Area Plan Apc / Bza - Regular Meeting

Welcome to the April 6, 2026 six commissioners meeting. There are title six forms in the back corner by the door if you would like to fill one of those out and return it to the auditor's office. Patty, if you'd like to uh lead us in the pledge of allegiance. I al 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. And if you can remain standing, Brian, will you just lead us in prayer?

Heavenly Father, we come before you this evening. We just thank you for this Easter season. Thank you for the resurrected Christ. And we ask you to uh watch over us. We ask you ask you to watch over our county, our leaders that we make great decisions that will move us forward in the future. In your name we pray. Amen. Amen.

We do have a rather lengthy agenda tonight. If you were towards the top and at some point you need to leave, feel free. Uh nobody's going to be offended uh if your topic has already uh been taken care of. All right, so let's go ahead and jump right in. Uh looking first at the meeting minutes from the March 16th meeting. Any corrections? Yes, there is a on the second page under the J-Rock opioid funds, it's the ARCs mortgage. That should be the ARK instead of the ARC. Gotcha. Thanks, Bill.

I did not see anything else. Okay. I'd entertain a motion to approve. So move. All those in favor say I. I. Those opposed. Motion carries. Moving on to claims. I didn't see anything out of the ordinary. I would make a motion to accept claims. I'll second. All those in favor say I. I. Those opposed. Motion carries. Looking at the payroll for March 27th, 2026 in the amount of $427,881.74. Any questions? I do not. I'd make a motion to approve payroll.

I'll second that. All those in favor say I. I. Those opposed? Motion carries. All right. Up first is the highway department, Tim Orman. There he is. Ladies and gentlemen, hi Tim. Tim, I don't know what order we want to go here in um if we want to go ahead and do the bridge report and if they want to leave they can. Sounds great. That's that's good. John John square.

No, not getting in. Okay. Thank you, John.

So, I'm John John Sanio with United Consulting. Um, John's handing out a form here that I'll kind of reference during the presentation, but quick. I know you guys have a lot going on. Uh, United Consulting is under contract to provide bridge inspection services for the county. Uh, our contract covers a 4-year period which started in April 2025. These bridge inspections are required by Federal Highway Administration every two years for any county bridge uh not owned by INDOT that has a span length 20 feet or greater. These inspection keep the client uh the county in compliance with federal standards and then the county's eligible for reimbursement uh for 80% of the contract. So Decar County is in full compliance with federal highway which is great. This morning I'm present or excuse me evening I guess I'm presenting the uh findings from the second phase of inspections which was completed in 2025. Um the report over there was also on your flash drive is much easier to to go through uh contains several summary reports that are useful to the county and understanding the condition of your bridges including an updated bridge asset management plan for planning for the future. Um each of the 182 bridges in your inventory contains detailed findings which you can find in that report. Um, like I said, the flash drive contains a digital copy of the report and it's interactive where you can just click on the map, click on a bridge, and it makes it really easy to go through. Um, the summary sheet I've shown you kind of gives information on the Decar County bridges. Um, the front page shows kind of the top five bridges we recommend for replacement as well as the top five bridges we currently recommend for rehabilitation. On the back side of the summary sheet, you can find Decator County compares to statewide averages. The average age of the bridges in Decar County is approximately 54 years old as Decar County has a larger number of older bridges that were all built at the same time. Um, and they currently have 78

bridges that are over 50 years old. Depending on structure type, volume of traffic, the anticipated service life of a bridge is typically 50 to 75 years. So many of the county's older bridges that were built around the same time in the early 1900s are approaching the anticipated end of their life somewhere in the next 20 years or so. Um the priority schedule in the report shows our estimate of bridges that we recommend replacing or rehabilitating in the near future as as well as an estimate of costs. So we work with Todd and Tim and the highway department to prioritize those bridges by condition, traffic, geometrics, um and uh load capacity. There are currently 12 bridges we recommend for replacement uh with an estimated $16.7 million in 2026 construction costs. There are nine bridges recommended for rehabilitation with an estimated $6.5 million in 2026 construction costs. Uh in addition to bridge replacement rehabilitation, we'd recommend the county continue to prioritize funding of maintenance and repairs in order to get the most life out of these older bridges. Uh Decar County has done a excellent job maintaining their oldest bridges and are just knocking out all of the recommendations we're making on maintenance. So they're doing a great job keeping up. Um they've performed maintenance on approximately a hundred bridges this year, which is pretty impressive. Major work includes concrete patching, crack epoxy injections, installing rip wrap, adding waterproof membranes on top of beams to protect them. So a lot of steps that will elongate the lives of these bridges. The result of this bridge maintenance is that these older bridges are able to maintain a lifespan as long as feasible. They only have nine bridges that have a load posting restriction, which is 5% of their bridge inventory. Average in Indiana is 13%. So, ahead of the curve there. Um, so that's kind of all I got on the bridge inventory. It's been a pleasure working with Decar County these past few years. Our goal is to just be an extension highway department. So, um, thank you for having us on these bridges.

Very good. Thank you. That's good information. Yeah. Any questions at all? I was, you know, when I first took this job, I I wondered about why are we doing our bridges? Why why aren't we, you know, contracting that out and and I've got the same qu answer that it's doing them in house? We can control that. We And I've always heard uh the highway department does a great job on our bridges. So, and you're you're telling me the same thing.

Yeah, that's correct. I mean, Decatur does a lot more in-house than a typical county does, which is pretty impressive from what we've seen. the on the the back of theformational sheet that you have here has average daily traffic. What exactly is that taking into account? Because 434 for Decar County is that's all the bridges in the county number of cars on those per day. So 434 per bridge on average. Obviously some of your major bridges see a lot more. Some of your rural bridges see a lot less, but yeah, that'd be the average traffic on a bridge. Very good. Right. Thank you.

Thank you, John. Appreciate you guys.

Thank you, gentlemen. So, we did send out for bids for striping at 200 West. So, they were due in tonight. We did through an RFP process because it met the threshold. So, we did submit out four. I don't know how many we got received back in. We got three back in. Okay. So, um we got that. Um our recommendation that be just taking our acceptance not I mean adisement is what we'll do. So, do you have those Christie? They're right there. This packet right here. Okay. Very good.

All right. So, we have bids from lawyer excavating. That's the one that I'm opening now.

L A W Y E R. Looks like their total is $13,6126 for the striping. And then Indiana sign and barricade. Their total is $58,4020. We'll take those uh look through the bid packets and see

three have two. Yep. Uh so we'll take those look through the bid packets make sure that each one of them um abided by everything in the RFP and uh we'll make a decision at the next commissioner's meeting on April 20th. That one will be at 8 a.m. that meeting. All right.

So, as far as accepting the other bids we had taken under advisement, so the chip and seal furniture apply which was contingent on home funding. The council has approved the funding. So, we recommend to go ahead and award that to SC materials. 2026 HMA overlay wedging, we recommend award that Dave Womera. The 2026 HMA patching bridge resurfacing skip paving, we recommend award that to Globe. The fuel, the car county fuel and letter, we recommend awarding that to Premier A. Um, as far as the annual materials, we request you accept all for the aggregate, the bumis, and the drainage structures. And we recommend you award asphalt materials for the asphalt emulsion. those individually.

Yes, we are. All right. Starting first then with the chip and sealed furnished and applied. This was not CCMG. You guys have a motion? I'll make a motion then. Um, my motion will be that we award it to SC materials. I'll second that. All those in favor say I. I.

Those opposed. Motion carries. Looking at the uh annual HMA overlay uh and wedging, omera was low bid, low bid at $82 for the overlay and 92 for the wedging. I will make a motion to award Dave Mayor the bid. Okay, I'll second that motion. All those in favor say I.

I. Those opposed? Motion carries. All right. Looking at the HMA patching, bridge resurfacing, skip paving, wedge, and leveling. Um, yeah, I went through those as well. That's I would make a motion to award globe for the 2026 HMA patching bridge resurfacing skip paging. Skip paving wedging level. I'll second that. All those in favor say I. I. I. And those opposed. Motion carries. Then looking at the fuel bids,

Premiere was at for the net price was cheaper across the board than Keystone on I think every single uh bid fuel. I'll make a motion that we award Premier A the fuel bill or the fuel bid. Second. All those in favor say I. I. Those opposed? Motion carries. All right. Um for all of the the stone, so the gravel, limestone, and sand, um I'd make a motion that we accept all bids. Second. All those in favor say I. I.

Those opposed. Motion carries. And Tim, I can never pronounce this. What is it? M yeah, there you go. That one. Um the recommendation from the highway department is that we accept all bids uh there as well. So I'll make that motion. Second. All those in favor say I. I. Those opposed. Motion carries. Uh for all of the culverts with the drainage structures, um I'd make a motion that we accept all bids. Second. All those in favor say I. I.

I. Those opposed? Motion carries. And then for the u the emotion, let me pull that No, I I must have missed that one. It is It is cheaper than I know they are, but I just wanted to double check it. Yeah,

I looked at it yesterday. Okay. All right. I'll make a motion that we award it to Asphalt Materials for the emulsion. I'll second that. All those in favor say I. I. Those opposed. Motion carries. Okay. All right. I think that is all of the highway bids. Is that correct, Tim? Yes. Okay. All right. Moving on then under topics there for you, Tim. uh the county highway or the county map update.

Yes. So the county map so we did maps uh approximately 10 years ago had maps printed and stuff. We were contacted by the company's done it the last few times. Their ctographer one actually does the mapping graphics all that is basically going out of business. Okay. He is going to go ahead and do one final last run if anybody wants this done. So we don't have to redo all the artwork and everything. If we redo the artwork, the whole thing, it cost about $30,000 is where it cost. Um, so right now, and they went ahead and gave us a quote. If we go ahead and do this, you only think about it, it's got to be by May in order to meet the deadline for that company going out, right? So, um, last time, the last couple times we've done it, we paid for it out of the platbook maintenance fund is what we paid for, which that money is generated a statutory fund. It's generated through fees is what it is. So basically right now in the balance we have 34,000 in there is what we have in there. 2025 expenditures out of that fund was 13,000. 2025 receipts is about 17,000. Okay. So depend on how many maps we would do. Uh he he gave a breakdown in there of the maps. So let me get to it just so I quoted up to 500 maps is $8.65,000 maps is 464. We did 1500 mass be 337. Them masks would be redone with the new corporate limits. The new roads have been asphold. Totally updated. So

small foldable. Yes. The the normal standard masks we hand out in the county offices. That's what they are. That's what they are. Okay. Like the paper ones. Yes. The ones that are multiple. Do they have advertising and all that on them or is it just No, it was just information is what it was I think on the last one. Do we So I know you said new corporate limits. Has really enough changed with the roads? I mean the roads just be basically what the gravel went black top. So right now we're going to be looking at 20 some miles roads probably something like what we change. Uh one mile one road got extended. Um may have been one road built since then. I don't know. I'd have to look. So yeah, we need more maps. Huh? Do we need more maps?

I don't know if we actually need more maps. I don't know where we're at on inventory. I know we got a box. We probably got a hund of them at the highway department yet right now. I don't know what the air officers have visitors. There she is hiding in the back. Maps. Do you hand out maps a lot? I mean, is that Yeah, that Indiana map. Yeah.

I mean I what I'm getting at is is most people use Google maps. They use their phone. They don't use a paper map. I mean I I don't even know if it's necessary if it if there minimal amount of changes with roads going from pave to gravel. Um minimal amount that the corporate limits the biggest changes. And I'm not even sure if you know you can look on Beacon to figure out where your corporate limits are. Um I'm I'm not even sure we need more maps. Yeah. I don't I don't see that as a I you know I I think it's like I agree. I think they're usually reference. Yeah.

Yeah. I'm I'm in the same I'm in the same Oh, CS position. I I think we that one Yeah, Tim. And let's run out of inventory. And yeah, we just we have to let him know if we're going to basically do or not. Yeah, I I think we just Yep. I think that's a no for now. Yeah. Okay. Um, next topic or do you want to jump into 400 West? 400 to go.

So, Cyro 400 West basically runs between Bay Road and Northwest 240. It's been looked at a number of time over the years and the thing with that road is both intersection on both ends very tight radiuses and it has a double 90 in it that's very tight in there with a drainage cover in it. So we've looked at different projects. The thing about it didn't make no sense to do one radius one intersection and trucks get halfway down and get stuck and can't make it through the rest of the roads. Basically it's an all or nothing project is what it was. So we've been looking at it a few times over different years. Since then some of the ground some of the properties change hands. Okay. So we picked it back up and looked at the project. So the project we were proposing be widen the intersection on both ends, redo the double 90s, widen the road out 20 foot wide. Uh which basically is it's two 10 foot travel lanes which basically follows the IND dot standard is basically what it is.

What is it now currently? Probably about 15 16 probably about 15 16 something like that I guess is where we're at.

So looked at doing that. Uh there is one place in there that frequently floods. It's a concrete box coverver. So we looked at replacing that. In replacing that, instead of cutting a big large waterway, we're actually going to raise the road up in that section to get the cover requirements we need for the culverts. So we don't have to cut a great big drainage ditch a long ways or anything. So anyway, we did that. There was some propert had a couple concerns, had some questions and everything. So they was asked to bring in front of the commissioners to discuss this is what it boils down to. So that that's what we're here not for to discuss this project going forward whatever. What is your proposal with the curves?

So the proposal with curves basically widen the curves out. Uh we will actually move the creek channel. I call it a creek channel. It's a ditch. It's probably six foot deep, seven foot deep away from the edge of the road. So that way there's some shoulder and stuff and buffer there. So be widening that put a drainage structure in a pipe corrugated pipe at that at that location. So the north intersection be widen it out two drainage pipes they're smaller pipes 24 30 inches wide road double 90s like I said the culvert pipe the drainage where it frequently flows be road the other end southbase road actually has a couple concrete I call them fence impost structures you know what I mean they would actually get removed there take them traffic hazards out redo the drainage there and widen that out so basically large farm equipment semis could transverse that road it'd be highway way standard would be what we look at doing.

And when's the when are you proposing uh if we approve it that you'd be doing the work? It'll be this year. It's actually in the budget with as new asphalt this year. It's in the budget. You're looking at somewhere between like two to two and a half feet on each side of the road to widen it. Okay.

And is that within the easements that we have in place now? May it be within the Yeah, the road rideway exemption. Yes. And the place would be outside of that we would get additional rideway. I mean talk to landers like the pipes and that type of stuff. Rerouting is that at the curves that the double 90s? Yeah. Yes. So the the channels usually right on the north side of it. So yeah, we'd actually be moving that away from there. So it's got some buffer if car gets off. They just don't wind up in that ditch.

Does this kind of follow along with some of the other upgrades you've made throughout the county? Yeah, it falls right. It follows our our standard spec. Um, yeah, it's that's what it's designed to. I know you guys have had some efforts, you know, to try to improve, you know, the sizing of the road. Yes. And I mean, the end dot standard design for this road, I include them in there. The minimum standards is 10 foot travel lanes, two foot shoulders for ADT up to like 400. I mean, all the way down to 50. That's where we're at. Local road. So, we're basically on the minimum design standards for county road recommended for INDOT. So, standard guidelines. So the the road surface is two to two and a half feet on each side and then there's going to be a stone shoulder.

Yes. Two foot shoulder would be the minimum on it. Yes. Is there currently a shoulder that goes down 400 on both sides or is it a situation where there used to be and grass is growing in that? I'd say that's where it is. A lot of it's just narrow. Yes. It's a little bit of everything. That was a gravel road. I I don't know when they did it. I think 2012 yet I know it was when I looked at the culver inventory was still gravel. Okay. So it been wrapped and stuff since then. It just wasn't white. It would got added to the asphalt. And what would be would you resurface the entire road then? Yes. And what

the HMA hot mix asphalt is what's in the budget I think we have some of the homeowners on 400 here. Does anyone want to

speak? Yes, ma'am. What kind of studies have been done to determine the risk involved to citizens on the road and how much travel home.

I guess the big part of the biggest thing is connectivity of traffic. So semi-truck traffic, large farm equipment, but as far as the actual study, we're just going by what IND do standard design standards are is what we're going by. So that's where we came up with that. And it's by traffic volume also. Okay. So even so even on that road even to 50 vehicles is the lowest criteria they make. Okay. I mean that's as far down as it goes is 50 vehicles a day and it's still 10 foot travel lanes. Two foot shoulders. No, that's what I'm saying. Even below that that's the lowest design that I end even designs. Two foot standard you're saying. Yeah. That's the that's the smallest lowest down it goes

to determine how much it's used to. So if you if you have a road what you're saying there is if there's one vehicle or there's 49 vehicles that is still the standards recommended. Yes. Okay. Has there been traffic study traffic? Why? Why now? I don't believe there's been a traffic count. I mean we can do traffic counts. Wasn't a farmer. I mean we can do traffic counts. I mean we can do that. We do them right now. But but you know I don't understand the necessity for spending this type of money which I haven't heard about yet. No, not yet.

Um when you know it's I'm asking about like is there is there a risk to people driving down the road and you know again what do you mean by risk? Like what what risk? Yeah, I mean has there been a bunch of accidents basically? Oh has there been issues that have led to

right? Is there a reason update? I could see if there if you're having so many accidents a year that but if we have a farmer just complaining about getting equipment down the road when they've been doing this I it sacrifices the quality of life for the three homeowners on this road that if you then increase the standard to highway standards you're going to have people going too fast down that road that um my grandchildren are on and the pets um farm animals for what reason? Because one person that doesn't even live on the road wants it wider. I'm just trying to understand the reason for more than that.

And just be clear, just not highway stand. It's just for the is what the That's exactly what I was looking at was to see what the table is called. Is that the specifications for the county roads? So the the minimum is that. So, anytime like we alter a road now um or go back to even potentially pave it, right, we we look at does it make sense now? Well, not doesn't make sense, we have to change it to meet the the new specs. So, there's been a lot of of projects in the county that have widened corners. Um just because, you know, they're built narrow. Um and so some of this and it's for that reason, right? You come up to it, there's somebody coming around even if they have a wide trailer, you know, it makes it really hard to if they're they're at 9 ft and you're at

doing it for 30 years. It's only one farmer complaining how to drape on the farm down that road. If there needs to be a solution, what's the minimum viable product that you can do? I mean, do we have to widening the road is the biggest issue? Why if he's concerned about making corners, why can't we only address the corners? But I I think as Gabe is saying is that if we're going to work on the road, we have a minimum width that we have to go to 20T. I mean, we were originally told that commissioners were able to vote to not go to 20 ft. That's what we were originally told in our

So, there there is provision allows them to do it. I think it's based on it's based on a few different criteria. Yes.

But as a commissioner, if we're going to to work on a road, I would want that road done at a minimum standard of 20 feet wide so we don't have to go back in 10, 15, 20 years and then widen it again. And I see it as a as a risk too. And I I want to obviously get your opinions. I mean, I see it as a risk if you know if the road is only 15 feet wide and and there is an implement coming down the road for for anybody else who's trafficking on that road and happens to have to pass that person at that time, there is no room to pass. So, it's not been an issue. I kind of goes back to my question. Has there been any problems in the past?

Is there anybody else? And like I said, this thing this has been this didn't just come up. You know what I mean? We've had designs at different sections of this. It's just we've never been able to do both intersection 90s at one time. So, I mean, it didn't like this just came up to look at. We've had designs for quite a while. A couple them intersections. How long has that have we had this been? I'm going to say five or six years when we first did the one on the north side. And that's when it was designed that if we can't do everything because we didn't want the trucks getting caught in the middle and stuff to not do anything. We're better off they can't make it on the road much less make it on the road and get caught halfway down it. Matt, how wide are your ambulances?

What about your What about your fire trucks? Okay. I mean, that's that's part of a concern is I sit here looking at whether or not a road that is that is narrower if it's something that should be addressed. Are we going to force people to get completely off the road for a firetruck or an ambulance to also get get by? That's part of the concern for me, too. If we're talking about risks, that's what goes into the equation there as well. Also, the three homeowners on that road all don't really want this to happen, right? Y and and we've talked Yeah, we've talked.

Um, and also earlier you said that it's around 15 to 16 feet right now adding about 2 ft side. In front of our house it's about 12 to 13 ft. So you're adding about 3 to four feet and onto our property. Why is that, Tim? Why is it more? They vary. I mean, the road just the road just varies. It just has comes in and out closest to the road. You're getting very close. I mean, all houses all three houses close to the road, but ours is probably the closest, right? So to me, you're causing more of a hazard by there's going to be people going very fast down that road. It's a straight stretch of road. That's that increases. They already do. People I mean the farm equipment semiis already fly down that road.

And you make it nicer, they're going to go faster. That's a that's a fact.

Yes. I still

That's my That's my thing. I'm more I'm more concerned about the narrow of the road than I am the width of the road. The wide I mean it is that's back to my point. Has it been an issue? Has there been any do you have any proof showing that that's an issue? Well, I don't have there been any accidents on the road because of that. I mean, I'm serious. I grew up there. Never saw I lived there for 22 years. I couldn't.

Tim, when we're looking at doing anything on on roads in the county, are we widening them or are we keeping them the same? I'm I'm asking I'm not ask agenda. I'm asking about We're really trying to get all the width we can. We really do. And I get that's what we're doing. So that's why I think we're here to say like we just don't want it to happen. We don't want the road to be touched essentially. That's what it has to come down to. When was the last time the road was touched? Like I said, 2012. I think it was gra right after that, but basically nothing been done since then. Yeah.

If I was concerned about roads and traffic, I'd be putting money towards the Bend and Vanelia right behind Honda that died at. That's where I'd be putting money. Right. Exactly. People have died there. Where's that at? End where they took those trees at behind. That's actually where that house was that got moved because of Honda coming in. Okay. So, yeah, but that's actually Greensburg. That's not actually county road. You're talking about You're talking about No, not there. That's city of Greensburg. The 400. Yeah. That's all been annexed. No, that's a bad Yeah,

I I think, you know, for me, if we're going to work on a road, I think it needs to be widened. I think that the width makes it safer for vehicles to travel on. And you don't have to worry about getting off the edge of the road or the side of the road. You want as wide an area. Now, as far as speed goes, I I agree that you you pave a road and you make a really nice road, people think they can move faster on it, right? I don't there's no way we can control that. You can try it. Okay, so signage.

I mean, some people people ignore it. I know, but speed bumps one real quick. The signs we can't So the children at play and stuff that that has all been taken away from us. We don't own those signs in the county anymore. The schools own them or private property owners that came out to where those are now a liability for the county to have those signs. What about speed bumps? Speed bumps is also a liability. I'll be honest, I wouldn't want speed bumps car snow plows. I have no problem looking at a traffic study. You know what I mean? If we look at doing reduced traffic speeds, but like I said, I think I think a speed bump in Milville County Road. So, what's the middleman? What's the answer? Yeah, because safer but

you're I believe you haven't been able to prove to me there's any risk at all to our citizens right now. That's my first question. But I guarantee faster 60 miles per hour in front of these houses that are close to the road is going to increase that risk. I think traffic enforcement. What? Traffic enforcement. So traffic what are we gonna do there? Yeah. I mean you write tickets if people's excess speeding. I mean I've never seen a cop on our road for that reason. But I mean, we could probably have the conversation, but go up at that road light. You have not told me about any risk that we currently have. Well, 12 feet wide or 13 ft wide is a risk.

There's nothing that's been documented. Do you have something in the past 10 20 years that show that we have our citizens hurting getting hurt out there or something? I don't. All right. I And that's my point. But when you increase it, they will be going 60 miles per an hour down that road and the houses are very close. I mean, say something, god forbid, did happen to my kids or something. How you guys feel about that? They're not doing this. Well, obviously we don't. No, I know that. I stay at home with our kids. I'm I already get the weary about taking them out because people fly down that road, especially during the June during June when it's clo where

the one area is closed down for a week for the um officers to practice and everything. You have Honda getting out. It's insane. It is insanity. Traffic's going to increase. So, it's going to be faster and more traffic. Sure. So, so there is a lot of traffic during that week. Yeah, it is insane. That's the detour. And I know you like it's insane how crazy it is during that week and then just any other time. And then during um the fall and everything with the semis, they already go crazy fast. The voices of the the people that actually live on the road need to be heard. Yeah, that's why we're having the meeting. That's why That's why we're having the meeting.

Yeah. Well, I just I hope they're heard and not ignored. Sure.

Jay, is there anything that you want to say? I know you're one of the farmers in the area. But he can go the down vanelia. I mean, I have to go a couple miles,

but you could also say it's dangerous.

How many Traffic counters do you have Tim? We have five. We go we can go around traffic signal. I mean run traffic angles just to see where traffic flow is so we can counter for that. Sure can. Yep. Sure can. Yep. Sure will. If we could do before the curves and where that road separates and make sure that we see which way traffic's flowing entire. Sure can. Yep. And we've spoke to other farmers that own property on there too and it's not been a problem for them for decades. Let me ask let me ask you the difference. Is there a difference in equipment? No. Equipment size or anything like that? Okay.

They support they support either way, but their words have been we don't understand. We've been doing Which house is yours? The middle house.

Do you guys want to say anything? Do you feel like being widening the road is a is a safety hazard like for speed? I mean is that you guys feel the same way? Too going too fast. That's I guess I keep going back to the narrow road seems more unsafe to me than a wider road.

So fast except that more unsafe to drivers you're saying but not or house. Yeah. It's safe for people who travel on the road to have a wider road and you're not

of course that would be true except that if you go from whatever your traffic study might find out maybe we have 30 people put down the road today and then you got a nice brand new road and traffic increases from Honda and we all of a sudden have what 200 or so who knows I mean that risk increase. Has there has there been a point in time in which a vehicle has veered off of the road? Because we aren't changing the direction of travel in this proposal. It's it's still going to be the same direction of travel, the same lanes basically that we have now. Have there been instances in which vehicles have veered off of the roadway into your yard with the the current structure or direction of travel?

Okay. Okay. Okay. Sure.

I think it was originally that's why it got changed. Yeah. So you're not straightening out the 90s because they are now more signage there. You're traveling down that road way too fast like people do and then all of a sudden it's

what's that? They ended up on my but yeah so maybe twice. I am personally not against fixing the pinpointed issues with the road but as you guys were saying you'd have to widen it. What are the pinpointed issues? Like the ends of the road, the 90. Oh, okay. Um by your guys's house, the intersections um like the ends like widening the ends of the road at base road and at 240. Yeah. Is that what you're saying? Yeah. Like I'm not against those things, but like what you guys are saying, if we're going to work on it, we have to widen it. But but here's the issue. If you widen the two intersections, you're making it more accessible. Then you you make it then they get stuck.

What's that? You're going to make more sense. No, if you if you widen both those intersect intersections for a semi or farm equipment to get down through there, then they get to the S-curve and they can't get through it. Oh, yeah. No, she's saying like fix through those things without widening the whole road. Fix the S-curve. Widen the semis have gotten through it all. Like most Yeah. Semis get some get through there. I don't know where that's I mean,

I don't disagree with my only fight is the widening of the road. So, my thing is and that concern is speed. if there's something that you can do and just I guess decreasing speed limits would be one thing but anything on the other on the Southside.

South I mean we're getting closer to her home now. Um, I should have the J.

I mean, so right now we shift as much we could to try to keep. We don't want the road just jogging, right?

You know what I mean? So, we got to kind of transition is what we got to do. So it does transition the way the current design is right now. So right north of the very north house, we're only like a foot to the one side of the road. Rest of it's on js. It is kind of a wedge. It does get wers goes down through there for the transition. But yeah, we've pulled we pulled over as much as we can without just doing something like that. Yeah, we've been trying to take everybody's considerations in effect as much as we can to lessen the impact as much as we can. So Tim, as far as how this would how this could affect the homeowners the most, um, I'm looking at issues that popped up in what was it 2023 from the 2022 CCMG

with that asphalt overlay. Yes. where there were um large large areas of raised asphall uh that created drop offs on the side of the road. Yes. Uh that has caused issues in different parts of the county that we've gone back and addressed with Yes. gravel shoulders and whatnot. Yes. But with doing an asphalt overlay, are we going to run into the same thing here? Because that's where I see a potential issue. We could have some, yes, but it'll be corrected as soon as it's paid. Uh, you know, we bought we purchased a road widener.

So, we're able to go in there and do it oursel very quickly and not rely on a contractor have to come back two or three months later to address it, have to live concerns with school bus, etc., etc. So, we'll be able to address it very quickly. Yes. because we'll be able to do that in house

because I I think with the the concerns that they have voiced with the proximity of the residents, I don't see the direction of travel or the speed necessarily as being like the primary concern. I see that drop off or a potential drop off being more of a potential issue with what it with what other areas of the county have experienced with uh vehicles getting taken off. and we'll mitigate that as much as we possibly can. I mean, now's the time we can do it through this everything else. When you have a 20 foot wide road, you have less. Yeah, but we we ran into that on 700 700 West 700

500 north 500 had I we want to say two different We can mitigate that right now because we're actually there. We'll build we'll build and mitigate it. We will mitigate that. minimize as much we can for me to understand why that happened. Was that did that drop off with the overlay happen because of dips in the topography or what was that issue? A lot of the times what it becomes is to the road gets a really pronounced crown in it. Okay.

So when you come across with a standard 2% okay you got to get above that crown. So a lot of times if the road's this way and we're paving this way now, it automatically raises it very a lot. Okay. So but by reconstructing this road, you know, if that is a concern, we'll just reconstruct that section of road in there to mitigate that to make sure we don't have that issue. Yes.

Yeah. Like I said, we'll mitigate that right there at them house yards. I'm not worried. I mean, if that's concern that we need to work with and adjust, we can do that. Yes. I mean, it's not feasible. We're out here doing 80 miles of road deal with dirt. But through these house yards, yes, it's we can make that. We can accomplish that. And the price tag, I get you when we figure out what we're going to do, I get you a full price tag. Yes. Yes.

Yes. Yes.

So that well we are going around that well right now. We're going to leave that well in place. I want to say we're eight feet away from it or so. Yeah. Yeah. That well is staying in place right now. I know that was a concern if it went away and this and that. So, we decided just to get away from it, you know. Yeah. So, yeah. So, when we was working with that land owner there, we decided the best thing is just to leave it. So, so yeah, we worked with land owners. It's going to stay.

We're not going to affect it. Yeah. Yeah. We're outside the clear zone. Yes. Yeah. There's there's a lot of unfortunately there's a lot of gas wells that are three, four, five feet from the road. two well 240 that large gas well there by re or ringers it's close to the road I mean it's it's probably within

six feet of the road on 240 so that's unfortunately yeah there are multiple gas wells that are close to the road down Milen Road there's several gas wells that are close to the Sheriff, as you sit here, any anything from public safety on your side? Yep.

If we do nothing, Tim, uh, road just staying the way it is now. And what's the current condition of the road? Do you know what the pacer rating is off the top of your head? I'm going to guess about a three right now. Okay. The I would say the north half of us probably way more distressed than the south half. Well, that and see that's the problem is like we we have to make decisions for all of the county roads, right?

Um speeds when was so natural speed bumps, which we don't like. We want our roads to be well. Our our goal is a minimum of a six on the pacer rating. So that would be substantially below where we're at. So just that it needs regular maintenance.

Yeah. So basically what that hap what that's going to tell us is not feasible going on chip and seal it to try to preserve it. We are in a we're in a a structural situation hot mix overlay type situation. That's what that tells us. probably. Yeah. And they redid that. Yeah. So, you said that there was the commissioners have the option or the discretion to veer off of this geometric design criteria for rural local roads. That's the that's what was referred to as the highway standards.

So, I believe part of it comes down like geography. You know, if you'd have a river set beside it with a straight shear off things that get outside of very cost prohibitive, I believe a lot of things thinks it's a guidance. Okay. Within Yes. Do you know off the top of your head when the last time was that? Um I don't think it's ever been with the three of us, but when the last time was the commissioners had elected I do not recall the last time we done anything. Has it been done while had been done? I know in the past, but I'm gonna say more.

I don't I know at one point the commissioners we'd have to go back and try to figure out where they adopted the 20 foot two foot shoulders two to one side slopes is the absolute minimum the highway department to design to period. We could not go below that without coming to ask commissioners reconstruction. So yeah,

what what was the reasoning for that? A lot of the reason drove a lot of this stuff is they would put culverts in on roads like this 12 foot wide. So they go put a culver that's designed for 12 foot wide road. Then when they go back to widen the road in this situation they go to go down and redo every structure, redo everything they done. So the whole thought was if you're going to expand, you're going to replace a culvert, you know what I mean? Go ahead and put it for this standard, it's going to be coming at some point time to widen out to that. That was why because they were just they were just redoing projects. And I think Huh.

No, what I'm saying is like the all the culver pipe stuff we do as a highway, we'd have to do that. I want to say the the current standards was 2013 maybe the design standards. I mean, they haven't changed since then. So, I'm very likely about back then is when they did it. Gabe, do you want to see the road count? I do. Okay. All right. So, table it. Um, how long does it take for you to get a road count? Three days. I mean, if we want I mean, the bottom line is we move them over there and it's just how long we want them to set earn count. That's what it boils down to. You know, I think we need at least a week. Yeah. Yep. To get a full grasp of, you know, Monday through Sunday travel.

Get out there for at least seven day count. Yeah. and uh then we can put this on the April 20th agenda. If you can get us that information prior to meeting so that we can take a look at it, see what the count is. Yep. Um get us a an idea of what the cost is going to be and get us what the actual pacer rating is. And you guys are obviously more than welcome back at the next meeting. Well, I I What would you take from that?

So that way we can see how much traffic is actually there. Um and I think that can play into u the need for the county to go in and invest in a road. I mean because we are in charge of making sure road surfaces are at a high quality across the county. That's what we're working on every year. I mean, for the last well, since I've been a commissioner, starting in 23, we've done around a 100 road miles a year, I think, Tim, in different projects, uh, we have roughly 650 miles of roadway in the county. Is that right? About 637 miles. And so, your memory is better than mine. Good job. Um,

he's retired. He's retired. Uh, so I mean it it's in the three full years that I've been up here, we've done roughly half of the roads. And so that's the goal is that we continue to get it so that we aren't dealing with roads that have potholes because it's not just, you know, one family or just a handful of families that can be on these roads. Um, so that's part of it. That's why also the pacer rating is important because if we're getting roads that are getting down low in the pacer rating, they need to be they need to be addressed. Um so I I think that that is important. So once we look at that, we can make a decision

rating. If our roads fall below certain pacer rating, it affects our ability to get funding. So that's why we have such a we we focus so much on making sure that we keep that those ratings of those roads in good standing. I'm just saying like say there was no reason to w do anything to the road. What what is your normal process for that? If there was no reason to be doing it, we wouldn't be discussing No, not widening a road. I'm just saying the road needs something needs to be done because of all the holes in the road. Then we would what if if the pacer rating

if the pacer rating is low enough sometime the road can be improved by uh doing chip and seal or things like that but eventually that road becomes to where that that's no longer an option which is where this road currently stands. So in the situations of this when the pacer ratings flow and the only thing to do is now to reconstruct the road then we would take it to the standard sizing of normal. So this is the normal procedure. It just so happens and it appears to fall on looks like bad timing, you know, for somebody else needing it. But this is this is the normal procedure. It has reached its lifetime. It's down. We'll get the official number. It's reached its lifetime. It needs to be reconstructed. If you're going to reconstruct it, we would typically take them to the 20 ft.

Yeah. I don't want to see us go in and make the investment on a road that's going to be undersized because we have to look at not just size that's appropriate now for vehicles now but also vehicles going forward in the future. Um and that's not just you know a equipment but that's all vehicle services. Yeah. So we we have to take all of that into account. This has been a project looked at five or six years.

Yes. Different portion. Yes. So the original piece that they were looking at was just the corners. That was the discussions of it before, but now the road itself has fallen to where it needs to be reconstructed. So now it can either go back in and be paved the way that it is or uh meaning paved and widened or do we go ahead and expand the corners and make them bigger and make the entrances to that road bigger as well. That was the secondary piece of looking at this was to see does that also need to happen to make it better. So you're saying the rating is what drove this whole meeting that we're having. It's a big part that doesn't this is the first I've heard about the this is the first time I've heard of pacer rating through all of this discussion. We we speak about it frequently up here.

Yeah, I get that. I mean talking about this for a few like how long we've been talking about it. It's just been

this isn't the only road. No, I mean there there that's what we just awarded was the HMA overlay. You know, all those roads that are going to be overlaid this year are are because of that pacer rating. They all have their time limit. I mean, you look at the roads and lets they were just paved. I would argue that maybe some of those roads weren't in the worst of shape, but they fall in that pacer rating by age. So, all the roads and lets had to be paved besides one, which was newer. It would only been like 10 years since since it had been done. So, it was able to be chip and sealed. But all those roads were just paved because and widened. They are. I don't know how that most of them was in pretty decent shape already. We didn't have to do no reconstruction. I mean, the curves was wide enough. They was able to get around and

they were pretty good shaped up. They were pretty much there. I mean, they're investing the money. I mean,

so I'd say majority of all them was I'd have put a tape measure on. I don't want you I don't want somebody go down go it was 19 ft you know what I mean 195 here. Yeah. So they were able to accommodate the traffic down there is what they were. So the pace rating is one element of it really you know detour links like we talk about you know what I mean. Um there's a lot of things go into it. It really is ADA, you know, the proximity, you know, you talk about when they close down the one road, that road gets to traffic, you know, but the detour route around there is four miles. So, you know, if you take emergency services, just close 250 like you're saying. How far is it from the bypass all the way out past your houses around? So, that'd be the nearest emergency detour traffic is if 250 was closed. Okay. You know, what's the detour route out there? Six miles, seven miles. It's a long way from emergency service to get around and that's just taking the first available after 250 is your road. So there's a lot of things like that that come into consideration. You know the proximity Greensburg more likely something could happen close proximity versus county edges. There's a lot of things come into play of why roads get done. Okay. Pacers one of them. It really is.

Honestly, I'm just kind of confused why that's being brought up now. That's I mean that's it. If that's what's going to cause it to happen, why was that? Why was that the point to begin with? I don't know about I'm just confused by the pacer rating is something that we look at on I get that I mean it is but if that is what's going to make the decision like what's the fight for why are we here then but why wasn't that

again that's one of the things right so we have to maintain the we have to maintain the pace ratings we watch them they might sit at a three for a little bit they get to a two it's a problem so we try to head it off beforehand as much as possible obviously we can't go in and p every single road is the three. So, we have to pick the ones that may be the worst, right? But inevitably, they all have to be done and they they're on on shortened lifespan. So, that is one thing that we know that this road needs reconstructed. It's already there. Whether it absolutely had to happen this year or if it could be next year, that may be up for debate, right? But if we know that it has to be done, that's where we stand now. We know that it does have to be done. So, I don't know exactly what that timeline is before we hit the two before then it starts to become a detriment to our ability to file funding. Like I don't know exactly what that timeline is, but we know that we don't set up at the all the ratings, right? They the state looks at them

and can you get the funding if you don't widen the road? The widening of the road has nothing to do with Yeah, that's something we that's something the commissioners before us decided as well that I understand. Yeah, I'm just asking you can That's not a requirement of Yeah, I don't know how that falls in. Now, your question about why did why is a pacer rating just now being brought up? I I can't answer that. I have no idea. I don't know why nobody has has shared that with you. I don't know. I don't have that answer. I mean, I didn't know what the pacer rating was until I just asked, right? I mean, that wasn't something that I I knew. It just wasn't brought up.

It just sounds like a bigger deal. I think the simplest way, excuse me, go ahead. I think the simplest way is on the pace rating, you know, you drive that road, you drive up and down it. Does it need resurfaced? I mean, you can drive down. Let me ask you this. Are you fine with it because of what it does? You said earlier that it it curtails higher speeds. You'd ask my husband. The speed bumps don't slow down. Okay. I'm I'm asking an honest question, you know. I mean, are you fine with it because of that or are you fine with it because the condition isn't that bad? I mean, I

It is what it is. I mean, yeah. I mean, there's spots that it'll it could tear your car up, but I would rather live with that than have my road whining is what I know. That's why that's why I live on it. I understand. I understand. But that's not I know it's rough. It's been like that for hours. That's why I asked you. Let's uh let's do the traffic count. We've got a lot going on here this evening. Let's do the traffic count. Let's let's look at that. But but uh we'll we'll readress this. Okay. Well, and if you could just any account into like it can't be fast in front of the home closer to the homes and safety is the concern. What the here's the unfortunate part for us. We can't control speed. We can't control how people drive. Control speed limits.

We can control speed limits. I I do agree. be there something at least my kids can't play in my in my road. They're not allowed to ride bicycles on our road. They're not allowed to go anywhere near it. I'm the same. My kids don't get close in excess of 60 70. My porch is 30 ft from the road. I I Do you live on an arm county road in the country? I do. It's 30 ft. But but you can control speed limits. Yes, absolutely. Nobody pays attention to it. It frustrates me. The safety of the homeowners is what needs to be if it I mean we do walk the road. I mean we all do. We all take walk and I we're not going to be able to not be able to.

And it is very frustrating that people just don't care. I mean if you'll be out working near the road and somebody flies by, you know, whips your hair. I mean it's it's very frustrating. So I I do understand what you're saying wholeheartedly. I grew up on a road that was a blind corner and up in the county. I I totally understand that. I hope you take that into consideration then. Yeah, we do. All right. Well, thank you. All right. Well, we we appreciate listening. We'll do this on honestly. We'll get more info. I I appreciate you coming in and voicing your opinion because we a lot of times nobody comes in and talks to us and we don't know. We what we don't know, we don't know. And so, honestly, I appreciate you coming in and and uh absolutely and and voicing your opinion. Thank you. Yeah. Thank you.

Thank you guys. We'll we'll talk about it more on the 20th. Thanks. Thank you. All right, Tim. Okay, I'll try and make the rest of this quick. All right, so Enterprise talking to Enterprise, we are looking at some with Enterprise. So, we will get something together and come back next meeting with some recommendation on Enterprise pick up. So, we'll do that. Um, North Care South Elementary School is what they call touch a truck. So, we will actually be participating in that both both locations. Okay.

So, we'll be doing that. Uh 421 74 everybody knows big project came up with say for three years normally INDOT does not do an official detours if they are not closing 74 but there's been a lot of comments my understanding me I endot about the increased traffic on 421 so I'd like to pursue with INDOT of trying to get an unofficial detour on 421 for the next three years because I think it's going to happen I think we're going to see an increased traffic even though they don't close 74 but I'd like your blessing needs to try to pursue that even though it's outside the absolutely 100%. Please do.

Thank you. There. Uh the contractor has requested two three access points off of 74 onto our county roads. So we will get more information. I will meet with him tomorrow. So I'll get more information, but uh I did include a map of your packet at three places that they're taking a look at. Are you thinking like some form of a use agreement with them too? Be some type of road use agreement. I mean my big thing is they're going to have to have a big agreement then dot how they're going to control we don't want somebody entering 74 from ours. So they're going to have to come up with that whole legal parameters how they're going to handle that etc etc.

So um within our ARGIS we was able to get drainage tools installed. So now our computer program help us delay water shed areas amount of acres duh. So we did get that installed taken care of. We're starting training on that. So, and the only other thing I got is mutual agreeance, but I'll cover that. We will with Michael Schneider whenever he comes up. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks, thank you, John. Yes. Whoever wants to be one, whoever wants to be 10. All right. Hi, Sheriff.

Chris is gracious enough. Let me jump in front of him so I can get to my 7 o'clock meeting. You got to ask yourself, would he do the same for you? Absolutely. Absolutely. So, it's my annual request to uh close County Road North County Road 50 West between Candelia and base red West for our annual mandated uh emergency vehicle operations class training. Again, this is something we've done now for five or six years. It's a big money saver for us. I had to go to the academy. Um, you've been gracious enough like the last five or six years to do this and we're just requesting again between May 28th and June 8th. Yeah, I don't have a problem with it.

No, it's a good thing. Um, I don't know if you guys have the opportunity to go out and ride along. I'd encourage you to do it if you haven't. Yeah, we'll get a date and time and we'll notify you and invite you out to to participate. Driving the sheriff's Sorry. Driving the sheriff's vehicle. Yes. Our own vehicles. He did. He did not let me drive last year. Not my vehicle. No. The sheriff's vehicle. You said yes. Not not my vehicle. Oh. All right. All right. I'll make I'll make a motion. I'll second. All those in favor say I. I. Those opposed. Motion carries. Thank you, Sheriff. All right. Chris Parks Department.

Well, good evening, everyone. Um, just had a couple quick things for you. Um, first thing, um, is we are looking to purchase a new utility trailer for our maintenance crew. Um, our board has already approved the purchase. It's coming out of parks department funds. Um, it's right around $2,300. Um, we've got one trailer that's just old, not cutting it anymore. So, um, forwarded you guys the quotes that we received and this is the one we decided to go with. So, just for title purposes, I need your guys. Is this a budgeted item? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I'll make a motion that we go ahead and allow parks department to move forward with purchasing that trailer. I'll second. Third. All those in favor say I.

I. I. Those opposed. Motion carries. Okay. And then secondly, um I'm also asking for approval to increase our department credit card limit. Um, right now we're at a $2,000 limit on our credit card.

2,000. Um, and with our operation that is, um, it does make operations a little tight um, and can cause some delay in some things and some progress we're trying to make. Um, I also believe that I mean when we have to, you know, we get sent to or I send my guys to a store and they want to purchase something transaction doesn't go through, we've got to call the auditor's office and I personally don't think it's fair to them too to ask them. They're busy drop their responsibilities, ask them to make an adjustment for us um as well. Yes, it happens. Yep. So, I'm just requesting

and they're standing there at a register and frustrated. I'm just requesting it go to 5,000. I don't think we'll actually ever hit that mark, but we did just this last month. We were close to 4,000 on our on our card this month after multiple calls to Abby. Um, but the items that you're purchasing are already your normal budgeted items or stuff complex, which is got funds coming back from correct. It just it gives us some flexibility and doesn't take, you know, away from the auditors. Since you can write as big a check as you want, I don't see the issue with taking the credit card limit there. Um, are are any of these items things that can be scheduled for delivery so that you guys aren't having to go and buy them?

Gold metal and Coca-Cola and all that stuff. Yeah, all that stuff. So, everything that we can have invoiced, we do. This is all stuff that's just like necessary like we have to have it. And things keep getting more expensive, which makes the cost. Yeah. I don't I don't have an issue with it. I make a motion to raise the credit limit to 5,000. I'll second that motion. All those in favor say I. I. Those opposed. Motion carries. Uh, frontage Rose Road lease bids. None received. All right. Uh,

any other next step or any other information at this point or is that it? I spoke with um Ed Lawson from Jurgensson's and they are in the um thought process of they would rather purchase and lease. Okay. And when he expressed that to me, he had he had given the information the bid bid packet to the owners and um asked him what they thought and and again they would rather purchase than lease. I told him that we weren't uh currently in the mood to sell. I don't like the idea of selling for selling county.

And he he relayed to us that he felt like he did one of the things he didn't want to lease the property. One of the reasons was because then they could they could put as much debris, um concrete, dirt, whatever on that site and leave it for as long as they felt necessary. And one of the things that we talked about was we don't want all that debris there. Um so I believe that's why he they want a purchase versus lease. Okay. All right. So close basically unless they come back later, but I doubt it. Yeah. All right. Moving on then. Mike Snider with EMA.

Good evening, Mike. Uh, one thing that we are here to present tonight is the completion of the updated multi-hazard mitigation plan for Decar County. That is required by FEMA standards to be put out for public review and public comment. Uh, working with it, we do have that on the county's website on the EMA page. If anyone from the public would like to review that, go to our page there. Scroll down to the bottom. There's one link to download and review the plan and then there is another link right beside it to leave public comment. And the reason we have to do that all is because of different stipulations that are set out in the disaster mitigation act of 2000. And then after we go through the two-eek period of review, public review and comment, then it will be sent all those comments will be collected sent back to Christopher Burke engineering who has helped us write this plan and then we will uh submit that to IDHS and FEMA and then once it is submitted to them, we can begin the adoption process of the plan. So then shortly after that I'll be back here for you guys to take a look at it and uh adopt the plan and sign it. After that I have to go to all the incorporated cities and towns and get them to adopt it as well and then we will have that process complete. So purpose for my visit here was to publicly announce that plan and it will be up there until the 17th. So until the end of business on the April 17th, then it'll be taken down and all the comments will be forwarded to

that can be found on the county website. Yes, sir. On the EMA page. Right. Very good.

Uh other than that, I wanted to uh have been talking with Tim. Where'd he go? There you are. I've been speaking with Tim about uh one of the things my office has been looking at is a debris management plan. looking at that because some of our past planning with that had been very outdated and FEMA's always changing things. Uh part of that that would eventually come into play for disaster would be uh mutual aid agreements especially when it would come to debris from a disaster. However, also in speaking with Tim about a lot of that, his department would uh certainly find that advantageous as well to have that even outside of the debris management plan. Did some little bit of work and some research and pulled together a sample. Uh had Tim look at that and then I believe Tim has forwarded that over to the attorney. And uh so then once he's had a chance to review that and weigh in on it, then we'll see what he thinks and where we might go from there.

So I think I could do it all at the same time. So we really

it would come into play in the uh recouping of funds and when FEMA would come in want to see all that broken down and all that documentation and tracking then is where that would serve. It makes sense especially when you're looking at reimbursement. You've got to have all those um pieces in place. Yeah. All right. Chad I don't believe has seen this. So can you make sure that's forwarded first thing in the morning? Very good. Do you have anything else for me? I have something for you later, but we'll catch up later. Okay. Thanks, Mike. Thanks, Mike. All right. Doug Westerfeld with the APC.

Good afternoon. Um, today I've representatives from Commonwealth who's uh uh who's providing the plane review for the um IPER project. But before I go into that, I would want to I do want to just kind of summarize uh the comp plan, where we're at with it before I had the gentleman come up. Uh this Thursday, we'll have another steering committee. Uh it's this it'll be more of a deep dive into the subject matter that we've been working on. Uh and then April 30th is what is called the big idea open house. That'll be a public event where the public can come and kind of get an idea of what the the it's not a draft of the comp plan, but the ideas of the comp plan. Um, so that's that's what is on the uh agenda for the for the comprehensive plan.

When is that and what's the times? That is that is on April 30th. It will be at the EMA building. The time has not been set yet. Um, but as soon as it is, I'll let you know. Yeah. So their large gathering, their large meeting room. Is that where Yes. going to be? Okay.

Yeah. EMA training room. Um so I have um gentlemen from Commonwealth Engineering here. Um what we've requested from them is to come periodically uh in front of the the uh the commissioners to kind of give an update of the um battery storage um um project. They're doing the plan review. Uh the actual construction of the batteries has and the and installation hasn't occurred yet. Um the building permit will be issued once they've completed their plan review, but I wanted to have them give them an opportunity to come in introduce themselves and and and kind of give them give you guys a little introduction.

Great. Hi, my name is Jack McCormack. I'm with Commonwealth Associates. We're engineering consulting firm in Jackson, Michigan. Um, got Michael Mitchell with me. Mike is electrical engineer. We are looking at the plan review um for the county. Uh specifically we're looking at uh electrical and civil structural to make sure it meets code requirements uh from you know safety perspective and and also the national electrical code. Uh today well I'll give us a little bit more on Commonwealth. Um we work in the power industry only. So our focus is on um battery energy storage projects like this one but also anything power generation related, substation related and transmission lines. So very familiar with all of this type of equipment, what it looks like, how it gets put together, particular inspections that might be required with a project like this. It's um usually utility scale and counties don't often get involved. So having someone like us um can be very helpful. So we'll just be acting as extension of the county so we can do these type plan reviews and help with the permitting process. I think everybody's aware of what the project is. Um, I can go into that if needed and and where it's located and the space it's taking up. Because the timing tonight, I just figured I'd skip through all of that, but happy to answer any questions if you guys would like. Um, to date, we've we sort of just finished the site plan review. I actually just shipped it to IPA um prior to jumping in the car and heading here. So, I'll share that with you, Doug. There are a few things that we found that um we just want to make sure that they're designing to appropriate standards adopted by Indiana. So, um, it looks everything's looking pretty good, but we're just crossing some te's and dots some eyes. So, with that, I can answer any questions or provide more detail on who we are doing or even go over the project if you'd like.

What's the What's the idea for how long uh we're in this review phase of the project? I suspect I wants to be building this. Um, we did take a did drive by the site on the way in. We just wanted to get a feel for access and what it was going to look like and where it was at and who all might be impacting just our own benefit. But um because of the comments that we made and issued today, I suspect they're going to want a phone call with us this week to go over those and get them resolved as soon as possible. None of them were like too difficult for them to resolve. So I suspect within the next two weeks

all of these comments will be resolved and we can move on to the next stage. Guess that was one of my questions was do they have a start date issue. So, we'll be looking at um electrical portion of it and and the structural portion of the foundations and making sure they're being designed and installed as appropriate. So are so you guys are involved all the way through the construction phase?

Yeah, I mean at some point I mean there's are there are aspects of the project that Commonwealth isn't involved with. Emergency response um the civil portion of it drainage swailes those kinds of things. Depending on what the construction process look like some of that might be done after we've completed but for the most part we're we're in it for the duration of the project till completion.

Very good. So, we're on 400 uh 400 north between County Road 150 and 350. It impacts around 20 acres. Good portion of that is just drainage swils that buff buffer space, drainage swils. uh majority of the project looks like a collector substation which it looks very similar to any other substations in the county and then the battery component of it is essentially um guess fancy shipping containers. So kind of reminds us of yeah boxes but like a like storage unit that type scenario. If you if you've been in Greensburg the last month or two months, you see a lot of them coming through town. Those

battery storage boxes um there there's a lot that have been coming through uh Greensburg

because I see him down 421 a lot. Yeah. Yeah, I did see I did I did see um signs being put up along three as far as what the uh the the road Yeah, the roadway. Yeah. All the way around. Well, I appreciate you guys. looking out for our best interests.

I know this is something that is a um a niche area to have the expertise for for inspections and making sure that they're in compliance with code. So, Thank you.

And we'll be working through. So if you guys have any questions, gentlemen, thank you. Thanks for driving all the way down from Michigan. Thank you.

Welcome.

All right. Animal shelter building plans. Um I have right now I think three different um blueprints for different um facilities. uh I'm supposed to be getting. I know there were a couple others that we had talked about that we don't have. Um and that way we can kind of take look at different facilities to identify the things that we like in different ones and things that we don't like so that we can get an idea uh when we get to that point of what what we want um what we don't need, that kind of thing.

I like it. Okay. uh lawn care bids. Let me hop over to that email.

All right. So, let's see here. We had Yep. Correct. Yeah. So, Minkadink did not have shrub or shrub and mulch um bid in their packet. So, that leaves us with Tommy's lawn care. Motion to approve Tommy's lawn care for 2026 million to the courthouse. I'll second that motion. All those in favor say I. I. Those opposed? Motion carries. All right. Uh, Aaron Thomas with Lifetime Resources. Thanks for being here tonight.

Hello. I'm actually Michelle Gidus. All right, Michelle. Thanks for being here. Erin um had a different commissioner's meeting that she attended and I came to this one. I'm the director of Catcheride. Um we do public transportation in Decar County and the other neighboring five counties and we're applying for our 2027 INDOT grant. Um, and part of that process is to get permission or um to continue operating in Decar County to get your um support. It's not a monetary support at this point. It's just a resolution that we can continue operating in your county. And you should have a copy of that. If not, I have That was it.

Right. And do you have any questions for me?

I'm I'm familiar with Catcher Ride and I think it's a great program. Yeah, we did um seven over like 7,721 trips in just Decater County last year. We served um 144 individuals. Last year we also added a third route into Decar County. Um we had issues beginning of the year. We were short drivers. At the end of 2025, there was a national um side curtain airbag recall and took out half of our minivan fleet. So 2026, we're looking up and hoping to do more more rides and more service in your area.

Very good. Um on this letter here, um it says signature of recording officer. That would be me then. Very good. You read my mind. 2026-9. All right. Make a motion to pass a resolution to continue service. I'll second that motion. All those in favor say I. I. Those opposed. Motion carries. Thank you for all you guys do. Thank you for

Thank you, Michelle. for sure. Thank you, sir. All right. Up next, we have REMC um fairgrounds easements. So, these are for uh the ready fairgrounds project. RMC needed uh easements to go in and start the electrical upgrade process. Uh and so both REMC Legal and Chad have had an opportunity to go through look at the utility easements. Any discussion?

No, I think they just mirrored our other part.

It's a vegetation thing. Yeah. All right. So, there's only two uh grantor lines here. So, all three of us sign or just one of us sign or Okay. All right. All right. I'll make a motion that we pass all three utility easements for RMC at the fairgrounds. I'll second that. All those in favor say I. I. Those opposed? No, I'm not opposed. But she did say that has to be notorized. Yeah. Um do that in the morning. Okay. Um all those opposed.

All right. Motion carries. Trip me up there for a second. You said I

You want to start on the tiny while I sign these three separate ones? front of the notary. These are Yes. There's one. Uhhuh. That is why I made the comment. Yeah, I thought you were. No, I am not. Oh, okay. Sorry. We got a retire. Very good. Sorry. No, that's okay. I give you a job back.

But that brings up a good, you know, maybe that is a good idea that I become one. So you need me in the morning. Mhm. Somebody. Sounds good. Well, I already signed uh already. Well, we can go back and trace it. We can go back and play play the video, you know. I don't

All right. Um, we have some quotes for Piney Engineering um at the highway department. Uh, heating loops and boiler parts. This one is for $1,027. Another one is for $3,325 uh for the highway department. Any discussion? Some are an actual maintenance agreement, right? And some are like an individual

maintenance agreements are at the courthouse.

Okay. Yeah, that's what this one is from Piney for the 13,800 Dunlap is also maintenance agreement. That's interesting. Total investment 13,800. So, Piney is invoicing us for courthouse maintenance quarterly. Dunlap is invoicing us every month. Both of which are 13,800. Correct.

All right. So, before we get to the maintenance agreements, the highway department extra boiler parts. So for $1,027 the pressure switch low water cut off single element uh thermostat for temp dual element the assembly igniter O-ring uh for igniter flame rod blower gasket. And then for the $3,325 adjust boiler programming to add lead SL lag capacity. The second boiler will stage on when the hot water set point falls below 10°. Uh Tim, this was because one boiler was actually not running. Correct. Yeah.

Okay. Any other questions or discussion? I do not. Okay. I'll make a motion uh that we approve both of these for the highway department. One in the amount of $1,027, the other in the amount of 300 or I'm sorry, $3,325 for Piney for the highway department. I'll second. All those in favor say I. I.

Those opposed. Motion carries. And then moving to the maintenance agreements for Piney and for Dunlap.

In Charlie's email about these, you he did address that they were the same his recommendation was done. He went on some reasons about them handling some of the larger factories around town. There's been a few things that have continued to be missed. Had some pipes that were switched, hot water feed into cold and things that have happened over the years that he thinks maybe better to have fresh I'll make a motion that we accept Dunlap's proposal for the ongoing maintenance at the courthouse.

Second. All those in favor say I. I. Those opposed. Motion carries.

Thank you, sir. All right, we are now on to the animal control director position. Uh we had done interviews. It's been three three weeks ago now at this point. U and so tonight we need to make a decision on who will be the the new director if we want to offer the position to anyone based on those interviews. Uh so that decision needs to be made here. Um I'd ask that we refer to candidates as candidate candidate A, candidate B. What discussion do you guys if you have any discussion?

No, my recommendation is going to be for candidate B. Any thoughts, Brian? Um, yeah, I think that whichever candidate that we hire, I would like to see us do a um probationary period. Is that something that we could can work can do um that uh and Patty, you you could help me out in this? Yes. A probationary period maybe of six months or something. I don't know what what uh length of time, but I feel like

I mean 90 days is pretty standard, but you 90 days is typical, but I I feel like that if you whichever candidate that we select, I would love to see us do a probationary period um and have some some guidance or go ahead.

No, that's Go ahead. You finish your thought. and have some some guidelines, benchmarks that we want to look at that things need to be um done in a in a certain timeline maybe. And I guess I was going to go for the six months just because of that that meets some benchmarks or meet some meet some guidelines and make sure those things are are taken care of um within this job performance as we look at it and and use the um uh the animal control board as part of part of that um eyes as well as other people to look at this and just make sure we're getting getting the job done in a succinct way.

Do you want those milestones set by us? Do you want them set by the animal control board? Do you want a combination of both? I I would like to see a combination of both. Okay. And then as far as review, do you want us directly doing the review? Uh making sure that those milestones are are reached? I think so.

Yeah. I believe I believe that um for us, you know, it it kind of ends with us, you know, starts with us and ends with us. So, I think we want to I want to see those make sure those benchmarks are met and we we're getting getting the uh getting the job done. What are your thoughts as far as candidate A and B? I think that's a great idea as far as the probationary period. Um

I think that whichever candidate it is that we go with, it's going to be a new role for them, new responsibilities. Um, and we want to make sure that we're tracking that position in a in a positive manner that benefits the county, benefits uh the long-term goal of the shelter, um, benefits the animals. Uh, so I think that's a great idea. Um, as far as the candidates go, I think both A and B brought um a passion to working in the animal shelter or in a animal shelter. Uh, I think both candidates bring maybe varied uh backgrounds as far as their work in an animal shelter. I think both candidates um with that varied background I think both of them can have a positive effect on the animal shelter. Um I think at the end of the day I think I think candidate B like Gabe is talking about is probably right. I think that's probably the right fit. It's something that I've gone back and forth on um since we've had the interviews three weeks ago. What are your thoughts on the candidate?

I could go with candidate B. All right. Is there a motion? I'll make a motion to offer the position to candidate B. All right. I'll second that motion. All those in favor say I. I. Those opposed. Motion carries. All right. Moving on to the commissioner park board appointment. How many did we have? My computer died on me.

Thank you, sir. Gracias.

Who do you have, Gabe? Uh so there was uh Doug or Gary Hash and one other uh Steve Ramer I think with these Chad, we make a motion approve and

I would make a motion to approve Doug or as our appointment. I'll second that. All those in favor say I. I.

I. Those opposed? Motion carries. All right. Up next, we have TIFF Services, a contract with Baker Tilly. They do all the accounting and ensure compliance for the TIFF district, lays out their uh compensation fees uh in the schedule on page five. guys have any questions?

I know it's something that we need to continue having. Baker Tilly has had the experience. Um, they do a good job to ensure compliance. I know Dawn has no issues with them either. I'll make a motion that we approve the uh Baker Tilly uh TIF services agreement. I'll second that. All those in favor say I. I. Those opposed.

Motion carries. All right. I do have a couple of fairgrounds items here. Um, I received a contract for the Ohio Valley Tractor Pullers. Uh, we're having two tractor pulls out at the fair this year. Um, one through NTPA and then we have another one here with the Ohio Valley Tractor Pullers Association. Um, so I just need approval for entering into a contract with them. So, I'll make a motion that we approve um the Ohio Valley contract. Second that.

And uh, all those in favor say I. I those opposed. Motion carries. Christy, there is a check that needs to be written here. It's in the amount of $2,300. Okay.

And all of the information is contained there. Uh the fair committee um would like to have 10 picnic tables built for the fairgrounds for the fair. Uh with the new community building at the fairgrounds, all 4 exhibits are going to be moved into the new community building. So that opens up the headquarters building for alternative uses. Uh and so our thought was to uh have some picnic tables built and put them in the headquarters building so that folks have places to sit that are not attached to the OA building or or other locations there. They aren't they aren't attached to um another food vendor where folks feel that they're obligated to buy food at that place. So this is just free sitting at the fairgrounds. Um, so I have talked with the different schools in the county and North is going to build the the picnic tables. They had sent me a list of the materials that are needed. I went to TOPS last Friday and got a um an actual price uh sheet here for all of the materials that are needed. It comes out to $1,243.85 85 cents and TOPS will deliver those materials to the school uh so that they can be built prior to uh the fair this year and prior to school being let out. Um so I would ask that we go ahead and uh approve this uh $1,243. So I'll make that motion.

I'll second. All those in favor say I. I. Those opposed. Motion carries. And Christie, I had talked with Charlie. He can swing by tomorrow and you can get a check or credit card. Either way, it doesn't matter. Okay. Um and get that over to Topps. He'll grab that so that you can take it there and Topps will have it to go ahead and get everything. Okay. Uh ordered.

All right. We have a use of facilities um from the Decar County Family YMCA for the rolling bike tour. They will use the northeast corner of the fairground or of the fairgrounds courthouse. Uh it looks like they have an insurance policy here. Looks like it's the standard $1 million. Anybody here want to address the use facilities for that? No. I know it's something that's it's a great event. I'll make a motion that we approve the use facilities for the Y. I'll second that. All those in favor say I.

I. I. Those opposed. Motion carries. All right. Up next, we have another use of facilities request from tourism for Rebecca Park for the summer concert series. Erica, you want to talk about that?

Um, good evening. Um, I we have the uh Yeah, you have the magnets up there of the concert series here for 2026. Um the dates needed are June 12th, June 27th, uh July 18th and July 31st. Um and we um will have food trucks and uh alcohol sale from Tree City Brew um there and asking permission to have the concerts there. Should be a good uh lineup. So last year, same thing. Yes.

Yep. All right. Some good bands lined up this year. Yeah. Bob Seager tribute. Uh Nirvana tribute. Um Lefet the Funk is kind of a disco. I don't know. 70s, you know. Um like dancing. That Bill. Yeah. Um Oh, and Billy Joel, too, which Yeah. So to uh accept the use facilities for this second. All those in favor say I. I. I. I. Those opposed. Motion carries.

All right. I know we have two other things. I have to apologize, but I need a brief moment. So I apologize. This is where I'd ask the core for leave to go off the record for five minutes.

How's everyone going tonight? Good. Good. Thank you. Um, just wanted to come back here and uh see if you guys were able to make your decision upon if we could get a a discount on the lease of the fairgrounds for our upcoming event for the 2027. Um, I did send Jeremy all the information for what we plan to do for the next five years. Uh, our show uh plan and schedule of how we're going to run that. um on how how uh all the from per day to what the prizes and the prizes and the money we'll share out to the and what we expect from what we will bring in as profit. So yeah, he shared that with all of us.

Yes, sir. And you had sent me via text after the last meeting um a diagram of different buildings as well that you were looking at. So, it was the community building, the livestock pavilion, um the rabbit poultry barn. Um were there any others?

No. So, we plan to use the rabbit barn and the poultry barn and the big livestock barn for um pins and our show ring. Now, we want to use the community building for our dinner and the sale. Now, we spoke on the I sent you I I know you sent me uh Jeremy in a text that said you guys don't want animals in the community building and we're not going to put them in there. So, what there's a new uh system that a lot of sales have been using for the past 5 to 10 years. It's called CCI Live. So, what breeders do is they take photos of their of their animals and there's a system that puts it into and we just have an auctioneer and they auction them off. So, none of the animals will be in there. They'll all be in the livestock building. We'll just have We just want to have a nice place where people could sit down, have drinks, have dinner, and have an auctioneer site like that. So,

is there I don't I'm just asking because I'm I don't know an issue of putting um swine in the rabbit and poultry buildings.

No, because we'll put pins in there. Our plan our plan was put pins in there. um to house them or uh so just like the fair how how the how the goats, sheep and pigs have pins, we're going to put those same thing pins up to allow the people to bring pins in their pigs in to to allow them to be in the barn because we expect we will not have enough space for trailers. So we want to make it available for people and families to take pigs into the barn to get them ready or to keep them there throughout the three days and stuff like that. So,

I had I did have somebody ask me that they approached me and said, "I don't know if we ought to be having swine in the rabbit building and or in the poultry um crossing the that line." And I again, I don't know enough about it to say yes or no. I don't Well, I've just had that comment made to me, so I'm asking the question. Well, here's another thing is we're having the show in April. So, and the fair is not until July, correct? So there's going to be a good time of of where if there's any if there's any disease or anything that that that's more what the contamination crossing those and again I don't know

in their in their be I mean there's two months that have nothing in there will power wash everything once we're done. Um I did speak to someone at the community building about that. Uh and someone also at the cattle battle they just had they do hire someone or they do it themselves. So, we are also able to power wash and clean the building, make it spotless back to what it was before. So, we are willing to do that. All right. Just checking. Yeah. Y

um one other thing I would like to ask u and I spoke to, um the other people, uh I have there's three other people that are working alongside with me on this project and this fundraising event. Um, so in usually when a a a uh people put on a large uh swine show or a show they have um so it doesn't get uh clustered and flustered and people are going 100,000 places. Um they usually have a place where trailers come and get in line to be put in place. So when we sell the trailer spots, we don't want 20 trailers going in at one time and and potentially causing a wreck. So we want to ask if we would be able to and we didn't know who who owned the the the parking lot of the baseball the the baseball field to allow trailers to come in and pretty much do a big square honestly. So come in, we would have a table check in to where ask him, okay, what's your name? What trailer spot do you have? Are you getting pins? Are you getting a trailer spot? So, we're not having people going in every direction and and potentially causing a wreck as well because we we do not want that.

It's a good idea, but I think in April of 27, more than likely, there will be baseball tournaments. Um Oh, every weekend in April.

Okay. Yeah, we we didn't know if there's baseball tournaments or anything like that. So, we just was wanting to ask um and then se the second thing or along with that is would you guys be okay if we use the where where the rides are usually at the fair? Would you guys be okay with the people that put the that put all their animals and pins? If we use that that grass area as a trailer drop off so people could unhook their trailers so they have a place to put them and they're not on a hill or anything down by the river. Would that would that also be something that you guys would allow us to do? I did send that to you in a um in that diagram, Jeremy, of that's kind of what we would be wanting to potentially do.

So, and looking at that, Landon, it looks like it's it's really a an entire fairgrounds rental is really what it is, more than just a couple of buildings, right? Um because I mean, you're you'd be taking up the entire fairgrounds for the the weekend of your show, for sure. um where nothing else would be able to to happen out there. Is that fair? That that that would be fair. Yes, sir. Um yeah. I mean, in that circumstance, if you're renting the entire fairgrounds, then it's your facility to use. Sure. Um as you see fit,

if you aren't renting the entire fairgrounds, then that's where you get into an issue of having access to other buildings or somebody that may be renting it or not renting it, right? What would be the price if we rented the full whole fairgrounds? Because right now it's only roughly around $4,000. Yeah. So the the rental fee for non501c3s is $10,000. Let me scroll down. I did check.

Yeah. And then applicable to this is under the not for-profit section of the rental agreement. Um all rentals for Decar County notfor-profit 501c3s will receive a 50% off the rental price. Nicator County U entities can request this can follow the procedure laid out below is coming to us or if they have a belief that they are entitled to or should receive a higher um discount

a higher discount than 50% they come to us and the considerations or the criteria uh include cost of event for participants who benefits from the proceeds of the event. Does the event benefit Kater County residents or youth or other factors left to the discretion of county? Those are the factors agreement. I think under through Landon's presentation he's covered those. Well, are you a 501c3? Yes,

sir. We are. I did give you guys that paperwork um when I came in the first time. In all reality, the money we'll put down for the rent, we're going to take uh it would be out of what we would make in profit because we've already uh planned out what we're trying to get in sponsorships. So, if you guys do, if you don't allow us to get the discount, it would go out of what we'd make as a profit for our program to help us be able to buy the quay and buy the animals and and do all the things that we're trying to pursue to do. So, you're not actually purchasing the animals you're at least.

Yeah. Yes. Correct. Correct. But just in that di frame, right? I'm I'm under the the the thought process of of they're going to get a discount with the 501c3. That's all I I think for me is is um the $5,000 for the for the fairgrounds.

I Yep. No, no, yep. I agree with you. I thought So, when I read the contract, I thought I didn't I we were just expecting to do the the the the three barns. I we didn't look at the big picture. So, I agree with you guys 100%. I just thought when I read the contract, it said that um it said that even going blank. I forget what it said. I thought I thought it said that you even if you weren't or not, like whether you were a non forprofit or not, you would have to request to get to get a a u a down price. So, that's what I thought. That's why I came in the first time.

Nope. you it it's it's stated here not forprofits 501c3 will receive 50% off of rental price and I I Landon honestly I I think what you're doing is great um I don't think that I can justify uh a lower Yeah. No, and I totally and I totally understand that. Part of that is if you're if you're bringing in the number of hogs that you're talking about, these folks are going to be in the wash racks 247. um they're going to be using water that's ridiculously expensive for us on the price per meter. Uh and the amount of water that's going to be flowing there, the electrical is going to be outrageous. Um

so I mean we're we're going to have costs as well that I mean it's either your events paying for it um with all the money that you're bringing in or county tax dollars are paying for for sure. So I I for me plus we have other we have other events that come in that are also not for profofit that we history of charging you gota be fair for for usage of the facilities out there and so I don't I don't feel like at this point I can personally justify it. No that's totally understandable. I mean we're if you got I didn't real like I said I didn't realize the you were coming to ask to get to the five. Yes that that is correct. Yes that is correct. Yes. Yes. You do fall into those guidelines. Everything's good.

That that is what I was trying to do. That's correct. Do you have you have liability insurance? Yes, we do. Yes, sir. You when you ran it, you'll have to submit all that paperwork prior to prior to renting. Correct. Correct. Um we'll have to follow all the guidelines. Yep. When So, when we fill out the contract, do we will you will it have to be brought to you guys to to approve it or No. Okay. I just didn't know. I just saw you guys do some other contracts like that. So, I just didn't know if I would have to come back to Well, this is just a little different because we using the fairgrounds, we go through the extension office for like a total fairground rental. For sure.

We put we put together the pricing and everything and already set the parameters for sure. So, they just they can handle it. Okay, cool. All right. Well, I appreciate your time. Like I said, I thought when what he said, I thought we had to pay the full 10,000. So that's why I came in to you guys and I was trying to make that and and I would encourage Landon as well like we talked is is that clean up of those poultry and uh rabbit. Um so they're they're as you came in they're the same.

For sure. For sure. And we would absolutely love to have any of you guys come out. I know it's a year in advance but whatever three days I mean if you want to come probably Saturday and Sunday would be our most busiest days. So, if any of you guys would like to come out, check it out. You guys are more than welcome. Um, I can uh I when we're currently getting our flyer done, so I can send it to Jeremy and he could share with you guys. And you guys,

so Landon, just so you know, the way that the the rental agreement is worded, it's a price per day. You get the day before for setup and the day after for setup. So, that may be something that you have to consider if you're talking about a multi-day show. Okay. So, what what do you mean? So, so say your say your show is your event is on a Saturday, you would have access, you know, the Friday for setup and you would have access for the Sunday for tear down and clean up. Okay?

Unless you're renting then for say a Friday, Saturday show and then you you get those shoulder days as well for for setup. So, so I would need the shoulder days of Thursday and Monday. Monday. But so your your event then is Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Yes. So the way that this is worded is it's the charges per day. That 5,000. So it would be okay. And that and that's what I was if you're looking at it, it's actually 15,000 um is the 50% discount if you're having a three-day show. Right. Okay. Okay.

So, something to take into account with the size of your first year event and that kind of thing. Sure. When um So, we already have it on the you already have it on the schedule. When is the latest that we could pay that fee and still have it? So, it doesn't is it is there there's no time. That is up to you as far as reserving your dates. Okay. Um would there be a to make sure that nobody else has has rented it. And when you when you go to rent it, you have to put a deposit down for you to actually reserve it.

You can't just walk in and just speak for it and that is your your reservation. A deposit actually has to be made. It is refundable uh again per the contract. Um but yeah. Is there is there I haven't looked back at the contract, but is there um is there like can you make payments or does it all have to be upfront? Uh it says depon deposit payable at the time of contract signing. So when you move to reserve that date that's when the deposit is due.

Okay. Uh, and I know just the community building, new the new building has already been booked for I think several events in 27. So there are already dates. I don't know when they are. For sure. Uh, but there are already dates in 27. Okay. In which different aspects of the fairgrounds are being used. Yep. For sure. Sure. Okay. Well, I appreciate you guys' time. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you,

Mike Septton. It's great to meet with you guys again. That means we're getting one step closer. I guess I'd be spokesman for the future of the inclusion ball field for the handicapped children. Uh we have we did a preliminary uh rendering and actually Eric Schmidt did that. He's with me tonight. Eric has built many fields over the country. There's 250 of these over the country. Uh but the main reason that I want to be on the agenda is um we need to know where the location in Rebecca Park will be because it makes a big difference if I've got you know kind of a uh the simple rendering but as we get closer and for us to be able to get um uh like pamphlets set out and things to put on the internet for fundraising and what have you. we need to know where we're going to be. And so anyway, that's kind of paramount for the future of the the ball field. Um when we started, we were just wanting to look at a ball field, but we think it's important that we look at what might surround the area as far as restroom concession stand parking. Uh I be and I've been to Knuckles Park and I've been to one down in Maninnesota, Florida. And the the main thing is is we don't want to limit ourselves where we can't put in an inclusion putt puck course or an inclusion ice cream shop or an inclusion uh concession stand. And we definitely will need uh handicapped restrooms. But I want to introduce Eric here. He would probably be better at answering questions than I would because this is his area of expertise and I'm just an

old farm boy with big ideas. So, I will give you a copy of the renderings if I haven't already. And that kind of lets you know kind of what our thought process is. Okay. Awesome.

Mike, what is the size the footprint needed for construction and after completion?

So, it kind of varies. So, and it with this rendering here, it's just really like an initial kind of get the imagination thing going here. So, we're we're discussing a couple options. Some of the fields are as small as 120T fence. Um, good average size is 150T fence. Um, that could still the kids can still jack dingers over the fence. Um, you know, get that gets pretty awesome, you know, have them set long balls. Um but also there's other circumstances where if it's in a community say like this we'll take it out to a 200t fence that way softball youth baseball um like 10 and under can use it you can still use it for coach pitch t- ball educational ball so that's a discussion to have on where to set that fence at I know right now we're thinking if it's going to be primarily a special needs uh field then we would go between the 130 and 135t range so that's the ball diamond then we also have to accommodate uh the dugouts and accommodate the fan seating for at minimum. And then as we phase up and build out press box, concession stand, um and some of the other amenities that you would want to have at a at a premier park for our kiddos.

What is Mike's thought process from the Rotary Club as far as raising the money? Right. But what are what are you thinking? Is this inclusion diamond only or are you thinking um if it's not being used for in inclusion could it be used for as he said um T-ball or other things and I I what is your thought process?

Well our thought pro process was originally when I introduced the idea was simply a ball field and and we didn't even think about park out there and there was enough students out there That's why the cornfield out there, you know, that that is great for the expansion room. I'd love for you to see it out. They got a they got

botchi ball. Yeah. Special Olympics botchi ball. Um and the and the golf as well. So that's kind of nice because it's and the thing is with the botchi ball and the the the putt putt is a way that it's designed, it's universal. So regardless of you have your ability or if you're a mobility device, every kid in the community, every adult in the community has an opportunity to use it. It's kind of like our our the uh playground out there. It's a inclusion playground, but Eric was the one that built that. I designed that playground. But a lot of people use it. My I take my grandkids out there and use it. Yeah.

Yeah. That's kind of nice because that's one of the things that we we really strive to be good at is is taking care of our entire community without making it look like or focus on one specific need. Mhm. Um, and I'm sure you guys are aware when that was built, it was a a number one um, infrastructure improvement in Indiana under a million dollars a year was built. And that's one of another reason we really like Rebecca Park is because that's there,

right? And it could be such an amazing community hub with what you have with the concert series and the splash pad, the playground, and everything you have an opportunity to do out there. And with the cornfield, there is opportunity for growth, right? So, we've seen fields that we've built four or five years ago that they're getting such a so many athletes coming in that we're now building another field, additional field for them. We're starting, we're in the design phase for Sean Casey's field in Pittsburgh, put a second field in for him now. Um he this just grows so fast and it's kind of neat because you get the entire community coming together. An amazing community space, great opportunity for everyone. Um, I mean this is I mean this is a the kind of projects like this and then you know it's a big it's a big picture big scope but it's not all tomorrow. It can be absolutely phased out

and you have so many amazing things already with the walking trail um the fitness cluster that you guys have out there now little tweaks could be made to that to make that more inclusive. So there's like upper bars for for folks with mobility devices to be able to use some of the equipment as well. Um, but that's a big bite out of the apple that's already already there. The walking path being in there is a big bite out of the apple that's already there. It's just being able to create a much bigger and better environment, but a better environment that, you know, we can look five, six years down the road without even even having a completion date set. Number one goal is get the kids playing ball, right? We can get the diamond in, start with aluminum bleachers, then upgrade to, you know, um, like fan seating with, you know, solid wood brick, make it look really like a ballpark. But, you know, there's there's ways to to be able to get it. But, you know, what we like to say is we got to play ball first and then we can build the park.

One thing that I, you know, when I brought this for the Rotary, I didn't realize what kind of economic impact that this has. people's closest athletes are getting where they want to travel. They want to go to city 100 miles away. or not Gettysburg Town.

Went to Coopertown last year. The year before that we went down to Pigeon Forge, played at uh the Reken Experience. And these are teams from Fairfield, Ohio, Mercer County, New Jersey, New York, Western Massachusetts, Sous City, Iowa. All these families that kids that can travel are able to come to do these. So, we throw one of these events once a year. This year we're bringing five um five foundations and we're all going to be playing at Knoxall for a three-day a three-day travel ball tournament. I mean, every kid has an opportunity should have an opportunity to play and to have the big league experience. We a lot of us grew up with that, you know, being able to be able to have kids are good enough to play travel ball or ourselves being good enough to be be able to play travel ball. And it's just had not that we want want to build a travel ball facility right now, but we want to create the opportunity so these kids can be in a a structured environment where they're getting the exercise. They're outside, you know, they're building peer-to-peer relationships. Families are meeting, right? It's like, oh, my kid, I'm talking to this doctor about this therapy, you know, and be able to transfer that from community to community to community is just a wonderful thing we're able to do. The only thing I see with this drawing which is it's actually very nice to be able to actually see this on paper. You know, we've only really, you know, just looked at the field and try to envision what you would do. So, this is extremely helpful. The only thing I see is we had Mike, we had some discussion in the beginning, you know, that parking is one of the biggest concerns that we have at Rebecca. We're already short on parking now. And so, it's been in our outlook of how do we, you know, where do we put the parking lot? Where do we add the additional parking? Because again, we're already short. So, I noticed like in this rendering, you know, it's it's taking up the whole field versus we were looking to hopefully put parking in that section as well. So, we don't want to lose all the green space just inside of what we have in the park now. So, and I think that if if we went solely with just this plan, which I know this is just preliminarily, but I think if we went solely with this plan, that's kind of what it would force us to do is to

turn all the green space into. Yeah, I I agree with you. When we did that initial rendering, we figured there's going to be 8, 9, 10, 11 additional render. Okay, let's just get kind of like set kind of set a placeholder here as like very helpful to see.

We know we want to clock the field a little bit. So, we got the east west, we don't have the the north south sunsite or east west sun going in. So, things like that, we we really kind of they put a lot of thought in design um along the existing roadway there. There's pull and ADA parking. Um me and Mike spent an hour over uh Rebecca today. I love seeing that place. Yeah, it's my used to be my home for a couple of months. We were making it. Um, but you know, it's like simple things like moving the Ballards back so we can access from that side of the park and use that one center field that's behind the restrooms as maybe additional parking lot. Um, just because the kids are mobility devices doesn't mean they can't move. Heck, we're going to get them playing baseball. Yeah.

Right. So, if the restroom is 30, 40, 50 yards away, it's not unmanageable. Y so what I hear, Mike, that you need is like a an affirmative from us that we're saying Rebecca Park in this general area.

Yeah. Because we can't put anything together until I hear from the commissioners. I want you to put that right somewhere in that cornfield or I want you to put it right there in the middle. Uh the other place there's a few issues that would go on behind the pickup court and that would be that the parking lot's pretty close. I'm afraid that something might happen to cars in group. main thing would be that's where all the parents is going to park thinking, oh, I got a place over here and then all of a sudden have people park.

Yeah, that's what we're talking about. Maybe potentially moving those ballards down because you already have automobile access there before, but if you move the ballards back, you could take that automobile access and have that area behind the pickleball court for additional parking. still allowing for the ADA parking along the the path along the cornfield. Could you present this to the parks board too have them look at it first? No, I haven't taken it to the Rotary. Okay. Which there's some of the park people in Rotary. So, I can't say they don't know about it, but

because obviously, you know, they fall into the maintenance and the whole rest of the piece and their future plans if they have some as well. So, I just I wanted to make sure that they saw this. That's that that's one of the things that kind of are like what we would like to see as next steps. Once we have an area where we know like this is where we go, we can really get that dialed in, use it, shut it up, do flythroughs, you know, have vendor or sponsorship areas so Mike and his team can take it out and do some additional fundraising for some of the phase two things like getting the maybe maybe an additional restaurant, but you know, grandstand, seating, press box, concession stand, things like that. I I think Go ahead, G.

Well, I just for Chris and Erica. Erica's on our parks board. Uh Chris is our executive director. Do you have any not looking at any plans? Do you guys have any concerns? We also have Brian Robinson. Oh, Brian. I thought you were virtual. I didn't even see you over there. I I'm sorry. It's been It's been two and a half hours.

Uh so three. So Brian is also our parks board president. Uh do you guys have any concerns or just with as far as naming Rebecca Park where it will be not any placement of anything or structure? I think okay. So and that's all you need, right? Yeah. It's just that just that it is going to be at Rebecca Park in the general vicinity of somewhere. Yeah. And the thing is we can do renderings if we, you know, if we put it in the field, we know some idea of maybe what can go around it. Now, if it's over by Arbor Grove, we're going to build a field and that's going to be there's no no expansion room there for,

you know, miniature golf. It'd have to go someplace else maybe, you know, and and I'm thinking far out, you know, but but the way I look at things and got was a poor dirt farmer at one time and and for us to have a hog facility that was in three different places was just a major inconvenience and we would have been better off to start out in an open field and added to it there instead to have to add some here some there and some over here so inefficient but I think you know if you could get inclusion inclusion inclusion and everybody know Greensburg's noted for the inclusion park and we've got building bridges out there theclusion that's already there. We have the ball field. Maybe we have would have a soccer field down the road. Maybe we would have, you know, a concession stands got to be there pretty quick. But the main thing is we got to get them playing the ball. You know, we can get trailers coming out there to serve food. You know, if we're having a a tournament out there, but uh we got to get playing ball first, but we got to know where to put the field. And I will just stretch that again though that also for them to come out there and to use those facilities that we'd have to have somewhere to park and there's already nowhere to park. So we just need to make sure as we're looking at renderings that we're accounting for the space in order to add the parking lot because there is nowhere for anyone to park out there now if you were to have any kind of

Yeah. And my my only thought with the the parking is designed on here is you're then reversing out onto that road. And I know Chris has had emailed uh at least me and at least we discussed it on the phone last week about issues out there already with that road being busy. Yes, there were some discussions too early on about potentially closing that off too. Um so the backing out onto that road is a concern for me with the way it's designed. I think

I I think there's enough length there if you're looking with say an amber or Saturday, not a trail, not a bunch of kids or four or five teams coming, but if you're having two teams for usually games are hour, 15, hour and a half max, they to keep them time to five innings. Um, kids are getting in, get the wiggles out, get them back. Um, I think you have enough with the length of that where you could do pull side in parking, right? Just facing one direction out. I don't think you have to pull in. um especially you're going to have grandparents, you're going to have um you know neighbors and friends that are going to come want to watch come these games. So the additional parking lot potentially behind the pickle ball court if that will work if that would be easily accessible to just be able to get those stalls that don't require the ADA access.

Well, I think it to me personally I'm okay with it going at Rebecca Park, but I think there's going to have to be some further discussions just as far as the layout. Like again, we don't want people out. I don't want people parking alongside that road. We're okay with closing that I say closing the road, but closing that drive. I mean, we've talked about that, but that's some potential that we could do that and then for make that into a parking lot at the back. So, maybe the granular pieces we, you know, are to come, but there may be room to add parking in that area if we just take the field out further. Any drainage issues or water issues?

We looked at that. There's a uh a covert that goes under under the main road right there now. And the only place we really are going to be putting drainage is underneath the synthetic surface itself. That's the only place for piping water. So, um, and it is it is pvious. They don't have to worry about any water sheeting or anything like that. So, and what we would do is just take it over and put it into that culbert.

I'm I'm for um Rebecca Park. I I'm with Gabe. There's got to be a lot of planning and location and and renderings, drawings um and because Parking's a premium 100%. Um, we we want to make sure we're we're looking for the future. We want to make sure that, you know, as we look at this, we don't want to be shortsighted, nearsided, right? So, I think all those things are important, but as for this evening, I'd say I'm on board with Rebecca Park for what you need for this evening, right? All those other things we can work on. There's going to be a lot a lot of Zoom calls, a lot of meetings to get it dialed in a little closer to where we say, "Okay, this is like close enough now where we can render it. Um, we can do highends where he can take and go on his fundraising finish fundra." I guess the big thing is I don't want Eric to spend a lot of time on rendering cornfield there and then it's not going to be able to go in the middle field and pick ones made for that. No, it can't go there. It's got to go over next to Arbor Grove. So, see all I'm wanting to do ideally in my little mind it's like Well, it needs to go in the cornfield because like I explained before because I went this

right shortsighted deal where you know then we we get the inconvenience of things

and I feel like the whole inclusion part needs to be at park because then I think we don't want we don't want you know design something to go one place and then we That's one thing when I said shortsighted. We've got a plan. So, we've got to get the park parks department on board. Get Chris on board. Get us on board and look at where's where's the best place for this for future use for for growth. Um, and maybe what you've got is is ideal. This is perfect. We don't know. I mean, I we I think we really got to sit down with with everybody and and look at these things and just make sure I don't want to, you know, we can make a snap decision and then all of a sudden we're regretting this in six months like, "Oh man, I wish we'd have moved this over here or so if we if we have a discussion now prior to building, then we can get those things ironed out." If that makes sense.

Is the diamond to scale or in that drawing? Yeah, I think that's to scale to 135 ft. Okay. See, I don't I think I think if you put it anywhere but the field, it's too congested. I And I'm not I'm not arguing that fact, but I parking. Where are we going to put parking? If if we don't like the parking backing out on that drive, where are we going to put enough parking for a 100 vehicles? Sure. I think you're going to have to we're going to have to expand the parking that's there by the inclusion close to the pickle ball court. I don't think that's going to be sufficient. Well, and again, these are all discussions we can have later as we're

But I think as far as what they need, I I think that what they need is Yes. the the field is the area. I don't think you can put this in that area there north of pickle ball court. Um I definitely it doesn't I don't think it'll fit. It won't. I mean, you you'd have to tear out that trail and then we actually potentially get into some issues because that was grant money. Grant money. We can't do that.

I don't think we can touch that. You can't go over there towards Arbor Grove. That's actually their ground. And we had to get uh a contract, an easement with them to get across there for that trail, which includes I think they're they're getting rent for one of those storage buildings, Chad, out there as consideration for the easement going across. So, I mean, you're really only looking at that area north of the pickle ball courts where the path is or the field. So, I mean, for me, I think the field is the only place. Now, the location in the field, yeah,

um I think is up for debate, but I think the field is the only place that is even a possibility at Rebecca Park. I think that this would probably be best if we We can make the motion we can approve the use or the fact that it will go at Rebecca Park, but then we can take this to long range planning and invite parks to come in with us and we can all discuss, you know, which way we want to do and then give you a couple options and then you can see if that can fit or make it make it work. And if we have a couple options to look from, then we I like that.

There's a lot of of things that need to happen between parks and us. and they know so much about the property and where maintenance stuff is and the issues and the problems that they've seen already. And then of course we have to take into our account the future. So I think that's to me that's I think that's probably the that's fine.

I'm absolutely happy to sit sit on those meetings. We're working with the city of Florence, Kentucky right now on building two house for those for them and we're meeting every two weeks as the plan progresses. We meet up because like the architect might come up with questions, oh we need a drainage detail, right? So we meet we're meeting every two weeks to get it to okay this is the final build's design. So that's that's that's part of the part for the course for how this works. I would make a motion to approve Rebecca Park as the future location of the inclusion diamond location on that property unspecified right now. But we for the fundraising efforts that's what matters is is we know where where we want it to go and whether that moves 100 ft this way or that way I don't think should play into that to that.

The renderings that we're going to show people here hopefully in the next few months um with the fancy flythroughs and everything isn't going to be exactly what gets built down the road. So we're still ahead of the game just to get in front of people. Right. Right. And then we're still going to be it's still going to be flo making changes all the way until we put shovels in the ground. Sometimes changes as the shovels are underground. Do you guys have a target, Mike? Do you have a target date when you'd like to get this thing going starting? Uh yeah, last month. Yeah.

You know, like I don't know the ins and outs of all this. I mean it's a learning curve for me and you know used to be what I dealt with if I got an idea in the morning I was working on it that afternoon that's I'm just an old country boy you know but I understand I'm beginning to understand kind of how it works but the main thing is I don't want to have renderings done if then we're told no it's not here that's all I that's all I need to know is if you said Okay, you know, you got three areas. You got west, middle, and east. fields. That's all. Well, I'd rather be able And you know, you may have gloss. I think we'll get there, but we can't do that tonight. So, I mean, the the the goal that you need is to say that that it will go at Rebecca Park. So, again, I will make the motion that we approve Rebecca Park as a location of the inclusion.

I'll second that. All those in favor say I. I. Those opposed. And then we'll work together. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Uh, final thing here. Let's fire EMS. Decator County EMS is I apologize. This is literally the longest meeting. This is the marathon, Matt. This is This is the new record. Easy.

I'm actually glad I came to this meeting. There's so much positive stuff happening in the community that I witnessed tonight. Makes me, you know, pretty proud to be a a community member. So the reason I want to come to the commission is I sent you guys emails um kind of looking towards working towards an agreement with us. Um as you said Dear County Memorial Hospital has the contract provide 911 but we are doing a lot of backup. Um I guess in perspective if you look at the sheriff's department their numbers in probably 1997 was half what it is today. Um, and they've they've grown and I think the sheriffs in the past have done a good job articulating the need for growth. If you look at our EMS, um, we haven't grown. Let's has added added ambulances, um, to backfill because we've seen the need. Um, but you guys know what you pay the the hospital and it's really underfunded, um, to be very honest. And you know, they can only do so much for what they got. Um, you know, I hear people think that 911 is just as important or more important than transfers. I think transfers are equally as important because it's getting our community members from our critical access hospital to defend care at St. Francis, IU Health, wherever it be, you know, Cincinnati. Um, but I know they're struggling and I think you maybe you guys have talked to them about that. Um, have you had conversations?

Been a few preliminary conversations. It's really I wouldn't even say conversations. There's been some here and there and just knowing that yes, something was going to have to be done differently in the future, but we haven't had that, you know, executive session with the hospital to then, you know, discuss that those terms.

You know, in the past, we we kind of offered up, you know, we want to help our neighbors. Um, I can't do it for free. you know, it it costs about $180 an hour right now to operate a staffed vehicle. Um, I've got two crews on lets today. So, that's a lot of money um that we're putting out to help help cover. And I don't know what those numbers are, but I wanted this preliminary conversation to see if the commissioners would be, you know, would look at maybe entering into an agreement with us and helping us out um as a backup fashion just like we do now. Leanne, do you have any idea what the numbers are?

Are you referring to your

Yeah, to ours. Yeah, I pulled the last two years. April So even though I still had to go through system a little faster on that calls Yeah,

which I also provided. And we call it mutual aid, but it's really not mutual because they don't reciprocate, you know, helping us essentially. You know, it's kind of Have you went to the hospital and asked for funding from the hospital? I have not. And and the reason I haven't is because what the county pays for the ambulance.

Um what is the contract? 150ome,000 a year. No, it's 120

120,000 a year. Um, you know, just in in the math in my head, just for them to break even at payroll, they have to do 10 transports a shift. That's just payroll. um the aimless business, people think there's it's flush with cash because you think there's big charges and there could be big charges, but the fact of the matter is the reimbursement rates from Medicare and Medicaid and private insurance is terrible. Um the typical Medicare run will pay $380. Um if you have a cardiac arrest, the IO that we put in, you know, to drill in the bone is $125. uh the monitor that I put the people on is $65,000 and there's annual maintenance to that. You know, it's super expensive to do that. Um I wonder that conversation was, you know,

I I just feel like, you know, for us as a as commissioners, we're we're in a contract with the hospital and we we contract them to do EMS for us. they choose to use you and or other people for their backup. I think you're I think you have a mutual aid agreement with the hospital and that correct? We do have a mutual aid agreement and and I think within that mutual aid agreement there's nothing that's it correct me if I'm wrong specifies you would get paid for your mutual aid

right there is not but it's really at this point it's not mutual it's one way aid and I'm just saying that that you have an agreement okay we can leave out the mutual you have an agreement with the hospital that you would provide a backup service with them and you haven't asked ask them for any funding for that. I can go to the hospital and the board and ask that.

Um, but again, you know, at the end of the day what what the county pays for the service. Um, you know, when I went back and said about the sheriff's department, you know, I think maybe the sheriffs in the past articulated, well, they needed to increase. Since 97, we've doubled our sheriff's department. You know, we got a $26 million jail over there. We haven't changed anything that EMS has done. We haven't changed ambulance numbers. We know the volume of calls. When I worked at the hospital, you know, we was doing a couple thousand a year. Calvin told me his last year over there they was like 4,500. You know, the volume's double what it was, but we're still contracting with one ambulance essentially.

And and I we recognize that that there's changes need to be made. Um I I think we can all agree that um that service needs systems or needs upgraded. We don't we recognize that and I don't think a lot of people probably do realize how much you guys do and it is a lot and it is very greatly appreciated

and you guys are very responsive and it's always been willing to help. You guys responded to the carriage on the square issue, you know, thing last year. I mean, it you guys have always been a big help. I think in order to kind of direct it the right way it we wouldn't want to have two agreements because then who's really reliable you know if we have two agreements with you that may allow theos like one with you one with them that may allow the hospital to do nothing but transfers then you're you're you know taking all the calls you know just as a scenario or vice versa you know I I do think we need to sit down collaboratively like with the hospital and you know have a discussion about it um because we definitely need to improve our EMS MS system in the county. I I will agree with that, Matt. 100%. I do.

I mean, it it it needs But this is where it starts is having this conversation. Right. I I agree. I think that right channel though is probably going to the hospital. So then for us it is. Yeah. Right. So then they go, well, hey, if we're, you know, going to have to change something then, right? And I did include Matt in the carbon copied him in the email that I sent you guys because I want everybody on the same page because then the discussion also has to include the council. Sure. I mean fiscally we can we can say we're going to give whatever but it's got to go through the council to um they're the fiscal body of the of the county. This is the right time of year to start that discussion, right?

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Budget's coming up. So anyway, there's a there's a lot of of stuff that goes into that. Sure. Yeah. And I and I will echo Gabe. I 100% appreciate your willingness. Let's fire department willingness to to do that backup right now for Gratus and and I appreciate that. I mean, I think our county should appreciate that. Um you've you've done it. I mean, it that doesn't go without recognition. It's just that we we are in a contract with the hospital and we have to be careful, you know, we we we've got to do it in a certain way. So,

we appreciate all the Yeah, I I I'm remiss if I didn't mention that, too. But even know There's only a couple of times that you guys weren't able to. Yeah, we're like I said, we're we're 100% about being community team players, but you know, on the other end of that, too, we got to be financially It costs money. It does cost a lot of money. So, that's why I wanted to start this conversation and uh no better time than now. So,

so I will um I will talk to the hospital and meet with them and keep you guys in the loop. But appreciate your time. All right. We appreciate it, ma'am. Thank you. Thank you. All right. You guys have anything else? Well, I got No, I'm kidding. No, I don't. I was going to try to hurry and get it out before you start. I uh I'll entertain a motion to this. So moved. All right, we are recessed. Thank you everyone.