Area Plan Apc / Bza - Regular Meeting

to comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Decatur County requests that participants in this meeting complete a voluntary anonymous survey that is available on the table in the back of the room. First item on the agenda is the approval of the July 1st, 2026 minutes. Everyone received those in their packet. Anyone have any additions or corrections to those?

I have none. I have none.

All those in favor of accepting those, signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Minutes are accepted. First petition on the agenda, APC petition 2026-17, Noah Wollenweber is requesting to rezone 2.99 acres from an A1 zoning classification to an A2 zoning classification to build a single family detached dwelling. This request falls under Decatur County ordinance section number 915 and 920 sub 7. The property is owned by the petitioner and is located south of 6541 South, County Road 100 West, Greensburg and Marion Townships. Noah, if you could come to the podium and tell us about your project.

Hi, I'm Noah Wollenweber. I grew up in Decatur County. My parents own the 26 acres due south of that one, David and Sherry Wollenweber. Work in Marion County and have decided I don't care for the city life and want to build a house on the property that I own that I bought from my uncle. It'd be me, my current fiancee, soon to be married early next year, and then her two kids, my two kids.

Everything looks in order in the packet.

Yeah, sure does.

It is out of the city.

We're almost all the way down there.

Almost all the way, yeah. Just about to the end of the dead end road.

Yeah. Board members, do you guys have any questions or concerns?

I see nothing out of line.

Hearing nothing from the board, do we have any public commentary or concerns? Go on up and state your name.

Art Meadows. I live just straight south of there. I own 92 acres. I bought it in 92. And this man don't know how to stay on his own property. I've seen him and his Oriental girlfriend cross off his uncle or his dad onto me, walk down the creek, back up on me again over on Toby Venetta. His then-girlfriend told him that he was crossing over on somebody else's property, and he said, oh, well, come on. He does not respect another person's property line, and I object to it. I've got trail cameras up there. They keep getting turned around, facing the opposite direction. People dig my ginseng. Only way they can come in is from their side. I don't like that.

How well is the property line marked?

It's not marked hardly at all. There's a fence that's too there. Vanderbilt years ago owned a property and they had milk cows and they run milk cows up there and there is a... He's been there. There's an mediocre fence, but it's not on the property line. When he done his survey, Where he started, he could not find the original spot where it started because there was a tree in the way is what he told me. That changes, from my perspective, that changes the location clear down at the end of the property line.

That wasn't me. I'm not a surveyor.

Oh, the surveyor.

Yep, Scholey.

Sorry, I was reading the name.

Yep. Well, unfortunately, those concerns, while they may be valid, don't necessarily mean that we can't stop him from building a house.

That's just going to encourage him. If you let him build a house, that's going to encourage him to keep doing what he's been doing in the past years.

So, like Brad said, very valid points, and certainly understand the concern, and they may be completely true. And if that is the case, I would encourage you to call the sheriff's department if there are trespassing concerns. But the only thing that this board has in front of us is basically looking at whether he has a legitimate request to change the zoning of a property, which Understand, again, I'm not taking anything away or saying it's invalid, but trespassing and rezoning are kind of on opposite ends of the conversation, if that makes sense to you.

It makes sense, but I still don't appreciate somebody crossing the line and then wanting to build a house so he can do it in the future. It just don't make a whole lot of sense to me.

I understand, sir. And, again, not taking anything away from your concerns. I understand.

All right. Anybody else?

Thank you for speaking.

Any other members of the public? Board members? If you have another chance, any questions? Hearing nothing, I'll look for a motion.

A SECOND.

Yes. Clay Hargett. Yes. Brad Schuette. Yes. Scott Smith. Yes. Paul Stone. Yes. Sheila Kirkhoff. Yes. Portland Robertson. Yes. Tom Hunter. Yes.

Okay. Noah, your petition passes. Keep in touch with the office as you move along in your plans. Yes, but that's it.

Can you have him stay on your side of property?

We cannot. Please. But the sheriff's department can.

Okay. Thank you.

Next item on the agenda is the town of St. Paul. I believe we have a few representatives here to tell us how the meeting went last night.

Good evening. I'm Josh Sengel. I am the council president for the town of St. Paul. So we're here tonight to ask that the commission here approve the revised comprehensive plan. I believe in front of you, you have a number of changes that we made to the comprehensive plan. I think you received quite a bit of feedback in your last meeting. We received quite a bit of feedback in our last meeting. And so there are four changes that we have made. One of them is along the changing of colors of some of the properties along County Line Road. We also changed some language regarding TIF districts. Instead of saying we're establishing a TIF district, it says now that we'll explore the options of a TIF district. That also was the change on page 99. And then on page 125, we removed a comment regarding data centers. It was all very positively receptive. our last meeting when we agreed to the changes and then last night we formally adopted and received positive feedback as well so ask that the Commission happy to answer any questions did you have a nice Last month we had a great crowd compared to all of our other meetings, which are very poorly attended. Last night it was a smaller crowd.

Well, good. Their questions were answered.

It was well attended last night. We had several from last month's meeting that came last night and voiced their support and appreciation for the changes that the council made. Yeah, we were applauded, so that doesn't happen very often.

That's rare. Let me assure you.

Two months in a row we've received rounds of applause, so we'll see if we can keep it up. Thanks for what you guys are doing.

I appreciate it. That's how it's all supposed to work.

Ultimately, our goal is to Make sure that you follow the county plan, and I don't see that any of this has changed any of that. All right. That's right.

Do we just need a motion then? I have to give, hang on, Clay.

Oh, we've got voting sheets.

So I also, I'll give the public a chance to speak if there's anyone in the public who has any comments or concerns regarding those changes. Approach the podium, please, and tell us your name.

My name's John Barker. And one of the landowners north of town who was impacted by the future land use portion. I attended both meetings, one last night and also the one prior. And there was a lot of public feedback, a lot of questions, concerns expressed. And I just want to commend the council for listening and addressing all of those. I think that they very effectively modified plan to satisfy really all the concerns that were expressed. And so I would encourage you to adopt the plan as they've submitted the revised.

Thank you. Thank you.

Anyone else? Hearing nobody.

Okay.

Make a motion that we vote on the St. Paul Comprehensive Plan revised. Just go ahead

Gotcha. I'm with you. Clay Margaret, yes. Brad Schuette, yes. Scott Smith, yes. Paul Stone, yes. Sheila Kirkhoff, yes. Tom Hunter, yes. And Cortland Robertson, yes.

Okay. Congratulations, guys, and good work. Thank you. Okay, now we will move into the Decatur County Revitalization Project Show Cause hearing. And I will preface this as I do before all of our show cause hearings. This is simply to grant an extension. The work has already started, so basically all we are able to do tonight is to grant an extension for the cleanup of these properties. These properties were not sought out by the faculty here or anyone that works for the county. This was from a complaint that was filed and placed within the office. So that's how it all started. Our first one is R2026-25, Jerry Kiefer. If we have a representative for that one. Okay, Jerry. So basically, we're here to grant you an extension of time.

That's on the west half of the building, the old blacksmith shop.

The west parcel.

Yeah. I own east and west. Okay. I'm on the east. I've been mostly working on the east, but I've got the building all measured up, and I'm going to put new siding on it. probably within the next two weeks.

What's happened since May? Did you talk to anybody after the initial letter was sent?

Talked to anybody.

Did you call in and talk to anybody when you got the first letter? No. Or the second one? No. Why not?

I didn't know I needed to.

So basically, the way this will work, if we grant you the extension, then you've got that amount of time to remedy the issue. And then when they make the next inspection, you won't have to go to court. If nothing happens, then you're going to have to go to court for the cleanup.

Yeah, I've got all the vegetation off of it and got it all measured up. I'll get the steel ordered. We'll get it fixed up.

Are you done with the east side?

No.

Okay.

That's hard to go. Hard to go.

I know you'd mentioned last month that you were making a lot of progress on it. Yeah.

It's weather staying like this.

Yeah. Did you have a vehicle out there, if I remember correctly, on the last one?

So I spoke with Doug last Friday.

The next court date available is September 25th. So technically, you're already granted that amount of time because the next court date is September 25th. But they're going to be in touch within a month. If we grant you 30 days, they're going to be in touch and they're going to check on it in a month. And if nothing's happened, then they'll go ahead and proceed on that court date.

Okay. That's only if we don't grant an extension.

Either or. Basically, it's already built in. Then there's no need to grant an extension. Well, and that was a question I had for Doug, if through technicality, do we even need to grant an extension?

It seems to me no, and we're already 60 days without any. The first one was May the 8th.

My request was that it just be referred to the board. It'll get filed at least because we're preserving it at a given time on the docket.

Right. Okay.

Do you think you can have it all done by September, what did we say, 25th? Well, it would need to be the week before. Yeah.

Yeah. September 18th doesn't matter.

Yep. Last I knew, Tree City Metals, they will get stuff in about three or four days. Yep. Yep.

Initial contact was in May.

So I'll take a recommendation then.

Yeah, we need a recommendation to court. 16-13-2-230-030-0007. Let it go to court. Second.

I second.

All those in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. Opposed, nay. Okay, Jerry, you have your time. Okay. Next is 2026-26, Robert Lee. Do we have anyone here for that one? Come on up. Okay, it's going to be basically the same situation with the next court date being September 25th. You will have until then. Will that be a sufficient amount of time?

I Know I can get everything cleaned up outside, but I'm gonna have to clean up Some in the inside to get in there to put any windows in because the windows goes from the inside out in that garage and also Is there any questions about the house and the little garage next door there? No, okay I just wanted to make sure on that. You had said something about fire damage on the thing? I've never had any fire damage.

No, I don't see that.

You don't see that? Okay.

Vegetation, abandoned vehicles, and clutter. That's all.

Yeah, I got most of the junk. I've hauled... I borrowed a trailer from a farmer, a big trailer he had. I've hauled eight loads of scrap away from there already. Hopefully a couple more and I'll have the rest of the scrap and then I was going to rent a car dolly to haul the cars away. There's one truck I may have a problem with, though. I'm going to have to find somebody or figure out something. It's got a tree growing right up between the bed and the cab. That's the only problem I know of at this time.

Well, it sounds like you're heading in the right direction.

Yeah.

And you will have a decent amount of time to complete those activities. Any other direction from the board? Thoughts? Keep chugging.

Just in the pictures, you can see that you've made progress. You're almost there, it looks like.

So I'll take a recommendation, same as the first one.

I make a recommendation on R2026-26 to proceed to court on September 25th with the week before having a double check on that.

Second. All those in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. Opposed, nay. Okay, Robert. Is that it? Yep. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Next one, 2026-27, Kevin and Angela Arnett. Do we have a representative here for that one? Okay, we'll just need the motion then.

I make a motion for R2026-27 to send it to a hearing.

Second. All those in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. Opposed, nay. That one moves on. R2026-28, Thomas and Coletta Robbins has been resolved within the office. Is that correct, Debbie?

They've been given an extension within the office.

Sam? Okay. Thanks, Sam. But since they were advertised, you guys keep them on the docket to make it all formal. Next one, R2026-29, James and Mary Pruitt. Do we have a representative for that one? If not, I'll need a motion.

I make a motion to proceed to court on R2026-29. I'll second it.

All those in favor, signify by saying aye. Aye. Opposed, nay. 26-29 moves on to court. Next one is R2026-30, Carl Snyder. We have a representative here. Okay, Carl, it'll be the same situation you'll have until basically September 18th. to make the progress needed, get things cleaned up. Well, to give the week ahead so that when you guys go back out and do your inspection, it's done. I don't want to give them until the 25th and they start on the 24th. So I just wanted to make that clear. You want to have it done the week before. You want to have it done a week before the 25th?

25th of September. Okay. Everything? Okay.

Yeah. Yeah, you want to make good progress, have things cleaned up?

Yeah, we'll be, yeah. Okay.

We will.

Board, you got any comments?

25th of September, what now?

So the 25th of September is the date that the office has reserved with the court. So if it's not cleaned up by then, your case would go before the judge. Is that accurate? So the week before is when you have that done.

September 18th it needs.

You got it. Yep.

All together. Yep. Okay.

Okay. I need a motion.

I make a motion on R2026-30 to proceed to court with the same recommendations, having it cleaned up by the 18th.

I'll second that. All those in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. Opposed, nay. Okay, 2026-30, we'll move on. Thank you, Carl.

Okay, it needs cleaned up by the 18th, and the 25th is?

You'll go to court on the 25th. Last one on the list is R2026-31. Richard Mock, are you going to be representative for that one?

Yes, sir.

And basically it'll be the same situation you'll have until the 18th of September, preferably. That's the week before the court date.

What exactly are you pointing out? That window there in that back was fixed yesterday. My parents owned that house forever, man. Dad wanted to sell it after Mom died, and I purchased the house. I inherited the other part. I just kind of got stuck with cleaning everything up. I got a lot of kids. I raised a lot of kids. So I kind of got the house handed off to me. Dad and them's got the garages. They store stuff in them garages, things they wasn't able to take. I've asked them several times to come out, get their stuff out of there, suck them out. I don't want to look at it anymore than the next guy does. Most of the stuff in the front yard, that's landscaping. The pile of wood in the back, I heat with that. It needs cut up and sat. I'm one person. The roof, it has been scheduled to be taken off and a new one put on. The siding on this side of the house will be completed by the week. Those little piles that are sitting around, those will be completed by the week. But like I said, I'm one person. I can only do so much at one time. Raise kids, work, try to get a house done. It's a bear.

As long as you keep heading in the right direction, get it all cleaned up.

Oh, I want it done. I wanted it done before I even bought it, but it didn't happen that way.

I understand.

I tried to get my parents to let me work on that thing. The whole time they had it, I'd redo it for them. Give them a nice home, but they didn't want that. So now I find myself doing it for myself instead of my parents. But I'm hoping by the end of this week, early of this next week, all the things in the yard will be gone. I know that tarp looks rough. It'll come off. But that roof, I mean... It looks rough, but it's structurally sound. I mean, you know, I've built a lot of houses in my time. That's what I do. So as far as the little knick-knack stuff, cosmetic, cosmetics are about to be wrapped up, and the yard's about to be wrapped up. So I think I've made a lot of progress on that behalf, and I ain't got a lot of friends or... fans in that town uh they're kind of on me like you know crickets or on something you know so i just try to do what i can do you know i mean you will have till september 18th so i'd say it'd be well i don't know if the roof is technically going to be done by then because i'm kind of waiting on material they don't come so fast um But definitely the siding. I got the siding for that. I'm waiting for the metal to come in for the other. As soon as it gets in, I'll do it. But the yard, the yard will be done. The siding on the side of the house will be done. But I don't understand what boarded up window that was being talked about. I've not had any boarded up windows.

My assumption would be it's probably from the road. It looks like this is a boarded-up window.

I see. No, it's actually – I don't know why they did it that way. Larry Scudder come over and helped Dad do that window, and they inset it instead of putting it to the outside. When you inset a window, it leaks around the plywood.

But that's what I would guess because they don't come on your property. They just take pictures from the road.

Yeah. I think there's a bigger concern about the dog looking out of a hole in the side of the house. The dog looking out of a hole in the side of the house. This one.

You got a close-up of it? Can I walk up here and look at that?

This picture.

Where do you see a dog looking at? It just looks like a dog. You can't really tell. No, that's actually insulation.

Okay.

And this window got hit with a rock, and it busted that window out. They didn't fix it, so now it was left to me, but all this is fixed. Okay. So that window is also fixed? Mm-hmm.

Okay. Yep. Well, then we should be in good shape then. We're looking at just a couple weeks. Yeah, that's insulation.

That wasn't the dogwood. No, that wasn't. It wasn't no dog, but yeah. Other than the roof, everything else will be taken care of. Like I said, I'm waiting on things to come in for the roof, material. I'm kind of undecided on whether I want to use two by six for the frame and a cathedral ceiling or how I want to do it yet. That was in the bait. I'm a man that makes up my mind one day and changes it the next. But the yard will be done. The siding of the house will be done.

That would leave just a rook maintain I Make a motion to vote on our 2026 31 Going to court, okay

Okay. You have until basically September 18th to have it all cleaned up. Thank you. And that was the last item on our agenda. Board, do you have anything else? If not, I will look for a motion to adjourn. Make a motion to adjourn. Second. All in favor, signify by saying aye. Aye. Thanks for reading the journal.