25 September 2006 Dearborn County Plan Commission Meeting Notes
PLAN COMMISSION DENIES ONE; APPROVES THREE IN 5 HOURS
See ITEM # 3 for additional details not apparent in the public presentation.
Present: Mark Mitter, Chairman, Patrick deMaynadier, Jane Ohlmansiek, Nick Held, Mike Hall, Jeff Hughes, Robert Laws, and Dennis Kraus, Jr.
Absent: Tarry Feiss
Also Present: Arnie McGill, Attorney, and Mark McCormack, Planning Director
Also absent: Kate Rademacher, Enforcement Officer.
Ralph Thompson, Republican Candidate for Commissioner, was also present
OLD BUSINESS TO BE REOPENED
1. Plan Commission DENIES 11-lot subdivision- Phase 3 of Lawrenceville Farms (Jackson Township (60.973 acres) with owner Bill Geisel and Applicant Mike Hall.
Hall stepped down from the PC for this. His wife, Terri, presented the case.
The public speaking in opposition consisted of 3 neighbors, Steve ??last name, Robert Trabel, and Bill Wilkymacky. All three cited water drainage issues, including standing water nearly year round. The subdivision has now sewer- it was questionable that there were even enough viable septic sites. They also asked about having a fence installed.
Geisel said the corps of engineers was out there and French drains were installed. The county engineer said the drain was working properly. The board at first seemed to think that the health dept. would determine the septic sites and that if that meant some lots were unbuildable, then they would have to combine with others. De Maynadier noted that he’d seen the standing water as he drives by the site. Mitter said he had HUGE concerns and sees this development as one big “cess pool.”McCormack answered that in Phase 1 and 2 all lots aren’t built out and some are combined there as well.
DeMaynadier noted that all sites have to show approval of on site septic systems according to Section 216 para 11 of the subdivision control ordinance.
Tech review stated that applicant complied with their 12 items requested.
DeMaynadier motioned and Ohlmansiek 2nd to deny based on paragraph 216 Paragraph 11 – that all septic locations weren’t shown as approved.
Motion failed 3-3 (deMaynadier, Ohlmansiek Held-ayes vs. Hughes Kraus, Laws, Nays)
Geisel said they could do Mound systems.
Kraus, Jr. motioned and Laws 2nd to table to get fence settled. Motion failed also 3-3.
The board offered no further motions. The application is denied due to the lack of motion to approve.
2. Zone change from Ag to R for Maxwell and owner Lonnie and Sally Steele on 124.81 acres on Mt. Pleasant Road- previously tabled.
Laws stepped down for this request.
Changes were made to the plans. The applicant will widen Mt. Pleasant by 2 ft along the development and later in the discussion agreed to fix the vertical alignment (dip) on the southern end of the development on Mt. Pleasant with the county engineer’s approval.
Randy Maxwell presented. Future connections will be made in the plan but Maxwell would not commit to any unless the proposed connection has property values similar to what was in this development.
Maxwell says they have the 50 ft ROW needed.
Ohlmansiek asked about common areas- greenspace- Maxwell said there were 3.
Hall asked about the driveways along Mt. Pleasant. Maxwell said they would be combined and share driveways.
Maxwell agreed to written commitments on density level and street configuration. Maxwell noted there would be some changes in the plans- though minor only.
Sandra Weisgerber wants a fence between this and her land and also a connection to this subdivision to her land. This was not guaranteed.
Maxwell replied to Mitter’s question about the 3 future access sites on the west as being located to avoid ponds and homes in the way.
DeMaynadier motioned and Held 2nd for a Favorable recommendation to change the zone from Ag to R with staff written commitments and land certification plus road widening with the hill addressed as corrected by the cty engineer. Specifically: Certification of land use restriction with the maximum density as agreed. Concept development plan and street plan to match to a significant extent at primary approval and roadway improvements required as depicted on the plat with 2 ft on Mt Pleasant to North Dearborn and a design to improve the vertical profile on the south end of the property.
All ayes. Passed.
NEW BUSINESS:
3. Major revisions to the primary plat approval for Whitewater Point Subdivision on Barber Road by Whitewater Point, LLC (Maxwell Development) in Logan Township on 208.25 acres. This was rezoned R-DP/A
Mark McCormack stated that if the applicant doesn’t live up to the written commitments the zone change reverts to Ag.
One of those requirements was that there was adequate sewer capacity at St. Leon to serve the sub’n. The other two were for feasible roadway design for Chapellow Ridge and also the commitment to connect Chapellow Ridge to Barber Road prior to 2ndary plat submittal.
The legal remedy suggested for Maxwell was to remove the lots for septic from the subdivision. Approximately 90 acres and 5 lots were to be removed. There was no evidence of the suitability of any of these lots for septic. The PC staff and Health Dept opinion was that under no circumstances should there be 2 or more portions of a named subdivision served simultaneously with sewer and individual septic systems.
Randy Maxwell stated that they made a mistake and had originally planned to serve these lots with septic. They are just clearing up something that was previously left out. The Health Dept was out and there were numerous septic sites per lot. They could leave it R or revert to Ag- either way was OK with them.
Doug Garner and Matt Fellerhoff (of Manley Burke) represented Helen Kremer and contend that this would effectively revert the entire parcel back to Ag. They said the density effectively increases on the entire parcel when this 90-acre section is removed. Mitter asked Fellerhoff if he knew of any case law that supported this. He said- "No." He asked if he knew of any statute that supported this. The answer was also "No."
Kathy Scott- gave a 3-paragraph statement that showed the history of the zone change and primary plat approval. After being interrupted a few times by Chairman Mitter who wanted to be sure the road was not being brought up, Scott insisted that the geotech study on the road was not approved yet and therefore the primary plat was still pending and not approved yet either. So there is nothing to effectively revise.
Cliff Eibeck wanted to know if the ground was tested and who did it and when. He had heard they couldn’t afford the pipe and pumping to those lots and that’s why they weren’t going to sewer them.
Ralph Thompson asked if the 2nd subdivision gets sewer later, can they increase the density of it? The answer to this question was yes that was possible.
Maxwell stated- we messed up- we didn’t show this on the original plat. Mitter heard the lift stations were expensive. Maxwell wanted that not to be discussed- insisted this was just a mistake that they left off. They don’t intend to increase the density on the project as a whole.
Mitter read Fellerhof’s letter to himself at this point.
Below is a copy of the body of that letter for the record.
I represent Helen Kremer, Trustee of the Helen Kremer Trust. The Trust's property is located adjacent to the property in question. I appear before this Commission with the assistance of Douglas Garner of Zerbe, Zerbe & Garner, located in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. The new submission by Maxwell Development is in violation of the zoning conditions placed upon the larger tract of property (including these five parcels), when the original zone change was approved. This new submission is contrary to those conditions and this Commission must, therefore, consider the submission as a submission under the (A) Agricultural designation. Any attempt to consider this under the Residential (R-DP) district, without compliance with the conditions, would result in a zone change enacted in violation of the procedures outlined in Article 5 of the Dearborn County Zoning Ordinance.
DISCUSSION
On January 24, 2005, a hearing was held to evaluate an application made by Maxwell Development for a zone change for 182 acres of a 208-acre parcel from (A) agricultural to (RDP) residential to allow for a single family residential use. At this hearing, the plan commission gave a favorable recommendation to the Board of Commissioners, "contingent upon a written commitment from the applicant to include: 1) adequate sewer capacity exists or will be required by St. Leon Utilities; 2) a feasible roadway design for Chappelow Ridge Road will be engineered; 3) a connection of Chappelow Ridge to Barber Road will occur prior to secondary plat approval." To date, none of these conditions have been realized.
On March 1, 2005, via ordinance 2005-1, the Board of Commissioners of Dearborn County approved the rezoning of the 182-acre tract from (R) residential to (A) agricultural, "subject to any conditions imposed by the Plan Commission." The plan commission approved the primary plat for the rezoned tract on March 28,2005. This tract of land currently includes 126 parcels of land, five of which will abut Barber Road and are larger than the other parcels in the development. The approval of this primary plan is contingent upon several factors, including the rezoning of the tract from (A) to (R) residential. Without the proper zoning in place, development of the proposed parcels included in the primary plan may not take place.
The conditions that must be fulfilled prior to the rezoning of this tract of land were agreed upon by the applicant in accordance with Section 550 of the Zoning Code:
Section 550 Written Commitments
The Plan Commission may require a written commitment executed by the applicant/owner in conjunction with a favorable recommendation of a Zoning Map amendment. Failure to comply with any written commitment shall be considered a violation of this ordinance and shall be governed by Article 6. Any written commitment shall be recorded as described in Section 560 and shall be binding on the owner, subsequent owner, or person who acquires interest in the property.
The Plan Commission shall forward to the legislative unit, as part of the certification of the recommendation, the written commitment incorporated within its motion for approval,. The written commitment shall be signed by the owner and any other appropriate person indicating agreement with the terms of the written commitment. The legislative unit may adopt or reject the application and written commitment pursuant to IC 36-7-608. Any written commitments made as part of the OrdinancelResolution for approval of the rezoning by the legislative unit shall be prepared in writing and signed, as stated above, and recorded as identified in Section 560, by the Planning Department. The enforcement, interpretation, and administration of the written commitment shall be the responsibility of the Plan Commission.
The applicant has not fulfilled any of the conditions required for approval of the rezoning of the entire tract from (A) to (R). Approval of the modification will not, as the applicant claims, "allow [them] to move forward with the platting and sales of the lower lots, via administrative minor subdivision." Section 236 of the Dearborn County Subdivision Control Ordinance requires consideration of whether the plan is consistent with the Dearborn County Zoning Ordinance. If the conditions of the rezoning approval are not met, the approval is not valid, and therefore the entire 182-acre tract as submitted in January 2005 reverts to the (A) Agricultural zoning designation that was in place prior to the conditional approval.
The applicant would like to move forward with development of a portion of the tract in question because, "the conditions of our rezoning will not be met in the short term to allow for us to move forward with the entire subdivision at once." The applicant may only "move forward," with the "platting and sales of the lower lots" with the proper rezoning in place, as these lots are part of the original rezoning application. Further, such piecemeal approval of separate tracts from a previously approved plan does not represent good planning practice and is in conflict with the approved plan.
The application should also be denied because there is no evidence related to the suitability of the proposed sites for individual sewage disposal systems as required by Section 232, Item 29 and Section 216, Item 11 of the Dearborn County Subdivision Control Ordinance and 2526 of the Dearborn County Zoning Ordinance. The fact of the failure to comply with these provisions is detailed in Item 6 of the Staff Report.
We ask that the plan commission deny the request for modification to the Whitewater Point Subdivision primary plat. Approval will not allow the applicant to move forward with development of the lower lots from the primary plan, as the conditions of the rezoning have not taken place and the failure to do so ultimately results in a change to the prior (A) Agricultural zoning designation for the entire 182 acres.
Laws noted- first the people were opposed to R now they oppose Ag!
McGill noted there was no case law either way.
Mitter wondered if this was the proper process for the applicant. The ordinance has a section addressing the issue of changes. He thought this was less invasive and couldn’t see any negative impact on surrounding property owners.
DeMaynadier said- we can let the lawyers make new case law here if they choose to.
He decided to go ahead and approve according to the motion from the tape typed by the Plan Commission staff:
Motion for Whitewater Point.
Mr. DeMaynadier made a motion to approve the request for the application based on the following discussion of the Board Members:
1. There is an absence in case law, statute, or ordinance that can be identified to go against the application.
2. The language of the Ordinance, Section 288-contemplates that developers or applicants may find it necessary to make changes and those are recognized as a typical part of the development process.
3. Due process of this hearing has been fair. We followed our Ordinances and State Statute requirements.
4. The change requested is more restrictive on Applicant then they originally got permission for.
5. There is no net adverse impact on the totality of the property in question.
6. The spirit and the substance of the Ordinances of the County are protected, in that the original conditions that were placed on the rezone still have to be met for it to ultimately be in effect and for the development to go forward.
7. That there be no lots on Barber Road at this time.
Mrs. Ohlmansiek seconded.
Vote: Mr. Hall, Mrs. Ohlmansiek, Mr. Laws, Mr. DeMaynadier, Mr. Held, Mr. Kraus in favor. Mr. Hughes opposed. Motion carries.
These approximately 90 acres of 5 lots are now split off and they have reverted to Ag. P&Z will get a legal description of that and an amended primary plat for the remaining lots on the other piece.
Unless they use the current lot lines that are on the original primary plat approval, before they sell these lots they will have to come to minor sub’n approval. If they have to build a road to them or if they realign the road or build a new one they will have to come back to PC with a new sub’n application. Or do it administratively depending on how many lots and access, etc.
[NOTE: after the meeting I was given a copy of an ad from the 21 Sept 2006 Register. It reads Acreage and nice building for sale. Minutes to I-74, Sunman Dearborn school district, Cincinnati phones. West Harrison, Barber Road. 6 sites available from 4-30 acres. 812-637-5127 or 513-284-0717. The local phone number in this ad belongs to Randy Lyness of Maxwell Development. Would anyone care to comment on the applicant’s confidence of approval?]
[Note: It seems like this development has cost the developer, the county, and the opposers a lot of money. The roadway geotech analysis has been going on for months while the applicant is searching for an economically feasible way to build a steep road to the great view at the top. The county has to spend money on their consultant to see if the opposing answers they are getting from the applicant’s and opposer’s engineers and geotech studies are valid. Whenever there is this much disagreement on a structure the question we should be asking is- WHY ARE WE PERSISTING IN DOING IT? We are not hurting for development sites or lots to build upon in this county. We don’t have to use questionable sites. Sometimes an applicant spends so much money they find it hard to back out. Sometimes we just like to prove we can do something. Personally, I think this may be a big mistake. Getting an engineering stamp of approval may make the construction people feel secure. But the bottom line is- if it fails, everyone connected to it pays either in investment loss or reputation. That includes the buyers, the neighbors, the sellers, the developers, the excavators, the engineers, and the county officials who let it happen. Maxwell has a reputation for doing some fine work in the county. I would hope that this doesn’t end up being an example of something that diminishes that reputation.]
4. Gregory Gerold with surveyor Roger Woodfill received approval for a variance of Article 3 section 315c for a local driveway outside a panhandle on 10 or 80 acres on North Hogan Road in Manchester Township.
DeMaynadier motioned and Hughes 2nd – all ayes.
ADMINISTRATIVE:
1. Board approved a 1-year extension and no more for Stonebrook estates on US50 outside Aurora identified as land with Fehrman realty sign outside. Laws abstained.
2. Date set for Land Use Advisory Board meetings was Oct 18 following the Oct 16 OKI meeting and also Nov 6th.
3. Tax sheets and school info was passed out along with a news release on that meeting,
4. US 50 meeting was at LHS 6-8 on Tues evening.
5. Old Orchard complaint- neighbors were advised to see commissioners first. Staff is also reviewing tape of 11/1999 commissioners meeting obtained from Cliff Eibeck.
Meeting adjourned at 11:55 PM
Christine Brauer Mueller
Lawrenceburg Township
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
19 September 2006 Dearborn County Commissioner Meeting Notes
19 September 2006 Dearborn County Commissioner Meeting Notes
Present: Hughes, President, and Fox
Also present: Ewbank, Attorney and Stephanie Disbro, taking minutes.
Absent Benning, Pickens, Auditor, and Messmore, Administrator.
Also present was Frank Linkmeyer, Democrat candidate for D-3 Commissioner, seated with Tom Kent, developer of Perfect View subdivision on the agenda for a zone change. (see number 3)
1. Todd Listerman – Transportation Director- Gave an update on the seemingly endless problems with the underground storage tanks at the county garage. IDEM requires more testing of the soils and so they need to request another $14,000 from council from the MVH fund to add to the $4,000 available to cover these costs. Commissioners approved going to Council.
600 ft of fence will be installed at county expense from the bridge match funds for Triple Whipple. Fence is to separate ROW and Lighthouse Yacht Club.
2. Candy Turcak- Whitwater Canal Scenic Byway- explained the 100 mile walk alongteh old canal trail over 8 days. Final stage will be at Verastau at 10 AM Oct 2 with a brunch and press conference. Letter to be signed in support was tabled till Oct 3 meeting so Benning could see it also. They plan to raise $200,000 to match grants to purchase the land needed for the park etc.
3. Public Hearing on Perfect View and redone written commitments was presented by Mark McCormack, Planning Director. Kent had nothing to add.
NO PUBLIC WAS THERE TO COMMENT.
“Seeing no opposition,” Fox motioned to approve the zone change with the commitments citing the 5 criteria with no comment on any of them specifically. Hughes 2nd. Motion passed.
4. Text amendments were presented for zoning and subdivision ordinances. All 3 were passed. One was on withdrawal procedures clarifications, the 2nd on surveyor certification requirements and parcel numbers, and the last was on ROW dedications and certificates for article 7 of the subdivision control ordinance.
McCormack also updated Commissioners with all paperwork of research on Jenny Lynn access to Stateline so far. He is still going to review tapes of meetings to further clarify issues. Fox asked about tapes and noted that if the developer agreed on tape perhaps we could hold him to that. They are also going to seek McGill’s legal opinion.
5. Vacation earning Schedule was passed out and tabled.
6. Ewbank brought up the NIMS letter, which was signed after explanation from Bill Black. NIMS compliance and training is to be completed by Sept 30 for Homeland security and disaster preparation.
7. Hughes and Fox authorized each other to sign off on the paperwork that County Farm Board brings in periodically.
Meeting adjourned 7:25 PM
Christine Brauer Mueller
Lawrenceburg Township
Present: Hughes, President, and Fox
Also present: Ewbank, Attorney and Stephanie Disbro, taking minutes.
Absent Benning, Pickens, Auditor, and Messmore, Administrator.
Also present was Frank Linkmeyer, Democrat candidate for D-3 Commissioner, seated with Tom Kent, developer of Perfect View subdivision on the agenda for a zone change. (see number 3)
1. Todd Listerman – Transportation Director- Gave an update on the seemingly endless problems with the underground storage tanks at the county garage. IDEM requires more testing of the soils and so they need to request another $14,000 from council from the MVH fund to add to the $4,000 available to cover these costs. Commissioners approved going to Council.
600 ft of fence will be installed at county expense from the bridge match funds for Triple Whipple. Fence is to separate ROW and Lighthouse Yacht Club.
2. Candy Turcak- Whitwater Canal Scenic Byway- explained the 100 mile walk alongteh old canal trail over 8 days. Final stage will be at Verastau at 10 AM Oct 2 with a brunch and press conference. Letter to be signed in support was tabled till Oct 3 meeting so Benning could see it also. They plan to raise $200,000 to match grants to purchase the land needed for the park etc.
3. Public Hearing on Perfect View and redone written commitments was presented by Mark McCormack, Planning Director. Kent had nothing to add.
NO PUBLIC WAS THERE TO COMMENT.
“Seeing no opposition,” Fox motioned to approve the zone change with the commitments citing the 5 criteria with no comment on any of them specifically. Hughes 2nd. Motion passed.
4. Text amendments were presented for zoning and subdivision ordinances. All 3 were passed. One was on withdrawal procedures clarifications, the 2nd on surveyor certification requirements and parcel numbers, and the last was on ROW dedications and certificates for article 7 of the subdivision control ordinance.
McCormack also updated Commissioners with all paperwork of research on Jenny Lynn access to Stateline so far. He is still going to review tapes of meetings to further clarify issues. Fox asked about tapes and noted that if the developer agreed on tape perhaps we could hold him to that. They are also going to seek McGill’s legal opinion.
5. Vacation earning Schedule was passed out and tabled.
6. Ewbank brought up the NIMS letter, which was signed after explanation from Bill Black. NIMS compliance and training is to be completed by Sept 30 for Homeland security and disaster preparation.
7. Hughes and Fox authorized each other to sign off on the paperwork that County Farm Board brings in periodically.
Meeting adjourned 7:25 PM
Christine Brauer Mueller
Lawrenceburg Township
Sunday, September 17, 2006
U.S. 50 Corridor Study Project Alternatives Set For Public Discussion
PRESS RELEASE
U.S. 50 Corridor Study Project Alternatives Set For Public Discussion
Dearborn County residents now have a chance to see proposed alternatives for the U.S. 50 Corridor. The alternatives will be presented and discussed at a public meeting for the U.S. 50 Corridor Study on Tuesday, September 26, in the auditorium at Lawrenceburg High School from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. The school is located at 100 Tiger Boulevard.
The meeting is being held to present potential alternatives to address the efficiency and safety needs identified along the U.S. 50 Corridor. These areas of concern were identified largely from April’s public meeting and subsequent public input on the U.S. 50 Corridor Study overview, along with details from the Corridor Study’s existing conditions report which includes traffic data and accident reports.
“The meeting is not just the next step in the process, but is a chance for the public to actually see lines drawn on maps to visualize what these alternative concepts may look like,” said Scott Roush, project manager for the study. “With this meeting, the public will be able to offer valuable input to assist the planning and design of the Corridor. The public’s input at our April meeting was insightful and has been incorporated into our thinking. We are looking forward to their thoughts on the potential alternatives.”
Officials with the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) along with Strand Associates and Wilbur Smith & Associates, the engineering firms conducting the study, will present potential alternatives to efficiency and safety needs for the corridor. The presentation will then be followed by a time for discussion and input from the public on the potential alternatives. The study, scheduled to take approximately 18 months, will help officials determine feasible methods for addressing traffic problems by exploring both short-term traffic-management solutions as well as more long-term capacity improvements.
The study is also designed to confirm the findings for the Purpose and Need Report for the corridor. These improvements may be located along the existing corridor or on new alignments. The 18-mile stretch of roadway extends through Dearborn County and impacts traffic flow in the cities of Lawrenceburg, Greendale, Aurora and Dillsboro.
Another public meeting is scheduled to take place in the late winter/early spring of 2007.
U.S. 50 Corridor Study Project Alternatives Set For Public Discussion
Dearborn County residents now have a chance to see proposed alternatives for the U.S. 50 Corridor. The alternatives will be presented and discussed at a public meeting for the U.S. 50 Corridor Study on Tuesday, September 26, in the auditorium at Lawrenceburg High School from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. The school is located at 100 Tiger Boulevard.
The meeting is being held to present potential alternatives to address the efficiency and safety needs identified along the U.S. 50 Corridor. These areas of concern were identified largely from April’s public meeting and subsequent public input on the U.S. 50 Corridor Study overview, along with details from the Corridor Study’s existing conditions report which includes traffic data and accident reports.
“The meeting is not just the next step in the process, but is a chance for the public to actually see lines drawn on maps to visualize what these alternative concepts may look like,” said Scott Roush, project manager for the study. “With this meeting, the public will be able to offer valuable input to assist the planning and design of the Corridor. The public’s input at our April meeting was insightful and has been incorporated into our thinking. We are looking forward to their thoughts on the potential alternatives.”
Officials with the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) along with Strand Associates and Wilbur Smith & Associates, the engineering firms conducting the study, will present potential alternatives to efficiency and safety needs for the corridor. The presentation will then be followed by a time for discussion and input from the public on the potential alternatives. The study, scheduled to take approximately 18 months, will help officials determine feasible methods for addressing traffic problems by exploring both short-term traffic-management solutions as well as more long-term capacity improvements.
The study is also designed to confirm the findings for the Purpose and Need Report for the corridor. These improvements may be located along the existing corridor or on new alignments. The 18-mile stretch of roadway extends through Dearborn County and impacts traffic flow in the cities of Lawrenceburg, Greendale, Aurora and Dillsboro.
Another public meeting is scheduled to take place in the late winter/early spring of 2007.
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Republican Commissioner Candidate Website Launched
Republican Commissioner Candidate Website
Ralph Thompson- Republican candidate for Dearborn County Commissioner D-3 launched a campaign website this week.
Log on to www.ralphthompson.org
Ralph Thompson- Republican candidate for Dearborn County Commissioner D-3 launched a campaign website this week.
Log on to www.ralphthompson.org
Friday, September 15, 2006
LMH Applies for 54.68% Increase in Sewer Rates
LMH Utilities, Inc filed a public notice this week in the local paper (Register Publications) for a 54.68% increase in sewer rates with the IURC. “This increase is primarily caused by the need to refurbish aging infrastructure and comply with the continuing requirements of IDEM. If granted in full, the rate of the average customer will rise from$42.28 to $65.50.”
LMH also requested a $3000 system development charge which applies only to new homes and new customers.
LMH also requested a $3000 system development charge which applies only to new homes and new customers.
Friday, September 08, 2006
Working Session with Plan Commission and School Supt.s 6 September 2006
Highlights of the Plan Commission Working Session with County School Superintendents on 6 September 2006 at the Dearborn Adult Center
NOTE DISCUSSION UNDER ITEM NUMBER 20.
Plan Commission Members present:
Hall, Ohlmansiek, Kraus, Jr., Laws, Feiss.
Absent: Mitter, deMaynadier, Held, and Hughes.
Also present: Mark McCormack, Planning Director.
Sunman Dearborn – John Roeder
South Dearborn- Tom Book and Bob Rollins
Lawrenceburg- Dan Kuebler and Pam Taylor
Plan Commission had studies from South Dearborn and Sunman Dearborn to review later.
1. PC asked about how development plans affect student teacher ratios and how funding is determined.
Answer- money is based directly on number of students. They send in an average each year. Local formulas for funding are different. (State revenue and property tax revenue are used differently)
2. Kuebler noted that L-bg could handle about 150 more students if they are spaced out over K-12.
3. Sunman Dearborn has had to add a few to classrooms beyond what they would want for optimal teacher student ratios.
4. Book noted that if more expensive homes are built they expect fewer kids in those homes of school age.
5. Roeder made it clear that when a school board member speaks at PC hearing they are speaking on a personal level and not for the board.
6. Bus routes are bid every 4 years and readjusted as students add or subtract.
7. PC would like to see letters that give current enrollment, student teacher ratios, and available space. Perhaps even give out their 5-year projections so PC can try to keep track.
8. Kuebler noted they could have buildings and space but not enough local funding to get teachers! This would involve increasing the property tax.
9. Average student costs about $4,000.
10. When they do all day kindergarten each K only counts as ½ a student.
11. Superintendents meet with each other quite often- monthly at least.
12. Schools don’t mind public use of facilities but need to charge enough to cover the maintenance and utilities for those events.
13. Redistricting is seen as an unpopular and political hot button issue by the superintendents. (Despite the fact that numerous members of the public expressed strong interest at master plan hearings.)
14. HVL seen as an area needing to be redrawn to reflect the community. Kids on buses longer to SD than if they go to L-bg. But again- politics!
15. Rollins noted that sidewalks can cut bus costs so kids can congregate on blocks rather than all spread out.
16. Sunman Dearborn does NOT accept tuition paying students. L-bg and SD do.
17. If schools don’t raise property taxes they lose state funding also.
18. US 50 traffic and lack of sewers is hurting South Dearborn’s growth.
19. PC member Laws noted that if sewers were out there on west side it would even out development.
20 Roeder said they (the county schools) need more commercial development.
AND HERE’S WHERE IT GETS INTERESTING…………..
Laws said we are working on a fiscal impact model.
Kuebler said they get nervous in their area because of tax abatements.
One of the superintendents said TAX ABATEMENTS AND TIFs DESTROY THE SCHOOLS. [NOTE: I about fell out of my chair when I heard that. Where were these people when the TIFs were being set up?]
Kuebler noted they took a $2.5 million hit from their tax issue.
Rollins stated that TIF districts destroyed the Brownsburg schools.
I asked them if they’d talked to the Redevelopment Commission about this. Three of them turned to me and said YES.
Kuebler said he also made an elaborate presentation to L-bg Council about business abatements hurting schools.
[NOTE: Did the Redevelopment Commission ignore this input? Is it possible that they are being so short sighted about landing a business or industry that they lose sight of long term objectives and quality of life?]
21. State formula sets tuition rates – there is a 7 page funding formula reflecting what happens with rates of change in student population. This was in response to a question about whether or not it could hurt school funding if they developed too fast around them. It appears it can happen if they increase too fast or decrease too fast. [NOTE: I’d really like to see this part explained in layman’s terms and in relation to our county specifically when they do the fiscal impact studies.]
22. They consider a rule of about 7 kids in 10 homes.
23. State changes funding rules mid term sometimes. Affects Sunman and South Dearborn mostly as they get 2/3 funding from state. L-bg is mostly local.
24. Tom Kent wanted to know how much info they want and will use from the school districts. He said his 260 homes would require 2 buses at $50,000 each, but the houses would bring in $580,000. [NOTE: That’s 182 students at 7 per 10 homes. 182 x $4,000 per student is $728,000. That’s still not paying for the estimated students.]
25. Debbie McQueen asked- what are we willing to sacrifice education-wise to accommodate growth? Miller Township has killer tax rates. We will be like Cincinnati 15 years from now- unable to bus or provide extracurriculars. The bottom line is that high-density development has a BIG impact on schools.
26. Linda Mitchell asked- are you happy with your student –teacher ratios?
Tom Book said they aren’t alarmed yet. With aides they average 18-20/ staff.
Kuebler is not happy at all with his ratios.
Roeder said they were as high as 22-32 using aides.
Mitchell wanted to know if it was possible to set a level so as not to tax retirees off their land. Maybe create a redline- critical number for classrooms and ratios and perhaps control taxes by using that number in granting permits and development.
Meeting adjourned at 8:40 PM
Christine Brauer Mueller
Lawrenceburg Township
NOTE DISCUSSION UNDER ITEM NUMBER 20.
Plan Commission Members present:
Hall, Ohlmansiek, Kraus, Jr., Laws, Feiss.
Absent: Mitter, deMaynadier, Held, and Hughes.
Also present: Mark McCormack, Planning Director.
Sunman Dearborn – John Roeder
South Dearborn- Tom Book and Bob Rollins
Lawrenceburg- Dan Kuebler and Pam Taylor
Plan Commission had studies from South Dearborn and Sunman Dearborn to review later.
1. PC asked about how development plans affect student teacher ratios and how funding is determined.
Answer- money is based directly on number of students. They send in an average each year. Local formulas for funding are different. (State revenue and property tax revenue are used differently)
2. Kuebler noted that L-bg could handle about 150 more students if they are spaced out over K-12.
3. Sunman Dearborn has had to add a few to classrooms beyond what they would want for optimal teacher student ratios.
4. Book noted that if more expensive homes are built they expect fewer kids in those homes of school age.
5. Roeder made it clear that when a school board member speaks at PC hearing they are speaking on a personal level and not for the board.
6. Bus routes are bid every 4 years and readjusted as students add or subtract.
7. PC would like to see letters that give current enrollment, student teacher ratios, and available space. Perhaps even give out their 5-year projections so PC can try to keep track.
8. Kuebler noted they could have buildings and space but not enough local funding to get teachers! This would involve increasing the property tax.
9. Average student costs about $4,000.
10. When they do all day kindergarten each K only counts as ½ a student.
11. Superintendents meet with each other quite often- monthly at least.
12. Schools don’t mind public use of facilities but need to charge enough to cover the maintenance and utilities for those events.
13. Redistricting is seen as an unpopular and political hot button issue by the superintendents. (Despite the fact that numerous members of the public expressed strong interest at master plan hearings.)
14. HVL seen as an area needing to be redrawn to reflect the community. Kids on buses longer to SD than if they go to L-bg. But again- politics!
15. Rollins noted that sidewalks can cut bus costs so kids can congregate on blocks rather than all spread out.
16. Sunman Dearborn does NOT accept tuition paying students. L-bg and SD do.
17. If schools don’t raise property taxes they lose state funding also.
18. US 50 traffic and lack of sewers is hurting South Dearborn’s growth.
19. PC member Laws noted that if sewers were out there on west side it would even out development.
20 Roeder said they (the county schools) need more commercial development.
AND HERE’S WHERE IT GETS INTERESTING…………..
Laws said we are working on a fiscal impact model.
Kuebler said they get nervous in their area because of tax abatements.
One of the superintendents said TAX ABATEMENTS AND TIFs DESTROY THE SCHOOLS. [NOTE: I about fell out of my chair when I heard that. Where were these people when the TIFs were being set up?]
Kuebler noted they took a $2.5 million hit from their tax issue.
Rollins stated that TIF districts destroyed the Brownsburg schools.
I asked them if they’d talked to the Redevelopment Commission about this. Three of them turned to me and said YES.
Kuebler said he also made an elaborate presentation to L-bg Council about business abatements hurting schools.
[NOTE: Did the Redevelopment Commission ignore this input? Is it possible that they are being so short sighted about landing a business or industry that they lose sight of long term objectives and quality of life?]
21. State formula sets tuition rates – there is a 7 page funding formula reflecting what happens with rates of change in student population. This was in response to a question about whether or not it could hurt school funding if they developed too fast around them. It appears it can happen if they increase too fast or decrease too fast. [NOTE: I’d really like to see this part explained in layman’s terms and in relation to our county specifically when they do the fiscal impact studies.]
22. They consider a rule of about 7 kids in 10 homes.
23. State changes funding rules mid term sometimes. Affects Sunman and South Dearborn mostly as they get 2/3 funding from state. L-bg is mostly local.
24. Tom Kent wanted to know how much info they want and will use from the school districts. He said his 260 homes would require 2 buses at $50,000 each, but the houses would bring in $580,000. [NOTE: That’s 182 students at 7 per 10 homes. 182 x $4,000 per student is $728,000. That’s still not paying for the estimated students.]
25. Debbie McQueen asked- what are we willing to sacrifice education-wise to accommodate growth? Miller Township has killer tax rates. We will be like Cincinnati 15 years from now- unable to bus or provide extracurriculars. The bottom line is that high-density development has a BIG impact on schools.
26. Linda Mitchell asked- are you happy with your student –teacher ratios?
Tom Book said they aren’t alarmed yet. With aides they average 18-20/ staff.
Kuebler is not happy at all with his ratios.
Roeder said they were as high as 22-32 using aides.
Mitchell wanted to know if it was possible to set a level so as not to tax retirees off their land. Maybe create a redline- critical number for classrooms and ratios and perhaps control taxes by using that number in granting permits and development.
Meeting adjourned at 8:40 PM
Christine Brauer Mueller
Lawrenceburg Township
7 September 2006 DCRSD Meeting Notes
7 September 2006 Dearborn County Regional Sewer District Meeting
Present:
Hankins, Chairman, Holland, Pruss, Fehrman, Dennerline, and Enzweiler.
ABSENT: John Maxwell [NOTE: DCRSD Bylaws were reset after Council did not reappoint Volmer for lack of attendance issues. Six absences in a year can result in termination of that board member]Also present: Kramer, attorney, Quinn, Engineer, and Benning- status unknown.
Also absent: Doug Baer and Bryan Messmore, administrator and liaison with Woolpert.
Pat Hanlon, former sewer board member, addressed the board regarding other options for small treatment plants to address issues in the county where lines will not be run for extended periods of time, if ever.
Hanlon referenced Coolsville OH as an example of using septic tanks as pretreatment for pressurized sewer systems instead of grinder pumps. Net savings was about $60 per month in homeowner costs. Basically the effluent from the septic tank is what was treated and tanks still had to be pumped every 3-5 years. Recirculating filters are also used.
Board took information in- no decision.
Quinn presented Aurora’s sewer fees and connection costs to the board. Average bill $33 per mo for 4000 gal of usage. Connection fee was $2,030, when it used to be $500-750. Kramer has the 3 easements needed on Cole lane. Board tabled giving order to proceed on construction until they consult with Aurora again. [NOTE: This project seems to be on hold for a lot longer than expected.]
There was some discussion still going on with Dillsboro and Scott Fortner about sending sewage to them. Using GRW estimates Quinn and board decided their numbers were too low. Pipe costs of $400,000 in GRW and they think $4.5 million more accurate (that’s 10 x)
Board noted there seemed to be multiple roadblocks to regionalization.
Claims-
Board voted to pay the office setup fees for the basement office.
Board voted to hold on the attorney fees submitted by Lehner since June 28th her termination date. Board noted some fees were as old as February and were showing up now.Pruss mentioned they were “broke.” $14,000 in checking account.
New phone number for sewer board is 537-1040 Ext 1255 per Hankins.
Hankins said he was asked to serve on master plan by Nark McCormack and noted Holland and Fehrman also serve. He will miss some meetings and is counting on them to keep him in the loop.
Meeting adjourned at 7:45 PM
After the meeting I asked about the Woolpert study that was to be out at this meeting. Woolpert presented it to them today and they sent it back for more work- territory lines needing to be checked etc. They want to keep this under wraps until finished. I stressed that the land use map portion of the master plan starts Sept 20 and it would be better for them to have this considered alongside that. If not the maps will be done and they may need to revise their recommendations. Considering the lack of public involvement in this study, it may be better to have the public master plan work take precedence. Whatever work is in this draft with maps etc., public money paid for it and it should be public record. In my experience public viewing and comments often make for better plans.
Christine Brauer Mueller
Lawrenceburg Township
Present:
Hankins, Chairman, Holland, Pruss, Fehrman, Dennerline, and Enzweiler.
ABSENT: John Maxwell [NOTE: DCRSD Bylaws were reset after Council did not reappoint Volmer for lack of attendance issues. Six absences in a year can result in termination of that board member]Also present: Kramer, attorney, Quinn, Engineer, and Benning- status unknown.
Also absent: Doug Baer and Bryan Messmore, administrator and liaison with Woolpert.
Pat Hanlon, former sewer board member, addressed the board regarding other options for small treatment plants to address issues in the county where lines will not be run for extended periods of time, if ever.
Hanlon referenced Coolsville OH as an example of using septic tanks as pretreatment for pressurized sewer systems instead of grinder pumps. Net savings was about $60 per month in homeowner costs. Basically the effluent from the septic tank is what was treated and tanks still had to be pumped every 3-5 years. Recirculating filters are also used.
Board took information in- no decision.
Quinn presented Aurora’s sewer fees and connection costs to the board. Average bill $33 per mo for 4000 gal of usage. Connection fee was $2,030, when it used to be $500-750. Kramer has the 3 easements needed on Cole lane. Board tabled giving order to proceed on construction until they consult with Aurora again. [NOTE: This project seems to be on hold for a lot longer than expected.]
There was some discussion still going on with Dillsboro and Scott Fortner about sending sewage to them. Using GRW estimates Quinn and board decided their numbers were too low. Pipe costs of $400,000 in GRW and they think $4.5 million more accurate (that’s 10 x)
Board noted there seemed to be multiple roadblocks to regionalization.
Claims-
Board voted to pay the office setup fees for the basement office.
Board voted to hold on the attorney fees submitted by Lehner since June 28th her termination date. Board noted some fees were as old as February and were showing up now.Pruss mentioned they were “broke.” $14,000 in checking account.
New phone number for sewer board is 537-1040 Ext 1255 per Hankins.
Hankins said he was asked to serve on master plan by Nark McCormack and noted Holland and Fehrman also serve. He will miss some meetings and is counting on them to keep him in the loop.
Meeting adjourned at 7:45 PM
After the meeting I asked about the Woolpert study that was to be out at this meeting. Woolpert presented it to them today and they sent it back for more work- territory lines needing to be checked etc. They want to keep this under wraps until finished. I stressed that the land use map portion of the master plan starts Sept 20 and it would be better for them to have this considered alongside that. If not the maps will be done and they may need to revise their recommendations. Considering the lack of public involvement in this study, it may be better to have the public master plan work take precedence. Whatever work is in this draft with maps etc., public money paid for it and it should be public record. In my experience public viewing and comments often make for better plans.
Christine Brauer Mueller
Lawrenceburg Township
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
5 September 2006 Dearborn County Commissioner Meeting Notes
5 September 2006 Dearborn County Commissioner Meeting Notes
Present: Hughes, President, Benning, and Fox
Also present: Pickens, Auditor, Ewbank, Attorney, and Messmore, Administrator.
A uniformed police officer was present.
Ralph Thompson, Republican Candidate for D-3 Commissioner was also present.
1. EMA- Bill Black- told commissioners that at the end of Sept. all NIMS training should be either completed or in process in order to be compliant. Grants besides homeland security are also dependent on this training being completed. Over $600,000 in grants are being funneled through Dearborn county as the fiscal agent for the district on Homeland security. We are getting a $450,000 mobile command unit also which will be based here. About $11,000 is left of 2005 money from a GIS grant which will be used for laptops from Dell. [NOTE: It wasn’t clear who gets the laptops and what they will be used for.]
There is also a $50,000 grant for mitigation plan to be created. Margaret Minzner will help write that.
2. Mike Mulcahey asked Todd Listerman to report on the status of Woods Edge sub’n road issue. Listerman stated that the bond in place since 11/17/2000 runs out in May 2007. If the road is not completed in Sept or a good faith effort in process, the county will exercise the bond and complete it with asphalt themselves.
3. Transportation Report- Mark Seiler reported that ROW was donated by Lighthouse Yacht Club (about .2 acres) and Riverview Cemetery (about 2 acres) for the Triple Whipple bridge project. They got the paperwork signed showing that federal guidelines were followed in acquiring the ROW. Hope to finish by Dec 2007.
Todd Listerman updated commissioners on his dept. Bridge 15- Bells Branch also to be started in Summer 2007. He is getting a 4-year cycle of bridge replacements in order for federal funds.
Striping is finished except for Sawdon Ridge, which will be done when road repair and paving is finished. Paving schedule will go to the paper and radio to help avoid traffic issues. They will be working around school bus schedule as much as possible.
All flaggers are required to have reflective safety vests or the yellow shirts.
After attending a seminar on traffic control devices, the highway dept will be on a 10 year schedule to replace all signs with prismatic reflective ones. SLOW CHILDREN AT PLAY signs will gradually be eliminated- they are no longer in the manual as they are considered to be encouraging kids to play in the street. [NOTE: Do you think we could eliminate DEER CROSSING signs too so they won’t think about running in the road?]Most signs will be symbols and not words anymore.
Salt quotes coming in for winter. About $2 more per ton than last year. ($45/ton)
Speed counters are being purchased to set the speed at the actual average being used on a road at the 85th percentile of drivers. [NOTE: Do we set speed limits by democratic methods? Or general road safety?]Listerman is also working on road inventory as some road lengths are inaccurate in the files.
4. Architura- represented by George Brunner and Patricia Romiti presented their introductory materials and asked to be considered for future projects in the county. They are from INDY and seem to specialize in fixing problems in buildings – at least from their oral presentation.
5. Old Business- The Credit Card Ordinance prepared by Ewbank was presented, read, and signed. This ordinance was to correct issues that remained from the old ordinance. [NOTE: I have seen credit card policies revised at least 4 times now.]
6. New Business- Pickens presented the Low Contract which Commissioners will vote on next meeting- this is to replace the $250,000 computer system and software in the Auditor’s office as it no longer is complaint with the reports the state requires.
Commissioners also voted to deny the heath care claim they reviewed in executive session prior to this meeting.
7. Claims and Minutes signed. One set of minutes sent back by Hughes as he didn’t think he was quoted correctly in part of it.
8. Messmore- Administrator- presented the Health Benefit Plan for signatures. Commissioners want to know why it takes 8 months after the plan is in effect to get it signed. Ewbank thinks independent insurance audit will address this when completed.
Messmore presented the Vieste and London Witte contracts for approval after “much debate.” [NOTE: There was NO PUBLIC DEBATE at any commissioners meeting on this subject.] Messmore noted that there was a representative of Vieste- Level 5 Engineering there tonight. (Dick Robertson). [NOTE: Robertson was previously with another engineering company CEA (Congdon Engineering Associates) who worked on the North Dearborn Road realignment and was pursuing federal funds for that project.]
Messmore said Council approved $30,000 for 2006 and $30,000 for 2007 of this contract and Ewbank noted that there was no funding allotted should it go to the third year.
[NOTE: Is there something that was discussed or in the contract about a 3rd year?]
Messmore noted that there is an exit clause they can use if they don’t like what Vieste proposes.
Commissioners signed the professional services agreement with Vieste, LLC and then the professional services agreement with London Witte. [NOTE: Why does this remind me of the house of cards that Enron was built on? WHY didn’t commissioners publicly set goals for this and let these discussions be out in the open? Do they really know what they are signing or are they taking someone’s word for this as being a good idea? Who is that someone?]
Messmore said the Plan Commission has reenergized the land use plan and that this Vieste work will be an asset to that work also. [NOTE: The land use maps are to be finished in March of 2007. Vieste has a 2-year contract. It seems like we are out of synch here.]
The Shumway Building was appraised at $550-560,000. Commissioners voted to purchase the building pending council approval and building inspection. If all goes as planned community corrections, prosecutor, probation dept., etc will move in there.
The 2007 OKI agreement was actually $16,198 and was budgeted at $16,032. Will have to get additionals in January of $166 for that contract.
Pickens suggested they set the holiday schedule for 2007 soon so the courts could set their dockets.
9. Nancy Weldon of CASA told commissioners of a luncheon with Sodrel Sept 11 at DCH at 11:30. Sodrel will be there when their grant is presented for Drug Free County. The topic will be methamphetamines and Prosecutor Negangard and Judge Blankenship will be presenting. Ewbank also noted teh big problem that crystal meth is creating and its highly addictive nature.
10. Ewbank noted 2 tort claims and the lawsuit by Diehl, Wolgamott, and Baylor on the zone change at 48 and 148 for Tom Kent.
11. Benning gave her usual social secretary report. They rec’d a “nice letter from the Honda people” and a work force development letter.
Meeting adjourned at 7:30 PM
Christine Brauer Mueller
Lawrenceburg Township
Present: Hughes, President, Benning, and Fox
Also present: Pickens, Auditor, Ewbank, Attorney, and Messmore, Administrator.
A uniformed police officer was present.
Ralph Thompson, Republican Candidate for D-3 Commissioner was also present.
1. EMA- Bill Black- told commissioners that at the end of Sept. all NIMS training should be either completed or in process in order to be compliant. Grants besides homeland security are also dependent on this training being completed. Over $600,000 in grants are being funneled through Dearborn county as the fiscal agent for the district on Homeland security. We are getting a $450,000 mobile command unit also which will be based here. About $11,000 is left of 2005 money from a GIS grant which will be used for laptops from Dell. [NOTE: It wasn’t clear who gets the laptops and what they will be used for.]
There is also a $50,000 grant for mitigation plan to be created. Margaret Minzner will help write that.
2. Mike Mulcahey asked Todd Listerman to report on the status of Woods Edge sub’n road issue. Listerman stated that the bond in place since 11/17/2000 runs out in May 2007. If the road is not completed in Sept or a good faith effort in process, the county will exercise the bond and complete it with asphalt themselves.
3. Transportation Report- Mark Seiler reported that ROW was donated by Lighthouse Yacht Club (about .2 acres) and Riverview Cemetery (about 2 acres) for the Triple Whipple bridge project. They got the paperwork signed showing that federal guidelines were followed in acquiring the ROW. Hope to finish by Dec 2007.
Todd Listerman updated commissioners on his dept. Bridge 15- Bells Branch also to be started in Summer 2007. He is getting a 4-year cycle of bridge replacements in order for federal funds.
Striping is finished except for Sawdon Ridge, which will be done when road repair and paving is finished. Paving schedule will go to the paper and radio to help avoid traffic issues. They will be working around school bus schedule as much as possible.
All flaggers are required to have reflective safety vests or the yellow shirts.
After attending a seminar on traffic control devices, the highway dept will be on a 10 year schedule to replace all signs with prismatic reflective ones. SLOW CHILDREN AT PLAY signs will gradually be eliminated- they are no longer in the manual as they are considered to be encouraging kids to play in the street. [NOTE: Do you think we could eliminate DEER CROSSING signs too so they won’t think about running in the road?]Most signs will be symbols and not words anymore.
Salt quotes coming in for winter. About $2 more per ton than last year. ($45/ton)
Speed counters are being purchased to set the speed at the actual average being used on a road at the 85th percentile of drivers. [NOTE: Do we set speed limits by democratic methods? Or general road safety?]Listerman is also working on road inventory as some road lengths are inaccurate in the files.
4. Architura- represented by George Brunner and Patricia Romiti presented their introductory materials and asked to be considered for future projects in the county. They are from INDY and seem to specialize in fixing problems in buildings – at least from their oral presentation.
5. Old Business- The Credit Card Ordinance prepared by Ewbank was presented, read, and signed. This ordinance was to correct issues that remained from the old ordinance. [NOTE: I have seen credit card policies revised at least 4 times now.]
6. New Business- Pickens presented the Low Contract which Commissioners will vote on next meeting- this is to replace the $250,000 computer system and software in the Auditor’s office as it no longer is complaint with the reports the state requires.
Commissioners also voted to deny the heath care claim they reviewed in executive session prior to this meeting.
7. Claims and Minutes signed. One set of minutes sent back by Hughes as he didn’t think he was quoted correctly in part of it.
8. Messmore- Administrator- presented the Health Benefit Plan for signatures. Commissioners want to know why it takes 8 months after the plan is in effect to get it signed. Ewbank thinks independent insurance audit will address this when completed.
Messmore presented the Vieste and London Witte contracts for approval after “much debate.” [NOTE: There was NO PUBLIC DEBATE at any commissioners meeting on this subject.] Messmore noted that there was a representative of Vieste- Level 5 Engineering there tonight. (Dick Robertson). [NOTE: Robertson was previously with another engineering company CEA (Congdon Engineering Associates) who worked on the North Dearborn Road realignment and was pursuing federal funds for that project.]
Messmore said Council approved $30,000 for 2006 and $30,000 for 2007 of this contract and Ewbank noted that there was no funding allotted should it go to the third year.
[NOTE: Is there something that was discussed or in the contract about a 3rd year?]
Messmore noted that there is an exit clause they can use if they don’t like what Vieste proposes.
Commissioners signed the professional services agreement with Vieste, LLC and then the professional services agreement with London Witte. [NOTE: Why does this remind me of the house of cards that Enron was built on? WHY didn’t commissioners publicly set goals for this and let these discussions be out in the open? Do they really know what they are signing or are they taking someone’s word for this as being a good idea? Who is that someone?]
Messmore said the Plan Commission has reenergized the land use plan and that this Vieste work will be an asset to that work also. [NOTE: The land use maps are to be finished in March of 2007. Vieste has a 2-year contract. It seems like we are out of synch here.]
The Shumway Building was appraised at $550-560,000. Commissioners voted to purchase the building pending council approval and building inspection. If all goes as planned community corrections, prosecutor, probation dept., etc will move in there.
The 2007 OKI agreement was actually $16,198 and was budgeted at $16,032. Will have to get additionals in January of $166 for that contract.
Pickens suggested they set the holiday schedule for 2007 soon so the courts could set their dockets.
9. Nancy Weldon of CASA told commissioners of a luncheon with Sodrel Sept 11 at DCH at 11:30. Sodrel will be there when their grant is presented for Drug Free County. The topic will be methamphetamines and Prosecutor Negangard and Judge Blankenship will be presenting. Ewbank also noted teh big problem that crystal meth is creating and its highly addictive nature.
10. Ewbank noted 2 tort claims and the lawsuit by Diehl, Wolgamott, and Baylor on the zone change at 48 and 148 for Tom Kent.
11. Benning gave her usual social secretary report. They rec’d a “nice letter from the Honda people” and a work force development letter.
Meeting adjourned at 7:30 PM
Christine Brauer Mueller
Lawrenceburg Township
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
28 August 2006 Dearborn County Plan Commission Meeting Notes
28 August 2006 Dearborn County Plan Commission Meeting Notes
Present: Mark Mitter, Chairman, Jane Ohlmansiek, Tarry Feiss, Nick Held, Mike Hall, Jeff Hughes, Robert Laws, and Dennis Kraus, Jr.
Absent: Patrick deMaynadier
Also Present: Arnie McGill, Attorney, Mark McCormack, Planning Director, and Kate Rademacher, Enforcement Officer.
1. Maxwell Development Zone Change on Mount Pleasant Remained Tabled Until September
PC Takes 2.5 Hours to Rewrite Written Commitments to Kent’s SR 1 Rezone Request
Tom Kent and Wayne Ferguson’s request to change written commitments attached to their favorable zone change request on SR1 for Perfect View was reviewed.
Kent requested they eliminate turn lanes as they are no longer required if they reduce the homes to 55. They want also to reduce the boulevard length. Traffic study was initially performed for 150 lots. The boulevard style entrance makes the product less like country homes. They also did not want to strip out that many trees from the hillside. It made it harder for them to be creative in their design. They envision the road wrapping around the pond and meandering through the woods to the top. A boulevard is 34-40 ft wide- the road is 26 ft. The extra 10-15 ft require a lot more slop to be cut away to stay at grade requirements.
Turn lanes were estimated to cost $600,000. If they exceeded 65 lots they’d need a booster station for water also.
Without threatening the PC Kent stated that they would have to come back with 150 lots should they have to do all those commitments in order to make the costs up?
Ferguson went through the 5 zone change criteria and how he thought this met them. He thought the low-density high cost homes were smart growth; they didn’t want to cut trees to be environmentally friendly and to stay in character with surroundings. Farming was no longer on this property as the old dairy was not in operation. It conserved property values, as these were not little ¼ acre lots.
Mitter asked- well what about Kent saying you’d change to 150 lots if you ad to? Ferguson disagrees with his partner on this and commented- Don’t you ever disagree with your wife? (Laughter)
Ferguson said this was responsible growth. Mitter noted the potential danger there and wants to minimize that (roadway access issues).
Public input:
Christopher Blaney- thought this property was to stay as is till 2017- he’ll have a street behind his home now and not trees.
Mike Henson- wanted to discuss exact location of entrance and runoff issues onto his property. He wanted that research first before they change zones. He asked about guardrail there and also safety issues with access to SR1.
Mr. Hornsby- concerned that emergency access to Cambridge might mean sewers etc down their road. Was told it was just EMS vehicles.
Mr. Craig- Also concerned with extra traffic and gated entrance to Cambridge.
At 8:10 Public comment ended.
Kent told PC that he had obtained the old Britton property and now has 900 ft of SR1 frontage.
His access will be better than Salt Fork and Georgetown is now. (but these are slated to be improved)
Todd Listerman- County Engineer- explained the grass covered earthen roadway to Cambridge that is stabilized to hold vehicles but doesn’t invite traffic, as it doesn’t look like a road. Mowed 3 times a year by hwy. He does NOT want Cambridge used until Georgetown and Cambridge are upgraded.
There are L and R turn lanes exiting the sub’n.
Feiss asked about busses. She noted people have been killed in that area.
Listerman noted that Salt Fork Bridge would be 4 lanes and have L turn for Salt Fork. He also said boulevard is NOT required if they have emergency access to Cambridge.
A Right turn apron is OK at the entrance. The entrance of sub’n is 900 ft from Salt Fork. The 4 lanes of SR1 will be 1800 ft North of Salt Fork and 600 ft south.
The entire board seemed hung up on the L turn lane and safety issues there. A couple members noted that we are back to negotiating with developers. It was clear that L turn was not negotiable. The question was how to do it effectively with planned improvements at Salt Fork and terrain. Mitter also noted that it’s not just a matter of trips on SR1 – but also the trucks, terrain, busses, and speed issues.
It took 30 more minutes to get a motion from the PC.
Mitter stated: “We know our area better than INDOT does. They brought us US 50!”
Feiss said the state doesn’t know how many people use SR 1 from Dec 1 thru March for ski season. Those people don’t know about our left turns- they can’t walk and chew gum at the same time.
They talked about extending the 8 ft berm like is done at Nowlin Road for traffic to pass by the L turners. [NOTE: At Nowlin traffic is going slower as they have just come over the bridge or stopped at the stop sign. In this case the traffic will be zipping by as they are on the straight section and it will be even straighter after INDOT fixes it by the Salt Fork bridge area. Will 8 ft wide be enough? Should there be signage there to warn people? Should INDOT participate in this design as it comes so close to their work already?]
Laws- wanted to leave the interior road design to county engineer but have 8 ft paved shoulder on SR 1 for a modified turn lane of sorts.
Laws motioned for written commitments to be changed to: density to be at 55 homes maximum, stabilized road bed for emergency access only at Cambridge, continue 8 ft paved shoulder beyond Salt Fork to the entrance, no excavation on 20% or greater slopes, and allow county engineer to monitor road entrance design. Hughes 2nd. Passed with 5 Ayes – Ohlmansiek, Hughes, Hall, Laws, and Kraus, Jr. 2 Nays were Feiss and Held. Mitter didn’t vote.
ADMINISTRATIVE:
McCormack went over written commitments and changes in the signature sections to reflect that the owner had no other adjoining property currently being rezoned. (To avoid tricks being played with the ordinance)
Article 5 section 530 withdrawal procedures were changed so that if they withdraw prior to public notice it’s a minimal cost, if afterwards it’s at full cost. In either case they can still reapply.
They can also withdraw up to the meeting time itself.
It was noted that the opponents will be OK with this- they get what they wanted- a withdraw.
PC was discussing only letting reapplications be submitted 6 month after withdrawal date (in writing) instead of the 90 days currently.
This will stay at 90 days. It was felt that with reapplication at 90 days – it still won’t be heard for another month or 2 dues to tech review etc. [NOTE: It seemed onerous to “punish” the developer for changing his mind, so I spoke up in favor of keeping the 90 days at this point. If we make it too difficult and costly, we may end up with less creativity in design. Sometimes it’s through tech review and neighbor discussions that an idea emerges that should be considered. Change should be encouraged in those cases rather than making it cost excessive time and thus more money.
On the other hand- the developer needs to think things through harder in some cases and not depend on the PC to negotiate very angle of the development issues with him at the hearing.]
Checklist items will be clarified for developments and certificates were fine tuned and combined in some cases.
Property parcel map numbers will be used instead of parent parcel tax numbers.
Zone map changes on conditional uses will be sent back to be revised to allow BZA to still hear the conditional use AFTER the zone change is granted. [NOTE: If the developer is worried about this they could request that the zone change be conditional on the multifamily or other conditional request being granted.]
Land Use Map timeline will be the longer one to finish in March 2007.
Irwin Diehl and Linda Mitchell requested to be on the advisory board.
School Board meets with PC Sept 6 at 6:30 PM at Tate Street Adult Center
Land Use Initial meeting for advisory board is Sept 20- Wed.- at 7 PM- probably at Adult Center at Tate Street.
Nick Held has a video presentation of fiscal impacts of development that will be Sept 14th at the Ext. Office.
Oct 16th Monday- Public Meeting with OKI, Advisory Board, and PC etc on a 45-minute presentation of the effective elements of a comp plan. Questions and answers to follow- allow 1.5 hours.
Mitter announced that in Dec. GIS would have its own office and assistant. Council funded an assistant planner to share with St. Leon and Harrison also. $50K was funded for fiscal impact model of the county.
Stonebrook Estates wants extension of primary plat (old Gabbard estate lands that Fehrman Realty is handling on US 50 between aurora and Dillsboro) Sewer issues exist- need to know when Aurora can add them to their fixed system (when will it be finished?)
West Harrison approved their updated zone map- they are no longer zoned all business.
Meeting adjourned 11:10 PM
Christine Brauer Mueller
Lawrenceburg Township
Present: Mark Mitter, Chairman, Jane Ohlmansiek, Tarry Feiss, Nick Held, Mike Hall, Jeff Hughes, Robert Laws, and Dennis Kraus, Jr.
Absent: Patrick deMaynadier
Also Present: Arnie McGill, Attorney, Mark McCormack, Planning Director, and Kate Rademacher, Enforcement Officer.
1. Maxwell Development Zone Change on Mount Pleasant Remained Tabled Until September
PC Takes 2.5 Hours to Rewrite Written Commitments to Kent’s SR 1 Rezone Request
Tom Kent and Wayne Ferguson’s request to change written commitments attached to their favorable zone change request on SR1 for Perfect View was reviewed.
Kent requested they eliminate turn lanes as they are no longer required if they reduce the homes to 55. They want also to reduce the boulevard length. Traffic study was initially performed for 150 lots. The boulevard style entrance makes the product less like country homes. They also did not want to strip out that many trees from the hillside. It made it harder for them to be creative in their design. They envision the road wrapping around the pond and meandering through the woods to the top. A boulevard is 34-40 ft wide- the road is 26 ft. The extra 10-15 ft require a lot more slop to be cut away to stay at grade requirements.
Turn lanes were estimated to cost $600,000. If they exceeded 65 lots they’d need a booster station for water also.
Without threatening the PC Kent stated that they would have to come back with 150 lots should they have to do all those commitments in order to make the costs up?
Ferguson went through the 5 zone change criteria and how he thought this met them. He thought the low-density high cost homes were smart growth; they didn’t want to cut trees to be environmentally friendly and to stay in character with surroundings. Farming was no longer on this property as the old dairy was not in operation. It conserved property values, as these were not little ¼ acre lots.
Mitter asked- well what about Kent saying you’d change to 150 lots if you ad to? Ferguson disagrees with his partner on this and commented- Don’t you ever disagree with your wife? (Laughter)
Ferguson said this was responsible growth. Mitter noted the potential danger there and wants to minimize that (roadway access issues).
Public input:
Christopher Blaney- thought this property was to stay as is till 2017- he’ll have a street behind his home now and not trees.
Mike Henson- wanted to discuss exact location of entrance and runoff issues onto his property. He wanted that research first before they change zones. He asked about guardrail there and also safety issues with access to SR1.
Mr. Hornsby- concerned that emergency access to Cambridge might mean sewers etc down their road. Was told it was just EMS vehicles.
Mr. Craig- Also concerned with extra traffic and gated entrance to Cambridge.
At 8:10 Public comment ended.
Kent told PC that he had obtained the old Britton property and now has 900 ft of SR1 frontage.
His access will be better than Salt Fork and Georgetown is now. (but these are slated to be improved)
Todd Listerman- County Engineer- explained the grass covered earthen roadway to Cambridge that is stabilized to hold vehicles but doesn’t invite traffic, as it doesn’t look like a road. Mowed 3 times a year by hwy. He does NOT want Cambridge used until Georgetown and Cambridge are upgraded.
There are L and R turn lanes exiting the sub’n.
Feiss asked about busses. She noted people have been killed in that area.
Listerman noted that Salt Fork Bridge would be 4 lanes and have L turn for Salt Fork. He also said boulevard is NOT required if they have emergency access to Cambridge.
A Right turn apron is OK at the entrance. The entrance of sub’n is 900 ft from Salt Fork. The 4 lanes of SR1 will be 1800 ft North of Salt Fork and 600 ft south.
The entire board seemed hung up on the L turn lane and safety issues there. A couple members noted that we are back to negotiating with developers. It was clear that L turn was not negotiable. The question was how to do it effectively with planned improvements at Salt Fork and terrain. Mitter also noted that it’s not just a matter of trips on SR1 – but also the trucks, terrain, busses, and speed issues.
It took 30 more minutes to get a motion from the PC.
Mitter stated: “We know our area better than INDOT does. They brought us US 50!”
Feiss said the state doesn’t know how many people use SR 1 from Dec 1 thru March for ski season. Those people don’t know about our left turns- they can’t walk and chew gum at the same time.
They talked about extending the 8 ft berm like is done at Nowlin Road for traffic to pass by the L turners. [NOTE: At Nowlin traffic is going slower as they have just come over the bridge or stopped at the stop sign. In this case the traffic will be zipping by as they are on the straight section and it will be even straighter after INDOT fixes it by the Salt Fork bridge area. Will 8 ft wide be enough? Should there be signage there to warn people? Should INDOT participate in this design as it comes so close to their work already?]
Laws- wanted to leave the interior road design to county engineer but have 8 ft paved shoulder on SR 1 for a modified turn lane of sorts.
Laws motioned for written commitments to be changed to: density to be at 55 homes maximum, stabilized road bed for emergency access only at Cambridge, continue 8 ft paved shoulder beyond Salt Fork to the entrance, no excavation on 20% or greater slopes, and allow county engineer to monitor road entrance design. Hughes 2nd. Passed with 5 Ayes – Ohlmansiek, Hughes, Hall, Laws, and Kraus, Jr. 2 Nays were Feiss and Held. Mitter didn’t vote.
ADMINISTRATIVE:
McCormack went over written commitments and changes in the signature sections to reflect that the owner had no other adjoining property currently being rezoned. (To avoid tricks being played with the ordinance)
Article 5 section 530 withdrawal procedures were changed so that if they withdraw prior to public notice it’s a minimal cost, if afterwards it’s at full cost. In either case they can still reapply.
They can also withdraw up to the meeting time itself.
It was noted that the opponents will be OK with this- they get what they wanted- a withdraw.
PC was discussing only letting reapplications be submitted 6 month after withdrawal date (in writing) instead of the 90 days currently.
This will stay at 90 days. It was felt that with reapplication at 90 days – it still won’t be heard for another month or 2 dues to tech review etc. [NOTE: It seemed onerous to “punish” the developer for changing his mind, so I spoke up in favor of keeping the 90 days at this point. If we make it too difficult and costly, we may end up with less creativity in design. Sometimes it’s through tech review and neighbor discussions that an idea emerges that should be considered. Change should be encouraged in those cases rather than making it cost excessive time and thus more money.
On the other hand- the developer needs to think things through harder in some cases and not depend on the PC to negotiate very angle of the development issues with him at the hearing.]
Checklist items will be clarified for developments and certificates were fine tuned and combined in some cases.
Property parcel map numbers will be used instead of parent parcel tax numbers.
Zone map changes on conditional uses will be sent back to be revised to allow BZA to still hear the conditional use AFTER the zone change is granted. [NOTE: If the developer is worried about this they could request that the zone change be conditional on the multifamily or other conditional request being granted.]
Land Use Map timeline will be the longer one to finish in March 2007.
Irwin Diehl and Linda Mitchell requested to be on the advisory board.
School Board meets with PC Sept 6 at 6:30 PM at Tate Street Adult Center
Land Use Initial meeting for advisory board is Sept 20- Wed.- at 7 PM- probably at Adult Center at Tate Street.
Nick Held has a video presentation of fiscal impacts of development that will be Sept 14th at the Ext. Office.
Oct 16th Monday- Public Meeting with OKI, Advisory Board, and PC etc on a 45-minute presentation of the effective elements of a comp plan. Questions and answers to follow- allow 1.5 hours.
Mitter announced that in Dec. GIS would have its own office and assistant. Council funded an assistant planner to share with St. Leon and Harrison also. $50K was funded for fiscal impact model of the county.
Stonebrook Estates wants extension of primary plat (old Gabbard estate lands that Fehrman Realty is handling on US 50 between aurora and Dillsboro) Sewer issues exist- need to know when Aurora can add them to their fixed system (when will it be finished?)
West Harrison approved their updated zone map- they are no longer zoned all business.
Meeting adjourned 11:10 PM
Christine Brauer Mueller
Lawrenceburg Township
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Riding to Riches on the Backs of the Taxpayers
Riding to Riches on the Backs of the Taxpayers
submitted by Alan S. Freemond, Sr.
Jackson Township
After reading Mrs. Kremer’s review of the St. Leon Redevelopment Commission meeting of August 09, 2006 it is obvious that the secret meeting between the DCEDI representative and ONE member of the St. Leon Town Council is beginning to bear fruit, and perhaps will be seen in years to come as a bitter fruit.
The movers and shakers of Dearborn County have formed a semisecret organization called the Dearborn County Economic Development Initiative. They have hired a man who has no roots in the County, no children in the school system, pays no property taxes to the county but has a paying job to teach the politicians how to get the taxpayers to underwrite his patrons’ desires to ride to greater riches on the backs of the taxpayers of the County.
These schemes are well know through out the country. Books have been written on the subject. There have been some colossal financial disasters for taxpayers resulting from these schemes.
Seemingly it would be important for the Town Council of St. Leon as well as the County Commissioners of Dearborn County to be in contact with the Indiana Policy Review. This is a financially conservative think tank. It is based in Fort Wayne; it has an office in Indianapolis. The organization is funded by subscriptions and funded by a financially conservative Indiana family of impeccable ethical and financial credentials. The organization publishes a quarterly review of financial doings in Indiana. The review can be slower and more complicated reading than the funny paper or the sports page. One hopes that our elected officials would stick it out and finish each edition. The Review frequently discusses various schemes thought up by groups such as the DCEDI.
One would think that our officials would be subscribers to this publication in order to protect their constituents. Had the Town Council of St. Leon been in contact with this organization perhaps they would not have been put on the back of the tiger from which they cannot dismount, namely the cruel Ordinance mandating court enforced connections to their sewer system. They might even be able to be suspicious of the DCEDI’s seductive songs.
THE DCEDI representative, who met with our Mr. Andy Bischoff, knows how to play inside the rules. The only legal way to have a secret meeting to make plans with elected officials is to meet with only one, and of course with the official’s crutch, the attorney. This he did. There is nothing to prevent the elected official to then begin a series of individual phone calls or meeting with the other elected officials. Thus a plan can be formulated in detail and then suddenly sprung upon the public, the folks who are going to pay the bills.
It is now the plan to designate TIFDs, Tax Initiated Financing Districts in St. Leon and it’s surrounding areas. TIFDs are areas in which country taxes are frozen as of the time of such designation. Bonds are usually sold to finance the TIFD projects. These bonds are guaranteed not by the DCEDI, which considers itself to be the embodiment of two-fisted red-blooded America entrepreneurs. No, they are guaranteed by the taxpayers (median income of $43,000 per year) of the county and town. This is shameful- it is actually cowardly. In common rather coarse, street jargon it would be: ”These guys won’t put their money where they mouths are.”
An example of how the taxpayers become involved would be that a project in a TIFD failed to be able to pay the interest due to those who bought the bonds that financed a project in a TIFD. This is not some far off hypothesis. It happens.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was stuck for 70 million dollars worth of bonds because of a TIFD failure on the part of a very blue chip national corporation.
These bonds are guaranteed by the county, city, or town that issued the bonds. The payments to the bondholders would fall to the issuer’s taxpayers. The revenues of the county, city, or town that issued the bonds are taxes. These taxes are by the elected officials signatures mandated to pay the bondholders their guaranteed interest.
If these “entrepreneurs” really believed in their projects they’d use their own money to fund the projects it total. They wouldn’t, in a slack wristed manner, rely on the poor people of the county to support their dreams, and carry the risk of the entrepreneurs’ failures.
Whatever increased tax payments result from one of these schemes - that money beyond the original tax - will be used for future development of more projects and to help pay off the bonds that are issued to support the financing of the intended projects. There is no increase in the amount of money going to the fire department, the police department, or the schools. Yet it is the hope of the project enthusiasts that there will be a population increase of the area.
Obviously more fire protection and police protection will be needed. Of course the schools will need increased funding to educate more children who will fill the housing developments that are planned. However, no money more than the original tax money before the projects were started will go to these three vital services. The redevelopment commission spoke about funding vague “services”. However they will not put in writing and sign the writing to increase the funding of the fire and police departments and the schools in a manner that exactly reflects the increased tax take. Essentially it is as if there were not tax increases even if the assessed value of the projects in the TIFDs is increased.
Parallel to this outrage is the consequences of people whose property is, against their will, included in the TIFD, and those whose property is in close proximity to a TIFD. If the project goes well their properties will be considered more valuable, assessed at a higher amount, and they will have to pay more county taxes. Those within the TIFD, against their wishes, will be paying more taxes to increase these outrages. If such property owners can’t afford the increased taxes on their property they will have to sell or submit to the frightening awful humility of a sheriff’s sale. Who does one think will come along and buy that property for pennies on the dollar, and perhaps include it in a TIFD if it is not already in one? Of course it would be a developer and/or one of our entrepreneurs. This is a known method of driving people off their land for further commercial development.
This all has the odor of the uncontrolled sewer gas that is emanating from a lift station of the St. Leon Sewer system, the system about which we must speak at another time.
Alan S. Freemond, Sr.
Jackson Township
submitted by Alan S. Freemond, Sr.
Jackson Township
After reading Mrs. Kremer’s review of the St. Leon Redevelopment Commission meeting of August 09, 2006 it is obvious that the secret meeting between the DCEDI representative and ONE member of the St. Leon Town Council is beginning to bear fruit, and perhaps will be seen in years to come as a bitter fruit.
The movers and shakers of Dearborn County have formed a semisecret organization called the Dearborn County Economic Development Initiative. They have hired a man who has no roots in the County, no children in the school system, pays no property taxes to the county but has a paying job to teach the politicians how to get the taxpayers to underwrite his patrons’ desires to ride to greater riches on the backs of the taxpayers of the County.
These schemes are well know through out the country. Books have been written on the subject. There have been some colossal financial disasters for taxpayers resulting from these schemes.
Seemingly it would be important for the Town Council of St. Leon as well as the County Commissioners of Dearborn County to be in contact with the Indiana Policy Review. This is a financially conservative think tank. It is based in Fort Wayne; it has an office in Indianapolis. The organization is funded by subscriptions and funded by a financially conservative Indiana family of impeccable ethical and financial credentials. The organization publishes a quarterly review of financial doings in Indiana. The review can be slower and more complicated reading than the funny paper or the sports page. One hopes that our elected officials would stick it out and finish each edition. The Review frequently discusses various schemes thought up by groups such as the DCEDI.
One would think that our officials would be subscribers to this publication in order to protect their constituents. Had the Town Council of St. Leon been in contact with this organization perhaps they would not have been put on the back of the tiger from which they cannot dismount, namely the cruel Ordinance mandating court enforced connections to their sewer system. They might even be able to be suspicious of the DCEDI’s seductive songs.
THE DCEDI representative, who met with our Mr. Andy Bischoff, knows how to play inside the rules. The only legal way to have a secret meeting to make plans with elected officials is to meet with only one, and of course with the official’s crutch, the attorney. This he did. There is nothing to prevent the elected official to then begin a series of individual phone calls or meeting with the other elected officials. Thus a plan can be formulated in detail and then suddenly sprung upon the public, the folks who are going to pay the bills.
It is now the plan to designate TIFDs, Tax Initiated Financing Districts in St. Leon and it’s surrounding areas. TIFDs are areas in which country taxes are frozen as of the time of such designation. Bonds are usually sold to finance the TIFD projects. These bonds are guaranteed not by the DCEDI, which considers itself to be the embodiment of two-fisted red-blooded America entrepreneurs. No, they are guaranteed by the taxpayers (median income of $43,000 per year) of the county and town. This is shameful- it is actually cowardly. In common rather coarse, street jargon it would be: ”These guys won’t put their money where they mouths are.”
An example of how the taxpayers become involved would be that a project in a TIFD failed to be able to pay the interest due to those who bought the bonds that financed a project in a TIFD. This is not some far off hypothesis. It happens.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was stuck for 70 million dollars worth of bonds because of a TIFD failure on the part of a very blue chip national corporation.
These bonds are guaranteed by the county, city, or town that issued the bonds. The payments to the bondholders would fall to the issuer’s taxpayers. The revenues of the county, city, or town that issued the bonds are taxes. These taxes are by the elected officials signatures mandated to pay the bondholders their guaranteed interest.
If these “entrepreneurs” really believed in their projects they’d use their own money to fund the projects it total. They wouldn’t, in a slack wristed manner, rely on the poor people of the county to support their dreams, and carry the risk of the entrepreneurs’ failures.
Whatever increased tax payments result from one of these schemes - that money beyond the original tax - will be used for future development of more projects and to help pay off the bonds that are issued to support the financing of the intended projects. There is no increase in the amount of money going to the fire department, the police department, or the schools. Yet it is the hope of the project enthusiasts that there will be a population increase of the area.
Obviously more fire protection and police protection will be needed. Of course the schools will need increased funding to educate more children who will fill the housing developments that are planned. However, no money more than the original tax money before the projects were started will go to these three vital services. The redevelopment commission spoke about funding vague “services”. However they will not put in writing and sign the writing to increase the funding of the fire and police departments and the schools in a manner that exactly reflects the increased tax take. Essentially it is as if there were not tax increases even if the assessed value of the projects in the TIFDs is increased.
Parallel to this outrage is the consequences of people whose property is, against their will, included in the TIFD, and those whose property is in close proximity to a TIFD. If the project goes well their properties will be considered more valuable, assessed at a higher amount, and they will have to pay more county taxes. Those within the TIFD, against their wishes, will be paying more taxes to increase these outrages. If such property owners can’t afford the increased taxes on their property they will have to sell or submit to the frightening awful humility of a sheriff’s sale. Who does one think will come along and buy that property for pennies on the dollar, and perhaps include it in a TIFD if it is not already in one? Of course it would be a developer and/or one of our entrepreneurs. This is a known method of driving people off their land for further commercial development.
This all has the odor of the uncontrolled sewer gas that is emanating from a lift station of the St. Leon Sewer system, the system about which we must speak at another time.
Alan S. Freemond, Sr.
Jackson Township
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
What I Learned at County Council Budget Hearings on August 21-22, 2006
What I Learned at County Council Budget Hearings on August 21-22, 2006
This is a partial listing of what transpired at Council Hearings this week.
1. All gas usage in the county goes through the Sheriff’s budget. It is then billed back to the individual departments. [NOTE: I thought all reimbursements went back into county general fund. How does the Sheriff’s dept. get this money back then?]
2. It will take $415,000 to replace all the keypad entries in the jail. The current ones are obsolete.
3. Phil Van Natta is retiring in 2007. He stated they have made tremendous strides in the dept. and now it is a professional sheriff’s dept.
4. The jail serves between 600-700 meals a day at a cost of about $350,000 per year for the food.
5. Comparato and Branaman of Vieste gave a presentation concerning their part of a partnership financial and planning package for various projects including the I-74 corridor and St. Leon area. Their presentation was vague with respect to exactly what services they will be providing for their $65,000. Phase 1 would be completed in 90 days. They also stated they will be matching the $65,000 with $65,000 of their own work. This work is apparently the part that DCEDI has already purchased from them. [NOTE: Messmore, County Adm. Followed this up the next day stating it would be $30,000 for 2006 and $30,000 for 2007. He has a contract agreement that Ewbank has gone over. So maybe it’s $60,000.]
Cary Pickens noted that at a dinner in Nov 2005 these people were planning on doing all this for free and would make their money on the investments they bring in. They had just bought out Cogden Engineering (sp?) and Dick Robertson (of the North Dearborn Road projects) was also there. He said he hadn’t heard anything more since Joe Pesch (sp?) up north called with a plan to dedicate COIT money to this project. [NOTE: This is not bringing in financing- this is just moving our own tax dollars around.]
Camparato stated that they were here not just because of Honda but also because of what is here. He went on to tell about the US 31 Corridor in Carmel - having an $80 mil arts center and a world leader in roundabouts. They created an overlay zoning set up 600 ft on either side of the ROW of US 31 for a 5 ½ mile stretch from 465 to 146th street. He talked about service roads and 5-acre minimums with 15,000 sq ft minimum businesses. He said they didn’t want the big boxes [NOTE: It was unclear how they kept that out of the plan.]
For those of you wondering who these people are, some info is below:
According to the Vieste, LLC company’s website there are two principals. Their website profiles are:
Michael A. Comparato, Sr., President and CEO has extensive experience in corporate mergers, acquisitions and asset management and has planned, financed, developed and managed over $500 million of real estate nationally. He has successfully engineered financial transactions in both for-profit and non-profit communities, utilizing a variety of debt/equity vehicles including closed-end investment funds, real estate investment trusts, equity syndications, tax-exempt bond issues, pension funds and institutional lending sources. Mr. Comparato has served public and private sector clients as owner's representative/program manager on several major projects. The aggregate value of these capital projects exceeds $300 million.
As Senior Vice President, Mark H. Branaman heads up the Technical Services Group for VIESTE, LLC. His responsibilities include working with the Managing Principals of each of the Technical Services Group operating companies to ensure operations occur to meet the needs of VIESTE'S clients, the Management Services Group of VIESTE, the Portfolio Holdings Group of VIESTE, and the investors of VIESTE. Mr. Branaman is responsible for helping VIESTE grow through both organic growth and mergers and acquisitions.
Endangered Species Chocolate Co and The Indianapolis Museum of Art are the company’s 2 projects since formed a little over a year ago.
London Witte’s website states: London Witte Group, LLC (LWG) is a certified public accounting firm that employs professional and support personnel in Indianapolis, Indiana. The firm provides an array of accounting and consulting services to a wide variety of public, private, and governmental clients. Jim Higgins has been a contact here. His profile states:
Jim Higgins, a firm partner, joined London Witte Group in June 1997. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from Ball State University and has over twenty (20) years of experience in working with Indiana communities on financial issues. He currently is overseeing the governmental services segment of the practice. This segment provides financial advisory services to political subdivisions throughout the State of Indiana including school corporations, libraries, cities, towns, municipal and not-for-profit utilities, and other special taxing authorities. These services include, but are not limited to, bond and note financings, cash flow and escrow verifications, budget preparation and analysis, revenue requirement studies, property tax impact analysis, bond proceeds investment management, continuing disclosure services and representation before legislative, regulatory and other governing bodies.
Jim's governmental experience is extensive and includes previous employment with both the Indiana Bond Bank and the Indiana State Board of Accounts. He has worked with over 400 political subdivisions and taxing authorities in addressing their financing, budgetary and accounting needs including assisting with the issuance of over $3 billion of bonds and notes. He has prepared and made presentations to local officials and their organizations, community groups, financing professionals, investors, legislators and rating agencies regarding programs offered by the Bond Bank and municipal finance in general.
Jim is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Indiana CPA Society. Additionally, Jim is affiliated with the following organizations:
Indiana Association of County Commissioners
Association of Indiana Counties
Indiana Association of Cities and Towns
Indiana League of Municipal Clerks and Treasurers
Indiana School Board Association
Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents
Indiana Association of School Business Officials
Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada
Indiana Government Finance Officers Association
It should be noted that Council might fund this with the stipulation that they can stop it if they don’t like what they see- though there is apparently a 90-day notice, which pretty much means they’ve paid for all of Phase 1 at least.
[NOTE: It should also be noted that there is duplication of some of the services these people are providing. Woolpert’s sewer study and the Comp Plan for example already have some of this info. If they fail to coordinate this with Planning and Zoning and if they continue to operate behind closed doors the chances of PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT are slim. This entire process needs to open up more.]
6. GIS is alive and well in the county. They are starting to outgrow their single person and may need a part or full time helper in the office. So far they are utilizing interns. It was apparent from later discussions that housing GIS in an office with someone who is savvy to the technology is a good idea. It may also be smarter to share personnel with that office so Minzner can be relieved of clerical tasks and concentrate on the tech and coordination of offices.
7. The treasurer’s office and auditor’ s office have not balanced their books since 2003- at least their books don’t match like they should. This is supposedly due to reassessment.
8. The auditor’s software will not generate the reports that the state wants and he will have to ditch his AS400 system and buy a $300,000 one form Lows, one of 3 entities that can do the required work. It is supposedly compatible with Mannitron in the Assessors office. It’s unclear why the state can’t come up with a few vendors that can do it all for all 3 offices. Lansing noted it would take a CPA to fix this mess. Pickens plans to exercise the performance bond on New World for failure to keep the system updated. That will gain $80,000. They still will need an additional $220,000. [NOTE: This old system was fought over at length in the last administration. Pickens said he hated like hell to be back with this news.]
9. The treasurer wants training dollars because some of her staff doesn’t even know Excel yet.
10. Tax payments may go to a lockbox and they are thinking of getting credit card paying ability also.
11. The recorder’s budget is the same as last years.
12. Veteran’s office noted we have a 30% increase in Vets in this county.
13. Planning and Zoning wants full time ass’t planner to be shared with St. Leon and West Harrison picking up the tab for $15,000 of the cost.
14. Planning and Zoning requested $50,000 to seek a fiscal impact study to compare commercial industrial and residential impacts on the county services. The plan commission can base decisions on this data, thus improving the objectivity of decisions. McCormack stated the purpose is not to spend all the money, but to get the project we want.
15. The Council will finish up hearings on Wednesday with Riverboat revenue discussions in the morning starting at 9 AM.
Christine Brauer Mueller
Lawrenceburg Township
This is a partial listing of what transpired at Council Hearings this week.
1. All gas usage in the county goes through the Sheriff’s budget. It is then billed back to the individual departments. [NOTE: I thought all reimbursements went back into county general fund. How does the Sheriff’s dept. get this money back then?]
2. It will take $415,000 to replace all the keypad entries in the jail. The current ones are obsolete.
3. Phil Van Natta is retiring in 2007. He stated they have made tremendous strides in the dept. and now it is a professional sheriff’s dept.
4. The jail serves between 600-700 meals a day at a cost of about $350,000 per year for the food.
5. Comparato and Branaman of Vieste gave a presentation concerning their part of a partnership financial and planning package for various projects including the I-74 corridor and St. Leon area. Their presentation was vague with respect to exactly what services they will be providing for their $65,000. Phase 1 would be completed in 90 days. They also stated they will be matching the $65,000 with $65,000 of their own work. This work is apparently the part that DCEDI has already purchased from them. [NOTE: Messmore, County Adm. Followed this up the next day stating it would be $30,000 for 2006 and $30,000 for 2007. He has a contract agreement that Ewbank has gone over. So maybe it’s $60,000.]
Cary Pickens noted that at a dinner in Nov 2005 these people were planning on doing all this for free and would make their money on the investments they bring in. They had just bought out Cogden Engineering (sp?) and Dick Robertson (of the North Dearborn Road projects) was also there. He said he hadn’t heard anything more since Joe Pesch (sp?) up north called with a plan to dedicate COIT money to this project. [NOTE: This is not bringing in financing- this is just moving our own tax dollars around.]
Camparato stated that they were here not just because of Honda but also because of what is here. He went on to tell about the US 31 Corridor in Carmel - having an $80 mil arts center and a world leader in roundabouts. They created an overlay zoning set up 600 ft on either side of the ROW of US 31 for a 5 ½ mile stretch from 465 to 146th street. He talked about service roads and 5-acre minimums with 15,000 sq ft minimum businesses. He said they didn’t want the big boxes [NOTE: It was unclear how they kept that out of the plan.]
For those of you wondering who these people are, some info is below:
According to the Vieste, LLC company’s website there are two principals. Their website profiles are:
Michael A. Comparato, Sr., President and CEO has extensive experience in corporate mergers, acquisitions and asset management and has planned, financed, developed and managed over $500 million of real estate nationally. He has successfully engineered financial transactions in both for-profit and non-profit communities, utilizing a variety of debt/equity vehicles including closed-end investment funds, real estate investment trusts, equity syndications, tax-exempt bond issues, pension funds and institutional lending sources. Mr. Comparato has served public and private sector clients as owner's representative/program manager on several major projects. The aggregate value of these capital projects exceeds $300 million.
As Senior Vice President, Mark H. Branaman heads up the Technical Services Group for VIESTE, LLC. His responsibilities include working with the Managing Principals of each of the Technical Services Group operating companies to ensure operations occur to meet the needs of VIESTE'S clients, the Management Services Group of VIESTE, the Portfolio Holdings Group of VIESTE, and the investors of VIESTE. Mr. Branaman is responsible for helping VIESTE grow through both organic growth and mergers and acquisitions.
Endangered Species Chocolate Co and The Indianapolis Museum of Art are the company’s 2 projects since formed a little over a year ago.
London Witte’s website states: London Witte Group, LLC (LWG) is a certified public accounting firm that employs professional and support personnel in Indianapolis, Indiana. The firm provides an array of accounting and consulting services to a wide variety of public, private, and governmental clients. Jim Higgins has been a contact here. His profile states:
Jim Higgins, a firm partner, joined London Witte Group in June 1997. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from Ball State University and has over twenty (20) years of experience in working with Indiana communities on financial issues. He currently is overseeing the governmental services segment of the practice. This segment provides financial advisory services to political subdivisions throughout the State of Indiana including school corporations, libraries, cities, towns, municipal and not-for-profit utilities, and other special taxing authorities. These services include, but are not limited to, bond and note financings, cash flow and escrow verifications, budget preparation and analysis, revenue requirement studies, property tax impact analysis, bond proceeds investment management, continuing disclosure services and representation before legislative, regulatory and other governing bodies.
Jim's governmental experience is extensive and includes previous employment with both the Indiana Bond Bank and the Indiana State Board of Accounts. He has worked with over 400 political subdivisions and taxing authorities in addressing their financing, budgetary and accounting needs including assisting with the issuance of over $3 billion of bonds and notes. He has prepared and made presentations to local officials and their organizations, community groups, financing professionals, investors, legislators and rating agencies regarding programs offered by the Bond Bank and municipal finance in general.
Jim is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Indiana CPA Society. Additionally, Jim is affiliated with the following organizations:
Indiana Association of County Commissioners
Association of Indiana Counties
Indiana Association of Cities and Towns
Indiana League of Municipal Clerks and Treasurers
Indiana School Board Association
Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents
Indiana Association of School Business Officials
Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada
Indiana Government Finance Officers Association
It should be noted that Council might fund this with the stipulation that they can stop it if they don’t like what they see- though there is apparently a 90-day notice, which pretty much means they’ve paid for all of Phase 1 at least.
[NOTE: It should also be noted that there is duplication of some of the services these people are providing. Woolpert’s sewer study and the Comp Plan for example already have some of this info. If they fail to coordinate this with Planning and Zoning and if they continue to operate behind closed doors the chances of PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT are slim. This entire process needs to open up more.]
6. GIS is alive and well in the county. They are starting to outgrow their single person and may need a part or full time helper in the office. So far they are utilizing interns. It was apparent from later discussions that housing GIS in an office with someone who is savvy to the technology is a good idea. It may also be smarter to share personnel with that office so Minzner can be relieved of clerical tasks and concentrate on the tech and coordination of offices.
7. The treasurer’s office and auditor’ s office have not balanced their books since 2003- at least their books don’t match like they should. This is supposedly due to reassessment.
8. The auditor’s software will not generate the reports that the state wants and he will have to ditch his AS400 system and buy a $300,000 one form Lows, one of 3 entities that can do the required work. It is supposedly compatible with Mannitron in the Assessors office. It’s unclear why the state can’t come up with a few vendors that can do it all for all 3 offices. Lansing noted it would take a CPA to fix this mess. Pickens plans to exercise the performance bond on New World for failure to keep the system updated. That will gain $80,000. They still will need an additional $220,000. [NOTE: This old system was fought over at length in the last administration. Pickens said he hated like hell to be back with this news.]
9. The treasurer wants training dollars because some of her staff doesn’t even know Excel yet.
10. Tax payments may go to a lockbox and they are thinking of getting credit card paying ability also.
11. The recorder’s budget is the same as last years.
12. Veteran’s office noted we have a 30% increase in Vets in this county.
13. Planning and Zoning wants full time ass’t planner to be shared with St. Leon and West Harrison picking up the tab for $15,000 of the cost.
14. Planning and Zoning requested $50,000 to seek a fiscal impact study to compare commercial industrial and residential impacts on the county services. The plan commission can base decisions on this data, thus improving the objectivity of decisions. McCormack stated the purpose is not to spend all the money, but to get the project we want.
15. The Council will finish up hearings on Wednesday with Riverboat revenue discussions in the morning starting at 9 AM.
Christine Brauer Mueller
Lawrenceburg Township
Saturday, August 19, 2006
The St. Leon Redevelopment Commission Meeting, August 16, 2006
The St. Leon Redevelopment Commission Meeting, August 16, 2006, 6:30 p.m.,
Members attending: Cliff Bischoff, Terry Boedekker, Vernon Hensley, and John Watson, Attorney
John Watson gave the members a draft of an Interlocal Agreement Between the Town of St. Leon, By and Through Its Redevelopment Commission and the Dearborn County Economic Initiative. (In conjunction with the Dearborn County Redevelopment Commission.)
According to this draft document, the town of St. Leon, “…desires to allow designation of property within the Town boundaries as part of the TIF District, while still protecting the increased tax revenues due the Town.”
If the St. Leon Redevelopment Commission agrees with this draft interlocal agreement, the Town will allow property within the town to be designated as part of the County’s TIF district, subject to approval by individual property owners. The parties will agree that the increased tax revenues captured from the incremental rise in the tax base on all such property within the town’s boundaries, shall be paid to the town of St. Leon, and all such revenue produced in the County shall be paid to the County. The revenue raised in either jurisdiction shall be used for responsible development of the community, including capital projects, redevelopment of blighted areas, maintenance or construction of infrastructure, better or expanded services, or for any similar purpose designed to aid the proper development of commercial and industrial development, or to provide services and infrastructure for a growth in population.
The members attending agreed to look over the proposed Interlocal Agreement.
Cliff Bischoff said St. Leon needed good PR. John Watson inferred that perhaps the people making this agreement could help with the PR.
Issues were discussed concerning some of the information provided at the St. Leon Town Council on Monday, August 14, 2006 (the presentation of a plan for a 25 acre town center which included a town hall, park, etc.), and the St. Leon Sewer Committee’s Tuesday, August 15, 2006, meeting ( Frank Leone (sp.) from EES discussed odor control, liens and sheriff sales, and future hook-ups).
Cliff Bischoff stated his concern about liens/sheriff sales on people’s homes—he did some research and said that he believed Dearborn County was the only place this was happening, it’s never occurred anywhere else.
Terry Boedekker and Vernon Hensley were concerned that people who had the opportunity to get on line for the sewer did not do so for $400—some refused.
A discussion was then held about people who paid their money, and then were told they didn’t have to get on line.
John Watson said Bill Ewan said they got to a point where they didn’t have enough (grant?) money, so they didn’t run a line. Watson continued that this sewer issue will in time take care of itself one way or the other—it will work out—most of the people will be connected ultimately.
The discussion concerning the proposed town hall took place. Vernon Hensley said the town needed somewhere to put salt, and equipment. Cliff Bischoff said if they build the town hall as proposed, it would take all of the boat money to maintain it and pay the utility bills. Cliff Bishoff stated that St. Leon only has 190 homes.
Mr. Watson discussed the necessity for the steering committee of the Comprehensive Plan to get it done soon. They need to rewrite zoning limits. Dearborn County is proposing to have an I-74 Comprehensive Plan.
Cliff Bischoff said the writing of the (St. Leon) Comprehensive Plan will not be done as soon as John Watson proposed. The Steering Committee is vital, a consensus of what people want to do.
Highway designations were discussed, and the actions taken by other communities like Sunman, to get businesses, etc. The necessity for drawing a zoning map was again mentioned.
As the meeting was about to end, Mr. Watson again asked if the members would look at draft of the interlocal agreement, and the members agreed to do so. The meeting was adjourned.
Helen Kremer
Logan Township
Members attending: Cliff Bischoff, Terry Boedekker, Vernon Hensley, and John Watson, Attorney
John Watson gave the members a draft of an Interlocal Agreement Between the Town of St. Leon, By and Through Its Redevelopment Commission and the Dearborn County Economic Initiative. (In conjunction with the Dearborn County Redevelopment Commission.)
According to this draft document, the town of St. Leon, “…desires to allow designation of property within the Town boundaries as part of the TIF District, while still protecting the increased tax revenues due the Town.”
If the St. Leon Redevelopment Commission agrees with this draft interlocal agreement, the Town will allow property within the town to be designated as part of the County’s TIF district, subject to approval by individual property owners. The parties will agree that the increased tax revenues captured from the incremental rise in the tax base on all such property within the town’s boundaries, shall be paid to the town of St. Leon, and all such revenue produced in the County shall be paid to the County. The revenue raised in either jurisdiction shall be used for responsible development of the community, including capital projects, redevelopment of blighted areas, maintenance or construction of infrastructure, better or expanded services, or for any similar purpose designed to aid the proper development of commercial and industrial development, or to provide services and infrastructure for a growth in population.
The members attending agreed to look over the proposed Interlocal Agreement.
Cliff Bischoff said St. Leon needed good PR. John Watson inferred that perhaps the people making this agreement could help with the PR.
Issues were discussed concerning some of the information provided at the St. Leon Town Council on Monday, August 14, 2006 (the presentation of a plan for a 25 acre town center which included a town hall, park, etc.), and the St. Leon Sewer Committee’s Tuesday, August 15, 2006, meeting ( Frank Leone (sp.) from EES discussed odor control, liens and sheriff sales, and future hook-ups).
Cliff Bischoff stated his concern about liens/sheriff sales on people’s homes—he did some research and said that he believed Dearborn County was the only place this was happening, it’s never occurred anywhere else.
Terry Boedekker and Vernon Hensley were concerned that people who had the opportunity to get on line for the sewer did not do so for $400—some refused.
A discussion was then held about people who paid their money, and then were told they didn’t have to get on line.
John Watson said Bill Ewan said they got to a point where they didn’t have enough (grant?) money, so they didn’t run a line. Watson continued that this sewer issue will in time take care of itself one way or the other—it will work out—most of the people will be connected ultimately.
The discussion concerning the proposed town hall took place. Vernon Hensley said the town needed somewhere to put salt, and equipment. Cliff Bischoff said if they build the town hall as proposed, it would take all of the boat money to maintain it and pay the utility bills. Cliff Bishoff stated that St. Leon only has 190 homes.
Mr. Watson discussed the necessity for the steering committee of the Comprehensive Plan to get it done soon. They need to rewrite zoning limits. Dearborn County is proposing to have an I-74 Comprehensive Plan.
Cliff Bischoff said the writing of the (St. Leon) Comprehensive Plan will not be done as soon as John Watson proposed. The Steering Committee is vital, a consensus of what people want to do.
Highway designations were discussed, and the actions taken by other communities like Sunman, to get businesses, etc. The necessity for drawing a zoning map was again mentioned.
As the meeting was about to end, Mr. Watson again asked if the members would look at draft of the interlocal agreement, and the members agreed to do so. The meeting was adjourned.
Helen Kremer
Logan Township
Thursday, August 17, 2006
The Elusive Sewer Board Agenda
Just what does it take to get an agenda for the DCRSD?
Tonight at 7 PM the Dearborn County Regional Sewer Board met. I called the county administration building at 4:15 PM to see what was on the agenda. The receptionist checked the front doors to see if one was posted and it was not there. She transferred me to the Health Dept. to check up there.
They told me that Vera Benning had just left to go downstairs with it. (She had the only copy) So I called back downstairs and they couldn't find Ms Benning,who is apparently now serving as the DCRSD secretary as well as being County Commissioner. The commissioner's secretary then called up to the Health Dept. and was told that the agenda was not finished yet. The receptionist called me back with that information. It was 4:32 PM. The staff all finishes their day at 4:30PM.
So at that point I figured I wasn't going to find out what was on the agenda in the normal manner. I placed a call to the County Administrator, Bryan Messmore, on his cell phone and left him a message with my request. Messmore serves as liaison to the sewer board and Woolpert. I asked if Woolpert was planning to be on the agenda.
At 7 PM Bryan Messmore left me a voice message that answered my question and apologized for the delay in getting back to me. He had been in a meeting with Woolpert and they weren't going to be on the agenda.
Now my question is this: What is so hard about getting agendas prepared in a timely manner? Why can't they be put on the county website and avoid all this phone hassle?
I can't wait to see what happens when I request an agenda for the County Council budget hearings that are on Monday thru Wednesday of next week.
Christine Brauer Mueller
Lawrenceburg Township
Tonight at 7 PM the Dearborn County Regional Sewer Board met. I called the county administration building at 4:15 PM to see what was on the agenda. The receptionist checked the front doors to see if one was posted and it was not there. She transferred me to the Health Dept. to check up there.
They told me that Vera Benning had just left to go downstairs with it. (She had the only copy) So I called back downstairs and they couldn't find Ms Benning,who is apparently now serving as the DCRSD secretary as well as being County Commissioner. The commissioner's secretary then called up to the Health Dept. and was told that the agenda was not finished yet. The receptionist called me back with that information. It was 4:32 PM. The staff all finishes their day at 4:30PM.
So at that point I figured I wasn't going to find out what was on the agenda in the normal manner. I placed a call to the County Administrator, Bryan Messmore, on his cell phone and left him a message with my request. Messmore serves as liaison to the sewer board and Woolpert. I asked if Woolpert was planning to be on the agenda.
At 7 PM Bryan Messmore left me a voice message that answered my question and apologized for the delay in getting back to me. He had been in a meeting with Woolpert and they weren't going to be on the agenda.
Now my question is this: What is so hard about getting agendas prepared in a timely manner? Why can't they be put on the county website and avoid all this phone hassle?
I can't wait to see what happens when I request an agenda for the County Council budget hearings that are on Monday thru Wednesday of next week.
Christine Brauer Mueller
Lawrenceburg Township
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
15 August 2006 Dearborn County Commissioner Meeting Notes
15 August 2006 Dearborn County Commissioner Meeting Notes
TWO HOUR HEARING CULMINATES IN ZONE CHANGE DENIAL
Present: Hughes, President, Benning, and Fox
Also present: Pickens, Auditor, Ewbank, Attorney, and Messmore, Administrator.
A uniformed police officer was NOT present.
Ralph Thompson Republican Candidate for D-3 Commissioner was present in the audience.
1. Joan Seitz Assessor gave the commissioners an update on State Dog Tag tax being removed and only county tax remaining. Pickens has the final word on where these monies are kept. They are used also to cover dog kill claims.
2. OKI and ME Company - Bill Miller and Erin Peterson presented the overview of the first US 50 GATEWAY STUDY public meeting and the results of public input, They are continuing to refine the access and egress points along 50 and showed commissioners examples of how medians work, no L turns work, U-turn solutions, and how improved traffic flow results in better business climate along the highway. 50 –60 people attended the first US 50 workshop. Their purpose was to improve safety, mobility and functional development patterns. Recommendations so far include:
*R in and R out access points like at Lowes thus leading to 20% less crashes per research.
*Raised medians in some areas with breaks in the medians to limit access to less points along the roadway. Similar to what’s in Lafayette IN and Colerain Ave.
* Breaks in medians will be full or partial access as required for businesses.
* U-turns will be utilized
* Possibly include streetscapes and median landscapes in old Lawrenceburg.
3. PUBLIC HEARING FOR WHITE FARM DEVELOPMENT ZONE CHANGE
Whites Farm is 56 acres bounded by Gaynor Ridge, Short, and North Dearborn Roads. The project applicant is Tucker/Schmidt with Bayer Becker.
McCormack showed slides and reported the PC results: This came from the plan commission with an UNFAVORABLE recommendation due to density issues primarily as being out of character with the surrounding area. The only nay at the PC was Hughes.
If R s granted because there are no written commitments from the PC and no concept development plan this land could be developed at it’s full potential of 224 lots. The traffic study was done for 131 lots max. Tucker further changed it for commissioners to 109 lots and talked about placement of larger frontages as buffers, and redoing the roads as specified in tech review and staff recommendations to Cat 3 level just along the project length, etc. This is not binding- just his word.
Fox asked if the biggest snag was density. YES.
Was clustering discussed? NOT REALLY, THOUGH MEMBERS MENTIONED LOW AND MODERATE DENSITY PROPOSALS.
Benning quoted tech review members Hall and Kraus Jr as saying they weren’t really concerned with density. [NOTE: Benning read the words out of context. Hall and Kraus were saying that they were looking at the plans for technical issues and density wasn’t a tech issue. Later in the same PC meeting they were concerned with density and voted that way also.]
Jeff Tucker said that they wanted to resubmit to PC but were not sure they had a significant enough change to be reconsidered and so they decided to try commissioners. The PC was down 3 members that night also [NOTE: 3 members plus Hughes =4 and it takes 5 to pass anything. They still wouldn’t have enough votes even if those 3 all agreed with Hughes.]
Tucker said that 45 of the 56 acres were tillable and if it stayed Ag then other Ag uses would possibly interfere with the Residential around it!!! He said B1 or 2 and M1,2, 3 or H-1 would be unsuitable uses also.
He quote the “well –written” article in the Sunday paper about Honda plant spin-off uses in Dearborn County and said R would be good here so people can live where they work. He said this White’s Farm development project will generate $21 million and that $12-14 million will stay here in the county. Tucker said the North Dearborn corridor was for R development in the Master plan because of it’s access to highways and schools etc. [NOTE: I served on the master plan advisory board- I believe that the caveat to North Dearborn being R in discussion was a major reworking of the roadway itself to make it safer and that that should be done before or concurrent to development.]
Public input:
Richard Johnson: Tucker and Schmidt put a lot of icing on the cake here- but 109 units is still too high. Farmland is buffered, but he’s wiping his dirty shoes on the rest of us. 65 lots would be more like what’s in the area. This land went at public auction by invitation only- only developers invited- not neighbors.
Tom Gaynor- sons and he own land that is grain and livestock farm adjacent to this. Lived here over 60 years. Have difficulty moving farm equipment now. Within ½ mile of this proposal are 4 ninety -degree turns on Gaynor Ridge. Only 33 ft of ROW in parts. It’s hard to fix this so the traffic flow to this is safe. Wants 2 acres per home. Preserve rural life is part of master plan What about costs of services to this? Long time neighbors out here- Johnstons, Backs, Zinsers, Hartmans, etc. Traffic counts done after school was out.
Todd Schumate- purchased 20 acres of grandfathers’ farm- born and raised here. Wants to pass to his kids some day. Roads- In any direction from this plan there are road issues. Many are dangerous in the winter. White’s Hill Sawdon Ridge hill and North Dearborn- curves, hills and deaths on some of these. I don’t believe AT THIS TIME that the infrastructure is here. Is it fair to the taxpayers to absorb the cost for this density?
Character- this is predominantly Ag- even the current land use map shows that. I believe we need to control development the same was as we use dams to control rivers. Guidelines for increased valued homes to get more school taxes. Lots in this area are not in character- Harley Springs is about .94 acres per home and that is the MOST DENSE here. Logan Township has a different character from Bright. No written commitments on this- and even though Tucker and I go to the same church- if something happens to him, would his heirs honor his verbal words here?
Glenn Crocker- Have lived here 36 years- married into the Zinser family and has passed land to his kids too. We have a lot of elbow room out here. I have known Jeff since he was a little pup and Mr. Schmidt on Sawdon ridge produces a nice product also. Crocker asked about clustering and Fox explained how it worked. Crocker went on- I know where you live Mr. Fox and you’d be concerned too if this were by you. Control the growth. Look at Steeplechase and (another dev- couldn’t catch name)- less dense. I’m a Chemistry teacher and we talk about Boyle’s Law- if you have a confined space and jam in a lot of particles the pressure builds up. This is NOT CONDUCIVE to what we want to see here.
Steve Kuhn- lived on farm on Gaynor Ridge his whole life. Showed pictures of the road and dangerous sections. Farms are 10 acres or more here. We are LOGAN TOWNSHIP. And don’t want all the burdens of EMS and Bright etc. “Why should we have to suffer because they paid too much for the property?”
Most traffic is going to Gaynor Ridge, schools are at 30+ per classroom now. Most Tucker homes on their website are smaller- not like what we have here now. Kids drive to fast and thru fences also.
Olivia Schumate- Tucker says this is R but the PZ map shows R. SD schools are already overcrowded. Buffered by Farmland but what about the rest. WE HAVE TO CHANGE THE WAY WE LIVE TO CO-EXIST WITH THIS. We have a responsibility to be more controlled. WE HAVE TO PAY MORE TAXES TO HELP SUPPORT THEM. WHY DO WE HAVE TO BE PUNISHED AND BURDENED?
Bob Gaynor – the senior of Gaynor Ridge road- Schools are the largest employer in the area- they can’t handle more. Few farms carrying much of the tax burden. $40 mil on new EC buildings. We have rights also. Road width by him is 15.5 ft. Gaynor Ridge goes through his farm building set. Look at the whole picture- keep it as is. Benning questioned him about him saying that two of you know how that is. What did he mean by that? Gaynor told her he meant her and Fox. She was OK with that.
Todd Schumate- again- Will there be enough land to fix the curve on North Dearborn that Tucker wants to fix?
Benning cited Dick Robertson in the back of the room to answer that, He’s working on the curve by the Larry Smith property- and that is NOT the area mentioned. [NOTE: Does Benning really know where this all is?]
End Public and Tucker response:
Auction was by invitation- some didn’t show. Actuaries fix up the road data to reflect what happens with school in session he BELIEVES.
When they upgrade to Cat 3 road- things will change dramatically. Appreciated people not getting personal- known you people all my life. There are issues with commissioners putting out commitments. We can’t have low-end houses on these expensive lots. These will be about $300K like Old orchard and Steeplechase.
Don’t know if we want to cluster and cram them in the middle. We are not .2 acres like Fairfield and Mason. Noted A LOT of yellow and orange on the land use map for R uses. Taking out poplar trees to improve visibility. Will put larger deep lots on perimeter to buffer. Will require front yard trees on Gaynor Ridge. County has to allow reasonable density to be afforded. This area has all kinds of amenities even cable. Tucker showed the St. Leon sewer map of pipes and the amenities available in the area. WHERE THERE IS SEWER THERE IS ALSO WATER ELECTRIC, ETC. USUALLY.
Tucker said there is no public outcry when commissioners turn down a zone change and ignore the PC recommendations- which happened 2 times in the past. Tucker did not say which two times that was. “PC only serves as an advisory function.” I tell my kids not to use the F word- and the F word is FAIR. Life isn’t always fair.
Get the highest and best use- make it residential.
Several members of the audience wanted to respond to Tucker’s comments but were told public comment was over.
Fox- It would have been nice to go back to PC- a shame- they couldn’t make a decision on one and then they were quick to slap one on this.
Benning- thinks it’s a great development – it will do a great thing by doing Category 2 (corrected by staff to category 3) for all the roads in area surrounding it. It will save the county money by doing this.
Hughes asked what constituted a significant revision (so they could go back to PC)
McCormack- The decision wasn’t really made by the PC as to whether they should rehear this or not.
Benning- We don’t have R subdivided to R1,2,3.
McCormack- That is being researched already and will meet with master plan and PC – to be done by late 2006 or early 2007.
Hughes asked for motion. No motions made. Started to end the hearing.
McCormack explained to them that if they do nothing it adds another 90 days in addition to the original 90 days for Tucker to bring it back if allowed.
Benning- send it back to the PC and tell them to do their job! [NOTE: They did- if Tucker would have asked the PC to be tabled he could have brought those revisions to them and gotten the written commitments possibly. He chose to let it get the unfavorable.]
Ewbank weighed in at this point and explained the legalities of not having written commitments. He said if it is denied they can go back to PC and the PC can put restrictions on this. The law does NOT allow commissioners to do this.
Fox motioned to reject it and send back to the PC again in 90 days.
Ewbank again explained that max density can go in if the do R and the commissioners cannot enforce 109 lots as promised tonight. Only the PC is allowed to get written commitments.
Benning would not second. Hughes seconded. Benning voted Nay. Zone change
denied.
4. Todd Listerman- Transportation Director- quickly summarized road issues:
Inspections to be done on Jerry Martin’s Woods edge sub’n. He has installed stone and moved rip-rap
Striping starts Monday to be finished in about 3 weeks.
O’Mara Paving awarded and they toured cty to get project in line with Council budget. Contract was changed and Ewbank will review before signing- but Stewart St. and Voltz Road are eliminated for this year. Stewart St sewers are still not started and so they won’t be ready in time. Voltz Rd – they want to do the whole thing at once rather than piecemeal- so will do later.
5. Ewbank – told SBOA that claims usually covered by insurance. Had commissioners ratify the Building ordinance that homeland security signed off on. He will have it published in paper.
6. Hughes By Aug 20th wants Council to have Messmore’s evaluation system for staff so that raises are based on evaluations. Benning to get a copy- she hadn’t seen it yet. Dept. heads will do the evaluations. This will be presented at Council budget hearings next week.
Meeting adjourned at 9 PM
Christine Brauer Mueller
Lawrenceburg Township
TWO HOUR HEARING CULMINATES IN ZONE CHANGE DENIAL
Present: Hughes, President, Benning, and Fox
Also present: Pickens, Auditor, Ewbank, Attorney, and Messmore, Administrator.
A uniformed police officer was NOT present.
Ralph Thompson Republican Candidate for D-3 Commissioner was present in the audience.
1. Joan Seitz Assessor gave the commissioners an update on State Dog Tag tax being removed and only county tax remaining. Pickens has the final word on where these monies are kept. They are used also to cover dog kill claims.
2. OKI and ME Company - Bill Miller and Erin Peterson presented the overview of the first US 50 GATEWAY STUDY public meeting and the results of public input, They are continuing to refine the access and egress points along 50 and showed commissioners examples of how medians work, no L turns work, U-turn solutions, and how improved traffic flow results in better business climate along the highway. 50 –60 people attended the first US 50 workshop. Their purpose was to improve safety, mobility and functional development patterns. Recommendations so far include:
*R in and R out access points like at Lowes thus leading to 20% less crashes per research.
*Raised medians in some areas with breaks in the medians to limit access to less points along the roadway. Similar to what’s in Lafayette IN and Colerain Ave.
* Breaks in medians will be full or partial access as required for businesses.
* U-turns will be utilized
* Possibly include streetscapes and median landscapes in old Lawrenceburg.
3. PUBLIC HEARING FOR WHITE FARM DEVELOPMENT ZONE CHANGE
Whites Farm is 56 acres bounded by Gaynor Ridge, Short, and North Dearborn Roads. The project applicant is Tucker/Schmidt with Bayer Becker.
McCormack showed slides and reported the PC results: This came from the plan commission with an UNFAVORABLE recommendation due to density issues primarily as being out of character with the surrounding area. The only nay at the PC was Hughes.
If R s granted because there are no written commitments from the PC and no concept development plan this land could be developed at it’s full potential of 224 lots. The traffic study was done for 131 lots max. Tucker further changed it for commissioners to 109 lots and talked about placement of larger frontages as buffers, and redoing the roads as specified in tech review and staff recommendations to Cat 3 level just along the project length, etc. This is not binding- just his word.
Fox asked if the biggest snag was density. YES.
Was clustering discussed? NOT REALLY, THOUGH MEMBERS MENTIONED LOW AND MODERATE DENSITY PROPOSALS.
Benning quoted tech review members Hall and Kraus Jr as saying they weren’t really concerned with density. [NOTE: Benning read the words out of context. Hall and Kraus were saying that they were looking at the plans for technical issues and density wasn’t a tech issue. Later in the same PC meeting they were concerned with density and voted that way also.]
Jeff Tucker said that they wanted to resubmit to PC but were not sure they had a significant enough change to be reconsidered and so they decided to try commissioners. The PC was down 3 members that night also [NOTE: 3 members plus Hughes =4 and it takes 5 to pass anything. They still wouldn’t have enough votes even if those 3 all agreed with Hughes.]
Tucker said that 45 of the 56 acres were tillable and if it stayed Ag then other Ag uses would possibly interfere with the Residential around it!!! He said B1 or 2 and M1,2, 3 or H-1 would be unsuitable uses also.
He quote the “well –written” article in the Sunday paper about Honda plant spin-off uses in Dearborn County and said R would be good here so people can live where they work. He said this White’s Farm development project will generate $21 million and that $12-14 million will stay here in the county. Tucker said the North Dearborn corridor was for R development in the Master plan because of it’s access to highways and schools etc. [NOTE: I served on the master plan advisory board- I believe that the caveat to North Dearborn being R in discussion was a major reworking of the roadway itself to make it safer and that that should be done before or concurrent to development.]
Public input:
Richard Johnson: Tucker and Schmidt put a lot of icing on the cake here- but 109 units is still too high. Farmland is buffered, but he’s wiping his dirty shoes on the rest of us. 65 lots would be more like what’s in the area. This land went at public auction by invitation only- only developers invited- not neighbors.
Tom Gaynor- sons and he own land that is grain and livestock farm adjacent to this. Lived here over 60 years. Have difficulty moving farm equipment now. Within ½ mile of this proposal are 4 ninety -degree turns on Gaynor Ridge. Only 33 ft of ROW in parts. It’s hard to fix this so the traffic flow to this is safe. Wants 2 acres per home. Preserve rural life is part of master plan What about costs of services to this? Long time neighbors out here- Johnstons, Backs, Zinsers, Hartmans, etc. Traffic counts done after school was out.
Todd Schumate- purchased 20 acres of grandfathers’ farm- born and raised here. Wants to pass to his kids some day. Roads- In any direction from this plan there are road issues. Many are dangerous in the winter. White’s Hill Sawdon Ridge hill and North Dearborn- curves, hills and deaths on some of these. I don’t believe AT THIS TIME that the infrastructure is here. Is it fair to the taxpayers to absorb the cost for this density?
Character- this is predominantly Ag- even the current land use map shows that. I believe we need to control development the same was as we use dams to control rivers. Guidelines for increased valued homes to get more school taxes. Lots in this area are not in character- Harley Springs is about .94 acres per home and that is the MOST DENSE here. Logan Township has a different character from Bright. No written commitments on this- and even though Tucker and I go to the same church- if something happens to him, would his heirs honor his verbal words here?
Glenn Crocker- Have lived here 36 years- married into the Zinser family and has passed land to his kids too. We have a lot of elbow room out here. I have known Jeff since he was a little pup and Mr. Schmidt on Sawdon ridge produces a nice product also. Crocker asked about clustering and Fox explained how it worked. Crocker went on- I know where you live Mr. Fox and you’d be concerned too if this were by you. Control the growth. Look at Steeplechase and (another dev- couldn’t catch name)- less dense. I’m a Chemistry teacher and we talk about Boyle’s Law- if you have a confined space and jam in a lot of particles the pressure builds up. This is NOT CONDUCIVE to what we want to see here.
Steve Kuhn- lived on farm on Gaynor Ridge his whole life. Showed pictures of the road and dangerous sections. Farms are 10 acres or more here. We are LOGAN TOWNSHIP. And don’t want all the burdens of EMS and Bright etc. “Why should we have to suffer because they paid too much for the property?”
Most traffic is going to Gaynor Ridge, schools are at 30+ per classroom now. Most Tucker homes on their website are smaller- not like what we have here now. Kids drive to fast and thru fences also.
Olivia Schumate- Tucker says this is R but the PZ map shows R. SD schools are already overcrowded. Buffered by Farmland but what about the rest. WE HAVE TO CHANGE THE WAY WE LIVE TO CO-EXIST WITH THIS. We have a responsibility to be more controlled. WE HAVE TO PAY MORE TAXES TO HELP SUPPORT THEM. WHY DO WE HAVE TO BE PUNISHED AND BURDENED?
Bob Gaynor – the senior of Gaynor Ridge road- Schools are the largest employer in the area- they can’t handle more. Few farms carrying much of the tax burden. $40 mil on new EC buildings. We have rights also. Road width by him is 15.5 ft. Gaynor Ridge goes through his farm building set. Look at the whole picture- keep it as is. Benning questioned him about him saying that two of you know how that is. What did he mean by that? Gaynor told her he meant her and Fox. She was OK with that.
Todd Schumate- again- Will there be enough land to fix the curve on North Dearborn that Tucker wants to fix?
Benning cited Dick Robertson in the back of the room to answer that, He’s working on the curve by the Larry Smith property- and that is NOT the area mentioned. [NOTE: Does Benning really know where this all is?]
End Public and Tucker response:
Auction was by invitation- some didn’t show. Actuaries fix up the road data to reflect what happens with school in session he BELIEVES.
When they upgrade to Cat 3 road- things will change dramatically. Appreciated people not getting personal- known you people all my life. There are issues with commissioners putting out commitments. We can’t have low-end houses on these expensive lots. These will be about $300K like Old orchard and Steeplechase.
Don’t know if we want to cluster and cram them in the middle. We are not .2 acres like Fairfield and Mason. Noted A LOT of yellow and orange on the land use map for R uses. Taking out poplar trees to improve visibility. Will put larger deep lots on perimeter to buffer. Will require front yard trees on Gaynor Ridge. County has to allow reasonable density to be afforded. This area has all kinds of amenities even cable. Tucker showed the St. Leon sewer map of pipes and the amenities available in the area. WHERE THERE IS SEWER THERE IS ALSO WATER ELECTRIC, ETC. USUALLY.
Tucker said there is no public outcry when commissioners turn down a zone change and ignore the PC recommendations- which happened 2 times in the past. Tucker did not say which two times that was. “PC only serves as an advisory function.” I tell my kids not to use the F word- and the F word is FAIR. Life isn’t always fair.
Get the highest and best use- make it residential.
Several members of the audience wanted to respond to Tucker’s comments but were told public comment was over.
Fox- It would have been nice to go back to PC- a shame- they couldn’t make a decision on one and then they were quick to slap one on this.
Benning- thinks it’s a great development – it will do a great thing by doing Category 2 (corrected by staff to category 3) for all the roads in area surrounding it. It will save the county money by doing this.
Hughes asked what constituted a significant revision (so they could go back to PC)
McCormack- The decision wasn’t really made by the PC as to whether they should rehear this or not.
Benning- We don’t have R subdivided to R1,2,3.
McCormack- That is being researched already and will meet with master plan and PC – to be done by late 2006 or early 2007.
Hughes asked for motion. No motions made. Started to end the hearing.
McCormack explained to them that if they do nothing it adds another 90 days in addition to the original 90 days for Tucker to bring it back if allowed.
Benning- send it back to the PC and tell them to do their job! [NOTE: They did- if Tucker would have asked the PC to be tabled he could have brought those revisions to them and gotten the written commitments possibly. He chose to let it get the unfavorable.]
Ewbank weighed in at this point and explained the legalities of not having written commitments. He said if it is denied they can go back to PC and the PC can put restrictions on this. The law does NOT allow commissioners to do this.
Fox motioned to reject it and send back to the PC again in 90 days.
Ewbank again explained that max density can go in if the do R and the commissioners cannot enforce 109 lots as promised tonight. Only the PC is allowed to get written commitments.
Benning would not second. Hughes seconded. Benning voted Nay. Zone change
denied.
4. Todd Listerman- Transportation Director- quickly summarized road issues:
Inspections to be done on Jerry Martin’s Woods edge sub’n. He has installed stone and moved rip-rap
Striping starts Monday to be finished in about 3 weeks.
O’Mara Paving awarded and they toured cty to get project in line with Council budget. Contract was changed and Ewbank will review before signing- but Stewart St. and Voltz Road are eliminated for this year. Stewart St sewers are still not started and so they won’t be ready in time. Voltz Rd – they want to do the whole thing at once rather than piecemeal- so will do later.
5. Ewbank – told SBOA that claims usually covered by insurance. Had commissioners ratify the Building ordinance that homeland security signed off on. He will have it published in paper.
6. Hughes By Aug 20th wants Council to have Messmore’s evaluation system for staff so that raises are based on evaluations. Benning to get a copy- she hadn’t seen it yet. Dept. heads will do the evaluations. This will be presented at Council budget hearings next week.
Meeting adjourned at 9 PM
Christine Brauer Mueller
Lawrenceburg Township
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Board of Health Meets - No Decision on Maxwell Barber Road Development
The Dearborn County Board of Health Meeting, August 9, 2006, 7:30 p.m.
Board Members in attendance: Mike Hankins, Don Rechtin, Marlene (?), Dennerline, Gerold Miller, Steve Hubbard, and Dr. Gill
Mr. Dennerline opened the meeting and wanted the minutes to reflect they had a quorum.
They approved the minutes for previous meeting.
Hankins reported the Dearborn County Regional Sewer District opened bids for the Stewart St. and Cole Lane project. Hankins reported the Dearborn County Regional Sewer District opened bids for the Stewart St. and Cole Lane Project. Hankins also said the County Sewer District, with Pernod-Ricard, are presently talking with the County to acquire their capacity at SDRSD. County Council has made 4.5 million in funding available to DCRSD. Congressman Sodrel acquired $600,000 in Federal funding from a Congressional bill for the west side of Aurora.
Dennerline spoke to Gerold Miller about a project in Moores Hill, the cost analysis was 6.5 million for 200 people.
The new owners of the Chateau Pomije winery, Avenski, seem to be doing well with the business. Inspectors (?) Mary and Bob went out late Friday, August 4, 2006. They were very busy—the kitchen was “up to snuff”. They are supposed to be starting updating the sewage system by now, they do not know if they have a letter from the State—need to get a hold of Doug to find out what is going on, to see if a permit can be issued. Dennerline said the sewage is a very expensive deal. Dennerline is dissatisfied they didn’t get a line out there. They didn’t strike an agreement with St. Leon.
Hankins brought up the old business of rodeos (in Aurora?), and holding tanks. The permit expires 9/3/2006. Do we issue that permit? Dennerline said no. Dan Rechtin asked if they should send them a notice or talk to them first. Dennerline said no, it’s over, they have carried them too long. Dennerline motioned a permit not be given. All Ayes.
At that point, Randy Lyness, stated he was there to talk about Maxwell’s Development -Whitewater Point, he was a partner (also Maxwell’s brother-in-law). Lyness continued that he got a call about 3:30 p.m. to come down here (the meeting). There are 5-6 lots on Barber Rd. they need septic systems for—in their haste to make a proposal they forgot to mention it (also forgot to tell it to the Plan Commission.)
Dennerline interrupted and said they can’t discuss it. They did not have an attorney, and there were calls to the Health Dept. about the meeting.
(CITIZENS WERE TOLD MAXWELL WOULD NOT BE THERE, NOR WOULD THE ATTORNEY, OR DR. SCUDDER. THE TOPIC OF SEPTIC SYSTEMS FOR WHITEWATER POINT WOULD BE DISCUSSED AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING.)
Lyness said it was just a few lots, they had a super duper pump, and a quarter mile or more system there. It was approved—the whole subdivision. The lots down there (Barber Rd.), they had a guy test it for them.
Helen Kremer then spoke to the Board, and stated that many folks would have attended the meeting regarding this topic, but were told it would not be discussed tonight. Also, she stated discussion of this topic was premature--the geotech for the road for the Whitewater Point subdivision has not been submitted for approval to-date for the Technical Review Committee.
Dennerline said they are not discussing this, they do not have a lawyer.
Steve Hubbard asked if we could give variances—St. Leon was in charge of hook-ups.
Dennerline said he didn’t have a clue—then said Mary and I have two more items.
They brought up Starlight Reception Hall—decided not to discuss it.
Mary said there were flu-like illness cases—isolated—most related to outdoor activities.
Mr. Dennerline said they have a budget—3% increase, to maintain this year, and as operating funds next year. They were offered Chamber of Commerce space ( for DCRSD), but they turned it down. They will renovate area in the building--needed approval for budget et al. All Ayes.
A report was given concerning Dr. Scudder—he fractured his elbow falling 15 ft out of a tree, but he is going to be ok.
The next meeting will be October 25, 2006
Helen Kremer
Logan Township
Board Members in attendance: Mike Hankins, Don Rechtin, Marlene (?), Dennerline, Gerold Miller, Steve Hubbard, and Dr. Gill
Mr. Dennerline opened the meeting and wanted the minutes to reflect they had a quorum.
They approved the minutes for previous meeting.
Hankins reported the Dearborn County Regional Sewer District opened bids for the Stewart St. and Cole Lane project. Hankins reported the Dearborn County Regional Sewer District opened bids for the Stewart St. and Cole Lane Project. Hankins also said the County Sewer District, with Pernod-Ricard, are presently talking with the County to acquire their capacity at SDRSD. County Council has made 4.5 million in funding available to DCRSD. Congressman Sodrel acquired $600,000 in Federal funding from a Congressional bill for the west side of Aurora.
Dennerline spoke to Gerold Miller about a project in Moores Hill, the cost analysis was 6.5 million for 200 people.
The new owners of the Chateau Pomije winery, Avenski, seem to be doing well with the business. Inspectors (?) Mary and Bob went out late Friday, August 4, 2006. They were very busy—the kitchen was “up to snuff”. They are supposed to be starting updating the sewage system by now, they do not know if they have a letter from the State—need to get a hold of Doug to find out what is going on, to see if a permit can be issued. Dennerline said the sewage is a very expensive deal. Dennerline is dissatisfied they didn’t get a line out there. They didn’t strike an agreement with St. Leon.
Hankins brought up the old business of rodeos (in Aurora?), and holding tanks. The permit expires 9/3/2006. Do we issue that permit? Dennerline said no. Dan Rechtin asked if they should send them a notice or talk to them first. Dennerline said no, it’s over, they have carried them too long. Dennerline motioned a permit not be given. All Ayes.
At that point, Randy Lyness, stated he was there to talk about Maxwell’s Development -Whitewater Point, he was a partner (also Maxwell’s brother-in-law). Lyness continued that he got a call about 3:30 p.m. to come down here (the meeting). There are 5-6 lots on Barber Rd. they need septic systems for—in their haste to make a proposal they forgot to mention it (also forgot to tell it to the Plan Commission.)
Dennerline interrupted and said they can’t discuss it. They did not have an attorney, and there were calls to the Health Dept. about the meeting.
(CITIZENS WERE TOLD MAXWELL WOULD NOT BE THERE, NOR WOULD THE ATTORNEY, OR DR. SCUDDER. THE TOPIC OF SEPTIC SYSTEMS FOR WHITEWATER POINT WOULD BE DISCUSSED AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING.)
Lyness said it was just a few lots, they had a super duper pump, and a quarter mile or more system there. It was approved—the whole subdivision. The lots down there (Barber Rd.), they had a guy test it for them.
Helen Kremer then spoke to the Board, and stated that many folks would have attended the meeting regarding this topic, but were told it would not be discussed tonight. Also, she stated discussion of this topic was premature--the geotech for the road for the Whitewater Point subdivision has not been submitted for approval to-date for the Technical Review Committee.
Dennerline said they are not discussing this, they do not have a lawyer.
Steve Hubbard asked if we could give variances—St. Leon was in charge of hook-ups.
Dennerline said he didn’t have a clue—then said Mary and I have two more items.
They brought up Starlight Reception Hall—decided not to discuss it.
Mary said there were flu-like illness cases—isolated—most related to outdoor activities.
Mr. Dennerline said they have a budget—3% increase, to maintain this year, and as operating funds next year. They were offered Chamber of Commerce space ( for DCRSD), but they turned it down. They will renovate area in the building--needed approval for budget et al. All Ayes.
A report was given concerning Dr. Scudder—he fractured his elbow falling 15 ft out of a tree, but he is going to be ok.
The next meeting will be October 25, 2006
Helen Kremer
Logan Township
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
St. Leon Council Cancels Meeting
St Leon Town Council Cancels Regular Meeting Without Notice to Newspaper or Citizens
Five citizens and a reporter attended what they thought was a monthly meeting of the St. Leon Town Council. But there was no meeting. It was not published on the facility door as cancelled or when the group would meet in the future. Did not see notice in the newspaper.
Kathy Scott
Logan Township
Five citizens and a reporter attended what they thought was a monthly meeting of the St. Leon Town Council. But there was no meeting. It was not published on the facility door as cancelled or when the group would meet in the future. Did not see notice in the newspaper.
Kathy Scott
Logan Township
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
1 August 2006 Dearborn County Commissioner Meeting Notes
1 August 2006 Dearborn County Commissioner Meeting Notes
Present: Hughes, President, Benning, and Fox
Also present: Pickens, Auditor, Ewbank, Attorney, and Messmore, Administrator.
No uniformed police officer was present.
Register Publications did not cover this meeting.
Ralph Thompson, Republican Candidate for D-3 Commissioner was present.
Planning and Zoning- Mark McCormack, Director, presented four changed to the zoning ordinance books.
1. Article 2 Section 200 Subdivision Control Ordinance and Article 27 Definition of parent tract were approved with the commissioners deciding to ignore the 2 year negotiated recommendation of the PC and have 1 year as the time limit.
2. Article 25 Table 25.1 and 2512 of the zoning ordinance was approved. Clarifications of setback lines.
3. Article 23 Section 2310 Zoning Ordinance was approved for Site Plan Review
4. Article 20 –Section 2015 and Article 27 sign ordinance was approved using more liberal language prepared by Bob Ewbank for settlement of the Dorothy White lawsuit. The language chosen was what was prepared from the settlement with the attorneys for White.
McCormack also advised the commissioners of problems with the tape system in that room and asked them to have it fixed or replaced at budget time. Messmore to add to budget by Aug 21st. [NOTE: Perhaps the microphones and sound system will be fixed as a result also. That has been erratic for years now.]
EMA- Bill Black – gave a report on the mitigation plan for homeland security. They are seeking grants to get software to help predict costs and damage areas for disasters etc. GIS will tie into the system. NIMS classes have been completed and commissioners state they have their certifications.
Aug 8 10-1 or 2 the State Million dollar Mobile Command Center will be in the county to be viewed.
Transportation Director- Todd Listerman- presented paving contracts- $837,667.91 for O’Mara and $854,295.50 for Rohe. O’Mara was awarded the contract by Commissioners. Other money in the account will cover the $60,000 they were above estimate. They are also using county workers to do some of the wedging and leveling on roads to make up the difference.
Striping contract proceeding soon.
Met Monday in Seymour with INDOT on Triple Whipple. Ewbank getting ROW work done. Letting should be Aug 2007.
Meeting with INDOT on Bells Branch/Laughery Creek Bridge #15. Getting Ohio County to do their 20% of the 20% fees.
Met with Bruce Keller- HVL Mgr- went over getting permission for right of entry to do portions of Stateline Stephens intersection and will also get a dedicated R turn lane out of HVL. Meeting with REMC to relocate electric pole by HVL entrance.
Sawdon Ridge Road- Ed Chapdelaine, Sr. – a resident and engineer- brought pictures of Sawdon Ridge Hill showing its need for repair. Guardrail to be considered. 7-inch ruts and foot deep hole in side. Curves with only 16 ft of pavement. Presented letter he sent to Nugent and letters from neighbors also. Noted that White’s Hill was redone after Lyness’s son was killed in an accident there. Wants something similar on Sawdon Ridge.
Commissioners noted no money appropriated for it yet. Listerman said maintenance would be done on the slips as needed. Major work being put off until priority lists done. Commissioners suggested having a hill list separately prioritized.
Mike Brunner- Civil Engineer- introduced himself and his one- man engineering company with low overheard as a potential contractor for the county. No decision.
OLD BUSINESS-
Mike Mulcahey thanked commissioners for help in getting some progress on Woods Edge Sub’n Road. Developer- Martin- is moving rocks into ditches for erosion control and also fixing road channels. Listerman wanted to know how many extensions on road bonds were appropriate. Normally 2-3 years and of not done they call in the bond. Ewbank said they did an inventory on all the bonds to see if they were up to date. Said years ago they had many lapsed. People buying lots are promised a road- it should be done. This bond is 5 years old… They intend to notify the bond company.
Bonds are set at 120% of cost to do roads. They are not taken down to anything below 25% per Listerman- until road is accepted. Ewbank noted that the developer is the primary obligor and the surety company is secondary. Even if bond fails the developer is still legally responsible. (But you’d have to pursue them in court with associated legal fees.)
Pickens- Auditor- got SRI approved for $5,000 to do excise taxes for 10 cents per license.
Also wants to have meeting with Auditor, treasurer, and Finance Committee, as their numbers do not agree as to how much money the county has. Meeting Thurs Aug 10th at 4 PM, if Pennington is available.
Payroll will be direct deposit as of Jan 2007. UCB will be bank used for those who don’t have one.
GIS will make excise tax apportionments more appropriate for the townships per Pickens. Now everyone says they are Lawrenceburg Township. [NOTE: There are maps of the county showing township lines- why not just post those at BMV?]
Messmore- Administrator- put down the magazine he was reading throughout the meeting and got IN Lobbyist registration signed.
Ewbank- Attorney- one new lawsuit to PC on civil rights violation pending.
Vera Benning- gave the social secretary report on NACO Convention Aug 4-9 noting they could meet Jim Hughes of SRI and Ice Miller and there are a lot of really good things planned there.
Sodrel will be speaking on meth lab eradication in Columbus IN Aug 4 at 9 AM and rides can be gotten thru Mr. Thompson in Versailles.
OKI sent a thank you letter to commissioners for turning out at the US 50 meeting last week.
Animal Control budget item looks too large. Fox said it’s a non-issue- they are using volunteers and still have to come up with money to match L-bg for grant. They know they won’t get what they are asking for in the budget.
Meeting adjourned 7:55 PM
Christine Brauer Mueller
Lawrenceburg Township
Present: Hughes, President, Benning, and Fox
Also present: Pickens, Auditor, Ewbank, Attorney, and Messmore, Administrator.
No uniformed police officer was present.
Register Publications did not cover this meeting.
Ralph Thompson, Republican Candidate for D-3 Commissioner was present.
Planning and Zoning- Mark McCormack, Director, presented four changed to the zoning ordinance books.
1. Article 2 Section 200 Subdivision Control Ordinance and Article 27 Definition of parent tract were approved with the commissioners deciding to ignore the 2 year negotiated recommendation of the PC and have 1 year as the time limit.
2. Article 25 Table 25.1 and 2512 of the zoning ordinance was approved. Clarifications of setback lines.
3. Article 23 Section 2310 Zoning Ordinance was approved for Site Plan Review
4. Article 20 –Section 2015 and Article 27 sign ordinance was approved using more liberal language prepared by Bob Ewbank for settlement of the Dorothy White lawsuit. The language chosen was what was prepared from the settlement with the attorneys for White.
McCormack also advised the commissioners of problems with the tape system in that room and asked them to have it fixed or replaced at budget time. Messmore to add to budget by Aug 21st. [NOTE: Perhaps the microphones and sound system will be fixed as a result also. That has been erratic for years now.]
EMA- Bill Black – gave a report on the mitigation plan for homeland security. They are seeking grants to get software to help predict costs and damage areas for disasters etc. GIS will tie into the system. NIMS classes have been completed and commissioners state they have their certifications.
Aug 8 10-1 or 2 the State Million dollar Mobile Command Center will be in the county to be viewed.
Transportation Director- Todd Listerman- presented paving contracts- $837,667.91 for O’Mara and $854,295.50 for Rohe. O’Mara was awarded the contract by Commissioners. Other money in the account will cover the $60,000 they were above estimate. They are also using county workers to do some of the wedging and leveling on roads to make up the difference.
Striping contract proceeding soon.
Met Monday in Seymour with INDOT on Triple Whipple. Ewbank getting ROW work done. Letting should be Aug 2007.
Meeting with INDOT on Bells Branch/Laughery Creek Bridge #15. Getting Ohio County to do their 20% of the 20% fees.
Met with Bruce Keller- HVL Mgr- went over getting permission for right of entry to do portions of Stateline Stephens intersection and will also get a dedicated R turn lane out of HVL. Meeting with REMC to relocate electric pole by HVL entrance.
Sawdon Ridge Road- Ed Chapdelaine, Sr. – a resident and engineer- brought pictures of Sawdon Ridge Hill showing its need for repair. Guardrail to be considered. 7-inch ruts and foot deep hole in side. Curves with only 16 ft of pavement. Presented letter he sent to Nugent and letters from neighbors also. Noted that White’s Hill was redone after Lyness’s son was killed in an accident there. Wants something similar on Sawdon Ridge.
Commissioners noted no money appropriated for it yet. Listerman said maintenance would be done on the slips as needed. Major work being put off until priority lists done. Commissioners suggested having a hill list separately prioritized.
Mike Brunner- Civil Engineer- introduced himself and his one- man engineering company with low overheard as a potential contractor for the county. No decision.
OLD BUSINESS-
Mike Mulcahey thanked commissioners for help in getting some progress on Woods Edge Sub’n Road. Developer- Martin- is moving rocks into ditches for erosion control and also fixing road channels. Listerman wanted to know how many extensions on road bonds were appropriate. Normally 2-3 years and of not done they call in the bond. Ewbank said they did an inventory on all the bonds to see if they were up to date. Said years ago they had many lapsed. People buying lots are promised a road- it should be done. This bond is 5 years old… They intend to notify the bond company.
Bonds are set at 120% of cost to do roads. They are not taken down to anything below 25% per Listerman- until road is accepted. Ewbank noted that the developer is the primary obligor and the surety company is secondary. Even if bond fails the developer is still legally responsible. (But you’d have to pursue them in court with associated legal fees.)
Pickens- Auditor- got SRI approved for $5,000 to do excise taxes for 10 cents per license.
Also wants to have meeting with Auditor, treasurer, and Finance Committee, as their numbers do not agree as to how much money the county has. Meeting Thurs Aug 10th at 4 PM, if Pennington is available.
Payroll will be direct deposit as of Jan 2007. UCB will be bank used for those who don’t have one.
GIS will make excise tax apportionments more appropriate for the townships per Pickens. Now everyone says they are Lawrenceburg Township. [NOTE: There are maps of the county showing township lines- why not just post those at BMV?]
Messmore- Administrator- put down the magazine he was reading throughout the meeting and got IN Lobbyist registration signed.
Ewbank- Attorney- one new lawsuit to PC on civil rights violation pending.
Vera Benning- gave the social secretary report on NACO Convention Aug 4-9 noting they could meet Jim Hughes of SRI and Ice Miller and there are a lot of really good things planned there.
Sodrel will be speaking on meth lab eradication in Columbus IN Aug 4 at 9 AM and rides can be gotten thru Mr. Thompson in Versailles.
OKI sent a thank you letter to commissioners for turning out at the US 50 meeting last week.
Animal Control budget item looks too large. Fox said it’s a non-issue- they are using volunteers and still have to come up with money to match L-bg for grant. They know they won’t get what they are asking for in the budget.
Meeting adjourned 7:55 PM
Christine Brauer Mueller
Lawrenceburg Township
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