Common Council - Regular Meeting

Good evening. It's 6 o'clock. We'll call to order the meeting of the Auburn Common Council. We'll begin with a moment of silent meditation or reflection, followed by the pledge of allegiance. Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. We'll move on to roll call. Councilman Fincham

here. Councilman Braun here. Councilman Webb here. Councilwoman Deit is still Councilman Williams here. Councilman Bundy here. Councilwoman Proer here. Council, in front of you, you have the December 2nd regular meeting minutes. Move to approve as presented. I'll second. Have a motion second to approve the minutes. Any discussion or questions? Hearing none, I'll call for a question. All in favor signify by saying I. I.

Opposed. Motion carried. Visitors. Daryl McConnell, city engineer. Ryan Shamball, building administrator. Mike, building inspector. Randy Harvey with water department. Denny Kettenberger. Welcome back. Uh, city planner Jim Katarat, Lieutenant Matt Ree, firefighters Christian Mayberry and Cory Glasper. Welcome. Is there anyone in the public that would like to come up and address the council? Good evening. My name is Matt Ree. I'm president of the Auburn Firefighters Association, Local 2454. Um, I'm just here to express our gratitude and uh say thanks for the working relationship that we've had um especially over the past few years and everything that we've been able to achieve um benefits wise and salary wise. So, um I do have a a token of our appreciation to give each one of you. Um, I'll have to catch up with Natalie late later since she's sick tonight, but um, just thank you on behalf of our members and we look forward to the continued relationship that we've built. Thanks.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thanks, Lieutenant. Appreciate it. Is there anyone else that would like to address the council? Hearing none, we'll move on. Clerk treasure. Good evening. Of the current vouchers for 7,222,54451.

Move to approve. Second. Right. We have a motion, a second to approve the vouchers. Any questions or discussion? Hearing none, I'll call for a question. All in favor signify by saying I. I. Opposed. Motion carried. Thank you. Thank you. Ordinances and resolutions.

Ordinance number 2025-28, an ordinance for the annexation of territory into the city of Auburn. Summary. This ordinance annexes 3.742 acres of land, notice the Thomas Estates 3.742 acre annexation area into the city of Auburn. I move that we pass ordinance number 2025-28 on second final reading. I'll second.

Okay. We have a motion second to pass ordinance number 2025-28. We'll suspend the council meeting, open up the public hearing. Is there anyone in the public that would like to come up and speak in regards to ordinance 2025-28? Anyone that would like to come up and speak in regards to ordinance 2025-28? Hearing none, we'll close the public hearing, reconvene the council meeting. We have a motion to second. Any questions or discussion? Hearing none, I'll call for a question. All in favor signify by saying I. I opposed.

Motion carried.

Ordinance number 2025-29, an ordinance for appropriation for city enterprise funds for the 2026 budget year. Summary. This ordinance sets forth the expense of the city enterprise funds for the year ending December 31st, 2026. And the sums of money are shown below are appropriated by this ordinance and ordered set apart out of several funds here and named and for purposes here and specified subject to laws governing same. Such appropriated sum shall be held to include expenditures authorized to be made during the year unless otherwise expressly stipulated and provided for by law. City Enterprise Funds Electric Department 31,557,683 Auburn Essential Services Department 6,956,45 Water Department 5,744,624 Water Pollution Control Department $6,810,500. I move that we pass ordinance number 2025-29 on second final reading.

Okay, we have a motion, a second to pass ordinance 2025-29 on second reading. Any discussion? Hearing none, I'll call for a question. All in favor signify by saying I. I opposed. Motion carried. Ordinance number 2025-30, an ordinance establishing a fund for maintenance maintenance of the Veterans Memorial. Summary. This ordinance establishes a fund for maintenance of the Veterans Memorial. I move that we pass ordinance number 2025-30 on first reading. Second.

Okay, we have a motion to second. pass ordinance number 2025-30 on first reading and Zach city attorney. This is the one where we will be suspending the rules. Correct. Correct. Okay. So, we take a vote on the first make sure the first reading. Yep. This is a new process we've not utilized. So, there's no other questions or discussion. I'll call for a question. All in favor signify by saying I. I. Opposed. Motion carried. I'd like to make a motion to suspend the rules so that we can read ordinance number 2025-30 on the second reading.

Second. Okay. We have a motion and a second to suspend the rules to pass ordinance 2025-30 on second reading. And there is public hearing. Correct. There is not. Okay. There's no public hearing. And I and I want to um note that the reason we're doing this is the funds have been pledged by council to the veterans memorial. We don't have a fund has it all has to be done by the end of the year. So there's uh an urgency to this to where we can't wait until the first meeting in January. All right. Thank you. If

there's no other questions or discussion, I'll call for a question. I think I think Councilman Webb wants to speak a little bit on this. I can whenever that was just the motion to Oh. Oh, never mind. Yeah, that's true. Never mind. Sorry about that. Okay. Yeah. Gotcha. Okay. So, I resend the second reading that I stated. Um, so we have a motion, a second to suspend the rules. Any questions or discussion? Hearing none, I'll call for a question. All in favor signify by saying I. I. opposed. Motion carried.

Ordinance number 2025-30, an ordinance establishing a fund for the maintenance of the Veterans Memorial. Summary. This ordinance establishes a fund for the maintenance of the Veterans Memorial. I move that we pass ordinance number 2025-30 on second and final reading. Second. Okay, we have a motion, a second to pass ordinance 2025-30 on second reading. Questions, discussion by the council.

Uh, yes. I would like to comment a little bit appreciate what we're doing here and I want to um emphasize the fact that this is uh all this money that is put in this will be used for maintenance on the veterans memorial. Uh other people will have opportunities to uh put money into this account, businesses, individuals, fraternal organizations. Uh I hope that they respond and and they do that. It's a non-reverting uh fund, so that money stays there all along. We don't have to reallocate it or anything every year. So, I think this is a very good uh and important fund to have going. So, that's all.

Yeah. Yeah. So, yeah, thank you to the council for um utilizing those remaining funds to begin this one. It'll be put to good use. Any other discussion? Hearing none, I'll call for a question. All in favor signify by saying I. I. Opposed. Motion carried. [clears throat]

Resolution 11-2025, a resolution of the common council of the city of Auburn, Indiana, approving the purchase of the NR property 2 LLC property located on Auburn Drive in the city of Auburn, Indiana. Summary. The attached resolution calls for this common council of the city of Auburn to authorize the mayor of the city of Auburn to negotiate and purchase on behalf of the city of Auburn certain real estate property now known as NR Property 2 LLC property located on Auburn Drive, Auburn, Indiana 46706 for $127,675. I move that we pass resolution number 11-2025 on first and only reading.

Okay, we have a motion in the second to pass resolution 11-2025 on first and only reading. Any questions or discussion? Is there going to be like a presentation on this from anybody like what the purpose of the property is and stuff? [clears throat] So, we do not have a presentation to prepare or to present. However, I can give a brief explanation of what um the intentions are and I think some have had an opportunity to

to discuss that. Um that is property located on the south side of Auburn Drive kind of souththeast of where Philip Street connects currently. Uh the purpose of this will be to have a secondary access to those businesses south of Auburn Drive on South Wayne uh with an open-ended culde-sac. Uh it will be constructed to handle heavy trucks obviously because you have the scrapyard there as well. Um but that is the intention for it to be a secondary access. I don't know Darl would you have anything to add? 83 acres. Um we're going to do the design in house new street and once we acquire the real estate and we'll get our guys out there survey and we'll do the design house construction 2027. And this is all in preparation for eventually getting the railroad overpass in so that those businesses have rear access.

Well, it is not connected to that project. Correct. Right. Right. I know that it's it's um it's a safe alternative um to to construct the extension. Any other questions? Hearing none, I'll call for a question. All in favor signify by saying I. I. Opposed. Motion carry. Thank you. You're welcome.

Moving on to reports. Under Mayor, um just want to let the council know we did receive the uh most up-to-date 5-year city financial plan from Baker Tilly uh which will be distributed that in also includes the utilities and AES. And we also did receive the wage study and the summary back this morning as well. So that'll be distributed Um I did ask council present when she let me know she was going to be absent due to the ill to or due to illness. Um she does not have her reports. That brings us to plan commission.

Yeah. At our last meeting, so last Tuesday, um we approved uh two resonings and then we uh development plan also. So, the fortified 11 apartments there um that's behind the Burger King property area um got approved for I believe it nine units, 11 units, 11 uh apartment units with some garage units underneath and then also a splash pad and a playground area that will be open to the public. Um and then we also did some resoning. 500 North Street, which is the old signature construction building where the YMCA got some improvements to uh some approval to do an expansion of their learning center back there that got reszoned. And then also on the east end of town um behind where the uh birthing center is. So to the south of that, a property got reszoned to commercial. Um, so C2 from multif family to C2 and they're looking to put some uh different commercial properties in there, some of which will be technology, maybe podcasting. Um, also maybe have an event area there where you can plan an event.

Where was that? They said about 150 people. Where was that at? It's it's on um now I can't think of the road right there. Correct. Smith Drive. Yeah, Smith Drive by the birthing center over in that area. Thank you. Yep. And that was that was it. Okay. Thanks. Uh committees.

Nothing for text. [cough] [clears throat] Well, for ordinance and resolution, we will have um one coming up eventually that's kind of being worked from the building planning department on the fees for permitting. Um we're a little behind some of the other areas in terms of collecting some fees. So, that may or may not be at the January meeting. Um but something should be sent out. If you ever have any questions when something gets [clears throat] sent out, please never hesitate to before the meeting ask the city attorney or also you could email the building planning and they'll answer your questions. So, but we will have something coming shortly. Is there any unfinished business to come before the council? Any new business? General good and welfare of the community.

Next regular council meeting is Tuesday, January 6, 2025 at 6 p.m. Move to adjourn. Second. Okay, we have a motion to second to adjurnn. All in favor signify by saying I. I opposed. being a draft mean 2026 January 6, 2026. Yeah.

First mistake of the year.