Common Council - Regular Meeting

Good evening everyone. Welcome to the regular meeting of the city of Charles Town common council. Today is July 7th, 2025. It is 6:30 p.m. We'll begin our meeting with the pledge of allegiance. If everyone please join 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. Thank you so much. Tonight for our invitation, we have Donnie R, the fellowship of Christian Athletes and her sports director of southern Indiana. Welcome. Hi. Welcome. Thank you guys. Appreciate you offering to have me here. All right, let's pray. Father, thank you for uh this evening. Thank you for the opportunity just to gather um just in this country as we just celebrated this weekend, the freedoms that we have, Lord. And we uh just thank you for the men and women who step up and that uh graciously give their time and energy to serve our community. Uh many of them have have been doing it for such a long time now and uh their their dedication, their passion, their commitment is very clear and evident. So I thank you for each of the representatives that are here serving the community. I thank you for Mayor Hodes and just the commitment that she's given over the last several years. And father, just continue to guide them, give them wisdom and counsel as they look to grow our city. Uh just welcome our community members and just give opportunity for uh youth and for uh young and old, everybody in between to be able to have uh chances to thrive within Charles Town. We love this community. We thank you for uh placing us here as you have tonight. I just ask you uh guide them and uh may they do everything that they're doing to serve and honor you and to just provide the best opportunities that we can in our community. Father, it's in your son's name we pray. Amen. Amen. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Drop them off. Good to go. Thank you. Right. We'll have our roll call. Bill Bertram here. Ronnie Blevens here.

Shannon Elden here. Brian Hester here. Chuck Eaton here. Let the record show that we do have a quorum and mayor and treasurer Donna Kmer are also present as well as both attorneys city attorney Perry McCall and council attorney Michael. We have an agenda that's been provided. I do need to make one addition. Don't think it we received it in time. It was supposed to be sent to both attorneys, but it is the so item C under new business will be pledge agreement for the Southern Indiana Tourism Grant. And I'll explain more as we get there. I need to amend the agenda to include that item. And with that amendment, I need a motion to approve. I make a motion. Motion by Ronnie Williams. I'll second. Second question. And are there any other questions or edits? Hearing none. All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Back to you hands. We have our standing business which includes the minutes from your meeting on June 2nd, your current claims and the payroll allowance bucket from May 26th until June 29th. A motion to approve. I'll make a motion. Motion by Ron Evans. Second by Shannon Elder. Any questions or edits? Hearing none. All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? That's unanimous. Anyone sign up for public comment? I don't believe so. And of course, it's summer, so our legislative advisor is like most summer people in the summer here in the dwindling few weeks you have left um in the wind. U mayor's comments. Of course, most of you saw that we did have to cancel the big events on the 28th due to the rain out that we experienced. Um it happens. It's just sometimes nature's way of cleansing things off and saying you're done. We were glad that we had pretty good attendance through most of our events throughout the week. So, it wasn't a complete wash out. Um, as far as things that are coming up this Friday, we do have music in the park here on the city square that evening. And so, I think

it's one of the runs if I'm not mistaken. So, be a busy night on the city square. And then, of course, Saturday morning is the backpack giveaway. And that starts at 9:00 at the family activities park and goes until noon. So certainly welcome to come out, hang out. We'd love to see you. Um hope us giveaways to the backpacks. They have 400 to give away and we'll probably go through all of them. So hope to see you there. And that's all I have done. Happy to answer any questions and I'll open it up to council comments as well. Uh I will say that I seen a post with the Charleston Police Department today. They made a very very um awesome arrest on a very big investigation. Yes. I think it took a lot of moving parts and I want to thank Detective Praise Dan and Brody for all they've done. I mean getting that done with the airport authority and multiple agencies and uh I think you know we look out for a lot of people in the city and citizens are one thing and but the elderly side you see you've seen a lot of people come up and they talk about that they're on a fixed income. I mean they they have what they have and that's about it. That's what they live on. So, I think being able to uh being able to make that whole for our at least somewhat whole for some of those people is a really big deal and it shows a lot for our police department. So, I want to thank them for that. Thank you. Yeah. So, what he's mentioning is a is a fraud investigation that came to coalition. It was actually an international involved international. So, there was a man who was a Canadian citizen who allegedly was coming to Indiana and defrauding elderly people of money for services that he never provided. Um, and so our our local guys here followed it down. I think they had over 21 or 22 uh warrants, search warrants that they've executed in this case and then they were finally able to make the arrest with the cooperation of the Louisville airport police. um he was arrested and found to have I think it was $87,000 that time before he would

transport it back. Yeah. And move on. So um definitely defending of the elderly in our community. They did a good job saying that he was a Canadian citizen and come down in like April, I think it was you said. Um I mean you should imagine within two hours you're gone. Yeah. So it was great work on their part. Absolutely. Any other um Yep. Um, it was a shame that things had canceled. I just want to tell the city workers and you and the people that worked on it, thanks for all they did. Um, it's just disappointing that all the hard work didn't come out, but their work was went noticed and we appreciate all the work they did. Thank you. I really appreciate it. All right, moving into old business. Oh, I got one more thing. Oh, sorry. Um, you know, we've done a lot of work in the police department trying to raise their pay and um, I have some friends who are on other departments and he kind of gave me a hard time the other day about paying your officers too much now because I can't keep my officers now and we can't raise our pay. So, it's it's nice to hear that our officers are fine getting what they need to get. Turn about fair play, right? We were in that boat for a long time. So, it's nice to see that they're getting those things and other people are noticing it. So, it's nice. Oh, good deal. All right. Uh, so we'll move into our agenda items for the old business. You have the second and final reading of ordinance 202510. This is the ordinance adopting the payment and low of taxes for the River Ridge Development Authority. We need a motion um to get this moving forward on second and final read. So move. Motion by Brian Hester. Second. Second by Chuck Deon. Any questions? All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Right. That's unanimous. That moving along with them. And now keep in mind that will be that take effect January one. So it'll be calculated for next year. Um no program.

Next up under new business we have resolution 2025 R8 urging improved EMS response times. Um Councilman Blevens is the one who's introduced this resolution. So, I will let him explain it. We just need motion and a second to get it on the table for conversation. Okay. All right. not explain. Let's see. This is Sorry. Oh, I think I have a two sets here. You said it was four pages. Yeah, I think I have two sets. There may be an extra if I have I should have what was it February March January through April. Right. I think I made a copy for myself. I already have one. Okay. All right. So, do we have a motion to put this on the table for discussion? Make a motion. Motion by Shannon Elder. Is there a second? I second by Brian Hester. Open for discussion. Okay. Um, so I'd like to introduce this ordinance or this resolution uh 2025 RO8. Uh, it's addressing a critical issue um that I believe directly affects u the health and safety of all of our residents um in Charles Town and that is the emergency uh medical response times um

within our city. Uh on May 18th, a medical emergency occurred in our city. Uh and the response time was over 20 minutes. Okay. And before I go further, I want to be clear that this is not an attack on the men and women who is out there doing the work every day. This is not an attack on them. Okay? I believe this starts at the top. It starts at the leadership level. And uh so I just want to make make sure that is clear. Um they perform you know difficult work u in many different challenging conditions and we're all great I know we're all grateful for their service. However uh the incident uh I believe this incident is not an isolated one. uh monthly response time data shows uh consistent delays uh in our community. Uh so the this resolution is about acknowledging uh the problems and demanding accountability and beginning a serious conversation between the city of Charles Town, the county and Hartland U ambulance service about ways that we can improve the uh emergency response times for our citizens, especially in you know in cases where uh lives are on the line. Uh so I I would greatly um appreciate um support for this resolution from my fellow council members. Other comments? So I talked to u talked to a few people about it. I guess talked to Ronnie a little bit more today. Uh one question was why' it come up? I'm reading into the resolution that he's put out and in part number three,

I'm sorry, part number four, uh, talks about working with the office of the mayor in Charles Town, designated city officials, EMS needs, uh, including the possibility of city, county cooperative agreements, funding support, or mutual aid strategies. U, number one, I don't see where Charleston's going to find any funding support money for that. I know this is a resolution. This is not we're signing our life away with an ordinance, but I don't see with the budget that I was, again, this is my second year, but with the budget you provided last year, you got Senate Bill one, you got other stuff that's coming down. I don't foresee anywhere in the near future of a funding support type thing. The main thing I want to know is, and I agree with Ronnie, this is not towards anybody. I think it does start at the top. Everything starts at the top and works way works its way down. But um the question I ask is to write a resolution and put something in there as a city council. As a citizen, yeah, we can go to the county, we can talk to whoever we want, but putting something out there as a city council or as a city or whatever. I look at the fact how many people have been to an EMS subcommittee meeting in the county? I haven't. I just learned about I haven't been there. Um, I talked to Doug Bentfield today with the county health department. I've talked to county commissioners. I talked to county councilman. I've talked to the chief of police. I've talked to a lot of people and the consensus is there are isolated incidents. You brought up May 18th and there are and I give you all a group of papers. If you look at the first line or the first box, which is right here on the top, um the one thing I ask about is I' I've been involved in police, fire, EMS for over 25 years. I've been involved in since I was 18 years old. And the number one thing I wish I could have done and on many, many occasions, one night keeps

one one night of a fire run keeps me awake at night. Still to this day, I wish I could have got there quicker. I don't think there's any first responder out there that wish they couldn't have gotten somebody a little bit quicker. And uh when you deal with children, you really you really think about that and it sticks with you. But talking to Mr. Bentfield and talking to some of the other people I've talked to just because again, when you throw a resolution out there, you're pretty much saying, "Listen, you're not doing it to our standards. We want you to do better. We want transparency and I don't feel it's right to do that until we get to the point where we have exhausted all of our other options. I don't know if anybody else has been to that meeting and on the subcommittee, but all this data that I give you all is provided online. Uh the call to the scene, if you look in January, it was 13 minutes and 46 seconds. In February, it actually went backwards. It was 14 minutes and 20 seconds. But in March it was 12 minutes and 57 seconds and in April it went up to 12 minutes or went down to 12 minutes and 37 seconds. And if you look on that uh and it doesn't matter what page you're looking on, Charles Town is the number three town, city, however they want to break it down in here that gets the runs. talking to people with the health department, 911 dispatch center, uh, county commissioners, everything else. Jeffersonville had 562 just in January. Uh, 86 total requests in January. Clarksville had 506. So, obviously, you're going to have a couple more ambulances down there than you will in Charletown. But the third place they put an ambulance is in Charleston is 144 total requests for EMS. And then in April, we had a total of 153, which is nine more. And they lowered their time

by 12 minutes and 37 seconds. Talking to those people in that subcommittee meeting, they talk about where to stage an ambulance. They talk about where to put them, what kind of truck to put where. Um, and being involved in the MF service, that means a lot to me because it's not, you're never going to know who needs the next ambulance. Never know if I'm going to need one right here, right now. I mean, it's just one of those things that you never know. So, you can only plan by the data you have from the month prior or the two months prior, that time of year, the year before, and you try to work through that. But, personally, uh, talking to those people, um, the times could always be better and that's what they're trying to work on. Um they said that Hartland EMS is very I don't know anything about the company whatsoever just from what I've read in the resolution what I've heard and talked to people but they've been very adaptable. They uh if Mr. Bentfield or Mr. Dr. Yasel or whoever ask them to move an ambulance to a certain place they do that. Uh they work all that through AI to try to find the best dispatch location best center location for them. Uh it may be a little bit delayed because we are a little bit rural compared to Jeffersonville and Clarksville, but they say the service of the personnel that works the ambulance is far better than any service they've ever had in Clark County. And that goes back to the Sersburg days. Um they are still working on things. They're working on staging areas. They're planning meetings. They're doing a bunch of stuff. And I wouldn't suggest that me personally that I don't have a problem with a resolution, but I think everybody needs to before before I would like to vote on it or go any forward, I'd like to go to a subcommittee meeting and see what they what they're all about. Talk to them. They said that if you come in and you ask a question, it

is people that are paramedics, fire chiefs, police chiefs, health department, 911 dispatch, all those professionals in that field are the ones on that subcommittee. their suggestions and what they want to see happen going forward goes back to the commissioners and then they take the suggestions of the subcommittee and then they vote on that to put an ordinance in or a plan into effect and uh move forward from there. So even though I would love a response time, I would love for the police to be at my house in two minutes when I need them, I know that's not physically possible, you know, and May 18th of 2025 there may have been something happened that day that EMS was somewhere else with everyone another call and no one person is more important than the other. So I put all those things into into my mind and 25 years worth of it. Even though I'd like to see it, I'd still like us to, I guess, give them a shot. Let them come here to talk to us if we want them to. Give them an opportunity to do that before we go and sign a resolution that says, "Hey, we're expecting more, but we haven't given you a chance yet." That's just my thoughts. for the council's information as far as as you're considering this resolution. I regularly have folks so we do have representation um looking into this. So Chuck Leetter serves on the 911 board um and we have representation through our chief on both the operational board and the fiscal board. So both of them serve on each on one of those boards and um I have had truck running numbers in Charles Town based on CAD information and there's a little bit of um an additional breakdown that I have asked for. So Dr. Gazel from the health department have communicate regularly and I communicate with members

of the county commissioners fairly regularly as well about this issue. I think one of the things that the resolution asks for that I think is significant. I understand the fiscal concern and and it may be that the resolution could be amended to pull just that second half of that phrase out to to talk about that. But I think one of the strengths of the resolution is in the second clause where it's asking for um under number 2 a and then enumerations more specifically a breakout of response times that distinguishes between basic medical care and advanced life support calls. That is something I asked for several months ago and have not received. And so when Councilman Glovens talked to me, when he drafted this and talked to me about it and asked me what information I had just from the day-to-day duties of my job, I told him, I've asked for this breakdown and have not received it. And that's where I think that the resolution has a little bit of weight to say we're seriously interested in that information. Um, and I understand how complicated it is to get that information because I've had those conversations with Dr. Gazel as well. So what classifies as advanced or or not or whatever but there's a huge difference between a basic life support call for a lymphstyist and an advanced life support with an unconscious individual and when I I am personally much more concerned about the um duration of time on those advanced life how long is someone unconscious before someone gets there that to me is very concerning um because I have heard personal stories from people where those calls have been and so my phone is ringing pretty steadily every couple of months about some individuals that have experienced those offsh shots that you're talking about. So, I've asked them for that information and I think that is important for us to receive that information. Um, it may be inviting them here, they could give us that check. That's a good idea to perhaps have them, you know, report that to us. Um, since I haven't received it in documentation

yet. Um, the other thing is that I've asked over a year now. Um, pretty much since New Chapel went away and Harlem came in. Um, I have been following and making requests that the cooperative agreement for all of the units of government be amended to allow for more home rule when it comes to EMS coverage. Um, so for instance, if in a magic world we had the money to fund ambulance service just for the citizens of Charleston. Let's let's say that for whatever reason we had a surplus of money that we could spend. It actually would do us no good under the current cooperative agreement because even if we were funding one and a half or two ambulances of our own to work in Charles Town, that's not the way that they are dispatched. They're dispatched based off of location. And so, as you can see from the call volume, if we funded an ambulance, let's say we found a way to um give, you know, supplement an ambulance that would work with Charles Town Volunteer Park. I'm just throwing ideas. I'm not saying anybody's had those contract. Just saying what if if we were able to do that, it would still do us no good because as soon as that ambulance drops somebody off at the hospital and went back in service, they're going to be dispatched based off where they are. And with the high volume of calls that are coming from Jeffersonville and Clarksville, our ambulance is never going to be providing service in the city of Charleston. It's going to be providing service in those communities. So I have requested several times that there be more latitude in that mutual cooperation agreement to allow municipalities to have some control over what happens. Um, and I think there's there's strength in that because when you look at the outlined communities, their their response times are significantly higher and that is concerning. So, those are just some of the things um that I think that were

strength of the resolution. I understand the concerns about the money. Um, I've also spoken to members from the health department that have expressed concern about the workload for the staff at H Heartland, the amount of overtime they're having to put in and the fatigue that that is causing and that that is a real issue that they're beginning to combat. And so you look at the numbers overall from the whole duration that they've been in service, what seems to happen are these marginal shifts where when one community is noted that their times are high, they adjust it and they start paying a little more attention to that community to the detriment of another community and so then that number that communities are higher so then they go there and then the cycle just continues to repeat itself. So, I don't want to speak out of turn. I think that you've brought some good, you know, obviously, you know, be more involved, but in the conversation that we had when you when Councilman Levens brought this forward and said, I want to put this on the agenda. Um, it came from a place more of we want to make sure that we are being included in the conversation, not that we're saying anybody's doing anything wrong, but hey, don't forget about us. we we want to do right by our residents and make sure that we are being included in that conversation. And so far, just the phone calls that I've had with people who are in those conversations haven't really resulted in us getting the information that we need. So, just that just putting that out for some information on on where we've been with this. And I kind of I kind of go back to the pilot ordinance that we just passed the second time. You had conversations about all that with River Ridge. And that conversation actually went somewhere. At the point it didn't, we got to do what we got to do to protect the city and the citizens of the city. We can't pull police officers to go to River Ridge if

we're not going to have funding for that that part right there. So, I kind of feel the same way about this. If we're going if we're going to if you went and done the homework with River Ridge and approached them and met with them and all that, that's great. That's exactly what needed to be done. But I don't feel that that effort that you put forth in that ordinance has been put forth here yet. I would like to see people doing that subcommittee meeting raise those concerns. If those concerns aren't addressed, I didn't know anything about what you just said until today, but if those concerns aren't addressed, absolutely, we'll put a resolution in. I mean, absolutely. I would love to see the way to find money to support and have our own ambulance. Even though you're right, it ain't going to work that way. As an EMS, a first responder, I can't pass a wreck. So no matter where it's at, if I'm a police officer in city of Charleston, I'm transporting somebody to jail and I'm on my way back, somebody breaks in front of me in the city of Jeffersonville, they have to stop. If not city char. So I would like to see the same homework done with each and every resolution ordinance that we put forth here as a body like you've done. I'd like to see that done on each and every one. That's all I ask. And they have a meeting July 15th at 1:00. and I plan to be there. You know, I think it's important that as elected officials, and I understand what you're saying, okay? But as elected officials, we have it is our duty to make sure that our citizens is getting the service that they need and that they deserve. Every minute counts. And I have heard I have heard from people out there that I represent that said they've waited 20 minutes. They've waited 30 minutes. Okay. And I I

don't think we need to to normalize that. Okay. I think it it may be just they're stretched thin. Okay. They're pro. I'm sure they are. I spoke to someone that is in uh affiliated with the EMS and they told me that they are they are u hurting for help. Okay. So, we need to do what we can and we do fund the ambulance. We do have a right and have a voice in this. Um, I've got some some numbers. In 2020, going back to 2023, um, in our, uh, public safety LIT fund, we received $263,85. They took out of that $42,29 for public safety. in 2025 um in in the LIT fund, public safety LIT, uh it was $291,14 [Music] and they they took out of that roughly between 40 to 45,000. So I think so I think we you know we have a we have a say in this. Um, and and what I want to see at the end of the at the end of the day, this is not about pointing fingers. I'm not pointing fingers, okay? But at the end of the day, I just want to see improved response times. I will say that ever since June, um, some of you know I did a news article with News and Tribune. They reached out to me, wanted to interview, so I interviewed with them. But ever since June, I have been seeing their presence more here around

Charles Town. Okay? So if if this resolution does nothing but, you know, gets their attention, then then so be it. I think it's in I think it's important our citizens deserves deserve ambulance service. who is going to to respond in a um in a an amount of time. Uh you know, we can't like I said, every minute counts and 30 minutes, 20 minutes that when somebody's in cardiac arrest or something or another life-threatening uh situation, we that every minute counts. I've known people um personally and I have talked to other citizens in the city um that said that they are having that same situ they had that same situation. Now there are some people out there that says um you know they didn't they they haven't experienced that a long time a wait you know to wait on the ambulance to get there. They haven't experienced that but a lot of people has. So, I don't want to keep kicking this down the road and the next time somebody gets, you know, needs an ambulance service, it's another 20 minutes for them to get there. So, I don't want to keep just pushing this on down the road. And um at the end of the day, I just want to see improved response times. That's what this comes down to. I think I would like to see it across the entire state of the nation. I Well, I disagree one I don't disagree one iota. I just think that you're right. We got people protecting the city and I don't think signing a piece of paper is going to do that. Going to the people that actually run

these departments and run these EMS services. And if I have a problem with the police, I call the chief. I I don't even go to the mayor. I mean, no offense to the mayor, but I call the chief and say, "Hey, what's going on here?" He'll answer me or he'll say, "Hey, we need to go talk to the mayor." You know, I I want to give those people that that are at the top of that source, top of that food chain, give them the opportunity to answer you. And and and I have the director of operations does not acknowledge just and I'll say it right here. He does not acknowledge that there have been uh long response times. Okay? He got on Facebook and he said that's not true. Okay? I know personally that it is true and I know people that's calling me and telling me that what they have experienced. They're not making this up. So um so it's about we got to acknowledge that there's a problem. If you don't acknowledge that there's a problem, then how are we going to fix it? And this is just shining light saying, "Okay, we are calling for collaboration. We as a council, you know, it'd be nice if we can work with the county, uh, the county council, the county commissioners, the board, uh, Hartland, and have a seat at the table and address our concerns and come up with a solution." Okay, this is again, this is not trying to point fingers. I think, like I said, at the end of the day, we need improved response times for the citizens of Charles Town. Let's do some quick math. Do these things. total runs in these four months

were averaging 99 runs a month over if you average that over 12 12 months and you divide that into $40,000 that's $33 a run I think something needs to be done but as soon as we say we need quick response times are going to say we need more money so there's a balance that we have to find that balance somewhere but I think something needs to be done but we've got figure it before we start hammering people and saying you're not doing your job right. I think we got to figure something out with the balance there first. That's just a little opinion. $33 a run. There's no way that they can make stay in the in the black and $33 a run. That's and again that's just really quick math sitting here doing this quick math. So I'm not a math major. that maybe you will I I don't want to I don't want to throw this out the window. I mean, I don't want to kick it down the road here, but I don't want to throw it out the window, but I would I would like to go to that subcommittee meeting because I know it's happening now. I would like the opportunity to go to that. Give everybody else the opportunity to go to that if they want to. Uh I did ask specifically if I was to come and I was to address or if I was to ask concerns, they would address them. Every one of them would. Uh he says we kind of go off a rabbit hole a lot a lot more than we should. It's not as professional as it as it seems like it is. Uh we really sit down and we talk about things when it comes up and response time he said has brought been brought up at every meeting. So I know they're doing uh strategic things. Uh Tri Township Amir with Tri Township. They're looking at and I didn't know this till today, but they're looking at um doing a collaboration with H Heartland Ambulance Service if there's an ALS run, which Tri Townships pay for their own ambulance. New Washington has an ambulance between the hours of 7 and

4, 75 now, every day, 5 days a week. But if there is an ALS run that comes in in Hawthorne Glenn or somewhere on the north west side of town, then Tri Township's looking at they will make the run because they will be the closest to Ambulance versus waiting for Heartland coming from Pucks. So they're putting all these things into place where it helps us. And I mean we are off the beaten path. I mean, you transport to angles. You've seen the you see the times takes a long time to get back from Jville or New or Louisville at 45 mph on 62. And that's as fast as they're going to run. And that's the question I'd like to ask as well. You know, I don't want that's been brought up a few times as to why they're only running. Talk to them today. It's because of their insurance. Their insurance is just like we changed insurancees what two or three years ago and they put a lot more restrictions on us. Well, their insurance is the same. Um, there's a lot of restrictions and I mean, anything if they get in an accident at 10 over the speed limit, then they'll rival. So, you got to put it in the company policy. You got to you got to cover your own as well, you know. So, I would just I'm not trying to kick it down the road. I'm not trying to say that we don't that everybody don't deserve more. from you. I would love to have an ambulance there in a matter of minutes as well, but I don't want to sign a piece of paper and say, "Hey, I expect more from you." I at least want to go and tell them. And if it doesn't get addressed, absolutely, I'll come sign in August, whatever the date is. But I think we get more I I think we get more out of it if we give people the opportunity. We actually address it face to face than you do over a piece of paper in a public meeting. That's just me. So, I'd like to table for a moment. Is that a motion? It is. We have a motion to table a bunch of people. Is there a second?

I'll second it if we are willing to meet with them. I'm willing. Anybody would you be willing to sit down? So, you two I I'm think some questions need to be had. I want to meet with whoever whenever. I'm not saying this is something we need to delete and get rid of, but this is something we need to have discussions about. I mean, I I I agree absolutely 100%. I think we need to meet with them. If we don't, I think I mean, if other parties don't, that's fine. But I'd be happy to. I I'll go to their office tomorrow. I'm good. So, I'm passing her office at 9:00 in the morning. You good to meet with him if we can? Yep. Okay. I'm okay. I'll say I mean I think it's good there's a conversation here because if you hadn't brought it up I wouldn't have known that. Yeah. I mean it's had this people have to know about it and you got this side too. And I get that too. So get everybody together and I'm sure it's not that it can be worked out easy, right? A lot of people didn't know. I sure didn't know their response time, but I saw like a man because I've been in a situation where, you know, I had a test done and I would if I had left my hand up, I would have bled out in seven minutes and and even if it doesn't get anything done, at least we had conversations and we know where people are coming from and that at least we have a little bit better understanding and we can attack it in a different way that I will say I do appreciate you bringing it to the table because I didn't know half of what I know Now, before this morning at 8:00 when I got on the phone, you know, made four phone calls, called Ronnie, made 10 more after that. I mean, I made I've made a bunch of phone calls in a day. I mean, I got the notice last week and was out of town and checked my email this morning and wow. So, it's been brought to light and I think with the phone calls I made today, a lot of people know were paying attention to it. So yeah. Well, and I appreciate it because again, these are conversations I've been

having, right, for several months now. Premand took over doing trying to do my due diligence as a part of the daily responsibilities of my job, having the conversations and again keep asking for information that I'm not getting. So perhaps attending the meeting, yeah, is the right way to go to get that. um and having other, you know, opportunities, having more people, having you out all on the same page, um can potentially help reach a conclusion to that. I referred back to the animal shelter when I talked to Ronnie earlier. I mean, I didn't know a whole lot about it, but talking to you and meeting with them down there put a whole lot more knowledge in my brain. So, I want to know the what, why, when, and how before I go to anything else. So, we have a motion and a second to table. Motion was made by Chucky, second by Brian Hester. Any additional comments on tableabling this for another month? All in favor of tableabling say I. Any opposed? That's unanimous. So we'll put that back on the agenda for next meeting. Up next have the 254 Level Street reszoning. Tommy, did you want to present this on behalf of the staff and behalf of the planning commission? Mr. K from the the petitioners. He apologizes he had family emergency present. What it is is down on uh on June the 9th the plan commission held a public hearing. They were requesting that we reszone down here at 254 level street which is at level and short high. It used to be a duplex unit that caught fire and they want to put in six units, but it'd be three duplex units and uh so they need a it's zoned as residential because that's how we blanket zone downtown down here. But there is uh what was presented to the board. there is,

you know, duplexes down there in that area and so it's really pretty conceptually fine to do that. But that's what they're asking for is a change to multif family. Now, they would have to come back in front of us with a development plan, you know, that way they'll be able to see what they're doing and what kind of thing. But they they sent some pictures today, but they weren't exactly the best shot. That's down there across from the old there. There's apartment restaurant right across the street here on level. It's across from the existing town homes that are where the town homes are already at. Yeah. And where there was a recent reszone for additional town. Yeah. Conceptually goes with our plans. Yeah. So that's what they're asking for. Like I said that the uh plan commission made made a recommendation of approval at that time. Kind of fits the aesthetic there. Yeah. Do we have a motion? Approve. I'll make a motion. Motion by Chuck De. Is there a second? Second by Shannon Elder. Any additional questions. All in favor say I. Any oppose? Unanimous. Thank you. Thank you. Thank the final thing um was this pledge agreement on behalf of the um Southern Indiana Tourism Board. So, I think I I might have told you guys a while back that we were the recipients of a $250,000 grant. Um, and the grant that we're receiving is in the form of bond reduction. Essentially, the redevelopment commission every year pays roughly 250,000. I think it's just shy over that. Um, of a bond payment on the family activities park. And the purpose of this grant was to reduce that by basically making that yearly payment. so that they can then invest in additional improvements, enhancements of the activities part. So along with that, the redevelopment

commission is also providing a master plan for that facility. Um we've been we've received a lot of we received over 600 responses on the survey for that and several inerson responses. It's been going very well um to decide how best to use that 250,000. This is the grant agreement, the pledge agreement with South Indiana Tourism Board that basically says they're going to give us this $250,000 and within 60 days we have to provide proof that we paid that bond payment with that money, which is no problem. Donna's office can can take care of that. My biggest question about this for the attorneys and for Donna is that one of the stipulations of this agreement um um says that on the day of delivery of the grant proceeds, they're going to wire them in. They have to be deposited into the into a special account held by the clerk treasurer entitled the 2025 tourism project fund. And my question would be does this agreement is that all that that you will need to establish this council need to create that fund with another ordinance create the fund? Yes, you'll have to do an ordinance on that. Yep. Okay. So, which is not a problem because you do that simple ordinance at the next meeting and there's still plenty of time within the the receipt to make that happen. So, this is just the pledge agreement. when we execute it, it goes back to them. They've already done their part of approval. Um, and then we can draft that ordinance and have that before you to create that fund the next and it'll just be a place basically where the money comes in and then gets paid out to pay that debt for the year and and that's that. Yeah. It's good for state board accounts from the audit so they see the fund is created, came in and went out. Yep. Um, so that's what I'm asking you to approve this pledge agreement so we can get this money. I make the motion second.

Have a motion by Brian Hester, second by Levens. Any questions? All in favor say I. Any opposed? I wouldn't take it, but thank you. It's unanimous. Um, and then Perry, can you work with Donna on that? Yeah, if you'll just send me the information. Did you send it to me? I didn't see it. um should Boer supposed to send you that all that information. He didn't I'll you know how your email is. Um but we'll follow up and get that ordinance created so that we can get that approved at the next meeting. The final thing that I wanted to cover with you, I could have done this in your comments, but I forgot. Um you'll notice a different look to our agendas. This is so that we are in compliance with new legislation that went into effect July 1st. Um, we are required on all of our agendas to provide the members of that body with their terms and whether they were elected or who appointed them. So, you're going to see that on all of our agendas. And then I also have this handy dandy note here that I was supposed to read and didn't, that this meeting is being live streamed by Under Production Multimedia. Um, and Brian Smith has worked out with under production multimedia the process by which all the meetings will continue to be live streamed. But since Facebook only archives them, Facebook deletes lives after 30 days and the law requires us to archive it for 90 days. And in good practice, we like to have it available even after that because it's just good transparency. So, we do have a YouTube page and Charles and Brian have worked out an arrangement where they live stream it and then they upload it to that YouTube page to be held in perpetuity, but at least for the 90 days that's required. So, we are in compliance. Um, and those who lead meetings, Ronnie Ker planning commission, read a note, don't do what I did, actually do it. That would be great. Um, but that's why you see some of these changes.

And another thing we have to as a council have to have a budget not a budget but uh treasurer noting that what money we spend as a as a lifted official. Oh yes. Yes. Thank you for mentioning that. So the other change was that um this for all elected officials. So, for every elected office holder who earns more than $5,000 a year, which you do, um you are required now to complete the you are you have to have an active campaign committee candidate committee on file with the Clark County Clerk's Office. And annually, you will have to provide that annual report. Even if it's zero, even if you spent received and spent nothing, you still have to put zero received, zero spent, and file it by the deadline. Usually it's within the first two weeks of January that those are due for the annual report. So if you haven't set up that committee yet with the Clark County clerk of court, you need to get down there. You have until what? Next Monday. Yeah. Get down there and get that. It took me It took me three minutes. It doesn't take long. She'll she'll email you just and just get that done. I've never seen I walked in down there. It took me three minutes and she had it done. It's It doesn't take long. You just have to basically declare that you're you have an active committee and it can just be you get that on file but that's all you have to take need to do that. So um okay I think that's it motion. We have a motion by check by Shannon. All in favor say I. I don't get to sign.