Common Council - Regular Meeting

The time is now 6:35. Um, I will call the March 2nd, 2026 U meeting of the common council to order. Please stand for the pledge of allegiance.

I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. The next agenda item is the roll call in the first and the termination for quum. Let the record reflect that we have eight counselors present and that we do have a quorum. This meeting has been properly noticed in accordance with the open door policy. Um copies of the agenda are available. Um believe there might be some outside of the room over there. Um, if any citizens wishing to speak during citiz comments, please use the signage sheet. The next item on the agenda is the comments of council members, special recognitions and resolutions. Do we have any comments this evening? Yes, council. You're down there, right? Yes, I hear you. Um, I wish to give an update on some complaints that I have received from several of uh my constituents and some restaurant owners that are in my district about the food truck vendors. And I know this is going to be a broken record and hopefully you can bear with me here, but I have driven around the city of Lawrence and I have discovered that there are six food truck vendors or there was currently operating in the city and they are all in the old part of Lawrence or in district 2 which is in district I represent. I have researched the requirements for these food vendors and I have found that the only requirement is a Maring County Board of Health license. Upon inquiry to our administration about permits needed for them to operate in large, it was my understanding that the permits are

issued by Indianapolis and any inspections uh needed are done by Indianapolis. I later found that this is not the case and that currently the board of health permit is all that is needed. I researched Maring County Health requirement and discovered this uh as below uh and this was in paragraph two of the starting a mobile food service in Marian County by the board of health. And this paragraph says, "Find a commissary kitchen or base operations. All mobile food units must have a commissary kitchen they visit daily for cleaning for acquiring water and disposing of waste water. A commissary kitchen must be a licensed retail food establishment and a mobile unit must have 247 access to it. Additional uses for the commissary include food preparation, food storage, and vehicle storage. The commissary kits are selected will be subjected to the Marian County Board of Health approval. So, after looking at these six vendors, I noticed that all had permanent power and electric meters and that they're close to my home. I have never seen any of these vehicles move. So, I doubt it that they're doing this daily going to the food or yeah to the food store or to the uh kitchen and doing any cleansing, cleaning or you know getting rid of water and uh putting in new water. Uh so as I said I researched the requirements for the food vendors and I found that the sorry lost my place here I am uh that

after the Marian County Board of Health inspection u had noticed that all permanent power electric meters and I doubted that any had left to a permanent side site for any required cleaning. So, I reported them to the board of health and expressed my concerns after reading some complaints that some people stated they were getting sick after eating at certain vendors. After the Marian County Board of Health inspection, I was emailed by the inspector who informed me that he fined three of the vendors for multiple violations and one vendor had his license revoked completely. It was this inspector who informed me that the Indianapolis required no permit for these trucks and fair loop and the Marian County Board of Health inspections are done on inception of a license hold to notify a complaint. Unfortunately, the city of Lawrence apparently has no interest in any oversight of or permitting of these vendors. Apparently, our city has no need for the revenue that would come from these permits. Nor does this administration or the council seems concerned about the brick and mortar restaurants that do pay property taxes and contribute to our city. nor does the administration or the council, excuse me, um have any concerns with the public health risk of our citizens by not providing any oversight of these vendors. The mayor's mantra is live longer and large. So, how is this helping people live longer in Larks when it seems that the administration and the council is content to see these vendors operate without any oversight as long as they stay operating within the boundaries of Old Lawrence or in my district uh

district two? I think maybe this should change. Maybe these vendors need to be encouraged to spread out and explore the possibilities of the entire city and that way they're not all just concentrated in the one area. So anyway, I thank you for listening to this and u hopefully we can take some action to at least do some oversight on these members. I think it would be appropriate. So I'll yield to whoever wants to speak next. Oh, thank you.

I This is the comments, right? Yes. I wanted to uh give acknowledgement. I meant to do it in the last meeting um for our um public safety office, our fire department. Um I was kind of been over a week or so ago. Um I was very impressed with we had a there was a fire um that I happened to come across in the beginning of it um in the Oakland area and um I think it was in Royal Hills and I was very impressed um with the professionalism of the department. I was also very impressed with the I saw it the the the interworking between our department and uh Indianapolis Police Department, Indianapolis um fire department. Um, and I just want to acknowledge u the folks and I watched and I was just very very impressed with how they just just top level professionalism. So just want to give a shout out. Thank you downstairs. Anyone else like to see now receive the next agenda item which is the approval of minutes of the regular meeting of February 18th 2026. Um are there any questions or corrections to the minutes? I would entertain a motion to approve the minutes of the meeting of February 18th, 2026. We'll move. Thank you, counselor. Thank you. Um, we have a second.

Yep. Do we have uh any more discussion? All right, we'll proceed with the vote. All those in favor, please stand by saying I. I. All those opposed, please stand by saying nay. The record reflect the unanimous decision to approve the minutes of February 18th, 2026. The next item on the agenda is the signing of vouchers, approval of claims, and the authorizations of payment for March 2nd, 2026. Do we have any discussion? I would entertain a motion to approve the signing of vouchers, approval of claims, and authorizations of thank you counselor second. Thank you. Um, we'll now proceed with the vote. All those for president.

Yes. Could I ask a question if I may believe?

Yes. Um, last meeting I made a motion to uh remove any bills that were um approved by the board of works. And I know this has been hacked, but I still don't quite understand. And I called the city attorney well the other day and I have yet to hear back from her to try to get a total understanding as to why what the council did. And I believe it was um it was back in September, this proposal number two where we limited this uh this amount to $5,000. And uh what I don't quite understand is the exact why certain parts of it is apparently illegal. And I would like to quote what I seen and what we voted on back in in um back in September the 23rd of 2025. Under paragraph A, it said any expenditures for professional services are to retain a consultant or other professional by or with the city of Lawrence, Indiana in the amount equal to or in excess of $5,000 in a fiscal year must be approved by the common council prior to any payments of claims under such contract. The term of any professional service contract shall not extend past the end of the fiscal year in which it is executed. And uh paragraph C it says consistent with division A above the council will not approve any claim for an expenditure

for professional services without first reviewing and approving said contract submitted by the city administration in advance of a request for payment of the first claim under said contract. In paragraph E, except approval under this section means a simple majority vote of the council obtained by written request sent to the clerk for inclusion in the next meeting agenda. So this is why I said at the last meeting that by reading this, my understanding is anything that was approved by the board of works should have been submitted directly to the council for approval. That's how I read that what it says right here. That's why I said at the last meeting I shouldn't have to try to sort out what is approved by the board because it failed out here in in this proposal too under what we passed last year. So, you know, I mean I was definitely criticized heavily. Uh, and all I'm trying to do is follow what we passed last year. And uh, if uh, if this part of it is illegal as well as what the attorney have told us, you know, the last time, I would like to try to understand the why. Because my I guess my reservation to this whole thing is if it's if it's illegal, why didn't the attorney spell that out to us? Cuz this proposal two sit on the books for almost three almost 3 months. So why didn't the attorney say something up until the time that we started questioning why it was things were being passed by the going to work and not being sent to the council? I think uh Lisa Shavish brought that up the end of

life almost again your opinion but u and the other thing is this was done also it was reduced uh from the previous mayor down to $5,000 and I know he had a barrage of attorneys so why didn't he foul why didn't he say that it would be legal what we did back in the previous council so you know So these are some of the questions that I have and that's why I brought up that I thought that the uh you know the claims made by the U board of works shouldn't be held until we until we have had a chance to review them as it said right here in the contract or in the proposal. So anyway, that's my, you know, that's my spiel and I'm going to still be a no vote until we get some resolution on this. U you know, there vote. All those in favor, please sign by saying I. I.

All those opposed, please say by saying none. We'll proceed with a roll call vote. Council driv one vote to approve. The next agenda item is next agenda item is reports and committees. Do we have any reports and committees this evening? We'll proceed with unfinished business. The next agenda item is unfinished business proposal number three 2025. Madam clerk, would you please state the title of that ordinance into the record?

Proposal number 32025 in ordinance of the found council of the city of Indiana vending title one article 2 chapter 5 ordinances of the city of Indiana.

Thank you madam cler. That proposal remains before the public safety committee for consideration and recommendation for full council and will be brought back to us when appropriate. The next agenda item is unfinished business for Wilson, 2026. Item third, could you please read the title of that ordinance in the record? Proposal number one, 2026, employment of the county council of the city of 202 article one, chapter 2, section 12 regarding common council approval on expenditures of professional service.

Thank you, Madam Cler. That proposal remains before the committee of both consideration of the council and we'll be draw um the next item is new business. I'm going to go a little bit out of order for new business items. Uh zone 01 45th street 4626 that was not properly noticed. Um and then also for items one and four rear development um there was supposed to be an additional item that was added in that does not in time so I would enter the motion to table second we'll now proceed with the vote all those in favor of tableabling items 1 3 and four until the next seder.

Yes. Councelor Kramer, yes. Councelor, yes. Councelor Robinson, yes. Councelor Chrome, yes. And then councelor W. Let the record reflect that there is a 71 code to table items one, three, and four until um the next item on the under business is our appointment to the USB board. Um we are receiving one appointment to the utility service board. Um I will open the floor to if anyone would like to nominate someone who they would like to spoke to the utility service board. I would like to nominate Ray Bright.

Greg Wright. Second, counselor. We have a second. Do we have any other nominations?

We have a um what? We have received a second per nomination per grade. Do we have any other nominations? We just have one nomination. I guess right. Would you like to nominate someone else as well? I'm sorry. Did you have a nomination? No. I want to thank I will proceed with a a vote to approve Greg Bright to the US uh utility service board. All those in favor of project saying I. I. All those opposed, please say that by saying nay. Let the record reflect that we have an 8 to zero vote to approve right to the utility service floor.

All right. The next agenda item is comments from the administration. Do we have any comments from the admin today? Yeah, I'm I don't have any specific questions. I'm just going to defer to Jackson. Yes, I do have comments.

Thank you. I'll look to the front. My reading glass. All right. Hello, Janette Jackson, human resources director for Lawrence and this is Macy. Hi, my name is Dr. AC. I am the board president for the Lord's advisory council disabilities. A proclamation to all whom these presents may come greetings. Whereas the month of March 2026 has been designated as developmental disabilities awareness month. And whereas individuals with de developmental disabilities are valued members of the city of Lawrence who can richly experience purposeful and fulfilling lives whose talents, skills, and perspectives strengthen our workplace, neighborhoods, and civic life. And whereas meaningful employment provides dignity, independence, purpose, and opportunity. And individuals with developmental disabilities contribute significantly to the economic vitality uh vitality and diversity of our community. And whereas community participation including engagement and education, recreation, volunteerism, and civic activities enriches both individuals with developmental disabilities in the community as a whole. And whereas the Lawrence Advisory Council on Disabilities, LACD, serves as a resource to the city, residents, and businesses by promoting accessibility, advancing inclusive practices, and supporting efforts that remove barriers

to participation in employment. And whereas the city of Lawrence is committed to promoting accessibility, equity, and opportunities that empower individuals of all abilities to live, work, and participate fully in community life. And whereas developmental disabilities awareness month provides an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of individuals with developmental disabilities and to encourage practices that support inclusion, belonging, and equal opportunity. Now therefore, I, Deborah Woodfield, mayor of the city of Lawrence, do hereby proclaim March 1st as developmental disability and awareness month and witness whereof I have here unto set my head and cause the seal of the city of Lawrence to be a fixed this first day of March, 2026. Deborville. Thank you. Thank you. proceed with comments and the speech of the we will take a short jump back to comments the administration was hoping to get an update on the progress for the litigation um we hope to be um in there. They're just about finished first floor. Still a little bit of drywall put back up. Uh each most down in the basement here. We've got to the ground floors last. We've already done some testing third floor.

We hope I'd like to see Cleveland finished the spring. I think council common logic video sir the funding on it the number that requires approval. No,

thank you. Thank you. Great. Just to confirm there was no one that wanted to speak into these comments comments. All right. Thank you everybody. Good turn.