Montgomery County Council - Regular Meeting

Good morning everyone. like to call a meeting to order. Would you join me for the pledge, please? Somebody's got some music going.

Can we start now? Brett of the stands nationy for all. Let's pray with me. Heavenly Father, we just thank you for this day. We thank you for the beautiful weather uh watching the our crops are starting to come up. We just thank you for the opportunity to work for the people and just guide our thoughts and decisions today. I pray. Amen.

All right. First item up is excuse me the consent agenda which is approval of the April 14th minutes. Approval of the claims for Taylor, Manette, Schneider, and Clutter, Peter Franklin, as well as the park and wreck department uh invoice and also acknowledgement of the receipt of the same series transfer report and the cash balance report. Move to approve. Have a motion, a second. Is there any question or discussion on any of those items? All those in favor signify by saying I.

Any opposed? Is there any public comment on any of the current agenda items? Hearing none, we'll move on to money matters. We've got some additional appropriations. Uh Sheriff,

I apologize. sheriff's on vacation since January. So, I'm just filling in. Um, so we had the the SR coverage for the South School Corporation that's been a continuence. Um, hopefully that's going to be coming to an end. I believe she came back Monday, so she's back in the school. So, that's just south reimbursements for for the overtime rate that we've been paying the guys to work that. Uh the other the 1,13261 um Pearson's Ford overcharged us for brakes and rotors. So it just reimbures over.

Excuse me.

Absolutely. Second. Second. Have a motion to second. Any questions or discussion? All those in favor signify by saying I. Any opposed? All right, next up, Jessica.

Good morning, Jessica Berg, EMA director. Um, first one is for funds that were spent last year. We had the money in there last year and they just didn't get in covered for this year. So, that's all that first line is. Okay. Um the next three are funds that we already have in our account. Um but they just have to be appropriated every year. So those are user fees basically for um industry. So it's for our local emergency planning committee is what those next three are. Then the last one is a new grant that we got. I mean it's a grant we get every year, but it's new for this year. Um and that's going to cover training and um a hazmat conference. So those are all hazmat related things and that's fully reimbursible. That grant is

all right. Second motion a second. Is there any questions for Jessica?

Yeah. Correct. Yes. Well, no. So it does it's it's in the 1000 series, so it does go back, but we just didn't spend it last year. The invoice was paid in January and it didn't get encumbered like we usually do at the end of the year, beginning of the year. And so the funds were there last year. We just didn't spend them last year. They got spent in January this year. Yeah. Any other questions? All those in favor signify by saying I. Any opposed? Thank you,

Sherry. Good morning. Sherry Hill, McGomery County Central Communications Center. Uh the first one in the 4900, that is the money from the loan that's gone into the 4900 to pay the invoices for the software of priority dispatch. And then the next two are the loan payment, principal, and interest for this year only for that same software. I'll entertain a motion. To approve a motion, a second. Is there any questions for Sherry? All those in favor signify by saying I.

Any opposed? All right. Thank you. Thank you. health department. Adrienne Northcut, Montgomery County Health Department. Um this is um funds for diamond salary that who is our directory coordinator. It was approved by commissioners. It was approved by you. Um, this is just the appropriation for the money to be spent for 2026. Is that for both of those items in your Okay. Yes.

Have a motion to second. Any questions or discussion? All those in favor? Second by saying I. Any oppose? Thank you. Thank you.

Good morning, Deputy Prosecutor Jacob Moore. Um, we're requesting $3,000 out of our pre-trial diversion fund to be allocated for additional blood testing. Uh, this occurs when we have OWI suspects. The state lab is limited in the substances that they can test for. work finding more frequently motorists who are impaired by substances that the state lab is not testing for. So these funds would be used to send to a private laboratory out of state uh to test more thoroughly will be able to find those substances and we are generally eliminating it limiting it to suspects who have gone through a DR evaluation which those are specialists both with the city police force and with the county police force. They they can really pinpoint down the substance that we're going to be looking for and help us make sure that we're as judicious with our money as possible that we're testing for. Okay.

Move approval. A motion second. Any questions or discussion?

It it'll more help us secure convictions and keep impaired motorists off the road and make sure that the good work that law enforcement is doing actually comes to fruition. Um if we can't test identify whatever designer substance that is in their system, it's a lot harder for us to get a conviction. But if we can show them the lab says you have this substance in your blood, they're much more likely to plead guilty and save the county the expense of having to do a trial. So, it takes anywhere from about two to six months for the state lab to say we can't identify whatever substance is in there. And then it's going to take an additional three to four months to to run those lab labs through. Oftent times for the lowle owis, those offenders are not in custody. So, they're not incurring costs for the sheriff to house them. You're welcome. It's it's enough that we we need to request money for it. The last few years, uh, the DR evaluator had a grant that was funding if we needed to have additional testing done and he had done testing of the motorist. That grant would cover the cost for that private laboratory to test the blood. But that grant funding has run out. We feel that it's a good good use of money to help get convictions on voters who are impaired. Well, the the state lab can identify marijuana. This is more

Yeah.

Yeah. Well, thankfully, I'd say the vast majority of our citizenry and the people passing through are law abiding. It's just the the select few that we got to identify and prosecute. Any questions? All those in favor signify by saying I. Any oppose? Thank you. And ARPA grant for the commissioners. This is a payment for Oh, Lory's up. And for the last time, Lori, for the last time, Lorie Dawson, commissioner's executive assistant.

Yay. I did that comfortably. I didn't even freak out. Okay. What this is, because usually I get up here, I'm like this. What this is in 2026 from the budget, we did not request an appropriation out of the ARP ARPA funds and we have um some final payments that we are owed to Crider and Crider for the purple art parkway extension project. So, we need some money appropriated so we can get that taken care of. Yes, they are there. Boy, I don't know. I think I need more information. Seriously,

down the road here. And we did a new bridge. We did a new road. The ARPA funds. Where did they come from? Yeah, it is in the fun. We just did not request the appropriation to get them. We've had the ARPA funds. They have to by the end of the year. Okay. And we have we have contracts to do to do this and this is our last I move approval. Thank you. Thank you. We got a motion and a second. Thanks. Any other random questions? All those in favor signify by saying I.

Any opposed? Okay, we've got a couple of transfers. Prosecutor back up. Jacob.

All right. Um I want to first thank you all for approving the two additional deputy prosecutor slots. Um we threw out job postings in for every law school within about 350 mile range had a total of three applicants. We've filled both of those slots. So I want to thank you. Uh both of the young men that we've hired will be young men. One's few years older than I am, but they will be taking the bar in July. Uh and then they'll have to wait until the beginning of October to get sworn in as an attorney. If you all remember last year, uh you approved a special money slot for a certified legal intern at the 30 39 hourly rate after the compensation the firm did the compensation uh review on that. We're just requesting to transfer some of the funding that you've approved for a deputy prosecutor to a certified legal intern. They will not be a deputy prosecutor until they are sworn in, until they can legally practice in the state of Indiana. So, we just want to move funds for those two gentlemen so they can work for us through the summer and then through the fall into October. Uh, so we're requesting I I know that amount says 78972. That was a mistake on our end. I I want to do half of that amount. Uh, that should cover more than enough cover what we've got for both both slots. And again, I do really want to thank you all because it was really kind of a eye openening experience only getting three applicants. Um, and we we were able to get those and get some good people hired. So, thank you all for helping us with that. No, you have all approved that. Uh we're just requesting to take half of that 789. So, and I apologize. I'm an attorney. Math is not my strong suit. Uh but it'd be about 39 and move that into a new fund uh for certified legal intern position set at the 39 or 3039 hourly rate and leave the remaining approximately 39,000 in the deputy prosecutor position.

And that would be for both both positions. It's basically the same people, but we're just a stop gap to keep them employed until then is what you're saying. Yes. Yes. And that that money has already been approved. We're just asking to move it from one account into a new account. Got a motion to second. Any other questions or discussion? All those in favor signify by saying I. Any opposed? Thank you.

All right. Moving on to new business, the 2027 budget calendar. Mindy or whoever or Tom, somebody U Jennifer sent out a budget calendar uh with the agenda and we are looking at setting some dates. We would like to um introduce the budget, do the first reading on 811 at the 811 meeting. Um do the public hearing at the 98 meeting and do the adoption on the 10:13 meeting. um that will allow us to meet all of the DLGF um deadlines, but we do need to set the two, you know, we always have the two night meetings um for the department heads to present. We we'd like to set those. We proposed 8:24 and 8:25, which I believe is a Monday and a Tuesday, but obviously that's up to you guys. So, around those dates, we need to get that set. so everybody can start preparing. We did send out the budget module. We opened up the budget module for everyone. So, um they should be able to start working and from the questions we've had, they are all they are all on it. So, oh yeah, we did do them earlier. We did them at four o'clock instead of six o'clock. I don't care what you do and that's up to you guys. Whatever works for you. thoughts on that date? The 24th, 25th, 4 o'clock. Does that work?

I would be interested to know if you liked doing it at 4:00 because we tried to do that to accommodate you so you didn't have to come back in the evening. Did that work well last year? It worked. Okay, great. I would suggest we do that again. I think I think you did. So budget hearing is 8:24 and 25 at 4 p.m. Everybody agree to that? Okay. Perfect. Thank you.

8:24 8:25 at 4 p.m. Any other budget calendar items that we need to worry about?

All right. Uh joint meeting with council commissioners. Uh I met with Dan Guard. Uh we've had several discussions trying to pin down a date. Uh the best one we can come up with right now is June 22nd after the commissioner's meeting uh to have a joint meeting with the commission and council together uh between 8:30 and 9:30 uh June 22nd. 8:30 9:30. Yeah. So that sound doable hopefully. Most of you. Okay. June 22nd. Yep. We'll do that then. All right. Any old business? Any funded organizations here with the report? Department heads? Anybody got anything? Nick, what you got? Nicholas Kashan, veteran service officer and proud Cubs fan.

Go Cubs.

So, uh, as you guys know, I started officially January 1st. Things are going well. Um, state approvals and everything. We meet state standards under new Indiana law 433 on veteran service officers position and how the county funds them and all the computers and things that we need. So our county is in perfect compliance. Um upcoming mid June we have a 4-day conference that's mandatory to help me better do my position. Other than that, things are going quite well. Um, we as a state, all of the veteran service officers are a little worried about the new property tax amendment they've sent down for veterans because uh with the fact that every veteran needs to be reertified. That's pretty much in McGomery County 800 more appointments that have to come into my office to reertify their disability before they go to the auditor. So, we're trying to to get the word out quickly at Legion meetings, BFW meetings, in the newspaper. It's been run a couple times that these papers are going to be ready in July. Everybody needs to be reertified. I'm sure we're going to have some veterans that are disgruntled come December because they didn't know about it. Um, but the the people at the paper and the journal have been very accommodating and running ads or whatever I send them to get the word out. Um, so that's what's happening. Other than that, things are going well. So, any questions for me, Brett?

With all due respect, I'm allowed to now say anything I want. Right, sir? My feedback,

my feedback from everybody at the Legion has been really good. I know that uh I've known Nick for a long time and um still like him even though he's a Cubs fan, but uh but uh he had a lot to uh go through and had some struggles in the beginning to get up to date with a lot of things, but uh like I say, the the veterans are are are feeling like they're being taken care of, and I've been hearing a lot of positives. So, good job on that. Thanks, Um, Mr. Peach and I have talked about it. We're kind of waiting more towards when the state has the actual forms to fill out. Uh, the state has announced this is happening, but they have not sent the the veteran service officers the official new form that we may or may not use. There is an old version of the form. I'm just not asking veterans to fill that out because I'm afraid that they're going to deny that if we use it now and then we're like no this is the old form do it again and I don't want that fight in my office

just to um we Nick and I have talked a couple times we're going to meet we I have a conference next week and just to let you guys know how deductions work with the state they change all the time how they need how they need to do it um so we have not yet received um instruction on how we're going to handle that in our office. And it may not be as bad as as having to have 800 meetings. I hope that's not the case. I can't imagine that will be the case, but um we should get clear instruction next week. It doesn't go into effect until July. It is a great thing. Um they're going to fully um exempt uh 100% disabled veterans. So, it's it's a really good thing. Um, but it is going to take some effort. Um, both Nick and our offices, but um, we don't have full direction on that. Nick and I have already spoken a few times, like I said, and we're going to meet after our conference and figure out the best way. And we'll help with advertising if if needed and and working to get the word out. We're just kind of we've kind of held our tongue a little bit until we know more because we know how they do with deductions. They're just

they change a lot. So the requirements for them and and a lot of the veterans are are older and they struggle with, you know, computers and things and if it's a if it's gray and they and they get mixed up, then they get frustrated and they think it's, you know, that it's the government working against them or whatever, but they just need to, you know, a lot of times just settle down. And that's it's sometimes it's best to wait till you know what's going on and then then let them know.

Yeah. So the the estimated benefit to veterans with a 10 to 90% disability rating is between 150 and $200 a year. Their taxes, less than what they paid the year before. And we are the 23rd state in the nation to now grant 100% property tax exemption for 100% disabled veterans with no cap on the value of your home. So if you're 100% and you win the lottery tomorrow and go buy a $7 million home, you're paying zero property tax. So, it's a great thing. Um, the state estimate is about $70 million back in veterans pockets every year because of this. So, any other questions for me?

I'm just going to throw in there. I don't like I'm not going to toot horns, but the auditor's office or the auditor's association was really pushing for this. So, I know that in addition to the veterans office, I know that the auditors of Indiana were really pushing for this, too. So, we were very happy to see this happen, even though it's going to be a little bit of a thing to navigate.

Nick, the veterans I work with have all been very very uh vocal about their uh enthusiasm for the work you've done. So, thank you for that. I was wondering whether I've never heard anybody say, but do you know approximately how many veterans we have in the county that that that uh I've never heard anyone say how many veterans we have. Do you have I know it's a very fluid number, but

we are in our county we have approximately 2000 2,800 actual veterans and then we have 3,400 members that have been guard members or veterans. There's the difference is if you're a guard member and you've never spent more than 90 days on active duty, you're actually not considered a veteran. So, um we've had 3,400 people that have signed up and said, "I'd die for my country," but 2,800 are actually considered veterans, which is uh roughly 9.6% of our population, and the national average is 6.1% of the population. So, we have a lot of veterans in our county compared other places. So,

thanks guys. Thanks, Nick. Ladies, any department heads, bunch officials? Go ahead. M.

Um, I just want to give Heather a shout out. She's not in here today, but our offices, we yesterday was the last day to collect property taxes, and I will say this was a bad year. This I shouldn't say a bad year. This was a hard year. A lot of um we'll just we'll just leave it at that, but um I know that Heather's office has been under has been short-handed and a lot of people have stepped up and I know if she were in here, she would want to thank everyone for stepping up and helping her out during this time. So, I'm just going to do that for her. Um because when her office runs smoothly, our office runs smoothly as well. So, um It's been a tough tax season, but we made it. And I'm sure she is taking a big breather today, although she's probably still running her running her tail off over there. But, um, and just the other thing, we will be at conference. Three of us will be at conference next week, so our office will be very short-handed, so be patient, please. And Tuesday, we will be down to one person. So it will be a very um uh tight day on Tuesday, but we are all going to state called training and it's necessary. So um just appreciate your patience in advance and um keep coming at me with budget questions. We want to get a good start on this year so um we can I don't know meet all the craziness that's to come. I I guess so. Thank you. Go ahead, Tom. Want to echo what Mindy said. Thanks to Heather and the assessor, treasur's office, but also auditor's office and the assessors because people were walking between the offices and they did a great job on all three. So, thanks Minnie for you and Sherry as well and

her staff and your staff too. So, appreciate everyone working together on that. Just a reminder, you should have gotten a brochure, I think, from the auditor's office from AIC about a webinar on June, early June on the must committee. So, encourage you to look at that and and attend that. That's that committee of meeting with the cities and towns regarding income tax. So, that would be good to have that. Um, also Jake had a birthday on Sunday. So, happy birthday, Jake. And then of course everyone knows Lori is retiring on Friday. So uh this is Lor's last council meeting. So Lori uh congratulations on retirement. We appreciate everything you did and helping with the council and everything. And it is Friday. The commissioners did proclaim Lori Dosset day. So that means Lori can speed through the county apparently. So Matt, you can't arrest her apparently if she runs a stop sign. And we are doing a retirement party for her on Friday at 2 o'clock here in the community meeting room. So hopefully everyone can stop on by for that. But Lori, again, congratulations. And if you haven't met Becky, Becky Peach will be replacing Lori. She's been being trained by uh Lori for the last uh few months. So uh you're all ready, right, Becky? We'll be calling Lori a lot. So uh Lori said she's willing to come in and help us a couple times a week after she retires, right, Lori?

Okay. I I thought that's what I heard. So again, Lori, thank you for all your service. Appreciate that. And we'll miss you. All right, Kat, I know you got something to say.

Uh just a little bit. U congratulations, Lori, and enjoy your enjoy your retirement. And every you have seven sat well, six Saturdays and one Sunday. So that's that's what it is. So So enjoy it. Um this is the first day that the tracks open. So, uh, the month of May has begun. So, everything's going on there. Um, I was in Alabama and, uh, was unaware that the, uh, assessments were mailed out until my phone started, uh, going off. So, uh, I know that there's probably a lot of, uh, feedback that you're hearing from the assessments and and the prices and things that's appraised. So, just uh, hopefully people know that sometimes things get adjusted and it it all works out. But hopefully uh with this Senate Bill one, that's going to throw a few things in. And Dandy, is there anything you want to say about these Have you heard anything about the assessments going out?

Oh, yeah. Um I'll just say two things. One is, you know, the state legislature said they had to push governments kind of the financial cliff in order to save normal people tax, real estate taxes. my taxes went up as I predicted they would and then that assessment because uh real estate the market is pretty hot. Yeah, assessments are going to increase again and so I'm going to watch and see whether my taxes ever go down. Uh I think it's an illusion. I think some businesses are going to pay less taxes, but for the contrary to what the legislature said, I think most of us going to pay more taxes every year. So we'll watch that. There's a lot of concern about it.

Uh just uh pretty much the same thing. I've been here quite a bit. Excuse me there as well. And congratulations and thank you for joining a girl. Yeah, I've been getting calls too, but I I've got a little different strategy. I said Brett's in charge of that on the council and to call him. So, uh thanks Brett. Um appreciate the joint meeting set up. you know, I've been kind of quiet about that. So, no, I I really appreciate that. I think it's gonna be a good opportunity for us. Thanks,

Lori. Thank you for an amazing job. You don't have to go to work on Monday. It really is. You don't have to have everything planned for the week and you just can relax on Sunday night. So,

exactly. And you don't have to have all that meeting stuff ready and yeah, it's the best part of retirement. But, um, I have been out of the country so I haven't gotten any information, but now that Steve has told me who's in charge, I will make sure to pass Brett's number on. Oh, and there's two Purdue players that are in the NBA draft and I don't think any IU, but just wanted to let you know that. Um, Joyce, don't forget about the Indiana 8 on the football draft.

So, yeah. Um, no, I forgot one thing. This week is also National Police Week. So, I just want to recogni recognize all of our police officers and the sheriff deputies and Matt as well. Uh, and uh there's a memorial service u on Wednesday. So, it's tomorrow at I think it's 1:30 at the memorial site u by sorry 2:30 2:30 at the memorial site. There's a at one o'clock they're driving to the different grave sites I believe. Um so out there at the sheriff's the center um is the service. Hope you guys can all attend that. I'm just going to pipe in since Sherry Bentley isn't in here talking about tax assessments being mailed. Um you do have till June 15th to um appeal those assessments. So if anybody's asking that's the deadline. It's on the form, but just so you know. And I'm going to pipe in on Matt's comment of being the last one to submit. She wasn't late. It wasn't late. It was last. Somebody's got to be last. I But she It wasn't It was at least on time. So, I'm gonna throw that in there.

Um, again, thank you, Lori. Like I say, I've worked with Lori since back in my coroner days, and she helped me out a lot back then, and I appreciate working with you. Congratulations on your retirement. And, um, I would say, you know, I guess my opinion on the tax issue, I I think we've got a timing problem because I got my property taxes when I was paying my federal taxes. I got my assessment when I was paying my property taxes. So, I can I I am they're with the anger issue, too, even though I sit on the the county council and apparently have no control over taxes whatsoever. And so with that, I will entertain a motion