Town Council - Regular Meeting

meeting with the Planning Commission.

Any questions or comments on those minutes? I will now hand the motion to approve. Motion to approve. Motion by Mr. Kirby. Second by Mr. Chatham. All in favor? Aye. All opposed? Motion carries 4-0. I will understand. Motion carries 3-0. Next is the minutes of the 8-19 council meeting.

Good evening. What you have before you now is Resolution 13. This is the fiscal plan that was done as part of the open December 9 supervoluntary annexation. This is property that's located and owned by the town of Danville. The fiscal plan shows that it does not have an impact on our taxes because we are exempt. So it is up for vote.

They paid none and will pay none.

That's exactly right.

thank you resolution 13 2026. sorry is the uh adopting the supervoluntary annexation of the property we just

Hello, good evening. Ben Comer, 71 West Marion Street, Danville, Indiana 4622. I represent Hendricks County as the owner of the government center. They are doing a project in their parking lot resurfacing. And what came to be known during the permitting process was that there are some alleyways and would be a good time to clean this up by a form of vacating of these out of the public right-of-way into private ownership. It's all contained within public streets, so there's nobody attaching to this property that would or does use any of those alleyways for any reason. So that is the application the county has filed for a vacating of the alleys as presented in the package. public hearing on that so public hearing is now open anyone wishes to comment please come forward i'm seeing that public hearing is closed any further discussion entertain a motion to approve ordinance 11 2026

so i'll come before you tonight and ask you guys to put a board list to allow us to uh give them the purpose any questions okay question three resolution 15-20

that are to be considered would be the internet signing of contracts which is whenever the council takes final action on documents it did used to say that they would be signed before we move on to another topic we don't do that anymore and so i've changed it to uh they should be placed upon their signatures should be placed on the document prior to vacating the council room those are the only two changes i've made to this document okay

by touching the group.

can give it to the state as well so this ordinance will repeal our ordinance that we enacted during coven that required food trucks to have permits in this loop so that we can continue to get such things.

So tonight we need to make some decisions so that we can advertise on Friday and we also have to notify AIM Medical Trust on Friday of our selection of insurance. So we need to decide tonight if you are wishing to pass the increase of 3.2 million dollars. 3.3 of increase for medical insurance to the employees we'll cover that so we need that decision tonight because we have to get that to aim by friday and then any other things that we can decide on tonight would be great and matt is here for me to help answer any questions

The numbers we had before of the town moving up at three times three, is that not correct?

That is correct.

And if I recall, this was the last time that we just paid for it. Yes, that is correct. Which will really stand on that. What's the dollar now?

We've got $32,000 in total, wasn't it?

Yes, I believe that's the amount.

I understand what Brett's saying. But I also feel like we need to do everything we can to support our employees and let them know that we appreciate them. I think if a single person won 33 cents, I think it goes up 4 cents. If the employer

Well, right now we have on Plan 7 we have 74 people and then on Plan 12 we have 41 people. That's 106 people that are on the plans.

it depends on what you're planning on because uh depending on what's going on what is the percent be a dollar out of the town

Okay.

I thought I had given that sheet. So if the town absorbs the 3.3% increase. On the backside.

It'd be $32,925.96. It came in two different things that we offer. We offer 10-7 and we offer 10-12.

a few weeks ago.

uh the numbers in the schedule we've been presented show a three point eight we carry a variety of data showing one two three four five so any discussion on that i am based on the mystery and those are the strengths that we had from the new legislation i think five percent to be irresponsible

I think 3% is a good middle ground. Other comments? I agree with Bill. Looking at the numbers, I mean, I'm agreeing with the 3.8 that we have here. That .8 isn't going to change that number by a few dollars. about the insurance difference of approximately $33 million.

positions, the new positions for 2027, the IT position that we talked about starting that hiring process now.

I just want to make sure you're okay with these.

And then moving the administrative assistant content coordinator from a part-time to a full-time position in the first department.

The street department, there's no new position. He's wanting to change one labor position to a new title with a $2 per hour increase. Now's the time to do it.

When he came to us last time, he said, now we need a dojo. So I'm good with that as well.

Wastewater has nothing. Water has nothing. Stormwater has nothing. Planning has nothing. Police department, two full-time patrol officers. And then our treasurer's office is, I would like to change the part-time utility deputy to a full-time financial coordinator. So it's a part-time position that's been with the utility deputies that I feel like they need more help on the financial side of stuff with the new requirements and never changing these declarations.

I think it increases by 24,000. And then the building department of full-time facility maintenance technician.

Greg and I talked and he's not one of his positions. So I just wanted to get that done so we could know all that. So then the other thing I know about is Jim is wanting to have a command staff pay adjustment of $1,300 for the four various positions. How many people with dyslexia?

Will you come on up, please?

First we're hearing this, so explain, please.

Yes, so sergeants and a lieutenant, basically, from the top pay of an officer to your sergeant, which is your supervisor,

There's not a very big gap. So when you're going to promote somebody, you want to have at least a $5,000 gap to make it worth somebody's while, put them in a position, or to be in charge. They don't know responsibilities. So what we're trying to do is get that gap to around $5,000. So there's five starlings and one lieutenant. There's $1,300 a piece. Is this in addition to the longevity?

We changed that. It's like a $12,000 increase. And this is in addition to just to add a cap.

Because when you start getting more responsibilities for people, you don't need to have some reason why they want to put in to make more responsibility more work. Then I get that, but that's in my mind why there's salaries. And then when we're trying to get it to... So I guess under that logic, are people, are there available positions for people to move? I guess I'm curious what we're trying to, well, I guess for the future, it would make sense. In the past, we've only had one person fit in for a service position. And then when we did the exhibit, I only had one person fit in for it.

And plus, you're taking on more responsibility. Carrie, is it like $50 to pay, but it amounts to $100?

department and say, well, our top people will be the next 100-dollar student. It's just gonna create divisiveness. It's another way. I know we're always trying to do what we can. Everything adds up, right? This is another one of those. I'm maxed out, basically, is where I'm at. Where do those positions line up? We're in the bottom for the pay-per-suit and the cash. That's great. I don't know. I think for $9,100, you get a little bit of separation. Oh, it's just one time. I didn't know if this was going to come every year.

This isn't so much emotions happening tomorrow, these are emotions that are probably coming down the line in the next three to five years. Yeah, you're right about that.

Yeah, once the town continues to grow, we might need to have positions like we might have to retire. So there's basically moving in the next few years. And like I said, in the past, we've only had pretty sadly one person put in for a lieutenant's position. the well you'd be third charge of the department i have one person we have 40 more so i know it's all on money but i'd like to see everybody put it for at least i think a good fact that you said jeez it's not i think they're more like that as money compared to my responsibility I mean, they're an executive leadership course, as they're starting to be. But more time and effort is going to give us a little bit more money to help the world. to put an input to make that theory, just so you know. A team-wide department, which Jack and Demi have been in for years at the government, there's about 20,000 officers at that. That's not training, that's . And that's a resource to your department. So the first thing you say, we're running it up. I'm not saying there's two serpents in there or a dog in there, but that's the likelihood that they would not be at this house with a dog. They get extra excitement if the dog is in there as well.

And then the only other sheet that I presented for you tonight was just showing the pilot payments from the three utilities and the admin cost of moving over to where we're just paying people from one location instead of the multiple places. That makes sense. So if you have any questions, Matt's here. Ask away.

And when you look at the total, and I know Carrie, you indicated that part of that is moving the salary costs around, so I understand that. But I took the fire operating and fire equipment budgets out of this, and I removed the Mr. Reedy, you're up. which I think also requires some explanation, but why are they going up that much?

Part of the insurance issue was a plan change. So when we budgeted last year, and I don't know if there's a difference between the 7 and 12, but when you guys agreed to take over the increase in insurance last year, it looked like most employees shifted plans. So your insurance burden almost doubled from 25 to 26.

currently on instead of budgeting from the worst case for the town to have it budgeted by so when we when you're asking me to lower out of people's paychecks the insurance for 2026 people jumped over to the cheaper one for them and we weren't anticipating that

So they switched plans and it made us more expensive on us to take on the extra.

We don't know. I don't know today what plans somebody's going to take until they sign up in October. And when we agreed to take on the insurance increase and then asked to lower it out of their paychecks, and I did that, then people changed what plan they were on. So if I was on a single plan and it was so they changed and i didn't know they were changing so we don't budget for the worst case for the town to pay and we do it or is it still based on what they're pointing at?

No, I think it's current. So again, it could be on variable. They did all decide to go with a different thing. Should we budget for the worst case scenario? What are your thoughts on that?

It's kind of six on one hand, half dozen on the other, because if you do the max, it's astronomical. It could be on the other. to happen that would mean that everybody would take a family plan and we know there are people that aren't doing that right so then we're going to have that extra money which that's okay but so what would be the harm in budgeting horse case you just don't commit at all right yeah you're i mean if you're looking at your budget but something though for instance that fire church where you're flipping you know that number is going to be over that so there's i think there's some funds that could do that could support it especially on the outside of our territory that it will not be cautious with so we have the option of budgeting horse case or budgeting where people are today or picking some number of We could get an accurate number if everyone did the math, we could get an accurate number if everyone stayed the same, but obviously there's a lot of moving pieces that haven't been decided yet.

Putting it in perspective, I think for Burbank last year, their insurance was like $1,016,000.

You've already spent $1,013,000 for June 30, so as of today, you've spent more.

I will say for the fire department, I'm not singling that department out, but they have a lot of younger people that get married in February or March and then have a child at the end of the year. So they went from the single plan this year to the spouse and then to a family at the end of the year.

Yes. Thank you.

that time comes next year and that's an option too i guess the i guess one way you can look at it is we could do it for the max for everybody having the worst case scenario and then if the lgm comes back on the fire and says we have to lower their budget They may not need to do an additional dip into their caption.

But not everybody takes that, of course. I'm trying to keep them from doing zoos, just because what I can do is throw them in the wall and say, this is a crap estimate. Did we just agree to do that again?

Did we just agree to do that again?

I mean, 3.3, yes.

No, that's the number. That's all of our increases, whether we give it to the employer or the town.

But last year, we had an increase number. So we figured out it's way more than that percent, right?

Because we also lowered out of people's paychecks.

So the town was paying for this.

during one of the budget meetings, there was a consensus that you all, that I work on lowering out of their paychecks. So I lowered that, present that to you, you agreed upon that. So the town keeps all that. It looks like.

What if we budgeted every employee

No. I mean, you guys, you'd still be funded in most of your funds.

I like what you're saying, it's... provide the highest plan. Probably get a number somewhere between the max and the red max.

Yeah. I don't care what number it is. And I think the only additions that you'd have to worry about would be potentially, like, life, if it's somebody having kids or multiple people, but... malls have been playing. It's like, it's, it's wild.

Okay.

the overall increase in our total budget of 27 or 26. On our schedule, we have one for fund 2501, which is the most future fund. You show a revenue of 221. um this is going to get us into fires a little bit but uh it's not understanding and i've had this discussion with you man before the meeting but just for the public consumption what you've included in the numbers we have now for uh list uh you've got a million six in the edit which shows on this uh schedule we have uh we have 234 chairs and the general fund revenue uh just general question you're comfortable with those numbers yeah so those are the state's projections that they put out probably two weeks ago and typically if there are other changes they will certify those amounts so then that leads me into part two of this question of and that is what would those numbers be had we not uh adopted a fire tax

shares would be 2.3. 2.3? Yeah. And it would be 1.6. And it would be the same? Sorry. 1.04. And it would be 104? Yeah. And the public safety would be 160. And the reason I was asking that is because I know

they are yeah uh fire territory and you did a maximum levy growth appeal for 2026 so it does affect that number so part of that growth is the growth so my next question that is assuming we agreed to that and that million dollars have not reflected in the numbers we have before is that correct okay uh i think we probably should address that tonight uh so that can be reflected here uh assuming we approve the million out of this supplemental that bonus list assuming we approve uh moving a million of that over to the fire territory uh do we need to determine tonight which funds that comes out of or can that be a future discussion i think if you gave me the options of what you you're considering i can i can budget that for friday's average to some examples as long as i can advertise high on the funds you're considering we can it doesn't have to be inside given the numbers that you just gave us uh the additional that we're getting from certified shares going in the general fund is about 1.1 billion there and about 600 000 in additional edit so i would say maybe take two-thirds have it out of the general fund, and the third half have it out of that, or maybe just leave it up to you to, because we need to end up with balances in the correct place.

Yeah, so looking, if I could back up to the other funds, I would want to address how we fund NBH parts, NBH restricted first, that it would be an opportunity to fund some of that if no cuts were made and we adopted this budget and so then it could potentially absorb some shifting right now with the town funds so i i want to get your guys's opinion on what you would do there first before deciding whether our money becomes wrong i will say i've added the will tax fund i think we can get the highway funds whole with some shifts in there there's two paving lines there's a paving expense of sixty thousand dollars in the restricted fund that i think you could ship to lmdd we're projecting right now that lmdd of us with just park obviously park right now is out of deficit depending on what you want to shift out of there if anything or just spend down cash in park park will be the last one i want to address before the fire we're really not talking about how much money we spend we're just talking about which funding comes out of it moving it around yeah money money is not

would be for you to work with carrie and work it out yeah i'm going to get the building over with yeah that's the best we obviously want the most open usable funds possible okay any further questions at this point will you say we need a dieting runner although we're releasing

park doesn't we can't afford it i i would like a a schedule on uh when you look at the host community agreement it shows a decrease in the budget of 606 000 when you go to that 2500 fund page all that number is uh in last year there were

What's that?

that's that's what i think no new hires uh chief duncan has has and wq fellow projected out the next five or six years and showing in their projections there are 28 and after that they'd be on their own and given the numbers they're projecting now they run positive cash balances not cash flow on annual basis with positive cash balances so what was presented to you guys at the fire territory meeting was a budget with the request of the million dollars and if we approve that tonight

Yeah.

because it's like a specialized service pretty much. And so we're still looking to see if we can get it repaired. So that number is high, like replacement number for repaired.

Okay, so that's the brand new power. I was going to say, which is brand new power cost. It's 30, maybe 30 years old.

28 years old, something like that. So, I mean, it's a lifetime of found. It's probably not even bad.

Another one you had was 30,000 fixes for walkable. Is the chamber splitting the winter land expenses with us? Yeah, that's all.

We bring in the money, and those are the funds that we're using back into it. It's rotating pretty much back into the program. Okay.

put a bit of an extra third here to fix it.

And then two layers here.

Put on a beige side.

angle and braces. I would like that. All right.

The public hearing is the next meeting.

just where you would potentially pay fire from the town side. So making sure we have enough budget

It's a good life.

that's three point three percent or three three percent salary and what three point eight percent salary is what's included in here uh that'll bring it down a little when we go to three but that's a big increase that i think deserves some explanation is part of possibly we got that extra money so part of the amusement so

Matt and I can get you the answer better, but I really feel it's moving the people that have been paid from utilities or maybe from MDH or wherever to the general.

But moving them shouldn't shift the entire concept. Moving them will shift the switch. The general problem, right? You can totally move it out or whatever that is. But you don't see that on this budget, you don't see the utilities.

I think the number I was given was roughly $900,000 from utilities to town. And then you have an influx of roughly a million dollars just in insurance from the ship employees. That's 1.9 right there.

Is part of it that we got an extra, what, 1.7 this year? That may have not reflected here. That may have not reflected here. So if you add the million in, the number goes up. I guess my point is, do we have extra money? get bigger, you have to wait.

That may be, but I don't like that answer. I like an explanation of how we found the way to use it, but I don't accept that. If you take this summary page, and I took

Uh, the town excluding fire and that, that overall, our budget increases 14.6%. And impacting that 14.6% is the $600,000 reduction in the host community agreement.

I mean, there better be a good one, but A, when we're giving employees a 3% raise in a row, our budget's going up 18%. I need to understand it better.

Yeah, and that really, if you look at it, it's all general if you take fire out.

Yeah, there's probably something obvious here that I'm missing, but somebody needs to turn the light on for me.

I can go back and look. I'm comfortable with insurance being half of it.

With that open question, that does not preclude us from advertising the budget this week. We can still advertise this budget, can we not? We have to advertise it.

I do.

I mean, nobody's, I think they were missing the last couple of years. We've had a tremendous amount of growth. We've been really creating revenue from building permits and developer acreage fees. If you're talking about totality, all that money goes into one big pie. We don't have that money coming in in 2006. Period.

That doesn't explain their expense going up by 15%.

I could say that the revenues, we're not seeing those in here

I'm not trying to be a rogue director, but I think if you just go to general fund and look at what you budgeted for insurance in 2026 versus what you're actually going to spend in 2026, that's a huge piece of it. And then that utility shift. And I think that's probably over 80%.

Yeah, we're doing our million dollar road.

Yeah, thank you.

go to the Chamber of Executive Director here before you to give you a justification for this ask. And so I'm asking for this to be passed away. Comments?

We could thank for a buck. I'll make a comment that

what the chamber does and their contribution to the town. And I'm fully supportive of it. I think Kelly and the chamber played a key role in our economic development activities.

So I'm in favor of continuing it.

Move to approve the 2027 chamber contract.

Motion by Mr. Irby. Second. Second by Mr. Darrell.

All in favor? Aye. All opposed?

Motion carries.

Thank you very much.

DDP contract. Mr. Martin.

Another one that I think is a pretty good deal for the value they have. How about a sealed bid? It won't be a verbal auction, but the bids will be brought in. They'll notify the public through the legal process, like you do for sealed bids, and then they'll do actually additional advertising.

We have the right of refusal on any and all bench yes, okay, so we're not obligated to show right

I would say we've got to do it.

last night apparently not tonight we should talk about it but uh Barry I do have a couple questions for you all right bring this book in your utility director report it said smoke testing was complete give us a summary well we don't have a report back yet but I do know Tommy and myself have been on a couple of calls

The fire department was on a few calls, but they were less than what we were expecting.

It didn't hit as many homes as we thought it would.

It doesn't mean that we didn't find anything, it just means that the fire department wasn't called as much.

So what's your gut reaction? Would it have turned out better than expected? Yes.

Off the surface and off the cuff, yes. We figured we'd hear more.

So I don't have my report in front of me to look at it, but when you talk about

So those, okay, those are for each utility. We've identified, we gave you a big list. We narrowed that list down because it's kind of, like you had said, I'm still here, saying that you're in shock and we all were. We narrowed those projects by each utility down to two projects so that we can come in with a reasonable amount of requests for bonds to not significantly impact the rates. So we narrowed down that list too, and then we'll get you some more data. We have a meeting. and we'll have something come up real soon on all the wastewater.

And related to that is a bullet point you have that says, it's a meeting on possible rate adjustment and bonding. So that all ties into what you're just talking about. Exactly. All right.

Thank you.

I have no further comments. With that, we are down to 10 documents.

wonderful dresses tonight.