VANDERBURGH COUNTY

DRAINAGE BOARD

APRIL 25, 2006

The Vanderburgh County Drainage Board met in session this 25^th day of April, 2006 at 4:32 p.m. in room 301 of the Civic Center Complex with President Bill Nix presiding.

President Nix: Good afternoon. I would like to call to order the Vanderburgh County Drainage Board meeting for Tuesday, April 25, 2006 at 4:32.

President Nix: I will entertain a motion to approve minutes of the previous meeting.

Commissioner Musgrave: So moved.

Commissioner Shetler: Second.

President Nix: All in favor?

All Commissioners: Aye.

President Nix: Ms. Freeman, good afternoon.

Linda Freeman: Good afternoon. Linda Freeman from the Vanderburgh County Surveyor’s office. We are in receipt of mowing bids from one particular bidder. We advertised that in the paper, and we had one responsive bidder. I would like to ask the board that we could open those bids at this time.

Commissioner Musgrave: Motion to open the bids.

Commissioner Shetler: Second.

President Nix: All in favor?

All Commissioners: Aye.

Linda Freeman: We have some contracts that Madelyn has for you for the 2006 maintenance that we would like you to sign. The contractors that were awarded the bids have sent those back. We are still waiting for Big Creek Drainage Association and Eldon Maasberg’s contracts, but we have the rest of them here for your signatures.

Madelyn Grayson: In previous years the Commission has allowed me to stamp their names, unless you would like to sign 36 or 40 contracts.

President Nix: No.

Commissioner Musgrave: Motion to approve the contracts, and to have our names stamped.

Commissioner Shetler: Second.

President Nix: All in favor?

All Commissioners: Aye.

Linda Freeman: We have, I think, four blue claims to submit for some maintenance at this time. We have the appropriate paperwork attached to those, if you would like to sign those, please.

Commissioner Musgrave: Motion to approve the claims.

Commissioner Shetler: Second.

President Nix: All in favor?

All Commissioners: Aye.

Linda Freeman: Then for taxpayers information, we would like to have Charley Alvey from our office read a news release to inform people about their ditch bills that they may be receiving in the mail that they have questions about.

Charley Alvey: Good afternoon. Z. Tuley touched on this a little bit, but some property owners in Vanderburgh County are receiving ditch maintenance assessments this week. First time recipients often have questions. Here are some of the facts about ditch assessments. Only Vanderburgh County residents receive a bill. City residents ditch assessments are paid by the City of Evansville. Ditch assessments are levied against property owners who live within the area drained by a particular regulated drain. The regulated drain may not be on the property being billed. Not every ditch is a regulated drain. The county does not maintain private ditches. Each regulated drain has it’s own maintenance fund. One billing may generate enough money to maintain that drain for several years. Property owners are only billed when funds are needed. Mortgage escrow accounts usually do not pay the ditch assessment. The property owner is responsible for those ditch assessments. The ditch assessment for most residential property owners will be five dollars to $20. Maintenance work includes weed killing, grass mowing, and some sediment removal. Annual maintenance work on Vanderburgh County regulated drains for 2006 has already begun in some areas. To view Vanderburgh County’s regulated drains, go to www.vanderburghsurveyor.com and click on the GIS website. If they have any questions about ditch maintenance assessments or bills they can call our office at 435-5210. Thank you.

President Nix: Thank you, Mr. Alvey. Is this what we’re going to award today?

Linda Freeman: Hopefully.

President Nix: Okay.

Madelyn Grayson: Commissioners, there also is a Mylar of The Glens drainage plan that you approved last week that will need to be signed.

President Nix: That needs signatures on? Okay.

President Nix: If you could go ahead and read the bids to us there.

Ted C. Ziemer, Jr.: Okay. Yes, all the bids are from Terry R. Johnson, J-o-h-n–s-o-n. For Aiken Ditch, mid-summer mowing, $1,343.97; East Side Urban South Half, $883.78, that’s for late spring and fall mowings; Harper Ditch, late spring and fall mowings, $1,798.03; Kolb Ditch, for mid-summer and fall mowings, $1,215.29; Kolb Ditch, for fall mowing only, $1,343.97. Sonntag Stevens, for late spring mowing, $1,877.26; Sonntag Stevens, for fall mowing, $6,524.70.

Linda Freeman: The County Surveyor’s office would recommend that we accept Terry Johnson’s bid as read by Mr. Ziemer.

President Nix: I guess, from a legal standpoint, can we do that? Because there’s only one bid?

Ted C. Ziemer, Jr.: Sure.

Commissioner Musgrave: Motion to accept the County Surveyor’s recommendation.

Commissioner Shetler: Second.

President Nix: All in favor?

All Commissioners: Aye.

Linda Freeman: Alright, I’ll get the contracts ready and bring them at the May 16^th meeting, hopefully.

Commissioner Musgrave: Do you need a motion to adjourn, sir?

President Nix: No other business to come before the board?

Commissioner Shetler: If they need to be brought earlier than that, the 3^rd is next week.

Commissioner Musgrave: We already set that meeting for the sole purpose of doing the Baseline Road Bridge, but, I guess, we could follow with a drainage board meeting.

Linda Freeman: Probably May the 16^th--

President Nix: We advertised–

Commissioner Shetler: (Inaudible) a lot quicker, I didn’t know.

Linda Freeman: I think, May the 16^th is when you guys–

President Nix: That’s the next meeting after this one.

Linda Freeman: –have your next meeting? I think we do already have, we, I think we’ve got an obstruction petition that we’ll need to bring to that May 16^th meeting.

President Nix: So, you won’t necessarily need to come to this meeting on the 3^rd for anything then?

Linda Freeman: No, not that I’m aware of.

President Nix: Okay. Is there any other business? If not, I’ll entertain a motion to adjourn.

Commissioner Shetler: So moved.

Commissioner Musgrave: Second.

President Nix: All in favor?

All Commissioners: Aye.

(The meeting was adjourned at 4:40 p.m.)

Those in Attendance:

Bill Nix                                      Cheryl Musgrave                      Tom Shetler, Jr.

Ted C. Ziemer, Jr.          Linda Freeman                         Madelyn Grayson

Charley Alvey                           Others Unidentified                   Members of Media

VANDERBURGH COUNTY

DRAINAGE BOARD

Bill Nix, President

Cheryl A.W. Musgrave, Vice President

Tom Shetler, Jr., Member

Recorded and transcribed by Madelyn Grayson.