25 August 2025 Dearborn County Redevelopment SPECIAL Meeting Notes
Present: Jim Deaton, Chairman, Dennis Kraus,Jr., Tom Tepe, Trevor Bischoff, Jim Mansfield,Jordan Hoffman, and Doug Baker Kraus,Jr had to leave at 6 for another meeting- he did not vote on this.
ABSENT: Daryl Cutter (non- voting school board member)
Also present: Sue Hayden, county administrator and minute taker, Connie Fromhold, Auditor and DCRC treasurer.
ABSENT: Anthony Smart, attorney,
Title VI statement read as legally required at the end of the meeting
One Topic only- Chief Kendall Eberhardt- Bright Firehouse. Grant request for funding for a quint ladder truck. Definition of Quint Truck- It’s a fire engine WITH a ladder on top. It can be used for ventilation- rapid access- elevated areas and rooftops.Can use to go lower on roads as well in accidents. There is a water way that goes up the center of the ladder to spray. Used in pole barn fires. There are often chemical hazards in those barns so can get water in without going in. Also can put up a water curtain to protect an adjoining house from a fire. Harrison and Bright both respond to the TIF area in West Harrison. He said they were able to pull ladder out over the river for some rescues.
Our truck is 25 years old. 2021 spent 15k in repairs, and 8 k each and 24 more in and now more money to put in. $23,400 more this year with total of $40k
They are looking for a 95 ft ladder instead of 75 ft now. $1.79 million is the cost of a new one. Fast track program keeps the truck simple and basic. Brindley Mt in Huntsville Alabama. Fire apparatuses.has a 2008 Pierce Velocity with 17,000 miles on it.75 ft ladder. From a subdivision area in New York. Brindley Mt recertifies it with one year warranty.
Deaton- explained why they are considering this request. Basically it’s because you service 2 of our TIF’s and another one in St Leon.
If a fire truck lasts 25 years why consider this used one?
Eberhardt thinks 8 years but hopes to make it longer due to low mileage.
Bischoff- why was there no plan in place to replace this?
Eberhardt- we don’t have the appropriate funding to save more than we had. Last year and this year took big hits to repairs at it. It has over 100,000 miles on it. It was on the list to be the next one to be replaced. It would take $17 million to replace our trucks over time??!!
Jordan Hoffman- will you keep the old quint or sell it?
Eberhardt doesn’t think it will go for much. If I have a hard time putting my troops up in it, I’d have a hard time doing that to them. I’d rather get trade in maybe or whatever.
Jim Mansfield- I imagine you’ve heard from Bright people like I have. Can you explain this need versus the other meeting.
Fire territory creates a revenue source for funding. Everything is time stamped when you get it. So you know when the item is to come out of use. If you have a problem, insurance would ask why you are using old equipment that was to be out of service.( This sounds like the jail overcrowding issues- always worrying about liabilities)
Tom Tepe- asked about mileage.
Eberhardt- When you get to 150,000 they are about done. This old truck has about 118,000.We are taking money from our concrete/paving fund for the parking lot.
Tepe- Have you thought about financing? Are there powertrain issues?
Eberhardt- we don’t have enough money to finance. We are already doing financing on 2 cots we had to replace. Trouble is usually with brakes and brake pads etc. This old truck was from Texas and we have replaced a lot on these with seals and tubes etc. It’s not necessarily powertrain issues.
Eberhardt- Idling time also puts mileage on the truck.
Bischoff- Do you have any idea how many hours are on the truck you want to purchase? NO (This would be important to know)
They allow $6,000 for repairs per truck in budget.
The cost is about $600,000 but we need $250,000 from DCRC. There will be equipment switchout fees also.($4-5,000)
There is some new training needed- but it is very similar to the other trucks. Troops have to all learn how to drive and operate the truck.
Fire runs -2024 - 634 - 40 structure fires. 33 mutual aid calls and the rest were accidents.
2025- 18 structure fires this year so far and the rest were accidents.
How many miles per year- 10-15,000/year.
Baker- What about the fire territory and how would it generate tax dollars and their use.
Eberhardt- Baker Tilley did a study. You get one opportunity. To apply for it. It’s a one time deal from the state. We did come up with the sheet on trucks needed in next 25 years. How many firefighters do we need? Not sure about numbers yet. Nothing set in stone on this.Fire territory changes how a fire dept operates. It opens up retirement access to your employees and opens grants on federal level. It allows you to fall under actual fire hours- 53 hours ?? you can run longer shifts without overtime pay.
Baker - so they fire dept works wit the trustees to apply to the state.
Eberhardt- Yes. We are a non-profit- we do need to be sustainable for the future. I hate politics - we just want to provide a service.
Baker- I think it was important to get this out on video for the public.
Eberhardt- The tax accountant files that with state.(in answer to Kraus Jr question. Eberhardt does not seem to know the finances of the dept. Relies on tax accountant. But the budget does need to be uploaded to the Gateway??? Do they have the tax people do that??
PUBLIC:
Patricia Little ( Township trustee Miller)- Trustees provide fire and EMS to just under 10,000 residents. In 2020 My unit adopted a cumulative fire fund at rate of 0.333 and received that in 2021 180,000, 2022- 179,000 2023- 198,961, 2024- 200,332, etc. We spent $249,000 for that truck.
She outlines that they spent more money for extrication equipment etc. We have been saving. We knew that the trucks need replacing. We are the only township putting money away for this. If we could get an agreement with the 3 townships. Those funds won’t be available till 2027. Could get $300,000 by then probably. We could replace equipment without incurring debt. The townships can borrow the money. Miller has $191,780 for fire and $36,750 from general fund. Cannot spend on repairing an old vehicle per State Board of Accounts. Logan and Harrison do not have any cumulative fund like Miller does. When they talked about TIF in Bright. If Harrison wanted to add a cum fire fund- If they have a fire territory would make that better. All townships are subject to max levy. Miller has the biggest population. Logan has exceeded the state level so they can do more. Baker - as population grows the fire territory grows.
Cathy Keith- Bright- was at Logan trustee meeting at library. It was explosive. But I don’t think anyone has trouble supporting fire dept. Asked about Harrison covering Bright. Asked Eberhardt about what he said at that meeting about being able to get the county money that is paid to Harrison by Commissioners for their coverage. (There was some confusion during this as they seemed to be talking about west Harrison and Harrison Township too.) Harrison OH is paid by county for their coverage in parts of Bright IN. And because of response time for that area they will probably need to stay in that arrangement.
Trevor Bischoff- motioned to support this request. Doug Baker wants more info in future for these requests- but he still 2nds the motion.
Tepe does not think its a good deal. He thinks the used equipment will cost more in the long run. He does not think it is this urgent. He is opposed.
Mansfield- Where would this money come from? Doesn’t think they have the money.
Deaton- from the West Harrison TIF- for funds. Perleberg looked at the bonds etc.- said there was money.
More discussion- about a contingency in the motion to be sure this money isn’t just given without something to protect the DCRC money. Also to maybe table and address at next regular meeting. The motion was amended as below:
Tepe Nay- 4 Ayes Passed. Contingent upon inspection and contract purchase ( Going thru 2 inspections before they do actual purchase )
ADJOURNMENT - 6:20 PM
Christine Brauer Mueller
Lawrenceburg Township
