City Council - Regular Meeting

is horrible. The cat dissertation system. All right, here we go.

Good evening everyone and welcome to this uh regular meeting of the Terote City Council. It's a little bit after 6 p.m. on Thursday, November 6th, 2025. Michelle, would you please call the role? Oh, wait. I'm sorry. We uh begin each of our meetings with a moment of silence and the pledge of allegiance to the flag. This evening, the pledge will be le led by uh Vice President Anthony Dinkler to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Okay. Now, please call the role. Michelle,

Council Person Azar, present. Council person Boland, present. Council person Chaos. Council person Don here. Council person Dingle, present. Council person Hinton, present. Council person Loudermilk present. Council person Nation here. Council person Thompson here. Eight present. One is absent. Uh I've had a message from council person chos uh saying that he has a work obligation. Sends his regrets. Okay. Um first we've got a presentation for the mayor. Welcome.

Hey, good evening president nation and members of the city council. Thanks for giving me some time today. What we're going to do is we're going to share the 2025 warming center plan as well as several proposed funding models that we're recommending that the city and county adopt this winter. First, I want to thank uh Councilwoman Bolan, Councilwoman Thompson, and Councilman Chaos for their participation with this group and providing valuable insights. Uh I made this presentation earlier this week to our county commissioners. Uh they have asked that I now give it to the county council uh for their funding from the county side. And what is essential to this plan is working together as a city, county, and community at large. Our goal for the warming center is simple. To make sure that when temperatures become dangerously cold, every person in our community has a safe and warm place to go. We're not off to a hot start. Thank you. set it over.

Thank you. So, to start off with, I want to take a minute to clarify what a warming center actually is and what it is not. So, a warming center is not your traditional homeless shelter. It is a short-term emergency operation where people can come in from the cold, get warm, rest, have a meal, and stay safe until the severe weather passes. It serves anyone who needs it, whether that is someone who is unhoused or someone whose home loses power or heat during extreme cold. So, there's no barriers, no intake requirements, and no religious participation required. It's about immediate safety. So now that you have a sense of what a warming center is and who it serves, I want to share a quick look at the numbers. How many people in our community are currently unhoused and what that means for capacity during cold weather. So I also want to take a moment to remind us that of the broader landscape of homelessness in our country. Each January, the homeless coalition of the Waw Bash Valley conducts a count on behalf of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. It is called the point in time count. So, for someone to be counted as experiencing homelessness under HUD's definition, they must meet kind of narrow and restrictive criteria, they got to be unsheltered, or in a homelessness program on one specific night in January. They can't be in the hospital, a jail, or in permanent housing. They also cannot be people who are doubled up. So, if you're living with a family, friend, or co-orker, living temporarily, or couch surfing essentially. So as of January this year, that number was 194. As you can see in the graph, the number of people experiencing homelessness is trending upwards. This growth correlates with increased housing costs and matches the trend of our aging housing stock. We also feel that like homelessness, uh it's only going to continue due to some federal constraints and cuts to social

service agencies and public housing. What that means in layman's terms is when you look at section 8 and terote housing authority and how some of those agencies are funded uh really starting in 2027 and beyond there's some severe changes that have been passed that would reduce that program. Right now we have almost 800 people on the wait list for section 8 housing. If all of our plans come to fruition with our expansions and our additions that's only 250 more rooms. So right now we already have a gap when it comes to tear out housing authority. But we've got to keep in mind that the strict guidelines used to calculate these numbers don't reflect how many people are actually experiencing homelessness. The point in time count is a useful benchmark, but it is also an undercount. So the homeless coalition conducts a second unofficial count. Their September meeting, they reported that that was 787. That's when you include those in hospital, in jail, doubled up, or couch surfing. That number, as you can do the math, is four times higher than the official point in time count. Gives us a different picture of how many of our neighbors are really without stable housing. These numbers highlight the scale of need. So, let's look at who's stepping up to meet that need and how the system currently operates. For the past several years, Pathways Day Center, operated by Reach Services, has stepped up to serve as our community's primary warming center. They've opened their doors on the coldest nights and kept people safe. However, the funding that has made that possible has always been informal, coming together at the last minute through contributions from the city uh and from our commissioners and generous community partners like the community foundation. That approach has worked in the short term, but it is not sustainable. This year we are proposing a plan which you all have a draft of that provides structure, predictability and

accountability. Pathways has done some incredible work. But even with their efforts, we still face some challenges around capacity and coordination. Let's show you what that looks like in practice. So I want to take a moment to explain how our current warming center network operates and what these numbers really represent. Pathways Day Center operated by REACH. That's our primary warming center. It's the the first to open when activation is triggered and it can accommodate around 70 people. We're very fortunate to have other community partners who have agreed to step in when they start to reach full capacity. Hamilton Center and Mental Health America have both committed to serving as secondary sites if needed. And I'm I want to be clear that it's if needed because they have other operations that they maintain on a daily and nightly basis. Each has limited space but can expand capacity by about 25 to additional beds when conditions are severe. The Bridge Church is an example of one of our faith-based community partners that also provides a warming center through its ministry program and they offer about 20 beds there. So they've got limited space and their programs include religious components as well as life components and they play an important role during these cold months as well. On top of that, you have your traditional homeless shelters like the Lighthouse Mission, uh Bethany House, which has a very long wait list through Catholic Charities. So there's a number of religious organizations that help fill that void. Altogether, when these sites are active, the county has about 165 beds. As I said, in January, there are roughly 195 people in VO County experiencing homelessness. So, with these locations open, we start off at a shortfall of 30 beds. That number does not include people who are housed, but may temporarily lose power or heat during an outage or storm. Those

families would would obviously also need short-term relief. Now, in instances of extreme, think an extreme winter storm, there's a separate kind of federally driven Red Cross plan, but that criteria is so extreme that that's why you have a huge gap. And that's really what we're discussing today. So, while we're grateful for the incredible work of these partners, the truth is that Reach Services is operating at full capacity in its current building. if uh well, you know, if anyone knows of a larger building, go ahead and contact Reach Services. They're always uh in the market, but so they're deeply committed to this work. They'd love to operate from another space, a bigger space that meets their growing need, having a larger sustainable facility. Uh however, we got to talk about our capacity challenges today. Some uh some might ask if the warming center has been operating for years, why do we even need a new funding model now, right? Why why are we going to change something that that is not broken? And the answer is that things are changing in the previous model did have some cracks to it. State and federal funding cuts to social service programs are expected this year and that will directly impact agencies like REACH. So without a stable local funding plan, there's a real risk that the warming center could face gaps in operation during extreme cold. And that's something that we cannot afford to happen. So we're not really creating anything new here tonight, folks. What we're doing is we're formalizing what we've what's already worked, making it more sustainable and transparent going forward. Let's talk about how this plan works and what it would look like financially. So here's how this proposed funding works. The primary operator, Reach Services, uh, would be paid each day that the warming center is officially open and operational. We met with Reach Services. We reviewed their current

operational needs. And through that, we determined that $1,200 per day is the right daily activation rate. This amount covers the cost of staffing, utilities, and some basic supplies during each 24-hour activation. Most of the other items, meals, blankets, hygiene supplies are already provided by the community through donations. So, we took that number out of our daily activation dollar figure. The beauty of this model is that the funds are only used when the center is open and serving people. It's transparent, it's easy to track, and it ensures that every dollar goes directly towards operations. Now, I'm going to give you a breakdown of how that $1,200 is divided out. The majority, 80% goes to staffing and overtime. Since during any time a warming center is activated, reach services would move from regular daytime hours to full 24-hour operations. Around 10% goes to cover utilities. That includes heating and electricity, and 5% goes towards food and basic supplies. The final 5% covers cleaning and safety and operational costs tied to that. Community donations make a big difference here. So, they help us stretch our dollars further by providing the meals and the blankets. And most years, uh, the meals are completely supplied via donations. So, that's why you don't see a ton for food there. So, now that we've looked at some funding amounts, I want to explain different ways that the money could be handled. We've got four models here, four different ways as who could serve as our fiscal agent. The first two options are simple. Either your city or county could hold and disperse the funds to reach services once activation days are verified and then half of whatever is remaining at the end of the year would be distributed back to the other partner. The third option is using the

Wash Valley Community Foundation as a neutral fiscal agent. So the city and county would transfer their funds there. The foundation would handle reimbursements based on verified activations. Remaining funds would be transferred back to the city and county in equal parts at the end of the year. The fourth option, while similar to the third option, differs. Remaining funds, say from 2026 to 2027, would stay in that account. And this would allow us in theory to lower amounts for the next year depending on the weather. Each model works and it really comes down to which structure makes financial oversight and processing easiest for both sides. I will say from my perspective and and I won't speak for the council, but I feel like we are flexible enough that that this group would accept any of the four options, preferably the fourth. Uh and that's the conversation I'll have with the county council on what they prefer as well as our next slide uh funding scenarios and estimated coverage. So when you look into specific dollar amounts I want to show a few different scenarios u for our shared funding commitment. So we presented to the commissioners we started at $12,000. They seemed interested. uh they asked us to put together even more options because we did a chart of how many days would it allow us to operate. The first operation if we do 12 and they do 12 comes out to 20 days. The second option of 30 days cost us both $18,000. The third option which would fund 40 days would cost us 24,000 and of course the last option which is 50 days would cost each entity $30,000. Along with the funding plan, we've also built out an entirely new warming center plan. And in that is what's called a white flag plan, which you have in front of you. As part of this new warming center, white flag plan, we've outlined a clear activation procedure for when

and how the warming center opens. This is a joint decision between the city and county executives, uh, Veo County EMA, and the health department based on defined weather thresholds. and we will clearly articulate those defined weather thresholds because for some folks they'll say well 40 degrees or 20 degrees but we've got to be very specific on those. This helps fix one of the biggest issues we've faced in previous years. Confusion. People were not always sure when the warming center was open, how to get there, or what donations were needed. With this new plan, communication will be clear and consistent across agencies. A key part of this activation plan is establishing a clear threshold for when the warming center will open. In previous years, which is under the previous criteria column, uh that is essentially more, you know, when the wind chill or apartment temperature falls to 0° or below. That is a simple and clear protocol. Don't get me wrong on that, but it wasn't accounting for serious weather like snow. So moving forward, we've added new defined thresholds, right? That is apparent temperature wind chills of 5° or below. The National Weather Service wind chill advisories or warnings for VO County. Wet conditions where the temperature is 32 degrees or less with winds greater than 10 mph. Snow depth of greater than 1 in and the temperature is 32° or less and a power outage or declared emergency leaving residents without heat. So based on historical data, uh I am no meteorologist. I think the world of Jesse Walker and Kevin Orpert and all those guys, but we did our best here uh trying to predict using a number of different sources. It's a wide range, guys, of 21 to 49 operational days this winter season. And that's why I like that option at the bottom, which would theoretically cover most of this and

then we can handle the funds at the end of the year and where they go. This structure will make sure we're ready when severe weather hits. Uh just as important is the reason that we're doing this and that's the the human side of why that county support really matters. So you can't really have extreme cold just in city limits, right? It is more than likely going to be city and county and that's why we're pushing for this joint conversation. Next slide. So now what I've done is I combined our funding as well as our days together. So taking a look back at this table showing some of our options for funding you can see the context of predicted number of activation days that we just discussed. Our model of course projects 21 to 49 days of operation depending on how severe that wi this winter is. That's why we created these options. So we hope for a mild winter but as as we've seen in the past few years weather can be unpredictable. We've been talking to the United Way of the Wobbash Valley and the Wash Valley Community Foundation. Both have indicated that they might have some ability to fill in shortfalls uh if we exceed what the city and county can cover. That partnership helps ensure that no matter how long the season runs, we can continue operations without interruption. So, the goal here is to balance fiscal responsibility with community safety. Next slide, please. M. So, I'm going to pause here and kind of speak to the why behind all of this. So, when temperature drops to dangerous levels, people suffer serious harm or even lose their lives. It's a humanitarian concern, but it's also a public safety and public health issue. Without a warming center, this crisis turns into backed up emergency rooms. It turns into 911 involvement from both the fire department, EMS side, and the police department. So, there's always that opportunity cost, right? what's the opportunity cost if we don't

do this? And it's it's hard to calculate how many runs we might expect to have to deal with a problem that a warming center could have solved. But what I really try to get at with this slide is if we don't do something, it does not absolve the city and county of having to step in with taxpayer dollars through one of its many departments to address a problem. So warming centers, as you know, do not end homelessness. It's not going to fix the system, does not provide permanent housing, does not address some of these deep causes that are leading to someone being unhoused. Uh but what it can do is save lives, can protect people from freezing to death, and can give us a chance to connect individuals to services that could help them move forward in their life. As a community, we know that we have to go further. The city is committed to finding real long-term solutions that make warming centers less necessary in the future. So, we are in the the early nent stages of launching after this task force our homelessness task force which will bring together partners across housing, health care, social services, and local government to identify actionable strategies to reduce homelessness in VO County. So, until we reach that point though, warming centers will remain a vital part of this conversation. next. Yep. So, just moving forward, um we're going to ask the county what their level of commitment would be. Um supporting the reimbursement model based off activation. Uh we'll approve one of the four fiscal agents, the one that both entities can agree on. Uh we have a a formal memorandum of understanding between the city, county, and reach that clearly outlines everyone's roles, responsibilities. So, I'll be at the county council meeting next week to have this conversation with them. Uh, then we're going to try to move as, frankly, as quickly as possible. Uh, because as you guys, you know, we've all

experienced the last couple weeks, it is starting to get cold. So, thanks for your time and consideration. I'll briefly stop for a couple of questions and of course to our council members who took a lot of their time to help work on this. At Ryan, Jessel, members of our public safety department, I want to say thank you as well. Thanks, Mayor Squerson. Um,

I want to give uh big props to at um I think Tammy and I both discussed when we um all met a couple weeks ago. Um, we saw the first draft of this and it was already just a brilliant plan and great work it um and I want to stress that um and something that I think you touched upon that you know we have this count uh that we do in January and clearly our um unhoused population in tero is much higher than I think any of us realize. Um when this issue first came up um I started kind of keeping track of the um sleeping in the park tickets um that were happening and while the city was under the impression that those appearing uh for those initial hearings over here for those tickets uh were not unhoused um what I was able to personally discover um by coming to the hearings is that actually a large number of them were unhoused. Um, so, uh, yeah, that 190 number, I'm sure we're much higher than that. Um, and I'm just I'm very thankful to, um, you, mayor, for putting this together, um, bringing this issue forward. Uh, reach services, they they do do great work. Um, but funding is always an issue. Um, so I'm glad that the city is stepping in to give them something they can count on to be able to to have the system up and running. I'm also very glad to see I think when we first met our hope was maybe to be able to cover cover up to 30 days. Um but seeing that you budgeted for up to 50 that's great to to hear. Um but I also know uh probably some of us here are thinking um given what we've seen recently from our county council. Uh I have concerns about their willingness to fund um to be involved in this. um what is your impression of the county council and their willingness

to be involved in this?

So, I've sent an an email with the draft presentation as well as some cliff notes. Uh we did receive strong support from our commissioners uh all three who will be there uh likely that meeting as well. I've got a number of council members who have reached out and said they're they are supportive. Um you know, it's math, right? You got to get to four out of seven. Uh some of some of the county council members do have a litany of questions. Uh and some fundamentally just do not believe in government supporting nonprofit agencies. So uh we'll have that conversation with them and and you know I I've gone before the county council a couple of times this year and I look forward to a a public uh discussion about you know not just the humanitarian side but the people's side of why we are elected to these positions. Uh, and you know, I'm I'm I'm a man of faith and just from a biblical sense alone, for us to not be in a leadership position and and have this conversation would be a little bit frustrating. However, I heir on the side of optimism and feel that uh we can get strong support from our county and look forward to those discussions with them.

And uh what day and time is that meeting? So, it's actually Wednesday. Um next Tuesday is Veterans Day. Please be sure to attend the Veterans Day parade starting at 9:00 a.m. Uh after that, there will be a Vietnam War uh opening at the Veterans Historical Museum after that parade. And so because of that being Veterans Day, their meeting is scheduled to uh Wednesday at 6:00. No, theirs are five. Five. Okay. Wednesday at 5. And then that's over at um the annex. The annex. Okay. All right. Thank you,

Council President Dickle. Yeah, I want to echo several of Council Person Thompson's comments. Um, we've had so many conversations about homelessness at this table and I can tell you honestly a lot of days we walk away and we don't feel like there's anything we can do. Um, and as you said, this does not solve homelessness. There are still problems to to address, but I I I so appreciate you and everybody that worked on this putting together a real solution where government, local government can get involved and address this problem in a real way. Um, you mentioned, you know, not wanting to fund nonprofits. This is why government is here is to help people. So, so thank you. Thank you for that. And I I I commend our partners at the the county and and throughout the community who have stepped up to do this. One point of clarification on the funding. So it's $1,200 per activation. Does is that for each site, including secondary sites?

That is just for u reach service. So uh Hamilton Center, they are going to cover 100% of their cost. um and they will turn on depending on how full that center is and they do need about a half day to a day heads up but we remain in contact with their leadership on that decision and u mental health America we're looking for other ways to support them um I know a number of even city departments are helping out with items that they might need or or little help here and there so but this is primarily for the primary warming center.

Okay. Yeah. I I mean I think there's been just reading through this there's so much detail and I I feel so much better going into this season that we have a plan in place because I've I've seen it the last two years where we're constantly on the phones trying to scramble trying to get people we we don't even know who is open. So the fact that we know here on November 6th where the places are going to be it helps us as representatives when people come to us. So I just want to thank everybody that's involved. Thank you. Are you person?

Um, I want to echo their comments. Um, I appreciate everybody working on this. This is great. I just have one comment. I know that you said you didn't include in the $1,200 like for food and all that. With the times that we're in now, do they feel comfortable enough that they're going to get funding for, you know, donations for food and all of that? I mean, that AT is looking at me saying yes. So, um I mean just concerned that we don't that we didn't include and and that's a good question enough for those

and I understand that question. Look, I mean we I was talking to some of our uh food pantries today about the current situation uh with SNAP benefits, some of the challenges and a lot of our businesses and philanthropic individuals have quietly stepped up. So, we we see an end in sight. Um, I did speak with our federal lobbyist about a problem yesterday and so it sounds like we're inching closer towards a deal. Um, so we'll see when when the government can reopen. But honestly, outside of the shutdown and SNAP, there's a shortfall that's going to start, I believe, in January of 2026 based off the quantity of USDA orders uh being funded and allocated by the federal government. So, there might be some long-term challenges as we see this. Some of our state foundations are also stepping up. the Pacers Foundation, uh, Catholic Food Charities of course. So, there's people who are getting activated and we are exploring options of how to insert ourselves, but if you know, if you throw that option out too early and the problems gets worse, you got to figure out when that can have the biggest impact. So, it's

it's hard, you know, to answer that crystal ball question. Okay. I just wanted to make sure that they didn't that we weren't not including something that they may need the that they may need funding for. Yes. And so, uh, at said they're they're typically they get more than enough food donations on on that side. I yield. That's council person. Just a quick and it may be in here. I haven't had a chance to look through it all. I'm definitely in support of it. What source are you going to utilize to fund this?

So, this year I can do um we've underspent on some of our gaming revenue projects, so I can do a transfer to civic promotions. Next year, I'm more so looking at edit and a civic promotions line there. Um, granted, as you all know, because of Senate Bill One, Eed's going to go away in two years, but we're trying to find like basically a permanent line item to that so that way we can adjust that amount each year based off of what was or was not spent the previous year.

What happens if the county doesn't match? You know, Councilman Azar, that's uh that might be a Thursday morning conversation, but uh I have uh you know, shot a couple of Red Star clusters up in the air and we're looking at some things and and trying to figure it all out. It can we'll find something. I mean, we'll we'll find a way. It's just as I said earlier when it's a community solution with the EMA so involved the health department so involved some of our trustees and those trustee boards have started conversation but we have actually asked them to hold conversation because they're dealing with the federal government shutdown and snap. Uh and so when issues happen higher than us it it compounds right and it gets harder and harder and harder and here we are at local government and all these state and federal issues smack you at one. So there's a will there's a way. Okay. Thank you. I yield.

I guess we could donate. Counc. Happy birthday. Thank you, mayor. Uh just a really quick echo. Uh thank you to all who were involved in putting this together. It's it's an important issue. Um thank you. That's all I want to say. I yield. Some board. Uh again, as a mayor said, at Jesse, mayor, I mean, we wouldn't be here where we are tonight without your hard work. Uh this group was organized, they were professional. Um included local service providers, regional service providers. Anybody who would have their hands in making this successful was at the table. That's really, really important. I mean, there were times when we talked about how we were going to utilize volunteers.

Yeah, volunteers were not an option because of the skill set required to work in this kind of situation. Um I would have never thought about that with the right people not being in the room. Um it's really really nice for the city and county to work together uh in this partnership to find some kind of resolution. And one of the things that we talked about a lot was I mean the conversation expanded to what kind of services can we provide and we were reigned in on that to say the intent of this is to prevent and at you can help me with this if I'm wrong to prevent loss of life or loss of limb and that's the ultimate goal for our unhoused population and that's what these warming centers are truly going to do.

So uh I mean I know there's some couple other things there's uh notification. How are we going to notify people? How are we going to share this with the community? And all of those things were discussed. While we might not have discussed them tonight,

the group of people that are working on that are really, really, really putting the time in to make sure we get this right. The last thing I want to say is we are handling this like a crisis emergency planning for how to activate it with an incident command group and all the way through providing the service to the end where I assume we'll have a debrief and we'll say what did we do good what do we need to do better but when it's all over and done with if we didn't lose a life and nobody lost the lamb then we have been successful and I really appreciate everybody who worked on that. Thank you. Thank you, Councilman. Council person.

Uh, thank you, uh, mayor. Thank you for, um, bringing this to us tonight. Um, this is also something dear to my heart. I I'm surprised that they say no volunteers at Pathways because I volunteered last year.

No volunteers to staff it. So, with the funding, like it's very hard to predict or confirm how many volunteers you could bring every activation day, what their background and training is, cuz I did prepare I prepared this for the for our county council and commissioners as well of for the question, well, why can't volunteers do this? Uh, and there is a a litany of reasons. And of course, the volunteers are I think of them as a force multiplier adding to what we're able to do, but there are some uh pretty strict um trainings and certifications an individual must have to be the staff member on site to meet a host of IHCDA and HUD guidelines. Thank you.

They will still need volunteers. Yeah. All right. I must have been a low low. You are still a force multiplier. We didn't have a plan. We didn't have a plan, a strategic plan. No. Uh but but the warming center um pathways was a you know special place for me last year. I I learned so much and had no idea um what was what was happening in actuality where people went at night time. Uh and so I was great very grateful to be able to share any resources that I have. Where do people go at 40 degrees? Because it's been like 40. It's been we've had frost hit the last few nights. It's

you know I know you you had some kind of a scientific way to say this is our threshold. What what do we do for 40 degrees or 35 degrees? Yeah. I mean it's and that's a difficult question to answer Dr. H. I mean there's a number of situations or cases that the human side of this you could say well we would need a warming center then right? Uh and it's very hard to strictly determine what our criteria are. uh you can look at a number of communities. You can look at ourselves and what we have internally to do this. So we we believe this is a good starting point. It improves where we were last year and it's an ongoing conversation of how to improve future years.

I know um Pathways is exploring some grant-based funding to improve their space and add to their space and we are of course supportive of that. But uh from a resource standpoint, it there is a very uh uncomfortable trigger where it's shelter or no shelter. Uh and it's it's a supposed to be black and white, but a gray area that we find ourselves in almost daily, frankly. Thank you so much. Thank you.

I've just got a couple of real quick ones. Um of course I echo, you know, all the uh accolades. Um, but I'm wondering about clients who have been barred from reach services. Uh, when I tried to help uh a guy last winter in inclement weather, you know, I tried to take him to REACH and the first thing out of his mouth was, "No, they don't want me there. I've been kicked out." Yeah, I think uh I probably would refer you to the the previous slide that showed some of the other opportunities available um for that potentially calling whether it be Hamilton Center or um the bridge or some of our other faith-based organizations that come into that space. So, if someone's been ejected from or barred from reach services, the same rules, they can't come into this place uh when it's been declared a warming center,

I believe. So, but I'd have to check with them at the county council meeting next Wednesday. So, we'll confirm that with them.

I only ask because it's it's something that I have personal experience with, you know, with the guy in my van driving him from place to place. Um, and I ended up dropping them off at Denny's uh because it was open. The um another question is when we initially talked about this uh there were stories of Chief Barrett uh spending a lot of his personal time uh staffing it. I'm wondering if there's a you know you talked about the money that'll that's been budgeted for uh reach services upon activation. Um, is there any consideration of police overtime and uh money in that budget uh to have security at these places? So, we had a really good conversation with the chief sparts as well as some of the uh leadership over at the police department and with Reach Services. And so, they feel comfortable when the officers on shift overnight kind of stopped by when able pretty frequently. And that ended up translating to basically every 10 minutes one of the handful of officers on shift was at least stopping by and popping in. And so they feel comfortable with that in the event that we if we needed to dedicate a singular or two officers for that shelter completely overnight due to an incident or or that's just what the situation has now called for, we will open that conversation. Um but we do have an overtime budget already submitted for the year and so it's hard to say, hey, you know, we'll need X or Y amount more based off of a number of criteria. So, we had that conversation with them and uh our our councilman and councilman who are on that, I'm sure, remember that. It's just if all parties felt comfortable and safe with, you know, working it with the folks on shift, then we were going to stick with that.

Okay. I just wanted to make sure that that had been part of the conversation. Of course, it has. Uh and finally, um our sustainability commission has put forth a sustainability plan that contemplates needing, uh warming centers. It also contemplates needing cooling centers in the winter, I'm sorry, in the summer. Uh, and you know, it'd be the same thing after above a certain threshold. Uh, it wasn't too bad this past summer, but you may remember a couple of years ago when it didn't get down below like, you know, 80 something at night. Uh, and then it was up consistently in the 90s, uh, and three digits during the day. Um, we are on track to more of those kinds of days. Uh so anyway, I just I don't expect you to have a reaction to that. I just uh want to plant the bug that in case you haven't already uh thought about building on the success of uh this effort with a summertime effort. Uh I hope that that'll be part of the conversation going forward.

Well, councilman, my only response is how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. So we'll take the next bite when that time comes up, my good sir. Thank you. That'll be early next year uh to get ready for next summer. Um, thank you, mayor. We really appreciate it. Thank you all for the time tonight.

Um, we're moving things around just a little bit. Uh, we, um, next, let's do the 30 minutes of public comment on non-aggenda items. Um, we have a signup sheet out in the hallway and there is one name on it tonight and it's Kevin Southwood. Um, you're on Kevin. Welcome. U name's Kevin Southwood and I just like you to maybe show me a little consideration for an idea and it's about uh problems in our in our own neighborhoods and how to maybe help solve those problems. And to uh say if you have 12 city parks and you you would have you could divide the problems down like you would ask the people to come into a park and they would they would say what's bothering them the most in their neighborhoods and and and after the the end of the the meeting on the first meeting you would say we had this many problems and this many problems. So the three highest problems they would they would uh uh garner the the the thing you're going to try to work on to lessen those negatives. So say if you have 12 city parks then you would have three problems and you would have four parks working on one one issue another work on another issue and and the other. So you could be working on three different things that are affecting the the people in the neighborhoods and you could see the uh you know like how how what are you going to do? uh the ease of following something and the end results. Did you lessen the negatives and you could say if the four parks or the neighbor in different neighborhoods they would say we we did this we had the best end results the other three other three

parks they could say well we had these problems this problem but the one park had the best solution and they they gained the best opportunity for finding positives in a problem. So you would then say, well, what we're going to do is for anybody that's trying to work on this uh problem on on their sales or in their area, this is the this is the the idea that you need to follow. And in other places, you you would have already a written written thing that worked effectively and then you could introduce it and let other places work on after they do the one problem for a while, they could work on another solution. But they would already have instead of failing and and falling, you know, and losing enthusiasm, they would already have a guaranteed situation that has proved effective. And it would allow people instead of going in there with uh no no idea what they're going to do and stumble or they quit. They would say this is an effective means on helping to solve a problem. And I would hope that uh maybe you could have the the police, city police, uh uh you know, Bible County uh deputy sheriffs, the city council, the county council uh people in leadership position could go to the parks as well. They would listen to the problems that the people have. You get out there and listen to the problems that have existed for probably years and decades and you would be finding uh ways and seeing what type of uh enthusiasm how many neighbors want to show up to try to do something because you know if you don't never bring something up, if you don't never test anything, you're not going to be able to solve anything. And I just think that you you have to plant the seed in order to try make something grow.

Thank you, Kevin. We appreciate you sharing your thoughts. Thank you. Um, next, are there any corrections to the journal, Michelle? There are none. Reports from city officials? I received none. Reports from the board of public works and safety. I received none. Reports from standing committees? There are none. Non-standing committees, there are none. Items previously tabled, there are none. Tax abatements for confirmation, there are none. Um, at this time, I'm going to move resolution number 31, 2025 to next on the agenda.

Resolution 31, 2025, transfer of $6,500 in the cemetery budget. Welcome. Evening, council. Uh Brent City Cemetery Department. I'm needing your approval for an out of series transfer uh for the purchase of new deed books for both Woodlon and Highland lawn. Thank you, Brett. Is there anyone from the public who would like to ask a question about resolution 31 2025? Council

Council person Debon If there be no discussion, I'll make a motion that we approve resolution 312025. Second. It's been moved by Council Person Deb, second by Council Person Bolan that we approve resolution 312025. All in favor of approval, please say I. I. Opposed? All right. Thank you, Brian. Thank you. Ne um next order of business, please. Michelle, general ordinance 11, 2025, admitting city code, chapter 6, article 3, division 2, section 6-49, false fire alarms. Do we have a petitioner on this one?

Welcome, Michael. Good evening, Mr. President, members of the council. Michael Wright, city legal. Um what you have before you is a proposed modification to chapter 6 article three uh specifically modification to kind of the false fire alarm policy that the Teroot Fire Department employs. Um we're happy to answer any questions the council may have. Thank you. Michael, is there anyone from the audience who'd like to ask a question about general ordinance number 11, 2025? Council, I have none.

Councilman, how you going to enforce it? You want to speak? I mean, I I'm all for it. I'm just want to know what happens if you Yeah. You know, you know as well as I do across the street from us every week or two there's a false alarm going off.

Sure. Sure. And good evening, council. Uh, you know, uh, there was a few things I wanted to hit on. I know I talked to, uh, most of you. I know you were out of town, Councilman Nazar, so I didn't get the chance. I know, uh, Chief Scott maybe reached out to you. and it's been a couple months back, but um you know, a lot of this uh the changes to this ordinance was code changes to match state IC code things that um we had just fallen behind on as a city. Um uh the the four big bullet points I wanted to hit on was um you know we're working handinhand with uh city engineering and inspection electrical uh the the one of the big ones was daycarees. I know that came up a couple months back about the daycare ordinance. Now, if there's a new daycare or changes to a daycare, um it has to go on uh we get notified through the through the city now where we can go and inspect all of that. Um the big the big change on this, yes, you're right, is the false alarms. um my my fire apparatus, our fire the city's fire apparatus, they're responding to hundreds of false alarm calls every year. Um primarily from commercial businesses that just don't want to keep up on their on their uh fire alarm system. Um it's out a lot of them are outdated and so we're getting these false alarm uh calls. Uh uh just this last month I

have a report from um central dispatch we had a total ofund well we have 1,270 calls in the month of October. But primarily, if you break it down just to fire alarms and actual fires, we had 129 calls. 75 of those were false alarm fires to commercial buildings. That's a 58 that's 58% of my runs that I'm sending out our city apparatus on. Um, we haven't really had an ordinance to speak of when it comes to false alarm calls or enforcing it somehow. Um, I think it, you know, I I think if you look back, it used to be maybe 50 bucks and if it was enforced. Um, I can speak to I have called multiple uh different cities throughout the state. Um, one that one that jumps out is is Greenwood and I know they're a bigger city than us, but they have a a three strike and you're out rule. Um, after three strikes, it's a $1,230 fine. I'm I'm not wanting to enforce something as harsh as that. However, um our IPI division goes out on any alarms. They do all the inspections for the city. Um and we can start tracking this with an ordinance. we can start tracking it to where I have it

in the ordinance now where it could be well I think I've let me find it here I know after uh it's a $100 penalty now uh and that's after that that's for that's after the uh third offense. So basically the the first two are give me right the IPI division will come out they'll say you know your alarm is is malfunctioning this is the issues you need to get it fixed they will give you time to get that taken care of after the third offense it'll be $100 and then um alarms 5 through9 will go to $300 per offense plus $50 for every responding apparatus. So I it will be upwards of a $500 fine after that. And that that's simply to help take care of the cost of just the fuel to drive these apparatus across city to false alarm calls. Um and then after that, if if they still don't want to get it fixed, the 10th false alarm and up will be $1,000 per occurrence. Okay, thank you. Thank you. Anybody else?

Council person board. So, I was taking some notes. I just wanted to make sure I understood your numbers for October. Uh 58% of the fire alarms in October were false alarms. Fire alarms or fires. Now, there and again, this this

we're not going after residential alarms. There was actually only 11 residential alarms for the entire month of October. And it's actually a 50/50 split. There were 10 uh residential fires as well. Now, I had 33 various fires which range anywhere from a dumpster fire to a garage or something of that nature. But there were 75 alarms to multi occupancy commercial buildings, commercial buildings, you anything commercial that and a lot of it is has people living in it too, you know. So,

so you have to respond in aent way. Mhm. Uh the second thing I want who's going to assess the alarm systems. Who did you say would be assessing? Our inspections division IPI. Yep. Okay. And and they do that daily. They work Monday through Sunday. Um they get a list from our IPI chief, Terry Coker, and they go out daily and they they might get anywhere from two to three a day to 8 to 10 a day depending on what they're assessing. but they they go out and they do annual inspections for any business here in the city.

So, I can't think of another way to put this, so I'm just going to say it. So, if we can deal with the frequent flyers through this uh fines, then this problem could just go away.

Well, you know, it's there there's a multitude of reasons why we want to do it. one and and the top priority is the the safety of the of the citizens of this city, right? A lot of these commercial buildings house some of our citizens and with a faulty alarm system, it might, you know, it might disgruntle us to go there, right, 10 times a month or 10 times a week even. But to have an alarm system that works for the citizens that are living in there is truly what we want to to accomplish. And you know it it's saving the city money too. Some of our apparatus I I I hate to say it but you know four or five miles to the gallon it costs a lot for the diesel just for them to drive across town. Not only we're driving emergent to something that doesn't need to go emergent to. So we're putting other citizens in harm's way by just trying to get to something that we don't need to go to.

Thank you. I yel Mr. President Cerson, does this just refer is this just for faulty alarms or

correct? Yes. Some kid rolling by just going to pull an alarm. No, you know th those things happen and and out of those 75 false alarms, maybe one or two of those was was from somebody that did something like that. But these are these are true malfunctions to an alarm system that our IPI division has discovered when they go and inspect it or or the battalion chief calls and says, "Hey, we've went to this place five times this week and our one of our investigators will go look at that alarm system. Should should this say a faulty alarm system for should it say faulty alarm false alarms or should it

Well, it you know from dispatch it it it comes in as an alarm, right? It just comes in as a a as a fire alarm, a commercial fire alarm or a multio occupancy fire alarm. Um, but when we go when we go there, we deem it a false alarm once we get there and realize that there's no hazard.

And I think, Councilwoman Hen, that's that's the discretion that the department would have to employ in those scenarios. If it was a situation where the alarm's fully functioning and it was just user error or somebody was playing a prank, they've got they don't have to write that as a faulty alarm. That's not necessarily their first strike. So I can see your point about human actions versus the faulty alarms. But we are trying to impress upon people that asking the fire department to respond to any sort of emergent situation is not a joke. and and to play that game or tolerate that behavior even as uh in code or imply that that's not a problem is where I mean we thought about the same thing and we just felt like they would have that on-site discretion to say yes we don't have to count this as their first um ding so to speak because their alarm system works fine. It was just some extenduating circumstance.

I I know on campus if a student pulls alarm, they're expelled. They can't even come back to campus. Yeah. That's how egregious it is. And so I was just right. There's a difference between if a resident hall has a faulty alarm or somebody has it building to get out. Sure. I yield. Mr. President, Council Person Lim, if there is no further discussion, I'd make a motion on general ordinance number 11, 2025 that we approve. Second.

It's been moved by Council Person Lim, second by Council Person Dinkle that we approve general ordinance number 11, 2025. Says pass it. All in favor, please say I. I. Opposed. All right, that one passes. Thank you, gentlemen. Can I ask him one more question? She said, can I ask one more question? Do you have to fill out an incident report for all the false alarms as well? Absolutely. Okay. I thought so. Thank you. We have to pass at her tables defeated. Okay. At this time, I'm going to move resolution number 28 uh and resolution number 29 up on the agenda. So this one's resolution number 28. Do we have a petitioner for that?

Resolution 28, 2025, transfer of $24,71.64 from Mayans, please fleas number 027002700346010 to transfers from EMS number 051100000000 391220. Welcome.

Good evening. Uh Diana Luther, deputy chief of EMS operations. Um, I am asking tonight to move money from the EMS non-reverting fund to our uh training fund. That is that is how we do all of our um training line item, training budget line item. It's in the ordinance when we created the EMS non-reverting fund to make an appropriation for that money for the training budget every year. Thanks, Diana. Is there anyone in the audience who'd like to ask a question about resolution number 28?

Mr. President, council person. No further discussion. I move that we approve resolution 28 2025. Second. It's been moved by Council Person Dingle, second by Council Person Laddermill that we approve resolution 28205. All in favor, please say I. Opposed. Motion passes. Thank you. Next order of business, please. Michelle, resolution 29, 2022, transfer of $130,700 in the information technology budget. Welcome, Larry.

Thank you. Good evening, Mr. President, honorable council. Th Wet Knight, CIO, uh my request before you is to transfer that amount uh primarily for um software for cyber security. We're still getting uh needing to update our office uh licensing as well as I've got three servers over at the PD building that need to be upgraded and they're just limited uh that we we can't upgrade the software on those. So that's a cyber security issue and I've got a printer and HR and then also a little bit of uh I need to move some some monies in gas the gas categories as it now has a couple of vehicles. So those are my primary requests.

Thank you very much. Uh, is there anyone in the audience who would like to ask a question about resolution 29205? Hearing none. Council

Mr. President, Council Person, if there is no further discussion, I'd make a motion that we approve resolution 29 29 2025. Second. It's been moved by council person milk. Second by councoland that we approve resolution 292025. All in favor, please say I. I. Opposed. Thank you, Larry. Thank you. Uh, next order of business, please. Michelle, preparation 17, 2025, $26,000 from continued education 02330025 to continued education 0233002504410. You must uh vote to take action. Thank you, Michelle.

Welcome.

Good evening, council president and members of the council. My name is Devin Hubner. I'm a detective with the Teraho Police Department. The Teraho Police Department is requesting a transfer of funds to cover a recently signed contract with utility associates, Inc. Utility Associates is the current company the Teraho Police Department utilizes for body cameras, interview rooms, and vehicle cameras. The Tarot Police Department entered into agreement in 2019 and that expired in September of 2025. The Tero Police Department is requesting the following to cover the payment. Transfer 100,000 from services contractual to purchase of equipment. Transfer $117,144 from principal on note to purchase of equipment. transfer $28,175 from interest on note to the purchase of equipment. Transfer 20,000 from abandoned vehicle to PS lit. And then additional appropriation of 20,000 from PS lit to purchase of equipment and an additional appropriation of 25,000 from continuing education to purchase of equip to purchase of equipment. Uh the above transactions total $291,319. Thank you, Deb. Um, and we all had a memo uh from David Thompson detailing this. Um, this will be the next few pieces of business that'll uh take that we'll consider that'll take care of all of this. Um, is there anyone in the audience who would like to ask a question about appropriation 17205? Hearing none, uh, council.

Mr. President, council person to take action on appropriation 17. Second. It's been moved by council person Nazar, seconded by council person Loudermilk that we take action on appropriation 17 2025. All in favor of taking action say I. Opposed. All right, we can take action. President Council person move that we approve appropriation 17. Second. It's been moved by Councilman Azar and seconded by Counc Lim that we approve appropriation 17 2025. All in favor, please say I. I opposed. That one's approved. Next order of business, please. Michelle,

appropriation 18 2025. $20,000 from PSIT 07510017 to PS Lit. Purchase of equipment 071 0 uh 07510017044410. You must also vote to take action. I don't think you have to read the same memo again, but okay. Say I think 17 18 and probably resolution 26. Don't item all go together. So this is another piece of cobbling together the money to pay the new camera contract. Yes. Abandoned vehicle to PS as well as 19 and 20. 19 and 20.

Okay. Thank you. Um is there anyone in the audience who would like to ask a question about uh appropriation 18 2025? Hearing none. Council Council person Deborah. I I'd actually just like to um teacher make a motion that we take I'm sorry vote to take action on appropriations 18 through 20 at this moment. Second. That's all right with everybody. It's been moved by Council Person Deborah, second by Council Person Boland that we vote to take action on appropriations 18, 19, and 20. All in favor of taking action, please say I. Oppos. All right, we can take action uh on 18 now, Mr. President.

Yes, Council Person Ladderm. Sorry, are we good? No. Yeah, we're good. Okay, I'd like to make a motion we approve appropriation 18, 2022. Second. It's been moved by Council Person Laddermilk, second by Council Person Debond that we approve appropriation 18 2025. All in favor of approval, please say I. I opposed. All right. So, that's appropriation 18. Appropriation 19205. $64,000 from general fund 01010017 to overtime 010100 01701412129. Anything to add, Deon?

Okay. The Terote Police Department is requesting an additional appropriation to its overtime line in the general fund. The amount of the request is 64,000. The additional appropriation comes from the Teraho Police Department overtime reimbursement line. This is overtime that is paid to task force officers by the federal government. These task force officers are paid from the overtime line and these funds are reimbursement for payments already made. Is there anyone in the audience who would like to ask a question about appropriation 19 2025? Hearing none council. Mr. President, council person Dickle move that we approve appropriation 19 2025.

Second. It's been moved by Council Person Dinkle, second by Council Person Laddermouth that we approve appropriation number 19205. All in favor of approval, please say I. Opposed. All right, that one's approved.

Appropriation 20, 2022, $49,953.75 from PS Lit Police number 07510017 to purchase a vehicle number 07510017 04444080. Tero Police Department is requesting an additional appropriation to our purchase of vehicles line in the amount of $49,953.75. The additional appropriation is for the purchase of a new vehicle that will be fully reimbursed by the VO County Prosecutor's Office. This is a change in previous process, but not an unusual purchase. Vehicles owned and titled for municipality police must be purchased with municipality funding.

Thank you, Deon. Is there anyone in the audience who'd like to ask a question about appropriation number 20, 2025? Council, Mr. President, council person. Okay, if there's no further discussion, I make a motion we approve appropriation 20 2025. Second. It's been moved by Council Person Laddermok, second by Council Person Bolan that we approve appropriation 2020 2022. All in favor of approval, please say I. I. Opposed? That one's approved. Next order of business, please, Michelle. Well, I at this moment, at this time, I'll I'd like to move resolutions number 26 and 27 to next on the agenda.

Resolution 26 2025, transfer of $245,319 in the Terote Police Department 07510017 budget. All right. So, Oh, you're on, Deon. Okay. What is it that this one's circling back to the aggregate amount that we're approving for cameras? Okay. Yeah. Say 26 goes with the cameras.

Yeah, that's this one. Okay. Resolution 26 is the rest of your money for the cameras, right? Okay. So reading where what the money is going to to where it's going or where it's from to where it's going. Yeah. I mean, if I may, I would just state that this is the continuation of all the move. Okay. I'm sorry. This is for our utility uh contract. Utility is the company that we use our body cams, incar dash cams, interview rooms. Uh that's what that's all for.

Thank you, Devin. Is there anyone in the audience who'd like to ask a question about resolution number 26, 2025? Hearing none. Council, Mr. President, Council Person Lot, I'd like to make a motion that we approve resolution 26, 2022. Second. It's been moved by Council Person Laddermilk, second by Council Person that we approve resolution 26 2025. All in favor, please say I. I. Opposed?

That one passes. Resolution 272025 transfer of $25,000 in the Terote Police Department number 0228 fund 0751 fund and 0748 budgets. This is for your vehicles. Okay. This is for your This is to the front part of it. Yeah. Abandoned vehicle. Sorry. Please.

Yes. So, this is this uh $20,000 is moving from abandoned vehicles over to PS Lit um for purchase of vehicles, purchase of equipment, and then the $5,000 is coming from abandoned vehicles over to um the Brent Long Memorial Fund to cover that deficit. Is there anyone in the audience who'd like to ask a question about resolution 27205 council? Mr. President,

council person ladder. Um, I just wanted to make a quick comment just to give you guys a heads up that I will be coming to ask. This 5,000 for the Brent Long covers mainly the honor guard going to DC when they make their big trip and normally they get donations and have since 1990ome and Jeep Junkies and they've never been funded from the city at all um for all the things they do. I have spoke with the mayor and I will be coming to ask for an appropriation for the honor guard in the budget. I just think that that they should be getting five to 10,000 a year in the budget so that they can attend those things. I mean, they they have to buy the uniforms for the honor guard. Um, you know, they all they do the parades, they do the funerals, they do the and they've never they've always been done by donation. Um, so just a heads up on that one, but I will be coming just to plant the seed to ask for the honor guard to have a line item. But on that note, if there's no further discussion, I'll make a motion that we approve resolution 27205.

Second. It's been moved by Council Person Ladderm and seconded by Council Person Dinkle that we approve resolution 27205. All in favor, please say I. I. Opposed. That one passes. Thank you, Deon. Thank you. Next order of business, please. Michelle. Special Ordinance 392025 resenting a property located at South Hunt Street parcel number 84-07-29-200-01 0-0000-009 area planning gave a favorable with conditions recommendation. You must vote to take action.

Welcome Eddie. Hey, before we start, I think I owe you an apology. I didn't mean to when I talked to Michelle about uh the order of the agenda. I didn't mean to make you and your clients sit through a bunch of uh It's okay. I I prepped them that you never know what's on these agendas. So, okay. Well, sorry. I uh I'm sure no problem waiting this evening. Okay. Uh so, please proceed. Welcome.

Thank you, Mr. President, members of the council. Eddie Felling, Lynen Felling Law Firm, uh here on behalf of Rereath Riley and Jack 46 LLC. Um, just so you can picture this project, uh, if you're out on the east side very often, uh, Milestone just moved their plant, which was previously at Margaret and 46, over to Hunt. Um, that's immediately, uh, west of the airport. And, uh, the proposal before you this evening is a new resoning for a new asphalt plant immediately to the north, right across the street from the existing Milestone plant. Uh the project is uh approximately $6 million and uh we're projected to have nine new full-time employees on site. They're wanting to get started right away. Uh plans to start uh beginning of next year and have that plant completed in 2026. And um I I noted last night at plant as well that there's no abatement or anything that goes along with this as well. So um give you an idea about asphalt plants. It's interesting uh to say the least. We only have one here locally. uh to get asphalt outside of Teroot, you've got to go to either Cloverdale, uh Bloomington, or Monrovia. So, there's only really four options, including ours, and three of those four are all owned by the the same entity. So, this brings a new game to town. With that, hopefully, um that's going to help our our local uh building process, which we have a lot of asphalt projects here locally with the street department, uh and with the county as well. And um again just adding another option here uh locally. Last night at the area plant commission we only had one individual uh that appeared. Uh nice guy. He owns a gentleman's name was Edward Cook. He owns a company called EDA which is one of the one of the just handful of things that are located on Hunt currently. His his building's right in front of the existing milestone. And what he brought up and all of us that live on the east side know is how horrible uh Hunt is.

currently. I I knew it was coming. I talked to the mayor today and I talked to Marcus as well. Um they are going to redo all of Hunt next year. So that is in the works and as soon as that's done or a little piece of that I think in conjunction with redoing Hunt is going to be the new College Avenue which extends directly east and west all the way out to 46. I'll tell you as I told Plan last night, I drive that every morning. Um, I dropped my daughter off at Bloss Creek on Hunt. So, I come down 42 going uh west and I it's becoming a dangerous intersection with the triacles pulling out.

So, I told them I would hope and advocate for hopefully trucks only going up and down College at some point to push that traffic out to where because they'll be end up being a light there at 46 and New College Avenue. Um, so the hope there is again safety from that perspective and then protecting you know the new road they're going to be putting in along Hunt. So, uh, I that that was the biggest piece. I also reminded them the question came up about how many new trucks will be going through that area. And again, the irony is there's not any new truck traffic really to speak of. You're just splitting up where those trucks are going between two different plants. Um, so not it's not necessarily creating new demand, it's creating new supply. So, if they're not going on one side of the street, they're going to the other. Um the other question when and it didn't come up last night but reminding everybody obviously they're dealing with petroleum based products. It's pretty highly regulated uh industry between IDM and EPA. Uh so obviously they'll have to have their ducks in a row making sure they're compliant uh as well. But at the end of the day, I think it's good for the community again to have another plan available for our projects and to continue to see development in this area. I know we're going to see a lot of new development on the east side uh in and around the airport. So, I'd be happy to answer any questions. Uh, these gentlemen are all here uh locally and regionally to answer any specifics that you might have.

Thank you, Eddie. Is there anyone in the audience who uh would like to ask a question about special ordinance number 39 2025? Hearing none. Um, council counc. Did you see it? Did you know that I was back there? I saw the picture. It looks good. Do I look I was smiling? At least you were smiling. Sorry about that. I apologize. You can edit me out. We'll uh Yeah, brush me out with the Yeah, you can keep it.

Okay. But I do have a question. uh were were there any environmental impact studies or

Well, there's and I won't I can't speak to that directly, but again, it it's regulated because of the petroleum based products through both federal state and federal agencies. Um I know again I'm I I'm interested to see what's going to happen with the old Milestone plant because that was there for ever. Um, not to go off topic too much on the environmental part, but ironically, so I live right behind the airport and so we to get into town, you either go down Margaret or you go down 42. When the old Milestone plant was there at Margaret and 46, you could smell it a lot more when it was there. Now, since they've moved, even though it's technically closer as the crow flies, I I don't notice it as much. And I'm sure it probably has something to do with the new building standards and how they um it was explained to me how they do those smoke stacks. The higher they can get them up, the more it dissipates any of that residual smell um you know out out into the country. So

that's a growing area as you mentioned sign more and more development happening. Just curious. Well, and I think we're going to see a lot more. It's going to be interesting to see what happens, you know, next week in the coming years with our schools and what else is going to happen on the east side, but 46 in general. We have some huge projects coming. But I think this is a unique area where it's right next to the airport where we're going to see more industry based things in that area. And then the commercial is going to stay further west right up along 46. Um, and obviously the big piece there is what utilities are available and being having closer access to the interstate. So,

thank you. I yield. Anybody else? Council person Thompson. Um I would echo the sentiment about Hunt Road. So I think the mayor left, but um yeah, we definitely need to uh fix that. Um and also I heard some rumblings last night from some builders that even the word of this being out had already improved current asphalt prices. So they know the competition is coming, which ultimately helps the city too when we go to repave our roads. Um but if there's no other uh consideration or no other comments, I would move that we take action on um special ordinance 392025. Second.

It's been moved by council person Thompson, second by count council person that we take action on special ordinance number 39 2025. All in favor, please say I. I opposed. All right, we can take action. Uh Mr. President. Um if there's uh no other comments, um I would move that we approve special ordinance 39 2025. Second. It's been moved by council person Thompson and second by council person Latim that we approve special ordinance number 39 2025. All in favor of approval? I opposed. It passes. Thank you. Thank you very much. Look, I uh look forward to seeing all of you if possible next Wednesday

on the calendar. Thank you. Next order of business, please. Michelle, special ordinance 40, 2025, vacating a north south public alley located east of 1225 North 25th Street, 1221 North 25th Street, and 1205 North 25th Street. And a portion of 26th Street located east of 1204 North 26th Street and 1200 North 26th Street. and a portion of a north south public alley located east of 1205 North 26th Street and 121 North 26th Street and a portion of a north south public alley located east of 122 North 27th Street and 1200 North 27th Street. No problems were noted by your departments. You must vote to take action.

Welcome Richard. Good evening Mr. President, fellow members of the council. My name is Richard Shaggley and I'm here on behalf of I'm with the law firm Bry Shaggley and Lowry and tonight I'm here on behalf of Mayday Properties. Uh, as Michelle stated, I'm here tonight asking for a vacation of a a certain section of um alleys and a little bit of a road as you can see by the site plan. Um, Mayday Properties owns all the properties that abut the uh proposed vacating. Um, I drove the property this morning. Um most alley vacates uh that we participate in um are distinct visible alleys. Um it was I don't know exactly where all I drove this morning, but sometimes I felt like I was in the alley. Sometimes I thought I was in a free dump area. Um, and the petitioner, the owner of these properties is hoping to eventually fence it in and then maybe deter some of the dumping uh that's going on in this area. Um, I don't know how many people drove the I'll call them alleys uh kind of rocky roads. Um, and I I just I had not been through that area. Uh, and I was really disappointed in the amount of people who are dumping um their stuff. Uh, but I would be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Thank you, Richard. Is there anyone in the audience who'd like to ask a question about special ordinance number 40, 2025? Council, Mr. President, Council President L. Um, I know it's hard to believe that I'm going to echo Mr. Shackley's comments. Is this being recorded? Just

But I myself drove it since it is in my district. And um, some of it is not really an alley. It's it's it's it actually butts up next to a fence, and I don't even think that part is. And it's not going to um deter or take away from the two houses that are there. so they can still get to theirs through their area. So with that, I'd move that we take action on special ordinance 40, 2025. Second. It's been moved by council personal and second by council person Bolan that we take action on special ordinance number 40, 2025. All in favor of taking action, please signify by saying I.

I opposed. All right, we can take action. Mr. President. Council person ladder milk. I'll make a motion that we approve special ordinance 40 2025. Second. It's been moved by council person Bolan. I'm sorry, LML and second by council person Boland that we approve special ordinance number 40 2025. All in favor please say I. Opposed. That passes. Thank you. Thank you very much. If I may, Mr. President, I would like to take this time to wish Council person Debon happy birthday. Thank you. And uh as you all are aware

I if I may uh later I will uh and also uh council person hinton last Sunday uh and uh next Tuesday Saturday Saturday uh council person Thompson I wish you all a happy birthday and many many more. And if you're lucky someday you'll catch up to me but uh uh you got a you both all three of you have a long way to go. So, happy birthday. Thank you for your uh attention tonight and I appreciate all your help. Have a great day. And while we're taking liberties with the council's time, did you also notice that I seconded that motion? I I well noted. Welled. Next order of business, please. Michelle,

special ordinance 41, 2022, amending special ordinance 212024, the s uh 2025 salary ordinance for transit. You must vote to take action. Welcome back.

Thank you, Mr. President, members of the council. So what you have here before you is a proposed modification to a salary ordinance that is in effect for this year. Um, in going through the budget process, we realized that the numbers that we had inputed in our computer for payroll uh were not matching up to the numbers that we had in the salary ordinance. So just for clarity, the bus operators, mechanics, cleaners, and utility men, part-time employees have been paid at the proposed rates that you see in the ordinance before you for all of 2025. We wanted to make sure that the salary ordinance that we had in effect correctly reflected that amount. And so this is the modification you have before you.

Thank you, M. Yes. Is there anyone in the audience who'd like to ask a question about special ordinance number 41 2025? Council, Mr. President. Council person Lateral. I know this is just clean up for the year 2025 and since I'm the one that might have made the issue, um I'd like to move we take action on special ordinance 412025. Second. It's been moved by council personal and seconded by council person Thompson that we take action on special ordinance number 41 2025. All in favor, please say I. Opposed? All right, we can take action. Mr. President, Council, I'd like to make a motion that we approve special ordinance 412025.

Second. It's been moved by Council Person Ladderm, second by Council Person Thompson that we approve special ordinance number 41, 2022. All in favor, please say I. Opposed? It's done. Thank you very much. I appreciate you taking care of that. Um, final piece of business, please. Michelle, resolution 30, 2025, transfer of $50,000 in the casino fund budget.

Thank you, Mr. President, members of the council. So, what you have before you uh back resolution number 30 is a request to move some money around in the casino budget, but uh what fun? It's going to stay in the casino budget, but this $50,000 is for the additional cost associated with the mayor's safe neighborhood and downtown detail for the Tero Hope Police Department. Um at a uh department head meeting earlier this week, um Assistant Chief Reigns gave a report on some the details of the safe neighborhoods for the course of uh October. you know, reported a lot of felony arrests, a lot of guns taken off the streets, and the additional overtime costs from casino are what be are what are being utilized to pay for those details. The downtown detail, as you can imagine, has been very much geared towards some of the activities um inside the parking garage. So,

thank you, Michael. Thank you, Is there anyone in the audience who'd like to ask a question about resolution 30 2025 hearing? None. Council. Cerson Thompson. Thank you. Um Mike, when you were doing the 2026 budget, um the mayor went through and um I think it was um President Nation that asked him to clarify each of the different line items uh for the funds from the casino. And one of those line items was for um I guess the uh THPD task forces. Yes.

Um and would this fall under that line item for 2026 or will you be coming back to us for more money again next year?

I could not speak to the plans for the safe street or safe neighborhood task force and the downtown task force moving into 2026. My impression of what I've seen thus far is that, you know, they're going to look at them at year end and kind of, you know, you can imagine summer months are a little heavier for that uh sort of detail. And so my impression was they plan to use the winter months to kind of assess, you know, funds, resources available within the police department. And my guess is based on the success that I believe has been visited to the neighborhoods, you know, I would anticipate it to continue in 2026, but I would want Mayor Sackbun to give specifics on that. And this is money that's already been expended by THPD.

Yeah. So, let me I'm sorry. I'm just going to cut in here. Sure. Um, so we do have money appropriated for next year also, but this money that we are doing right now has already been budgeted. It's in another line item. So, we're not increasing our expenses. We're not increasing our budget. We're just kind of moving it around. Um, and next year we do have some money um for overtime, but if we need more or we don't need as much, we may move it around. So, it's that's basically what we're doing. All right. So, the moving it from public safety equipment um Yeah. So, there was I I guess less or am I reading it correctly? Oh, so there was I guess money left over. So, just kind of moving into the the other bucket.

Yeah. Okay. And um is it possible I since everyone's going to be reviewing this at year end um if the mayor could uh kind of give an update to the council about exactly what task force uh task forces were in place this year the success rate I'd be really interested to hear those okay those reports um but I'd yield okay thank you anybody else thank you Mr. President, Council Person Lim. If there is no more discussion, I'll make a motion we approve resolution 30, 2025. Second. It's been moved by Council Person milk, second by Council Person Dinkle that we approve resolution 30, 2025. All in favor, please say I.

Opposed. All right, that one passes. Thank you so much. Finally, your turn. Uh, is there anything else, Michelle? Nothing. Uh, that is all for Well, there's my button. Thank you. That's all for uh tonight's agenda. We have no ordinances for next week. Oh, we don't for next next week. I haven't took any donuts. So, um we don't need to do anything except for announce that we're not going to hold a meeting next week. Right. If that's the council. Yeah. Mhm. I want more donuts. Okay. I'll be still. I move to adjourn until December. A second. All right. It's been moved by counc second by council person milk that we adjourn. All in favor, please say I.

I post. All right. Thanks for the card, everybody. Thank you so much. Thanks for giving us all reason to have Yona.