says going from vehicle purchase
to contracts. Three zero zero five six. Okay.
to fund him, which will free up $1,205 in that line to spend in other lines within the 30s. Yeah. I
want to double check your request real quick. I probably asked to move it. Oh, no. I have it going to
30030, office expenses. That's not what it says.
We need to read you the motion or something. I think Michelle is looking first and then if we need to
read. Well, yeah, we need to. Actually, my motion just mentioned categories. Yes, on your request, it
does have 30056 contracts. OK, well, I'm fine to transfer it over or appropriate it.
into there and I can make adjustments within the 30s. I don't think that's a problem. That's acceptable.
Okay. Okay. So we can do that. Okay. All right. Any other questions or comments on this item?
Being none, we'll move on to public comment. If there's public comment on this item, you can come forward
to the lectern here in the room or raise your hand via Teams.
and seeing none, maybe please have a roll call vote. Councilor Hawk? Yes. Councilor Wilts? Yes. Councilor
Henry? Yes. Councilor Deckard? Yes. Councilor Crossley? Yes. Councilor Iverson? Yes. Councilor Piddle?
Yes. Motion passed. Animos? Thank you. All right, thank you.
All right, next up is item C from the Highway Department. Council, I move to open for discussion and
possible approval of the Highway Department's request to be exempt from the hiring freeze and be allowed
to hire and fund 1176-0000 Motor Vehicle Highway at 75% and 1173-0000 Motor Vehicle Highway restricted
at 25%, a full-time traffic control technician slash laborer. Second.
All right, Ms. Bridge, welcome. What would you like to tell us on this? So a while back, you had approved
us filling a truck driver position. But the new change is with the CDL policy. We signed ourselves up.
We are a certified training facility at this point. We have a certified trainer on staff. So we hire
a traffic control technician. Doesn't have to have a CDL. But if they have interest and they want to
work towards
what we would see as a promotion, they can go through our CDL training. And then we cover the cost of
the first test. And if they pass, then we promote them to truck driver, which is an increase in pay
and everything and other benefits, overtime options. So we had a successful candidate move into a truck
driver role. So it opened up the traffic control technician position.
is basically a lot of times our flaggers. So we don't have to hire outside sources. Thank you. All right,
any questions or comments on this item from Mr. H. Yes, counselor. Well, do you do you train? Do you
train people outside county government? Yeah, it's just specifically this conduit. Yeah, we keep it within.
our department, I think like in dot has a program and such. I believe city of Bloomington sends them
to the schooling and pays for the schooling. This was just a little bit more economical for us because
they're actually working for us also doing the flagging and then when we have the time, we're doing
the training. So they're getting paid to do the training, but they're also helping us and other areas
of the department. So it's kind of been, I think we've had three or four successful candidates and they've
all stayed.
So it's been a good program for us. Thank you. Anybody else have any questions or comments on this item?
Seeing none. Before we have a roll call vote, we'll go to public comment. If there's public comment,
you can raise your hand via Teams or come forward to the lectern in the room. And seeing none, maybe
please have a roll call vote. Councillor Wilts.
Yes. Councillor Henry. Yes. Councillor Deckard. Yes. Councillor Crosley. Yes. Councillor Iverson. Yes.
Councillor Fai. Yes. Councillor Hawke. Yes. Motion passes unanimous. Next up item D.
Council I move to approve the Highway Department's request and fund 9106-0000 CCMG or Community Crossings
Matching Grant for additional appropriation of one million dollars in the services category. Second.
So this is the portion that NDOT sends us and we've received that receipt for the deposit so now we
need to appropriate it into the line so we can do the paving projects.
even time. Any other questions or comments for Ms. Ridge on this item? And none. We'll move to public
comment. You can raise your hand via Teams or come forward to the lectern here in the room. And seeing
none, may we please have a roll call vote. Councillor Henry? Yes. Councillor Decker? Yes.
Councilor Crossley? Yes. Councilor Iverson? Yes. Councilor Feidl? Yes. Councilor Hogg? Yes. Councilor
Wilts? Yes. Motion passes unanimous. Next up item E. Council I'll be combining. I will be combining
items E and F into one motion. I move to approve the Highway Department's request and fund 1135-0000
Camilla Bridge
to create a count line 15815 Highway Engineer, approve additional appropriations of $18,187 in the personnel
category, and simultaneously approve an amendment to the 2026 salary ordinance to add a count line 15815
Highway Engineer split 40 hours, SO exempt. Second. All right, we got a motion and a second. Ms. Ridge?
So this is just finishing the process. I came a few weeks ago asking for the position to be looked at
to increase, to draw candidates that can fit for a professional engineer. So this is actually the steps
to finish that process. Any questions or comments from council on this item? Seeing none, okay.
We'll move to public comment. There's public comment on this item. You can come forward to the lectern
here in the room or raise your hand being teams. And seeing none, maybe please have a roll call. Councillor
Crosley. Councillor Iverson. Yes. Councillor Feidl. Yes. Councillor Hawk. Yes. Councillor Wilkes. Yes.
Councillor Henry. Yes.
Motion passes, unanimous. Thank you. Could you please send to us where the million dollars is going
to be spent on the community crossing? Actually, yeah. I don't have the 25 roads exactly memorized in
my head at this point, but they have all been awarded. Milestone was the low contractor for this. We
just had our pre-construction meeting for it. We plan on giving them the notice to proceed May 3rd.
after our freeze and thaw period ends. We have various locations around the county. I believe there's
a couple subdivisions in there. I wish I had that list. It's actually posted on our website also for
the paving projects for just this community crossing. We plan on putting bids out for some other roads
that we want to have done in 2026 also.
and I know you've discussed that certainly with me and I appreciate that but I think since we just voted
on that million dollars boom didn't discuss it or anything I thought maybe we might want to talk about
just a little bit okay thank you thanks thank you yes do you want to read the list from the website it says
The following road subdivisions will be part of the paving season in 2026. Bennett Lane, Crum Road,
Graves Road, Mount Taper Roads, Old State Road 37 North, Popcorn Road, Prather Road, Rush Bailey Edition,
and Orchard Estates. The projects will be put out to bid in the next 30 to 60 days for the 2026 season.
All right, that's it. Thank you.
Next up, since we amended the agenda, this is where we go to the sheriff's department. Council, this
is item O. Council, I move to open for discussion the sheriff's request to move appropriations into
the overtime line. Second. All right. Hello. Hello. This is just to move money for CHIRP because we're
always overexpending. We don't really know how much we're going to spend each quarter. This is just
to kind of help from going to the negative.
Any questions or comments on this item? Pretty self-explanatory. All right. Seeing none, we'll move
to public comment. If there's public. Excuse me, this was a motion for a discussion only. There's not
a motion to allow that in-house transfer. Where are we? Okay. Somebody just needs to make a motion
to approve, to allow the department to do an in-house transfer per the resolution? Council, I move to
allow the Sheriff's Office to move these dollars as allowed in the resolution. Second. Okay, now we
got a motion and a second. Does that satisfy what we need to do? Okay, all right.
Any other final discussion on this? I have two motions in two seconds, right? No, it's only one. Technically,
we only had, it was a motion for discussion and then we have to move to approve it. And so that's what
Councillor, I was interested in. Okay, thank you. You're welcome. All right. Any other further questions
or comments? We'll move to public comment on this item. Raise your hand via Teams or come forward to
the lectern here in the room.
and seeing none, maybe please have a roll call vote. Councilor Fein. Councilor Haas. Councilor Haas.
Yes. Councilor Wilts. Yes. Councilor Henry. Yes. Councilor Decker. Yes. Councilor Crossley. Yes. Councilor
Iverson. Yes. Motion passes unanimous.
All right, next up, item P. And before I read this motion, is the amount of $12,468.75 correct? No.
I thought so. Read the motion, and then there'll be a discussion to amend it. All right. Council, I
move to approve the sheriff's request and fund 1000-0005 County General Sheriff to deappropriate the
amount of $12,468.75 in the personnel category. Second.
All right, we got a motion and a second. We need to amend this to $4,668.75. Say that again, please.
$4,668.75. Excellent. Council, I amend my emotion to be in the amount of $4,668.75. Second. All right.
Any further questions or comments on this item?
I'm not sure it's obvious to me why we're changing the number. Can somebody explain why the number got
changed? So the $12,000 is for the first quarter. Part of that is 2025 funds. Part of that is 2026.
The $4,668.75 is for 2026. Okay. No other further questions or comments on this item?
public comment time, you can raise your hand via Teams or come forward to the lectern here in the room.
Seeing none, may we please have a roll call vote? Okay. So first, do we need to vote on the amendment?
We need to do a voice vote on the amendment to change from 12 to four. And then we can do a vote on
the entire. Okay.
So all those in favor of the amendment of the $4,668.75 signify by saying aye. Aye. All those opposed,
same sign. All right, motion carries. So now can we have a roll call vote? Councillor Hawke. Yes. Councillor
Wilts. Yes. Councillor Henry. Yes. Councillor Deckard. Yes.
Councillor Cross. Councillor Iverson. Yes. Councillor Feidl. Yes. Motion passes unanimous. Okay.
All right. Next up is item Q. Council, I move to approve the sheriff's request to fund 8103-0000.
Operation pullover grant to create a count line one seven one zero one overtime and simultaneously
appropriate twelve thousand four hundred sixty eight dollars and seventy five cents in the personnel
category second What would you like to add to this item? I don't I mean it's self-explanatory just to have the
the line item. Miss Gregory has her hand raised. Yes, if we could please amend this motion to reflect
the same amount of the previous amended motion, that would be great. The $4,668.75. All right. Council,
I move to amend the original agenda to change the appropriation to $4,668.75.
second all right we got a motion and a second any further discussion on the amendment yes council office
agrees with this correct all right thank you all right any other further questions or comments from
council all those in favor of making this amended amendment signify by saying aye aye all those opposed
same sign all right motion carries now coming back to the overall is there any other final discussion
public comment you can move to our come to the- lectern here in the room or you can raise your hand
via teams. And seeing none maybe please have a roll call vote. Well. Yes sir Henry. Yes sir
Yes. For Hall. Yes. Motion passes unanimous. Thank you. Thank you. Have a good night. All right. Next,
we go right back to our original programming, which is item G from the clerk's office. Council, I move
to open for discussion the clerk's request for overtime and fund 1000-0001 County General Clerk. Second.
All right. We got a motion and a second, and we're joined by the new chief deputy.
Hello. Would you like to introduce yourself? Hi, I'm Tanner Branham. I'm the new Chief Deputy of the
Monroe County Clerk's Office. Nicole is out of town this week, so I am filling in for her tonight. Welcome.
Thank you. So our request tonight is simply to fill or to reopen our overtime fund and transfer $7,000
into that line. This is to fund
we have a lot of overtime pay for elections work so we have several employees in the clerk's office
who assist with elections during election season- that includes- a lot of it is training training you
know we have a lot of. A lot of poll workers election day poll workers who work full time jobs and they
can't make our normal training days and so we have individuals who assist with training- after hours
and on weekends- and that's
Any questions or comments for from council? Yes, counselor. Yes. And the paperwork, it looked like as
if you're asking for this over time in the general fund. And of course, we wouldn't do that. Is that
an error on your part?
When you say general fund, do you mean the clerks fund? It is an overtime fund in the clerks line, not
in the elections line, because this is for individuals who work in the clerk's office, but assist with
elections. Madam, still election fund expense needs to be under the election fund. Does that have to
be re-advertised? There's no overtime line in there. Do we just say no and let them figure it out?
Well, I think this request is slightly more complex because it would require an amendment to the overtime
resolution. The overtime resolution only allows overtime in the elections fund. So currently there's
not an overtime line in the general fund. So if you're going to do this, if you're going to approve
this request, we need to amend the overtime resolution to allow an overtime line in the general fund.
And then you would have to approve the in-house transfer
is correct that this is a request in the general fund. And so I have to advise that if you created the
overtime line in the general fund, it does not limit it to just election expenses. The clerk's office
could use that overtime amount for anyone paid out of the general line for any purposes. I know they're
saying it's for election purposes, but once the line is created, it isn't limited to election purposes.
And I also want to state that if they have employees in the general fund that are doing election work,
that just needs to be noted to the AOD payroll and that amount can be taken out of the election fund.
So that way it can be calculated and come from the fund where it's actually being worked.
Okay, because that was going to be my question is can we just if an employee is trying to do that, can
we just. There's about somewhere that this is where this they would get paid out of the election fund.
Yes, I mean we do it for other departments like in the highway. They may be out of Cume Bridge, but
they get their snow out of a different fund. You know, so just because their main fund is general fund
does not mean that they're overtime.
has to be paid out of the general fund. If they are doing election work, like they're saying they're
doing training and this kind of thing, that needs to be documented and calculated and then paid out
of election fund so that we are getting an accurate amount of how much it's costing the election fund.
I did provide a clerk overtime report from the 2024 election and there's a couple of individuals that
this exact mechanism that Michelle is describing was used for for example the election training specialist
was paid overtime out of the election fund but I do believe she's typically or that employee is typically
in the general fund so there is a past practice of using the election fund to pay
I'm gonna call it main office employees who are in the general fund. Councilor Henry. And the clerk
can't do the training. Thank you, Madam President. Thank you for being here tonight. I apologize. I
think I've inhaled all the pollen in town. So understand some operational things going on. I understand
there's an election going on. I understand you're busy. I couldn't possibly understand why. But in any case,
Before going into the election, what was the staffing? How many FTEs were operating in the elections
office before we went in? What was the plan? How many FTEs did you go in with thinking you'd have for
the month? Just the week prior, we had dropped down to one full-time and one part-time, and then we
had came for the one full part-time position to be filled. For the part-time?
That's a separate discussion. We have an additional request to fill a full-time role, but yes. It's
related because of how many FTEs we have and asking for overtime for coverage. That's why I'm asking.
Currently, there are two full-time employees in the office and one full-time employee? One full-time,
not including myself, and one part-time. Oh, not including yourself. Sorry, I was including you. You're
down two people? Two human? Where are those two people? Did they leave government service?
One is in the clerk's office. So the clerk pulled a election or voter-reg side worker in the election
month to court side during election month. Chief Deputy, do you have an explanation as to why we would
move staff around that way? I'm just kind of curious. Well, this move happened before I started in my
current position. Yes. All right.
Is there a possibility for whoever's left to take comp time or use other means to flex during this month?
I currently have one that is using comp time and then I will say I am currently sitting at 140 hours
in comp. You yourself are at 140 hours comp and then we're ratcheting up comp on somebody else and we're
down one and a half people. Correct. One was someone who left government service, the other the clerk moved to
Okay, got it. I think we already got into the difference between election and general fund. So I'll
leave that question for someone else. Thank you. Anybody else have any other questions? Yes, Michelle.
Okay, you keep raising your hand.
I would add there, as a reminder, council did allow an overtime line in the election fund in the amount
of $5,000. And I believe that none of that has been expended yet. So there's $5,000 in the election
fund. That was done late March. February 24th. Okay. We just felt this. Yeah. Yes. We just wrote this
down. They have the ability to.
pay these people in the proper fund. Yes. As a reminder to the public, and the motion here
was for discussion, and I certainly as one of the liaisons was happy to send over, make sure you have
a copy of the overtime resolution and the six points that are outlined in that resolution for when this is
could be brought back that need to satisfy that resolution. So I'm happy to continue to work with you
all as your liaison. Yes, Councillor Decker. I want to hear a little more on what that does in that
office, because I'm very aware that we are in an election right now, that people are coming out in large
amounts from what I can tell. And I want to make sure that
all of us are thinking through this properly so that we're not doing something that in two weeks you
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
look to you or the election director who is in the weeds of it. So I think the biggest impact as I said
earlier would be on training so that's primarily what this funding is being used for so primarily election
day workers and those ones who cannot come to a
training during office hours. So it would potentially impact that I came I was under the impression
initially that we would not be able to pay these employees under the election line and that it would
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
line we may want to. I was also under the same impression so we
I think in the past, it's always been the individuals who've been paid out of the election is only from
from election day over time. And then everything else was from the clerks over timeline. So all of the
training that happens prior to election day was being paid out of the clerks over timeline. And then
on election day, the trainer was being paid their overtime for that day from the election budget.
I want to say now that might have been the past practice before you went to AOD but with utilizing AOD
that is you know it's not necessary any longer and it can be earmarked appropriately. I will say with
this it will be that we're going to have to re-advertise and probably come back to ask for more in that
because we were only originally anticipating to pay three people over time out of this line so
I want to make sure that our trainer is getting overtime for her extra hours that she's working because
comp time is not it's beneficial for some and for some it's not as beneficial. So I want to ensure that
we're going to have training for all of our workers. So I'll continue taking comp until we can re-advertise
until further notice.
And just so you know, the deadline for the 28th is already passed. You would have to apply, it would
be for the May 12th meeting. Yes, Councilor Williams. Or you can come back and ask for an in-house transfer
like this or a category transfer. Right. Councilor Williams. Okay.
I have a question about the trainer position. Is that person, is training a kind of a second duty that
only comes about during election time and they do something else the rest of the year, is that? Yes,
that is accurate. Okay, and what do they do? They work in a criminal. Oh, they're not even,
in the voter side? No, they are housed in the general fund. Yeah, they're in the clerk's office and
then assist with training in the elections office. But they're not in the voter part of the clerks.
Yes, they are in the other in the clerks. And is that the only person who's training or are you also
lots of people training?
So it generally is just her who is training. There have been instances in the past where I've had to
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
then right now we're kind of trying to figure out the way that it will work for the general just because
of some staffing that we're kind of questioning at this time. Can I continue?
this person's job over on the other side when they're training. So we have two other employees in the
criminal area. And what's the job title? Election Training Specialist. Election Training Specialist,
but they do other things. Yes, correct.
I don't even know what to ask because I'm so confused. Okay. All right. If you like, I can send you
a copy of that job description just for your review. That would be great. I clearly have more questions
than maybe we need to take time right now figuring out. There's a lot of things that's on this
job description that, you know, they're
that pertains to elections. So it's not just training. One of them is, it says, monitors the legislative
election topics and adapts existing election procedures to ensure Monroe County is in compliance.
So there's, I mean, it's just not one training. I mean, there's several things on here that they're
supposed to be doing as the training specialist. And it's just one training specialist? Yes, there's one.
other people are what's their job you said there were two other people yes yes in within the criminal
I forget their exact title but they're criminal case clerks within the clerk's office they're processing
those cases the trainer also goes to election board meetings does all the minutes for those and then
also in their description it says that if they are needed to they would go to council and Commissioner
meetings as well
in those budgets. Do they do that? Have they done that ever? They have, I believe, in early 24, late
23 when we came for the increases for poll workers. That was a fun time. We screwed up something. It
was controversial. It was. They came to train us. They came to train us. Just so you know, it says they
assist court
case managers during non-election times. So there's positions within their office with regards to court
case managers that they work with. Make more sense, though, that they would be in the election fund
slash side of things? I think this is my opinion, but I think it could be like a split pay because
You would have this person working so much in the election stuff and so much in general fun, but there
is a year, I think, where there's no elections. So, you know, I'm not 2025 there were no elections.
Yeah. So I don't know how you would handle that kind of stuff.
I will say in 2025, the election training specialists did help with trying to amend training materials
during that time period. Those are time periods where we really try to catch up on things, or if we're
gonna just do a complete overhaul of something, that's when we do it. Yeah, that makes sense. Yes, Councilor.
And I will also reassure everyone that liaisons are very aware of this. And so as budget time gets closer
and closer, maybe we will revisit some of these conversations. Thank you. I appreciate it. Yeah, of course.
All right. Well, that was a discussion. OK. And y'all are doing good despite your clerk not being here.
So we appreciate that. All right. Next up is next item. There was a motion for a discussion only. So
since they have over time in their election fund, just going to move forward with what we got on that.
Council, this is item H, although for those of you following along in the packet, the numbering got
a little off. So this is, I move to open for discussion and possible approval for the clerk's request
to be exempt from the hiring freeze and be allowed to hire in fund 1215-0010 election fund
voter registration, a full-time voter registration clerk. Second. Okay, and what would y'all like to
add to this?
So this is going to be a individual in the office who was moved to the clerk's office. So we need to
fill this position. We do already have an idea of who we will be moving into that. It will be an in-house
transfer. And then we'll have to come back to request a part-time position to be filled at a later time.
All right, yes, Councilor Henry. Thank you. Do you have a part-time person in mind as well that's given?
Yes, correct.
So the likelihood that they start before May 5th is probably what? Not likely, just because of timeline
of coming back. We'll definitely get it ready for the general. Sorry, is the clerk on personal leave
or at a conference? At a conference. Am I asking which conference this one is? I am not sure. Okay.
Thank you.
Yes, Councillor Iverson. On the fiscal note attached to this request, it shows a savings of $7,739,
mostly due to the person who left had a hire. It was here for a longer time. Correct. Any other questions
or comments on this item? Well, because the motion was for a discussion and possible approval.
Council, I move to approve the clerk's request to be exempt from the hiring freeze and be allowed to
hire and fund 1215-0010, election fund voter registration, a full-time voter registration clerk. Second.
Okay, we got a motion and a second. Is there any other final questions or comments on this item? Seeing none.
We'll move to public comment. If there's public comment on this item, you can come forward to the lectern
here in the room or raise your hand via Teams. And seeing none, may we please have a roll call vote.
Councillor Feidl. Yes.
she just said she didn't need this yet. I thought we weren't going to vote on this. I thought we we
did and Councilor Iverson moved and it was seconded to like go ahead and move. All right I'll just vote
no since I don't know. Okay. Councillor Will. Yes.
Councilor Henry? Yes. Thank you. Councilor Decker? Yes. Councilor Crosley? Yes. Councilor Iverson? Yes.
Motion passes majority six to one. Okay.
wanted to give you guys a little bit of an update today we did have a new high for total for one day
early voting which brought us up to 197 and then we are at a grand total of 986 voters so far during
early voting this is higher than what we anticipated but this is also right now looking at higher than
any other municipal I mean midterm election in Monroe County
Thank you. And before you leave, I do want to ask a question about that. So is the the the signage and
everything. I know that was a big oopsie daisy moment from last week, but
that everything seems to be moving along smoothly yeah so all signage issues have been taken care of
we have new spacings and new lines drawn out for where they are allowed to not allowed to place candidate
signs and then I also sent out an email to both party chairs for them to send out to candidates to show
those designated spaces and then parking has also got a
for our poll workers. Originally they were parking at the Morton Street garage and it has been moved
to the trades district garage, which is directly behind the showers building. OK, and out front there
is like some no parking signs. Is that for you all as well? Yeah, so those are also additional overflow
parking for anybody who's coming in to vote. OK, I just want to follow up that. So my understanding
was that some poll workers had to pay for parking anyway due to some.
We didn't have free parking for poll workers. Yeah, I think it was the first day or two. There was some
miscommunication which we were also dealing with the sign issue with the city. So the parking passes
were set up for the wrong garage and we were told one garage but it was supposed to be the trades district
garage. So we originally told the Morton Street garage that our cards were for that but they were actually for the
trace district. So we had people trying to park but then their cars didn't work and they paid for parking.
Yeah. Chancellor, did that reimburse for our good poll workers? Something to ask the city, I suppose.
Yeah, yeah. I'm not sure. I know that a lot of them, they would just push the button and say that they
were a poll worker and they were just letting them out. But there were some individuals who just paid
for it. Yes, Councillor
Okay, a question. Is it possible or even allowable to, okay, let's say if you have 100 people show up
for early voting in whatever day, then can you go back and look at what areas they're voting in, what
precincts, so that you know with an IGPI at a higher turnout, say, you know, we know there's a lot of
discussion in Richland Township. I thought there might be a big turnout there. We generally have a larger
turnout during early voting from Richland precincts, which has always been interesting to not just us,
but a majority of the community. I can actually pull a report and come to the next meeting to give you
guys an update of where we're seeing the largest versus the smallest and do it during the department
update. Because generally,
uh richland a lot of those areas they they like voting on election day and so their early turnout is
not would not normally be higher than usual i mean only for this reason but i also was very curious
about clear creek because you know there's that discussion in clear creek about who the
trustees can be and so forth. So I mean, just as a matter, you know, I'm kind of a nerd. I like looking
at numbers and see where it takes me. So yeah. And the other question I had, first of all, I wanted
to commend the person who did go in there and work on the CFA for so that it was fillable. I did send
you that message that having trouble getting it to fill in the second column. So and I and I just
But I was grateful it did because that really saves a lot of time to be able to fill it at home and
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
column. That and also making sure that there is a physical signature on the CFA for it can't be a digital
signature. So that'll be another it will have to be filled out for that portion.
Oh, and soon I called the state and they didn't. That's something different from what they were saying.
They said that was really pretty much up to local office. So I thought, well, you know, since we'd always
done it with a signature, since you could do that, that you would say, right, well, I'll see you tomorrow.
Sounds good. Is there parking for people have to go in that if we're not voting? So anybody who's visiting
the office has been using the voter parking for that.
and there is the additional on the street that you can use as well. Just go come out and get me. Yes,
Councilor Vidal. So I'm just curious how many spots are available at any one point in time for voters?
In the parking lot, right now it's mainly open just this first
two weeks, it's not, there's been quite a few, but in our parking lot, it's coming in as like small
groups, so that it's only about three or four cars that are parking at a time, so there's still plenty
of space. I just wanna know the availability of parking, how many are available? I don't know the exact
number, I can get that and then send it to you in an email. Thank you. Yeah. All right, well,
that's about it. Again, thank you for being on the hot seat.
I'm just like your clerk not being here. So we appreciate it. So thank you very much. Thank you.
All right. Thank you. And Council, I would like to ask because we I know we got members of the public
that are here for another item if we can before we get to that bigger item, we still have the aviation
department. So we need to continue to move along. So next up is item J. Council, I move to approve and
fund 1186-0000 raining day.
creation of a count line four zero zero one six storm damage repair All right, we got a motion in a
second and we're we'll wait for mr. Labrador Oh, yeah, hello the other one yeah, okay
So yeah, I am here. We had a significant tornado event at the airport. We're looking, initially we were
thinking $2 million worth of capital damage out there and it's fluctuated between two and four. Right
now we're looking at approximately $3 million in damage. And of course the airport does not have that
kind of cash on hand to start
that we've been able to do. Uh mobilizing all of the contractors that we need to make the essential
in in urgently needed repairs. Particularly to our wildlife and perimeter fence. We had over two miles
of fence line destroyed by the tornado. That's over a million dollars in itself. And before we're able
to get to work on a lot of that fence,
So we instantly mobilize those folks. But as it stands right now, we still have large sections of perimeter
fence that is non-existent. And so we look towards the county for help in making those rainy day funds
accessible for us to start mobilizing contractors and affecting those repairs as immediately as possible.
And it's been a little bit
It's been a little bit of a process getting access to the rainy day funds. There's a lot of stuff I
don't really understand. Everyone at the county has been helping as much as possible, but there's some
legal wrangling that has to take place, and Kim and Brianne can tell you about that. What I will say
also is our insurance company, I can't remember their name right now. They've been very responsive.
They've been out on site two times, and they did forward us
$1.5 million. They did write a check after coming out on their first visit. And so we'll get to that
later. But so the insurance company is working with us. They're still working. We've given them an inventory
list of all of the damage, and we're still working with them to get a final determination. But right
now it looks like it's approximately $3 million that we're going to be eventually claiming.
Thank you. I'll go to Councillor Iverson and then I think I saw the auditor had her hand raised. I want
to start with two issues I have with this request. Number one, when we established the rainy day fund,
this was the fund of last resort. Every other general fund, special funds, all had to be exhausted before
we even touched this. So my first question to you is, do you feel you've met that standard?
What that is, sorry about that. As far as the airport goes, we have in reserves, we have approximately
one million. And a lot of that has already been allocated for other projects.
We don't have it. And so we turned to we turned to the county and after speaking with the legal department
and folks in the auditors department, we were advised that this was the avenue for us to pursue. OK.
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
put a second question out into the ether and then we can
battle them both. Creating a line for storm damage repair, I think, is really a good idea in terms of
the fact that the effects of the climate crisis keep showing its gnarly self in our community. The derecho,
the tornadoes, right? My problem with this, though, is what standards do we use to ensure equitable access
to these dollars across the many departments in Monroe County government who feel that they are affected
by storm damage. It's a very good point. What I'm going to say is in this particular instance, we're
creating this line only so that the dollars that we're spending on this insurance claim are
are more easily tracked and they don't commingle with our regular budget. It's kind of a special item.
The reimbursements, well, if we do get access to the rainy day fund, it goes into this line, payments
go out of that fund, and reimbursements from the insurance company go into that in this to keep it clean.
So then are we gonna be seeing the emergency services department coming in and doing the same thing?
The health department coming in and doing the same thing? You see, to me, this is a Pandora's box.
Yeah, I can see how that could be an issue for the few in the future and I think there probably needs
to be a countywide policy on how we're going to handle these significant storm events in the future
because they are becoming a more regular event and there have been some conversations about that while
we were discussing this particular problem with the airport because this is this is becoming the new
normal and I think when it when it comes to the rainy day fund and
Like you said, you want that to be something of last resort, but how the county helps these different
departments as they're affected, there's gonna have to be something more permanently established. And
I think we're kind of figuring out that, unfortunately, we got hit with a really significant event and
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
towards the future and climate change is a real thing.
How are we going to handle this? Because it's coming again. We just had the straight line issue, the
straight line wind issue last year, which caused us a lot of problems. We made an insurance claim then.
And here we are again. And so it seems like the Monroe County airport is like the new tornado alley.
And so we're also concerned about the future. And let me just conclude by saying, I in no way want to
undermine the financial strain that you're under here. We want to help you out.
but I just want to make sure that we're also thinking about the future when we're taking actions like
this. Yeah, I totally understand where you're coming from. Thanks. I'm going to pop back to the auditor
because I know she had her hand up.
Thank you, President Crossley. So just a couple of things I'd like to add is my understanding that we
appropriated, you appropriated in the rainy day fund for emergency purposes, unforeseen expenses,
et cetera. The reason that we came, we're coming to you with this recommendation to utilize rainy day
is because we can track this project in one fund this way, and it's just a bridge of funding gap.
the only funding that will not be replaced, and I would like it to be replaced, is $150,000 deductible.
So everything else will be replaced. We can track it all in one fund under one specific account line
specific to this event and this department. They will only have access to the one fund, as you know,
is proper budgeting procedure.
I'm hopeful that...
of the year we can make a recommendation for you to consider to replace that hundred fifty thousand
dollars- a transfer from general or- just where there might be access funding available that's not-
obligated. So what comes to mind immediately is- for example a supplemental lit if we happen to get
one something like that- kind of unexpected. Or- maybe- we'll have interest above what we budgeted- what we
we're not going to be able to do that again. So we'll look at all that and make a recommendation for
you. We know that funding is scarce, and we need to be really mindful. But clearly, this is something
that they need to be able to pursue and not wait for those insurance reimbursements to come through.
Now they did have a $500,000 advance. However, um.
And I think that Mr Cockrell was going to request and propose some updates to the rainy day code just
to ensure that the ex that the reimbursements follow the expenses so that
a line with what we anticipate we'd like to see for a procedure, which gets me to the procedure. The
auditor's office and the council office plans to work together to put together like a formal
you to approve with regard to how we will proceed in these circumstances, which are becoming more and
more frequent. And so, for example, you know, you have the three, like, kind of placeholder lines appropriate
and supply services and capital. We would like to continue that, but for each event and for each department
that's, you know, involved in the event, we'd like to have a separate account line so we can track those
expenditures. And then the overall event as well, because this is kind of odd. We have, you know, just
one department affected.
with this one, but there could be an event where, you know, highways involved to or wherever it may
be. So did I clarify and answer the questions? So I'm excited to see the document that you're going
to produce for the procedure. I would encourage you to build in definitions as well. Absolutely. And
maybe even some bright lines. So what level of damage are we allowing to come to the emergency fund?
Right. So I don't know. So I think
there needs to be some some standards built in and so that we don't when there is a really big disaster
and impacting multiple departments, you know, how do we not zero out the rainy day fund? And that's
a valid point. So
We have some ideas that we're working through and we're gonna put pen to paper and present those to
you. But just what comes to mind is, you know, maybe it will be a declared emergency. And maybe it's
just to where like insurance is involved and there's a deductible, but you know, everything else is
going to be reimbursed. Those are things we've discussed and will come to you. I think that sounds wonderful.
Yeah. I think she just might need assistance.
Thank you. And thank you, Director, for being the guinea pig, as you said. I wanted to put a little
more meat on the bone here, and I really appreciate the work being done between County Legal and the
auditors in our office. One of the things we discovered with this particular hit from the tornado was
the way in which the county starts to track its insurance claims. So in a well-functioning
emergency management community where we have a disaster and we go into the recovery phase. The emergency
management office would be aware of all these claims hitting in the county and that doesn't quite happen
right now. So each department kind of manages its claims and the board of commissioners as the holder
of the insurance policy are having those conversations with different departments. That's going on separately
from emergency management that's out there doing that door to door auditing of how much damage was in
the community. What we discovered
Amazingly, was that pre before the airport's report, we were under the cap for getting state assistance
from the disaster but after the airport numbers came in, we cleared the threshold to actually qualify
for state disaster but we didn't know that for about two and a half. Right, I think. So, so we discovered.
In all this you know a gap where if we can tighten that up and get to get a flow better we'd really
know what the damages to county buildings that would qualify for FEMA assistance or or state assistance
and so. that's that's the really long way of saying they're working on it and and you're the you're
the test bed for it.
It does operationalize the early rainy day fund a little better. And I think what's really great about
this is we know we're getting our cash back. This is the in and out to obligate and de-obligate that
we'll get back into that fund. To Councilor Iverson's point, yeah, there may be a disaster down the
road where we are not getting a reimbursement. We will be using that fund for its intended purpose.
I hope that doesn't happen anytime soon, but this is a really big first step. And I would keep encouraging
departments like this to keep talking to emergency management
and the board of commissioners to really try to get our insurance process under one understanding. It's
probably gonna come through the auditor's office, it sounds like. You're gonna be the first to know
how bad is bad in terms of the numbers, and then we'll know where to go, but I appreciate the effort,
and that's just some background we discovered, and I was very pleased to be in those meetings when we
had these initial discussions. Thank you for that. Yes, Councilor Vido. I have a general question about
insurance that the county has and what the insurance rate
may or may not go up as a result of all these claims? I can talk with the commission's administrator
and legal team and see what kind of information we have on that. I am not aware of any discussion or
thought of increase at this time. However, there's been a multitude of claims recently, right? And not
small ones, right?
to see something. I just haven't been made aware of anything. As a question to you, Auditor Gregory,
the $150,000 that you had mentioned earlier that wouldn't be covered, which is the deductible, because
we have the balance that we need, the minimum cash balance that we would need for our rainy day fund.
Would that need to be replaced by the end of this year or? I don't believe so. We are north of
I will pull the balance up here. We are above our minimum cash balance right now.
However, regardless, I think we will have ample documentation to demonstrate that the money is coming
in and being reimbursed. Now, it was specifically that $150,000 toward the end of the year will present
a plan to you, and you can choose yay or nay. And at that point, we could also amend the minimum cash
balance ordinance if we have that recommendation from legal and there's concern. Okay, sorry.
I just pulled the wrong fund up, I'm so sorry, one moment. Okay, so we would be just under our minimum
balance. We currently are sitting at $10,117,549. Okay, thank you for that.
I'll be quick because I don't want this to belabor the night. I'm so sorry, go right ahead. I was just
going to say that while things are also fresh in our mind not to take away from the airport, but I do
think something helpful might be long-term finance or some entity that council leadership thinks through
with us maybe to start to map out how all these various things start to get funded in the
emergency management family of items for example what two three months ago we had neighborhoods that
highway cannot plow they cannot plow right and instead of everybody staring at lisa ridge and throwing
soup cans saying what's going on lisa ridge well we know darn well she can't do it that this is a good
example we're thinking outside the box putting rolling up our sleeves and saying in that case if the
count if the commissioners wish
to make a plan for that to move forward, how that might happen, but emergency management might contract
with the plow. We somehow made contracting with the plow seem more like we were talking about, how's
Monroe County gonna take Artemis around the moon? And the reality is, we could have found about 900
people just on that corner alone to plow that. I think we need to think through those things because
we are in a different era. The airport's clearly in Tornado Alley. It's clearly coming through that area.
But also so is every other strange weather coming through this county and I think that those are things
that are not going to go away Even when the weather gets nicer and we don't think about snow Any other
further question don't sorry miss Gregory sure I apologize But I missed mentioning that we would like
to have a uniform naming mechanism for these events as well So I'd like to adjust the account name to be
to 1926 aviation storm repair, just so it's specific to the event number one and to the department.
So then moving forward as we have more events, it will be the event date and then the specific department
utilizing the line. Obviously we can't commingle that or we won't be able to track the appropriation
well. Good point, okay.
Is that a naming convention that you feel comfortable with us adopting this evening? Or is yeah. Yes,
I mean, we're we've kind of talked that through. I think Michelle, you're comfortable as well. Yes.
Right. You need to repeat that account name. I don't think we got it. It's the two 1926 aviation storm
repair. Yes, you got it.
All right, Council, I move to update my motion to rename the account line to 21926 aviation storm repair.
Second. All right, we got a motion and a second to rename that. Yes, Council. I love this. This clearly
addresses my second question. Thank you. Any other further questions or comments on this item?
motion carries. All those in favor of approving this as amended signify by saying aye. All those opposed,
same sign. Okay Motion carries now. Thank you, Michelle.
have a hand that was raised via Teams. And if you want to make a comment here, you can come to the podium
in the room. But since we already have one on Teams, screen name Lee, you can unmute yourself, state
your name for the record, and you'll have up to three minutes. Hello, my name is Lee. I'm a Monroe County
president. I think this brings up a good issue that you as council need to
rethink perhaps, you know, resolution 2025-27, which was the 2026 minimum cash balance resolution. In
rating day fund, there's 10 million, as was talked about. But in general fund, there was a minimum cash
balance of 15 million. And all of these is money that could be spent
today on useful things as I think that this, the direction that this was going from long-term finances
was to make sure that our bonding rate was low. And it's just a good thing to think about that these
minimum tax balances are something created by you and that can be lowered. Okay. Thank you very much.
All right, is there any other further questions or comments from the public on this item? Seeing none,
maybe please have a roll call vote. Councilor Wilts? Yes. Councilor Henry? Yes. Councilor Decker? Yes.
Councilor Crossley? Yes. Councilor Iverson? Yes. Councilor Feigl? Yes.
Yes. Motion passes unanimous. All right. Next up is item K. Council, I move to approve the aviation
department's request for a fund to fund transfer of cash of $500,000 from fund 4801-000 aviation construction
to fund 21926 aviation storm repair. Second. Oh, you know what? Sorry, I was being cute.
Let me restate that. Council, I move to approve the aviation department's quest for a fund to fund transfer
of cash of $500,000 from fund 4801-0000 aviation construction to fund 1186-0000 rainy day. Second. Okay,
thank you. And I'm looking to the auditor for this item.
Sure. Okay, so I prefer to handle this with a receipt correction. The $500,000 advance, which is specific
to help bridge a funding gap and also for this project, which makes me feel like it's obligated for
a specific purpose. Transfers to rainy day are supposed to be unobligated expenses. However,
Regardless, we can get the same outcome with just doing a receipt correction because it was in this
calendar year. We can simply adjust the receipt to go into the rainy day fund. It's kind of like a correction of error.
we can take care of that on our end. It's just internally an adjustment. We'll just get a request if
they're agreeable from the aviation team. However, we were going to hold on that until the code update
is reviewed and approved by the county commissioners, which will specify that any advance payments related
to an emergency, any reimbursements that are handled out of this fund will go into
the rainy day fund. So it'll kind of be part of the procedure just written in code. Appreciate that.
Thank you. All right. Anybody have any questions or comments on that for the auditor on this item? Seeing
none. We will move to public comment. If there's public comment on this item, you can come forward to
the lectern here in the room or raise your hand via Teams. And seeing none. Okay.
Just to be clear, we don't have to do this fund to fund based on what the auditor has just stated. That's
what I was trying to understand. I was like, but you're okay. Okay. Sorry for the lack of clarity. Yes,
no fund to fund receipt correction. Same outcome. So we're done. Oh, you can just withdraw the motion.
The counter argument is this is half a million dollars
for storm related damage and it would be maybe beneficial to the public to understand what's happening.
Okay, how can I explain further? So we're gonna move it essentially have the same outcome. It's gonna
go from one fund to another fund only by means that the procedure is more appropriate this way.
It's the same end result. It's just using a different procedure. I understand. I understand. Okay. So
it sounds like you might need to withdraw. Council. I withdraw my motion. Okay. Appreciate that. Okay.
Now, moving on, we will go to item M, which was tabled at our last meeting. Council, as a reminder,
the amount of $30,000 was tabled
from the March 24th council meeting. I move to approve the aviation department's request and fund 4801-.
Excuse me? Am I reading the wrong one? Yeah. No, that item was tabled indefinitely at the beginning.
Oh, I am reading the wrong one. I was supposed to be reading N not M. Thank you. Oh my goodness. Thank
you all for keeping me honest.
I move to approve the aviation department's request and fund 11 oh seven dash zero zero zero zero aviation
for a deappropriation of $35,000 in the services category second You know you missed him missed him,
but you were reading L Okay, then that means I screwed up, okay One moment, please
Yeah, we're going to hit M and hit N, I believe. This is what it's been like. This is this whole rainy
day thing, and a lot of the stuff we're trying to do with the aviation construction fund. Blazing a
new path. Just so we can discuss it. I mean, item M is the fund 4801, aviation construction. Correct. Yeah.
We're creating account lines. Okay. And it was table. Oh, I'm sorry. So let's get back to him. Yeah.
So I would draw my motion that I read for L. We're going to go to M.
I move to approve the aviation department's request and fund 4801-0000 aviation construction to create
two account lines, 20120 laundry and cleaning and 30190 promotion and advertising and simultaneously
approve additional appropriations of $1,250 in the supplies category and $71,900 in the services category
for a total appropriation
of $73,150. Second. Okay. Okay. Hello. Okay. Number one, the Monroe County Board of Aviation Commissioners
have re-entered into a contract for $30,000 with CTL Engineering to perform some preliminary geotechnical
survey work on the southwest parcel of airport property for economic development. So that's the $30,000.
And then two, the board also contracted with Woolpert for $6,900 for coordination and solicitation for
qualified geotechnical firms to do item number one. And number three, all of this request is being made.
We're moving these funds into the aviation construction fund and we're gonna start
creating separate lines in there for airport economic development specific. Ventures that are going
to be solely funded with airport generated revenue not not dollars which would be coming from the levy.
like I said, this support the establishment of an airport economic funding structure within the existing
construction fund, which will support airport growth, development, and related strategic activities.
This request creates and appropriates a new promotion and advertising account line for $35,000, laundry
and cleaning, which will be specific to the airport Airbnb, which is another revenue generator for us.
So we want that expenditure to be tracked separately.
And then this will provide a clear, like I said, provide clear, more intentional funding structure for
development related expenditures at the airport. Great. Thank you for that. Any questions or comments
from council on this item? Hey, you stumped them.
all right public comment time you know what to do raise your hand be in teams or come to the lectern
here in the room and seeing none may we please have a roll call vote counselor crossley yes counselor
iverson yes counselor fiddle yes counselor hawk yes counselor wilts yes
Councilor Henry? Yes. Councilor Decker? Yes. Motion passes unanimous. Next up is item N. Thank you,
Madam President. Good Lord. Council, I move to approve the aviation department's request and fund 1107-0000
aviation for a deappropriation of $35,000 in the services category. Second. All right.
Yeah, that $35,000 will be de-appropriated from that line and the operational budget and be placed into
and fund the same line, the same name line in the aviation construction fund. And again, this is just
to kind of support more of the economic development related activities with airport generated revenue,
not levy dollars. Okay, questions or comments for
Mr. Leverty on this side. And seeing none, we'll move to public comment. If there's public comment,
you can raise your hand via Teams or come to the lectern here in the room. And seeing none, maybe please
have a roll call. Councilor Iverson? Yes. Councilor Feinstein? Yes. Councilor Hogg? Yes.
Councilor Henry? Yes. Councilor Deckard? Yes. Councilor Crossley? Yes. Motion passes unanimous. Okay.
All right. And that's it. Thank you. Sorry about all the work. No. Okay. I got my papers out of whack
too. All right. Thank you so much. All right. Next up, since we already moved through the agenda for
the sheriff's items, the last item is item R from the legal department.
Council I move to approve ordinance 2026-11 approving and fixing terms for the transfer of property.
Second. All right we got a motion in a second and we'll look to Ms. Turner.
So this item is a transfer of the properties located that surrounds the Convention Center. It is the
properties that was requested by the CIB on February 5th. The properties, as a reminder, were paid for
by innkeeper's tax. So effectively, this resolution would transfer the properties. The commissioners
have already heard a resolution, and it passed, I think,
on the April 2nd meeting. There was one change in the resolution in section two. Hold on, I need to
look at section two. Under the now there for be it clauses, I do believe. It changes the intent to purchase
to the intent to transfer.
It said the council wishes for Monroe County to transfer the property described in exhibit a including
it Exhibits one and two to the Monroe County Capital Improvement Board The last sentence says as the
fiscal body from Monroe County this ordinance serves as the expression of the council's intent to and
it said previously Purchase but it should have been transfer because we're not purchasing the land.
We're transferring the land and
So we have two members of the CIB here, Mr. Cassidy and Mr. Whitehart. So welcome. I don't know if you
would like to add to the conversation.
please go ahead. Thank you very much and it's great to see all of you again. I haven't seen many of
you since we signed a steel beam that I discovered today in a construction meeting is about to go up
into the building. I know a couple of our counselors were not able to be there and I've arranged for
a bucket truck if you're available and you can be lifted up so you can still add your signatures.
And I have Mr. Cassidy with me, who is your third appointee to our Capital Improvement Board.
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
to take this opportunity to thank all of you.
I think back as I thought back this evening I sat here and I think was twenty seventeen when- when this
body discussed and debated whether to pass a food and beverage tax to make the- construction of the-
hotel or the convention center project possible- and- you know and following that- several things happened
in twenty twenty three what we know we know that although passing the food and beverage tax- made it
possible that didn't make it happen because we hit a
a snag in 2019, and it was only revisited in 2023. The county commissioners created the capital improvement
board in 2023. We're now in our third year as a board, seven members, seven community members who are
volunteers who have been working on this project. But although those things made the project possible,
what's made it happen is you, the commissioners, the city council, the mayor,
putting your trust and faith in us and transferring that to us to make this project work and to make
it happen. We're set to have the project completed, the expansion project, January 8th of 2027. I remind
the construction people that it's Elvis's birthday. Elvis's birthday doesn't move, so January 8th is
when it's supposed to be completed. I hung a picture of Elvis in the construction office, so every day
they're reminded of that fact.
Then from January to May of next year to June of next year, we'll be involved in the renovation of the
current convention center. Coming back to the 2023 county ordinance, we were charged to do four things
in the county ordinance. And the interlocal agreement re-emphasized those four responsibilities that
we had as a board. Expand the current convention center, which was made possible by the county's donation
of land to the east. Renovate the current building.
We're on track to do. We're doing all those things and we'll do them within budget. Select a hotel developer
and a site for a hotel, and then address parking needs for the convention center and how we were going
to handle the expansion and what that meant for parking. As we've moved along on the expansion project,
parallel to us was a discussion about the hotel development.
and the hotel site and the best site for the hotel has always been recognized to be the north the north
property which the redevelopment commission purchased in two different purchases one in twenty nineteen
one in twenty twenty three and so over a fourteen month period those conversations went on until december
of this past year twenty twenty five both the hotel developer and the city told us that there was no
There was no path forward for them to complete that negotiation, kicking it back to us to determine
what we did at that point. We proposed to the developer, because when we had put out an RFP for a hotel,
we had identified sites to the south, which is the parking lot, to the west, which is another parking
lot, and asked them, can you build there? They all wanted to go north. So we said to the hotel developer,
can you still go south? And that was in January.
And in January, the hotel developer came back to us and said, yes, I can build there. In the meantime,
we had requested of the city that they transfer the parcels to us, that South parking lot to us, which
in May of 2024, they'd indicated they were making available to us. And the response we got was, well,
now it's for price or consideration. If you want the parking lot, it's for price or consideration. The
Capital Improvement Board doesn't have money.
We don't have money to buy anything. So at that point, that was when we requested of the county, can
you help us identify? Elable for us if we have to move forward with a hotel developer on a site that's
not the North site. And that's that's what brings us to tonight as the county commissioners looked at
parcels that were available. They looked at the West parcel, the parking lot.
which have been identified in 2024. And they also look at these south parcels that my geography won't
do justice here, but Smith Avenue to Second Street. Those additional parcels, which were purchased in
two purchases in 2010 by the Convention and Visitors Commission out of innkeepers' tax money for the
purpose of the Convention Center project.
so the county commissioners have now by resolution agreed to transfer those parcels in the meantime
the city reconsidered its position about the south parking lots and the redevelopment commission has
now transferred to us those the south parking lot and i'm going to call it another south parking lot
it's the one that's actually west behind the courtyard by marriott so there are two different parking
lots there those have now been transferred to us so
So what what we're asking you to consider tonight is whether you will also approve the transfer of those
additional parcels I will tell you that by coincidence the capital improvement board meets tomorrow
For its regular monthly meeting and we have scheduled an executive session at 1 30 Tomorrow before our
3 o'clock meeting for the purpose of discussing real estate because we won't know until tomorrow What
land we have well?
Well no tonight, but I mean we will not know until 130 tomorrow in that executive session what land,
we have available to move forward with the project specifically with the hotel development. I will.
I don't I don't want to the capital print board has never discussed any of these parcels would not talked
about these parcels we've never owned these parcels. I know there's been speculation dating a year ago
when the when the county first indicated it did not intend to extend leases.
for those properties to the south there was speculation. That that we were going to grab them up for
parking lots that's that's never been a discussion that we've ever had that's never been a request that
we've ever made. I publicly stated that was not the case at the time i've been reminded and. Many of
you will not even know what i'm talking about Joni mitchell's 1970 big yellow taxi song we.
something and put up a parking lot. That was never our intention. So we never ever had an intention
of saying we want those South parcels for a parking lot. In fact, one of the reasons why the second
reason why the hotel developers response to us about the city South parking lot was not adequate was
that the developer did not include how to address parking in a structured parking above ground structure
parking within that hotel.
because we can't put a hotel in a parking lot and then lose parking spaces. So what we've been able
to preserve by the city's donation is parking spaces. That south lot, what we can preserve with your
movement forward is the west lot. It would be my intention tomorrow, and this is, I've not talked about
this with my board. I'll mention it in our discussions tomorrow in executive session. I'll see where
they want to direct me tomorrow afternoon.
But it would be my hope that if we were to receive these parcels in transfer, that we would engage the
city and the redevelopment commission into a discussion about a land exchange. Can we exchange those
south parcels to Second Street for the former Bunger Robertson lot? Can we achieve two goals? Can the
CIB then move forward to develop a hotel on that north property, which is the best fit for the CDC
see some advantage to having the South-South parcels for their own initiatives, for their own priorities,
for their own development, whatever that may be. I can't predict what will happen if we were to make
that offer. I can tell you that in private conversations I've had with the mayor, she's not indicated
support for a land exchange.
But I believe it's worthy of public discussion. I believe it's worthy of the Redevelopment Commission
considering it. A colleague told me one time that there is no horse too dead not to beat. So I would
want to continue to beat the dead horse of the North property to see if it could be used for the development
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
in that land exchange.
Then we as a CIB will be back at the table to determine what we can now do with the parcels that we
do have for a hotel development. So the the extended parcels the city's I know I'm I know I've thrown
a lot of South and who owns what but the city's South parking lot. These additional parcels can we put
that out in an RFP for a hotel developer, you know what might we get in response to that, but those
are all steps.
I would like to go quite a bit down the line here I would hope that the that if we make such a request
to the redevelopment commission. That I would ask them that we have a very quick response on that. That
hopefully but we've hopefully by may by our next meeting we would know whether the redevelopment commission
we're going to consider a land exchange. We are from from the date a hotel project is approved as two
and a half years out to get it open.
We know we're going to open a convention center and not have a host hotel. Our local hotels are working
with us extremely well. We're already booking conventions out into 2028 and they're working with us
on room guarantees to do those things. And that's critically important.
I need to say rising tide lifts all boats if we get a host hotel with 200 rooms and we can now attract
600 people to a convention. Unless they're willing to sleep three to a room they're going to be looking
for other places to stay and that means other hotels.
will benefit by this. We're also looking at attracting conventions in the Monday through Thursday period
of time. The hotels don't need us on football weekends. And Galen doesn't need us at the Uptown on a
football weekend. But the Monday through Thursday period of time can help our hotels and our restaurants
kind of flatten their business models. And so that's what we're working on. I know I've thrown a lot
at you. I'm happy to answer any questions. I know that two of the county commissioners are online.
if they would like to add anything to do anything that that I've said but. But we will meet tomorrow
we will then know tomorrow what we have we'll discuss an executive session will move into our meeting
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
going to happen tomorrow. And I can't speculate what the city would do with the land if the exchange
happen but but that's
That's how I would hope we could move forward. And that's how I would see this land transfer assisting
in that process. So happy to answer any questions you might have. I appreciate that. Thank you. I'll
start off with a question, because I appreciate your thorough explanation of that, because trying to
follow it in the media has been
I appreciate that. My question would be, considering that this is up for us tonight and considering
you have a meeting tomorrow and an executive session tomorrow, would it make sense for us to vote on
this tonight or wait until you all do what you need to do in terms of having the conversations
The purpose of the executive session would be to determine, we won't determine an executive session,
but to discuss what has been donated to us.
If you don't make a decision tonight, whatever decision you make tonight, we will then know in our executive
tomorrow how we plan to move forward. If you're donating the land to us, then that presents
us the opportunity in executive session to determine in public session later on, what are we going to
do now that we know what land we own? If you don't make a decision tonight, frankly, we can't do anything
tomorrow because we still don't know what we have.
It's important for us to know yes or no, whether or not you intend to donate the land so that so that
we'll know how to proceed. OK, I appreciate that. Thank you. All right, I'll open it up to my colleagues
here and see if anybody has any questions. All right, I'll go down the line here. Councillor Fiddle.
I wonder if you could tell us or maybe you don't know what the value of the property that we're you're
being asked to donate is.
I think I know how much it cost when it was purchased in 2010. It was purchased in two separate purchases,
and I believe the total purchase price of the two was approximately $3.2 million. And that's the total
package that you're asking for donation, right? Yes. Okay, thank you. Councilor Watz?
First of all, thank you. I know that you've been leading a process that has not necessarily been easy,
and I appreciate the work that you're doing. As I'm looking at this, and we have folks in the back of
the room who obviously have invested interest in our decision tonight, I'm curious about if
there is no land swap with the city and you are then looking at a property or putting out an RFP that
includes these parcels for a hotel. What timeline then are we looking at before really these folks might
have to vacate?
So I know that their lease is currently in and they've been told, but realistically, would there be
more time as RFP went out and a hotelier was looking at the site and putting together some proposal?
If I may answer it in two parts, if that's all right. You know, a process, first of all,
If we were to obtain these parcels, if we were to approach the city, if we knew by May, the city's yes
or no, maybe we would know before May, you know, a process of putting another RFP out is a two month
process to get responses that would need to be reviewed. Interviews of hotel developers hearing what
their plans were. So, you know, you put those timelines together and you're talking, you know, two,
four or five more months down the road. So that's
That's kind of a speculative timeline. But the other part of the question that I believe in fairness
and in full candor that I need to respond to is that the CIB is not a property manager. The CIB has
no budget to manage properties.
You know, I've learned much more about these properties over the last few weeks because they've never
been ours to think about. And so I've tried to figure it out. And what you're asking me is whether the
CIB is willing to do something the county is not willing to do. These leases. So you're asking the county
is notified both residential and commercial tenants that the leases are going to end with a date specific.
Read articles from the HT that that that that that's been known since last May. Formal notice wasn't
given till February, but it's not. It is what it is. We we have no ability to be a property manager.
You know there's been deferred maintenance on apartment buildings and I respect all the people who are
here tonight. I respect their opinions. I understand how how strongly they feel about this and I respect that.
housing. This community has many issues that are important to address. My point is, as hard as it sounds,
they're not the CIBs to address. We have no ability to make repairs to buildings. There's been much
deferred maintenance, as I understand it, on these apartments. We don't have the ability to do that.
My sister's closet makes a passionate argument about extension of time. They've been there free for a year.
Are we to extend somehow the CIB is now responsible for extending time for a year for a tenant in a
building I Get enough calls every day on the convention center property I don't I I can't help with
calls to maintain properties. I can't help if a boiler breaks down I have no money to fix a boiler.
So it's a two-part question and Is there you know, is there time? Yes, there's time. Do we have the
ability to?
to assume those responsibilities, the CIV have the ability to assume those responsibilities and carry
them forward, and my answer to that is we do not. Yeah, okay. Yeah, so okay, that makes a lot of sense,
thank you. So if we voted to transfer the property,
Then what happens like is the county still managing the property until July, even though we've transferred
it that makes. Well, let me let me let me again speculate OK, because if the transfer were to happen
and then there's a process involved where deeds are. Deeds are transferred and ownership is transferred.
You know, is there a period? Is there a period of time of overlap between now and July?
Some of those leases are up in July. Is there a period of overlap? Yes, there is. We're soon into May.
So we'd be into May, June, May and June. So there would be a two, yes, there'd be a two month overlap
period. My concern is the period beyond that. My concern is the period beyond July. It's simply that.
I guess my question maybe isn't even for you then. I'm concerned, I mean, I have to assume that there's
been some discussion of how we manage the properties when we've transferred the ownership. And yet,
I mean, yes, these folks have been given till July, but my understanding is at least one other property
has been given longer. Yeah, there's a commercial property that has a lease that expires in February.
Well, to be honest, I'm sorry and not to interrupt Councilor Wilts, but we do have county commissioners
who are on the call. If they would like to chime in, not to put you on the spot, but since we're on
the spot, you can. So if any commissioner that is online would like to answer the question to Councilor
Wilts' point, as we go through that, it would be greatly appreciated.
from I'm thinking also who would be liable for things between this interim period right. I don't know
the liability came up but I'm really interested in liability right yeah and who who made who so it's
a property and then what if something happens on the property who's liable for that I mean there's just
all kinds of unexplained things as far as I can see. Well we got a hand raised and it looks like Commissioner
Thomas has her hand raised. Yeah I can try to answer your question but I think
I'm not sure I understood the entire question. Let me give it a shot and if I've not addressed it, let
me know. Right now, the management team from the Convention Center, Talisha Copic, is working with a
property manager who is managing the properties. That's what's going on now.
If that arrangement continues for a few months, that's really up to the CIB and the Convention and Visitors
Commission to utilize, to continue that process. Wouldn't that be... What was that? There's nothing.
Okay, go ahead.
So, I mean, so there's nothing that's been laid out with respect to what happens in May, let's just
say, or June as far as property management. I mean, presumably the company that's managing the property
is paid. Maybe they've been paid ahead. I don't know. And maybe everybody's like, cool, this all works,
but I'm concerned.
Yeah. If I may take another stab at this. I think what I understand is that that to Lisha Coppock and
through the management of the Convention Center is working with the with the property management company.
The Convention and Visitors Commission has been involved in, you know, whatever maintenance activities,
you know, have been undertaken. So I would I would imagine that would simply continue till the expiration
of those leases.
I've not had conversations with them, but that would seem to be the most, make the most sense to me.
Yes, Councilor Henry. Thank you. And this question isn't really for either of you, though. I'm glad
you're here to help shepherd some of this conversation. But if Commissioner Thomas is still on, my question
here is, if the Board of Commissioners had empowered a property manager and then the property manager
hired a firm to collect
collect the rents and then deal with maintenance. Has the county ever enjoyed a revenue stream from
the ownership of these or is it just paid the property management firm over the past, well,
I guess 16 years? I can answer that in that this has been going through the Convention and Visitors
Commission as part of their work.
and it's not something that we've seen a revenue stream on, specifically to the county itself. Since
these properties were purchased for the convention center and with innkeepers tax dollars, we certainly
would not endeavor to create some sort of a profit stream that's long lasting,
because these are not really our properties, they're in our name. That's what we're trying to resolve
now is to place it into the name of the Capital Inclusion Board. We did put a piece in there asking
that if possible, that the city may acquire those properties because they have a housing authority,
become landowners, landlords. That was encouraged. We encouraged that in our resolution. But other than
that, we're silent on it because really the properties don't belong to the county. They belong to the
convention center itself and the convention visitors commission. So no, that helps. And I'll just ask
the second question anyway, though. I think you may have answered it, which is if there was going to
be a rate increase
on the properties over the 16 year period, if I'm hearing you right, that rate increase would have occurred
at the CBC level and not the board of commissioners to try to raise the rent, if you will, on either
units? Correct. We were asked, for example, I can give you an example of something. We were asked to
reduce the rent of my sister's closet as they were trying to transition to a new space.
and they need capital to build into that space. We really like that organization so much. They're so
valuable. We did agree to that. We're asked those kinds of questions along the way. But other than that,
no, we've not been involved in the day-to-day at all. Thank you. I just want to clarify that there's
the convention
and visitors commission, but then there's also the building corporation, the convention and visitor.
Because that's different. It's the convention center building corporation. And that's who's managing
the property management. So right. No, no, no, no.
And in a transfer of properties, there is a City of Bloomington Building Corporation that now has possession
of the Convention Center because they use it, in my simple terms, as collateral for the bond. So the
Monroe County Building Corporation doesn't exist any longer. It's the City of Bloomington Building
Corporation. And the City of Bloomington's Building Corporation responsibility is to simply make
payment on the on the bond on the on the debt to approve payment on the debt so there's no there's no
other party involved in management management of the of the of the convention center or these properties.
But counselor Iverson. So I. Your offer is tantalizing. And also unpredictable. So thank you for that.
Public policy, right? That's right. It is lovely to think that there is a way to beat this not dead
horse by going north and at the same time preserve some semblance of what there is in the south. My
thinking though is not trying to predict the future or predicting what is
It is that the current landlords, the current people whose name is on this, clearly do not want this
anymore. Even if we were to vote this down, even if we were to unanimously say no, I'm not sure the
outcome would change all that much in the thinking of what happens on Thursday mornings.
And so that's my current thinking is that, and I see other hands are being raised to challenge my thoughts,
but I mean, that is my thinking at this point is how much change can we effectuate realistically from
this day as tonight?
Yes, Mr. My hand is not to challenge Mr. I for instance thought my hand is to go back to a question that.
Councilor Wilts asked. I did inquire with Jeff Cockrell who has been working more closely with the CIB
regarding the transfer of these properties about who would manage the properties until July if they're
transferred and who would be liable to Councilor Feidl's point. And Mr. Cockrell's response is the CIB
would be liable once transferred. The CIB would manage if transferred prior to the lease ending. They
would manage the properties.
I'm sorry. I'm yelling at you. Sorry. Well, again, if I can take another stab. The Convention and Visitors
Commission, one of its responsibilities is to the convention center. And they currently address issues
with the current convention center. They've been paying for whatever up keeps involved in these properties
that we're talking about now.
I suspect they're continuing to do that until these leases ended, if they were to end in July, would
not be a particularly onerous burden for them. I think they would be relieved to know when the burden
would end for them. But that's the CVC, not the CIB. Yeah, there's a bunch of alphabet soup floating
around. Can I just hear, though? She said CIB.
that the CIB would own the properties and be responsible for them. So you would be liable if anything
happened? And then we would then we would need to be dealing with issues of insurance. We'd be nearly
need to deal with issues of our relationship with the CVC. And these are all things if you agree to
transfer the property that we have to act on very quickly. So are you comfortable with that? Yes.
I'm comfortable with the prospect that we can make things happen we've been trying to make happen for
a lot of years. And I know not everybody agrees with that. I know not everybody agrees with what we're
trying to do, and I respect that. But you've given us a charge, and I'm comfortable we can complete
it. And we're better capable of completing it with this transfer.
Go to your counselor Decker here in a second. But I had a quick question because Commissioner Thomas
brought up my sister's closet because I know at a previous meeting that they were at they were asking
for an extension. And to my understanding that there's another business in that area that got extended
to I believe February.
And my mistake Jeff Jeff's warehouse is a commercial property and their their lease specifically stated
that they had one year from the time they received formal notice of termination so that formal notice
happened in February so they have until February of twenty twenty seven that lease is different from
there a couple of other commercial properties and then there's obviously the residential apartments
and those are different leases with different timelines okay and so
What I'm about to say is not geared towards you all by any way, because I wrote on here, like, you are
not responsible for any of this stuff. You got a task. We created all this stuff, and now we've kind
of made a monster out of all of this. But I guess my question, and I don't know who to direct this to,
because I hear the county's name is on these things, but we're not responsible for it, which that's
interesting to me, because
My name is on something up north that I've been trying to deal with for a while. And whether I like
it or not, even though I'm here and that's there, my name is still attached to that said thing. I guess
my question is, considering the timeline of everything and all the other different possibilities, and
considering the fact that folks that live there are living there, that's their homes, that's
their livelihoods right now,
It, I guess, who do we ask if there was to be some type of extension for them, because it is my understanding
from public comment that we had a while back that folks got a letter in February explaining that.
their lease is up as of July of this year. And I know that people say that this is a conversation that
has been had for a while, but the regular Joe Schmoes aren't really technically paying attention. They're
probably doing day-to-day, daily operational things where they're not really paying attention to all
the things. And just like a lot of other things, we talk a lot, but we're still here some years later.
But I digress. But that being said,
that it would be a shock to me if I lived there to know that I'm getting something in February and in
July I have to be out and there's no type of extension. I'm looking forward to put myself on the spot.
Like I'm looking for a house right now and everything that I'm trying to look for is just not like,
you know, my situation would be up as of the end of June. And so that's a lot to
put on folks like that. So I guess to say all that, I'm trying to have some empathy while understanding
the task that the CRB has. But I'm concerned that we say, well, it's been talked about. It's been known
that we are, especially when we don't really know how long this project is going to take, who would
we need to speak with to ask for
an extension, so to speak, for my sister's closet or for them to figure out where they would have to
go. Because I believe in the convention center expansion, my heartburn is, as a bridgehead myself, is
displacing people for something that we don't even know when that timeline will happen. And so I am
really trying to grasp with this. And again,
No shade, no disrespect to you all as well because you're put on the hotspot. But I think that's a million
dollar question is trying to figure out like who's responsible. I sound like an owl. Who? Who? Who's
responsible for us asking if we can get some type of extension?
Molly can correct me, but it seems that the transfer takes place and these properties, these parcels
are transferred to the CIB, then it's going to be the CIB's responsibility to determine what, if anything,
it does about extensions of any leases, be they residential or be they commercial. And as I said, we
don't know to this minute whether we're going to have these parcels.
And and and if we have them, then that has to be part of the discussion we have in our executive session
tomorrow and has to be a discussion for the board. And that's why that's why I would hope that if if
we can move forward with a further discussion with the city and the RDC, we can have answers very quickly
to some of these questions. I know that Alicia Coppock was here and spoke to you, I think, at your last meeting.
I know that there are still ongoing efforts to assist with relocation that may or may not satisfy the
current residents of the apartment building. But I know there's been effort made. Talisha told me yesterday
that there have been four open houses at apartment buildings here recently that five of the tenants
took applications. Three tenants have already notified that they intend to move early. So it's not as
if we lack empathy. And it's not as if we're not trying.
to do this, but the question becomes, if these parcels are transferred, then this problem that you are
all wrestling with is punted to the CIB, and it's the CIB then that has to determine what we do about
these leases and whether extensions are possible or not. And I'm gonna, Ms. Turner-King, I see Councilor
Henry, but I know Decker was first, so I'll go Turner-King, Decker, and then I'll roll back to Henry
next. And I tend to agree
Upon transfer the cib is liable for the properties and management thereof I imagine that the lease would
follow and thus extensions of the lease to Last part again about the leaf I imagine that cib would be
responsible for the leases at that point and any extension thereof And I and i'm assuming that that
would mean that we
that we inherit the current leases with the current expiration date, as well as the one lease that has
a February expiration date. And then we have to wrestle with how we deal with that. Thank you very much.
And I appreciate my council colleagues asking tremendous questions. I enjoy very much listening to that,
hearing the responses. And I appreciate very much the chair, not only informing us on this, but running
through that timeline.
I don't know if you've heard it yet. I mean, I've read about 300 articles on all this, but I think,
Chancellor, I think you had the clearest. I've heard it yet. I'm retired. I have plenty of time. Well,
I appreciate all that time that you're doing to this last appreciate everything that the CIA has done
on the project. I can remember a time when we would sit in here and kind of stare at each other a lot.
Maybe a little bit like tonight. I guess my questions
At one point when we were dealing with the Napa building for elections, there was a time where we were
renting that from one of these entities that governs that. Ms. Turner King, do I have that right? I
remember that was to keep the funds straight, not to say, well, that's just county's free building.
That was us literally renting that, is that right? I remember at the time, I think Councilor McKim
fired up about that amount and goes, oh, I guess it makes sense. It's a bookkeeping or something like
that. And it's probably for Mr. King again. In 2010, when this, it's two parcels, when these two parcels
were purchased, that was done with innkeepers tax dollars, is that right? 2010 was before.
my existence in county legal, but it is my understanding that, yes, it was done with innkeeper's dollars.
My understanding is, and I don't know if this is a thing that's been discussed or if I have it wrong,
but technically, us maintaining rental property with innkeeper's tax dollars was not the intent of that
tax. Is that right? Have I heard that?
to look at that statute. Okay. Mr. Turner King, Mr. Cockrell does have his hand raised. Maybe he could
take a step at that one. Sorry to throw them all to you. Are you okay with Mr. Cockrell speaking? Oh,
100%. Mr. Cockrell, the floor is yours if you'd like it. Can you hear me? Yes. Yes. Yeah, I apologize
for not being there tonight. I heard the last few questions and
Absolutely, when we purchased the property, I don't think we intended it to be a innkeeper's tax to
be utilized for continuing the rental of that property indefinitely into the future. It was always intended
to keep the property maintained until it was time to utilize it for the convention and center purposes.
So I think that's question one. Can you repeat question two?
I think you answered question two, if I heard it right. I think you covered that one. I think, I guess
let me go to this just overall question and I'll go back to you Chancellor on this one. If in an ideal
setting, right, if the discussion with the city goes well, this property becomes a property that swaps
And what embers on that the development that is something the city would consider down the road, but
ultimately the hotel could be in the place that was originally intended for my saying this right. If
the land exchange happened. Then it would be
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
were to happen, it would clearly be for our intent to want to build a hotel on the North on the North
parcel. Yeah. What the city would, if the city elected to do the land exchange, what its goals were
for the South parcel would be completely up to the city.
Thank you, and I'm not gonna put you on the hook for any more questions, because you certainly answered
enough. One of the comments that I just kinda, I was listening to Councilor Iverson's thoughts,
and as always, he kinda says things a little bit clearer and more succinctly than I do with my long
stories and sometimes ridiculous asides. But in some respects, when I look at this, and of course, there's
always the dignity around
where people are living, where they're going, what's happening, and the care for all of that,
which is hard. That is a hard thing to manage, particularly when we've not always done at all a strong
job with housing options in this community. But when I look at this and where we're at present day with
the existing kind of entities saying, we're not doing this anymore the way that we have done it as far
as offering
properties for rent. We're not doing it for commercial and that sunsetting residential is changing into
something else. When I kind of look at it that way from the existing entity to me, for folks that are
concerned about those properties either maintaining residential as it exists now or future or commercial
as it exists now or future, the best hope they almost have
is us to send this out here with an exchange. I know that sounds probably ridiculous, but when Councilor
Iverson said it that way, it actually was something I don't hear here locally, elected officials being
realistic about a situation, working together with other entities and having a little bit of optimism
about the continuation of a discussion. So I offer that because to me,
I look at the location to other things that are happening in the that side of town in Bloomington, which
is not always something the County Council even talks about. And I think about kind of this project
and where a hotel would likely not be. And to me, I don't know, it starts making somewhat of some sense.
I can see, although there's so many balls in the air that I totally get that. But I also one thing I
appreciate more than anything is the strong effort to try to have
answers for folks on where they're going. Ms. Coppock did a strong, tremendous job in talking about
that. And I know that other resources, Heading Home and others have been engaged in some of
those discussions. And that's, that always is powerful to me. So I'll stop there. Thank you. And just
for the record, Councilor Hogg has left the building. You see what I did there?
All right, so next up, sorry, Councillor Henry. I'm gonna pass, I think. Go back. Okay. Here's what
I'm gonna do. I've been kind of going at it for a little bit.
I don't know if I could break the stretch. But I think what we can do right now is take a little bit
of a recess right now as we kind of wrap our heads around a lot of the stuff and kind of give people
a chance to kind of refresh and do what they need to do. So we can come back and finish out and,
of course, give members of the public a chance and opportunity for public comment as well.
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
of stretch and kind of take a break and a breather here. I'm going to ask if we take a 10 minute recess
and we'll be back at promptly 8.56. All right. So let's take a recess for right now.
So we are back in session. And so I know that I looked at Council Henry and he said he would pass, but
want to kick it back to other council members to see if they have any additional questions for members
of the CIB or other people that are in virtual land. It looks like Mr. Cockrell has joined as well too.
just a point of clarification because I pulled up a lovely interactive map of the convention center
properties in question provided by the B square and I heard you talking through all the properties but
to be honest I'm very visual and I should have brought it up beforehand and I've looked at it before
but my question is we have we the county
has offered the properties to the west of the current convention center that we own in the in the in
the current resolution from the county commissioners that the property to the west that parking lot
is offered for transfer but there are some conditions with it so i think there's some parking places
that need to be reserved there's some there's several mays in it about when that may happen but it has been
it was it was um it was listed as available to us when we asked the question in 2024 right i believe
it's in the uh resolution the county commissioners passed so that that property to the west as well
as the properties to the south so the property the property to the west is part of this yes okay okay
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
yeah there's a
there's a parking lot to the west that has the two giant duke energy poles and it's in madison street
is the western okay i'm directionally challenged madison street's the western boundary western edge
yeah yeah yeah it goes north south yeah yeah okay okay so we so this i'm glad i asked because honestly
i'm like i should at least what properties we're talking about yeah you've got you've got the west parking
lot and then and in addition
My border, Smith Avenue, just so it helps me decide, Smith Avenue down to 2nd Street is the other. And
there may be a couple of parcels involved. There's a private building there as well that's owned by
State Farm Insurance. There's a State Farm Insurance building that's privately owned. So there's kind
of a carve out for that particular building. OK. OK. I think I'm assuming.
I'm just color coded. Does anyone here know what the green if the green is the dark green is us too?
I think Green State Farm is it? No state firms down here. I know dumb questions, sorry. Yeah,
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
West parking lot. Yeah, to make it simpler. This.
Any other additional questions or comments right now? Okay, so I think we've exhausted questions and
comments for you all. And so now we will move on to public comment. And so if there is public comment,
again, the rules are for this particular item,
you can sign in at the lectern here, since it's a lot of people that are still here in the NetU Hill
room, which is awesome, because normally at this time of the night, we're talking to an echo chamber.
Go ahead and start lining up so that we can get through this process. So if you want to know, if you
know that you already want to make public comment, just go ahead and line up, sign your name. Again,
you'll have up to three minutes. TSD will make sure that the timer is there once the timer is up.
your time is up. And then via Teams, I'll kind of alternate back and forth. And so if somebody wants
to speak via Teams, you can go ahead and raise your hand. Again, you can state your name for the record
in Teams land, and you'll have up to three minutes as well. So I see somebody who's already here. Go
ahead and sign in. Go ahead.
Hey, my name is Barry. So the county has kept half the affordable apartments at Seminary Point deliberately
vacant for like 10 years and has now decided to force out everyone who still lives there. We've been
over this. The whole city knows about it at this point. The county commissioners are excited to finally
shirk responsibility because they found an old statute and they claim it says the way these apartments
were purchased during Obama's first term means they have to give them to the capital improvement board.
The sweet relief of deference to procedure. We Democrats, we love that.
But the story's missing a piece. The county does not have to kick people out of their homes to do any
of that. Even if we make the ill-advised decision to take the commissioner's word that law surrounding
the innkeeper's tax makes it illegal for them not to transfer ownership to the CIB, it says nothing
about telling everyone they've got a few months to get out while they do. I finally just read the damn
thing, the Monroe County innkeeper's tax. Most of it is moot, but there is a brief passage about how
the money is to be used. So a reading from.
2025, Indiana Code, Title VI, Taxation Article IX, Innkeepers Taxes, Other Local Taxes, Chapter IV,
Monroe County Innkeepers Tax, 6943, Powers and Duties of Commission, Section 3A, the commission may
transfer money from any funds available under Section VII of this chapter for the purpose of promotion
and encouragement in the county of convention, trade shows, visitors, or special events. So visitors
and special events have been left out of that in every conversation that we've had, including with members
of the council.
Ending these leases does not have and has never had any place in this conversation. Transfer the CIB
does not need to occur. There are already special events happening at that property all the time, places
like Friendly Beast. What does need to happen is, first, the renewal of these leases. We know you can
do it because one of the commercial tenants, as you've all mentioned, was smart enough to stipulate
an extension in their lease originally. I don't know why they get special treatment for knowing the
law better than random residents, but whatever. And second,
an assurance that Seminary Point will remain permanently, genuinely affordable housing, acknowledging
the CIB's hope to swap this land with the city for a property the CIB actually wants. It makes no sense
to ruin people's lives in the interim, but it makes perfect sense to transfer this property to the city
with assurance from the city that they intend to transfer it to a land trust and actually use their
affordable housing fund to keep Seminary Point permanently affordable. I spoke to an elderly woman who
lives at Seminary Point one week ago. I asked her if she wants to leave. She said,
No. Thank you. All right. I will alternate back and forth in the room. So since we already had a hand
raise via Teams, I'll go ahead. It looks like Christopher M.G., you're up next. Unmute yourself, state
your name for the record, and you'll have up to three minutes. Good evening again, Madam President.
Seems like it's only been five hours. It's Christopher M.G. from the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce.
I wanna speak to the point where this is a land use problem and the county doesn't need to be in the
landlord business of owning property and leasing it. I'm gonna miss the businesses there, the blue tip,
the friendly beast, but this is not where the county belongs is to be a landlord. The tenants, I feel
for all of them there, but this is the right move to make. The CIB is the right tenant to be using
this land and we need to look at the CDO and some zoning issues with the county to make more housing,
more affordable housing, not look at this as the end all and being a landlord. That's just the county
needs to get out of that business and it's taken this long to do it. And I feel for everybody involved,
but this is the right transfer of property. Thank you for your time tonight. Thank you.
All right, we'll flip back here to the NETU Hill Room. And again, if you're on Teams, please start raising
your hands. Okay, I'm Bryce. I am an organizer with the DSA in favor of affordable housing. Obviously,
big shout out to the Chamber of Commerce for being in favor of evicting people. But I'm mostly here
to talk about affordable housing as a policy problem that
you know, there's no silver bullet, but there are steps in front of us right now that we can all take.
Like this property, I mean, the fact that, you know, the CIB is willing to transfer it means that there
is a solution. The city owning the North property, transferring it. Now, regardless of whether or not
you guys transfer the property, it seems that you guys are in favor of there being more affordable housing
in Bloomington and Monroe County writ large.
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
and insist that one of the ways in which we can expand and keep affordable housing in Bloomington is
by not destroying and selling off affordable housing. We've been through many different creative ways
about how to do this, be it the land transfer. Even if the county is a landlord, I understand that there
are numerous reasons why that is
a difficulty. But the city has the ability to do it. And you guys, as elected officials, have the ability
to talk to the city on the behalf of the people who live in this county. And so that's really what I'm
urging. I think that given that no one has thought through who's going to handle the liability and insurance
in between the overlap of the transfer and the lease, I think that might be indicative that maybe this
should slow down a bit. And if you're serious about wanting this to be affordable housing, holding onto
it for a few months while we figure out something with the city wouldn't affect anything. If the CIB
is going to transfer to the city eventually, well, there's no reason to rush the transfer and cause
confusion. I mean, what if something happens and the CIB isn't equipped to handle it on a liability
front? I mean, those issues
You know, obviously they should have been worked out, but since they haven't been, there's good reason
to slow this down. And if we're serious about affordable housing, well, then there's a very clear path
forward as to how this could be resolved. Throwing away 30 units of affordable housing, I mean, that
should be a major scandal. And it is a major scandal. You see the people here. There are things that
each of you can do within your power to ensure that that housing stays.
Like, you know, Mr. Chamber of Commerce said, it's a land use problem. Are we gonna use this land for,
I don't know, like a hotel that we have to subsidize, or are we gonna use it to house human beings that
make this county what it is? The choice is yours. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Next up here in the
Na'ihua room. My name is Audrey Smith.
I know the counselors are already aware that our county has had a severe shortage of meaningfully affordable
housing for many years. I've spoken with or heard from several of you that you have a lot of sympathy
for the tenants who would lose their homes if these apartments are torn down. And I've also spoken with
tenants who don't know where they'll go if they lose their homes. In our community, July is a particularly
difficult time to find a place to move.
And even with the help of heading home, only three available units have been found that are actually
of a comparable price. That's not mentioning location. As a community, we can't afford to lose these
apartments. I came into this meeting thinking you may feel that this decision has already been made
for you because the land was earmarked for the Convention Center expansion. I'm really happy to hear
the questions and options that you've been exploring during this meeting. Have the power tonight.
you can make sure that people don't lose their homes. Please wait until there's a clear plan for continuing
to manage these properties before transferring them out of your hands. Ask the CIB to commit to extending
residential leases for current tenants and to swapping the apartments for the College Square property
before you transfer this property. Or if you can, extend the leases now. Thank you.
All right, again, if you're on Teams, you can raise your hand, but I'll keep going here in the NetU
Hill room. Thank you. Hello, my name is C. Forth. I wish to express support for extending the leases
and for not transferring the property over until there is a clear plan that preserves affordable units.
I think one of the things that came up with, to steal a phrase from Bryce, but the Chamber of Commerce guy,
is the idea in which it is a land use problem. And there are long-term solutions that we need to approach
for our affordable housing. And these units, they represent a small fraction of it. But for the people
involved who are directly impacted by it, they are going to be feeling that for months, if not years,
being displaced. I have coworkers at my current job and at the building that I worked before it.
who moved out of Bloomington because there were not affordable units. And for many of these folks, when
they were pushed out of these units by a failure to account for their needs, to provide those options
for them, that go beyond just this particular issue, but towards the county and the city dealing with
affordable housing. That's a decades long process that we are all coming to realize is essential and
must be addressed.
it failing to come up with a plan that takes care of these people is just not acceptable, I think. I
thank you for your time. I'm glad that there seems to be a lot of consideration on y'all's part, but
I think that approving the transfer without guaranteeing that there will be the land swap
just guarantees that we lose affordable units in our community, in a location that is essential, rather
than providing an opportunity for it to be handed off to the city, if there can be a conversation with
the mayor about that, and providing a win for all the parties involved. If the county successfully bridges
this and allows this to happen, then they come out looking wonderful.
And for the mayor, she's been receiving a lot of flack lately, rightfully so, I would say. But when
it comes to Hopewell, for example, if she can tie that to maintaining and maybe even expanding Seminary
Point as a land trust, then she gets to have the feather in her cap of saving affordable housing that
existed, expanding it, and then providing multiple different options. Thank you for your time. Thank you.
up in the room here it'll reset I promise. Good evening I'm Gwen Zimmer somewhat new resident here in
Bloomington. I would like to ask the the council to support a potential land swap between the CIB and
the city for the north former Bunger and Robertson property but
Before that, I would like to ask the council to table this vote to potentially discuss the matter in
a more thorough way, seriously discuss it with the mayor and with members of the RDC directly. There
has been interest expressed by the CIB, obviously, to swap that property for the north property that
makes much more sense for the location of the host hotel.
And I think that's obvious to everyone who's been here and listening to the questions and the responses
from the CIB tonight. There have also been concerns raised about the conditions of the existing residential
buildings. And I would say that even though there has been deferred maintenance on those buildings,
two out of the three, just based on preliminary discussions on site that people have had with local
contractors, that
Two out of the three are structurally sound and need improvements to HVAC and things like that. But
two out of three are structurally sound. And I think that's important to note. Modernization, general
improvements, there is money in the city to help pay for those things in the Affordable Housing Fund.
And I would like to see that money get used for affordable housing. It's been sitting for a while since
the door fell through.
So that's my main point. I would love to see this take a little bit more time, slow down, talk to the
mayor and see if we can work this out. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Next up. Hi, I'm T. Randall.
I'm here to request that the county councilors condition their vote on a guarantee from the relevant
bodies like the CIB. The tenants at Seminary Point
Be given lease extensions. We know that there's no plan to build a hotel on that block that at the most.
This is a plan C location. The CIA repeatedly stated its intention to use this block as a bargaining
piece in negotiations for swap with the RDC the city of structures.
to hold affordable housing and is no stranger to supporting local community land trusts and co-ops.
The future of tenants on this block should not hang in the balance of how quickly a timeline can move
forward, especially when the foreseeable outcome is the continued inhabitation of the block. The property
has been owned by the county for 15 years without a clear articulation of its use for promoting and
encouraging conventions, trade shows, visitors, and special events. What's a little bit longer to ensure
the outcome that everyone that we've spoken to says they desire? Thank you.
Rebecca Stoops, I've lived in Bloomington my whole life. I live pretty close to the Seminary Point,
and I really think it's worth preserving. It costs so much more to build new housing now. You're never
gonna get something that affordable again. It's really worth keeping. I don't think it's fair to keep
the tenants in limbo. I recommend, since the county currently owns the property,
the county could explore extending their lease a little longer so they have some stability. Meanwhile,
discuss with the city and make sure the city is ready to receive the property. Sounds like a land trust
could be a good option and the city has their affordable housing fund that could be used to fix up the
properties. Sounds like a win-win. I also want to mention
If we're talking about efficient land use, sounds like there's a lot of talk of parking lots and making
sure the hotel has a big enough parking lot. No one talked about hotel with a parking garage underneath,
which is a great efficient land use. The graduate hotel has a parking lot underneath. So you could have
affordable housing, hotel with parking lot, and it's just a win-win.
consider discussing with the city how you can safely hand over the seminary point housing. Thank you
very much. Thank you. I see a hand raised. So I will go back to teams land. So screen name Noah, you
can unmute and you'll have up to three minutes. Hi, can you hear me? Yes.
I apologize. I'm not used to that team. Thank you so much. Hi, my name is Noah Render. I am a Bloomington
resident. I've been so for many years now. I just wanted to point out, I think a lot of my fellow residents
have made many good points about the different options here and sort of the people involved. I just
want to point out a pattern I'm noticing that there's a lot of deflecting. Every alphabet soup
gobbledygook group represented in this room keeps making all these very vague statements that kind of
put responsibility for this to somebody else, right? Like, oh, rising tides raise all boats, or we feel
sorry for tenants. But like, all this is being said to make this somebody else's problem, right? It's
not our problem, it's this different group's problem. I just want to be clear, this is your problem.
Everyone in this room who's made a comment like this is responsible for people's actual livelihoods
and a place to live. And if we're going to keep having conversations about affordable housing, we need
to acknowledge the problems that have actually created an affordable housing crisis in this town in
the first place. And it's this, this continual putting off of actual people's lives, these big development
projects that we don't know will actually benefit our town. Finally, I apologize, this is quite fast.
I want to repeat something one of my colleagues said earlier, one of my fellow residents that, right,
that this is a scandal. It will be a scandal. I want to be clear.
people lose their homes, this is a scandal. This will follow you. It will remain your fault. I urge
you to actually do something for people who live here and aren't just a big business trying to bring
whatever commerce to this town that doesn't help anyone. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Next up in
the room. Hi, my name is Mitchell Medley. I'm asking for you guys to at least table this vote currently.
It seems very clear that this is not a fully cooked
all the way through even though there's something that's been going on for years and years at this point
and if we do happen to vote yes for this transfer further to be some guarantee of an extension and a
guarantee to keep this affordable housing we should not be evicting tenants right as prices are going
to be rising more and more the that barrel of oil is definitely going to get more expensive and that
means heating is going to become more expensive electricity is going to become more expensive
everything will be more expensive. So I don't think adding making these people try and find houses in
the middle of that housing in the middle of that, which will not be affordable at all will be $300 to
$400 of an increase. It's what they're probably looking at. I don't think that's really something this
council would be interested in doing the main body else. So probably shouldn't do it. Thank you.
Thank you. And I just received word that Councilor hawk is now virtual. So
She is participating with us virtually. All right. Next up in the net, you know Thank you. My name is
Hugh Farrell I wanted to push back on the idea that Other kinds of affordable housing could possibly
be built to replace this This is some of the last affordable housing in downtown and not only that but
it's super affordable
So for folks who aren't familiar with this classification system, you know, we know there's workforce
housing that's coming in at twelve or thirteen hundred dollars a month. Affordable housing here unfortunately
is now generally considered nine hundred to a thousand and super affordable starts around five to six
hundred dollars a month. And so specifically, I just want to point out that there have been about four
hundred units of affordable housing built in the past five years in Monroe County and that there's only
been about fifty
units of super affordable housing. This is really an important sector. This is a sector that prevents
people from becoming homeless. This is a sector that's counted on for elderly folks who are on fixed
incomes. And so it's really, really important that even these 50 units have been built. I will say I've
worked on the teams that have built 90% of that super affordable housing. So we've built about 40 units
of super affordable housing over the past five years. So the loss of these buildings by itself, 29 units,
about 40 bedrooms will wipe out almost all those gains and all the work I've done to build super affordable
housing in this county in the past five years. And so I will just say that there are really simple,
rational solutions that will allow the hotel to move forward, that will allow tenants and businesses
to feel assured that they're not losing this housing, and that will set up, as other speakers have addressed,
have set up
the context in which it will be possible to have rational conversations with the city about preserving
this housing. And again, as other speakers have already addressed, this might mean the structurally
unsound building being demolished, building larger affordable housing. I know that folks on the city
side have been talking about that. But two of the buildings are sound. There's tenants and businesses
that have not received adequate notice. And in fact, one of the businesses was told a couple of months
ago that they would have until the end of the season
I know that that was just said informally by the CVC, but the fact then that they have had that moved
up to July is extremely destructive. It's the kind of thing that destroys a small business. So just
really that kind of poor communication is something that either can destroy a successful, and I'll also
say tourist attracting small business like Friendly Beasts, or it's something that can be easily solved
with assurances from the county and the CIB that the goal will be extension
of the leases and just work and a little bit of money invested, given that these are properties that
currently bring in funding, that these are technical questions, that there are organizations that exist
to help solve questions around liability, around property management, around engaging tenants, and not
enough of that work has been done to really save these particular buildings, which are themselves precious.
A very long time Bloomington lawyer just said to me last week, they represent part of old Bloomington.
There's a lot of history to these buildings and really simple steps can be taken tonight to preserve
them. Thank you. Thank you. Next up in the room.
Well, first of all, thank you. My name's Eli Beaton. I've been a Bloomington resident for about half
a decade. I had a bunch of remarks prepared that I had to throw out after listening to some of these
because there was a lot of interesting things that I didn't expect to come up. But the first thing I
want to say is with tenants here and with Bloomington Homes for All to try to support tenants and save
these buildings, as Hugh just mentioned, super affordable housing.
And one of the things over the last few months, we've been trying to schedule meetings and talk with
as many people as possible, really pursue this through the bureaucracy that I think we're all sort of
trying to wrestle with, right? Like how do we make sure that the convention center works and that the
economy of Bloomington is sound? And one of the things I've been genuinely very surprised about throughout
all these conversations, including this evening, is that most people I talk to are on the same page.
right like the bunker and Robinson property to the north is the desirable property for hotel development
and no one wants to. Like have these apartments at seminary point destroyed right like this is sort
of the general consensus that seems to have emerged but the question is like how do we move forward.
While making sure these two things don't come into tension with each other right and I think one of
the things that has been surprising to me in this meeting is that. The potential for a land swap
is one of the avenues that sets that opportunity up extremely well. But also, that land swap should
not come at the cost or the precarity of tenants in the two weeks before the swap is even possible.
And I think a swap is possible. I think that that's very important to keep in mind.
So the ask I have of this council tonight is to be a little concrete about this is I would urge to table
right not to derail the convention dinner hotel or to derail the the potential swap but to Ensure that
that swap does actually support the tenants and the hotel together, right? I know that requires
a little bit of delay, but I think that delay is worth it to make sure that we preserve this housing
in the south lot while making sure that north lot is available to support the Convention Center project.
Yeah, that's it. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Hello. My name is Matthew Joseph. I've been in
Bloomington for about six years.
I've seen you around the B school here and there. But it's cool to see you in local politics. This is
my first county council meeting ever. And it's cool. I mean, I hear y'all's hearts for your community.
It is really refreshing to see that people care. And I appreciate the time and effort that everyone's
kind of, for people that are involved in this. I will say like, this is a bit surprising for me.
It feels like we're thinking more about future tourists in Bloomington than we are the current individuals
and families that are living on this land. The fact that we haven't thought through about the liability
and who will be there when life happens for these tenants is a bit jarring and scary, especially for
the tenants and the people that care for them like us. I mean, we're talking about affordable housing
here. That means something. It's different than kind of when we think about it in our heads about
how it is in our situation. These are different lives we're talking about with difficult situations.
I mean, right now I live in housing that's considered affordable housing. I couldn't imagine not having
security in my housing and for the concerns that are inevitably coming up and not having anyone to care
for the legitimate concerns like that. I wouldn't trust them to be able to actually manage my housing,
right? So we need time.
Affordable housing is hard and we have it. So let's not lose it because we're rushing ourselves here.
So let's slow down. It's okay, we can take a breath and recollect. And let's do what we all want, which
is to make the swap happen. I mean, this is like a really, it feels like this is a cool moment to be
a part of county council. It's like, oh, we're all on the same team. It feels like, it feels like, right?
And so like, let's try it. I mean, yeah, the mayor is already thinking about
affordable housing a lot. And I mean, maybe not as much as she should, but especially with the July
1st thing that's coming out about the criminalization of homelessness. This is a big concern for her.
There's a legitimate thing here that is pressing for her. And so we need to put pressure. And again,
because we're all on the same team here, I think the CIB can put pressure, right? The county can put
pressure. We can put pressure.
And we can save affordable housing in Bloomington and still move forward with the projects that are
at thing. But most of all, we need that time. And so let's take the time we need to make this happen.
Thank you all for letting me be a part of this. And let's save affordable housing in Bloomington.
Thank you. All right, before we alternate back here, before we go back to the room, so it looks like
screen name Erin, if you can unmute.
state your name for the record and you'll have up to three minutes. Hi, can you hear me? Yes. Okay.
Hi, my name is Aaron Comforti. I am a Bloomington resident. Thank you for having me. I just want to
encourage the County Council to do whatever it can to ensure that residents of Seminary Point and businesses
in that location are able to remain there, that they're not evicted. As many of the speakers have said
so well, it is a super affordable place to live in Bloomington, one of the few that is close to town.
And I just encourage the council to do whatever it can to ensure that it remains so. Thank you.
Thank you. Back to the room.
I'm Jason McCulloch, PhD candidate of the rhetoric program at IU and Bloomington resident since 2018.
I want to talk a bit about the precedents you're setting with this decision. Some of you are familiar
with me and some of the work that I've been and continue to be engaged in. For the purpose of my comment
this evening, I want to lift up my lived experience as a transient renter, a long-term volunteer at
Beacon Inc., a former city commissioner in the Community Advisory of Public Safety,
and co-chair of the Homelessness Task Force at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington. I named
these engagements to demonstrate that I'm not speaking out of opposition, but because of deep and consistent
care for communities, namely Bloomingtonians. In all the work I do, I aim to reduce harm and center
people first. Now, imagine I'm not the only one in this room who understands what this shirt means.
Housing First is an evidence-based approach to ending homelessness that prioritizes providing permanent,
stable housing immediately, without preconditions, followed by voluntary supportive services, before
requiring that other concomitant needs are met. The part that is often left out when considering Housing
First is the subordinating clause, but not housing only.
The next iteration of the continuum is community first, wherein we can consider things like affordable
and accessible basics of living, community services, and even entertainment and community programming.
But without putting housing first and protecting it, there's no foundation for residents to move out
from or to return to. Currently, the situation seems to be a constructed dilemma of housing versus things like
new convention center, luxury hotels and diversions, and those latter items are not in the natural opposition
of housing, we can have both affordable living and the amenities that Mr. M.G. wants to protect. But
what comes first? In 1943, Winston Churchill posited that, we shape our buildings, thereafter they shape us.
I leave you with the charge of helping Bloomington determine what kinds of buildings are going to shape
its residents and what kind of buildings are not. I say table this so you can discuss this further to
make a swap effective. Thank you. Looking in the room, just about everybody has spoken, but if I don't
recognize everybody, my fault. But if there's anybody here who hasn't had a chance to speak,
Um, again, you can come forward to the lectern here in the room. Um, but if you are virtual and you
would like to make a public comment again, this is last call. Um, please go ahead and raise your hand.
Okay. So thank you very much for, um, public comment. Thanks.
that I've heard from about 15 folks who have virtually made public comment and also came here in the
room. A couple of things that have kept coming up are a couple of things is to able to have further
discussion and make if we don't table to make this vote condition
on the potential land swap or an extension, so to speak. I want to make sure I got everybody's thoughts
together or what they're saying. What would happen if we did decide to table the discussion to continue
to have the conversation before we made a vote? Oh, no, no, no, sorry.
This is for the folks here in the room that have a responsibility in this so I don't know if it's Again,
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
online like I'm just curious because that that's come up and I think it's deserving of an answer and
To answer from my perspective, if the transfer doesn't take place, then that limits the CIB's ability
to move forward. We have no negotiating position with the city for land transfer, for land exchange.
We would then be
We then have to decide whether we move forward with a RFP for a hotel, given what land we did have,
knowing that's not the best option. But without the transfer of the land, we have no ability to enter
into negotiations with the Redevelopment Commission for a land exchange. And I want to emphasize, we
have no guarantee that they would agree to that, and frankly,
If you made it a condition to transfer it to us, we still have no guarantee that they would agree to
it. So I don't see how making it a condition of a transfer to us helps that. But without the transfer
of the land, then we are not in any negotiating position on the land exchange. We have no land to exchange.
So that's the position it puts us in. I think we need to be aware, too, or you need to be aware,
that the Redevelopment Commission has been talking for quite some time about a public offering for that
North property. And if they were to proceed now with a public offering for that North property, then
whatever could be developed on the North property would be the result of whatever that public offering
would be. But I'm repeating myself, we would have nothing to offer.
Yes, Councilor Henry. Thank you. I have maybe a series of short questions to help me frame up the fact
pattern, because there's been a lot of words. I just want to make sure I have it clear in my head. So
the first question, and I'm happy to have it go to the table or the other table, is, and I think you
just painted a picture about there are no guarantees right now, right? So let's play out some scenarios.
Let's say we move to transfer.
You are now, you now have tenants until the end of their respective leases. And you stated that you
have no funding to property manage those individuals. So if anything happens between the moment of transfer
and the end of leases, regardless of extension, let me ask you, what happens? Are you coming back to
the county to ask for resources to manage? No, my approach would be to the Convention and Visitors Commission.
because it's been the Convention and Visitors Commission that's been funding whatever maintenance has
been required of these properties. And again, they're continuing to do it on a short term. I think what's
important is what is the timeline? When does that end? And if it's July, if it's August, I think it's the,
I think it's the odd infinitum aspects of this that are troublesome. I mean, we as a CIV can't say,
well, we'll just do this forever. That's not a reasonable position to expect us to take. Yeah, I'm just
trying to gauge steps here because very practically things happen, right? So that's one scenario that
you are now a landlord and you don't have the
the means to be one, right? So that's the point, right? And if I may, back to issues of liability, we
have insured liability for all of our properties now. This is an extension of liability for other properties.
It's as simple as that. So the next question is that, and I think, and I may have lost it because it
got muddy. So we don't have guarantees, but again, just because I don't want to set up false expectations
or hope for people.
City Bloomington has said a lot of things about if they were to acquire these whether or not you're
from everything from they don't want the properties to they do so is the current sentiment that. That
that there are the Seminary Point properties would go into the city like the land swap is viable and
that's my first that's a very blunt question just make sure we reiterate one more time, this is a possibility.
I'm sorry, is it? If we get the transfer, the city of Bloomington is open to or is open to actually
trading on these homes. I don't know that they are. The mayor had said in a previous interview,
you know, at one point, no. And then now it sounds like maybe I'm just trying to gauge. No, no, no.
She's she's been the mayor. The mayor has told me informally because we've made no formal proposal.
We've had nothing to offer that she's not interested in a land exchange of any kind.
But, but my my point would be, and you know I'm talking about a land exchange and I don't even have
the authority my own board to talk about a land exchange we haven't even talked about it as a board
I'm talking about what's john white card think might be a path forward on this. And it seems to me back
to my no horses to dead, not to keep beating that we have not formally asked the question yet about
a land exchange and that formal question goes to the redevelopment Commission.
And so the door has been open to us to make that negotiated request of them if we have something to
offer That's as good as we have right now. The third thought here is There's a possibility
another possibility that we transfer property The city may be interested in and retaining it as a affordable
housing option bring in into BHA or some some scenario but those leases still run out and
So you could end up having a property that gets pulled in a city inventory a year from now, but they
would put it on the market at any other possible rate. There's no guarantee that the rates that are
current would become part of the city of Bloomington's rate offering on those properties as a VHA unit.
I mean, you don't have to answer that, but I think this is highly speculative at this point to say,
just because the city owns it, they would somehow honor the county's rate.
Yes, I cannot speculate what would become of the properties if they agreed to a land exchange. That
helps me out. I don't know if it helps others in the room out, but this is reality. This is affecting
humans and property. I'm just trying to understand it. I just want to make a comment. I'll pass it back.
I had an opportunity to speak with a tenant and some of the advocates in the room.
between the past over the past month. I know some other counselors have as well. And my observations
of how we got here, I mean, you know, if wishes were horses, we can go back and do hindsight stuff.
But it's worth saying. The innkeeper's tax was used to purchase these properties. In Indiana code, I
cannot find a reading that says that renting them out for 15 years is somehow equivalent to the intended
purpose of purchasing
I mean, they were bought for the purpose of Convention Visitor Center. We turned them into rentals through
a, from what Commissioner Thomas told us, a property manager to a firm, to the tenants. And you can
make an argument that we probably should not have ever been in the place of renting these out as a sort
of ad hoc housing authority under the county's auspice. From the moment of purchase, they probably should
have been leveled, and that would have maybe not put us in this pickle.
and understanding how we got here is what I asked Commissioner Thomas about, which is we haven't kept
up with the market rate on these rentals. And whether we, and this is kind of the road to hell being
paved with good intentions, that you offer something as a subsidy to the community. It is subsidized
by the county government, but without keeping up with the market of it, we accidentally subsidize these
apartments. That's the best way I can think of it. And I've shared that with people in the audience.
This is, again, trying to figure out
You know on on a What I believe is good faith effort by the county to offer something in these units
over a decade and a half Was not well thought out because we're not at we don't have a housing authority
What we have is a county attorney and a county administrator and a partner in the cbc trying to do something
good But but has created a larger challenge for us to wrestle I think those are all things important
to put out there is hindsight or
you know, that's this hindsight analysis doesn't do anything at the moment here other than to say, I'm
not convinced that if you know if we had, you know, there's a lot of ifs before us too, and we would
need to understand if the city has intentions one way or another to preserve the property attorney to
rental but what we do know is this, you know, we have the parcels and I think to Councillor Iverson's
point hours ago, board commissioners are the ones that sign leases and contracts.
Yeah, we also run a scenario where we could not release the building, but there will be no tenants because
the board of commissioners will not extend leases. So now we have empty buildings that serve the CIB,
doesn't serve the county, doesn't serve the tenants because we have to rely on our other partners to
actually issue new leases or extensions there. I think that you made that point hours ago. I think that's
really where it all comes back to us that we, you know, we're,
You know, this is a Thursday morning conversation when it comes to who's in these buildings, you know,
beyond their lease. That does not provide a viewpoint one way or another, but I think these are things
that need to be said in the room about how we got here. I'll just let that hang, I mean, at this point,
but thank you, Madam President. Yes, Councilor Anderson. All right, so I think it was really clear.
I'm going to say this in way of my conclusion, inclusionary remarks here.
The optimal outcome is, I think, really clear. And I think some of the people said it best in the podium,
where it does feel like all of us are on the same page. If we can get a host hotel and preserve super
affordable housing, that is the optimal outcome. And I think it's within our reach. The question then
is, once we have shared goals, who can best get us there? Not what can we do to get there,
I think the question at this point is who. When we were thinking about building a convention center
years ago, this body was engaged in conversations about what color the carpet should be, whether the
railing should be tall or not, and it was a quagmire. We really screwed it up. Had the CIB involved,
and you guys made a ton of progress really quickly because it got the politicians out of the room.
The reason why I will be voting affirmatively tonight on this ordinance is because I think the best
way that we can get to that optimal outcome is by having someone who is not a county commissioner or
a county council member working with the city and the county and being able to do that work tomorrow.
I think if you keep having politicians like us involved in this, we're gonna continue to make a mess
of it. So that's my thinking on this matter. I want the optimal outcome. I think we can get it. I think
the answer is to go through the CIB the way that we have done so in the past. And I think tonight is
the night for action. I'll be voting yes. Okay. Councillor Wilks.
May I ask a question? I want to know if there are any other thoughts on tabling versus not tabling.
My thought is that tabling doesn't get as much
you know, some of us are having conversations with the city and, you know, so it might, yeah, we could
continue, we could press harder and that's always, always possible. But I'm just curious, is there a
reason that it might, is there something that says, hey, delaying it another three, two weeks, whatever,
or is good or bad? And I'm looking, I heard all you all and I appreciate it. So obviously I'm asking
my colleagues and any of the commissioners or council that might be online, you all at the table there,
you know, is there something that anyone would wanna share on up or down strategy wise, thought wise on this?
I'm just going to say I share your sentiments because that was my question that I was asking earlier,
because there is still a lot of unknowns right now and uncertainties. And again, I hear what Mr. Whitehart
is saying. I guess I would just tend to believe that we have
like table in this for right now gives us a little bit more time. Oh, that's me. But I hear what you're
saying. And I agree, because again, whether it's five homes, 30 homes, or one home, like one is too
many for people right now. And I guess that's the human aspect of my little brain.
is thinking right now. I understand that we've given this and we've let the politicians get out. Maybe
if we did some of this the same way, maybe some of the projects wouldn't take as long as they have,
but I digress. But again, my thought process is to try to get a little bit more time. That's just me.
I want to throw out just one other thing because
I have had a conversation with some folks on city council and that's not the mayor. Just flat out. But
the indication was that they were a little bit surprised about the possibility of a switch because they
were under the impression that the mayor has plans for
the Bunker Robertson property. This is speculation on my part. I mean, like, court of law, hearsay kind
of stuff, right? So I don't want to get all, like, rumory, but the fact of the matter is there's been
some back and forth in the media on that property. There's what I heard. And then there's obviously
the differing opinions on use of that site.
I wholeheartedly think the highest and best use of Bunga Robertson would be a hotel. I think that would
be perfect. And I think the concept that you put forward is a dream. That would be lovely. And then
we can continue to work with our city colleagues on making affordable housing more of a reality for
folks. I am concerned that if we table
There is a moment that might be missed. And I don't know. So it looks like hands are raised. Councilor
Hawke had her hand raised, and then it looks like Commissioner Jody Madeira has her hand raised. So
I'll go to Councilor Hawke first, and then after she's done, I'll go to Commissioner Madeira next. Okay,
so if you tabled it,
What are you gaining with that? Instead of that expiring in July, it would expire in August, right?
So can I go? I'll just answer that, Councilor Hawke, because I don't know if you were here when it came
up maybe, but the idea would be that it would give
for us to communicate with the city to work on putting forth, you know, our support for the land swap
option as it's come to be tonight. I did hear that. I did hear that discussion. I just was thinking,
I'm trying to think about, like, if I was the person sitting there in one of those apartments and wondering
how much time I had,
Right now, it looks like they've got until sometime in whatever, 1st of July, is that right, or mid-July,
whenever. But if we table it for a month, then they've still got 1st of July. I don't think we've extended
their time there by a month, even if we table it for a month.
And less that month will buy, like you said, time to negotiate and get a better outcome. So I'm just
trying to follow what's best all the way around. But I agree with you, Kate, that that property, that
bunker property, that's where the hotel needs to be. And I don't want to cause anything that would delay
that opportunity.
Commissioner Madeira. Thank you. I think that the County Council also should not table a vote for the
reasons mentioned. Basically, further delay risks undermining a project. This project has already required
substantial planning from several governmental bodies, including the CIB.
It's required substantial negotiation and substantial investment. Moving the property out of the county
now would provide certainty to project partners. It would protect the county's credibility and it would
help avoid added costs that often accompany postponement, including the chance that we would miss an
opportunity. I think if we vote tonight, if you guys vote tonight, it also demonstrates responsible
stewardship.
by allowing the community to move forward with a long discussed economic development project that does
promise broader public benefits, including increased tourism, new business activity, and expanded tax
revenue for the county and Bloomington that will bring investment that allows us to afford services
for everybody. And this does not mean that we're not empathic to the fact that residents are facing
very real hardship and that are being displaced.
We do know that there are five apartment complexes that are holding open houses. Some of these apartment
complexes do have rents in the neighborhood of $500, $600. They are suspending credit checks. They are
delaying or forgiving deposits. And I would really like to hear from some residents. I'm hearing a lot
from advocates, and I do appreciate that.
You know, I think that it also increases certainty for residents if we stick to a plan. And if we just
keep on kicking the can down the road, it also makes things less certain for them. And if housing is
hard to find in July, it's harder to find in August because of the college cycle. So I'm not sure what
we would gain by delaying there either, because if apartments are hard to find there, they're equally
hard to find later on.
and we know we have a definite date now and we can work with the apartment association and with Heading
Home with that goal. So I think for those reasons, I will rest my remarks. I also was curious and I
also would like to ask Jeff Cockerill his thoughts on what happens if the council does either refuse
the transfer,
or does table it because I heard a lot of remarks tonight about asking the council to extend the leases
and create you know this or that legal entity and I just wanted clarity on what the council's powers
are. Well before we do that one thing I will say Commissioner Madeira is I do believe a couple of things one
we do have residents that are in here that live there that is speaking directly with or with this year.
One particular person I spoke to does live there and is present tonight. Secondly, just because their
residents aren't here, sometimes government isn't as accessible as 10 a.m. or 5 p.m. for meetings and
so therefore I appreciate the fact that those that
are wanting to advocate for those who cannot help themselves or cannot be here due to other constrictions
such as working or trying to keep afloat with everything else that they have going on. So those are
just two couple of things that I just wanted to rebuttal and say. So I don't want to put on public here.
We got a lot of advocacy that goes around here with a lot of different things.
It's okay to advocate, but it's also should be noted for the record and talking with some of the folks
that are in here. These residents, there are residents that live currently at seminary. So I just wanted
to say that. Councilor Huck, did you have your hand raised again before we go to Mr. Cockrell? No,
I think, oh, did I? Oh, sorry. Now I sit down, okay.
I'm sorry, I thought you had your hand raised. Okay. Since Commissioner Madera had spoken your name,
Mr. Cockrell, I don't know if you want to come off and mute and explain, I guess, your idea of consequences
of what would happen if things don't go the way as planned. Well, and I think a lot of that has to do
with the CIB. Can you hear me?
Okay, great, sorry. I think her first question was council and their authority on extending the leases.
I think it's been said already, but I think I just reiterate that the county council doesn't have that
authority that lies with the county executive to extend the leases. I guess my other thought is you've
heard from
a member of the CIV. I would just remind the county council and the commissioners and everybody listening
that the CIV is composed of both members from that are appointed by county officials, county executive,
county council, and they're also members who are appointed by the city council and the mayor. So that
may be a good avenue, at least have them have those conversations with the city because the city has
membership appointed to that board. And I don't know if you have any other questions or if that covers
what you were asking. So from your understanding or do you're saying that
if this were to be, like if council were to approve this, this gives us an opportunity to try to negotiate
with the city? I think it gives us the CIB the opportunity. Ah, okay, okay. Because the CIB, their mission,
and Mr. Weichart can correct me where I'm wrong, is to do the prevention center and
other tourism related, and that's always included since we started talking about the convention center
expansion project, a convention center hotel. So that's kind of in their bailiwick of handling the convention
center hotel and where it goes and all that. And this gives them the opportunity to maybe have those
discussions. Sometimes it does work when we talk to our city colleagues. Yeah. Okay.
Anybody else? Yes, Commissioner Madeira. Thank you. I just like to recognize the fact that we have been
working with tenants and with residents actively. Jeff has been having these conversations. And that's
sort of what I meant with my comment about residents in the room. Sort of these activities are not being captured.
and it's often hard in these meetings to represent the full scale of where we are. Also, if the matter
is tabled, again, there's nothing we can gain. If the conversation continues and the properties are
transferred, the conversations with the city can also continue. Once again, it looks good when we can
talk to city
colleagues. Thank you. Yes, Councilor Williams. Okay. Point that I'm going to pretend that that just
came from the ether.
It actually, to me, it seems as though that's not actually the highest likelihood of people retaining
their leases. I frankly have, I'll just be honest, I'm heartbroken about it, but I don't have a lot
of optimism that people who have the power to extend the lease or, you know,
break the lease, whatever, they've spoken. So in my mind, the best opportunity is to get the property
out of our hands with the possibility that someone else's power could influence your lease. That's the
logic that I'm thinking through right now.
I just wanna be clear on where I am. Any other questions or comments from council here at the dais or
council member Hawke? They need to come to, if you're gonna allow them to do that. Okay, all right.
yes and then after that we'll we'll wrap it up here with your radio voice yes if the county is able
to retain the property then that extends the amount of time that the county is able to work with the
city to try and a ensure that the people stay in their homes but be a far more larger plan to ensure
that this remains affordable housing absent that you're hoping that
you're washing your hands of all this and hoping that the CIB does what we're asking you to do, which
is ensure to the best of your ability that the city accepts this property on a transfer. That's it.
Thank you. Yes, Councillor Feier. I think the only thing that I haven't heard is what the city may have
in store, right? Where is the city at on this? You haven't talked to them.
But what if they already have something in place? Okay, just let me finish. Can I finish? You need to
let me finish. Believe me, grandma is gonna have a fit here. This is not good participation in the public.
So I've been on your side before as well. So I get it, okay? I don't want to dismiss that.
but you need to be respectful and we'll go on from here. So, I am concerned about what the city may
or may not have up their sleeve to proceed on their own, not knowing what we're gonna do or not gonna
do now, right? I don't know what they're thinking, right? That's the piece we're missing here right
now. So, a result of many ways letting the CIB do what they need to do.
That's where I'm at. Other questions? Okay. All right. May we... I'm gonna actually...
move on because we've been here for a while and so I just want to be able to just kind of continue.
Unless you can make it really quick and you can make it like one minute or less and then we got to wrap
up. Absolutely. I just want to point out that we're really collapsing the city. The RDC owns the other
property that we're discussing and the RDC has members that are appointed by the mayor and that are
appointed by the City Council and the most recent resolution
that the RDC made regarding this property indicates that they would be willing to swap. It was before
the mayor's statement that she has other plans for the property, but that is what the RDC has said most
recently. Thank you. What, I'm sorry, what was your name again? Audrey Smith. Audrey Smith, okay,
thank you. So, RDC is interested
Well, nevermind. All right. Nevermind. Okay. This has been long. Um, the only thing that I will just
say that I've said before, like to just kind of wrap up before we go to comment is there's a lot of
unknowns. And I guess for me, like counselor Friddle and counselor Wilts were saying, we give this over
and then what happens? We think, you know, we give this over to the CIB and then,
good faith we think we have faith in you because you are the appointed folks from you know council and
commissioners and whatnot but um we do this and then it fails and then we're back to square one where
they have they're stuck with trying to find housing because they're done as of july 7th that's the thing that
That's a big old gamble that we are taking right now. And I understand that we're all working with people
and things like that. I completely understand that. I just, I hate the fact that we're here. I hate
the fact that we're dealing with this. And so I just, it's too much of an uncertainty for me that I,
like somebody said with public comment, like if we fail in our efforts to do this, then we fail.
with trying to make sure that folks have affordable housing. And I don't know if I want that
on my conscience. So that's just me. So without that being said, maybe please have a roll call vote.
Can we revisit what the roll call vote is about? Can we just summarize it? Just summarize it. A roll
call would be to approve the
to approve the resolution ordinance to transfer the properties to the CIV. Councillor Iverson. Yes.
Councillor Wilts. Yes. Councillor Feidl. Yes. Councillor Deckard. Yes. Councillor Hawke. Yes.
Councilor Henry? Yes. Councilor Crossley? Pass. Pass. Motion passes 6-0-1. Pass. Okay. All right. Well,
that concludes. Thank you all very much.
That concludes all of the business that we have county council tonight. But we will move on to council
liaison updates and comments and I asked for us to try to keep it brief as possible. So if we want to
start down, Councillor Henry. So a few things, maybe I'll just briefly state my surprise and blindsidedness
by the board of commissioners and their
approach to moving forward on the jail with a purchase agreement proposal at the end of April. All of
us have been operating in good faith over the past two months to try to identify properties. And then
at some point, I guess one too many executive sessions followed us into a bit of a binary in what we
saw filed in federal court with the ACLU. I am hopeful that we can get this back on track as these apparent
votes are coming through.
But it's my view, I don't know if my fellow counselors have looked at that consent agreement, that the
new articles 11 and 12 really bind our hands as a council. And the challenge we have is that if we proceed
with that agreement, I'm concerned that we will tie our hands in making future fiscal
votes on the Justice Center project. And to that point, I will ask council at our next meeting to consider
appropriations for us to retain our own council to advise us moving forward on how we're going to address
the consent agreement and our path forward. And I hope you all keep an open mind on that. I think we've
just reached a point where we need to retain our own little council to explore this question. On a positive
I want to steal it first before it gets down the desk. While we've been sitting here, the federal court
has ruled in favor of local students who have petitioned for their right to use student IDs to vote
in local elections, which would allow our college Democrats and others in town to vote in the primary
here, which has been custom in this state for some time.
Because when you have a student ID, you've got to prove a lot of identification to your university to
prove that you're here. And so the fact that we've restored that justice for students and we have some
very intrepid IU students that sought that and fought it out in court, future real leaders of this community,
they really did a good job on that. I'm proud to read it.
opinion this evening and hopefully that stays through the primary and if not the general and onwards
so good on them. Sometimes things work out and we'll add burnish to our robust election turnout that
we've already had. Thank you madam. Very briefly I hope folks have been able to watch the long-term
finance committee meeting that met on March the 31st. First quarter numbers are in and we saw a decrease
in revenue of three percent.
That's a year over a year That is something that we need to keep in mind as we're moving forward. We
also saw a decrease in expenditures of 12% So this council has been doing a lot of work watch the meeting.
There's a lot more detail there We also just received new reversion numbers in your in your email I'm
told that's gonna be available on the auditors website and you'll see three years worth of data and
the number of versions keeps dropping and
So council is doing a better and better job year over year of keeping our budgets more to what is reality
than depending on reversions. The second thing is the township trustees came and made a proposal to
the county council. If you have not watched that, please do, particularly council. People are lining
up for what we're going to be seeing in terms of lit revenue in 2029 already.
The next thing that I'll mention from the LTF meeting is that we looked at longevity numbers. We'll
see some longevity projections in the next LTF meeting. So we want to be able to recognize our employees
who have dedicated a lot of years to this county at the same time, understand the budgetary restrictions.
And then lastly, we talked a little about jail bonding, which I think we're going to hear more about
at our next council meeting. So stay tuned.
color coded thing, but I'll say a couple things. So at the Monroe County Fair Board meeting, they gave
an update on the horse and pony club. They're going to be doing some repairs on a stairway there. So
that will help their safety in that space, which I think is really good. Thing is, the main announcement
there that night in my mind was the fact of when the fireworks is, and it's going to be June 26th.
So also attended the AIC Association of Indiana County District meeting recently and brought back a
bunch of materials. And I think most of those, if not all of them, have been shared with the council.
So everybody should have that information. Went to a lovely and informative regional housing summit
today at the Convention Center.
And so I think there'll be things coming forward out of that whole update. I like that. Thank you. Yes,
Councillor Hock. Did you have some remarks that you'd like to say? You can unmute.
A big thank you to Liz for bringing back that hard copy for me to review. I think many of you will also
have that online and we really need to study that. I've looked at it and boy, I'm pretty familiar with
what you're speaking of and I'm gonna have to review it several times to really grasp all of it because
it's full of solid information
that we all need to know. And that whole thing is gonna be offered online. So you can sign up to hear
that whole presentation online. And I encourage you everyone to do it because we need that information
before we start making any movements regarding a bond or regarding meeting with the city to see if they
were part of the money. We have to know what we're doing first.
So, but thank you, Liz, for going and I'm sorry that I was not able to join you. Okay, so that was fine.
And the other thing is Sophia Travis applications are still going on right now just as an FYI. And I
appreciate
the comments in the live candor towards the end of this conversation. One thing that is on my mind is
the fact that I was during our last conversation that we kept saying that, oh, we can talk to city and
we can make things work. It's interesting that this could happen with this project. However, we're stifled
with another project.
And so I just really want us to walk it like we talk it and also say if we're going to have conversations
with city and respect with that, then I'd like to have conversations with things related to our justice
center. That's what I'll say to that.
The other thing is it's not cute nor is it cool to play uncle with county council. We are respected
elected officials and I wish three folks that sit up at the dais behind us on Thursdays could understand
that why we might not agree on just about anything right now that we we have a right to say
and have a right to do what we need to do with this project as well. So it behooves me, and I've gotten
lots of phone calls and emails from constituents regarding, and the public commenter mentioned it earlier,
the fact that we're literally being forced, an upper hand in something that has fundamentally
no infrastructure that is already put in. And so to use the words of someone who mentioned cornfield,
that's a cornfield out there, that folks would get released. And to the point of new leaf, new life,
I think about how close our Thompson site is in comparison to where they are and how we would be moving.
What we are doing
will affect people for decades to come. And Jennifer Rose Crossley has no part in doing something that
will literally F up what we do in this county. So with that being said, I really am tired of this crap.
And I really wish that we can move forward and really stop playing uncle with counsel and stop twisting
our hands behind our back.
and I'll be watching your meeting on Thursday to see if you all have anything else to say but I highly
encourage the public if you have something to say about anything that's going on they have a meeting
if you can attend because it is at 10 a.m. on a Thursday please go ahead in person or you can go attend
virtually as well if your schedule allows with that being said I think my colleagues were robust conversation
and we are adjourned thank you