County Commissioners - Regular Meeting

Good morning everyone. I'd like to call this meeting of the Hancock County Board of Commissioners to order. Today is April 21st, 2026 and it is 8:00. This meeting has been recorded and streamed for public viewing. By participating, you acknowledge that your image, voice, and comments may be captured and made publicly available. This meeting has been properly noticed in accordance to Indiana code 5-14-1.5. Let the record show the quorum of commissioners are present and the commissioners are now open for business. At this time, I would like for you to stand and join us in the 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.

Okay. Uh could I get a motion to for the minutes? Oh, yes, absolutely. Um, I uh move that we make uh approve the minutes for 47206 as received electronically. Second. We have a motion and a second to approve the meetings for 47206. Uh any further discussion? All those in favor say I. I. I. Motion carries. Scott just sent a text said he'll be here in 10 minutes. Okay. Continue on. Well, we got Gary so we'll kill some time here.

We'll just kill some time. I'm good to fill a role here. Um, first item I have is an item for signature. Um, I was hoping to have the McCordsville signature page back, but I do not. But I'm going to have you go ahead and sign on your side and then I'll aggregate them together when we get them together. But this is for the interlocal agreement pertaining to the road construction at 600 West and 900 North. Basically saying that Mccorville is allowing us to manage the entirety of that project. Uh, go ahead and sign first, Gary, and then I'll initial them.

Yeah, it should just require the president's signature. I need a motion to approve the interlocal agreement for pertaining to road project 600 West and 900 North in McCordsville, Indiana, stating that the Hancock County Highway Department will manage the project

and a very big second to that. There's been a motion and a second to uh acknowledge and sign that uh the roundabout at 6 West, 600 West, and 900 North, which is actually in McCordsville, but the state has asked our engineer to actually take that project over. All those in favor say I. I. Same sign. Oh, I motion carries. That should be a good project help with North Mobility there. Um again every meeting I say are we going to extend HCSS? So

we we are it is it is in the city's hands right now because they have to do the the their application for a grant but I understand that it is going to be done. Okay. We'll start being under pressure about September. We'll start feeling pressure to get it done. They will be doing their budget in August. Excellent. Okay. What's our drop deadad date to have to have that? September because we have to we have to do an RFP. We have to do a complete we have to do a complete uh request for uh proposals on it. So, and that's become with the new federal law has been dynamic. So, we we need a good three months to get it recontracted. Say even with RFP, so the public notice chain, we'd need to really know about three months ahead of time

because I've got to assemble the documents, get them advertised, and actually Suzanne will do most of that, but she'll need time. She'll need a good a good quarter to do it. Good three, four. August going to work? I think so. Okay. Because like I said, September we'll start feeling the pressure. I don't know that we can speed the city up any They normally do their budget in August. Okay. Noted. All right.

Uh we received the Indiana trails grant. We have we will start actions at the end of April. So we'll start working on that project. Miss Shidler will start uh getting that grant set up um so we can start getting a contractor on board and get uh that stuff installed. However, right now, if anyone wants to go and visit that public land, they can. There's six parking spots on the south side off of 100 South. So, for the news, come out and visit uh Ninstar Park. There's a public entrance on the south side. So, if they go to route 300 West and 100 South, though, they don't connect. Right about there by Sugar Creek Bridge, there's a driveway. They can drive in there and there's six spots they can walk around. It's it's a beautiful area. Eventually, we'll have the Piny Trail connected over to it. There'll be a couple years out.

And that was an 8020 grant, correct? Yes. I don't like to pay full We don't have to pay full freight on anything. Fantastic. Well, I mean, the taxpayers send all their money to the federal and state government. We might as well bring as much back as we can. Um, bridges on three South and Four South, they are closed. Four South is really close to opening, though. We're pulling stuff out. Uh once we get uh some of the Caribbean and temporary stuff out, that should open within I hate to even say it, a couple weeks. So hopefully there no rain or any disaster come, but we are very close. We're we're ahead of schedule on both.

I got a another question. Uh the 300 South roundabout, the the roundabouts and their landscaping within have become really super popular. So people are inquiring, hey, when's the the roundabout next week beautifification coming? The beautifification for three south six west I assume you're asking about that is coming next week right the animal chosen for that one was coyotes sugar creek coyotes so it goes there so we're I think we got buffalo in the queue bears dragons we've got all sorts find somebody to sponsor these rounds put their name out there and take care of them well we do we will allow people to put a sign out there a small sign and they can maintain we are doing that up in the northern areas but uh

yeah so if anybody in the public is interested in that, let me know. Okay? Cuz we're a highway department. We're not a streets department. We don't quite have the tax draw or So, that's helpful. Um, I understand there's a bond that we appreciate you guys are pushing through for the highway department garage rebuild and to repaint and fix our windows in the main office. So, when that bond hits, uh, I I'll probably get word from the auditor's office and then I will start contracting some of that up. We are taking another step today actually. So, and it'll go to council our next meeting. You know me, I'll wait till it's set.

I know. So, but we're ready to start on that. Um, we met with the Mount Vernon Schools out at my office and we talked about a capital project they're interested in. So, um, if you have any interest in that, let me know. We'll talk about I think there's still a lot more to understand about SEA1 that involves them, how that works, but I don't think we're uh, we're not we're not

just letting you know that information is out there. Just be appraise of the information. Surely trail construction will probably start early summer. Uh same with Ninstar Park. Ninstar Park gates are in New High School. We'll put a drive in there at some point. That roundabout New High School will not be this summer. It'll be next summer. We'll put that. We'll put it in the rest of the road, but next summer we'll get that one in. Um Kevin Driscoll was a employee of ours. He unexpectedly passed last Thursday. Uh he we'll we'll I'll let you know if there's any plans put together for him. He had a small family. Um, we'll contact his girlfriend, see if there's any services or whatnot. If there are no services similar to our, some of our guys are like that. They think we'll have something at the highway department. We'll appraise you of it when we do it. Well,

please do. That's some word. He worked uh was a great public servant. Fixed a lot of potholes. We all enjoyed his services and probably drove over them every day. Uh, parking lot by the depot will be locked up for a couple of years. This affects the court and the jurors. Uh so the the courts would usually tell the jurors to go park over there, but the city is building their new multi- multi-use uh thing, which is great. That that'll bring a lot of commerce and stuff to downtown. The bad sign bad sign is until that all that parking's built and everything, you know, we don't have parking there. Actually, I'd uh the city had reached out for the uh rally days because we give them permission to go ahead and for rally days.

Yep. So, so it's just going to be a couple years of uh inconvenience there, but just FYI when you're talking about stuff. There's a new land, water, and conservation fund. This is a 50-50 grant. I'm sure Mir will talk to you at some point. It could be used for land or trails or stuff like that. Is a 50-50 grant. There's a couple areas where we could buy some public land that's wild that might be of use. Um, we'll probably I'm not sure when that and when is that due? Oh, that's due in August. So, um, probably the next meeting I'm going to ask if we're interested. I probably have a couple parcels put together. We could either choose to build a trail somewhere or buy some land,

but we'll have a better recommendation at the next meeting. Uh, if we want to do that, we have parks money within the RDC. Um, well, we don't call parks money. land purchase money for public use. Have we heard any more about the land from Cumberland for the trail? It appears that's going to pass over, but that's going to be donated. Okay.

So, it appears that is moving forward. Again, they're going to remove most of their um improvements out there. Um there's still talk about public toilet or whatever. Um you probably already seen my thing. I'm against that until we have a set program to go to maintain them. We don't want to build capital projects we can't maintain cuz I've gotten no calls. I I use the trail all the time. I just use the the gas stations and stuff along the way and I haven't got received a single call the highway department asking for any of that. But I know the second we build a bunch of toilets out there, we'll get calls weekly about a spider in the toilet, a snake in the toilet. The toilet's not clean. We It'll be I think people if we don't have a plan

take care of their Yeah. There's there's a lot of there's a lot of gas stations, right? And while we have a board, we do not have a parks department strictly dedicated to we are a county. Let's remember we are a county. We are not a city. We're not funded that way. We don't have the nearly the tax base and density that the city does. I think our health department, the environmental side, is not in favor of that either. Yeah, maybe in the future. Sure. I don't think we're ready for that. Yeah, I don't either. I don't remember there being one on the Monan. There's not. That's what I'm talking about. Well, I mean, there are some, but I those are my peers and they they lament,

but in the Monan, too, most of that is in an incorporated city limit. So, there are lots of other options besides that.

Yeah, it's just something we're probably not going to be good at. Anyway, Ann and I were looking deeper into we're we uh I have a large capital. Mr. Shelby was asking about this and this is something we provide. We did this last year in 2015, but I guess not. So, if you look there's this green tab and I've added some of the other projects you have in there. A side effect of that is, and Greg would get a kick out of this, is we've looked deeply into our standard deviation of our plan versus actual expenses, the sigma if you will, and it is broad. Um, and that's requiring us to have a lot of working capital because you have to cover a certain amount of contingency. Take for instance the land we're going to maybe buy, Jacks. Well, we might buy it, we might not. So, that swings. We have a a lot of costs like that. And looking deeper into it, um, our standard deviation of revenue has been wide because laws have changed, sea one and stuff like that. And combine that with our standard deviation of expenses being broad. I we're going to look into it a little deeper. There might be something we can do about it. There might not be, but we have a broad unpredictability to our expenses and revenues in the last few years. I'm not saying there's anybody's fault or anything. I'm just saying that's what it is. is what we plan on and what we spend, what we plan on earning and what we get are different. And Greg's done an excellent job making sure we're in a safe position. We've had plenty of working capital on that, but it is broader than it warrants looking into. Um, I went ahead and pulled my thoughts on it. I'm not a CPA. Um, but we're healthy. I think Greg would say we're healthy, but um, there's just some stuff in there you might want to take a look at. So I don't I'm trying to a standard deviation of layman's terms.

Greg, you have anything to say about one standard dev what about a standard deviation? Any of it. Well, after Gary gets done with Okay.

Yeah. If you do one standard deviation each way, you what is it? 65% chance of falling in there. two each way. You added up all the stuff, it'd be 95% and three is 99%. Now, being 99% certain of anything is too expensive. You'd have to keep tens of millions of dollars in reserve because crazy stuff can happen. Um, but in general, our cash has been going up. Our ending cash, our rainy day has been sustainable at 7.0. So, that's good. Um, our our general dispersements have been okay. Uh, they're going up though. Um, dedicated funds are doing okay, but we have strange things come up like uh something to add to our we have a gas tax holiday potential stuff like that that affects a lot of our cumulative funds on that. We're moving points around inside our low that affects the variability in a lot of things. um but and basically we're we got 10 to uh 10 to 20% variability in some of our predictions if you if you get it out wide enough. So just keep that in mind. We need to think about the capital planning is a good idea um because it can at least we can identify if we if we're not going to be able to hit them exactly that's good. We can know that we're never going to hit our estimates perfect. That is an unrealistic expectation. We will never hit our revenue or expense projections. Only children would think we could do that. But we do need to know how far off we are on average or whatever.

Actually, Jim had asked about everybody doing that. That's why that went out. Yep. He said it'll help better predict. I would like you guys to go through what the capital plan on what I believe the commissioner site is here. I've tried to plug that in for you guys. The red is kind of new stuff. We've got uh justice projects, the courthouse, uh highway garage, annex memorial, and I need to know if there's anything that the hand the county farm Justice Center is a big one. That is the one of the biggest ones. Sure. That was submitted by us back in September of last year. So, that was pretty well known. I know the numbers have been crunched and it was a bold uh move to try to do that, but I think it can be accomplished in the next five years.

I agree. And I believe lean on your professionals heavily. Oh, we will. It's not like we're going to recklessly spend money out there, but we're going to lean into you and Greg as to hey when you know this can be done, this might not. You might need to pump the brakes on this for a little while, but uh we do have a vision out there and and for a building on your property as well, some other things. So, and I think once we have the master plan underway, we'll have a better idea of what is to come.

Yeah. And it'll affect executive decisions you want to make. For instance, say whether you're going to do like a b or something. You might be able to control the mean of what it will cost. So, you're well, you'll be able to control your standard deviation better because it's going to be more controlled cost, but it will cost you more. You'll buy that risk. There's a tradeoff with everything. There's a trade-off with everything. So just uh stay educated on that. Go to your continue education, make sure you understand that because you are elected by the people of the county. So it'll be your call, which is fun. That's a lot. That's a big burden, especially when we're talking. We still got a little work to do at the uh community corrections and the prosecutor's office. And that's a decision that has to be made, too, whether you're going to continue that or not. We are.

So all right, that is all I have. So, if you could review the um the red parts especially or if there's any large capital projects in there that I've missed, let me know so I can add those and send them to the council side when you get a chance. And that'll also go to Greg so he can review it and make sure that we're staying within our bounds. So, barring that, that's all I have for this morning. Thank you so much. Thank you. Weather's warming up. The sun's shining.

Greg. So, good morning. If you want to take one of these. Yeah.

So, thank you, Dary. So, um, as you know, um, council has requested kind of an updated capital improvement plan. And the reasoning behind that is as we proceed with our rating on our go bond, this will be one of the top documents they'll ask for. And and Gary, we want to keep the bridges separate separate bucket because those all get funded from Yes. Yes. Mr. As the point that could become

and so um as you know then um when we get your resolution of need today for the geo bond then we'll be proceeding with that. And so uh Lisa Lee is awaiting some final information from you Scott I think on the resolution of need. We will not be putting in, it is my understanding, the um fairgrounds or the the A because at this point in time, everybody calls them a little something different. Uh at this point in time, that will take a taxable bond. According to Lisa Lee, we do not want to do a taxable bond along with a taxexempt bond. We want to go back to council and maybe find out find a better way to do it. Okay. So, we don't incur we don't need to incur two bond cost and a taxable bond for that amount really wouldn't be a smaller amount really wouldn't be efficient

and I think they could come up with a money through another line item. Yeah. So,

and so remember what we do on every capital improvement plan, we look at debt and equity. Equity being the cash reserves. And we're putting book going to be putting out the the new sustainability later this week, which has the most updated financial information fund by fund and and we are doing well, but we also know where the path is heading for us. Okay. And so I sent out gave you this document which was really the document that I handed out to the county council uh several maybe a month ago or maybe even last year. U and we just updated it April 20th. But the first page is where we stand on lit going forward under SB1. Now, as you know, you you guys were at the guys and gals were at the same u meeting I was with the Association of Counties. Um they were saying kind of hold off on the MUS group, but I've impressed upon council that we would want to re we'd want to start getting engaged in that after we know where the 27 budget's going to be. And we're going to know that in the next month or two. So, I know Gary, I believe you've gotten a call from Cumberland and things like that and some people are like, uh, maybe we shouldn't even do the MUS group. I disagree with that. I think we actively need to put 91 counties need to put kind some kind of response in. So uh so that because what the state has basically said is what do you all believe you need? If you don't like what we gave you, what do you believe we need? Now

you may not have a unanimous decision. Doesn't mean you can't re send in a report. Period. And so I think for the good of Hancock County, we definitely need to do that because if you turn to page two, that'll answer it. Yes, Bill.

So the message I heard in that training the other day from AIC was um DLGF was not going to have any of those numbers ready, not so much on the county side, but on the municipal side because they've never collected those numbers before. So this is the first time. But the message I hear from others too is to go ahead and form the MUS committee and meet and build those relationships, but don't do anything until we get good, true, accurate, accurate numbers. You want to do the MU committee because the legislators who introduce that in the bill are looking for you to do that. And if they see you didn't go meet, they're going to basically, at least, in my opinion, tell you what you're the next steps are going to be for you. and and I to and that's I heard the same thing and there was an email that came out and everybody misread misread the email but from DLGF or from the state because at the first top they said uh maybe not meet and then later on they said no you need to the answer is I'm afraid that we're not you know I've been waiting on uh department of revenue for for my entire life for information and So if it doesn't come, we still have to make some assumptions and we have to qualify the assumptions. So that's what I'm telling county council

and if you meet take your auditor with you and take your financial advisor with you because there's going to be a lot of financial advisors in the room and you know and the county council the ultimate it's it it's a county council member and I've suggested the entire council needs to be involved uh if they'd like.

But that would have incur a public meeting though wouldn't it? Yeah, but you know, so yes, so you can choose to do that or you can choose to have representatives and I'm going to leave that up to the county council to make that decision. And so, but yes, we definitely want the auditor and we, you know, we can uh maybe have some non-public at the beginning and then public, you know, as we go forward. That's totally up to the county council. Okay. So, but what I put together here was uh what the county council asked me is do we need the 1.20? And yes, this is very very obvious on page two because we do have lots of capital improvements coming. Now, remember I said debt and equity and debt can take on LIIT, local income tax. It can take on property tax. So, it can take on one of those two forms for repayment. I mean, I'm struggling with $135 million project down in Monroe County right now, and they're probably going to end up funding it from LIIT right now. And that has ramifications as we go under what I call SB2, right? which SB2 is after all this comes out of SB1 and we get through these decisions or the things on the Musk group and stuff like that. So, um, but we know there are some things like lost interest income. That's not going to happen in 26, maybe not in 27, but you get a new Fed chairman in there. I think the speculation is in the future it will. And we really grew because we've got strong cash balances. Sure, I'm

guilty as charged. Uh, but you know, that's helpful right now because now we're in the perfect storm coming. Okay. And so, and we've got things to do. So, uh, and you can see that this is some of the items like the sewer project. We just estimated some of the impact on LIT. And this would be our first page for the MUS group. Uh, that it is very obvious the county needs the power that SB1 gave it. Any less than that would really kind of put us in a bind. Okay? Because don't forget we got to take kind of care of the county as a whole which is very very large mass and keeps Gary really really busy if he's still in here. And so um that's where we're at. So, what we're hoping is between getting the LIIT aligned up for the future, getting our sustainability draft out so council knows that we're shooting for a three not to exceed a 3% raise at this point in time. We're trying to keep an eye and I believe your new uh hopefully your new HR person is getting up to speed now on uh basically health insurance because I'm monitoring that every I met you the other see you again that's what's sinking every typicanw county Monurro county Shelby County Rush County I I I hear it every place you know and it's those things that we're projecting 7% increase in the overall premiums because now the people representing the hospitals and all that

is saying like I said about a couple years ago it's building into the cost formula. Okay. So, so the original 9% has kind of tapered down to seven then. Well, that's what I'm hearing, Janine, uh, from the people that are in the know from the hospital part. And so, I think we either kept it at seven or we may have even kept it at nine in the updated sustainability. Uh, because that's what we kind of agreed to. Uh, here it's nine. Yeah, because I think that's what I passed on to Jim Shelby early on. He I'm sure he passed it right on to you.

Yes, he did. And that's what's built in. And so I'm hearing that 7 to9 I'm hearing 7 to 10 across the state with county government, not city governments. Big difference. County government, your your workforce is a lot larger and more diverse in in most cases. So it becomes a little different. Uh also the number of enrolles has really significantly like Shelby County we had 14 new enrolles and the force isn't that big. So the number of enroles coming back on the insurance maybe because they lost their insurance from carve out from other entities or things like that could also catch us. Okay. And so there's several things and then god forbid we have someone with a catastrophic illness and those you cannot predict. So we've got that on that group health insurance we've got so many demands on us and we've always said group health first you know payroll increases kind of on par. If I had a 1A and a 1B, it would be both of those and then everything else. In Monroe County, we had to move all of the uh supplies over to add it in and in 2026 just to shore up that. And so, you know, there's a lot going on in county government throughout the state of Indiana. The pressures are getting higher. And so, people were trying to hold on to 28. Now you got to hold on to 29 to increase lit or have at least the ability there. We've been kind of doing we've been doing the right thing all along and and that pays dividends. So

well and and Greg just one quick question. Yes, please. As you're doing the sustainability right now, excuse me. Um, I know we're looking ahead at the ramifications of SEA1 into 28 and 29. Do you see anything major changes that could turn back the clock uh in the next uh Senate Bill 2?

The the one so SB1 we've got a good handle on. We've got our credits that have gone through. We've got our updated credits for the property tax bills. you know the 300 of the 10% it was better than we originally estimated and better than the state uh state estimated which is good uh means there you know that that deviation in those type of credits are are better it may impact our debt funds a little bit so we've got we may be going back to food and beverage and putting in the 125 just in case for debt service because this these credits are different than circuit breaker. Circuit breaker doesn't impact the debt funds. These credits the jury is we we've asked and the jury is still out deliberating uh being the state um whether it will specifically affect the debt funds. So uh we also as part of the council we gave them the fall off of each and every debt that we have as far as geo bonds but that's something Deb we may be kind of in the 2027 budget heads up there's so so I think we've got that under control what is likely to occur Janine if your 1.2 2 authorization from SB1 goes down because some people need more of the 2.9 then that would kind of sink our ship a little bit. Okay. Or at least we'd get a torpedo. Okay. And so that's what we've got to really watch out because SB1, we got a good handle on that. It's what's

unknown in SB2 and that will be the surprises in 28 in basically 27 28 legislative session but that's the biggest one like playing dodgeball. Absolutely. And I used to do that a lot. Loved it. Um and so um yeah the the key is don't we're going to try and not get hit in the face.

We're going to try and catch the ball then you know what that means. And so um so that's the key going forward. Now it will take an integration of of tiff dollars. It'll take an integration of go capacity lit capacity and equity capacity. And we always try and for the good of the taxpayers and everyone one we try and look at equity first and then go to the debt markets which are still reasonable but we're going to have a 5% coupon on this bond because that's what the market demands but we'll have um you know a premium in the geo bond when we issue it and that'll bring it down to around a 350 or something like that. So, so it's still a great uh B bond market at this point in time as long as we can maintain our rating which means sustainability, capital improvement plan and those type of things. So that's why I'm here today to say boy that's really really critical and I I I've got to have numbers to it too. So questions further please.

Okay. Well, I think from the count if you have any qu I know you guys all attend guys and gals uh don't mean that in um you know you attend the monthly meetings of the budget committee budget and efficiency. We're going to be using that word efficiency a little more uh because that's going to be critical, keeping those expenses as much under control as we can and then that will kind of formulate our policy. But we're way ahead on the ball game on considering salaries and and thank your payroll department did an awesome job. We've got it individual by individual 2% 3%. Now we have a category categorized by fund. So they did it. That's exactly what I've been looking for over the last couple years.

Perfect. So that was that's outstanding. And so we blanked out the names just if you want to copy, we blanked out the names and things like that just to not that it's not something but it's just trying to help everybody. So okay, further question. when um the resolution of need, are you going to consider that now or do you want me to hang around if there's any questions on it or how can I help? We can judge an action item. We can go ahead and address that. Yeah, we could.

So, now on the resolution of need, you had mentioned that Lisa wanted to take off of exhibit A the ground. I think we put that in there specifically. Well, Lisa didn't want to. I think the answer is if it's taxable. I think the answer is my consultation with the council and to the commissioners is I thought it's a small amount. Oh, okay. And so rather than muddy the water, let's delete it and then let's find a better widget for it to So has it been deleted on this?

What's that? It has. Has it been deleted? It has not been deleted. We can do that right now if you'd like. Well, I I think that's what the understanding is we need to do. I didn't know that um until now. So that's fine, though. We can we can make the change. Um, and as long as the commissioners, sir, and to be clear, you're talking about item number two, the Hank County A Association to support the needs of Hanok County citizens in furtherance of the county's mission. Correct. I believe so. No. Well, it strictly comes out of the bond proceeds. Now, one thing to remember is just because it's listed there doesn't mean

that's what I I that's why I had it put on there. That way if we actually save some money somewhere along the line, we could actually do that or the 911 also. Okay. So there's no harm in it. Yeah. Okay. As as long as you lawyers have have that understanding, I do not want to get pushed into a $500,000 tax taxable bond. That would I've already addressed council on it and everything else and they're well aware of it. Okay. Are they aware of the taxable point though? I think that that's the Jim Shelby and and some of them are Jim contacted me directly I believe.

So and and again you know as as we go forward there are other controlling documents like the bond ordinance that will spell it out and that's where appendix A goes and Lisa Lee has not even drafted the bond ordinance yet or she may be in the process. Okay. So she she's doing something because I just sent her the information the other day. Strike that. Perfect. Okay. So we are not striking. So then we will just leave it as is. Yeah. So this is our current and good copy. Yes ma'am. Need.

Yep. Um we need a resolution number behind. Sorry. I make a motion that we approve resolution number 2026-4-2 uh in front of the board of commissioners resolution for making a determination of need for Hancock County public safety projects and various other projects approving the issuance of a general obligation bond to the county in taking related actions.

Second. There's a motion and second on the floor to approve resolution number 2026-4-2. Uh resolution making for a determination of need for Hancock County public safety projects and various other projects approving the issues of a general obligation bond of the county and taking related actions. Uh any further discussion? All those in favor say I. I oppose. Same sign. Motion carries. Any other ways I can help? That's it. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thanks, Greg.

You got I do know one thing. you could help us with there is to continue to advise the council to take in all the trainings they can on sea1 provided through AIC. They've been really really helpful. There was a ton of knowledge in there and I don't think anybody's going to get it in one fell swoop. You just have to continue to go back and back and back because we all need to be really really well educated on the financial issues that coming down the pike to impact us. And that's that's a that's an absolute and and I think you're going to keep hearing different variations. But I think Bill will that where that will really really help or commissioners where that will really really help is as we start talking about the MUS group because you're going to really get education during that process from a whole host of reasons. you know, ultimately what what happens with your study too on fire and EMS is going to be a critical item because that's going to be a component. So, so, but I I hear you loud and clear.

Just keep keep pushing that message toward them as well to be as financially savvy as you can. There are a lot of trainings out there for this. You don't have to go. you can get them online, but to really really sink and I think we possibly will have two new council members coming and it's never too early for the new people to start learning. Yes. So, because it is a fire hose. Thank you, Greg. Thank you. Uh facility update. Corey Taylor. He was here. There he is. Good morning.

Good morning. All right. The first item I've got for you is so with the wording on the settlement agreement, the check from Indiana Foundation came to Hancock County. Uh that was cut to service master from fund 1138. So, I need your approval to go to council and request that $63,35154 goes back into my CCD 1138. Okay. Problem. Do we need a motion for that? Yes. I make a motion that we um

Okay, you're going to have to start over. uh allow Corey to go approach council regarding a $63,000 bill to service master and that the monies shall return to his CCD fund. Did I get that? Oh, for the record. Yes, for the record that's 63,351 and 54 cents. And before I second it, that was a recommended from I know there was a day I ran in all your office and you were guys were working in that. So that's the a that's the auditor's recommended procedure cleanly. Okay. Second.

There's a motion and second on the floor to allow Corey to go to the council to get the 63,35154 uh to go back into his 1138 fund as as presented. Uh, all those in favor say I. I. I. Motion carries. You need this back, Corey. Uh, yes, ma'am. Do you need a signature or anything like that? Okay.

Um, next item I've got for you is an invoice from PDF Mechanical. This was for an emergency situation replacing the water heater uh down at the highway department for a total of 5,7178. Um my suggestion is I pay this for my CCD fund 1138 for equipment. I move that we approve invoice number 11210 from PDF Mechanical LLC located in Carthage, Indiana uh in the amount of se $5,717.78 uh from uh fund 1138.

Second. There's a motion on the floor to approve the invoice number. Is that 11210? Mhm. Yeah. What I thought and to be taken from uh 11:38. So all those in favor say I. I. I. Motion carries. Final item I've got for you, which is not in your packet. I just received this late last night. Um a revised quote from Ethridge Motorsports on the window tinninging. This is more of an FYI. It's under my dollar amount, but it's $4,375 to rip off and redo.

Are are we sure yet that what they provided this time is going to be the final time they have to come and do that? Have they shown you an example of what this is going to look like so we don't have to come and rip it off again? Okay. I believe I showed that to actually I I told him if he's happy with it, we're happy with it. Okay. So, and I'm going to uh just so you know, I'm going to pay that out of probably CCD miscellaneous. Okay. Just want to give you an update on that. That's all I've got. All right. Thank you, Cory. Great. Thanks, Corey. Maryanne Whitebrook. Nice job.

Morning. Marian White Brock and this is Paul Galley and we are both uh members of the board of Pensy Trails of Hancock County and we are here today to discuss a vault restroom waterless at the 400 West trail head and um we're excited to discuss that we have been a nonprofit for 10 years and we have uh documented over 6,000 volunteer hours and brought in $1.5 million dollars in monies to this county for the trail and we have put down three miles and it's very very exciting. Um and uh Hancock County Trails Plan has listed the Pensy Trails as a priority for trail connections to um from Greenfield to Cumberland and beyond. Um, the Hancock County Quality of Place document lists restrooms as vital to trails and uh and and and trail amenities as very necessary part of for this county for this trail. This is a regional trail. People are coming from distances of more than 10 miles at times. Um, and even people that don't come as far don't have bladders that um can get them um too far to a um to travel. Um we actually conducted a survey last year and re received positive feedback with 97% pres um selecting the need for a vault toilet uh at the 400 West trail head. Um we've conducted with our bianual survey that we do every other year and shows an average of 042 trail users per minute. Okay. And we look and we do um travel to all eight different trail heads. We found 45 parked cars um with 30 from

Hancock County and the remaining from Marian, Madison, Shelby, Henry, and one from Ontario. Um and so we we this trail is pulling um into our community. The Hancock County Tourism Commission has uh provided us a great website and uh brochures. We've passed that to all the surrounding counties to bring in school kids to our uh trail head. We have an outdoor classroom. Uh we have um uh education. We're actually having an event tomorrow with youth. We're going to have up to 20 youth there that we're going to help provide um about outdoor education and wildlife management for our habitat. Um we're also and we are also going to have an event on Saturday, a trail mixer event which is a central Indiana uh event and we are um expecting um more than a dozen helpers to help us. Um we were on the trail on Saturday during the rain. We had a half a dozen people there clearing uh the honeysuckle um because the honeysuckle is going to grow on the trail and we are there committed to keeping that trail safe for people. Um and so uh the the lowest bid that we have for this um waterless restroom is from Ferguson Construction. We're excited. That's a local Hancock County business and they actually are going to put in a concrete system. The current portaott's been there for over four years and we have been maintaining its service with Ind anytime outouse and we have been paying for that independently. Um and um we've talked with Derek Adams at the Hancock County Board of Health and he states that aligns with the Hancock County codes. the service fees

we would continue paying for for at least five years until the trail is connected. Um, and I'd like um to introduce Paul. Um, we actually have a team on there every week. Okay, they're there right now or they're going to be there at 9:00. Okay, they're there every Tuesday in addition to the work days that we have on the weekends and they're committed to helping with the management of this system. Um and uh and they're going to be there at at at 9:00 this morning, their group.

Thanks so much. I just would like to say that our group has committed to uh making sure that the uh restroom is uh kept clean uh well stocked uh and run through uh the current restroom. We've had no issues with currently uh no graffiti, no uh problems with that. So, uh, we're looking forward to being able to support the larger number of folks that will be coming as we connect the the trail through, uh, to Greenfield. How large is this?

It would be a twovault system, uh, which means it would have two different doors. Now, we wouldn't have to keep all doors, both doors open at all times, but we could, uh, uh, back and forth. How big is it? It's um if uh the Monon actually has one at the Monan Center, a very similar vault restroom. There is also one at um the intersection of 74 and Thompson Road. There's a little Indie Park there. And so it's a very popular way when you don't have uh you don't want to have to have utility there. Um it's also very easy to manage. Um and um uh we have a great relationship with Anytime Out House. Um the uh um there is a spot that's right there at 400 West. We have a double parking lot and there's frequently times where there the parking lot is full as of this last weekend. Um I frequently go by there and there's people on the trail. Uh I was very impressed on the trail that there was uh there was walkers, runners, and bikers on the trail on Saturday in the rain with us. Um and we were trying to keep out of their way. Um there's times where, you know, there's there's uh we're we're doing trail management of people also. Um we have a Facebook page with 3.6K followers, which is a pretty good number for a Facebook page. It gets a lot of interaction. We'll have thousands of people that um interact with us on a weekly basis. Um our email list is um um almost 200. We have a Mailchimp list that we actually send out letters um and information to. And so the the message at the the the the vault toilet would be, you know, if you have any issues, contact pensy.org. It wouldn't be call the county. And so that's actually what the signs say at the trail head at this

point. And you don't hear a lot because we manage a lot of information. We we manage um people um come coming to our website a lot with questions, concerns, and sometimes I'm sending them to Cumberland or Greenfield depending on the trail section. Um but we seem to be the hub for all that communication. So is it big enough for people to sleep in and become a homeless shelter? Um,

see that that's number one concern is it may become because we don't have a parks department yet. We've got a we've got a board. We don't have a parks department and that's been my my pullback all along is it could be something actually going to get lawsuits over. We've already had um a homeless person sleeping at 600 West Trail Head uh 400 West Trail Head, I'm sorry. And you know, it was it was managed very well. And we just called the the police and they are actually um they're very responsive. They um uh assisted the the gentleman to uh somewhere else. Um the the trail is open dawn to dusk um and so it is a public place. We have engaged with Sheriff Birkhart and to um how our role would be to managing the people on the trail and so they're very responsive to us and how we could manage that. Um you know like I said they're there weekly. I go by there on a weekly basis. um you know the police officers uh state and county actually will sit in that parking lot um at times to do some of their paperwork and so it's and and there's a lot of people on the trail and so um it's um uh I can't say that it wouldn't happen but that we have a plan for how that would be managed.

What was the price tag? So, the price for this is $90,374. That is a big price tag. We are committed. We already have in our bank that we have raised $80,374 plus we have enough money to service it for the next two years. And we also have fundraising that we have planned for the next two two years um and ongoing for that. And we have written a grant to the Hancock County Comm the community foundation of Hancock County for $10,000 for a capital campaign which we will hear for about in the middle of May, they said. And so we're not asking for any money. We're not asking for anything. We would manage everything. Um we're just inviting you to come check out this place. It's so popular with so so very many people at this point in time. I I think my part of my struggle is this. So, while I can appreciate that we're trying to do things to make trails connectivity, positive, increase quality of life, and mental health by folks being able just to get away from the regular dent of the day on the trail. That gentleman back there, Corey Taylor, is the only person we have to take care of all the county properties right now. We struggle, we're challenged to find people to take care of those things. And it becomes an additional liability on us, not only to take care of it, but to ensure it. And I can appreciate the fact that since the portallet has been out there, there hasn't been anything, but it's not a matter of uh

if if it's it's when something, you know, were to happen. Um, we also have had to behave as a county uh governmental agency like a municipality and those things are better serviced really by municipality than by a county. Now, I don't I don't have any problem potentially reapproaching this issue when we have a parks department and we have staff. We are just woefully understaffed in that area to take care. We're not asking you to care or fund, but you you said you've got a plan for 5 years. I mean, that's going to be there forever, okay? And we would have to take care of it sooner or later.

And the minute it's not cared for or someone goes in the middle of the night and makes a huge mess, even though there's a sign there says Treny Pensy Trail, it's going to come down to our reputation and that it's a county entity. It's I mean, we get named in every lawsuit out there. So, is it my impression then that you are not going to hire a parks board ever?

We are, but we've got other needs. Just like you heard our financial adviser, Greg Geratas, speak. We've got other financial issues that are going on that are we probably need a de an extra HR director to help with things going on. We are. It's just where does that fit into the next five years or hopefully 10 years? Well, I

would be one. We've still not figured out how that's going to affect us. Absolutely. We've got some ideas, but they're having to go back and redo that bill. So, I mean, right now, we just I mean, I'll I'll speak for myself. I just don't want it at this point in time. Come back later. I mean, after we've got a parks board, just like Bill said, parks, I mean, parks department, and then maybe we can address it then. Right now, it's just a liability.

When you open this trail to Greenfield, the people from Greenfield are going to want someone to stop and rest for a comfort station. We can't bring um for the tourism, we can't bring school kids in when there's this little plastic portaot that's showing age at this point. Um so, um uh you own the portallet, pardon me. Do you own the portallet? We we we pay for it to be serviced. Yes. You don't own it though? I I don't think we own it. No, I would say so they could upgrade that any time that you requested it from the portlet company. Yeah.

You know, if it's becoming worn or worn out, you can request a a newer model and it still gives the comfort there. So this is a place that people come into look pretty much as they enter King County. And so this is going to be what they see and what they what we have.

It is. But the other thing that those folks don't see is the challenges we have as electeds to make sure that the money is spent wisely. And again, we just heard from our f financial advisor. We don't really know what we're going to expect here in the next year or so. Uh but we don't even have a parks department and we have a one-man facility operation right now. Totally love them, but we run them ragged to do that. And uh right now it just doesn't make sense, at least in my opinion, that we go ahead with a vault toilet for something else that we have to be eventually. I know you said, "Hey, we'll take care of it." But when the care stops, it falls on the back of the the local government.

I'm not saying stopped. I'm just saying for at least five years. I mean, we have a very very I mean, I I don't think you're impressed by our volunteers and and what we what we have has nothing to do with your volunteers. I'm impressed by your volunteers, but that doesn't Yeah. Like it doesn't that does not play into this. This is a liability cost for us as a county. And as I told you, if somebody has an accident on the county road, we get a we get a lawsuit for it. So, I I just don't want to open us up for more lawsuits and it's just not the time for it.

And were you planning on um insuring liability and all that? This is Hancock County property. So, we wouldn't be able to to ensure your property. Well, that's what I mean. There comes liability with that. So even if something happens out there now with the poor, they're going to come and potentially sue us and before we incur any other things. So I in in that way um just asking you know how is that different um you know from having a a two stall versus the current portal because we don't own it.

Okay. So the damage to the property itself what what do you mean if we owned it? I mean you're still going to have the same risks for any individuals uh or or uh you know issues in there. Um the you outlet is or uh is not my concern all along has been safety and I think about safety first and as you said there's already been a homeless person out on trail and it had to be removed. I I just I don't want to open us to to lawsuits. And there's a big difference too between a permanent structure

and a temporary structure which is what you're working with now. appreciate what you're doing here. Really do, but I think at this time it's just not the right thing for it. It It doesn't Right. It doesn't mean we wouldn't uh reconsider it at a later date, right? Um I if if it gets reconsidered, I sure would like to have a parks department consider that request before than what we have now. Well, at this point, since the Pensy Trails has become part of the park Hancock County Parks Department, there is no parks department or just well we are in the infancy stage of this

I understand but the Pensy Trails is included in that and we thought that that would be a better long-term solution for the Pensy Trails actually as we move forward long term um the uh um we are no we are basically we are writing all the grants we are doing all of that we actually now can't write grants because the Hancock County Board is doing all that and so we haven't been included in that in in in what we've requested here. Um and so uh all this money coming in now we we don't get to manage it for more trail or or any of that because you have this other entity now is taking that over.

And so we've been told that we need to maintain our little section which we do. We have a a a a trail sign down now and we're going to have to pay to have it done because nobody wants to claim the sign county or Cumberland. So, we're going to have to have that sign. Pay to have that sign put back up. So, we're we're this little business entity that is managing your trail for you at this point. And you don't hear of any of all of this. And maybe we should be telling you more of what we do do because we do manage a lot. Or maybe there's a negotiation to be made right now with the city of Cumberland or with Greenfield because they're all on the trail. Maybe there's a need for this within their boundary. They're they'd be willing to take care of that instead of us. Have you approached them? I mean, their city limit, I think, starts to roll out towards 600 West.

Oh, yeah. We have an outdoor classroom at 400, though. So I we we're we're just all in agreeance. We just don't want it now. Come back and submit it again. I mean I I think that it was uh off is pres presumptuous for you to actually just go ahead and do it and then come to us. Uh I I I am not for it. So that's where I'll stay. I can't support it right now. Agreed. Thank you.

Thank you, Matt. Lori. Lowi. Okay. Lori. Okay. Good morning. Good morning. Uh my name is Matthew Lori. I live at 3865 North 300 West. I'm uh here to request a variance for a secondary driveway for my property um adjacent to the uh primary one to my residence. And I I was looking at this yesterday. I went on Google and everything else. Uh is it the lot next to your house? Is that what it is next to your lot?

It's it's the current lot that I'm on. Um I just got recent approval for a uh a storage barn just to the north of my residence. This will be a secondary drive adjacent to the current one, which uh will eventually be joined in the middle to create a turnaround point to prevent having to back out onto the county road. That's one of the main concerns. So, I'm not backing out as much if I'm pulling trailers and equipment in and out of the property. Mike, where where's the highway stand on this? Um,

it's a local road. It's not or anything collector. So, wavering needs to stop. He said, you know, we're okay, but I guess our our stance right now is it's okay. Okay. Okay. I make uh make a motion that we approve the driveway variance for Matthew Lowry um located at address 3865 North 300 West in Greenfield, Indiana. Second.

We have a motion on the floor and a second to approve a driveway variance at 3865 North 300 North West. North West, isn't it? North 300 West. 30 North 300 West. That's what I thought. Okay. Uh, all any further discussion? All those in favor say I. I. Motion carries. Thank you. Welcome. Thanks, Mike. Anita Mina.

Thought you had a different last name. Anita Mina. Anita. Fun. Let's all say it together. Used to be Anita Turner. at I started saying that once upon a time. Yep. Your son went to school with my daughter. Yes, sir. So, now they've all grown up. Yeah, they are. My second grandkids on the way through. So, man, three, so we're in it together.

Good morning. I'm the executive director of Riley Festival and I am here with the usual request to use uh the chambers as well as the lobby um during this year's festival. setup for the lobby of the annex would be um 12:30. On September 29th, parks department comes in with the grids, sets up photography out there. Then on September 30th, 12:30 would begin the setup of the chambers, and that's where our fine arts would be displayed in here. Typically, I know you all have something on that Wednesday, maybe. I don't know. So we can work around that schedule um for the chamber setup.

Sarah, she's looking at her calendar here. That night is the joint set up on the 29th. Correct. The 20 we can do the the lobby on the 29th and we can do here on the 29th as well. Josh Gentry and I Josh from parks department had a conversation and we kind of both thought you always had something on that Wednesday. Um, if we're mistaken, then if it's a Wednesday, it wouldn't be a joint meeting. No, it' only be on a Tuesday. Tonight, because it's a fifth. Yeah, it's a But if it's a Wednesday, not a Tuesday. So, you have you've Because then what we would need the entire area for would go through that Sunday,

we have an evening meeting on the 29th. It's on the 29th, not the 26th. On the 29th again. Joint meeting. It's a joint meeting. Council and Oh, commissioners. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So, I just wanted you to be aware in here. Okay. Yes. So, we could set up in here on the 30th. Do we have anything else in here? I don't think there's anything. Okay. All right. An operations board meeting for 911, but we do that in an operation. Is it does it need to be It's a normal It's a task force. It's a task force. Excuse me. Health coaching, but we

Okay. Well, I make a motion that we approve for Riley Festival the use of the uh courthouse annex hallway and commissioner's chambers for 929 of 26 and 9:30 2026 through the weekend of Riley Festival. Correct. Second. We have a motion in a second to allow the Riley Festival to use the annex uh hallway and commissioner's court for their art displays. Uh all those in favor say I. I. Motion carries. Thank you all. And it goes without saying we appreciate your partnership every year with this.

Well, we appreciate you. Thanks. Thank you. Uh, Jennifer Gavard.

Hi, good morning. Good morning.

Morning. My name is Jennifer Ghard and I am the executive director of the Central Indiana Regional Transportation Authority known as SERA. Thank you again for allowing me to be here today. Serta was created by the Indiana General Assembly over 20 years ago without a dedicated source of revenue. We rely on partner contributions from our member counties. I'm here today to ask the county for $15,983 for 2026. From 2008 to 2017, the county has contributed to SERA yearly. Then again in 2020 with a pattern of every other year. In 2025, SERA delivered approximately $52,000 in direct services to the county by r by bringing residents by bringing resources to residents and employers. This amounts to a $3.30 return on your investment for every dollar that we request. So, where does the value come from? Our commuter connect workforce program assists employers in supporting carpool and vampool matching for both people commuting in and out of the county through service staff engagement activities. Our outreach team engages residents at community events like Riley days. We help people save money during times that hooers need it most. And most importantly, we reduce the barriers for work participation. We also promote Ride Hancock. Additionally, we have a new school pool program. That's a family-based car pooling system to assist in traffic congestion, schools that may not have a yellow school bus system, and critically important when districts face driver shortages impacting service.

We also have a mobility management program and a county connect program. This works towards regional goals to streamline crosscount collaboration and resources. Two weeks ago, we launched a crosscount pilot with Ride Hancock County and Hamilton County called One Call Connect. This allows riders to book trips between Hancock and Hamilton counties with a single call to SERTA. In your folder, there is a document explaining how this new crosscount pilot service works. Basically how it works is individuals um can callerta they can coordinate that trip purpose for any reason and we coordinate the two organizations to meet at Leo's and McCordsville and the drivers stay with the riders as needed assist with the transfer if needed and it costs $8 cash cash in each direction paid to the drivers and it's available Monday through Friday between 7:00 and 5. I can tell you today actually as we are speaking um one of our first trips are actually being completed. Um it is actually occurring from a resident of yours who is legally blind going from Fortville to um Fiser St. Vincent. The pilot is a critical step to begin to see what's possible for taxpayer savings. Um we have a lot of different organizations across the region. They all do different things. They all serve different purposes, but they all also have dispatchers. They all um right now the customer experience is pretty bad. So my grandma um prior to this pilot, if she needed to take a trip, she would have to call two organizations to try to coordinate that trip, see if there's availability. They have different softwares, they have

different rules, they have different pricing. it disc it discourages people who need it most. Um, with that as well, not only does it help with the taxpayer savings, helps improve the customer experience, but it also is a super critical step for the region to start collecting um regional crosscount trip demand. Another collaboration program that we have that serves your county is called the my freedom program. This is um direct services to your residents. It's for anybody over the age of 60 for any purpose or for an individual with disabilities. What's critical to note about this is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week service filling critical gaps where other transportations are transportation options are not available. Please keep in mind this is a supplemental program to ride Hancock. This is to help serve those needs when they aren't able to fill them due to hours of operation and it's also a service to help your residents cross county lines. Scabard, do you have any statistical information that would show us how many times we've supplemented Ry Hancock out here with um Serta?

I I could work on getting you that information. And I can tell you that we've with this pilot program alone, we are meeting with them on a regular basis. We meet quarterly. We've been meeting for the last year on this pilot program. Um I can tell you that at one point in time we have had over 28 vamps that served Stanley Black & Decker um going to different places throughout the county picking up individuals as well. Um, I can also tell you that with that being said, some of the major employers that we work with are um, Amazon, Smithfield Foods, Greenfield Healthcare Center, Elijah Mechanical, Indiana Automotive, FA um, Fasteners, Walmart, and Alanco just to name a few. Um, with that being said, um, our program has also kind of already works as a one call, one call, a one call, um, kind of like a a resource center for the region, if that makes sense. We get calls daily to our office where we are educating people about different resources throughout the region, including Ride Hancock. Um I wanted to also tell you about over the last 10 years that we have conducted at least two workforce connector feasibil um feasibility studies. I'm sure you guys are aware of the blue line coming in um to the east side of Indianapolis. Um, Serta has worked with Planefield and Whitestown to come up with systems to be able to provide workforce connector service where it's turnkey bus service that no longer has to rely on taxpayer dollars through economic improvement districts and we manage those and promote those services in those communities. Um, and that is something I could see

potentially with all the growth that you have here may or may not be of interest to you guys in the future. Um, obviously down the line. Um, you know, some of the benefits I'm talking about today, they're not, you know, they're not fully quantified. For example, um, you know, what are those on economic development for, um, future expansion opportunities and things to that extent. Um I do appreciate you guys having me here today. Um you know your continued part participation with Certa is going to ensure that you know your residents will continue to remain connected to our the regional opportunities that we provide and I'm happy to answer any questions. The folders that I provided to you has my contact information in it. It also has some information about some of the things that we talked about today. There's also a document in there that explains um the methodology we came up with for the 2026 partner contribution ask. I think it's important to note that um with um Senate Bill 1 and the struggles um you'll see another document in there for the 2027 ask. I know a lot of communities are planning their budgets currently, you know, right now for 2027 and your partner contribution is um lower for 2027 um than what what it was for 2026.

Well, what we're asking is for some of that statistical information so that we can make an informed decision and make sure what CERTA's delivering and has delivered um is efficient and effective for us. And instead of just cutting a $15,000 check, we really want to know what's behind it. What has sort of done in the past? And then those numbers they may predict for 2027. We do have that information from rid share here in Hancock County, but we would, as Bill mentioned, need it from you as well.

What does what do the businesses that are benefiting from these people come to work here? What do they do? Yeah. So we have a team of outreach representatives who go out that the businesses like we go out there and we promote our services to them and how what we do is we go and set upformational tables at work sites promote all services that are available to them whether but do they contribute money? The businesses contribute I'm sorry um no the businesses do not contribute money

but the people who are riding there they they pay for a ride. Um, no, not necessarily. Um, we're funded, um, so our services are funded primarily through CMAC funding, congestion mitigation, air quality grants. So, with that being said, the local match dollars that we ask for help with administrative costs for our agency and organizations and support local match. So, those services that those employers are receiving are, you know, they're not paying for that. No.

So what how much do you spend on your overhead your your personnel to oversee this? Well, Serta covers 10 counties. So um we for overhead alone um between the commuter connect program because when when we give to something it's usually entire in in form of a grant and we require certain information from them that way we can make an informed decision. So

yeah, and I'm happy to provide you guys with like any information that you need specifically regarding, you know, the information we the data that you would like. I can try to get you whatever you need. I'm happy to do that. Um I just specifically I guess I'm curious on what specifically um you would are interested in. Mainly your over your overhead, your your managerial staff. I mean, uh, sure. All that kind. It sounds like this is just all operational money that you're looking for. Is that correct?

It's local match dollars that we're looking for. So, the local match dollars help offset things that cannot be covered by grants. So, you know, one of the questions that I get is like, you know, what happens, you know, if the county wouldn't participate? And, you know, Certa has non contributing members in the past. um you know if you know and services will still continue if Han County does not contribute because I I don't remember us contributed to this. We we've only been a member of this for what two years, one year. We've we've been involved off and on, I think, throughout since since I've been auditor.

I can say the last check we received from your county was um in 2024 for 15,983. But I do have a question if you don't mind. On on the the companies that you work with and the rides that you provide to their employees, are are you bringing them into Hancock County to to to work or are you both picking them up in Hancock County?

Well, we we're not we don't provide any direct um so our service is so it different programs work different ways. So for work purposes for our carpool van poolool program how that can works is we can have van pools coming in at to your county and van pools going out of the county or within the county. So it's you track that. That would be a statistic I think that we do. Sure. I'd like to know how many people are going out of the county since we've got so many jobs here in in county. And then the other thing that I was wondering, and I think this gets back to what Bill is asking, the $52,000 in the direct services that that you said you've spent,

exactly what have you spent that on? That's that's the kind of information that Yeah, sure. So, the partner contribution money that the counties contribute to, they're funded through a couple things that cannot be funded through grant dollars. Number one, um, for example, legal fees for the agency, like just standard overhead administration fees. Our legal fees, I can tell you, are very low. We, we have a great attorney. She charges us $1,200 a month. And that's a service that we bring into our county for a resident. That service, that's a fee for the whole sa for the whole region

for the whole for per month.

Per month. Correct. Um, it also covers legislative costs. So, SERA is an organization that covers we serve Marian County and all of the surrounding donut counties and Madison County. Um, and so, you know, our general dollars that we have go to fund those administrative costs like legal fees. Um, our finance fees for our our finance officer who is a contractor for us. Um, additionally, um, legislative costs, things that cannot be literally covered by by grant dollars. A lot of grants as you guys are aware of our 5050 8020 like our mobility management grant that um helps support the my freedom program and the cross county pilot that we talked about that is an 8020 match. So 80% federal 20% local. Um so that's kind of how how that is divided up. I I would ask that you get some information, some of this information that we'd really like to see before we would contribute to something. Right now, we're trying to uh get our senior services taken care of. So, I mean,

understood. And they do great work and again, we try to support them as much as we can and help their gaps as well. So,

how much participation do you have from the other counties annually or from cities? Yeah. So, I can tell you like Madison County, for example, contributes $50,000 every single year. Um, I just got a check. We're getting a check this week from Boone County for their contribution. Um, let me look at the dollar amounts for 26 and I can tell you what has come in at least this year so far. Yeah. So, Boone County for 10,800 I have received. I've received 25,000 for Hamilton County. Um Hendrickx County I have been told will be coming. That's 22,000. Uh Madison County is committed at 50,000. Um Morgan County contributed already at 15,730. So contributions are still coming in for the year.

So and our information for grant is on the website now. Is it? I don't know. I don't know that it is on I don't think that that whole process is on our website yet, but that's what I was just getting ready to ask. This is something that you want running through your grant task force. Correct. Yes. So, we will probably be sending you some information to fill out for us. Okay. To put in front of that task force. Okay, that sounds great. We look I appreciate your time today. Please reach out with any questions and I'll look for that information.

Thank you. John Jakonas. He's got his tie on. Look out. Morning. You have that little money money. I don't don't know how to respond to that. Yeah. Good morning.

Good morning. So, uh before we get into the main portion of all of this, uh first thing, thank you for your support for telecommunicator week. Uh they we appreciate when when you can show up. Um because then it puts a face to the people that are supporting us and have supported us over the years. So, hey, at least we know they're not going to go hungry for a long time. No kidding.

They are not. We h I'm going to tell you what, we had more um donations from uh businesses than we have ever had before. And I I attribute that to the team that was running it this year. Um they've they you know, we tasked them with this and it was insane. I it just was insane to to for the community to support us that much. It just it's means a lot obviously. So, well, when I was able to stop by on Saturday, and I know the sheriff could speak to this too, those dispatchers are a link in your chain. You want to be the strongest and not the weakest

and they're out there and they have your back and uh we don't think of them that often because they're just in a little box doing their, you know, thing. So, it was a great thing to be able to go in and tell those folks, "Hey, hey, thanks for having our back again and doing what you do because I can tell you the experience of having um some challenge dispatching and what I consider in Hancock County some topnotch dispatching, there there's a big difference and they're all super super people."

There is. And and speaking of the sheriff, um he has a second longest running tradition as part of our telecommunicator week, which uh he's he sponsors for the last day. And then Bob Holland, the chief of Green Township, has the longest, which is uh wings, whether it's from it's from one of the two wing places on Fridays. And those are the two. It's amazing. Nobody takes off. Almost nobody takes off this week. can't figure it out. But um and we appreciate, you know, all of our all of our public safety agencies. Well, again, if they went hungry, it was their own fault.

100%. 100%. So, but yeah, it was it's always it just gets better and better every year. Um, you know, we we are fully staffed, fully trained right now, which doesn't happen in very many 911 centers across the United States. And that's again, it's the support that we get from you. It's a support that we've got from the council, our public safety partners, our community partners, the media. Uh it just it's it's just fantastic. So um then I'll go on one other rant real quick, a positive rant and we talked about this in the lobby uh the other day. Um we're doing a hiring process and it's to backfill a couple positions right now that are within the budget. Um and during those we we interviewed 28 people for our first set of interviews and we whittleled that down to 12 really qualified that will be they're doing their sit alongs right now. Um in between then we'll have a second interview on the 30th. During those 28 interviews that we had, we had multiple people mention the fact that they follow us on social media and their their comments to that is that based on what they see on social media, they know we have a serious side. They know we have a serious job, but they also see that we have a very good culture and very good team environment. And you know, I have to give credit where credit is due to Greg Duda and Alyssa Icults who um doesn't get mentioned very often, but she's the one who usually

goes out and does the job fairs and things like that for us. Um but Greg has done an amazing job with the social media stuff and we there's there's no fluff there. Um people come to ours. We have the most followers of any 911 center in the state of Indiana and the next closest is like half of what we have. We're we're at about 21,000 right now and that says a lot to our followers. So, um and then my my second one is my deputy director, Greg Shamblan, getting into this hiring process. We use Indeed to to process all of our initial applications. We had over 300 people apply for our job here. Now, only 90 of those took the test and then we had to w and then we had 32 I believe that passed that were invited to the interviews. 28 accepted. And um what he has done with our hiring process, again, when when we tell other agencies, oh yeah, we had we had 300 apply and 90 take the test. Like we get like 10. So, which my my comment will be and it's probably why I'm wearing the tie today, but um I out of this last 12 that we have in our process. If things go like I believe they're going to go in this second second interview, I wish we could hire six. we are going to lose some highly qualified uh people who have experience because we're we're we're staffed.

It's a great problem to have. Somebody's going to end up somebody's going to end up with two or three whether it's one of the counties that surround us, they're going to end up with some good people because we just, you know, again, we just don't have the room. But the quality of candidates that we get is just insane. It's just it's I mean it's again but it's it's a support system that allows us to get that. So I think that's all I have for that portion of now it's now it's on to business. Um I'm not sure what you have first in your packet. Power DMS.

Power DMS. So power this um this is our power ready contract which is um our what we use for training and evaluations. Uh we've had a long long history with this uh product. It was actually Neo gov had bought it from its original owner or original developer. Um, and this is just to continue that product. And we do we evaluate it every year and look for other things, but we're uh we'd like to we'd like to stick with them for at least another year.

Well, we have a bid here. Um, so I would move that we uh renew for another year start date of 8326 through82 of27 uh with power DMS by NEOGV. The amount of that would be $3,533.17 annual.

Second. We have a motion and a second to approve the contract with Power DMS to renew and that is in the amount of $3,533.17. Is there any further discussion? All those in favor say I. I. Motion carries. I take you want my signature on it. Okay. Yes, sir. Then what what's up next on your

uh WSI

WSI Technologies they um they provide our voice and our voice recorder for radio and uh phone calls. They also we have a screen capture thing through them as well. This we they replaced our server. they they paid for our server. Um, and this is just an additional yearly uh cost of $1,000 a year to um they will because they purchased it. It they will m they are going to maintain it. We just pay them $1,000 a year for the next three years under this contract for that for updates and things like that. And um Bernie is aware aware of this and he he's in favor of this.

I make a motion that we approve the uh ex enhanced services agreement uh monthly update patching to the HP server with WSI Technologies in the amount of $1,080 per year for a three-year contract. Second. We have a motion, a second on the floor to approve the service agreement for WSI Technologies uh in the amount of $1,000. $1,80. Okay. I did the same thing. Okay. $1,080. There any f further discussion? All those in favor say I. I. I.

Motion carries. Motor roll or a crosswalk that you have up next. That's all we've got. Yeah, we have power DM. We didn't receive anything else. The crosswalk was a lot of pages and it had all signatures for you. I said John do okay. Um that should have been changed. But so that was the crosswalk one was the uh one that we had talked about. The nurse line sends the calls elsewhere. That was in your email. It said it was pre charge. I think we talked about it in a prior meeting and

they all approved it and everything. So, um, let me get the Yeah, signature page. So, we have two more things. Motorola and the crosswalk. The the cross I thought we more or less approved that, didn't we? You did. It just needs to be sign. I didn't realize it just needs to be signed. I didn't realize that the signature page was wrong. I don't know if we can Can we change that before the end of the meeting or a lot of pages with my name on it? Okay, I'll have them change that then. I'll have Is it okay to allow me to sign? Thank you. That's exactly what I was going to ask.

Make a motion for Commissioner President Gary McDaniel to sign the edited crosswalk signature page when second. Have a motion and a second on the floor to allow myself Gary McDaniel, president of the council to sign when we get the paperwork uh to approve cross work crosswalk. All in favor? I I motion carries. Are we able to Are we doing the Motorola one today? Because I thought I saw a Motorola in your your email. So

it's there. Yeah, it's there. So th this one is our um annual service contract with Motorola for our dispatch consoles and all the equipment and the all the radio equipment. Um so you think by 2031 these consoles will be by they already put an end of life on them. Yeah. Wow. Yeah. And and so if Yeah. And I we've had them 10 years now. So it's time. Yeah. It's it'll be that Well, yeah. I think man technology will have you know

well yeah and this this product is actually completely being being um it it will no longer exist. I'm not even sure if they're selling it anymore. But the the problem that we have is if you know I I'm trying to 2032 or at least 2031 for other reasons that I think I mentioned in the email but um you know there and so we've had some back and forth with that and we they feel that that's going to be acceptable to add just one more at least one more year to the end of that instead of you know we I want to get my money out of this thing. No. And how how much?

So that that's a yearby year. So the first year for Motorola is um it's a half year. Our current one will expire in on June 1st. And so the first year is 36,438 and then the numbers obviously for the full year for 2027 it'll be 6565 651. Uh 2028 will be 68440. 2029 7146 and then uh 2030 be 74516. And we pay that yearbyear out of our 5610

uh 516 516 sorry. Um we pay for that yearbyear out of our out of our lit fund. I make a motion that we approve uh the contract with Motorola Solutions for the next several years in the amounts not to not to exceed 2026 in the amount of $36,438. 2027 65,651 2028 68,840 2029 71,46 and 203074,516

one minor correction I'm sorry and I probably doubled it. Um 2028 corrected to 68,440 and I think I double aed you on that one. No, I just couldn't read my own writing. I had it as 44. Oh, so I mean uh second. We have a motion second on the uh floor to approve the Motorola uh continued service contract. And uh we've already said the numbers multiple times. So uh we'll skip that. All those in favor say I. I. I. Motion carries. So, and and and we need a motion for we got signature on this. So, yeah.

Okay. Um and one one last the last shout out because I didn't mention their names, but the two that are running our telecommunicator week as long as well as everybody else that pitches in are um Kelsey Kelly and uh Kirsten Nent and they have done a great job and just really just doing this well and that we love our team. So, that is for that is definitely for certain. But again, thank you for the support that you provide us. It's it really is appreciated. So, thank you. Thanks, John. Thank you,

Ashton Bennett. You were anticipating that, weren't you paying attention?

I was paying attention, of course. Good morning. Um I'm Ashton Bennett, the Vernon Township public library director. Um I'm here today because we have two of our um commissioner appointments are coming due. They're ex they expire on May 31st of this year. Um just as a refresher, our board is made up of three appointments from the um Mount Vernon School Board and then two appointments from the county commissioners and then you guys have our two appointments. Um so usually we they're they're yearbyear. So this year our appointments are up with you guys. Um, so in your packet you should have um two letters. Um, both of our current appointments that you appointed in 2022. Um, have been wonderful advocates for the library. Um, super supportive of the things that we're doing as we're moving forward, helping us work through um, all the impacts of Senate Bill One. Um, staying apprised of all the things happening at the legislature as well. So um, the first one that you have is for Katherine Witzmann. She is um, currently serves as our bonded treasurer on the board. She signs all of our checks. her background is in um financials and insurance administration. So, she provides a lot of guidance um in both of those avenues. And then the other appointment you have is for Rebecca uh Becky Haiday um who also serves as our current secretary and um has been an advocate supportive of the library as well. Her background is in um K- through2 education and often provides a lot of insight into um how we can work with schools and and support um the youth in our communities. So, um, if there's anything specific that you would like, this is the first time I've come to you, um, for appointments. So, I came prepared with the letters, but if there's any other information that you would like, I would be happy to share.

We've got the letters right here. Yep. Um, I make a motion that we approve for an additional four-year term to the Vernon Township Public Library Board. Katherine Witzman, WIT Ts, M-N, and Rebecca Becky Hideay, Hi D A Y with their terms beginning uh January 1 of 2027. Correct. 2026. on your on your papers you have it 31st day of May 2026 to the 31st day of May of 2030 are those yes there'll be a four-year appointment so it's okay but it starts in May it starts in May sorry their expiration I guess would be May 31st so starts June

starts June one June one they could technically still serve yes in May 1st uh we have a motion floor second to appoint H Highdeay and Katherine Witzmann to another four-year term for the Vernon Township uh library. Uh and all those in favor say I. I. I. Motion carries. Thank you so much. I appreciate it.

Thank you. right here. Got that. But no, that's your not that's your notary stuff. Okay. So, okay. I'll take care of that. I look like too. So, my Can we get a copy of it fully executed? Thank you. Uh, prosecutor Eaton. May not need to hear from Mark today then.

Mark is in the audience. Yes. Real quick. I'm like, we were told you weren't going to be here and I'm like, lo and behold, there's Mark Workham in the back. Did we get our contract all? So, there's two items. Uh, 4.02 2. Want to make sure we addressed your issues. Yes. There. And then we added 4.03. All that is is to so we can bill prior to for the meetings and maps we're currently creating before the contract got signed. That's all that changes is. So I don't know if that's adequate for your needs. What? When you're saying bill prior to the meeting,

so doesn't change the amount, but the way the contract our contract was is that we weren't able to bill for work prior to contract being signed. That's all that it all that is. So that was the reason the legal beagles wanted to get involved. So sure, they got to make our money, too. All it was. So that's the only changes we had. So if you're good with it, our people have signed the contract already. Um, so I don't know if Okay. one signature page.

Yall are okay with that. Yes, definitely save a couple of trees. Thank you. Thanks, Mark. Thanks, Mark. Yeah. I make a motion that we sign off on the contract with MS Consultants regarding our criminal justice center master plan um and the amount not to ex exceed uh whatever it was can't remember one something wasn't it 20,000

227 7,68 noted um with the changes in 4.2 and 4.3 approved by the board of commissioners. Second. We have a motion on the floor to approve the contract with MS Consultants and that is to map out the county farm and the uh buildings that we may want to put out there and that's in the amount of uh two two2 thou $227,68. Uh all those in favor say I. I post same sign. Motion carries.

Where does he need to sign this Mark? Are we the owner? owner. Uh, do you send them a signed copy back, Sarah? Okay.

What's this? My name will go there or what? Yes. Okay.

That wasn't the life. Got to say when I'm nervous. Oh, well, it's all good. It's all good. Do you need a copy of this to take back with you? I'll work it up. Okay. Okay. Thank you. Mhm. Thanks, Mark. All right. Sorry, Prosecutor Eden.

I had actually marked his name out before. All right. I've had worse things happen. Yeah.

Um, okay. Hey, we're here. Utility associates. I I know some of you were in the uh budget committee meeting. This was brought up at that time. We then were at the council meeting where this was approved 70. We're supposed to go back to the council May 13th. This in essence is software which will help us to be able to manage data. As all of you, I'm sure are aware, we have substantial volumes of data that come in from our law enforcement partners, from the jail, etc. I mean and and bottom line is it's far exceeds our ability to manage it. And so there's some digital tools, AI tools which will allow us to translate to transcribe which we currently do not have. Um it'll allow us to go through substantially more data in substantially more efficient ways than we are presently where we have to do everything kind of manually more or less by hand listening or whatever. Um that's what this is. I think it went out of the budget committee went to the council. They approved we're supposed to go back to the council on May 13th. Technically, this is going to go into Bernie's budget, but we're going to be agency which is going to utilize it because it's our stuff. Um, but it's tech stuff and Bernie met with the LEO's people and myself, I don't know, maybe back in February, and so we went all through this at that time. Um, anything I can do to help you?

Bernie already has it then in his budget? Yeah. What was that total amount? It was 70ome,000, wasn't it? for over the course of a 5-year contract. It's 147080 1470 080 over a 5-year contract and council it's got to go back to the council yet again. Yeah, they got to sign I think on May 13th is what we're saying. Okay. But they've approved the monies. They did at the last meeting. Yes. Was that at the budget meeting or the both? Well, the budget then we went to the checking all the boxes.

Okay. Can I ask a question? What they have to sign? Is that what you said? That's my belief. No, the council the council would have to sign for it. Well, it's a contract is why I'm asking it. We're the software. It's us. Okay. Well, I'll have to get you the I'll live with that, too. Everybody can sign. I'm happy with that, too. Sorry. I just want you have to come back again. Do do you want to make a motion allow me to sign it? Yeah. Okay. That way we can get it taken care of. Make a motion to allow Commissioner President Gary McDaniel to sign off on the provided utility Associates

contact or excuse me the utility group um contract in the amount of $147,000 as presented. Second. We have a motion second on the floor to allow myself, Gary McDaniel, president of the commissioners court, uh to sign off on the contract with utility Associates Incorporated and the amount of $147,080. Uh all those in favor say I. I. Motion carries. Thank you. Thank you. So we'll you can sign that at a later date. Yes. once it gets in front of Well, the thing he has changed the signatory page or something.

I thought it did and I thought it was the wrong date either way. So, it says order accepted by authorized official office. That would be the board of commissioners. So, it is on there. Good to go. Well, it it doesn't say board of commissioners, but we would would be the Yeah, we're the we're executive branch. That's right. So, I'm just on this.

I wonder I feel like it's the fifth time I've seen it. I know you guys have done it. do the trick. This also comes with the utility software subscription agreement. And have you read through that, Brent? It's a subscription software agreement. Yeah, that's what that's what this that's what you're we're signing on here, right? Oh, it's got page two. Hey, there's a quote and then there's a Okay, there we go.

Sign the quote. That's the agreement. Good there. Sheriff Burkard waiting patiently.

I don't need sound. I don't think Good morning. Good morning, Nick. Morning. You may have hopefully a couple surplus vehicles. Yep. Great. I mean, you know, Sarah does a wonderful job. She's all over it. Send an email and things happen. The only mistakes it's made is when we make a mistake. So, uh,

do we do you need to talk about these two surplus? Um, not necessarily. I'm going to surplus those. Um, one's just old. We're going to get rid of it. We're going to auction. The other one's got a bad transmission. Um, well, actually, it had a good transmission, but I had one with a bad transmission, so I swapped them. It was cheap cheaper to take one out of another one and put in another one than it was to buy one. So Mhm. And so now we're just going to auction off the older vehicle.

Well, I would make a motion that we um surplus the following vehicles. uh 2022 Tahoe K1500 Chevrolet with a VIN number ending in 2743 and a Chevrolet Tahoe C500 police 2012 with a uh VIN number the last four digits 9409.

Second. We have a motion on the floor to surplus two vehicles for the sheriff's office. Uh one uh Chevy Tahoe K1500 four-wheel drive model model year is 2022. Last for the uh uh VIN number is 42 oh you mean 2743 and another Tahoe C500 police vehicle 2012. Last uh four is 9409. All those in favor say I. I. Motion carries. Okay. These always confuse me. We don't want to confuse you. Yeah. Tell me about it.

Are you plugged in? Okay. I'm not yet. Okay. You're not confusing us. Sorry. Nope. Feel like it's not working. Yeah. Uh there. Um, I'm leave the date open. We have to leave the date open, don't we? I'm sorry. We leave the date open. Uh, yes. Okay. Auctions in a couple weeks.

Star Wars. All right. Position me president. All right. Yep. Do you need your name? Um Sarah, I'll take them. Yeah.

Yeah. then I'll get them. Um, real quickly, it wasn't on the agenda. It's something that came up here just recently. I would like to get with Scott um on a um amendment to an ordinance uh for our foreclosure fee administration. Um it's currently sits at 200. The uh state statute on that says it can be 300. And so I just want to get with him. Maybe we can do an amendment to that ordinance to change the ordinance from 200 to 300. How how long has it been?

This I don't know when this got I Susan had just brought it to my attention. I don't know when they actually the statute changed on it. Um and maybe at one time maybe it's always been 300 and then maybe the ordinance was you know put in here. The ordinance is 2009 ordinance and so I don't know when the statute changed that then I don't know when the actual statute changed some of some of the fee changes and I don't know this one but has statutoily been put in you can change it every 5 years so I just oh changed recently no this is as far as like an ordinance mean no any kind of fee that's associated with something like when you're trying to increase a fee for something

oh okay yeah I don't this hasn't been changed on my end for How long I've been here? At least eight years. And so, um, but I just going to have Scott look have Scott look at it.

Okay. So, lastly here, I just wanted to give you a demonstration of public safety for the future here. Um we have our first um drone first responder up and running um on Mount Comfort School and um it's been going well. And so I currently have um four dispatchers um that are that are um certified to fly when and we're working on a CAD integration right now. So when the uh calls come out, they'll be able to um you know, just automatically go from 911 CAD to to to um So basically what I did is I just sent it on a mission to fly to the interstate.

Wait. So it's in flight right now. Yeah. Just took I just did that. And it doesn't interfere with any rules from Nope. It's all we've went through all that through our CO through FFA all the regulations. It's at a so the flight height for a drone is maximum is 400. This flies at 200. Um like a video game. How fast does that thing move right now? This one runs 25 miles an hour. Um Oh, hell. It's already there. That's quick.

So then there's so there's a new one out um that Brink has designed. It run it runs 60 miles an hour. Um and hopefully somewhere down the road that will we'll start uh that process of maybe adding one of those in a different location. So our second one is due to go in at amplified building this summer. And so those two will intersect. So, there's a two- mile radius on both of these. And so, I told it to basically it's going to stop here in a second to go there.

Can that read license plates and everything, Sheriff? So, this is not a license plate rear. Now, it'll zoom in on the plate. Um, but so once I get to this area, I can I can spin it. I use my keyboard. I can turn it, um, I can I can zoom in. No comfort. No comfort. And 70.

Yeah. Take care a second. Get an alert if there's something else flying around. Yes. So, if you see over to the side over here, all the blue, those are actually all the flights that are in the sky right now um throughout Indianapolis in the area. And it'll stay away from all them, eh?

Yeah. And And it tells me if I click on one of them where where it's at, what its height is. Um, you have to have a special license to to be a So, there is a part 107 license for operator, but we also operate underneath what's called a KOA. And if you have a KOA, then as long as you have licensed pilots inside that KOA, um, monitor can't do it. So, I'm, you know, I'm pretty good. No, I'm a pretty good distance away. You know,

down track down people who have late tax payments, right? My own hit the brakes all the time. That is so neat. So there's Carvana. We fly a fly and we do training flights. So there's a CAD. So at the end that you know you can put in why you've flown, you know, whether it was a pursuit or training or whatever. And so they Yeah. Go ahead. Yes. up to the mic.

Was able to actually launch the sorry, one of the the deputies was able to launch the drone and actually gave us video footage and IR footage of the incident. We were about 20 minutes into it by the time the drone got there. We were able to add that as part of our investigation. So, it was it was we knew we had something flying overhead. We're going to figure out where it was at. Um, but we got some really good uh footage from that incident as well. So, it was something that benefited us from the fire side as well. So, just thought I'd throw that as a Does it download to you? Is it able? Are you able that?

So, it'll download the So, live ops, which is what you're in right now. It downloads to live ops. Um, I can share a link with him, but I just pulled it off and gave them on a flash drive. We don't want access. I don't want full access because if they're doing something, they don't want our officers watching the pursuit or something along those lines. But they're working on we talk about maybe getting access for uh runs that we're going to be involved with. So car crashes, house fires, things along those lines that our battalion have a few. Yeah, I think that's what I I would say just like if you're going to the structure fire, you want to be able to maybe link into that, see it live as well. No, no pursuit. fire related at night. Is it thermal?

Yeah, it's got thermal. So, we find somebody we can see people in the middle of the night and Yeah. And so, so right now I'm sitting on top of Carvana. Um, and I'm just ready to go home. I just hit home and it'll fly itself back like a homing pigeon. Big Brother in the sky. Yeah. Ask him. We each have one in our home. I've got one. I just had I hadn't been able to mess with it yet. But you can launch it. Um it actually it has a mile, which I mean can be a problem.

Distance from it. If it goes past that, then it'll automatically come back cuz you actually set your home position. It wouldn't do it any good. And if your battery goes down or something, your controller, it'll actually come back to that home position. And how many drones do we have in home stations where they go?

So, this is the first one. We have the second one going on amplified. Um I I don't know if I'll be around long enough to see it, but I'd like to see one go at fire station at Five West of 40 there. um with a bigger one that'll travel longer distance and they can take the Pinzy Trail, cover that a little bit up and down patrolling it. And so that would be my goal is to see that take place. Maybe we can get a box set on that toilet. I talked about this morning. We could probably we could probably put the station on top of it and land it. Have you have you used this for like any kind of big cases or what what's

um I was up the other night. I was happen to be sitting at my desk at home and had my radio on and state police had a pursuit. So I was able to get on it. They they terminated there at 3 north and six west. So um time I got on it, they were at the 93 mile marker and they run over 100 mph. So time I was able to get that one only goes 25. So they were up in they just got the car stopped after it crashed. Um so and so you can see up in the corner um where the box is. You'll see it come down, but then it'll you'll the camera will switch here in a second. Um and it'll show the station as it's landing. All right. Oh my. How big is that station?

Um it's about 6 foot by six foot long. about 4x4 actually when it's closed. How heavy is it? I know there was some carrying 300 lb. That's not The drone is 300 lb. That station station. Oh, okay.

So, what happens is it'll land, you'll see the camera switch here in a second and kind of go upwards. Um, so you can tell that it's closed properly.

It'll Yeah. And it'll the station will close. You can see it flying there. You can see the bottom of the camera how it's coming down. So that landed door will shut. You'll see that. There they go. Sweet. Very cool. It truly really is. I think you know the future of what PEP public safety will be with calls and services and you know I tell my guys it's like 20 years 25 I don't know it won't be this they'll be flying in them themselves.

Wow. You know going from call to call. I see it. They have them now where you can fly them yourself. Yeah. Um but I see that being the future of what it's going to be in someday. I mean, who' ever thought we'd be doing this? So, yeah, tell me about it. Yeah, I saw a social media meme set up to have that a drone and a police officer on the side of the road, you know, basically calling out

Yeah. Yeah. They do different things. Different ones will do different things. Um, this one actually you can, um, well, the newer version actually is better. Um, but it's got a dropping mechanism where you can how hey how you get out in the woods and you need an AED or you need first aid, you know, it'll the box itself or the station actually has those things already in it. And so you pick what you want. So if you need to if you need the first aid kit, it pulls it up, attaches it, and then you can take off with it. Um, this one is not that sophisticated. Um, it has to land here to charge. So it's charging um, as we speak. Um the new version it's actually got a battery changing system in it. So it'll actually la it'll like land change the battery and then relaunch you know right afterwards. But

does it know when it's batteries low or you have to tell it when it's battery? No. So it gets to a certain point it knows how far it flies and it knows how much battery life it'll take it to get it back. And so if you're flying and all of a sudden you know it's like oh battery low it'll flip and it'll fly back on its own. So how much air inside? I'm sorry. How much air time? This is about

25 minutes um of flight time. The newer one's I think 45 or some minutes more. It's it's longer. Um but it'll like said it travels it'll travel 8 miles out. So it's it's a it's a it's an ecosystem. Everything communicates well together and works together. um you know as John looks towards the future and what dispatch will be um you know I I mean I envision you know specific area station for just those drone pilots to fly these from call to call. So um we've had those conversations

and that would be I mean I know they want to get there quick at least that would get something there and they would know what to bring anyway. I mean, they typically dispatch everything. So, yeah. And we had one, there was a call on the interstate, I don't know, a few weeks ago or um one of the dispatchers, it was a piece of furniture in the interstate. And so, he was able to launch, fly it, see that the chair was actually off to the side. And so, what that what that enables is is not having to send that deputy. Yeah. He's seen it. It's off the runway. that deputy can stay in service and do something else and not have to go out there and check that tree or if he wanted to go remove it. He didn't have to travel a 100 miles an hour. Exactly. Yeah. It's right in the middle of the road there. He just

Yeah. So, I mean, you know, it's it'll it'll you being the first on the scene things. I mean, that'll be great. Um, you know, if if it's a hostile situation, that way they can get eyes on ahead of time. That way we know that maybe we don't need to send an officer in right the moment or maybe we don't want medics to go in, whatever it may be. um or what kind of apparatus do we need? Uh that we don't know until we get there. We'll see. I think when the interstate gets, you know, we have crashes on the interstate and all a sudden it gets blocked and you don't know how to get to where you're going and things like that. So, I think that'll help on this, too. So, um but I just think that as we progress through time, you know, we'll see we'll see more of this. Um what's nice about this this company here, it's it's USmade, made in Seattle. Uh the owner of the company is 26 years old. He's a genius. Um and he's actually graduated high school when he was 12.

Wow. Um most of the agencies out there that are actually have started programs earlier on are using DJI, which are all Chinese-made drones, and they no longer can utilize those. And so now they're going to have to figure out what to do with all their drones because you can't get parts, you can't get new ones. And so this is Americanmade so we won't have that problem. I seen that coming years ago. So I'm like I didn't want to go down that road with the expense of At least it's available. I mean that is good. Yeah. So we'll see a lot more of these throughout the country here soon. So are we looking at are we inside the hub right here?

He's in the station now. Okay. Yeah. It's sitting in the station sitting there charging and it's just ready to go whenever something happens. Um, you have a name for him. That's what's that? You have a name for him? Name for him. I don't know we've ever come up with a name. We were going to put something in CAD for that. Yeah, we were going to just call him just Roger drone. That way we could tell anybody anybody responding that the David David's in route and everybody will know who David is. Send it out. drones in not like Wall-E. Yeah. Like Deborah. Yeah. Yeah.

Thank you so much. Thank you. You might you might see this a couple of times more. I'm going to do one for the budget committee and then RDC. So all right. Thank you. Thank you for sharing. I make a motion that we approve claims and payroll. Second. Motion on the floor to approve claims and payroll. All in favor say I. I motion carries. Auditor business

just have a couple of things. Um in January um 2025 to be specific, you had um made a motion to pay $58,500 for the Maxwell kind of sewer project to Ninstar. How much? 58,500. Um, the council had approved 20,250, but in your motion, you did not say where you wanted that paid from. So, the one bill is in that we're trying to figure out where you want it paid from.

I want to say now that I look at it, for some reason, I remembered food and beverage the reimbursement out of the bond with the POS with the bond that would come along with that study. But I'm not for sure. Um I do not recall any. Are you talking about your 2026 bond? No, it' be the 2025 or 2023 or something like that. The uh Maxwell, we don't have any money there, do we? Well, I don't recall you having anything in the sewer program on those bonds. Well, if it if if it was bonded, it would it would be paid for out of a bond. Until then, it would be paper out of food and beverage.

Do you remember if council made a motion? Well, I will if there was additional if there was additional monies that it would cost us, I think we would probably request it. What other line we would take it out of? if we took our like contractual line council asking for more money more money. Well, I I I couldn't I couldn't remember what your thought process was on that and so I did reach out to Gary P. I thought is this coming from tiff money? Is it you know is RDC? So, and he didn't remember that either. Never thought about that either. So, that remains to be seen.

Okay. So, we can just um I'll check with council, double check on that and then um let them know that we're still working on that. Okay. So, then the other thing that I had is the proposal uh for the commissioners and council for the budget consulting and sustainability. And I know that there was a question that I was going to ask on this and I can't remember. You mean we didn't want Greg to stay here to tell him we weren't going to help? Yeah. No. No. I just So, we just need to make sure that we you're okay on paying this and you want to continue this contract with them, I guess.

I I don't see any reason why. I mean, we're going to need that financial advisor in our corner through this whole Yep. And since he's been there all along, I mean, you wouldn't switch now. He knows our history. Does this need a signature? Yeah, it's gonna And it's like an agreement contract. So, I would make a motion that we um accept a proposal to the commissioners and council for budget consulting and sustainability from Financial Solutions Group, Inc. Um, not to exceed $42,000 on that. Not to exceed $42,000.

Second. There's a motion second on the floor to approve the consulting uh agreement with FS FSG uh consulting uh Inc. Financial Solutions Group Incorporated. Uh all those and it's for $42,000. Uh all those in favor say I. I. Motion carries.

I think that's all I have unless there's anything else that I needed to remind you guys of. Uh, we have a ratification on the interpreter services agreement for the probation department. Mhm. And looks like it's already been signed off on. I did review that. It was good. It's good to go. Now, is that is that I signed off off? Yeah. Okay. They had already signed off. They had to get it get it in to where they could get it started. Okay. And we we had actually made a motion for that if I'm not mistaken. Okay. So, we just have to ratify it here in the the meeting.

Okay. So, be it ratified. It's ratified. I I have an auditor potential thing and it kind of comes with this whole ADA thing we've been discussing for the last several days that uh Dusty Wicker brought to us today and said that timeline has been extended. Yes,

while it has been extended, if you go back and look at the AIC video uh with David Bot and the head of Indiana's IoT, they said you're still at risk right now just as well as you would be if you enforce this. And I think we really need to identify somebody as a contact person and probably put some kind of disclaimer on our website about how for someone to get hold of a person if if they have a vision issue and they want to see the documents on our computer until we get our end figured out. I think it would help to show that we're in good faith working towards trying to, you know, get this project in place. I think don't we have an ADA coordinator in Ryland Hartley and and then also are you doing anything with ADA

and Shidler is handling titles handling title six but we were speaking this morning that perhaps that should title six should go to HR may may want to be a part of this because in my belief ADA and title six

got to be going to all those training things and have an understanding and we're not we're not doing that. Got to just be immersed. So I don't know if that's an HR function. I don't know if it was ever an HR function, you know, where from when she came. But I think it played a part because where we lost some traction with it was Kelly Ellard was doing some of those things. I think Misty Moore was some of those things and we just kind of got lost in that. But I I think we need to identify somebody that can at least be called on a day-to-day basis. And I don't think you're going to be overwhelmed by calls, but just if someone has a need out there, you know, an ADA need, they can't hear a meeting or they need a a different size of a a document that we can't provide that they have the ability to reach that. So, they're not calling to file any kind of claim for us not doing So, who do we want to put in charge of that?

Well, that's the question. I think that you identify that person and then you have the SOPs and everything in place that directs it how to upload all of it and it just might need to start with a little bit of a group. Well, and then get it done right. I think you know the the other part of that discussion goes to there's a consultant group that takes care of those things because I know just looking at the video yesterday that said there are some issues with PDFs that is probably out of our wheelhouse for you know handling to get those documents ready. Have you handled a lot of this stuff in your past life?

Um parts and pieces. We were actually reviewing it to try to determine who should be doing what because my job description says one thing, the website says another thing. Yeah. And so on. So Dusty and I were previously working together to try to sort that out and figure out who should be doing what. I need to reach out to Ryan Hartley and see also what he's prepared to do because I imagine his job at the highway is a little more involved. Right. But if the four of you, Ann, yourself, Dusty, and Ryan could all meet and maybe then report back to us so that we know how to proceed.

Yeah, absolutely. We can get that arranged. Yeah. Because I I believe some of the things that happen at highway are really just ADA compliant and DOT. Yeah. Does it really, you know, involve everybody else? And again, I'm back on that. We want to have somebody who's going, you know, to the trainings and understanding, you know, ADA compliance, title six. And I have been through some because part of my function uh before was to help determine in the interactive process what ADA accommodations could be provided for people and other things along those lines. So, I have been in some of those trainings. I can definitely I know where to get them from. Okay. So, fantastic. So, at least we have a plan. Great.

Perfect. And Dusty, was that a year from today then that they So, we don't have to worry about this until April 24th of 207. April 26. Okay. Thanks for keeping us up on that. Thank you. Um, we have the

Etica contract here. Um, I make a motion that we approve the Etekica contract which will um will provide the scope of service and fees proposed for the windows and door replacement at the Hancock County Courthouse in an amount not to exceed 1,633,300.

Second. Okay, we have a motion, a second on the floor to approve the uh Etekica contract in replacing the C the courthouse windows and doors. And just where it's stated here, it they will rebuild doors that they can rebuild and if they can't, then they will replace them. So, uh all those in favor say I. I.

Motion carries. And that was in the amount of uh where did I write that? One million one million over here 1 million633. Hang on. 1,633,300. Excellent. And that's to be paid from uh that's the 2026 bond. And we're going to approach uh council already knows that we're going to go ahead and start paying for that. So, and early because they've got a a clause that we can borrow from that. Borrowed from where? Probably food and beverage. Food and beverage probably.

And I think the early construction on that helps us to get around the uh days celebrationally days. Yeah. writing a novel over there. Well, that I'm don't have a That's the other company. Yeah.

Okay. They don't have a date here. I'm going to go ahead and date it. All right. uh the cemetery maintenance that's being done by Buck Creek. Uh she what she's going to do, she's going to go ahead and take care of it, but she she will when it comes time, it's like $150 a mole. At the end of this year, she will bill for it. And if we'll have to get the council to approve it, which they will, but at the same time it that's how she's going to do it. And that way she only sends one bill. Okay.

Okay. And

got some travel, out of state travel. We have um for behavioral health court, we have permission to travel out of state uh for Judge DJ Davis, Tabitha Davis, and Katherine Sullivan. Um to the Allrise Judicial Conference, and I think they've attended this every year. So uh the amounts include on um lodging for uh judge Davis,85 mileage 42113 and meals 390 conference fees are $860. Then we also have uh lodging $868, mileage $42113, meals 325, and conference fees 960 for Tabitha. And for Catherine, we have lodging of 8.68, airfare 36 386.80, uh meals 325, conference fees 960.

Second. We have a motion in floor to approve out of state travel for Judge Davis, Tabitha Davis, and Katherine Sullivan. They're to the Allrise Jud Judicial Conference uh 8 from uh 18th to the 23rd as presented. All those in favor say I. I. Motion carries. This So we have next we have an affidavit for construction fund reimbursement um with Hancock Redevelopment Authority and this is for Amplify dispersement number 24 in the amount amount of I just saw that here 122,42242.

Second. We have a motion on second on the floor to approve amplify dispersement item uh number 24 in the amount of $12,422. All those in favor say I. I. Motion carries and the project is still on time and and under budget. Yeah,

they made sure they told us that. Uh, all of us need to sign this or I think so. Okay. And lines for it. So, okay. And the way it looks, there is no other business to come before the commissioners. Do do either one of you guys have anything to add? Did we ratify the probation agreement? Yes. The the interpreter. Yes. I don't think I have anything at all. Janine, I have nothing at this. Do we have anybody from the audience that would like to say anything?

Only one thing left to do. Motion to adjurnn. Second. Motion on for adjourn. All those in favor say I. I. So be it.