17 December 2024 DEARBORN COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MEETING NOTES

 17 December 2024 DEARBORN COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MEETING NOTES

Present: Jim Thatcher, President, Alan Goodman, 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

2025 BOC Meeting Schedule- tabled Nov 6, 2024- still tabled but first meeting is January 7th at 9 AM

NEW BUSINESS

Re-appointments of Department Heads- Approved for 2025.The DCRC spot was handled separately. See below. 

• Administrator / ADA & Title VI Coordinator – Sue Hayden
• Animal Control Director – Steve Hofstetter
• Attorney – Andy Baudendistel
• Building Inspector – Bill Shelton
• Emergency Management Director – Jason Sullivan
• Engineer – Todd Listerman
• Highway Superintendent – Tim Greive
• Maintenance Director – Eric Hartman
• 911 Director – INTERIM, Kris Heitmeyer 
• Appointments to fill vacancy - Dearborn County Redevelopment Board: Two candidates:
• Trevor Bischoff applied for one of the spots.  Realtor and builds homes with grandfather Cliff Bischoff. Looking for a way to give back to the county. 
• Tom Tepe 5 years in Dearborn County- retired Chevrolet dealer. Asked to serve by some of DCRC. Served on Batesville YMCA and also for the community hospital. He owns residential properties for rental. Lives on Billingsly Dr in Aurora. 

Probst- motioned after stating that he valued what the board had suggested to appoint Tom Tepe to the DCRC to fill out the remainder of the term of Jim Helms. The Commissioners will revisit this after Probst’s replacement is appointed via caucus next year. Passed

Discussion on Juvenile Justice System Grant Funding- Judge Negangard and Prosecutor Lynn Deddens- Judge Negangard presented. - The grants available for 2 years . One is a diversion program ( attendance program with the schools) Second is a day -reporting program. Brought in a half million $$s with this. $159,244.50 Grant has been applied for to pay for the Physician that is covering those 2 programs. There is a basement at the courthouse program that is big enough for that but it needs some walls. The schools have committed to help find the programs if the grants don’t continue. They do have the money for the computers and desks. Just not money for the construction for the walls. All the schools in Dearborn and Ohio County are on board with this. Day reporting is for kids who are trying to get kicked out of school too. Attendance program is thru DCS. Day reporting is capped at 10 kids. Commissioners approved the juvenile grant funding. Negangard and Deddens are to approach Council for the Construction funding.  

Stellar Pathways Update- Mike Perleberg, One Dearborn Executive Director - announced that this morning they were notified that they were one of 2 recipients of the Stellar pathways Award.This includes the City of Greendale and Town of Dillsboro and Bright. Thanked Jim Thatcher, Vince Karstetter and Doug Baker for being co-chairs of this.The commissioners stood with the sign for a picture for One Dearborn. Also thanked Nicole Daily and Tim Doll for helping. 

Planning and Zoning Director- Nicole Daily: Zone Map Amendment- AH  Ag Homestead to B-1 Local Business- Manchester Township-  this was forwarded to the Commissioners with an UNFAVORABLE recommendation to Commissioners. She detailed the many reasons they said it was unfavorable. There were 7 votes for unfavorable and one ab=staining at tech PC Meeting. Thatcher said he was at the meeting and asked for motion to REJECT the rezone. Approved to reject the rezoning request. 

 2025 Fellowship with the Urban Green Infrastructure, McKinney Climate Fellow- Nicole Daily said they have been accepted for this program. There will be a student assigned to the county. They will plant 100 trees. They will be watered and maintained by a professional company. Value is $125,000. These trees will be about 6 ft tall. 

Bid Awards- Highway Supt- Time Grieve- County Paving 2025 - Paul Rohe- $2,715,386.65 and O’Mara- $2,792,056.95.  Rohe was accepted and Approved.  Community Crossings money will be used for paving East and West Laughery, Roberts Rd,. Cross Rd, Park Ave, Soap Hill Rd and St Peters. Feller and Trackville will be paved and repaired at the same time as St Peter but using Dave O’Mara  bid for $498,547.20 as it was the lowest bid on that. Approved.

ADMINISTRATOR – Sue Hayden- Annual certification of Elected Officials Compliance with Handbook and IC 36-1-2-2 ( Nepotism) She will be sure to keep on the one person who has not turned theirs in yet.  

Nurse agreement for jail for 2025 signed for Ron Phillips. Dr Dobbs is retiring and they have no replacement for him yet. Approved

Conservancy district Vote Wendy Rainey, Mike Noel, and Jim Kittle are running. Commissioners delegated the vote to Sue Hayden and it has to be turned in by Jan 16th. Approved.

AUDITOR – Connie Fromhold  -Claims/Payroll and December 3rd Minutes- Approved.

ATTORNEY – Andy Baudendistel- presented platted easement showing utilities. Approved to execute the platted easement and sign it. 

Thanked the commissioners for reappointing him and looks forward to working with them and Duane Bischoff.

COMMISSIONER COMMENTS- 

Rick Probst commended maintenance dept. and the decorations look great. Just like every year. 

He has indicated his intention to retire Jan 4. Honor to serve the community in a variety of roles and thanked Sharon, his wife, for supporting him, noting how important she was in that role. Also thanked the employees for their dedicated service They make the county work. The citizen board volunteers hep us make good decisions too. Thanked everyone in the room. What a great meeting- we had people in the room- this is what it is about.

Alan Goodman- Thanked the citizens for the 9 years he has been here. He will continue to give back in many ways. He also thanked all the employees of the county too. Rick mentions the beautiful Courthouse - the girls do a good job it is stunning. Thanked the Commissioners and his fellow Councilmen too. Merry Christmas.

Jim Thatcher- I have 4 more years so I’m not going to thank anyone. Laughter. He said he’d know Rick since kindergarten. They graduated together from HS.   

LATE ARRIVAL INFORMATION- none

PUBLIC COMMENT- Jim Kinker from Tri Township. Talked about how the Bright TIF District was accepted without water utility information about critical infrastructure. The information passed out regarding the TIF research that was used for the PC, Commissioners, and Council approvals of the TIF neglected to inform or contact the Tri Township Water Co. And they are the ones who would be servicing any development- whether it is business, commercial, or residential. The commissioners did not seem to consider that the drainage issues cited as a reason for the TIF designation money were pictured in the area of the potential 12 townhouses and the St Elizabeth Medical Building. There is reportedly not enough tap capacity for 12 townhouses at the current time. His only route is legal help with an appeal of the TIF decision, if he thinks it was based on incorrect or incomplete information per commissioners.

Brian De Bruler- asked about the Manchester Zone Change request that was discussed earlier. He noted they had a large  amount of people there and they had a lawyer.

He was also at one on May 2024 regarding the townhouses in Bright. 

Similar to Manchester people spoke out against it. But this was approved. Question was what was the difference? The lawyer?? 

Thatcher said they usually go with what the PC decides as a recommendation. Brian asked what advice they had for citizens who oppose something. Baudendistel answered for Commissioners and that they needed to list the specific criteria. Daily also added that each case has to be looked at differently. DeBruler- stated that they were spot zoning in his opinion in both cases. Probst did tell him you are doing what a responsible citizen should do.  DeBruler said - the average citizen is seeing this as inconsistent in the way these were handled. 

Dave Finney- asked for findings of fact for AR Engineering. Regarding the Manchester zone change denial. Was told that he can get them from Plan Commission. ( they were also stated at the meeting tonight during the Plan Commission presentation of that zone change motion that listed all the findings)

ADJOURN- 6:20 PM

Christine Brauer Mueller

Lawrenceburg Township