4 MAY 2022 DEARBORN COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MEETING NOTES
Present: Jim Thatcher, President, Art Little, and Rick Probst
Also present: Connie Fromhold, Auditor, Andy Baudendistel, Attorney, and Sue Hayden, Administrator
TITLE VI STATEMENT FOR COMPLIANCE was read by Baudendistel as legally required.
OLD BUSINESS- TABLED from April 19th meeting- Proposed Ordinance to change the Zone Classification From R to B-1 - Uhde Investment Properties, LLC,
Owner- Sneakville Rd- This was tabled last meeting to have Commissioner, Art Little, weigh in as it is in his district. Neighbors around the project opposed to the zone change were in the audience. McCormack gave only a quick summary as Art Little said he didn’t need to see the entire presentation. 5 ayes, 2 abstentions and one no vote from the Plan Commission that forwarded this with a favorable recommendation. The title search turned up no covenants or restrictions that were a problem.
Anthony Albanese and his wife were here- their property abuts this. He has a simple petition form 61 residents there to ask them to vote no. They think it is going to impact them unfavorably.
2.6 acre for far less than this in the area and one other example sowing that the high price lead to Business only being able to buy.
Can I turn my property into a business here as it is zoned R?
Mrs Albanese- her neighbors all presume this is a done deal. There were already white flags the morning after the decision to forward. People cut thru their yard to get to the Shell station down the street. We have. Special needs child that this affects. Out yard is wide open.We enjoy that. That will all go away. Traffic will increase, our property values will go down. There are lots down the street where all the businesses are - that would be a better choice. The business belongs there or will it start gobbling up residences house by house lime in Harrison.
Thatcher noted that there were ordinances to help with those problems. He cited things that will supposedly mitigate their concerns. He noted that there were houses behind other businesses in Bright so this is nothing new. [NOTE: That depends on which came first0 the homes or the businesses]
Commissioners approved the zone change.
NEW BUSINESS:
Election Updates- Gayle Pennington, Clerk of Courts
- 473 D ballots and 2918 R ballots for 3391 total votes and 8.3% turnout
- DC United Methodist Church busiest polling place and HVL was 2nd busiest.
- Probst thanked all the workers and Pennington. They were there till 10:30 PM last night. There were 9 blank ballots.
- Pennington noted that when the Democrats saw their ballots the saw nothing really to vote on. They are not allowed to ask for the R once they selected a D ballot. There were no provisional ballots at the polling place.
- Pennington said they also needed to thank Wendy- as she put in the entire day with no breaks. She was a huge help.
Annual Grant- Steve Kelly, Director of Court Services-outlined the numerous grants they get each year. These letters need to be signed to support these applications. They will get approval notifiations in July or August.
INDIANA DEPT OF CORRECTIONS GRANT $515,371 AND A $78,000 FOR JCAP AND $61,000 FOR INTENSIVE PROBATION
$130,000 VETERANS COURT GRANT. PRETRIAL GRANT FOR $80,000 , AND DRUG COURT GRANT, ETC.
Commissioners approved signing the support letters,.
Updates- Soil and Water Conservation District- Jennifer Hughes and Ken Gunkel- April 22 600 trees were given out- Norway Spruce and white oaks. 253 items for food pantry plus money for the Park system. Also selling native plants. First class on selection of trees at North Dearborn Library. She gave them a current list of MS4s and the new ones added. Monday is for new MS4s and Tuesday is an all day MS4 meeting on c current ones. Doors were open on Soil and Water to 100% of the time now. Previously they were 75%.
Dennis Kraus, Jr. is point person now on this. He has been inquiring about a waiver for us so far. We have a year to get the NOI as we will need to budget. Rick Probst and Sue Hayden are going to this. Thatcher noted they want to see about the waiver first. Hughes said she thinks they should look at what we already do and then see what we can proceed with. Randy Braun is the head of all this in the state. She does not seem waiver going through. Other MS4s have been doing this for 20 years.
Ken Gunkel- likes the office being open 100% now. The drive-thru tree giveaway with their 4 FFA students at Bright Meadows Park worked out well. Filling one position- hopefully soon in their office. Pat Holland and Ken Gunkel were re-elected to the b board.
Vehicle Purchase with Health Dept- Dr Steve Eliason- Ford Explorer $29,000 from Bloomington Ford- the state has a contract with them. It will only be used by Health Dept. is what the State Dept of Health requires and also that the insurance will be covered by the county. Commissioners signed the letter of agreement.
Eliason said the COVID counts are low and the hospital rate is low About 10/day for vaccines and boosters. People are still coming in for shots and the ones for younger kids are coming. This is moving into the endemic phase. Hopefully the newer variants are more contagious and have less serious effects.
Todd Listerman- County Engineer:
2021 Annual Operational Report- biggest takeaway is that 2021 had expenses of $10,931,631.35 for roads and bridges. $3.8 million is from the funds that come back to the county into the MvH accounts. And the property tax for bridges helps too. A little of $7 million comes from other funds. Our dedicated accounts are the ones that account for about 35% of the expenses. 65% comes from outside sources Commissioners signed the 2021 report.
Construction Inspection Contract Lower Dillsboro Rd East Slide- Listerman presented the contract with American Structurepointe- for inspection - it’s the east most slide by Gatch Hill Rd The other funding will happen in 2026. This is an 80/20 federal funding contract for $171,760.05. This was funded as it’s the collector section of Lower Dillsboro Rd. Discussion regarding the urgency of the other slips on that road and whether Council is aware of them.Listerman will be going to council on roads and bridges and Tim Grieve is going for slides later in May also. Commissioners approved the contract. Thatcher congratulated them on the Weinberg Bridge completion in less than a year. They are also working on the Johnson Fork Rd bypass for that work. That’s a $3.2million estimate.
ADMINISTRATOR – Sue Hayden- nothing
AUDITOR – Connie Fromhold -Sue Hayden presented for Fromhold who had to leave earlier. Claims/Payroll and April 19th Minutes and April 25th Vicious Dog Hearing were approved. Little was absent for the April 19 meeting.
$68,928.41 reimbursable grant for Health dept. needed signature. Approved.
ATTORNEY – Andy Baudendistel- nothing
COMMISSIONER COMMENTS-Probst had no comments.
Little- Was pleased to hear that COVID was down from Dr E.
Thatcher agreed with Art.
LATE ARRIVAL INFORMATION- Richard Reece 5160 North Hogan Rd- got a permit in 2016 to rebuild a house and needs to get a sewer hook-up. They need to figure out who owns old SR 350. Much discussion and Baudendistel outlined the options. The County does not have standing for this because the county would not be doing the project. DCRSD and Aurora would have to work together on this as it will go into Aurora’s Sewer but is in DCRSD’s territory. JDJ Surveying and Eric Lang of Land Consultants have looked at this. Reece said he could bore the lions for about $35,000. It would require the other properties there to hook on. He has been pressured since 2018. FEMA was on him too. Probst noted an existing gas line from Aurora to Reece’s land and it also crosses the non-owned property also. That ROW should be looked into in his opinion. Baudendistel will talk to Randy Turner at Aurora. Baudendistel suggested he take his surveyors to go to Court with him to explain what steps are being taken to remedy this. Reece noted that he was 15 minutes late and that’s why they ruled against him before. Now he has the new date after having his attorney get that for him. Commissioners noted that Judge McLaughlin is reasonable and he should take his surveyor with him.
PUBLIC COMMENT Gary Hammerle- your best availability is your availability and thank you for being available. I am in a David vs Goliath situation here. Grew up on west side of Cincinnati. Purchase property here 18 years ago. He builds his own house. We moved there and were told there was an inactive landfill there. Monsanto owned it previously and there are chemicals dumped there. Rumple’s current plans caught them off guard. I have attended and spoken at their public meetings. Probst noted he has seen Hammerle’s Petition to have the landfill closed because it did NOT dump waste in 2 of the years ( 2012 and 2013) and this it was required by law to start CLOSURE procedures with fines for the days it did not begin to do this. . In the Ohio EPA they have 180 days to have a ruling on his petition. He said this will go to one person ultimately to decide. Rumple is a repeat offender. Hammerle showed documentation including signed letters from Gary Satchwill from Planning and zoning since 1995. Commissioners stated that they have done everything they can do and that they have sent letters to both his and Indiana EPAs, IDEM etc. That they do not have “standing” in this case. Hammerle wanted them to do more and ultimately noted that since this affects both states and that the imaginary state line does not stop air flow, smells, and drainage, that his should be federal.
ADJOURN- 10:45 AM
Christine Brauer Mueller
Lawrenceburg Township
