Common Council - Regular Meeting

Good evening everyone. Welcome to the regular meeting of the city of Charlestown common council. Tonight is October 6, 2025. It is 6:31 p.m. This meeting is being livereamed by under production multimedia. Please join me or first we'll have our roll call. Sorry. Phil Bertram here. Brian Bloods is absent. Shannon Elder here, Brian Hester here, Chuck Deon here.

Let the record show Mayor Hodes is present as well as deputy clerk treasurer Deborah Miles as well as our two attorneys Perry McCall for the city and Michael Alder for the council. This time we'll have our pledge of 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. Thank you.

Tonight, our invocation will be led by Pastor Dallas Carter from New Covenant Church of the Apostles. Pastor Carter. Our heavenly father, we come right now in the name of Jesus. We thank you for that common grace that gives us our inable rights, that gives us liberty, that gives us self-government, that allows us to be together in a council meeting. Father, we ask for an anointing on the meeting, that everything be motivated by the love of our neighbor for oursel. We ask that you give wisdom to this council to be able to do the things that are in the best interest of the community. And father, we ask that you just forge unity that transcends the many differences that we may bring into this meeting. We pray all these things in Jesus' name. Amen.

Thank you. You have an agenda that's been provided. Entertain a motion to approve. Make a motion. Motion by Shannon Elder. Second by Chuck Deon. Any edits to the agenda? Hearing none. All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? That's unanimous. You have your minutes from the meeting on September 3rd and the special call meeting on September 22nd. Your current claims and your payroll allowance docket from August 25th to September 28th. Need a motion to approve. Make a motion. Motion by Shannon Elder. Second by Chuck Peton. Any questions, edits? Hearing none. All in favor say I.

Any opposed? That's unanimous. De's going to pass those around you. Is anyone signed up for general public comment? General public comment. Uh, up next we will invite Bridi for our legislative youth update. Take time. I'll get sorry to hear about your injury. Oh, it's okay. All right. Hi everybody. How are you guys? I haven't seen you guys in a long time.

All right. like to start us off. We're proud to announce that we have three National Merit Scholarship finalists. Wy Chisman, Brody Madison, and Karina Ramsey, all seniors. Great. And with that, Emily Martin was named academic all state for golf, one of only 15 girls in the state of Indiana to earn that award. And Maggie Severs is just the second girl in school history to make it to the golf regionals. Updates for this week. Girls soccer sectional first round against Cordon will be tomorrow at Silver Creek at 5:00 pm. And the boys soccer sectional against Cordin will be Wednesday at North Harrison at 7:30 p.m. Both the admissions for those two games will be $8. And then volleyball will be playing Scottsburg in their first round of sectionals and that time is to be determined yet. We're also pleased to present our newly formed dance team under the direction of Miss Sarah Barger and they presented their first year team last Friday at the pep rally. And we would like to congratulate our pirate basketball Anthony Fresh on committing to Miami University in Ohio. He's the first pirate to play D1 basketball. And finally, track will take place on October 23rd with proceeds benefiting the sale scholarship and the North Clark outreach center of train. Great. Thank you so much.

Thank you, Satie. Hope you heal up. Thank you.

For my comments, I just have an announcement for the council. Um hopefully you won't throw things at me when I make this announcement. um in an effort to implement some cost-saving strategies um in talking with clerk treasur staff and going over things with Donna. One of the things that eats up a lot of our operations budget are these books for all the meetings. Uh time you factor in council meeting, two board of public works meetings, a sewer board meeting, two superboard meetings, disability advisory committee, planning and zoning and BZA. It's a lot of paper and it's a lot of printing and it's a lot of ink and toner. And so we we bought tablets. We got some pretty good deals. They're only like $140 each. We bought seven tablets that will stay here at the city to be used in all of those meetings. And um starting at your next meeting, you will have a tablet and your documents will be on that tablet. And you will still have a printed agenda and a notepad in case you need to take notes, but it will greatly cut down how much we are spending on paper products. You will still receive the packet through email days in advance like you do now. None of that changes. It's just that during the meeting, you will have a tablet. You're welcome to print the documents at your home computer if you want them printed, but for the sake of saving money for the city, um we're going to to move to that for all of the boards and commissions. So, if you have questions about that, Lacy will show you how the tablets work. She can go over that with you during office hours or we can meet you before the next meeting um afternoon and show you how it works. But basically, they'll just be loaded on the tablet and you'll be able to scroll through and look at them. Um, you'll still have the agenda printed for you. Okay? Give me Roy round of applause. So, I'm

going to take that as you'll cope with it and we'll just move on. I'll tell you, it's hard for me, too, because I'm used to having the printer. But, um, it's going to save us a lot in paper and toner supplies. So, we will drag you and me grudgingly into the 21st century. Um, are there any comments from council at this time? Go fill this. Well, at least it wasn't yelling at me over the tablets. I see the stink eye. It'll be okay. I promise. I just want to sit here and enjoy my paper.

We We will You can print at home. You can still read the newspaper. You can still print at home and bring it with you, but

saving the taxpayers dollars, that's the key. Um, we're in a budget crisis, so we got to do what we can. Um, if there are no other council comments, at this time, I will formally open the public hearing for the redevelopment commission's recommendation to award the public private agreement for the Commons and Short Street Parklet project to GM Develop. So, this is the public hearing for the the build operate transfer recommendation. This recommendation comes from the redevelopment commission. In case you're not familiar with what that is, it's the um event space out here on the square that we're building the stage and event. If you want to make comment at this time, there's a big time table. Raise your hand or come forward. Any monstrance will be received at this time. Going once, going twice. I will formally close the public hearing for the redevelopment commission's recommendation to award the public private agreement to the common and short street project and we will move into our new business. The first ordinance for your consideration tonight is ordinance 2025 R14. This is an amending this is a zoning ordinance amendment for the Walnut Creek plan unit development. This comes with a recommendation from the Advisory Plan Commission. Tommy Jackson is here. If you have any questions for him, you should have received a copy of the letter in your packet and it is in your in your binder. Uh the public hearing was held on this PUB recommendation on the 8th of September. Remonstrance was heard at that time and the board voted to advance. This is just for the zoning. This is not the annexation. The annexation portion comes later. You adopted the fiscal plan for this at your last meeting. You approved the annexation on first reading. This is the zoning that allows it to to be

changed to that PE. So from R2, right? So we need a motion to approve. I'll make a motion. Motion by Shannon Elder. Have a second. Second by Chuck Eaton. Are there any questions at this time? So, this kind of goes into the planning and kind of going to cover both, I guess. Um, Tony, are we going to go from Charleston Memphis Road where they're cutting in all the way over to Lake View? Is that all that be all us? City. Is that what's in their plans? Okay. Yeah, that's the full plan.

So, everything from the edge of Charleston, Memphis all the way in. Okay. That's all I want to verify. just on these properties that submitted for the voluntary annexation, right? No, I understand that. I'm just asking for the the planning part of it and the annexation part to answer kind of both. Yep. Same propert. There's still people that are between city limits and where they're going to add on Memphis, those still remain count. Yes. There's still places in between there. So like to Saddleback Drive. Yeah. Those houses that are that are past that on Stars on Memphis. No, just in this platform. Yeah, it's just I'm not talking about Charles P. Just in this flat where you connect into it. That's all I'm asking. That's it. Yeah. All right. Thank you. Other questions?

Hearing none, we'll call for the vote. All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? That's unanimous. Since this is a zoning and it's already been um sent over by the board, it only requires one reading, although it is an ordinance. So, by state and statute, it only requires one reading. So, that is passed and you'll sign that tonight. Up next, you have ordinance 202516. This is the salary ordinance for 2026 for all city staff positions. This reflects an across the board 2% increase which is reflected in the budget that you will um consider on second and final reading tonight. Need a motion to approve a motion. Shannon Elder makes the motion. Is there a second?

I'll second. Chuck second. Any questions on this one? We talked about it last meeting. We did take the two out for all elected, right? This is just for city staff. The elected officials is the next word. It's a separate mind. Yep. This is just for city staff. It reflects 2% across the board for all city staff. I don't have a question. Sorry. It's okay. All in favor say I.

Any opposed? That's unanimous. That's on first reading. That will come back at your next meeting for second and final reading. Next up, you have 2025 O7. This is the elected officials salary. It notes that um the council finds that the salaries for the mayor, clerk, treasure, and city council members should be established at the same rate for the year 2026. So there's no raise reflected in this ordinance. Need a motion to approve. I make a motion. Chuck Deon makes the motion. I'll second. Shannon seconds. Any questions? Hearing none. All in favor say I.

Any opposed? That's unanimous. That's first reading. It will come back at your next meeting for second and final reading. Next up, you've got ordinance 2025 R18. This is an ordinance that recommend or allows for the cease the addition of fluoride in the water supply. Um, this was an issue that was brought by a few residents since council Brian Hester, president has been working on this diligently with resident and has done amounts of research with Indian-American water and others. Um, and Mr. Wilder has drafted this and brought it forward. Need a motion to put on the table. Make a motion. Motion by Shannon Elder. Second by Brian Tester. Questions or comments?

So, just just in case you all don't know, I mean, I've talked to a couple of you. Um, there's fluoride now in toothpaste and and mouthwash and and different things. Um, the addition of fluoride in our water, I think, is no longer needed. Um there has been, you can read whatever you want to read into it, but there has been studies said that um high doses of fluoride can reflect IQ levels uh in children. So they're getting it in in their tooth toothpaste that I've talked to a couple dentists. They say I don't think there's really need in it. So I need them out anyway. It probably doesn't do any damage at all. But both dentist said I don't think we need it. So,

and this is standard for other water utilities as well. So, there's not very many areas around that add fluoride into the water. The portion of the city that's served by Watson Water, Watson Water does not add fluoride to to their to their water. The only reason that Indiana American Water was adding it in Charleston is because when they acquired the utility in 2019, it was already being added and they had to maintain the same level of service that they were providing when they purchased the utility. it takes this action to ask them to bring it to the rest of the standards that they supply the world.

So it's just it's just removing the Florida. I mean it's um when I when I talk to the American water they're not even at state levels of what the minimum out of the maximum state level they're not at that level. So it's really it's just a trace amount like would agree with that. Any other questions hearing? None. All in favor say I. I.

Any opposed? That's unanimous. That's first reading. They'll come back for final reading at your next meeting. Next up, have a lot of ordinances tonight. Ordinance 202519. This is an amendment that is recommended by the sewer board. So, the sewer board met last Thursday and um Tim Crawford brought this to our attention and we voted to make the recommendation. This doesn't change anything fundamentally about our pre-treatment ordinance. The pre-treatment ordinance is an ordinance that establishes the parameters for industrial users. It tells what they must send to us, the quality of what waste water they send to us before it hits our plant so that it doesn't damage um our plant. In that ordinance, there was a reference to the sewer capacity fee ordinance and the sewer rate ordinance and it has the specific sewer capacity fees and the specific sewer rates. problem is that if we change those in the future, this ordinance would also have to be changed. So all it did was remove those specific numbers and instead just focus on pre-treatment for so it's all that's changing with this. Um and with that we would need a motion to put it on the table. Make a motion. Shannon Elder makes the motion. Second by Chuck, do you have any questions? Hearing none. All in favor say I. I.

Any opposed? That's unanimous. That's first reading. It'll come back for second reading at your next meeting. Next up, you have a couple of resolutions. Resolution 2025 R10 is what we just had the public hearing on awarding the build operate transfer agreement to GM develop. This is for the commons project. Comes with a recommendation from the redevelopment commission. of the public hearing. Um, everything has been done as appropriate to award that project to GM develop. I need a motion to approve. I like that motion. Motion by Chuck Deon. Oh, it's erased. I heard Brian Chester.

Any questions on that one? All in favor say I.

Any opposed? That's unanimous. Only requires one reading because it is a resolution. The next resolution is 2025 R12. This is the for the commons project as well. It's a resolution issuing bonds and veins. Basically, the project costs related to this have been established in cash reserves in the redevelopment fund. However, if we spend all of that right now, it doesn't give us time for some of the new developments to come online and add that extra level of protection. We do have the funds available to do a bond anticipation note and make those um interestonly payments until some of those newer facilities like the US capital building come online payable for 2028. They don't come on payable for 26. They'll come on 27 and 28. So the redevelopment commission makes the recommendation that we authorize taking out a bond anticipation note. This is being done with an early payback provision. So that rather than transfer those over to bonds at the time of transfer, if we want to pay it off or pay off even a portion of it and reduce the amount that we would bond, we're allowed to do that. So this is temporarily funding that project to get it moving rather than depleting all of our cash reserves and keep some cash reserves. Uh we need a motion to approve.

Make a motion. Shannon makes the motion. Is there a second? Sorry. Second by Bertram. Any questions? Yeah. So, this this bond and bands stays within the redevelopment. Yes. This is payable through the redevelopment. This is not paid through the general fund. Um just make sure that Yep. They have been the redevelopment. So, this is part of that grant. Remember, so this is also a matching portion of the grant funds that we received for that project. So, we received u with the crowd sourcing and the grant we have over $100,000 that's being put towards this project. Um, and rather than re deplete the redevelopment from balance completely, it just provides a little bit of extra cushion till those other properties come on. Is this the grant that was tied into Short Street?

Uh, yes. Yes. Mhm. This was the matching. Yep. The park. Yep. Yep. So, this is the part of that project. Yep. Any other questions?

Hearing none. All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? That's unanimous. It's resolution required to read. Next up, you have your three-year levy appeal application. This is um we've talked about this as part of the um budget. We do qualify for a growth appeal again this year, but the rate that we are growing, this is the application that we will submit to the DLGF. It's due October 21st. So with your approval tonight, Baker Tilly will submit this um application and it is we need it. Um the budget that we have provided um includes this. If we if this application is denied, we will have to cut the budget by this amount. The request is for $396,741. And that's what you're applying for.

Absolutely. Yeah. So, I need a motion for approve. So, move motion by Brian Hester. Second. Second by Chuck Deon. Any questions on that? All in favor say I.

Any opposed? That's unanimous. Moving into old business, wrapping up a couple of ordinances on second reading. Ordinance 2025 O12 is the budget adoption for 2026. This has been properly advertised um for adoption during this meeting. Um Chuck, it does reflect that that 2% elected officials was removed. So there's nothing that's added that um is anything different than what was presented last time during the budget hearing. Uh with that, I need a motion to approve. Shannon Miller makes the motion. So move.

Second. Brian Hester. Any questions? All in favor say I. I. I. Any opposed? That's unanimous. And then your final action item for the evening is the Walnut Creek annexation with 2025 on second and final meeting. Motion to approve. Make that motion. Motion by Chuck Deon. Second. Second by Shannon Elder. Any questions on that? Uh, I just want to thank the the group that is involved in this for coming up and explaining everything couple of times. They help me understand a lot of things. So, I do appreciate y'all for that and I'm glad they're on board for bringing in city.

Any other comments? Hearing none. All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? That is unanimous. So, that was also on second and final reading and has full adoption. Um, are there any other questions or matters that the council wishes to address at this time? When does this annexation does it automatically or is there a time period that it's So, did you want to address the next steps of this for the annexation? Um, yeah, it'll be effective 30 days from adoption. Well, um, I'm trying to remember Jake and he's been handling this if he's going to put a notice, but I don't I think you're already done with all your notices and your public hearings. So, 30 days from now Yeah. Thank you.

And what do you break ground? Just curious. They already we're effectively complete. Yeah, they already set up. Yeah, because that's I mean they they were approved under the county, so they're just coming into the city limits. We're just taking the proceeds from it. All right. Are there any other issues from the attorneys that we need to address? I like it when you guys have nothing to address. All right, I need a motion to make a motion. Motion by Chuck Deon. Second. Second by Shannon Elder. All in favor say I. I. That was unanimous. We return. Thank you all for being here.