Board of Works & Safety - Regular Meeting

Want to welcome everyone this evening to City of Bedford Common Council, Stonegate Arts and Education Center, 93115th Street, Tuesday, February 17th at 700 p.m. Heath, would you please lead us in prayer? Sure would. Thank you. Heavenly Father, thank you for this day. Thank you for this opportunity for us to come together as a council and as a city to to go over the city's business for this month. Lord, just please be with us tonight as we look over the city's affairs. Give us wisdom, give us guidance, and uh be with everyone here tonight and our city as we leave this place and go on for the rest of the month. Keep us safe and keep us healthy in Christ Jesus name we pray. Amen. Amen.

Amen. Ryan, would you lead us in the pledge, please? Please join me in pledge of allegiance. I pledge algiance 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. Calling our meeting to order. We have approval of minutes from January the 20th which was a regular meeting. Motion to approve as presented. Second, Mr. Mayor.

All those in favor signify by I. I. Anyone opposed? Thank you. Start with our old business. We have third and final passage of ordinance 1-2026 amending the zoning map reszone of property at 1516R Street John Wells of DDC Wells LLC from R2 to B1. Is there any discussion or comments? If not, I would entertain a motion. I'll make a motion we approve. I'll second. All those in favor signify by I.

I. Anyone opposed? Number two, we have third and final passage ordinance 2-2026 amending zoning map reszone of property 1520 clinic drive, Belinda Hicks from I2 to B1. So move, Mr. Mayor. Second. All those in favor signify by I. I. Anyone opposed? I'm abstaining from that one. I'm abstaining from that one from number two. Yes.

Okay. Thank you. So number three, third and final passage ordinance 3-2026 amending chapter 72 commercial vehicles and city transit authority 72.12 overnight parking restrictions Bedford city code. Any discussion? If not, I would entertain a motion. I'll make a motion to pass third and final passive ordinance 3-2026. Second. All those in favor signify by I. I.

Anyone opposed? Thank you. Moving on to new business. We have ordinance 4-2026 amending the zoning map reszone of property of 1423 L Street from PR to B2. Kevin This is a request from Healey 6 LLC to reszone their property at 1423 L Street from professional residential PR to B2 for the purpose of operating a gas station at this location. Uh the property operated for years as a gas station, but the fuel tanks were removed approximately 12 years ago and the building had a change of occupancy to a service business. Haley 6 is currently operating a retail store at this location under the PR zoning and PR does not allow for the gas station. On January 13th, 2026, a preliminary hearing was held at the plan commission for the request. It was approved and sent to a public hearing. Prior to the public hearing, notices were sent out to the joining property owners and advertised with local media. On February 10th, 2026, a public hearing was held with the plan commission for the request. Healey 6 presented the plan showing the configuration of pumps and the security measures involved in installing tanks. There was an email from neighbor Zach Nagel regarding his concern over the types of products the store currently sells which is bait products and delta 8 products and or that's some of the products they sell and the distance uh from their store to the junior high. Um and he was also concerned about traffic congestion. I responded to his email prior to the meeting to address the merchandise concerns and after doing some research, it appears that the law regarding vape products does not go into effect until July 1 of 2026. So after discussing the request and hearing no objections, the plan

commission approved this request for reszone, moving it to the city council for final approval. I now ask the council to approve the reszoning of 1423 L Street from PR to B2. Okay. Any discussion, Kevin? Uh, Mr. Nogle's email, that's the only one you've received. That's correct. Out of everybody that was notified, nobody else has contacted me now. Okay. After reviewing, if there's nothing further, when appropriate, I'd entertain a motion.

The one thing I would comment that I don't think Kevin got to, they did mention uh during the presentation to planning commission where they were concerned about the entrance on L Street there and it was going to be pushed farther away from 15th to just to make sure there wasn't traffic concerns. We've previously had discussions about them wanting to widen the alley entrance and I think that's been at this point a no. And I from what I understand him the meeting they actually want to close down that current access off of L Street to allow for the traffic and the configuration of their pumps. But I I think that needs to be considered later on. Okay.

When we see a final plan for how they want to do it and who who will be overseeing that, Kevin, once that final plan is done, if they want to close up access,

well, that'll be after something I would get with David Flynn on and the mayor and potentially because you have a trail that's involved there. I'm not sure. We'll have to take a look at that. So I guess to follow back on my question though they are not going to be having any traffic entering on this section here closer to 15.

That was my understanding. That's what they desire is to not have an entrance or traffic come off of Lincoln Avenue or L Street into that parking lot from that direction. I'll move for passage of ordinance 4-2026. I'll second. All those in favor signify by I. I. I. Anyone opposed?

I Okay. All right. All in favor except for one. All right. Is there a motion for a second passage? I'll make a motion. I'll make a motion for the second passage.

I'll second. All those in favor signify by I. I. Anyone opposed? I. The vote is the same. We'll do our third and final passage then at our next meeting next month. If if I can add after the third and final passage, uh they will need a special exception permit to do the gas station if they choose to do that and that will have to go to the planning commission and then the zoning. So part of that would can be addressed at the zoning board.

All right. Ordinance 5-2026 a meaning zoning map reszone of property for Bedford Development LLC John Williams Boulevard and William Park Drive from I2 to B3. Devin uh this request from Tom Miller of Bedford Development LLC requesting to reszone the six lots which is 6.24 24 acres at the corner of um what's the sorry northwest corner of John Williams Boulevard and Williams Park Drive from I2 Industrial to B3 for the purpose of developing five of those lots into commercial spaces. On January 13th, 2026, a preliminary hearing was held with the planning commission and that request was approved and sent to a public hearing. Prior to the public hearing, notices were sent out to adjoining property owners and advertised with local media. On February 10th, 2026, a public hearing was held by the plan commission for this request. After discuss After discussing the request and hearing no objections from the public, the plan commission approved the request for reszone, moving it to the city council for final approval, I now ask the council to approve the reasonzoning of the 6.24 24 acres on the northwest corner of John Waynees Boulevard and Williams Park Drive to P3 from I2. There was an issue in the beginning about some city property out there and some work that had already started or work that had started and stopped. Has all of that been taken care of and cleared up out there about entryways and

I believe it has. Yes. Um, border works two months ago, I believe it was, approved the subdivision of that and along with the issue of the drainage and all that stuff, travel in and out of Williams Park, how they get in and get out. I'd make a motion we approve ordinance 5 2026. I'll second. All those in favor signify by I. I. Anyone opposed? Could I entertain a second passage? So move. Second.

Motion by Larry and a second by Brad. All those in favor signify by I. I. Anyone opposed. I I abstain from both of those. Okay. Okay. All right. Notification of City of Bedford submitting application. I'm sorry. We'll back up to ordinance 6-2026. Meaning zoning map reszone of property for Jackwoods.577 acres Shauny Drive South building three duplex building B3 to R3. Kevin.

Yes. This is a request from Jackwoods Jr. He's requesting to reszone 577 acres on Shauny Drive South from B3 to R3 for the purpose of building three duplex buildings and they will be two-bedroom units. This property is across the road from Holiday Inn and the Limestone Edge apartments that are being built now. Uh Jack shared his plans to build those well sorry three units and or sorry three buildings with two bedroom units, sorry. uh January 13th uh 2026 preliminary hearing was held with the plan commission for this request. The request is approved and moved to a public hearing. Prior to the public hearing, notices were sent out to adjoining property owners and advertised with local media. On February 10th, 2026, a public hearing was held with the plan commission for the request. After discussing the request and hearing no objections from the public, plan commission approved the request for reszone, moving it to the city council for final approval. I now ask the city council to approve the reszoning of B3 to this property to B3 from Arthur. And Jack is here if anybody has any questions for him.

Any discussion? I make the motion to approve ordinance 6-2026. Second. All those in favor signify by I. I. Anyone opposed? Entertain a second passage. So move, Mr. Mayor. Second. Motion by Brad, second by Larry. All those in favor signify by I. I. Anyone opposed? Thank you.

Thank you. Number four, we're just going to just give some information to the council on a a grant that we're looking at doing. Uh Sarah, of course, that is her area. She's going to briefly just give some basic information on what's what we're looking at taking place if we're able to receive the grant. Sarah,

so the city became aware of a grant opportunity through the GM on Main Street program. It was due last Friday and we did submit an application for it. The 2025 program focuses on road safety innovation for downtowns and the grant award would be $60,000. They award this to five different communities and it is a nationwide grant. We're eligible because we have a GM facility of course in our community and if awarded we would be notified in late April with the funds dispersed by May 1st to complete um the project. So, the project would have to be completed by November 30th and we've submitted an application and hope we get picked.

Okay. And the grant is an upfront grant. It's not reimburseable or anything. So, we would receive the funds prior to being able to start our work. So, we just want to give you some update on that. Thank you, Sarah. Thanks, Sarah. Stonegate Arts and Education update. start. Okay. She changed it to ramp.

Well, I told her I said, "You talk nether. I'll say something." I wanted to thank you um for the level of funding that you're giving to Songate this year. Um we have a commitment to provide you a monthly update, which we're doing, and then a bimonthly update in person. So, that's what we want wanted to do um for this month. And so, I will turn it over to Linda with any backup that uh that you need. Don't go away.

All right. Um you should have in your packet your binders uh handout that gives you and this is just looking at January and February but at the top it talks about revenue update and you can see that in comparison to January February last year we we are doing quite well and that despite uh the weather we've had uh we had u maybe two cancellations and one's rescheduled and uh another I expect to rescheduled. So you can see we have more trainings primarily from VU in particular G uh they training General Motors here and they've committed to 16 weeks but this is the income we've gotten from them in January and February but they've uh they've bought out 16 weeks here and u uh something new uh uh from last year is that we're um uh offering Stonegate classes uh both workforce development classes and arts classes and we kicked off the keyboard class and you can see uh we raised $1,000 for for that class and that's new revenue that we didn't have last year at at the first part of the year and we at the second part of last year we did have some re revenue. Um the sponsorships uh and this is a new initiative, but we have a sponsorship of uh or gift of $750 from the rock club that meets here and and that's up from last year a gift of $500 and their group is growing and they like meeting in the limestone museum downstairs. So it all works out. Um uh the uh Stonegate board has uh ident develop approved uh sponsorship levels and u um later this spring we will be approaching businesses and asking them to consider sponsoring us and giving a monetary gift. We do have it's not on here United Way has has uh

been a continual sponsor for the last three maybe four years and they have approved sponsorship again this year and but we've not received that money. So, it's not on this reflected on this because I'm I'm just sharing with you what we actually got cash because people can say they're going to send us a check and never show up. We've experience how much?

2500 for the first half and if their fundraising goes well, we'll get another 2500 for the second half. And their sponsorship is intended to cover the cost of nonprofits utilizing the building. And as Dwayne and I have talked earlier today, three, four years ago when they started giving the sponsorship, uh the number of nonprofits using our building was not what the number is now. So the word's gotten out that folks can use our building and and on the second page, you can see the list of the nonprofits who utilize the building in January and February to give you kind of a a a snapshot of who's in the building. Um a building rates update. the uh Stonegate uh board uh has we've had rate increases in 24 and 25 and the board will be looking uh in our at uh spring meeting in uh March. Uh we'll review the uh rate sheet as well, but we've doubled our classroom uh u rate uh over the last two years and we increase the rate of the black box by 30% rental uh what we charge and we and we believe we're very competitive. Um, and just to give you an idea on on Reynolds, uh, in in, uh, April, I have a 3-week period where we have no classroom space available because it's already been booked. The f first time I've been here six, this is starting my sixth year and first time we've we've booked out every classroom for a three-week period. So, and that's due to the virtual schools that come in to do IEP and SA uh, iLearn testing and SAT testing and such. So, uh, we're taking advantage of those virtual schools. We have Indiana Digital Learning in the building and Indiana, uh, Gateway Academy that will be here. Um, before I move on, any questions about the revenue or any comments, complaints, no one cares.

Okay. So, just give you some uh building general building updates. Our arts program is, as I mentioned, keyboard. We we started offering keyboard class. We have a possibility of a um a u uh being able to off introduction to guitar and these will be classes that we offer to folks and we will charge. We try to keep the prices down so that it's affordable for members of our community who might not otherwise be able to uh uh pro provide that for their ch children. And um and I'll just uh point out that our keyboard class um is six weeks for $80 for six weeks a lessons both we providing for youth and for adults. And for the youth um we our our grandparents in the community seem to be uh providing the tuition for that which is is great. But just um just know know that uh we're uh busy planning for the 250 celebration. Uh we are going to uh have uh aumeric American Revolution uh theater production in the fall and we will uh our summer camps both the ones IvyTech offers and and we are also putting our toe in the water offering uh summer camps independent of IvyTech again so that we can charge and and also um maybe lower the cost because it's and make it even more affordable fam for families. Those summer camps will all have a patriotic theme this year to tie in to the 250 uh celebration. We are working with the folks who are part of the quilts of valor and Brad may know more about this than and I do. It's a a display of quilts of valor and um that'll be a 250 celebration. They'll probably be may tie into the limestone heritage festival um celebration. Uh, but that's new and I think it will be quite a draw to the building because

it's pretty be pretty novel. Um, we did um receive a um gift if you see in the I think back there we have a baby grand player piano that was gifted to us by Sherwood Oaks Bloomington and uh so it's to add to our arts program. So, a matter of fact, the kids with the keyboard class this cohort on the 27th at 4:00, they're going to give a little concert in here and use the new uh uh baby grand. So, that that'll be a fun thing for them to experience. Um collaborations. We're continually working with Lawrence County Growth Council uh working on um continuing hopefully to provide free dropin tech services for um uh community members. We had a grant through RORI that covered the cost of that. And Kathy and I have been putting our heads together to be able to cover that. Again, we did submit a a grant with to Old National Foundation to requesting $30,000 to continue many of the initiatives that we were able to fund under the ROI grant uh that we received. We'll know in about 12 weeks whether we got that grant or not. Um and we're also looking at other grants. um collabor collaboration the IU School of Public Health uh uh they're uh piloting check-in and checkup and uh and for the next um the rest of the year the fourth Friday of the month they faculty and some grad students will be on site on on Friday mornings the fourth Friday any nonprofit or business or or or entity that's applying for a grant or needing to a project or needing help putting something together They will be on site to help with evaluation plans, help with maybe uh tweaking grant writing, uh putting lodging models together, and this service will be free to the community. Also, we are work working with them to keep an eye on the

um money's coming down to the Grow Indiana, Grow Rural Indiana, the $29 million Indiana is getting after in well, they've already got it to distribute to grow rural areas. And so, um, we're, uh, I know enough to be dangerous. Ask me what it is. I don't know. I I shared it with Sam the other day and then Dwayne and we've got it on a radar. We just don't know u how we might be able to tap into that those funds. Um, we had the special events. We had the um um community engagement. You can see the nonprofits uh, other service organizations. The courts are using us. uh probation does the parent education piece parent project here they pay for the space for that uh just FYI it's it's not a a free ser um they're not getting free space um media um or services um we're collaborating with IU Health to do a series on dementia and um and we recorded the um chamber breakfast but I'm not sure what's if that's going to be posted or what's happening to that and um workforce develop you can just See, we got a lot going on. Any questions? Don't want to bore you to death. At least ask Dwayne a question.

These these keyboard classes and guitar, how are you advertising them out to the public? Uh we put on Facebook. We we uh email list through the schools. Okay.

And uh and just wherever we can, we post on WBIW. Uh but it's that's an issue we've had uh uh is just getting the word out because we don't have a regular newspaper like we and and it's really a hindrance getting the word out and everything. But with that said, our classes are full. Yeah. And everything. We can uh um uh max the capacity is uh 10 max. So uh for the keyboard now the the guitar class I I don't know. and and uh we're being we're borrowing some uh guitars from Northform Schools and and that's what we're going to be using in the fall and we found it finally found a guitar instructor that's has offered to do that. So um

so we handed out this was today's activity in the building and probably we estimated around 70 people utilizing the building today. So, and that doesn't include the the traffic for work one or the adult basic education stuff that's going on. So, if you count that in, it'd be right at 100 probably and thereabouts.

I think the good news would be that uh there's a lot of work going on to get more activity in the building. the uh the balance between that community service and then figuring out how to charge and balance the the other support that we're getting to fund the not forprofits, right? We're going to strike that balance in the right way. I think there's still some room for rate growth gently as we go, but knowing and you can look at the numbers it there's probably not enough even with tremendous rate growth in activity to fully cover all the operating expense. So, we are in pursuit now of about $70,000 worth of grants would be over a couple years that we can see. We're chasing others. So, that activity we're trying to find additional sources that can um sustain the operation because community service is working well. It's providing a good service. We understand the cost pressures and so we're actively working to try to alleviate that as much as we can.

I was wondering you have you have such a good group of nonprofits using the building if they could help you publicize the classes for the keyboard. Correct. Let them be part of your part of our team. Yes. And let me see the uh the uh nonprofits that use it like Vegas Police does volunteer training here. uh uh the um cancer society is preparing for their gallon and different and we have a number of board meetings. Now if a nonprofit is going to rent here to ch to do an event and charge for it then they are charged they it's and everything. So it's just if they're doing their business through board development training of volunteers or providing a free service to the community then we we don't charge

right. Yeah. So that's where we are. Um, if you have any questions, feel free to contact us, come over and see what's going on every day. And one last thing, we are launching uh Lunch with the Arts and you all have your flyer on Snoopy. It's February the 27th and we'd like for you to come if you all possible, $12 a ticket, and we hope to make some money off that. Or if you want to just buy a ticket, that's a good thing, too. Yeah. Anyway, we'll get out of here. Thank you. You guys are doing a great job. That's great. Thank you. Thank you. All right, we're to the discussion. Does the board have anything for discussion?

Uh, yes, Mr. Mayor. I would like to congratulate and thank Battalion Chief Elkins for 31 and a2 years of service with the Bedford Fire Department. Thank you. All right. Uh, a few updates. the million dollars that the council provided for the utility department for Spider Creek, that money has not been spent. Uh there was, of course, we all know that there was a lot of money that we were able to get our hands on for that project. And then Indiana Finance Authority, they they came in and there was a loan for so much of that money. Uh, and how it went down was that they ended up spending the loan money before they spent the million dollars from the council. So, I've instructed the utilities, uh, they've started the process. Uh, the Bank of New York is where this this revenue is at. So, they're wanting to wait till the end of this month so that they can calculate interest on that million dollars and then sometime towards the middle or the end of March, we anticipate we'll be getting that million dollars back and hopefully with some interest. So, whenever that money comes back, then we will probably look at seeing if the council wants to take that money and put it towards back into utilities. but for in a different area as far as the exploration of wells uh for our water for the city uh down at White River. That process has has started somewhat. I've been in contact with uh some developers and some people that deal in this area as far as some contacts. Uh our next step is that we're going to be

reaching out to IDM to receive all the guidelines that they have uh for anyone that's wanting to start in this area as far as wells. So that process has started. Uh the million dollars will be coming back uh as far as to the loan for Spider Creek, which I understand of course this is in utilities, which is a little bit out of the scope as far as to our general fund and some of our revenue here. There's also a little over a million dollars that was left on that loan that was not spent on that project. So, they are working with them that that money is going to be to be put forward towards our other overflow that we're familiar with that we're going to have down at we refer to it as 22nd M which is also down by K Street. So that money is going to be designated for for that area which they've already started monitoring some of that down there to see what the overflows are uh to see where that's going to take us as to what's going to be required to work with those overflows down there to resolve those. Uh we've also talked with with RDC uh as far as to we're looking at a new street department garage that will be take place is the plans down where they're currently at. The one little red building that they always refer to as the sign shop uh would come down and this building would go in that location. Uh and there'll be more to come on that. I just want to give some updates on that. Uh we're also looking at some property at X Street and John Williams Boulevard. This process has been going on for some time. Uh reference to looking for a possible location for a new what we would refer to as a north side fire station. Uh at that location uh as most

of us know uh fire station at the north side is been there for several years. uh it has a lot of issues as far as to the size that they can get the fire truck in. Uh we've ran into some issues and concerns as far as to how much water's on the truck, reference to the the basement under part of the area where the truck sits. U so I think at this point in time, it's something for us to look at. Uh I have to give the RDC and the council credit whenever we stop and look here in the last three, four years or whatever. We've kind of went through all of our buildings and made some big changes uh in our facilities for all of our employees and for our citizens as far as being able to work with them and maintain services. So, whenever we we can finish these other two projects, uh we'll be accomplishing pretty much most of our facilities and having things where they need to be. Uh the council room uh it's moving along as far as to that. They've got drywall up. They're they've got wires ran. They're they're working uh they're working on some doors today there. So hopefully I'm not going to give a time frame because anytime I do it's always wrong. So but they're working on that. So hopefully it won't be too awfully long. We'll be able to have our meetings there which also of course will be all of our meetings for the city of Bedford which will be used to be able to have on Facebook. It'll be set up. We'll have the parking there at the facility. Uh and it'll be a nice nice area for our meetings. It'll be a nice area for our citizens to be able to come if they wish to come and participate or just watch. So that's all I have for this evening. So I would entertain a motion to adjurnn.

Some second. Who made the motion? I'm sorry. Craig. Craig. Second by Larry. All those in favor signify by I. I. Anyone opposed? We stand adjourned. Thank you.