WEBVTT 00:00:00.354 --> 00:00:08.816 - Good morning. I'm going to call to order this meeting of the Monroe County Commissioners. It is Thursday, 00:00:08.816 --> 00:00:17.598 - October 29th, and we will begin with our public statement. Yes. We, the Monroe County Board of Commissioners, 00:00:17.598 --> 00:00:25.182 - renew our commitment to welcome and protect the rights of all people, regardless of age, race, 00:00:25.346 --> 00:00:31.545 - color, creed, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, marital status, economic status, 00:00:31.545 --> 00:00:37.624 - and national origin. And we affirm the right of every person to live peacefully and without fear. And 00:00:37.624 --> 00:00:43.585 - we will fight and resist at every step discrimination and harmful policies, whatever the source. We 00:00:43.585 --> 00:00:49.664 - believe in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. We also stand in support of our county public 00:00:49.664 --> 00:00:53.598 - school systems, both RBB and MCCSC. All right. Thank you so much. 00:00:54.274 --> 00:01:01.619 - Um, we will now move on to, um, we have two proclamations this morning and we'll start commissioner 00:01:01.619 --> 00:01:04.190 - Maduro with the youth hope months. 00:01:04.482 --> 00:01:10.474 - Yes, Youth Homelessness Outreach Prevention and Education Month. Whereas the future well-being of our 00:01:10.474 --> 00:01:16.407 - nation is dependent on the value we place on our young people, and whereas the prevalence of runaway 00:01:16.407 --> 00:01:22.458 - and homelessness among youth is staggering, with studies suggesting that every year 4.2 million people 00:01:22.458 --> 00:01:25.278 - ages 13 to 25 endure some form of homelessness, 00:01:25.378 --> 00:01:30.759 - and whereas runaway youth are often expelled from their home, have experienced trauma, struggle to meet 00:01:30.759 --> 00:01:36.348 - basic needs, and are at increased danger of falling into high-risk situations, including human trafficking, 00:01:36.348 --> 00:01:41.781 - and may be ineligible or unable to access adequate medical or mental health resources, and whereas Youth 00:01:41.781 --> 00:01:47.163 - Services Bureau of Monroe County is working to raise awareness, support, and resources for young people 00:01:47.163 --> 00:01:48.094 - in the community, 00:01:48.194 --> 00:01:53.689 - and whereas effective programs supporting runaway youth and assisting youth and their families in providing 00:01:53.689 --> 00:01:58.777 - safe and stable homes succeed because of partnerships created among families, youth-based advocacy, 00:01:58.777 --> 00:02:04.272 - organizations, community-based human services agencies, law enforcement schools, faith-based organizations, 00:02:04.272 --> 00:02:05.086 - and businesses. 00:02:05.186 --> 00:02:11.238 - And whereas if all of us work together we can prevent the situations that compel you to run away from 00:02:11.238 --> 00:02:17.645 - home and encourage all citizens to appreciate the role that we can all play in advocating for and providing 00:02:17.645 --> 00:02:21.502 - safe alternatives to this vulnerable population of young people. 00:02:21.794 --> 00:02:28.430 - is honoring November as Youth Hope Month to raise awareness of the issues facing runaway and homeless 00:02:28.430 --> 00:02:35.066 - youth and educate the public about solutions and the role they can play in ending youth homelessness. 00:02:35.066 --> 00:02:41.767 - Now, therefore, we, the Monroe County Board of Commissioners, do hereby proclaim the month of November 00:02:41.767 --> 00:02:48.339 - 2026 as Youth Hope Month in Monroe County. Proclaim this 29th day of October, 2026. All right, thank 00:02:48.339 --> 00:02:51.006 - you so much. Commissioner Jones, please. 00:02:51.490 --> 00:03:00.637 - Operation Green Light for Veterans. The residents of Monroe County have great respect, admiration, and 00:03:00.637 --> 00:03:09.873 - the utmost gratitude for all the men and women who have selflessly served our county and this community 00:03:09.873 --> 00:03:11.294 - and our forces. 00:03:11.554 --> 00:03:20.349 - And the contributions and sacrifices of those who served in the armed forces have been vital in maintaining 00:03:20.349 --> 00:03:29.225 - the freedoms and way of life employed, enjoyed by our citizens. And Monroe County seeks to honor individuals 00:03:29.225 --> 00:03:37.694 - who have made countless sacrifices for freedom by placing themselves in harm's way for the good of all. 00:03:38.434 --> 00:03:48.237 - and veterans continue to serve our community in the American Legion, veterans of foreign wars, religious 00:03:48.237 --> 00:03:58.134 - groups, civil service, and by functioning as county veterans service officers in 29 states to help fellow 00:03:58.134 --> 00:04:05.790 - former service members access more than 52 billion in federal health, disability, 00:04:06.146 --> 00:04:15.526 - and compensation benefits each year and approximately 200,000 service members transition to civilian 00:04:15.526 --> 00:04:24.812 - communities annually and active military service members transitioning from military service are at 00:04:24.812 --> 00:04:27.134 - a high risk for suicide. 00:04:27.746 --> 00:04:36.087 - during their first year after military service. And the National Association of Counties encourages 00:04:36.087 --> 00:04:44.761 - all counties, parishes, and boroughs to recognize Operation Green Light for veterans. And Monroe County 00:04:44.761 --> 00:04:53.185 - appreciates the sacrifices of our United States military personnel and believes specific recognition 00:04:53.185 --> 00:04:54.686 - should be granted 00:04:54.818 --> 00:05:05.358 - We, the Monroe County Board of Commissioners, do hereby proclaim November 4th through 11th, 2026 as 00:05:05.358 --> 00:05:16.108 - Operation Green Light for Veterans. Thank you. Thank you so much for your continued support of Monroe 00:05:16.108 --> 00:05:23.486 - County Veterans. It means a great deal. Thank you so very, very much. 00:05:25.922 --> 00:05:39.495 - is proclamation. Yes, I apologize. I meant to accept the proclamation on behalf of you Services Bureau 00:05:39.495 --> 00:05:52.805 - for Hope Month. Thank you guys. Thank you. Thank you. Excellent. Okay. All right. With that, we will 00:05:52.805 --> 00:05:54.782 - move on to our 00:05:54.882 --> 00:06:08.937 - department updates. And we will begin with the health department. We have Menea Amy joining us on Teams. 00:06:08.937 --> 00:06:21.118 - If she could be promoted to presenter, she can then unmute and join us. Yes. Good morning. 00:06:21.954 --> 00:06:28.737 - Good morning, commissioners. As you know, the Board of Health has appointed a new interim health officer, 00:06:28.737 --> 00:06:35.328 - Dr. Paul Broderick. Dr. Broderick also serves as the health officer for Morgan County, a position he's 00:06:35.328 --> 00:06:42.047 - held for over a decade. Our disease intervention and harm reduction staff continue to offer free walk-in 00:06:42.047 --> 00:06:48.446 - STI testing on Thursdays from 3 to 6 p.m. in the lower level of the Health Services Building at 119 00:06:48.446 --> 00:06:50.814 - West 7th Street here in Bloomington. 00:06:52.546 --> 00:07:00.280 - Wastewater monitoring of flu and COVID is currently showing moderate levels of the viruses in the community 00:07:00.280 --> 00:07:07.656 - with influenza A sharply on the rise. So now is very time for folks to get their updated flu and COVID 00:07:07.656 --> 00:07:15.031 - vaccines. When I last updated you on October 8th, the Indiana Department of Health reported that there 00:07:15.031 --> 00:07:21.118 - had been 28 known cases of measles statewide in 2026. As of yesterday, October 28th, 00:07:21.506 --> 00:07:28.194 - That number had reached 74 known cases, nearly a third of whom have required hospitalization. Cases 00:07:28.194 --> 00:07:34.949 - have mostly been among unvaccinated individuals. I want to reassure you there have been no suspected 00:07:34.949 --> 00:07:41.704 - or confirmed measles cases in Monroe County this year. However, we are strongly encouraging folks to 00:07:41.704 --> 00:07:48.191 - stay up to date on vaccinations. Measles is a highly contagious disease that can lead to serious 00:07:48.191 --> 00:07:51.134 - complications, especially in young children 00:07:51.298 --> 00:07:57.778 - pregnant people, and those with weakened immune systems. The most effective protection against measles 00:07:57.778 --> 00:08:04.384 - is the MMR, or measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine. The United States has maintained measles elimination 00:08:04.384 --> 00:08:10.864 - status since the year 2000, and unfortunately we are expected to lose that status this year. Folks can 00:08:10.864 --> 00:08:17.470 - schedule a vaccination appointment with a primary care provider at the IU Health Community Health Clinic 00:08:17.922 --> 00:08:27.439 - or at the Morgan County Health Department in Martinsville by calling 765-342-6621. Thank you. Excellent. 00:08:27.439 --> 00:08:36.774 - Thank you so much. Any comments or questions, Commissioner Jones? Yeah, that's certainly very bad news 00:08:36.774 --> 00:08:45.566 - about the increase in measles, but at least it's not in Monroe County yet. Commissioner Medeira? 00:08:45.730 --> 00:08:56.041 - absolutely. Yes, that's something we're keeping a close eye on, and we very much hope to keep away. 00:08:56.041 --> 00:09:06.455 - For sure. Excellent. Thank you so much for joining us today. Appreciate it. All right. Next, we have 00:09:06.455 --> 00:09:13.982 - an update from Rural Transit. Good morning. Make sure I do it correctly. 00:09:14.370 --> 00:09:23.700 - Good to see everybody in person again. Yes, I wanted to give an update for this past quarter about ridership 00:09:23.700 --> 00:09:32.517 - from Monroe County. Pardon me, I've got like a frog in my throat. For this past quarter, July, August, 00:09:32.517 --> 00:09:41.076 - September, we had 5,854 rides that we provided. That puts the average for this year from January to 00:09:41.076 --> 00:09:44.158 - September at 1,818 rides per month. 00:09:44.834 --> 00:09:53.414 - and I wanted to provide an update on Ellisville as well. I've been in communication with Shelly Stramatis 00:09:53.414 --> 00:10:01.912 - and then Nick Standifer has also copied on those emails. I've been providing them with information about 00:10:01.912 --> 00:10:10.087 - ridership and mileage for what our experience has been serving Ellisville so that they can formulate 00:10:10.087 --> 00:10:13.406 - a plan going forward. Thank you so much. 00:10:13.666 --> 00:10:21.311 - I appreciate the update. Any comments or questions, Commissioner Madeira? No, thank you so very much. 00:10:21.311 --> 00:10:29.256 - Commissioner Jones? No, just thank you. Thank you. Have a great day. Yeah, thank you. You too. All right. 00:10:29.256 --> 00:10:34.878 - Next, we'll move on to Veterans Affairs. Mr. Stephen Miller. Good morning. 00:10:37.442 --> 00:10:45.538 - Good morning, commissioners. Thanks for having me today. I wanted to give a quick little update on one 00:10:45.538 --> 00:10:53.556 - we talked about during the proclamation, the amount of money that comes into communities from the VA. 00:10:53.556 --> 00:11:01.809 - And the VA gives a global distribution of funds estimate every year, and it's always a year in the rear. 00:11:01.809 --> 00:11:03.774 - So for fiscal year 2025, 00:11:03.906 --> 00:11:13.778 - Monroe County received 76.9 million dollars from the federal VA. That is up 9.6 million dollars over 00:11:13.778 --> 00:11:23.845 - fiscal year 2024. The compensation and pension is the biggest driver of that increase that went up 7.6 00:11:23.845 --> 00:11:27.070 - million dollars and we're seeing 00:11:27.906 --> 00:11:35.982 - Our disability claims have gone up and our intents to file have gone up so our estimation is that more 00:11:35.982 --> 00:11:44.058 - work is being done, more better work, it's getting better results. On top of that I wanted to tell you 00:11:44.058 --> 00:11:48.606 - a quick story about a veteran that I've been helping out. 00:11:48.898 --> 00:11:56.731 - sometimes in my office, I'm not able to provide a magic bullet to fix a problem. And earlier this month, 00:11:56.731 --> 00:12:04.192 - the mother of a service member reached out to one of the veteran service organizations here in town 00:12:04.192 --> 00:12:11.950 - because her son is stationed in Korea and was trying to take advantage of a program called SkillBridge, 00:12:11.950 --> 00:12:18.366 - which is a DOD transition assistance program that allows for up to 180 days of unpaid 00:12:18.562 --> 00:12:19.230 - Um, 00:12:19.458 --> 00:12:26.245 - internship at a company, they still get paid their military salary during that time frame, and oftentimes 00:12:26.245 --> 00:12:32.776 - it leads to a full-time job. Well, this veteran, excuse me, the service member is stationed in Korea, 00:12:32.776 --> 00:12:39.307 - and 13-hour time difference was really struggling to try to get a hold of. All of the onus of getting 00:12:39.307 --> 00:12:45.902 - in the program is all on the service member. So they had to find a company, and they had to coordinate 00:12:45.902 --> 00:12:49.424 - a plan for them to work there, and they were, frankly, 00:12:49.424 --> 00:12:57.275 - just struggling. I personally didn't have a line on the employers, but I knew who did. In Monroe County, 00:12:57.275 --> 00:13:04.752 - we have the Department of Workforce Development, and they have a person called the Disabled Veteran 00:13:04.752 --> 00:13:12.379 - Outreach Program Specialist, whose role is to help veterans get jobs. They help them get job ready by 00:13:12.379 --> 00:13:14.846 - helping them with their resumes, 00:13:15.042 --> 00:13:22.014 - interview prep and then actually finding jobs with them. But our diva was 00:13:22.338 --> 00:13:28.457 - jumping for joy when I called him and asked if he would be able to help. And he was able to get a hold 00:13:28.457 --> 00:13:34.577 - of that individual. And they're presently formulating a plan to try to see if they can get him through 00:13:34.577 --> 00:13:40.637 - the skill bridge program, which I think will be incredible for his long term success once he gets out 00:13:40.637 --> 00:13:46.637 - of the service. So that's what I had to share with you all today. So thank you so much for your time 00:13:46.637 --> 00:13:52.222 - and have a wonderful rest of your day. Thank you so much. Appreciate the updated information. 00:13:52.834 --> 00:14:05.014 - very welcome. All right. Um, any other department updates? You can raise your hand on teams. Uh, 00:14:05.014 --> 00:14:16.190 - we have, uh, John Baton, GIS. You should be able to unmute. There you are. Good morning. 00:14:16.674 --> 00:14:22.788 - Good morning. I'm just here to provide a quick update on our live election reporting that will be coming 00:14:22.788 --> 00:14:28.786 - out next week, Tuesday, for election day. We do have an application built out for this. We'll be doing 00:14:28.786 --> 00:14:34.202 - live election reporting again. This will be our third time doing this. As votes come in from 00:14:34.202 --> 00:14:40.550 - voter registration, we'll be basically putting those into the dashboard, and this will be updating generally 00:14:40.550 --> 00:14:45.150 - about every hour. You guys can all hear me and see my screen as well, correct? 00:14:45.314 --> 00:14:51.265 - We can see your screen, but you're stalled on accepting the information. Something that's, I'm not sure 00:14:51.265 --> 00:14:57.216 - that's the screen you want because there's no, there's no data on it. Yeah. Oh, yep. Yeah. There's I'll 00:14:57.216 --> 00:15:03.167 - get out of this splash screen here to see, can you see the dashboard now? Yes. Yes. And there's no data 00:15:03.167 --> 00:15:09.003 - because we haven't got any votes yet. So as he's coming, this is just all zeroed out, but we have one 00:15:09.003 --> 00:15:11.006 - that's built up for a county wide. 00:15:11.202 --> 00:15:17.248 - dashboard as well as the precinct level, but you can just basically search for a race and click on something 00:15:17.248 --> 00:15:22.795 - like this and the data will show up as those votes come in, as well as the ballot measures that are 00:15:22.795 --> 00:15:28.563 - on the ballot this year. And then at the precinct level, this is more geographic, but users, if they're 00:15:28.563 --> 00:15:34.387 - not aware of what their precinct are, they can search by an address here. So I'll just type in 501 North 00:15:34.387 --> 00:15:36.606 - Morton so folks can see how this works. 00:15:36.930 --> 00:15:43.345 - And we'll zoom into 501 North Morton Street to see that we are in Bloomington 20. And so if folks wanted 00:15:43.345 --> 00:15:49.516 - to search for it that way, that's kind of an easy way to do it. You can go to Bloomington 20 just by 00:15:49.516 --> 00:15:55.809 - typing in 20. It'll zoom back in again. And then you can select an office again just by searching. I'm 00:15:55.809 --> 00:16:01.246 - just going to go straight party here. And we can get those results showing up like that. 00:16:01.346 --> 00:16:07.704 - So this is also configured for mobile view as well. The laptop or desktop version has more bells and 00:16:07.704 --> 00:16:14.124 - whistles and it's what I recommend. I'll also just highlight once more our early voting dashboard has 00:16:14.124 --> 00:16:20.734 - been turning around as expected. We've had a great turnout yesterday and we got a few more days of early 00:16:20.734 --> 00:16:27.343 - voting. So it's neat to see that we're doing better than 2022 and we're inching up to 2018. So hopefully 00:16:27.343 --> 00:16:30.302 - these numbers keep going up. That's all I got. 00:16:30.978 --> 00:16:38.084 - Great. Thank you so much. And thanks again for putting this product together. Yeah, I was hoping to 00:16:38.084 --> 00:16:45.473 - see those early voting numbers because I haven't checked in a few days. So it's good to see that number 00:16:45.473 --> 00:16:52.863 - is high. There were a lot of people there yesterday when I was there. There were a lot. But things went 00:16:52.863 --> 00:16:58.974 - very quickly. So that was good. Excellent. Thank you so much. Yeah, great. Thank you. 00:17:02.050 --> 00:17:10.182 - The other departments have an update for us. All right, seeing none, we'll move on to public comment. 00:17:10.182 --> 00:17:18.394 - This is public comment for items that are not on our agenda. Speakers are limited to three minutes per 00:17:18.394 --> 00:17:26.366 - person, and we ask that you provide your name and your county of residence when you begin speaking. 00:17:33.794 --> 00:17:42.704 - see any hands raised on teams, nor anyone here in the NETU Hill Room. OK. Well, with that, we will move 00:17:42.704 --> 00:17:51.444 - on to our next agenda item, please. Yes, I would like to move approval of the minutes for October 22, 00:17:51.444 --> 00:17:59.326 - 2026. Second. We have a motion and a second. Any comments, corrections, or edits? Nope. OK. 00:18:00.226 --> 00:18:07.966 - All those in favor of approving the minutes for October 22nd, 2026 signify by saying aye. Aye. Motion 00:18:07.966 --> 00:18:15.933 - carries 3-0. Next item, please. Yes, I'd like to move approval of the claims docket for accounts payable 00:18:15.933 --> 00:18:23.521 - for October 29th, 2026 and for payroll for October 30th, 2026. Second. We have a motion and we have 00:18:23.521 --> 00:18:25.342 - a second. Good morning. 00:18:25.602 --> 00:18:37.620 - Good morning. The accounts payable claims docket for October 29th, 2026 totals $2,437,635.66. This includes 00:18:37.620 --> 00:18:49.193 - all emergency claims and adjustments. The payroll docket for October 30th, 2026 includes $1,645,552.97. 00:18:49.193 --> 00:18:53.310 - The indirect costs and the remaining 00:18:53.410 --> 00:19:02.227 - $84,626.89 were for indoor costs for a grant total of $2,330,179.86. Thank you so much. Comments or 00:19:02.227 --> 00:19:11.308 - questions? Commissioner Jones? No, I don't. Commissioner Madeira? Thank you. No, I don't either. Let's 00:19:11.308 --> 00:19:20.478 - see if there's any public comment on this item. You can raise your hand on Teams or come to the podium. 00:19:26.274 --> 00:19:34.454 - All those in favor of approving the claim stock and accounts payable October 29th, 2026 and payroll 00:19:34.454 --> 00:19:42.715 - October 30th, 2026 signify by saying aye. Motion carries three zero. Thank you. And I will note that 00:19:42.715 --> 00:19:51.222 - we have received reports from the clerk's office and that's for September 2026. And we received reports 00:19:51.222 --> 00:19:55.966 - from weights and measures for both September and October. 00:19:56.130 --> 00:20:07.390 - of 2020. I also want to note that at our last meeting we had. Noted that we received. The housing report 00:20:07.390 --> 00:20:18.435 - from from Dr Clements toward an analytical platform for housing inventory. Bloomington, Ellisville and 00:20:18.435 --> 00:20:23.582 - Monroe County. I had made a motion at that last 00:20:23.746 --> 00:20:33.957 - I want to go ahead and was told to wait a week, so I want to go ahead and make that motion that we accept 00:20:33.957 --> 00:20:44.264 - that housing report today. Second. All right, so we have a motion and we have a second. Any other comments 00:20:44.264 --> 00:20:50.814 - from commissioners? It was an interesting report. Yeah, very, very. 00:20:51.554 --> 00:21:01.415 - All right, and we appreciate the hard work of Dr. Clements. All right, all those in favor of accepting 00:21:01.415 --> 00:21:11.372 - the housing report signify by saying aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Nay. All right, motion carries to one. 00:21:11.372 --> 00:21:16.350 - All right, we will move on to new business, please. 00:21:16.930 --> 00:21:23.514 - Yes, I'd like to move approval for the Bio One Thompson property encampment cleanup extension. Fund 00:21:23.514 --> 00:21:30.164 - name County General, fund number 1000 in the amount of $35,000. Second. We have a motion and we have 00:21:30.164 --> 00:21:36.814 - a second. Mr. Kreider. Morning Commissioners. Richard Kreider, Monroe County Building and Fleet. I'd 00:21:36.814 --> 00:21:41.950 - like to read a Thompson cleanup progress update if you don't mind. Thank you. 00:21:42.082 --> 00:21:48.160 - Iowa one county maintenance parks and the highway departments continue to make progress on the Thompson 00:21:48.160 --> 00:21:54.413 - encampment cleanup The project has required multiple extensions as additional campments structures garbage 00:21:54.413 --> 00:22:00.373 - and debris have been identified and addressed throughout the cleanup process Phase one was 20 days of 00:22:00.373 --> 00:22:06.334 - removing personal property dismantling structures repairing fencing marking boundaries clearing brush 00:22:06.466 --> 00:22:12.622 - creating access points and new trails to assist with cleanup process and improving patrolling capabilities. 00:22:12.622 --> 00:22:18.493 - Phase 2 and 3 have been structured 10-day extensions to allow Bio 1 to continue working through former 00:22:18.493 --> 00:22:24.363 - encampments. Bio 1 systematically sifts through the debris at each encampment, separating and removing 00:22:24.363 --> 00:22:30.063 - hazardous materials encountered during the cleanup. The remaining debris is consolidated into large 00:22:30.063 --> 00:22:34.110 - piles, which are then loaded by machinery into dumpsters for disposal. 00:22:34.690 --> 00:22:40.287 - Phase four is necessary to finalize cleanup in areas that are accessible with the equipment currently 00:22:40.287 --> 00:22:45.885 - in use. A phase five will be required to address the remaining former encampments due to the location 00:22:45.885 --> 00:22:51.482 - and obstacles surrounding them. Additional planning will be necessary to determine how to best access 00:22:51.482 --> 00:22:57.080 - the cleanup in those areas. The building and fleet office will coordinate with the highway department 00:22:57.080 --> 00:23:02.238 - and parks department to identify the most appropriate equipment for reaching those locations. 00:23:03.298 --> 00:23:10.163 - With that said, this request is to approve the proposal submitted by Bio One to extend the existing 00:23:10.163 --> 00:23:17.235 - agreement for an additional 10 days to continue cleanup and hazardous material removal at the Thompson 00:23:17.235 --> 00:23:24.169 - property at a rate of $3,500 per day for a total additional cost not to exceed $35,000. Thank you so 00:23:24.169 --> 00:23:30.622 - much. Commissioner Jones, comments or questions? No, I don't. Thank you. Commissioner Madera. 00:23:30.946 --> 00:23:39.377 - No, I do not. Thank you so much for all you've done to shepherd this through. Yeah, it's it's yeah your 00:23:39.377 --> 00:23:47.646 - leadership has has been great. And so this is really phase four that that we're doing right. Yes. So, 00:23:48.066 --> 00:23:55.886 - How long is phase five expected to take? Or you don't know that because... I really don't know because 00:23:55.886 --> 00:24:03.555 - of the locations. There's two encampments that are extremely difficult to get to. If we can drive to 00:24:03.555 --> 00:24:11.451 - it, it's a lot easier, but these are surrounded by piles of stone and dry creek beds. It's a challenge. 00:24:11.451 --> 00:24:12.894 - Gotcha. All right. 00:24:12.994 --> 00:24:20.409 - All right. Well, thank you again for your work on this and coordinating. And we do want to, again, thank 00:24:20.409 --> 00:24:27.825 - Highway and Parks for their help as well, because they've been super. All right. So let's see if there's 00:24:27.825 --> 00:24:34.110 - any public comment on this item. You can raise your hand on Teams or come to the podium. 00:24:40.994 --> 00:24:48.037 - Seeing none, all those in favor of approving the Bio 1 Thompson property encampment cleanup extension, 00:24:48.037 --> 00:24:54.875 - signify by saying aye. Aye. Motion carries 3-0. All right. Next item, please. Yes, I'd like to move 00:24:54.875 --> 00:25:02.055 - approval for the ratification of Indiana Door and Hardware Specialties, Incorporated, fund name, service 00:25:02.055 --> 00:25:09.441 - maintenance, fund number 1138, in the amount of, well, it says original cost, $7,840, and for an additional 00:25:09.441 --> 00:25:10.398 - cost of $760. 00:25:10.658 --> 00:25:19.362 - Second. All right we have a motion and we have a second. This request is for approval to ratify the 00:25:19.362 --> 00:25:28.589 - additional $760 expense incurred for exit door repairs at the Justice Building. Indiana Door and Hardware 00:25:28.589 --> 00:25:36.510 - submitted an initial initial quote of $7,840 to repair exit doors at the Justice Building. 00:25:36.738 --> 00:25:42.624 - Due to security requirements, the proposal was approved and then later ratified at the September 3rd 00:25:42.624 --> 00:25:48.393 - Board of Commissioners meeting. During the repair process, it was discovered that a hinge required 00:25:48.393 --> 00:25:54.220 - replacement. After consultation with maintenance, a decision was made to install a continuous hinge 00:25:54.220 --> 00:26:00.164 - to address C issue. This modification required additional parts and labor, resulting in an additional 00:26:00.164 --> 00:26:05.758 - expense of $760 beyond the original approved amount, bringing the total project cost to $8,600. 00:26:06.914 --> 00:26:13.216 - Thank you so much. Comments or questions? Commissioner Madeira? None. Thank you. Commissioner Jones? 00:26:13.216 --> 00:26:19.518 - No, I don't. Thank you. I don't have any either. Thanks for your attention to this matter. Let's see 00:26:19.518 --> 00:26:25.758 - if there's any public comment on this item. You can raise your hand on Teams or come to the podium. 00:26:32.514 --> 00:26:41.819 - Seeing none, all those in favor of ratifying the Indiana Dorn Hardware Specialties, Inc. contract with 00:26:41.819 --> 00:26:51.486 - the additional cost of $760, signify by saying aye. Aye. Motion carries 3-0. All right. Next item, please. 00:26:52.354 --> 00:26:58.971 - I would like to move approval for resolution 2026-39, surplus property for the Parks and Recreation 00:26:58.971 --> 00:27:05.787 - Department. Although I think a surplus party sounds much better. I would love a surplus party. I don't 00:27:05.787 --> 00:27:11.742 - even have the first one to have a surplus. There we go. Thank you. All right, Mr. Crider. 00:27:11.970 --> 00:27:18.295 - All right. This request is for approval to declare the Parks and Recreation mower and PR 26 Nissan truck 00:27:18.295 --> 00:27:24.379 - as surplus property. The Parks and Rec mower has reached its scheduled replacement point and will be 00:27:24.379 --> 00:27:30.524 - traded to Richard Small Engines for credit toward the purchase of a replacement mower. And PR 26 2015 00:27:30.524 --> 00:27:36.547 - Nissan Frontier truck has exceeded its service life and has developed mechanical issues that do not 00:27:36.547 --> 00:27:41.246 - justify further investment and repairs. This vehicle will be sold at auction. 00:27:43.458 --> 00:27:51.937 - Thank you so much. All right. Any comments or questions? Commissioner Jones? No, I don't. Thank you. 00:27:51.937 --> 00:28:00.920 - Commissioner Madera? No, thank you. All right. I don't have any questions always. We do love the pictures, 00:28:00.920 --> 00:28:09.567 - so thank you. All right. Let's see if there's any public comment on this item. You can raise your hand 00:28:09.567 --> 00:28:12.254 - on Teams or come to the podium. 00:28:17.154 --> 00:28:25.976 - Seeing none, all those in favor of approving resolution 2026-39 signify by saying aye. Aye. Motion carries 00:28:25.976 --> 00:28:34.304 - 3-0. Thank you, sir. Thank you. All right, next item, please. Yes, I would like to move approval for 00:28:34.304 --> 00:28:42.962 - the ratification of the Monroe County Major Crash Investigation Team Grant, Fund Name, MCI Grant 20.616, 00:28:42.962 --> 00:28:44.446 - Fund Number 8193, 00:28:44.610 --> 00:28:52.325 - in the grant amount of $75,534.38. Second. All right. We have a motion and a second. We heard this item, 00:28:52.325 --> 00:28:59.746 - and yeah. We kind of heard this item, but that's why it's a ratification. We approved the interlocal 00:28:59.746 --> 00:29:07.681 - agreement with Ellisville for this grant agreement. However, the grant agreement itself was only implicitly 00:29:07.681 --> 00:29:13.118 - approved during that process. So this is just making that explicit. Yeah. 00:29:13.218 --> 00:29:21.124 - that grant agreement was included in the packet, so I didn't think twice about it, so got it. Okay. 00:29:21.124 --> 00:29:29.584 - Thank you for keeping us thoroughly in line with what needs to happen, so thank you for that. Any comments 00:29:29.584 --> 00:29:37.965 - or questions, Commissioner Madeira? No, thank you. Commissioner Jones? No, I don't. Thank you. All right. 00:29:37.965 --> 00:29:40.574 - Any public comment on this item? 00:29:41.442 --> 00:29:51.728 - raise your hand on teams or come to the podium. All right, seeing none, all those in favor of ratifying 00:29:51.728 --> 00:30:02.014 - the Monroe County Major Crash Investigation Team grant, signify by saying aye. Aye. Motion carries 3-0. 00:30:02.014 --> 00:30:07.454 - All right, thank you, Mr. Cockrell. Next item, please. 00:30:08.034 --> 00:30:15.437 - Yes, I'd like to move approval for the ratification of the health officer contract. Second. We have 00:30:15.437 --> 00:30:22.915 - a motion and we have a second, Ms. Purdy. Yeah. Last week, we found ourselves in the position of not 00:30:22.915 --> 00:30:29.726 - having a health officer, which required the commissioners and the health board to scramble. 00:30:29.858 --> 00:30:37.231 - in order to get somebody in place so that our health department could continue to serve our community 00:30:37.231 --> 00:30:44.676 - members. And I think as indicated previously by Linnea, Dr. Broderick, who is the Morgan County Health 00:30:44.676 --> 00:30:52.338 - Officer has agreed to serve in this role for us on an interim basis. And this just ratifies that contract 00:30:52.338 --> 00:30:57.470 - that was signed by an emergency meeting of the Board of Health and the 00:30:59.618 --> 00:31:06.717 - Mr. Thomas was able to sign as the president and here for now, we are ratifying that agreement. Great. 00:31:06.717 --> 00:31:13.746 - Thank you so much. Uh, any comments or questions, commissioner Jones? No, it's just good that we were 00:31:13.746 --> 00:31:20.707 - able to make this happen. This is one of my favorite programs to approve. I think it does a world of 00:31:20.707 --> 00:31:27.806 - good for people and the surrounding community. And, uh, it's my delight to, uh, prove this. Thank you. 00:31:29.634 --> 00:31:37.784 - Let's see if there's any public comment on this item. You can raise your hand on Teams or come to the 00:31:37.784 --> 00:31:45.774 - podium. Seeing none, all those in favor of ratifying the health officer contract, signify by saying 00:31:45.774 --> 00:31:53.764 - aye. Aye. Aye. Sorry. That's all right. Motion carries three zero. I was just gonna turn to you and 00:31:53.764 --> 00:31:58.398 - say, what do you think? All right, we're good. All right. 00:32:03.618 --> 00:32:12.240 - and I'll explain it. Yes. We do need a vote to approve it. And I didn't mean to say program before in 00:32:12.240 --> 00:32:20.609 - the city department. So I'd like to move approval for the Food and Beverage Tax Fund plan. Second. 00:32:20.609 --> 00:32:29.316 - All right. So we have a motion and a second. So we have an annual meeting of the Food and Beverage Tax 00:32:29.316 --> 00:32:33.374 - Advisory Commission tomorrow afternoon, and the 00:32:34.242 --> 00:32:46.518 - the commission is really an advisory body, but we are required by state statute to provide information 00:32:46.518 --> 00:32:59.033 - on the planned spending for the remainder of this year and into next year. And the city will do likewise 00:32:59.033 --> 00:33:04.158 - with their 90% of food and beverage money. 00:33:04.482 --> 00:33:18.046 - Just to review where things are, we do have, as of October 21st, more than $2.5 million in our Monroe 00:33:18.046 --> 00:33:32.275 - County Food and Beverage Fund. The plan reads as follows, that first for the Monroe County Nature Reserve, 00:33:32.275 --> 00:33:34.270 - the 409 acres, 00:33:34.402 --> 00:33:47.794 - and the council did not allocate funding for the required tasks in order for us to receive this property 00:33:47.794 --> 00:33:59.528 - in trust. And they also need maintenance equipment. A total of 905,000 is part of the plan, 00:33:59.528 --> 00:34:02.334 - although only 186,000 00:34:02.498 --> 00:34:11.683 - has been expended so far. So there's still money that has to come out of that $2.7 million. I'm going 00:34:11.683 --> 00:34:21.409 - to skip down to the third item, which is the Monroe County Capital Improvement Board of Managers Convention 00:34:21.409 --> 00:34:31.134 - Center Hotel Project Support. And as the Monroe County Convention Center Project is nearing its completion, 00:34:31.714 --> 00:34:41.884 - unbelievable how fast that went. A companion project, which is the Host Hotel, has not yet started. 00:34:41.884 --> 00:34:52.665 - And the Capital Improvement Board has asked us to assist with funding. And this relates to site selection 00:34:52.665 --> 00:34:55.614 - utility property development 00:34:55.714 --> 00:35:05.320 - essentially to get this project moving. It's unfortunate that the city of Bloomington did not choose 00:35:05.320 --> 00:35:15.306 - to put this money in, but we are, as a board, very interested in this project moving forward and getting 00:35:15.306 --> 00:35:19.966 - complete. So this is a $300,000 offer of support 00:35:20.066 --> 00:35:28.831 - on that project. And just for clarification, it seems there's still some confusion about food and beverage 00:35:28.831 --> 00:35:37.187 - dollars and how they're supposed to be used. And some members of council think that it's only for the 00:35:37.187 --> 00:35:44.478 - convention center. And actually, our 10% is convention tourism and economic development. 00:35:44.610 --> 00:35:53.472 - And with that in mind, we do have the Quarry Project, which has been a bit stalled, but we are meeting 00:35:53.472 --> 00:36:02.420 - in a few weeks. There's a group of residents from across the community who are interested in developing 00:36:02.420 --> 00:36:11.454 - this project. It's not really a park. It is economic development. It supports, of course, has the nature 00:36:11.682 --> 00:36:32.594 - the arts. And, um, we're hoping limestone symposium. And other related projects. Um so our first, um, 00:36:32.594 --> 00:36:38.334 - funding will be for. A, um. 00:36:38.434 --> 00:36:46.256 - as a critical feature in order to gauge what folks would like to see in our community. And then we will 00:36:46.256 --> 00:36:53.777 - move on to site access and safety improvements so folks can get there and park and walk through the 00:36:53.777 --> 00:37:01.599 - property. There's just, the walking paths are actually deer runs. Although there's a gravel road there, 00:37:01.599 --> 00:37:07.390 - but it's, yeah. Anyway, the goal here really is to do something we've needed 00:37:07.682 --> 00:37:17.531 - in this community for a long time as we're heading in toward the 200th anniversary of the limestone 00:37:17.531 --> 00:37:28.267 - industry in Monroe County. We don't have anything that celebrates the history of limestone in our community. 00:37:28.267 --> 00:37:34.078 - How it has, how the procurement has evolved over time, the 00:37:34.306 --> 00:37:44.768 - the cultural impact, the workers who arrived in Monroe County, what their lives were like. There's so 00:37:44.768 --> 00:37:55.127 - many parts of this story, the geological part, the architectural aspects that haven't been told. And 00:37:55.127 --> 00:38:03.230 - so that's the goal of this Quarry project. And one of the key features will be 00:38:03.330 --> 00:38:17.080 - not only an outdoor exhibit of limestone equipment, which it's going to be fascinating for folks to 00:38:17.080 --> 00:38:31.518 - see that, but also we'd like to create an indoor archive space, research space, and a place for children 00:38:31.778 --> 00:38:41.398 - young adults and adults to learn more about the limestone industry. We just see this being a magnet 00:38:41.398 --> 00:38:51.308 - for local field trips and lots of people coming to enjoy the property and to learn about limestone and 00:38:51.308 --> 00:38:59.966 - the industry. So really great time, fascinating time to be part of this. And so there is, 00:39:00.354 --> 00:39:09.120 - a total of over 1.5 million dedicated to launching this project. So that is the plan. Any questions, 00:39:09.120 --> 00:39:18.320 - Commissioner Madeira? No, I just wanted to make sure that the public knew that there is very, very narrow 00:39:18.320 --> 00:39:27.259 - purposes for which these tax funds could go to, and they're all economic development projects. So it's 00:39:27.259 --> 00:39:29.950 - a very narrow circumscription. 00:39:30.882 --> 00:39:38.286 - and tourism fits into that. Commissioner Jones, questions? No questions, just this has been on the back 00:39:38.286 --> 00:39:45.762 - burner for a long, long time, and it's pretty exciting to see it moving forward. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, 00:39:45.762 --> 00:39:52.953 - we've been stymied by a few things, not the least of which is trying to get the Justice Center done, 00:39:52.953 --> 00:40:00.286 - because that was one of the access points. So we're moving off of that, and we've found other options. 00:40:00.546 --> 00:40:14.405 - All right. Any public comment on the food and beverage tax fund plan? Or come to the podium. All right. 00:40:14.405 --> 00:40:27.998 - Seeing none, all those in favor of approving the food and beverage tax on plan signify by saying aye. 00:40:28.610 --> 00:40:41.070 - I motion carries three zero. All right, next we have appointments and I have this is all related to 00:40:41.070 --> 00:40:54.526 - the Health Board and I'm just going to make this all in one motion be easier. Okay, so I would like to move 00:40:55.426 --> 00:41:07.531 - approval of the appointments of Kay Fields and John Macy and to the health board. And these are two-year 00:41:07.531 --> 00:41:19.175 - terms ending December of 2028. And to appoint Steve Coover to a four-year term with an expiration of 00:41:19.175 --> 00:41:24.478 - November of 2030. Kind of sounds so far away. 00:41:24.610 --> 00:41:33.590 - We are going to have to make room for these folks. And as a result, we are going to be removing two 00:41:33.590 --> 00:41:42.750 - board members, Dr. Teague and Dr. Pritchard with great thanks and appreciation for their service. And 00:41:42.750 --> 00:41:52.269 - that is the motion. Second. All right. All those in favor of approving the appointments signify by saying 00:41:52.269 --> 00:41:54.334 - aye. Aye. Any opposed? 00:41:55.394 --> 00:42:04.832 - I'm not sure how we would vote if I'm in favor of the appointments, but against the removals. Just vote 00:42:04.832 --> 00:42:13.998 - no. I think you could vote no or you could ask us with the question. I'll just vote no. Okay, so the 00:42:13.998 --> 00:42:20.350 - motion carries two to one. All right, so we have a few announcements. 00:42:20.482 --> 00:42:31.508 - I want to remind folks that early voting continues. It has been busy, but even if you see lots of folks 00:42:31.508 --> 00:42:42.217 - there. It moves quickly. I think I was able to vote in about five or six minutes time. I was able to 00:42:42.217 --> 00:42:49.214 - get in the door, so it's pretty good. Um and, um, so early voting 00:42:49.314 --> 00:42:58.376 - that we're going to talk about. We're going to talk about the Monroe County Government building. So 00:42:58.376 --> 00:43:07.165 - October 29th, October 30th, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. There is early voting available this Saturday from. 00:43:07.165 --> 00:43:15.774 - I'm sorry. Those times today and tomorrow or 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Early voting on Saturday is 9 to 00:43:15.874 --> 00:43:25.425 - vote early at the same location, and that is 8 a.m. to noon on Monday, November 2nd. Election day is 00:43:25.425 --> 00:43:34.977 - November 3rd, and county offices will be closed on that day. You would have to vote at your precinct 00:43:34.977 --> 00:43:41.502 - between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3rd, and please vote. 00:43:41.762 --> 00:43:51.175 - it's an important thing. Let's get those numbers up where they should be. And we also want to remind 00:43:51.175 --> 00:44:00.587 - folks that there are continuing to be blood drives. We do this in conjunction with the Red Cross and 00:44:00.587 --> 00:44:09.534 - IV Tech. There is a blood drive tomorrow. There's an appointment tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 00:44:09.666 --> 00:44:20.618 - you can go to red cross dot org to make an appointment. This is at Ivy Tech. Room C 130 A and B and 00:44:20.618 --> 00:44:31.789 - also the next one is Thursday, November 5th. 9 AM to 2 PM. And again, Ivy Tech and red cross dot org. 00:44:31.789 --> 00:44:37.374 - We do want to remind residents to sign up for the. 00:44:37.570 --> 00:44:59.967 - You can go to the calendar on that home page and check out the times. These are appointments. These 00:44:59.967 --> 00:45:06.014 - are office hours on teams. 00:45:06.114 --> 00:45:16.079 - Again, we are continuing to accept applications for boards and commissions, so go to that homepage and 00:45:16.079 --> 00:45:25.946 - check out the information on various boards and commissions, and you can apply online as well. I want 00:45:25.946 --> 00:45:34.750 - to note that our next meeting day is going to be moved. So we are meeting on November 4th, 00:45:36.002 --> 00:45:45.372 - commissioners meeting at 12 30. That will be the board of commissioners meeting on Wednesday next week 00:45:45.372 --> 00:45:54.560 - instead of Thursday. Um. So I just want to make that announcement and make sure everybody knows. Um. 00:45:54.560 --> 00:46:02.110 - Do you have anything else? Commissioner Madeira? Uh yes, I just wanted to. I had a 00:46:02.370 --> 00:46:10.384 - to the health department. I just am always leery of removing people, lest it have a chilling effect 00:46:10.384 --> 00:46:18.478 - on board service. And I did want to also have a, I had a couple remarks on the housing study. I also 00:46:18.478 --> 00:46:26.492 - very much appreciate Dr. Clemens' report. I don't often dissent from my colleagues, and so I wanted 00:46:26.492 --> 00:46:27.454 - to say why. 00:46:27.618 --> 00:46:32.540 - So I think the report makes a useful case for shared housing database, but it's a headline conclusion 00:46:32.540 --> 00:46:37.848 - that projected housing needs have largely been met or exceeded is not adequately supported by the comparisons 00:46:37.848 --> 00:46:43.011 - it presents. So to succeed in that objective would have to show that housing demand is satisfied. Instead, 00:46:43.011 --> 00:46:48.222 - it counts that units built and it compares them with older projects that actually can answer that question. 00:46:48.354 --> 00:46:54.377 - Exceeding targets shows that projects were surpassed, not that need was met. Need is measured by prices, 00:46:54.377 --> 00:47:00.514 - vacancy, cost burden, overcrowding, and community, but the report does actually not analyze these factors. 00:47:00.514 --> 00:47:06.537 - It concedes that it does not analyze affordability, wages, or housing type, which are the core questions 00:47:06.537 --> 00:47:12.445 - in shortage studies. Also, this data answers a narrower question. Has construction kept pace with what 00:47:12.445 --> 00:47:15.198 - earlier studies said would be built and needed? 00:47:15.298 --> 00:47:21.522 - In other words, did the number of units completed reach the targets in the 2018 comprehensive plan and 00:47:21.522 --> 00:47:27.745 - the 2020 BDC study? And so I also can suggest some areas for change. There are some arithmetic errors, 00:47:27.745 --> 00:47:33.908 - inconsistent classifications, and mismatches between populations, places, and periods being compared, 00:47:33.908 --> 00:47:36.990 - and I can forward that to the author of the study. 00:47:37.634 --> 00:47:42.721 - The biggest problem is, as I remarked last week, is the study is missing the demand side data needed 00:47:42.721 --> 00:47:47.908 - to judge whether housing needs have been met. I don't think counting new housing studies, counting new 00:47:47.908 --> 00:47:52.945 - housing establishes whether housing needs have been met, because we need to know how demand changed 00:47:52.945 --> 00:47:57.981 - during the same period in the same area and at different price levels. That said, I think it can be 00:47:57.981 --> 00:48:03.118 - a good start on what is needed, and I look forward to hopefully talking with Dr. Clements and working 00:48:03.118 --> 00:48:07.198 - with the Planning Commission to see if we can get the demand side data in there. 00:48:07.394 --> 00:48:15.976 - Thank you so very much. Do you have anything? No, I don't. Thank you. We're glad to have you here. I'm 00:48:15.976 --> 00:48:24.475 - going to say that. And I just want to make a note that the housing study is a study of numbers. It is 00:48:24.475 --> 00:48:30.974 - not a policy statement and everybody can read those numbers in their own way. 00:48:31.138 --> 00:48:38.506 - what it demonstrates is that we've built more units than anyone thought we needed. I don't think we've 00:48:38.506 --> 00:48:46.089 - built the right ones. I think that's my takeaway from it. We have way too much student apartment building 00:48:46.089 --> 00:48:53.313 - units, way too many of those and not enough single family homes. I don't think anyone is going to be 00:48:53.313 --> 00:48:58.750 - able to give you vacancy numbers because nobody will share that. So I think 00:48:58.882 --> 00:49:07.312 - it's great to be aspirational and to think about what you might want, but I'm grateful to have the numbers 00:49:07.312 --> 00:49:15.348 - because when we sit in the Planning Commission, what we come back with is a, we question, wait, don't 00:49:15.348 --> 00:49:23.463 - we have two, don't we have single housing online ready to come into play? How many? We don't have that 00:49:23.463 --> 00:49:26.142 - information at our fingertips and 00:49:26.402 --> 00:49:33.837 - the staff is constantly going back and doing that research for us. And this is something where everybody 00:49:33.837 --> 00:49:40.989 - in the community can see what is online, what is coming, what has been suggested, what is built, and 00:49:40.989 --> 00:49:48.141 - what has certificates of occupancy, because it's not real until somebody can move in. And that's the 00:49:48.141 --> 00:49:50.974 - value of this, is having those numbers. 00:49:51.138 --> 00:49:58.902 - I think you're going to find that the realtors want to tell you what's needed, and I think you're going 00:49:58.902 --> 00:50:06.368 - to find that city council is going to tell you what's needed, and the town council is going to tell 00:50:06.368 --> 00:50:14.206 - you what's needed. It is very difficult to gauge what's needed. I think we have a shortage of affordable 00:50:14.206 --> 00:50:16.222 - housing. I think the place 00:50:16.578 --> 00:50:24.081 - to do that is inside the city limits. And I think some of that space has unfortunately been squandered, 00:50:24.081 --> 00:50:31.585 - because we don't know when a developer comes in and says, I want to build yet another student apartment 00:50:31.585 --> 00:50:38.872 - building, whether it's really needed or not. And so if you want to look at need, that's the place to 00:50:38.872 --> 00:50:45.726 - start. And that's not our purview. We just do the counts. But having the counts, so important. 00:50:45.986 --> 00:50:56.269 - So important. All right. So with that, our next meeting is November 4th at 1230. And right here in the 00:50:56.269 --> 00:51:06.553 - NatU Hill Room, we do not have a work session. Anything else for the good of the order? Ms. Purdy, Mr. 00:51:06.553 --> 00:51:13.342 - Cockrell? All right. With that, we are adjourned. Thanks, everyone.