Good evening, everybody. It is Thursday, December 18th at 537 and I'm going to call the Monroe County
Women's Commission meeting to order. I'm sorry.
The commission will serve an advisory role to assist residents, businesses, and the government of Monroe
County in addressing issues of gender equity. The mission is to advance the status of women and marginalized
genders in all area of county life. I'm sorry, I can't remember. Did we have minutes? No, we didn't
have money. So we had them from two months ago. Still need to approve August and September. And I still
have edits to add in Julie's
sources to October, to which I'm more last one we did. You had sent me additional information and I
still need to add that in. I had sent them out and then said, disregard these. I still need to get that.
But August and September were emailed out prior to that meeting. That's what I was thinking. Do I have
a motion to approve August and September?
I will move because I don't remember that I had any edits. I think we'd already gone through. I'll second.
Good. All in favor say aye. Aye. Minutes from August and September approved. Commissioner updates. I
have none that won't be covered later. Julie. Okay. We didn't have our meeting
last month. And I was the topic was going to be women in politics, but I have not I've not been able
to do any looking into that topic. So that did not end up happening. But I do kind of want to go briefly
over the topics that I did cover this year. And then we can kind of see where that leads us to for next
year. So we looked at income and economic power and living with penalties, lack of money or housing,
being incarcerated,
education, health outcomes, and reproductive health care. And there were some sources that were useful
across multiple topics. And I think that's kind of, those might be some things that we want to go back
into and see if there's any updates on those. So the US Census Quick Facts on Monroe County, Indiana
were pretty useful for several topics. Data USA on Monroe County, human rights campaign,
and county health rankings and roadmaps and maternal mortality report from Indiana, although I don't
think that is being produced anymore, but there were reports, multiple reports out that were useful
for looking at some of the topics that like reproductive health care. So those seem like they might
be good sources in terms of trying to focus in next year and
if we're still interested in creating that visualization of the status of women and marginalized genders
in Monroe County, the data subcommittee, whatever areas that subcommittee is interested in pursuing
further. And there seemed to be like looking at the topics and the sources. Nationally, there were reports
or statistical sources that were good for economic power, incarceration, education, and reproductive
healthcare in particular. At the state level,
there were resources that gave information either across the state or at the county level on lack of
housing and reproductive health care. And then locally, we had some sources that were really good for
economic power, lack of housing, health outcomes, and reproductive health care. So there's kind of some
different levels of data sources that were useful. And they didn't all focus in on Monroe County, but yeah,
There's a picture I think that we can come up with from all of that. Anyway. What the goal is to do
what? There's some things that I think we're interested. The data subcommittee had discussed maybe a
dashboard of some kind to give out a report maybe on the status of women of marginalized genders, but
also if anything is raising red flags for us as a committee to bring that up, especially if
it's county-specific and there's something
that seems really problematic for women and marginalized genders in the county to push on that topic
with the commissioners as much as we can. All the topics then? All the topics. Yeah. Those are just
the topics that I got through. There are other things that we might be interested in trying to look
in as well beyond just that set that I got through. Great. Thanks.
Is there a goal of a date of this magic report? No, this is, I'm not actually on the data subcommittee.
I was just doing this because I was interested as a vice chair to try and get into this. So the data
subcommittee, I think would probably be the place next year to take this and try to get something with
it. So yeah. Well, and especially as we move into, you know, the summer with the students, hopefully.
All right. Yeah. So I think it's in a lot of ways just
I mean, that back foundational work for them to help them figure out, like, say, this is kind of we've
done some work for you. So. This is what we've run into, and yeah, and all of us still in our heads
point anyway, I don't feel like I was really able to dig in all that much on any one topic, so there's
no data, especially. I mean, not especially specific to me that I've ever seen on Monroe County in the
way that I want it right. So.
Thank you. Maria, do you have anything to share? Yes, Maria has a lot to share. So first, I want to
thank and congratulate the state of Indiana for standing firm against Washington and the racist redistricting
efforts. This is a huge win for Indiana in terms of, well,
in terms of working in a nonpartisan across the aisle situation, doing what is right and not letting
bullying or not sway people's votes. And I think it's very good to know heading into the primaries in
terms of who is listening to their constituents and who are easily swayed.
I want to remind everyone that the regular legislative session will resume early in January. I didn't
find a specific date. But what we do need to know is that this is a short session, and I've heard that
they want to be done in late February. Any actions must be swift. The reason why I bring this up, even
though it's a state
You know situation clearly we're in the state of Monroe County is in the state of Indiana and will feel
repercussions of anything that's done decided at the state level. I personally ask you to watch House
Bill 1039. This is an immigration bill that once again asks local. And state law enforcement to act
as federal agents of ice.
And please be aware of the League of Women Voters legislative update sessions. You can find information
about that on lwv-bmc.org. I also want to report that Hoosier Asian American Power had the
pre-trial conference yesterday pertaining to the lawsuit we filed against the state of Indiana for being
in violation of the National Voter Registration Act by passing and implementing House Enrolled Act 1264
and House Enrolled Act 1680. Oh, I did too. I'm sorry. HEA 1264 and HEA 1680.
Also today in the capital, Indiana Capital Chronicle, there was an article titled, incarcerated women
often don't have enough period products. And so I invite everyone or encourage everyone to read that.
And so it might be who of us to check in on that once again, here in Monroe County. Again, that's the
Indiana Chronicle.
The Monroe County branch of the NAACP is facilitating an event on January 25th of 2026 titled Beyond
Ground, Building Forward When Progress is Rolled Back. This is at the downtown on Kirkwood Monroe County
Public Library
Again, January 25th from two to 4 p.m. Tian is here. This is a community gathering to revive the spirit
and purpose of freedom schools and reclaim the unfinished promise of Brown versus Board of Education.
So that will be on my
uh, social media. So if you're interested in that, please let us know. This is going to be an action
oriented, um, event. We're done with talking. Thank you. Yeah. I also want, I'm not done talking now.
That's great. Okay. I have two more things. I want to thank, um, commissioner Jodi Madeira.
and Councilperson David Henry for making the time and putting in the effort to visit people's homes
at the encampment. And thank you to the County Council for honoring humanity and issuing a statement
against the clearing of people's homes in the frigid temps, temperatures.
And as I've been asking for several months, if you or someone you know have received a letter from the
clerk's office requesting proof of citizenship, please reach out to me at Maria at Hoosier AAP.org and
everyone should check and double and triple check your voter registration. Thus ends my update. Thank
you very much.
Ms. Belton, I have nothing. Uh, and Tiana are going to be back momentarily. Yes. I'm sorry. I was going
to have Johnny went up and at the commissioners meeting today regarding. Oh, um, we have a resolution.
Okay. Um, the resolution is up on the website and let me, can you just summarize it? Yeah, it's, um,
Let me pull it up here. It's very short. It basically commits to, here it is. It is up on the website.
You can find it if you go to the commissioners meeting for today. And it will be under, there's two
agenda items, the agenda, the work session, and the resolution. So basically, it says we met on Thursday,
December 11th with concerned residents.
including individuals currently camping in the Thompson property. The conversation included the hardships
imposed by the removal of individuals during the winter season, the difficulty with the current notice,
potential health and land use issues, and the need for a better understanding of the solutions for homeless
encampments. We agreed to provide 30 days notice prior to removal of the encampment when possible, and
to attempt to discuss this issue with other local elected officials. By the way, I will be following up
on that to hold a meeting in June, I'm sorry, early January, not June, with members of the county council,
the city council and mayor. And so we, the end all be all is that we will not issue notice before March
2nd, 2026, given the 30 day notice. So that would put us at the April 1st deadline as earliest.
and this would apply to locations that a reasonable person would conclude that the property is associated
with the homeless encampments. This directive will remain in force until it's rescinded at a noticed
Monroe County Board of Commissioner meeting, or if a lot of law enforcement determines there's an emergency,
if the Monroe County Health Officer determines there's an emergency or if the City of Livington requests.
And those are the legal exceptions we have to have in there.
An example of that would be, for example, in January of 2024, there were, I believe, two individuals
experiencing homelessness who were murdered in an encampment. That is the kind of public emergency that
would justify further action. Not just, oh, reports somebody called saying that there was loud noise
from the encampment. That is not an emergency. So we're talking about threats to serious bodily harm or death.
So what would be the goal of meeting with city or county council? Developing protocols for further situations
like this. And also I think making sure that we get on the same page. But the first meeting will be
about really how we have meetings because I think a lot of attempts to solve this issue before failed
because nobody knew what the goal was. And here the goal is to come up with not only protocols for
the encampment procedure. A commitment to solving this both with short-term and long-term solutions.
So including potential changes to ordinances, emphasis on tiny homes within, I know that state law makes
it hard, that kind of thing. So it's not just, here's how we get educated. And the group will expand
to include frontline workers, community advocates, et cetera. But we thought it was important to get
government
on the same page first before we, yeah. Thank you. That's great. Thank you for that. I'm curious about,
you said unless law enforcement, public health, or the city requests. If it's in the county, the city
wouldn't request it. Right. But because Thompson is within the city boundaries,
That's right. That's the property in a unique situation. That's right. That's right. Thank you.
But in short, short of something that would be truly, truly an emergency, we do not anticipate posting
before March 2nd at the earliest. That doesn't mean that we'll post on March 2nd. It just is the earliest
to meet that 30-day deadline. It could very well be later. Right. Okay. Great. Thank you.
So were there, I didn't watch the meeting yet, were there people from the ambulance there at the meeting?
Ash called it. Okay. And I don't think Ash was happy with the resolution because of that vague language
at the beginning. And unfortunately, that language is something that we have to have. Why is that necessary?
Because if we didn't have it, if there were murders, we could do it. If there were murders and what?
If there were murders, that might not be possible for us to go in.
So in other words, we would have to meet and revoke this resolution before we send anyone in if there
was an emergency. Can it be more specific? I think it's no, because the sheriff has his ability to go
in as well, because we can't determine what Sheriff Marte might determine an emergency. But the sheriff
has promised that he's not going to go in, barring something of that nature, too.
So is it something? I assume the police keep this on the same page as well. Yes. Yes. So this is something
that I know that it's not easy to trust government officials with vague language. But we have to ask
to have an option to do what you need to do if it happens. Exactly. You need to be prepared for the
worst. Right. Yes. But we can commit to those types of emergencies and it being of that level, not
Oh, we've got a call from a neighbor. Yeah, that's not the type of thing we're talking about. Cool.
It's a good step. It's excellent and necessary for a step, but by no means the end. Yeah. Thank you
for that. And the following meetings will be in the evening to accommodate schedules. Fantastic. So
I think that's an important component of it too. Yes.
They certainly spoke about that. And then the next meeting, the 22nd at five. Um, that is, or is that
a fire district? Oh, that's just part of it. Yep. Yep. So, but we will be working to, you know, add
more detail to this as well. But before, first, another reason why it's vague is we wanted input from
other government sources as well. So. Hello. Hello. Doctor.
I made it doctor. When I got there and I said I won't turn around because there's no way here because
the door had been open and the door was open, but whatever. Yeah, cause there is a meeting upstairs.
I didn't go up. Oh yeah, I realized that once I got the car soaking wet. To be just like where I said
this goes the other way. Yeah, I don't love it.
Just to catch up, we're still in updates for regular commissioners and county commissioner Badera just
gave an update on a resolution about the encampment that that's at. Are they still there? Yes, they're
still there. They will be there until really a single post-parch. Not sure what parches,
The earliest we would post is March 2nd. And, um, in the resolution, one of the things we've agreed
to do is give 30 days notice instead of just 72 hours. Of course, that was a minimum before I think
there was posted a week before. Yeah. Um, yeah. Also in the, in the meeting, uh, in case you did not
watch it this morning, um, I think it was awful that commissioner Thomas clarified that the encampment
removal process is not something that the commissioner was voted on. So because the, um,
The logic was that because individuals on the property were already trespassing, no one needed to take
a vote. And so that's one of the issues that I think contributed to where we were. So there's so many
people felt that they found out about it through Reddit. Tricky effect. Very tricky effect. Yes, right.
I mean, that's how I found out about it.
Yeah. Fabulous. Counselor, do you have any update you'd like to share with us since we'll go back to
you? You guys had our last meeting for the year Tuesday, so nothing major happened there. I think that's
really an overview that I can think of.
We're still all working on the jail, right? That's another big thing besides this now and other things.
We have plates full of stuff that need to be remedied. I mean, I went to the, were you at the jail with
the ACLU? Yeah, so we were at the jail with the ACLU and we toured the jail with them and I certainly
got the impression, I'm not sure everybody, what you thought, Jordy, but I got the impression that
There's a possibility we could get that lawsuit date extended. I got that impression. Did you get that
impression? I think it's open. Yes. It could happen. It either wasn't shut. The door wasn't shut. Right.
The door is not shut. The lawsuit is either it's going to be filed or the sale will be extended, but
either way, it's up January 15th. We'll find out about that shortly. I sensed it from
Bob there. There was some predicament. We are all in here, right? So I mean, he is retiring too. Oh,
yes, he is. You know when? Soon enough to have announced it. OK, well, we hope tomorrow then. Yeah,
I mean, I think I think he would. This is something I think he would address before. That would be good.
I think that would be excellent if he's so familiar with it. Yes,
Yes, that's why I think he said he wanted to discuss the matter with lawyers instead of just taking
it under because he is the ECU legal, right? You know that is fall, right? So yeah, I was impressed
with this question. You know, I thought he had a good job of touring it and analyzing and asking questions
and getting clarification and all that. I thought he did a good job. He wanted to understand it. I felt
really well so that he could make a decision of some sort on the end of current lawsuit.
Regardless, we'll need to go to jail at some point. That doesn't go away. So that still has to be addressed.
I don't know where magic property is. We don't have any property right now. We don't have a specific
plan now that the other property didn't materialize. So everything is just kind of up in the air still.
So good, bad, or indifferent, I think that's where we're at.
So there's a lot of opinions floating around about where it should be. Some mentally want it downtown,
some want it not so downtown, some want everything all together. I mean, there's still a lot of opinions
out there and nobody seems to have a consensus on everything yet. I don't know how that's not happening,
but you know, I wasn't here when it all started to begin with, so I don't know. I don't know. Like there.
I know. You're involved in that whole analyzation of it early on.
And so I've missed all those discussions. Or I don't know if there were that many discussions. That's
a question in my mind as well, right? I mean, I come from a nonprofit where we discuss things to death.
And so to not have that is just really stymieing to me that you can work on projects of that magnitude
and not have people in the same room and come to a consensus on something before you move on. I don't
know how you operate without that.
there were discussions and. But did people really agree that's what they were going to do? I mean, I
remember coming in as elected official, right? And all of a sudden there was a 400 bed jail. Now there's
a 500 bed jail. Well, where did that come from? Right? I mean, all these things kept happening. Yeah,
before that there were a whole series, a whole summer of discussions with various various. Stakeholders
in the community, including folks who have been incarcerated and
Things were things were discussed and options were discussed about what what ways could be what things
can be done, not just building physical things that like you know services and that sort of thing and.
You know, but then then a consultant comes in and you have to have a location and then the building
and watch it. That's my my memory, which might be faulty, but my memories we had these discussions and
then a consultant came in and provided a, you know, a plan that way. They worked out the plan didn't
necessarily didn't necessarily take in.
in all of the discussions that occurred, right? So how was it that it was decided something had more
weight than others? I mean, that would be a question I'd have. Yeah, so I think a lot of it depends
on who you're advocating for. And that makes a big difference in what a jail looks like in a community
and what does it mean to have a jail in a community. And I have to
lift up what Julie said, there were multiple, multiple conversations. So we attended almost every single
one of them and made comment almost at every single one of them. And it was a beautiful round table
of service providers, of elected officials, of judges, of prosecutors, of people with experience and
providers and lived experience.
And it seemed my opinion from my perspective is that the commissioners did what the commissioners wanted
to do. They were the ones who brought DLZ in and went just doing what they wanted to do. And this is
before your time. Yes. And so that's what happened. So I wonder if it's worthy to go back.
all the outputs, right? And then start from there. That should be available. All available. The JFAC
information is all still there. Yeah. I don't know. I haven't heard anything, but that's what we're
going to start them with. I don't know. And the fact of the matter is that nobody... Okay. Don't bring
it back. Dr. Irajay, please. It's totally another thing you put. Tiana just said she's a friend. Yeah.
Okay. So that's why I keep referring, because we should.
So I just want to, I guess, take this time to say that what do I want to say right now is that no one's
going to agree. No one's going to agree. And if you don't have a, you, if elected officials don't have
Washington in their sights and being a career politician in their, in their,
plan, then just do the right thing. No matter what feathers are ruffled, no matter what you have to
go up against, just do the right thing. I'm ready to proceed with that philosophy. I can do that. Okay.
Thank you. It is not a problem for me. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, the policy subcommittee here on this lemons
commission was the group that focused on that. So if you're interested in
Our take on the JFAC and talking you through what we did and what we experienced. I like lots of them.
We would totally do that. I like lots of them. I think you get good results with lots of information.
Absolutely. We can give you a little guide through the JFAC docs.
I would love that. I would love that next tour and we have that. We would be good to do that because
one we followed it so closely. We participated in it and we have no stake in the matter. Really,
you know, I mean all the communities that are, you know, we're all stakeholders for sure and we don't
have. We don't have an outcome that has to happen, right? Yeah.
So, I mean, personally, I'd probably have outcomes that I would like to see, but as a women's commission,
we don't have anything that we're like, this needs to be what we do not fail. Yeah. Good. Excellent.
Well, I'm anxious to hear what you might be willing to inform, at least me about it. I'm sure other
consultants would be willing to let them as well. Thank you. Commissioner Otto, do you not have any?
That was easy. General updates. Tiana, do you have any general updates before we dig into the world
and ongoing business? Congratulations to you, but also. Oh, thank you. You're right. I'm out of the
loop. So I have my I defended my dissertation.
and instructional systems technology. I'm a doctor of education. What was your topic? I'm looking at
how students in the Luddy liberal learning community, minority students decided to return their second
year. I'm changing it a little bit because the LLC wasn't the only determining factor. So it's all these
high impact practices. Congratulations. Yeah, that was fun. That's awesome. My dad was like, I left
when they started interrogating you. I was like, no, it's normal. They just had that.
I was, I looked at the video afterwards and I said, huh, I do respond well under pressure. They were
like, I learned, I was like, yeah, I say, yeah, what's a lot of questions. No one better than anybody.
So what will that do for you and your work now? Well, you know, good question. I haven't, I haven't
got there yet. Okay. I'm gonna, um, it'll,
I'll keep doing the work I'm doing until I decide to pivot. But it's going to help me because actually
the research I did was on the bloody school. So you know, there's some leveraging that will be done
later. So right now I'm just going to chill out, enjoy my free time that I'm trying to get by. Whatever
that means. Thank you. OK.
Now to old and ongoing business. We'll start with the Policy Committee with the purpose of Commissioner
Hardesty, Douglas and Yaro. The purpose is to evaluate county policy under using the gender equity lens.
I do want to apologize. I know Commissioner Hardesty had some additional documents that were supposed
to be shared with this too, but I didn't have access and what I apologize, but we can
They were on last month. Yeah, they were shared last month, but then we didn't have them. So it's the
same links that were sent for last month. But yeah, this is just giving an update on what we've been
doing with the rubric, the gender equity rubric, the guidelines document that goes with that and the
presentation that we're wanting to give to the commissioners and the county commissioners. So
The rubric as a subcommittee, we got some feedback from Eve, who did a review showing that we had some
redundant criteria and criteria that could be combined. And so we ended up going from 10 categories
with 16 criteria down to seven categories with 13 criteria. So it's a little bit more succinct and I
think easier to use, but that's great. We still have the same five levels of scoring that we had previously.
We're still doing that. That's still being used and that didn't change.
Then the guidelines document got a really, really good reworking. Eve was able to work the rubric into
a view that is one page landscape. So before it was like this portrait that was like multiple pages
of, you know, rubric table, which was hard to read. But now it's a one page landscape fits into the
document, the guidelines document well, and it's been incorporated into the guidelines.
And the gender definition that we're using is from Wikipedia, since it's a community source definition,
and it cites multiple sources for its creation. So that seems like a really, a really great way to provide
a definition of gender that we're that we're using. And then the feedback from the gender studies librarian
at IU helped us provide better guidance in that document when considering multiple genders in the criteria
and indicators. So
So that was really, that was really helpful to have them review and give us feedback for the guidelines
in particular. And then for the presentation, we did some updates for the, for that power, just the
PowerPoint file got some updates to.
update the subcommittee members and the commission members. We modified the explanation of the origins
of this work more precisely, so where the idea for the gender equity rubric came from, so that's been
clarified a little bit on the slides. Then we have fewer categories and criteria, so the total points
explaining all of that with the scoring, that was modified and updated to match what the rubric has now.
Then we have a test run that we're also sharing about in the presentation. We used an ordinance from
2024, and we updated that as well to show the fewer categories, and also the fact that the ordinance
is no longer available online since the Monroe County government website moved. That's a bit of a bummer,
but anything that's before 2025, that seems to be not available online at this point. That 2024 ordinance is
is not there. And that actually changed a little bit of the scoring for that ordinance on the rubric
because it's not available. There are consequences. No, I'm just kidding. And then references, we had
to update references since nearly all the sources from the United States publications are now no longer
available online except via the internet archive. So that's been a change in general with how the United
States is dealing with gender as a topic.
And then we just had to update the URL for the Monroe County Women's Commission site since it is now
in the new Monroe County Government website as well. So those are the updates that have been made to
those three documents. And I actually have a motion that I would like to make, and I want to move that
we request this to be added to a county commissioner's meeting agenda for a 10-minute presentation and
to offer the rubric and guidelines for sharing online.
No date, not sure when, but if we can decide that we're okay with presenting this to the commissioners
now, I think we're ready to get that on an agenda, if you all agree. So that's my motion. So we have
a motion to present this material at a future county commissioners meeting. Do I have a second? I second.
All in favor say aye. Aye.
Motion passes. All right. So yeah, I have no idea what happens next. I got to email somebody, I guess,
and be like, maybe it's Anita. You can email Anita. Anita. Yeah. And if you want, I can give you her
email. Angie can also help. Oh, Angie can. OK. All right. Yeah. You mean Elizabeth since the time that
they work with.
Pardon? You work with Eve, right? Eve. Eve Yarrow. Eve, yes. Elizabeth Simpson signed in HR. No, no,
Eve Yarrow is Commissioner Burke on the subcommittee with Maria. I got it. Sorry, misunderstood. Let's
email Anita. Get that email. Yes. I don't know who Anita is, but yes. She's our administrator. Yeah,
let's email Anita rather than emailing Angie. Yeah, I just, I need Anita's license.
Is it Freeman? I think you have to do both. Actually, I would copy them both. Yeah, OK. But don't just
email any different things. Thank you. So I have her email is a Freeman at video.monroe.io. OK. And
it's Anita Freeman. OK. And you have Angie's email. Yeah, I already have Angie's email. OK. OK,
thank you. Excellent.
Any other? That's it. I have. Is there anything that I anything else? No, you do such a wonderful job.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Eve. Yes. Uh, data security with, you know, myself and Commissioner
Douglas. We have nothing to update. I know of. No. Okay. Uh, outreach subcommittee with, uh, commissioners,
Rode, Belton and Otto.
I mean, well, yeah, that's what I am back to. So I saw the email that Julie said to the group and it's
to my students asking about the camp. So I sent a message actually today to get an update on what's
happening with the camp. I've yet to have a message, but I know students signed up because I didn't
go either.
because I didn't get information either. I tried to, yeah, because I'm going, I'm representing
the commission. I'm not representing Luddy. So my students was doing the Luddy work. So people signed
up because I had some of my friends' kids sign up. They signed up for it. I just haven't gotten a report.
And probably the reason why we probably haven't gotten a report back is because the two main people
were working on their capstone.
And they have presentation. So our message actually on my way here, I was like, can I have an update?
Cause I'm going to the commission meeting. I haven't had anything. So my thing is I don't think they've
done the end of the celebration though, because of the snow days, some of that affected them because
they were meeting on, I was going to the, I sent you all this, the dates I sent you the dates. Did I not say?
Well, the dates that we got really, it was going to start in October, but then it didn't. And then I
don't know when this. So I didn't send you the updated. Hold on. Yeah, we don't have this at all. That's
what I was looking at because they had to get it because the MOU expires the end of this month. Right.
And so that's why Jessica. Well, she sent me dates. Well, it's my fault if I didn't send it to you all.
But hold on.
but they did a Tuesday, Thursday. Oh, okay. So it was a Tuesday, Thursday. I'll find it in a second,
but I actually had it ready to send it to Jennifer in case I won't go. But I'll find it in a second.
They did a Tuesday and Thursday, and then they did virtual some days if the weather was bad. But I haven't
heard of a wrap up. So that's what I want to find out. Yeah, that would be great. Great tip. Because
even if we can attend virtual, it'd be nice. But they weren't doing nothing today.
because tomorrow is Letty's graduation. So that's the only update I have now, but I'll find out. Jessica,
I text her because she's the lead person and you had sent an email to them. So I'm going to find the
schedule and then I had to pull it up. So what happened? It's just what happened? I don't know. And
they worked and taught them. And it was some boys.
women and men there, but they're kids. So boys and girls is what I call them. Whatever other genders
were present. I know that. So let me find it. So that's what I have and I'll send you all the other
day. I'll send you the details when I get it. OK, thanks. Yeah, if there's if there is a wrap up event
that would be really. Yeah, yeah. See what they did. Yeah. As long as the youths were reached, that's right.
Do we have any other? No. So we will wait for more updates for the camp. And then that's exciting.
So great. We'll move on to new business. I have that in order. I don't know what we want to do for next
year. I did email.
see who's up for renewal. Let's see myself, Julie and Molly with the county commissioners and Jennifer,
which is a lot, which is so weird that we all, there's four of us in that cycle because it used to be
different. I feel like we were spread out, but so I don't know what it is, what it is. I did verify
with everybody that we all were interested in reappointment, which is different than with the council.
Non-council.
Yeah. So yeah. Oh, sorry. You don't. Yes. So the different, their process is different. So with the
commissioners, they don't, we don't have to fill anything out. They just reappoint us and then the council
is different. They send you, yeah, I feel like, yeah, there was a questionnaire and send in
that questionnaire. Yeah. So I did send that information back into Molly Turner King and I'm not sure.
Yeah, somebody said, what was somebody said something? Oh, my gosh. Wednesday. Oh, yeah, the question is, we
you know, December. Yeah, just send it today and it should be fine, I think. Is that what it was to
still send it in today? What about sending you the deadlines of the December 18th? I think so. I'll
help you with that. Yeah, he's going to do what's bright. Yeah, they probably don't know that so long
as by the end of the day today. I'll pull it out, but yeah, I saw that and I was like, what is this?
I really ignored it at first,
We appreciate your honesty here. I did. What is that? OK, I'll pull it out. I have a copy of it. OK,
great. And Kim got it. Yeah, it was just a matter of time. Yes. You did what you needed to do in the
right time. You're what? I'm just like.
So they move it along. It's about the end of the day. Well, they've already finished for the year, so
they're not even going to vote until next year. Oh, right. Yeah, it's fine. It won't be on the agenda
until next year. Yeah, it's January 13th, she said. Yeah, so we can still really well make assumptions
that we all that are interested are still moving forward. Yeah, until you know. So actually what I thought
of as well is, you know,
I do feel like it's been a few years in that even though there's still quite a few improvements to make
or progress to make or whatever we want to say, I do feel like we're at least in a groove. And I don't
know, should we ever reconsider going back to nine? Back to what? Back to all nine people. Well, but
we can recommend that.
you know originally we were nine with eleven with you know and then they changed it what prompted the
change you know you tell you they did it without asking us well at the time they were having problems
with forum and things additionally so they were thinking no if it's smaller then you'll have a better
time with work we were consulted and that as well yes so now
I mean, that was three years. I mean, it was really almost. This minute I took over, I think when. I
already forgot it, I'm sorry. Yeah, it's been a while. Yeah, so kind of just submission Michelle. Yeah,
just something to think about. Three years ago. Feels like 10. I mean, I would love to. I would love
to go tonight. I think we I think we have the work to do it. I know that we have the.
profile to do that. I think that it's an opportunity that we can offer to people to, you know, so I,
I mean, you know, people that might be interested. Yeah. We had what four, at least we had at least
four, um, applications. So when Eve came on, okay. Like solid. Yeah. Well, that seems like that would
be your interest, right? Yeah. So.
That seems like a good, a good goal for next year. If we can get the commission, get the women's commission
back up to nine. Let's do that. Okay. When we, we need to ask permission though. Yeah. I spoke to Molly.
You'll figure it's like a changing, changing the whatever resolution, not the resolution, the paperwork
behind the commission. It's got to, okay. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So, um,
Do we want to do our election of offer? I put that on here because obviously it's a new year. I mean,
I'm happy to wait until we're all sure we're reappointed, or we could just assume that and do that now
so we could just keep moving seamlessly would be my idea. But I will leave that up to the group. I can
go either way.
If we want to, if people are, are ready to say whether or not you want to. Do we want to talk about,
do we want to reappoint or reelect officers tonight? Okay. You want to be my spread out? Sure. That's
what I say. You're doing a great job. We're doing marvelous.
I don't I don't think that for me to me it doesn't matter either way and I don't think the reason that
if we decide to put it off, I don't think the reason should be waiting for people to be reappointed
because who knows when that might be on the agenda or you remember to be mentioned. So I feel like we
do what we normally do and do business as usual as we want as as. We do.
you see fit in terms of timeliness and such. But I don't care if it's tonight or in January. Either
one of you. Yeah, I'm fine either way. What do we do last year? I think we tried to do it in November,
didn't we?
correct because we didn't have a forum. Oh, right. Right. I think we did it in January. OK, so let's
just do it. So do we, how do we, do we do secretary first or do we want to do president or chair and
vice chair? Oh, I don't know. I thought we'd chair. Do we have any nominations for chair? Nominate Susan.
Any other nominations?
Wow. You'll pay. Maria? What? I don't know. Okay, so like me, I have been nominated. Is there any other
nominations? So as me to continue as vice chair,
As chair. Chair, sorry, as chair. So you probably need to vote on that. Yes. But you just did. Or you
can do that. Or it's late, I guess. Yes. Do you accept it? Let's do the city. I guess I accept
the commission. Okay. Let's vote. All in favor say aye. Yes. Any nays? Great. So now we have vice chair,
and aye. Of course, nobody's jubilant. Aye, second. Any other? None, the thirds.
Yes. Do we have any other nominations? Do you accept the nomination? Yes. All in favor say aye. Yes.
Virginia is vice chair. Yes. Yes. Fantastic. Passes. Are we doing a secretary? Do we have any? I am
happy to continue with Molly as secretary, so I'm going to nominate Molly. Okay.
All in favor of Molly continuing as secretary for 26? Yes. Yes. Molly will continue as 26. Fantastic.
That was easy. We might have actually done that correctly. Molly will tell us. I have the resolution
for establishing our 2026 meeting schedule.
I did update, made an update that you had pointed out with the wrong year in there. Oh, it says 2065.
Anyway, so all I need is for us. So we would continue on as the first Thursday of each month,
mencing at 5.30. Obviously these dates are the same for now. And last year when we finally did that,
they made changes out of necessity on a couple of Wednesdays, but I'm gonna assume that they will let
us know that.
And is it in the Natu Hill? Yeah. They're all scheduled. Yes. First or third Thursday? Third Thursday.
I heard first. Third Thursday of each month at 5.30. So if we are all good with that resolution, I have.
Hope we just vote or have a motion.
Times have been made. We need to sell my middle side. So these Wednesdays are these one off things.
Yeah, I'm not cool. Like it's it's a little bit too much if we can. I don't know. Last year was an unusual
year. Yes, the year before I think it was maybe one or maybe one.
So I think maybe we need to say instead of we're okay moving days, if they can't figure out another
location at the same date and time, we just have to not meet potentially. Yeah. I'm agreeing wherever,
but at least that same date and time as much as possible. I feel like don't give the option.
of not having the meeting, say they need to find us another space venue. At the same date and time.
Yes. Okay. Yeah. Yeah, I think that's reasonable. Yeah, there's even space in the county council office
there, and it has online capabilities. So there's even that space, and you don't seem to have, I mean,
we have a table that seats more than that, so. But yeah.
So do I, do I have a motion to accept this resolution as is as we meet on the third Thursday of every
month and then at Hillary motion? No, cause I want that. I want that in there about finding another
venue for the same days and time.
Yeah, sure. Well, it doesn't say that there's not. It doesn't say that I want. I'm saying that I wanted
it there. I agree. What does it say now? It just says we will meet full occur on the third Thursday.
That's all it says. Included say it won't do anything else, right? Well, I want that commitment. It's
I mean to me that says commitment that we there is no alternative. No it is, but they still.
send you a movie. They still move us because that's why we're here because there's notice yeah yeah
so who generally does the movie Molly okay so I would send that to her and say you want that along with
that and see what she says okay we will table this and I will make that uh ask for that you could you
could make it happen and say
if you need to, if there's anything different that won't allow that, right? You know, so you can accept
it with your clarification. And then if you need to meet again, then you could do it. Yeah, but they
still have to sign it. So like it has to be amended. I mean, it has to be correctly, but I will make
that amendments or work on that. I put your in wrap up in here just because I wanted to see if anyone
has any topics they'd like to talk about. I mentioned about coming to nine. I didn't know what we all
thought of the year.
and I just think I wanted to see if anyone had anything they wanted to talk about or share. I'm grateful
that we have got to see this come to fruition. Yes. Just to see that it's gone successful and people
are getting that education in coding, I think is it. The coding caps.
Yes, it's kind of they can continue though. That's another thing because they the MOU just it ends this
month. So I want to what should we do with Molly? So maybe we'll reach out to Molly to see if we can
extend it for 2026. Yeah, we need to check back in I think for next year and see can we do this again
and yeah, I mean. That is if we want to do that, do it again. So I think that would be up in discussion.
Yeah, it might be good in January to do a discussion of like how many
students and how to go and yeah, we if we need to wrap up event, we can talk about that. I mean, I think.
It may be doing in a different way, but we don't have to go through all this rigmarole, because I mean,
let is going to do it regardless, but we're going to do the outreach regardless and have a whole nother
outreach committee that's formed with property. So if it's something we can just come alongside of and
support in a different way and not necessarily worried about it monetarily.
I mean that 30 that will be my deal because that 30 I mean that $3,500 can only go so far thank you
for it but we still are going to do the work we're still going to because we go into elementary schools
every Friday anyway Club Fridays and we're we're helping them I have another proposal where I think
we should think about looking at so thriving connections have you heard of that group
And if you heard Asia speak at the credit, OK, so she's on the I mean, you not wear a thousand hats.
She's on the school board with me too, but we're partnered with them and let he we help them with some
of their Christmas stuff or holiday stuff, whatever people celebrate. But I think there's something
we can do as a commission, though, because there's a lot of women a part of that group and they're trying
to get the group is getting out of poverty. It's a really great group. So maybe thinking about other
things we can support.
because the camp's gonna happen. So I don't know if that's something we should invest our energy and
time in, worrying about going through the MOUs and all that. But we can still support it in another
way. Like even if we go to the ceremonies or stop by and have a date with the students, we can do that,
but it doesn't have to be at the extended run. Thank you. So do you, my recommendation would be,
you know, for the outreach subcommittee,
you know, in the very near future to present a couple, you know, propose, you guys discuss and propose.
Yeah. In the works, just working out some details. Great. So maybe this subcommittee needs to meet now.
We weren't so busy. We were busy. And we're going to meet in the streets. Right. So we'll get our Mondays down.
that's something we should talk about. We could talk. We could talk about that and who wants to be on
what subcommittee that sort of thing. OK. I'm staying with these ladies.
Okay and so I put the torchbearers award on here I just wanted to see what you know gave some you know
thoughts on that. Will you remind me what what's on the table? So it's we already sent out about Braun
yes doing the torchbearers award and
changing the way and essentially dismantling the Women's Commission in Indiana, which was under the
Civil Rights Commission, and by removing all their budget for anything. And I know Joe Gordon had resigned
months and months ago. I know that Senator Gilder, who was on the commission, didn't even know that
that happened.
ordered that email and talked about it. I mean, it is, I know Senator Yoder has supported that,
you know, Monroe County doing something even from Monroe County. I know that, you know, when Dr. Bernard
was nominated and then that was, yeah, they took that back that they recommended that, you know, we
come up with our own award. I do think
that there is something in that. I think that there is something in, you know, trying to decide,
you know, who Monroe County wants to be and, you know, figuring out how we can, you know, elevate that,
you know, in conjunction with how the commissioners feel, you know, by making a presentation that this
is what we want to do. If we want to do it, I don't necessarily think that
It has to be a shindig in any way, shape or form. I think it could easily be something low to no post
in the sense of presenting something, whether we do it for the state, you know, or for Monroe County
and elevate that or, you know, however we want to do that, you know, is to me easily. You could do something.
The courthouse is beautiful where you just have an evening where you present an award and you know you
invite people in the press to come and that's it. There's no shindig, you know.
I don't know. Well, it's something I've been wondering about. I know there are not very many women's
commissions. Yeah, but I know there are. We are not the only county level women's commission in the
state, so I am wondering about. Connecting with the other county women's commissions and discussing
this at that level. Across the across the state, they back baby and if not, we you know, how did they
have the authority to get rid of? I couldn't figure that safety funded it.
They didn't really get rid of it. They didn't give any money. It is a trend for how to reduce government
stock. You don't cancel it, you just take all the money. How convenient. But we don't have any money
for them to take. Again, I don't know what the city's planning with our city, with that there,
And then there are city level women's commissions as well, which might also be another route to consider
for collaborating on something. I mean, still, and you're talking less than a half a dozen. But still,
I think it's I think it's something that's worth considering as a path forward. And I have a coalition
ultimately. Yeah. Yeah. Which, you know, there's a state for you. Is what? Indy? Gary? I don't know.
Yeah, I love I'm totally in 2026 is
Coalition Alliance Building 2026, just so you know for me. I love that idea. I think we could figure
out how to get in touch. I know everybody. There you go. We could figure out a way to try to get some
discussions going if nothing else. Because you have the list. We could also Google it if we don't know.
But yes, there are
Yeah, yeah, but I do. But I mean, I can't even think the last time I ever talked to Jordan. It's been,
you know, it was probably two years before, even whenever you guys went up to the dinner last fall.
Yeah, it was before the election. Yeah, we sat with Peggy Mayfield. Oh, my. He was not very supportive
of women, it seemed, and it throughout the conversation.
And she said she basically gets paid to go to that commission to do nothing because it's a
nothing commission. It's more advisory and there's no power, but she gets paid extra to go. So she doesn't.
She's up for election. I was like, so many comments. Um, yes, it was my, it was my arm, my impression.
And we discussed it on the way back that the women's commission at that level.
the state level wasn't really doing anything in terms of having initiatives or they were giving out
these five awards for five or six awards including the tournament fair but I love that idea of like
because there when we first started we had to be on calls there were state
or there was a state call, right? And so I'm curious. I would that would be amazing that because it
doesn't have to. I don't want it to be an award from us, right? But we gotta be the convener of the.
Yes, there's some collaborative. I think that could happen. Yeah, I'm trying this though. Yeah, I don't
know why I said coalition and alliances. I'm trying not to use those words, but so it's collaborative.
Coalition Alliance is very like military and very alive. I'm trying to spell collaborators. I'm having
a hard time and I'm usually a good speller. But anyway, we'll see how that goes. Yeah, I spell check.
I think that's it. That's a thing. I think that I love that for next year. The possibility. Yeah, so
I'm gonna say my goals to get on. The table is.
raising us to nine and reaching out and seeing what kind of collaborative efforts and honestly see who's
still alive. Right. And who's around still. Yeah. I mean, it's not a positive environment and seeing
what other potential relationships, you know, collaborators we can find in that vein. So,
Now's not the time to quit and lay down just as though we know. OK. And then. That's all of the new
business I have. I'm going to guess no public comment. I don't know. We have people on for public comments
for people on three of them are probably you guys actually aren't on this time. Oh, what's the different?
You know they were always listed as on the call. Who's the Richard Crider? Who's Richard? You can ask
if Richard has anything to say. No one's unmuting, so. Oh yeah, true. Richard.
That's it. It's 644. I'm going to call us adjourned. Thank you, everybody. Happy New Year. Happy holidays.