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Board of Commissioners August 30, 1999
The Vanderburgh County Board of Commissioners
met in session this 30th day of August at 5:37 p.m. in Room 307 of the
Civic Center Complex with President Bettye Lou Jerrel presiding.
President Jerrel: I'd like to call
the Vanderburgh County Commissioners' meeting to order please. The first
item on the agenda, I would like to present to you those of us that appear
before you. To my right is Tony Greubel, the Superintendent of County Buildings;
next to him is Joe Harrison, Jr., our County Attorney; Commissioner Pat
Tuley; far left Charlene Timmons, the Recording Secretary; Suzanne Crouch,
County Auditor; Commissioner Richard Mourdock; and my name is Bettye Lou
Jerrel. Would you join me in the Pledge of Allegiance?
President Jerrel: Thank you. The first action item on our agenda is the approval of the minutes of the previous meeting. Commissioner Mourdock: I'll move approval of the minutes of the August 23, 1999 Board of Commissioners. Commissioner Tuley: Second. President Jerrel: I'll say so ordered.
President Jerrel: The next item is the certification of the Executive Session. Commissioner Mourdock: I'll move approval of the summary minutes of the Executive Session that began tonight at 4:30 and ended at 5:30. It dealt with pending or threatened litigation and county personnel matters. Commissioner Tuley: Second. President Jerrel: So ordered.
President Jerrel: The first item, action item, on our agenda we have a special guest this evening, Ron Keeping, who is going to give us an update on the Vanderburgh County Industrial Park activities. Ron. Ron Keeping: Thank you. I thought it would be appropriate to appear before you from time to time and simply update you on the progress of the joint development of the Vanderburgh Industrial Park between Vanderburgh County and the Evansville Industrial Foundation and not only appear before you when we need something or want money. I'm not here to do either of those things. I'm pleased to report that things are progressing very well. Permitting has gone forward. We're getting our drainage permit. The development of a new plat, the old plat had expired, was a beneficial activity because we found it worthwhile to meet with the neighbors before the preliminary plat was filed and consequently because of that meeting we were able to make some changes in the plat concerning increasing the width of foliage easements and dealing with some other issues that were of importance to the neighbors. Construction drawings are almost done, being completed by Bernardin Lochmueller. Perhaps that is the only place where there might be an area of concern. I guess you all have more experience with this than I do, but I have to be worried about what happens if the actual costs come in higher than the estimates. That's it. I've been assured that we have very conservative estimates, engineering estimates, to begin with. The TIF bond activity is pretty much done with the final approval of a motion by the Redevelopment Commission last week. Marketing is proceeding. We have new signs out at the site. We have new brochures. My company is going forward with the promotion of the park through advertising. That brochure is already, of course, in the hands of Vision 2000 and the Chamber of Commerce. The development of covenants and restrictions and guidelines is also almost done. We're trying to strike a fine line between coming up with restrictions that define a nice good quality park and having restrictions and guidelines that are so expensive as we might discourage development. It's a bit of an art to strike a balance. It's important that we get those covenants and restrictions done and recorded because they obviously have to be recorded before we effect a sale. I'm happy to report that it looks like we already have two very interested purchasers of lots in the park. So that's my report. Thank you for all your support. If you have any questions I'll try to answer them, but it is looking very good. President Jerrel: This is excellent. Ron Keeping: Thank you. I'll pass that on to the people in the Foundation who did that. President Jerrel: This is attractive, but this, that says it all. Ron Keeping: There are some lovely trees out there in the park and that's one of them and I hope we can figure out a way not to have to cut them all down. Commissioner Mourdock: Ron, you mentioned that you've got a couple of leads on some acreage with the lot size out there from four to 23 acres. Without divulging too much at this point are you looking at someone who wants the larger lot accommodations? Ron Keeping: As you might suspect the strongest market for lots is in the smaller sizes and those are the sizes that are being looked at most seriously. There are a couple of somewhat amorphous prospects out there for very large tracts, potentials that would actually combine two or three of those larger lots, but these things are always just over the horizon and...I mean, the project in question actually should have been here in July to take a second look and he hasn't been here yet. Commissioner Mourdock: And the covenants and restrictions, it's kind of an odd legend. I see it, it is on the legend here. The railroad is through there so your covenants and restrictions are going to provide for that rail circuit all the way to the...what would that be, the southwest corner? Ron Keeping: Yeah, although our objective there is to try to push the rail development to the north so we won't have rail at the south, so we won't have to extend rail to the south, and we won't have rail behind the neighbors. Commissioner Mourdock: Very good. I wish you well. Commissioner Tuley: I'm glad to hear you met with the neighbors, I'll tell you. Sitting up here before (inaudible, mike not on). We appreciate that. Ron Keeping: I just have the utmost confidence in our engineers who seem to know that stuff and I think they have been successful in communicating the notion that they know what they're doing when it comes to drainage. Nobody wants drainage problems out there. Commissioner Tuley: Right. President Jerrel: You know what the key was? At least a couple of the neighbors that called down here they know these gentleman are local. That's the significant difference that you're going to be living here and you're not going to want to do anything that is going to in any way be a detriment to their neighborhood. Ron Keeping: Yeah, we're in the phone book. President Jerrel: That's right, and they know where to find you. Thank you very much. Commissioner Mourdock: Thanks, Ron.
President Jerrel: The next item on the agenda is Faye Gibson. You have a visitor with you, Judge Bowers. I don't know which one of you are going to-- Faye Gibson: Yes, I'm Faye Gibson, Executive Director of the Old Courthouse Preservation Society. With me this evening is Superior Court Judge Scott Bowers. Actually, I'm going to ask Judge Bowers to present first to kind of explain a need that is being experienced right now within Superior Court and then I'll talk about how we propose to address the need. Scott Bowers: The courts in Vanderburgh County, most particularly Superior Court, have experienced ongoing caseload increases. We were rated under the state weighted caseload study as one of the six busiest courts and the sixth most congested courts in the state of all the counties. Now because of that congestion and being one of the busiest courts in the state we've been given by the Legislator authorization to hire two additional helper judges called magistrates. These magistrates would help me with this burgeoning caseload. Unfortunately, there are no courtrooms for them to hear cases in and there is no office space for them to sit in or for any ancillary staff by way of court reporters, riding bailiffs and so on that would be necessary to assist them. We have, in fact, just now completed the process of interviewing applicants for the first position and we are intentionally delaying a hire on that position and on the second position because we simply cannot use the people in the given configuration. The Old Courthouse has on the second floor four rooms which would be ideally suited for use as courtrooms and they are not good commercial space. So I believe that they would be something that the government could use. Obviously, you can do an awful lot of renovation for the cost of new construction. There are historical reasons and aesthetic reasons for also reopening these things, but the primary purpose for which I am here to urge the reopening of courtrooms in the courthouse is simply the practical reason of preventing justice from being denied by being unduly delayed. I believe that there is a cost effective solution that's available by way of reopening significant portions of the Old Courthouse not just for courtroom use, but also perhaps for ancillary probation services, for use for the county law library which would free up bench trial space in the existing facility and possibly in addition some probation services and file storage. I understand that there are records that are being stored at significant cost to the county. Not because the county is just keeping them for the sake of keeping them, but because there are records which are by law required to be held for 100 years and significant amounts of money is being spent for that purpose where we have significant amounts of floor space in the Old Courthouse which would make the records more easily accessible to the extent that they're necessary for use here. Again, on what I believe may be a very cost effective basis subject to professional advice and consulting with engineering and architectural specialists. That's my summary of the necessity of need. I've thought through problems related to parking, security, phase in and questions of climate control, but I don't intend to go into any of that detail other than to mention that there is $90,000 available for air conditioning already appropriated from the state that won't cost the taxpayers in Vanderburgh County one cent if we use it to get the Old Courthouse up to snuff. Thank you for the opportunity to present to you. Faye Gibson: On that note, in January Dennis Avery, our State Representative, approached me to talk to me about the old courtroom because of just this issue. He had before him a bill that would allow new magistrate positions for Vanderburgh County. I will give Mr. Avery credit in that in January he was thinking about what do we do when that comes into law July 1. Through his efforts we were appropriated $90,000 from the Build Indiana Fund that is in place. It's ours to have for the purpose of renovating the old courtroom or ancillary space to be used for court business. I will clarify that is my intent of how the money will be used, and if not then I guess the Build Indiana Fund gets $90,000 back because that is exactly what Dennis Avery lobbied for our other local Legislators for that intent. Concurrently, other county needs began to surface as we dealt with this issue and I dealt specifically with Mr. Avery. There are such things as the Jail Assessment Committee where in its published interim report talking about part of the jail overcrowding problem is due to just this issue the Judge brought up, overcrowding of the docket and inability to process. You put the two together it seems like it's kind of all saying, well, we have space in the Old Courthouse and a week ago Judge Bowers came and met with me and now a week later here I am before the Commissioners. We do have $90,000 to start the project that comes from the state. We have an additional $5,000 from the National Historic Trust for Preservation that will be dedicated just to begin with an architect to look at the needs of that courtroom, particularly for climate control and what we'll have to do there, but we have funding in place to get the project started. That's not to say more money won't be needed. There will be rent issues. You know, as we see it now the court would be a tenant in the building just as we have other tenants in the building, so there would be a rent issue, but obviously my own personal feelings since it was designed to be a county courthouse I will do everything possible too. I would be very glad to see it go back to an original use, so we're willing to work with the county in any way we can to make this happen. We're here tonight to answer any questions and see if we're allowed to move forward with the thought anyway. President Jerrel: Well, I would like to compliment Judge Bowers for his willingness to consider this. That's a beautiful room. It really is. You're thinking of using that one over there, I am assuming. It's a lovely facility. I would like for you to give Curt Wortman a call tomorrow. He and I had an opportunity to visit about this at length. You know, he had some ideas and just, you know, about getting the, I guess, heating and air conditioning, that part of it, that he has kind of worked with you on. He had some good ideas and then, of course, the rest of it we would need someone else to discuss with us. Commissioner Mourdock: I would like to also add to that, Judge Bowers, I very much appreciate what I see as your leadership in this area. The judge and I met last week to discuss the fact that he is willing to move over there and move his court there. I think as you said it to me you kind of were quietly thinking over in the courts building well, somebody ought to do this, somebody ought to do this, somebody ought to do this, hey, I'm somebody. That's a simple way of defining leadership here. I have every confidence that if we start to renovate the Old Courthouse in a way that is up to modern standards for climate control that the other judges will certainly have some interest in going there. Obviously, this body under the constitution of Indiana is required to have good court space and certainly this is an answer to that. Somewhat ironically I think it was about four years ago that I suggested that maybe the county ought to dispose of that building and it was shortly after that that this room smelled of chicken feathers and heating tar, so I came to appreciate...not that I needed a great lesson, but I came to appreciate the value of that building. As Faye said a moment ago, an old courthouse was designed to be, guess what, an old courthouse. So I would like to go one step further and see if this body can begin to lay out a plan by which not just one courtroom or one office or several offices are set up to meet the needs of Judge Bowers, but that we put a plan together so that over a period of five, ten, fifteen years perhaps we can have funding in place and have some direction as far architecturally and engineering wise what we might need to do with the facility. It would keep us from laying out a great deal of cash at any one time immediately and it would also give us, I think, a better sense of planning to know how in future years we can again begin to reoccupy that building. As Faye mentioned and Sheriff Ellsworth being here the Blue Ribbon Committee on jail overcrowding has looked at every aspect of the criminal justice system and one of them that does come back to us time and time again is that there is not enough jail space...I'm sorry, not enough courtroom space and jury room space to keep trials moving. I think this would be a great help in that direction and would begin to solve this problem which if you look at that quick you may think it is what I thought it was which was something from the United Way, but that's the jail crowding situation. We started out with 256 capacity, that was actually reduced to 220 because of requirements for female cells and ADA. We hit 356 August 24th, 375 August 27th and Deputy Williams told me a few minutes ago we hit 394 last night. Anything we can do to begin to resolve that is important and I certainly think this is one issue that can help us. Commissioner Tuley: I'll give my two cents. You and I talked the other day, Judge, if there is anything we can do to help. I believe we need to be talking to you a little bit more about security, parking and what have you. (Inaudible, mike not on.) Commissioner Mourdock: Well, you didn't need to cheer the crowd on when they were here that night, Pat. The $5,000 for architectural studies, what are the limitations on that, Faye? I mean, how can we use that? I guess...let me even jump to my conclusion. I think it's important that a member of this Board perhaps our Superintendent of County Buildings, you, the Judge, start to meet with an architect or however we need to do that and I have no preference as to who that is, but to begin to put that plan together. We need to put some dates together, put some names, give some accountability to it and make this thing move forward. Faye Gibson: We can do that very quickly actually. The $5,000 must be spent for architectural plans. It's a very restricted fund that's called For Historic Interiors Only. It cannot be used for bricks and mortar and very seldom do I ever apply for that particular type of money because if I get any money I want to make sure I can see some end result with it, you know, but once this opportunity presented itself the deadline was February 1 and when I saw what might happen with Building Indiana Fund I thought why not and, quite frankly, there were only seven awards issued throughout the whole United States and we were one of them, so actually that shows that they think there is some merit to the building, too. Commissioner Mourdock: And the $90,000 is for budget year 2000? Faye Gibson: Yes. Actually, we can start accessing it even by the end of the year. Commissioner Mourdock: Right, okay. President Jerrel: Thank you very much. Faye Gibson: Thank you. President Jerrel: Thank you, Judge.
President Jerrel: Okay, the next item on the agenda there is no one here to speak to it, but it concerns the movement of a polling place in Ward 2 Precinct 4. It has been requested by both committeemen, both Republican and Democrat Committeemen, and it's for better handicap access. The voting place was in the auditorium at the north end of Washington Middle School and it will now be the Abundant Faith Church on Lodge and Monroe. Commissioner Tuley: Which is within the precinct? President Jerrel: Yes, within the precinct, right. So is there a motion concerning this? Commissioner Mourdock: That's fine with me. I would make the motion that we do move our polling place for the fall 1999 election from Washington School to Abundant Faith Church located at 1228 Lodge Avenue. Commissioner Tuley: Second. President Jerrel: So ordered.
President Jerrel: The next item on the agenda is the vacation of an easement located at 5014 and 5030 Earl Avenue. This was...it's out by I-164 on South Green River Road...off South Green River Road and this came before us at the Drainage Board. Commissioner Mourdock: I don't know if there is anyone here to address this. President Jerrel: Is there any petitioner? Joe Harrison, Jr.: Is there someone here? Is the petitioner here? President Jerrel: She did appear before us at the Drainage Board meeting. Joe Harrison, Jr.: At Drainage Board. Brenda Henry: Hi, I'm Brenda Henry. I just want to put a modular home in the middle of these two lots. President Jerrel: This was, if you'll recall, recommended by Mr.-- Joe Harrison, Jr.: The Surveyor at the Drainage Board meeting. This would be the first reading here, is that correct, Charlene, tonight? And then we'll have to have a second reading on the 13th. Did the green cards all come back? Brenda Henry: All but one. All but one came back. The post office box-- Charlene Timmons: I have the white slip. Joe Harrison, Jr.: That's fine. You all can consider a first reading tonight. Hopefully you'll know something by the 13th of September. President Jerrel: Okay, on first reading is there a motion? Commissioner Mourdock: I'll move the vacation of an easement at 5014 and 5030 Earl Avenue. Joe Harrison, Jr.: I'm sorry, is there someone else in the audience? President Jerrel: No. Joe Harrison, Jr.: I thought Charlene was saying there was someone that wanted to object to it. Commissioner Mourdock: On first reading then, I would move for the approval of the vacation of easement at 5014 and 5030 Earl Avenue. Commissioner Tuley: Second. President Jerrel: I'll say so ordered.
President Jerrel: The next item on the agenda is a relocation...consideration of verified petition and resolution for relocation of Lynch Road access point. Mr. DeLucio is representing Carol Lant and Bettye Davis. Marco DeLucio: Thank you very much. I'm Marco DeLucio. I'm here on behalf of Carol Lant and Bettye Davis. Hopefully...does everybody have in front of them a copy of the verified petition? Very briefly if you'll turn to Exhibit 2, and I'll just run through this very quickly, about three or four pages in. We were before you, I think, probably last May when Bill Spurling got the property...got his property rezoned for purposes of his development. On this map you can see his proposed development off of Green River Road and Spring Valley Drive Road. Mrs. Lant and Mrs. Davis own property to the north that will front on...has frontage on Lynch Road and also have frontage on Green River. You can see that marked on Exhibit 2 there is a proposed existing access point onto Lynch Road. What the petition before you is this evening is to move that access point further to the west, about 300 feet to the west, so that Cullen Avenue will line up as it's going to be extended. You may recall that when we were before you at Mr. Spurling's rezoning this was a cooperative effort between the two landowners to provide for orderly development in this area. Mrs. Lant and Mrs. Davis currently have no development plans for their property, but they realized that access was going to be important to them. Mr. Spurling wanted access and I think it's a good thing to have access to Lynch Road for his development as well as to Green River and they got together and came up with this proposal. What we need this evening, there has been some confusion as to what types of approvals we need to relocate this. We've heard that only county and state approval are necessary and the state, I think, has indicated that as long as...they don't really care and their approval is if the county says it's okay and they don't have a problem with it. We've also heard that there may be federal approval, but we don't have a definitive answer this evening. The proposed resolution that we have before you this evening is rather broadly drafted that basically just authorizes the County Engineer to take the steps necessary to begin this process. If federal approval is required then obviously we'll have to take those extra steps. If only state approval is required then we'll have to take those steps as well, so what we're asking for this evening is a resolution from this Board authorizing the relocation of the access points from the proposed location about 300 to 400 feet west as shown on your map on Exhibit 2 and to authorize the County Engineer to take all necessary action to move this forward. We would, of course, provide whatever assistance Mr. Stoll, the County Engineer, would require to this regard. If you have any questions I would be happy to try to answer them for you. President Jerrel: Are there any questions? Commissioner Mourdock: I want to clarify. I have an Exhibit A. You keep referring to Exhibit 2. Is this the same? Pardon? Marco DeLucio: I think it's probably the same thing. Mine is marked Exhibit 2 on my copy. President Jerrel: No, he is looking at Exhibit A. Commissioner Mourdock: Yeah, I'm looking at Exhibit A. President Jerrel: No, there is Exhibit 2. Marco DeLucio: Okay, please look forward to the front, Mr. Mourdock, about four pages in. Three...six pages in. Maybe his is missing. President Jerrel: There it is. Commissioner Mourdock: Wait a minute, getting closer. There is Exhibit 2, alright. President Jerrel: You're aware of the approvals that are in there for the County Engineer to follow? John Stoll: Yeah, we'll basically need legal descriptions closing the one break in the right-of-way and opening up a new break in the right-of-way. I'm not sure as of yet whether or not INDOT and Federal Highway have any approvals in this. I've gotten conflicting stories, like Marco said. I didn't think it would be required because local funds were used to buy this right-of-way, but according to what I was also told the construction...since the design was approved by Federal Highway and the construction had federal money in it then that's why the feds had a say in whether or not this relocation occurred, so as soon as we get that clarified it will give us better direction on how we need to go about finalizing this. Commissioner Mourdock: On the Exhibit 2 that is here, that small area that is circled with the existing access point, what was built in at that location at this point, John? John Stoll: There was nothing built in. It was just a break in the right-of-way fence for all practical purposes, so there was no road approach or anything like that constructed. It just left the opportunity for the road to be connected at that point. Commissioner Mourdock: And as proposed here the distance between the new Cullen and Green River would be a quarter mile? John Stoll: Right. Commissioner Mourdock: And be slightly greater from there to Burkhardt? John Stoll: Correct. The original access point was chosen to keep in line with Cullen Avenue as it came out of East Side Industrial Park, but as that area continued to develop changes in land use occurred that really weren't projected when all that went residential with Spurling's apartments. It prevented Cullen from going through as a straight shot. We also had some problems down there at the north end of the cul-de-sac on the existing Cullen Avenue. There was no right-of-way dedicated through that point as well, so all these things have changed to where Cullen cannot go straight through like it was originally intended. Commissioner Mourdock: Is there any provision or, Mr. DeLucio, has there been any discussion as to the type of access at that point? In other words, would it be right turn only? Marco DeLucio: I don't think there has been any discussion that I'm aware of whether it would be right turn only or limiting...whether there is a median there or not. John, are you aware of any? John Stoll: No, but I would say that the one thing that we need to make sure is that no traffic signal-- Commissioner Mourdock: Exactly. John Stoll: --is ever installed at that point, so if we need to make it right in and right out from the start that's one option or if we allow a median crossover then it may have to be conditioned on if a signal is warranted then that crossover would come out. Commissioner Mourdock: Okay, that is my concern. That would be the first stoplight out there on Lynch past Green River. Commissioner Tuley: (Inaudible, mike not on.) Commissioner Mourdock: Pardon? Commissioner Tuley: I prefer not to do that. Commissioner Mourdock: Prefer not to do that, yeah. President Jerrel: So this is the initial resolution. Is there a motion? Commissioner Mourdock: For the right-of-way for the access point as redesigned for the new Cullen Road, I would move approval of the petition as proposed to attach...or to provide access to Lynch Road. Commissioner Tuley: Second. President Jerrel: So ordered.
President Jerrel: The next item on the agenda is the Auditor's request to advertise two vacation of easements. Those are in your packet. Commissioner Mourdock: Comments? These two easements, one located at Crosslake Drive and the other located on Circle Front Drive, and David Sanders representing the Hartmann Family Trust. Is he here? President Jerrel: No, I don't think anybody is here. Commissioner Mourdock: This is on first reading? Charlene Timmons: No, this is just permission to advertise. Commissioner Mourdock: Ah, okay. Okay, I'll move permission to advertise for the vacation of two easements, Crosslake Drive and Circle Front Drive with the suggested hearing date of September 27, 1999. Commissioner Tuley: Second. President Jerrel: So ordered.
President Jerrel: Next on our agenda is the consideration of the Burdette Park Haunted Trail lease agreement. You have a map and some other information before you. Steve Craig: Did you have any questions on it? Commissioner Mourdock: My questions came up last week just to make sure that Joe had looked over it and thoroughly kept us out of a liability situation. Joe Harrison, Jr.: Yes, I had a chance, Richard, to meet with Steve and...Phil Woltmer? Unidentified: Wolter. Joe Harrison, Jr.: I'm sorry. With Phil Wolter from Artwork Unlimited, Inc. last week and we came up with the proposed lease that is in front of you and this was...I prepared the lease and Phil is comfortable with it and so is Steve. I think it addresses the issues that the county has with regard to liability issues and it essentially would be a two year lease, but the term would run from September 1, 1999 to November 10, 1999 and then pick up again from September 1, 2000 to November 10th of 2000. In return for the area that would be leased for the Haunted Trail the county would receive $3,000 each year. In addition, if the county is to incur any overtime for employee costs associated with the operation of the Haunted Trail, the lessee, Artwork Unlimited, will reimburse the county for such out-of-pocket expenses. In addition, there will be security out there during the time when the Haunted Trail operation would be ongoing. It's my understanding there will be some arrangements made with the Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Department for their personnel to work out there during that period of time. I believe the hours...I don't know if they have talked to the Sheriff yet, but they will. The hours of operation for the Haunted Trail will be from 7:00 to 10:00 Sunday through Thursday and 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. I believe that the Haunted Trail isn't going to start really until October 1, 1999 and run through that whole month of October. The actual area is attached as Exhibit A that will be leased. It's approximately a five acre area and I know that Steve and Phil may want to expand a little bit upon what they plan on doing with regard to the trail. As far as the utilities are concerned Artwork Unlimited will be responsible for constructing the necessary utilities that they will need...or, I guess, all the lighting and everything that has to be hooked up to the utilities for the project and they will be responsible for that. That will not be county labor or anything involved with those services. Other than that, I think all the issues hopefully have been addressed and Steve and Phil may want to speak a little bit more about it. I know there was a haunted trail out there a few years ago and they're wanting to begin this again out there. Phil has had experience in this area and he may want to talk a little bit about it. I know he operates the haunted house at the Old Courthouse. Commissioner Mourdock: You said a moment ago there has been a trail like this before. Had there been a trail at Burdette like this? Steve Craig: Yes. Commissioner Mourdock: Was it set up the same basic way? Steve Craig: It's the same trail. We had built the trail for Nightmare Forest. It was a company out of Louisville that went kind of nationwide doing them. Commissioner Mourdock: Did they come in and do the same type work as proposed here? Steve Craig: We did more of the original laying out of the trail, but see it's already done. Commissioner Mourdock: Right. Steve Craig: So we've been doing a little bit of work putting gravel back in it and securing some of the supports and that. As far as the electric that was something that I had talked to Phil about. Him and my maintenance man and I had a talk about it and they had strung cords all across where people kind of walked across and that and we told Phil that if he wanted to do this that we wanted them buried and then central posts coming up where they could run their cords off and people wouldn't have to walk over them and they wouldn't have to try to secure them through the trail. Commissioner Mourdock: And that's being done this time under Mr. Wolter's costs and under his direction? Steve Craig: Yes, we had ran utilities to a pole with a meter at the front of the park which feeds the Haunted Trail. President Jerrel: Sounds like fun. Steve Craig: If you like being scared. Joe Harrison, Jr.: The other thing is that you switched the trail around, didn't you? Steve Craig: Correct. Joe Harrison, Jr.: So the beginning would be at a different end. Steve Craig: Yeah, the original trail they had started going up the trail and as they come back down the trail they have the exhibits and that which scared the people and people would be like running down the trail which we considered more dangerous, so Phil had suggested that if they got scared they would run up the trail instead of down the trail. That was a good idea. Suzanne Crouch: That would be me. Steve Craig: One thing that Joe didn't bring up, but we are going to run the concessions and the gift shop items if we decide to sell some stuff that is conducive to a haunted forest that Burdette does have the rights to that and that will be one of the ways we hope to make money off of it. President Jerrel: Okay. Commissioner Mourdock: I'll move approval of the Burdette Park Haunted Trail lease agreement between the Board of Commissioners and Artwork Unlimited as submitted. Commissioner Tuley: Second. President Jerrel: So ordered. Steve Craig: Thank you.
President Jerrel: At this point on our agenda, is there anyone here that wishes to speak to the Board? Yes, ma'am, if you would just come up to the mike and give us your name. Sue Hannah: My name is Sue Hannah and I run a polygraph and a private investigations office, a security company here in town. My associate, I guess you would call him associate, David Coker, if you know anybody that wants to associate with him. David Coker: Imagine that. Sue Hannah: I asked him to join me going up to Indianapolis to that meeting on the Transition Program. Since I have designed or developed, I guess you would say, a monitoring program specifically for those types of offenders as well I am certified for sex offender testing is my specialty. He went up with me to this meeting and my other associate from Ft. Wayne is a dear friend of Bud Meeks. Senator Meeks is the chairman of this committee. When I came back and saw the things in the paper and I know how things can get misinterpreted. We had some information that we would like to share with you and also Bud Meeks called me today and gave me something I could specifically quote (inaudible) if you plan on speaking on later this evening or if you want us to go ahead. President Jerrel: It's appropriate now. Sue Hannah: Do it now? President Jerrel: Go ahead. Sue Hannah: We don't have anything really laid out to explain to you. David Coker: First of all, it was the law that was the enabling legislation that created this problem that we've got. As of last Monday in preparation for going to this meeting on Wednesday I went on the Internet and looked for it and it wasn't there, so I got on the phone and Dennis Avery called Legislative Services and they faxed me a copy of Section 10 which has this $7 language in it. It's not on the Internet yet, apparently. In any event, there were several interesting people-- Sue Hannah: Do you all want to see what the law is? I'm sure you already have copies. David Coker: Have you seen it? There were several interesting people that appeared at this hearing. Among them Sheriff David Murtaugh from Tippecanoe County. About halfway into his remarks I was just struck by the fact that these same remarks could have easily been made by our own Sheriff Brad Ellsworth because it talked about the serious overcrowding problem that they had. It was interesting to note that there was no media coverage of this hearing at all despite the fact that there are 58 Community Correction programs around the State of Indiana. Sue Hannah: Let me interject. I called the...while I was there I called Mike Brown who is head of the Community Corrections. Another thing, I used to be director of Community Corrections in another county. Mike had no intention of attending the meeting nor did any other member except for the attorney for the Department of Corrections. David Coker: Mr. Randy Koester, who is general counsel and legislative liaison for the Department of Corrections, during his remarks he was literally dressed down by Senator Meeks and tried to pin the Department of Corrections down with regard to the specific number of people that they expected to return to the counties over the next year and whether he was of the impression whether the Department of Corrections has over $4 million budgeted for this thing, for this use, but the attorney could not tell them how many offenders was going to be-- Sue Hannah: I think they said they had something like 800 that they have ready. David Coker: Out of a total prison population of 19,000 in the State of Indiana. This board which is comprised of...Senator Meeks is the chairman. There is another senator and two state representatives and then Judge Ryan from Allen County which apparently has already had a federal lawsuit that was brought against him by an inmate, so they've had to deal with this problem. This group, they're going to meet again in mid September and in mid October to come up and try to finalize legislative language to present to the leadership of the General Assembly the first of the year. The only real business that they conducted was they unanimously passed a resolution that called for the Department of Corrections to pay counties $35 per day for-- Sue Hannah: Okay, this is what Bud Meeks told me to quote. There are a number of things that he hit the Department of Corrections with which I would like to share with you, but what the resolution came to that they passed was that they recommend $35 a day because that is what the Sheriff is paid to house these offenders. That was the basis for it and that's what he said, and $20 for every person that is up for review. In other words, every time they send you a list of names you should pay...the state should pay $20 per name for them to look it up and come back with an answer. Now, what got to this point was Meeks wanted to know where did you get that $7 a day figure. You have allocated $4 million so you have an idea how many people and what it is going to cost. The attorney, it may be that he is not informed. He may have been the wrong person to be talking to. He did not know how they come up with the $7 and Bud Meeks said you better know how you come up with that $7. I mean, he ate that guy up. He said you know that you've got $4 million dollars, that's based on something. President Jerrel: Yeah. Sue Hannah: He said you're going to pay us something. On September 16th when we come back for this meeting you're going to give us $35 or $25, something. Ft. Wayne said it cost them $19.50 a day to monitor-- David Coker: Plus medical. Sue Hannah: Plus medical costs to monitor offenders. Now the other thing that the Department of Corrections...the attorney said was number one, you do not provide these people any services. They're not on house arrest, they are not on any other kind of service that you have. They are simply monitored. If they're a Class A and B felony the judge can say yea or nay. If they're Class C or D they're coming to your town and they're going to show up on your doorstep and it's going to the Sheriff's doorstep. You may not have much of an announcement at all. Though they said that they would let you know. What I've seen in the past that's not been the situation. Someone asked me what did I think about this program. Well, it's the same thing I thought about Community Corrections. It's a fraud perpetrated by the state onto the counties. That's just the way I see it. The way I figure it is 104 on the $1 is what it is costing them to put these people in this program. They provide you nothing. They were asked on this Transition Program are the states now responsible for these people like for medical or anything and they said no. You get $7. You don't get anything else. Well, Bud Meeks said well then you're going to make them state people and you're not going to make them county people. President Jerrel: Good for him. Sue Hannah: Oh, he laid them out. He ate them up. David Coker: He gave an exemplary performance. Sue Hannah: Now he used to be a sheriff. David Coker: That's right. He was a former Allen County sheriff and he ran the jail. Sue Hannah: He doesn't waste words, he cuts right through it. He said...that guy was shaking, that attorney. He says when you come back you're going to do this, you're going to do that. There was some other issues. David Coker: Well, they talked about parole. Sue Hannah: Oh, well, what they're doing first they got the Community Corrections thing going. They give you no instructions, there is no manual on how to do this. When they gave it to me the sheriff had written up four components and got the grant and they were two months away from losing the grant, they didn't have anybody to administer it. Well, I used to be a parole officer in Houston, so they come over here and they gave me this paperwork and the money and said, okay, create it. I go, whoa. So I called the legal department. Well, we can't help you because you're supposed to go to your county. My judge would not write the order. I wrote the orders for the judge. Fill in the blanks and sign it or at least quit sending people over and three days later I find out they're in my program. At any rate, I got no help, no assistance. For the Community Corrections program that they have established here it is very elaborate and I think it is very sophisticated and there are problems with the program and I think it has nothing to do with the program. It has to do with the way we do offenders. Instead of this cat and mouse game, that's just no way to do it at all. In my program we had no revocation. I had all drunks, people that gave up drugs, gave up alcohol and begged to get in the program. It was a tough program. I started them out in jail. I had to have their attention. Without their attention we didn't have a program. Then I went out and begged...I had $40,000 to run my program. I had 35 offenders. It was extremely labor intensive. I had a $60 answering machine and that was my monitoring program and it worked, but if anybody violated...if I found out that they had been smoking dope by a trooper who did an undercover or something like that the sheriff went out, picked them up and put them in jail. After two days then I would go and ask them when I released them. I didn't want to hear any stories until then. Then I would say this is how your program is going to change now or whatever it took. The worst offense I had was the guy didn't come to the phone when I called. His grandmother answered the phone and said she wouldn't go get him. I said, okay, I'll send a sheriff out to get you and then we'll talk about it in two days. He had to move out of grandma's because grandma would not support his program. These programs, the whole family is involved in these things. You can't just keep putting money in and doling out money and putting bandaids on this thing. You've got to have these people's cooperation because they're not going to do anything until they're ready. So Community Corrections here has a lot of problems and it just needs some adjustments that's all. I know with mine, of course, it was small enough that we didn't have any of that stuff. The thing is what the state is doing now for $7 a day, they got by with this giving you 104 on the $1 to create something with no help, no assistance, no guidance. David Coker: It doesn't appear as if it is going to fly. There will be some remedial language next year, but what I would recommend is that Vanderburgh County request to be a part of this in one or more of the upcoming meetings. At least have somebody there to monitor what is going on and perhaps even speak or participate since apparently the county is still considering this injunction suit regarding sending back the prisoners. Sue Hannah: Well, Meeks said good luck. Glen Boyster was supposed to be on the panel and he didn't show up at that meeting. Commissioner Mourdock: If I may jump in with this I know both my fellow Commissioners were at the Community Corrections meeting here last Wednesday and-- David Coker: It was the same day that this hearing took place. Commissioner Mourdock: Yeah, quite ironically. Sheriff Ellsworth, of course, was at that meeting and was chairing the meeting. It was a resolution that came from the Community Corrections Advisory Board that this Board go forward with a suit hoping to get an injunction or some sort of stay to keep the program from being implemented. By and large I think most of the people at the Community Corrections felt that the intentions of the Community Transition Program are reasonable, the intention is reasonable, in that trying to bring people out of a prison and just throwing them back into the community without any transition time is probably not the best thing to do. David Coker: No, they discussed finding jobs. They discussed where they were going to go, whether family was going to take them or whether they were going to have a place to live. There is all different kinds of-- Sue Hannah: The prison is supposed to set that up. Commissioner Mourdock: And all of those are valid components of what a good transition program might be. The question we have, and it comes back again to our little thermometer here, if you will, of overcrowding. We presently have people in the jail right now who are otherwise assigned to Community Corrections because we don't have space at Community Corrections for them. If we do not act on trying to get an injunction in place with the CTP I feel that the state is giving us greater liability than we already have and I think as members of this Board and serving in a fiduciary role for this community it would be flat out wrong if we did not try to slow this train down. Sue Hannah: The other thing they brought up that was pretty significant, they said if these people didn't qualify into Community Corrections to start with and now they're out of prison why do they qualify into them now? David Coker: Particularly with A and B or whatever kind of felonies where they wouldn't have even ordinarily. Sue Hannah: So it's like, well, the sheriff can have those. Commissioner Mourdock: The sheriff can fix everyone's problem. Sue Hannah: But you don't get $35 a day, you only get $7 and no money. Commissioner Mourdock: We have, I think, three possibilities in front of us and perhaps we want to proceed with all of these, but the first one is that I think we ought to move forward to try to get an injunction to see if a federal judge, and I presume, Joe, it would go to a state court? Okay, I retract that then. To see that a state judge would act to prevent the implementation of this and it's very important that we act tonight because the date for the program to begin is September 1st. The second thing that we might do is to try to work through the Association of Counties, the sheriff's organizations and other organizations that are out there to see if, in fact, they might join us subsequent to the filing of the suit. The third thing, and I guess this has two components. One is to work as Ms. Hannah and Mr. Coker have indicated with this committee of the LSA to see if, in fact, we can provide input into how the law might be otherwise improved and along with that work with our state legislators to make sure that they voice our concerns. So I will throw those four things out there, but I think in order of importance number one is that we move to file this injunction. President Jerrel: Well, I think probably there is one motion to be made and instructions to our attorney and to ourselves regarding our participation. So do you want to make a motion? Commissioner Mourdock: Sure, I will move that we direct the County Attorney to file on the county's behalf an injunction to enjoin the Community Transition legislation as presently enacted. Commissioner Tuley: Second. President Jerrel: And I'll say so ordered and call for a voice vote. Commissioner Tuley? Commissioner Tuley: By all means, yes. President Jerrel: Commissioner Mourdock? Commissioner Mourdock: Yes. President Jerrel: And I vote yes. Commissioner Tuley: I do think it's important that we get involved. If we really believe that probably the intent is good, then I think we should be an active participant (inaudible, mike not on). Commissioner Mourdock: And I should have added in my remarks that I spoke to the author of the legislation on Saturday and he was, I think...well, he expressed an interest to come and meet with the Community Corrections Board to explain fully what the intention of the law was. I explained to him that intentions aside it doesn't always get implemented that way. He reminded me that he is a former judge and he couldn't imagine a situation where the judges would in any way act to bring people back if the system was full or just in any way act to the detriment of the community. I'm not beating up on the judges, I'm simply saying that when the law is out there and people want their folks brought home I think judges have a compassionate side and they want to do that but, again, here is the side we're looking at and I don't see that we have that opportunity in front of us. I would hope that perhaps the Advisory Board as a whole or at the very least Sheriff Ellsworth and a select group from the Advisory Board meeting with Senator Keely, is that right? President Jerrel: Kenley. David Coker: Kennely. President Jerrel: Luke Kenley. Commissioner Mourdock: He is certainly willing to make the trip down here to talk to us, but I think as we've just done I think we're doing the right thing. President Jerrel: Well, I am going to meet with him this week. Commissioner Mourdock: Oh. President Jerrel: I'm going to meet with INDOT Tuesday and Kenley on Wednesday. Brad Ellsworth: I know you have already made your motion and your vote and we appreciate that. One thing I might add is that had that group met with anybody before this thing was passed in the 23rd and a half hours this probably could have all been avoided. I met with about 75 of the 92 sheriffs and none of them had heard of it. No judge I ever heard said they talked with anybody, any County Commissioner, any judge, anybody before this law was passed. The got up and preached cooperation and work with us and I always heard that was better to do beforehand before you passed it. David Coker: It was during budget, that's why no one knew about it. It was part of the budget and it was hidden in the budget document that was passed at the end of the General Assembly. Brad Ellsworth: I agree with Mr. Coker and, you know, Mr. Meeks is a former sheriff and now a senator and with all due respect, but he voted on this too, so when he says good luck on an injunction, you know, I'm not real impressed with that because he voted in favor of this if the record is right. We met with the judges who are all current judges in Vanderburgh County with the full intention of finding a way to implement this approximately a month ago. There is a lot of scholarly people in that room and when we came out of that room basically the feeling was we can't comply with this. For one thing it was done untimely. We didn't have enough time. That there was nothing in place for the money that might be required to implement this program and that there was no consideration in the amount of time it would take. We didn't have time to comply. It went into effect in July. They started notifying in August and said we would start receiving inmates in September. Now I know that Circuit Court has received no less than 15 notices of people coming back, so we did some figuring and what they project for Vanderburgh County was that it would be about 20 people per month, but if you're figuring the cycle of 30 days that really means an additional 40 people in our system at any one time. As you saw with our thermometer 40 people...the SAFE House if full. It's at capacity right now unless we increase the capacity there. The jail is definitely full. Like I said in that meeting, we really intended on trying to comply with this and with that group that I have a lot of respect for could not come up with a good way therefore we feel this injunction at this point is the best way to proceed. Next year we may have this cleaned up and ready to go and be able to comply, you know, but for them to imply that don't we want to see this happen, you know, DOC stands for Department of Correction and that's kind of their job. We, as sheriffs, feel that their job is to correct in the years they have them not in that 30 days they give them back to us or 60 days or whatever it is. We'll try, but then rename DOC. If they don't want any of that responsibility to correct in Indiana then they can change their initials and that would be our take on it and we support the Board and will do anything we can do to comply as well as the Advisory Board to see this go forward. If there is any question, you know, from our point. Joe Harrison, Jr.: Can I just talk to you after the meeting? Brad Ellsworth: Sure. Joe Harrison, Jr.: For a second. Also, in the lawsuit that we file the sheriff will be named as a party plaintiff as well since the offenders are to come to him. Commissioner Mourdock: The situation that I am asking is it the sheriff or is it Brad here? Is it the sheriff or is it the head of the Community Corrections Board or both? Joe Harrison, Jr.: No, it will be
Brad Ellsworth, Sheriff of Vanderburgh County will also be a plaintiff
in the case as well as the county.
President Jerrel: If there are no further questions I'll go to the County Engineer. Thank you for your information. Sue Hannah: I have Bud Meeks' home phone number if you want it. President Jerrel: Thank you. John Stoll: First I've got a change order on the First Avenue Bridge No. 611 embankment repair project. This was with Naas Brothers Trucking. This is for an increase of $1,592.16. The primary reason for the increase was due to additional areas that we felt needed riprap in order to properly repair the embankments. Commissioner Mourdock: Where was this on First Avenue? John Stoll: This is on First Avenue north of Allens Lane. It's a structure that shouldn't exist. It's four side-by-side four foot by six foot box culverts and it would be the poster child for why you don't put multi parallel pipes in a channel, it's a wooded channel, because it builds its own dam every couple of years. It's a terrible structure. It needs to be a bridge. Commissioner Mourdock: On First Avenue? John Stoll: Yes, it's north of Allens Lane. It's-- Commissioner Tuley: (Inaudible, mike not on.) John Stoll: It's right next to Fazoli's. Commissioner Mourdock: Oh. John Stoll: The embankments were eroded. There were quite a few trees and shrubs growing up on it and we stripped all that off and replaced it with riprap, removed all the debris that had accumulated on the upstream end of it and we'll end up doing it again shortly. Commissioner Mourdock: I'll move approval of the change order as requested. Commissioner Tuley: Second. President Jerrel: So ordered. John Stoll: Next I've got a speed limit ordinance revision. This needs to be advertised. This revises the speed limits in Audubon Estates on Dove Court, Dove Lane, Kolb Drive, Marion Court, Plaza Drive, Greencove Avenue and Ridgeway Avenue all to 25 miles an hour. This is in response to the room full of people we had in here a few weeks ago on the Ridgeway connection. They had requested lower speed limits in their subdivision, so this is changing that from 30 to 25. We've also lowered the speed limit on Darmstadt Road from the city limits to Mohr Road from 40 to 30. This was in response to some data supplied by Deputy Poston of the Sheriff's Department. He showed us that there was in one location just south of Mohr Road there was 17 accidents on a curve up there and we didn't want to have the speed limit go from 30 in the city back to 40 and then dropped back to 30 up around that curve, so we wanted to keep it consistently 30 all the way up to Mohr Road. This ordinance will also provide a 30 mile an hour speed limit on Hogue Road north of...I mean, on Eickhoff Road north of Hogue Road. This currently is not part of the ordinance and it's not really within a platted subdivision so it would default to 45 miles an hour, but this is on the western boundary of Chapel Hill Subdivision and it also leads into Ashley Place Subdivision, so it really needed to be 30. This also changes the speed limit on St. George Road from 45 to 35. Here again Deputy Poston identified that St. George was posted in one direction but not the other. It was posted at 35, but the current ordinance called for 45 miles an hour, so we'll get the speed limit corrected and then posted properly in both directions once this has been adopted. President Jerrel: Is there a motion to approve the advertising? Commissioner Mourdock: I'll move approval of the advertising for the change of speed limits as requested. Commissioner Tuley: Second. President Jerrel: So ordered. Commissioner Mourdock: Is there a period of special dispensation for that stretch of Darmstadt Road? John Stoll: The next three items I've got all involve Winstead Place Subdivision. Winstead Place is on the north side of Hogue Road about half way between Red Bank and Rosenberger. The first item is an encroachment agreement for a brick wall the property owner has constructed that is located within the right-of-way. The property owner's name is Melvin Gillenwater and he owns Lot 1 and 2 in the subdivision. This encroachment agreement basically allows the brick wall to remain in place, but it holds the county harmless for any liability associated with the wall. I've had Joe review it and he was okay with the language and it has been signed by Gillenwater, so prior to acceptance of the roads we needed to have this encroachment agreement signed. Commissioner Tuley: It's a beautiful wall. (Inaudible, mike not on.) John Stoll: It's $150,000 wall. Commissioner Mourdock: It's a beautiful wall. President Jerrel: It should be. Commissioner Mourdock: I didn't know they made walls of gold brick. I'll move approval of the request. Commissioner Tuley: Second. President Jerrel: So ordered. John Stoll: The next item is a request for acceptance of streets in Winstead Place Subdivision. This would be for Section 1 and Section 2 of that sub. It involves 1,025 feet Winstead Way and 417 feet of Lamb Lane. They've been inspected and it is recommended those streets be accepted for maintenance. Commissioner Mourdock: So moved. Commissioner Tuley: Second. President Jerrel: So ordered. John Stoll: The third item is the acceptance of the storm sewers located outside of the platted right-of-ways for that subdivision. This involves 797 feet of 12 inch concrete pipe, 60 feet of 18 inch concrete pipe and 52 feet of 21 inch concrete pipe. The developer has paid the $2 a foot fee for the acceptance of these pipes. Commissioner Mourdock: Move the acceptance of the sewers. Commissioner Tuley: Second. President Jerrel: So ordered. John Stoll: The next item I've got is a request for acceptance of the streets in Section 1 of Broadlawn Estates Subdivision. This is located on Heinlein Road east of Edinborough Subdivision. This involves 375 feet of Harlaxton East and 1081 feet of Manchester Court. It's recommended that these streets be accepted as well. Commissioner Mourdock: So moved. Commissioner Tuley: Second. President Jerrel: So ordered. John Stoll: The final item I've got is a Notice to Bidders for contract number VC99-09-01, the replacement and removal of Bender Road Bridge No. 220. Commissioner Mourdock: We did budget the project obviously? President Jerrel: Uh-huh. John Stoll: Yes, there is money in the budget for this. President Jerrel: Yeah. Commissioner Mourdock: I'll move approval of the advertising. Commissioner Tuley: Second. President Jerrel: So ordered. Thank you. John Stoll: That's all I've got. Commissioner Mourdock: How's Fulton going? John Stoll: So far so good. They've gotten the piling driven on the north coffer dam without any problems with any conflicts with the utilities. I'm working with Dave Savage to get the signal pole relocated that was not properly identified on the plans and he's got a plan together on that. We're going to work with the City/County Traffic Department agreement to have that work done and Dave said he is going to put together a memo outlining the costs for the relocation of that pole and hopefully I can bring that to the next meeting. Everything else so far is going okay. We're still waiting on prices from the contractor for the street lighting the city would like installed out there. We're also waiting on revised prices for the change in the water line. President Jerrel: But they are working. I mean, there is stuff going on. John Stoll: Yes. President Jerrel: Busy. Thank you. John Stoll: Thanks.
President Jerrel: County Garage. Erik Bentle: Each of you got my packet with the weekly schedule in it and our percentages. President Jerrel: Yeah. Erik Bentle: We're up to 95 percent of our ditching done and 71 percent of our paving which that was done Thursday and we finished Old Mount Vernon Friday, so that won't go in until this week. So we're moving right along. We should be finished on schedule. Commissioner Mourdock: I noticed Millersburg was striped with a centerline. Is there going to be side striping? Erik Bentle: Yes, as soon as they switch over from the yellow to the white paint they're going to come back and do the edges. Commissioner Mourdock: Ah, okay. Go ahead, mine deserves to be last. Commissioner Tuley: Mine is to ask you to send someone down Peerless again like you guys did Red Bank for me last week. There is a spot in the middle of the road. The one on Peerless would be about, oh, a couple blocks south of the railroad tracks as you're coming off of Upper Mount Vernon (inaudible, mike not on). Drive out and take a look (inaudible). Apparently close to that intersection where close to the intersection where Fischer (inaudible) there is a horseshoe curve there-- Erik Bentle: Uh-huh. Commissioner Tuley: --check that out (inaudible). He says he basically has to drive down the middle of the road with his bus to keep the trees-- Erik Bentle: I think we got that today. Commissioner Tuley: Oh, did you? Erik Bentle: Yeah. Wasn't they over on Fischer today, Mark? I thought they were. Commissioner Tuley: You guys are good. I appreciate the fact that if I call you you take care of it right away. Erik Bentle: No problem. That's what we're there for to serve. Commissioner Mourdock: I have an incredibly minor one. Incredibly. Probably the most minor that has ever come up. You always put these to us in these nice postage type envelopes. How about using the recycle envelopes we've got back here by the ton. Erik Bentle: Sure. Commissioner Mourdock: Saves a few pennies of taxpayer's money there instead of using a new envelope. Commissioner Tuley: You can have mine back right there and use it again next week. Commissioner Mourdock: There you go. That will work for me, too. I've notice there is a trend where I keep getting those. President Jerrel: I want to thank, Erik, too. We did do evaluations last Thursday for three and a half or four hours and it was a good session and I appreciate it. Mark, I appreciate your help, too. Brad Ellsworth: We'll second that
from the Sheriff's Department, too. Anytime we call (inaudible) they are
Johnny-on-the-spot getting it done.
President Jerrel: County Attorney. Joe Harrison, Jr.: Nothing.
President Jerrel: Okay, Superintendent of County Buildings. Tony Greubel: Nothing tonight.
President Jerrel: Burdette Park. Steve Craig: I have nothing either. President Jerrel: Well, now you did have to come for the haunted house. Steve Craig: Right, we already went through what I needed to go through. President Jerrel: You guys getting a little break in the action? Steve Craig: Yeah. President Jerrel: A little bit. Steve Craig: We don't want it. We usually like to wait until after Labor Day. President Jerrel: I know. Yesterday would have been, you know, hot, hot. Steve Craig: Yeah, I'm going to do a little thing. I've been keeping track of the days that are 85 and 95 and taking an average of what we do during the summer to see how much it does determine the amount of money we take in on the aquatic center because I noticed a few years back when the attendance was higher, but since the school cuts back three to four days every year. President Jerrel: You might want to figure how many weekday hot days between the 13th and Labor Day. Steve Craig: Yeah, that's what I am doing. You know, I'm going to exclude all the rain days. We haven't had one, but if we did have one-- President Jerrel: You don't have to worry about that. Commissioner Mourdock: That won't take long. Steve Craig: But if we did I would have excluded it, but we are going to just do an off-the-wall study to see what it has...how it has affected us. President Jerrel: Well, thank you
very much.
President Jerrel: Soil & Water and Ozone Officer reports are in. Is there a motion to accept the reports as received? Commissioner Mourdock: So moved. Commissioner Tuley: Second. President Jerrel: So ordered.
President Jerrel: Any questions about any of the consent items? Commissioner Mourdock: Just to clarify we did get a couple of last minute ones here that were on the desk. President Jerrel: Yes, okay, so these should be included. Commissioner Mourdock: Right. So with that addition, I will move approval of the consent items as filed. Commissioner Tuley: Second. President Jerrel: So ordered.
President Jerrel: Is there any old business? Commissioner Mourdock: One brief bit of old business. Last week at Drainage Board we spoke of the situation out at Hamilton's Golf Course and, Tony, is it Friday that I'm going to be meeting with Bill Jeffers and Mike Wathen out there? We're going to walk the course and see if we can come up with some sort of plan. Tony Greubel: Do you want Mr. Hamilton to accompany you or just the three of you going? Commissioner Mourdock: Someone from the course should. It doesn't necessarily need to be him. I hope he doesn't think we're going out there to finger-point and say fix this, fix this, fix this. I don't know that we can do that, but at least I want to understand what the whole situation is. Tony Greubel: Okay. President Jerrel: We also-- Commissioner Tuley: Are you walking or riding? Commissioner Mourdock: Well, we were going to walk, but, yeah, invite him along. Maybe we'll ride. President Jerrel: Did you have any old business, Pat? Commissioner Tuley: No.
President Jerrel: Under new business we did get a letter from Mark Mattingly. He has resigned as a Victim Member of the Community Advisory Board. We'll be making some recommendations. Commissioner Tuley: You've got a list of seven or eight people. President Jerrel: Right, of people who have called in, so we'll make a recommendation before the next meeting. Commissioner Mourdock: I'll formally move that we accept that letter of resignation then. Commissioner Tuley: Second. President Jerrel: And I'll say so ordered. Transition, do you have any other comments on that, Joe? Okay, if not is there a motion to adjourn? Commissioner Mourdock: Just to clarify we are not meeting next Monday or Tuesday. President Jerrel: No. Right, we are not meeting. Brad Ellsworth: Speaking of transition and the transition we just went through at the SAFE House, we will be providing our first 30 day assessment hopefully at your next meeting. We are writing that right now and it's going to take a couple of pages, so we'll have that at the next meeting if that is okay. President Jerrel: Okay, that will be on the-- Brad Ellsworth: We're about 26 days into now. President Jerrel: --6th of September. Brad Ellsworth: We knew that the next meeting is canceled, or that next Monday night is canceled. Suzanne Crouch: The 13th. President Jerrel: Yeah, the 13th. Brad Ellsworth: Yes. We've got a meeting coming up on who is there and how long they stay. That's scheduled for next Wednesday, or this Wednesday, I guess it is, September 1st at 4:30. Things are moving. Commissioner Mourdock: The meeting this Wednesday is about who is there and who should be there by sentencing type? Brad Ellsworth: Who is there, right. Commissioner Mourdock: Yeah, okay. Brad Ellsworth: So it's moving. Like I said in the meeting there is ten tons to learn, but we've got some pretty good ideas so far. President Jerrel: Thank you very much. Brad Ellsworth: Thank you. Commissioner Mourdock: Motion to adjourn. President Jerrel: Second? Commissioner Tuley: Second. President Jerrel: So ordered. The meeting was adjourned at 6:52 p.m. Those in attendance: Bettye Lou Jerrel Richard E. Mourdock Patrick Tuley Suzanne M. Crouch Joe Harrison, Jr. Charlene Timmons Tony Greubel Ron Keeping Faye Gibson Scott Bowers Brenda Henry Marco DeLucio Sue Hannah David Coker Brad Ellsworth John Stoll Erik Bentle Steve Craig Others unidentified Members of the media
Vanderburgh County
Bettye Lou Jerrel, President Richard E. Mourdock, Vice President Patrick Tuley, Member
Recorded and transcribed by Charlene Timmons.
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