4 NOVEMBER 2025 DEARBORN COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MEETING NOTES
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Present: Jim Thatcher, President, Duane Bischoff
ABSENT: Kevin Turner
Also present: Connie Fromhold, Auditor, Andy Baudendistel, Attorney, and Sue Hayden, Administrator
OLD BUSINESS
Property on Westside Drive Aurora- Baudendistel sent out the notice for the paper. It would run 13 and 20 of Nov and bids stat to be received on the 27 of November.Nicole daily had rechecked the restrictions on this property. Commissioners Approved.
When bids come in they are opened It’s an options type bid so they are not sealed and future bids can increase them.
NEW BUSINESS
SWDC Soil and Water Conservation District- Program Updates Ken Gunkel, Vice Chairman DCSWCD Board- The lease was renewed. It had new ownership and the put 12 items on the list for fixing. About half are done by the new landlord. FSA renewed the lease. Not real thrilled and are still looking for options for future lease.
There is a shut down and we were giving a letter advising them that is not in a federal - no problem. We are not allowed in a federal building. So we are working from home. They meet an employee from FSA off premises to get their mail. Can use own personal computers as long as not using the federal system. Etc…They have looked at using the extension offices- but they are closed and in lockdown because of some threats to mayor and sheriff dept. for a week now. They have ongoing talks with Health Dept new building tat has some office space there. There soil and water people are working on MS4 with county. The employees are paid through the county and are considered county employees. Phone system and computers are federal.
The lease will come back to DCSWCD. NRCS and FSA are federal; employees there.
Beth Terrill- District Coordinator-DCSWCD- Annual meeting is in March. AGRAbility is a new program, This is program for farmers with disabilities. He has helped 42,000 people in 22 states. He will speak at this annual meeting. Looking for the location and will advise when she gets it. Attended OkI also.
MS4 Update for Randall Avenue Cleanup- Sandy Whitehead, MS4 Coordinator- Showed pictures regarding process started in May and IDEM reviewed and audited the county. They found cleanup needed at HWY location.
In Sept they had a report to determine a wetland area 3.7 acres and 346 linear ft of streams and were needed remediation. They needed to remove the materials but did not want it impacted with heavy machinery. And install a permanent barrier. She got chain link fencing for the area with gates so people cannot just dump. Oler fence $57,000 was chosen plus
Metric Environmental $4675. They have $250,000 to work with on this cleanup from Council.
May take till December to get fence in. Pictures showed the before and after of this site as the cleanup proceeded. Wilhelm Lumber did the wood grinding. Millings have plans from Tim Grieve. 4000 lbs of trash were removed from wetland area. They need to document some items due to safety reasons to keep them there and IDEM gets that documentation. It is very steep area in parts. Open dumping was disallowed in the 70’s. BF&S Engineering has been helping them also- contracted at NTE, $27,500. $82,000 total has been spent so far now.
Sandy will be doing education to get employees trained to keeping things cleaned up. To Be Fixed- Erosion gully on SW property. They will get the gully are with Flexamat.
Dead vegetation is caused by mixing salt and sand outside and kills grass. Trying to put this inside in a building.New freespan building cost $125,000. Need a truck wash- $200,000. Pond to collect the salt mix runoff has failed twice. Eliminating that. Salt and sand has been moved into buildings now. The salt water washed off can be recycled to the trucks to reapply to the roads.There are some extra expense here that needs to get to Council for planning budget for this.
Todd Listerman, Highway Engineer:
Bridge #68, York Ridge Rd. Bid Award- Wanted to do it as an overlay and but needs complete replacement. Low bid is Beatty Construction $968,335. Approved. 120 days max for bridge closure.
Small Structure #127, Grelle Rd. Bid Award 3 bids - $492,781 O’Mara is low bid. Commissioners Approved and signed.
2026 Paving County Funds Bid Award- $1.5 million from Council for Community Crossing Grant. Only allows $1million for match now. So Council set $1.25 million to go for our roads instead. They will do these 3 roads Salt Fork Rd, Jackson Ridge Rd and Legion Rd O’Mara is lowest bid at $1,371,573.80. There is money in their budget to cover the amount over $1.25 million. Approved
Community Crossing was applied for per Listerman. Hope to hear in January if we get award. Closing out the previous project on Trackville and Feller. Brand new paving gets striping at least one time for safety at night.
Beacon Subscription Fee Increase - Nicole Daily, Director of Planning & Zoning - new features available now. GIS fee schedule increased for title searchers and real estate users. Subscriptions will be $30/month or $300 /year. They can do it with these new tools themselves without her having to do it. New header at top of website for advertisements with 30 on a rotating basis. Fee schedule for this ads also. Approved to raise subscriptions fees
Nicole Daily - notified that she was applying for Grant for Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvement Plan. Needs a $20,000 match that she has funds pledged for that from outside- OKI ($10,000)and CVTB ($5,000) and DCRC ($5,000) pledged this match for her grant. Approved
Ratify Signature on 2026 OKI Funding Agreement- per Sue Hayden Kevin Turner previously dicusigned it and $16,974 - same as last year. Approved.
Lawrenceburg’s Conservancy District Grant Pursuit Effort- Paul Seymour, LCD Superintendent- - NOT ADDRESSED??? [NOTE: Found out after the meeting that this will be coming to the Council on the 13th and then to the Commissioners on the 18th of November.]
ADMINISTRATOR – Sue Hayden- nothing more
AUDITOR – Connie Fromhold -Claims/Payroll and October 21st Minutes- Approved
ATTORNEY – Andy Baudendistel- nothing more
COMMISSIONER COMMENTS: none
LATE ARRIVAL INFORMATION: none
PUBLIC COMMENT: none
ADJOURN- 9:35 AM
Christine Brauer Mueller
Lawrenceburg Township
