19 June 2007 Dearborn County Commissioner Meeting Notes

19 June 2007 Dearborn County Commissioner Meeting Notes

Present: Hughes, Chairman, Fox, and Thompson
Also present: Pickens, Auditor, Ewbank, Attorney, and Messmore, Administrator

No uniformed police officer was present – until several items were covered.
Several county activists were present in the audience.

[NOTE: At the opening pledge of allegiance, I overheard a citizen say- this is the only time the citizens are ALLOWED TO SPEAK.]

1. Jim West- DCEDI- requested approval to seek funding from Council for Development Study. West asked Messmore if he had distributed this. - Messmore said no. West then distributed folders of his proposal to the commissioners. He said there has been discussion from the community wanting a comprehensive strategic economic development plan. He said we haven’t had a true plan and we need to “put a face on economic development.” We have put together a program and talked to Purdue and private consultants for “a two- pronged attack.”
Purdue will do the work to get the public information and they want to incorporate the surrounding counties. We think that’s OK as long as Dearborn gets what it wants. Purdue’s cost is not to exceed $20,000.
The private consultant will be selected by RFP- for someone outside the county to look at the strengths and weaknesses of the county- someone who knows the market side of all this and who will give an unbiased opinion . Estimated cost is $60,000 max. If further costs are incurred the DCEDI Board will pay for that. [NOTE: How generous of them- they pay $5,000 each year to join and now they want the county to pay for studies so that they can bring in development. Maybe their investment money should be paying for these studies- after all, they stand to profit from them.]
West ended, saying: “Dearborn County is ripe for development - a real jewel needing to be developed.” Any questions?

Thompson asked how this ties into the Master Plan. West: The RFPs include directions towards land use.
Thompson: Timing? West: If we start Aug 1, we will be finished by Dec 31 of this year.
Thompson: You plan to develop this ahead of the comprehensive plan and dictate to them what will happen? West: The comp plan can use our findings.
Thompson: What about UC’s study that you had done? West: UC did demographic collection that is on our DCEDI website.
(http://www.dearborncountyedi.com/index.html Check it out- lots of land sites etc.)
[NOTE: That’s not all UC did- but the results weren’t widely accepted.]

West went on that this is different- that it’s an economic development analysis to see what it could look like.
Hughes: I’ve been involved in RISE 2020 and they are looking at this- we just went through Vieste and everybody wanted to keep it rural and said we need the family farms. But for farms to work the farmers need another occupation also. I don’t know many rich carpenters or farmers. Hughes wondered if there was a disconnect or people were not informed. He likes Purdue- as RISE 2020 uses them. Hughes went on- Is rural character just farming? Maybe. He acknowledged that West had sent him something showing a missed opportunity in the county for a 35- person business at $18-20 per hour jobs. (See Register Publications editorials about a week ago for a copy of West’s letter)
Hughes thought that maybe we should try this proposal.

Thompson: This is short notice. I’d like to see more info- your RFPs, and your goals. West: I can give you the RFPs- he then passed them out. [NOTE: Why weren’t those in the packet?]
Thompson: The bulk of business is small business in the US- Honda is an elephant- no one is going after the mice- the small businesses. Maybe we should focus on the mice-there is less competition for each of them.
Thompson- DCEDI has been around for 2 ½ years- what are your successes? West: Some small retail, Urban Wild Design, Pernod Ricard… [NOTE: West is claiming these as HIS successes?]

Fox: Asked Thompson to clarify- you want all small – no big business? He’d rather see both.
Thompson: There is not as much competition for the mice- we should FOCUS on the smaller business.
Hughes: You use elephants and mice- I talked to West about a year ago using the analogy of blue gills and carp….

Fox: Bryan (Messmore) what is your opinion?

Messmore: You are really saying the same thing in both analogies. The question is WHERE CAN WE PUT THEM? Find the place. [NOTE:Look at DCEDI’s website- there are lots of properties available.]
Hughes: Round table discussions of Ag business recently- and then he went on about farmers needing jobs too. Some sell land to put kids through college or for retirement. To him it just makes good economic sense- I see shovel ready sites in other counties. I agree with Thompson- I would like more time to look this over.

Fox: Some people disconnect land as a monetary asset- they don’t see it like we do, Jeff- growing up and working on it with our parents and their extra jobs.
[NOTE: Now we are getting to the heart of understanding how and why Fox and Hughes – former farm boys- think about land use. Not everyone who grows up on a farm loves it. Some remember mostly the hard work: the hot, sweaty, itchy work of putting up hay, bush hogging, chopping the ice from the water troughs in winter, chasing down missing animals and offspring, electric fence and line fence repair, post hole digging, continual repair of old machinery, etc. They also see the vagaries of nature, when drought wipes out crops or rain or wind damage. When they long for a different life, it may be hard for them to understand why some others want to continue to farm- or why it is worth it to them to have two jobs or why they combine resources with neighbors or family so they can continue to farm.
Yes- land is an asset in three ways- economical, environmental, and social. Commissioners are supposed to be looking at all three aspects of this asset. The dollar signs are only one third of the equation.
This issue will not be resolved until and unless the county utilizes its citizens as part of the decision-making process. We need an economic development advisory board- and NOT one that is selected the way the current board selects plan commission members.]

Thompson motioned and Fox 2nd to TABLE this until the July 3rd meeting. All ayes. The Council meets the 4rd Tues in July- July 24, so West will have his answer in time.

Thompson added that he agrees that land is an asset, but that people have a right to keep it also. He also said agendas needed to be better- to have time to review.
Mark Hall stood up at this point and asked to be recognized. Hughes said he would allow him to speak at the end of the meeting. Hall asked if West was on the agenda a week ahead. Hughes repeated that Hall could speak at the end of the meeting. Hall sat down to wait.
[NOTE: Questions regarding an agenda item would be more understandable if answered at that time. Waiting until the end is just a means of putting off the public.]

2. Pennie Cohen Pre-paid legal services- gave a presentation of five kinds of identity theft- license, criminal, character, Social Security, and Financial. The cost to each employee is $25.90 per month from paychecks. It is completely voluntary. Argosy, Lawrenceburg, Hamilton Co., and the state of KY all use their services. They offer life events legal plans, wills, monitoring services, restoration services etc. The company is a 35-year old NYSE company. They pay $250,000/month to IN attorneys to have coverage in this state for those who sign up. Messmore is to take charge of this and see if there is enough interest among employees. [NOTE: This sounds like a legal version of an HMO- i.e. an LMO]

3. Lawrenceburg Bridge Information- the flyover and simulation of the new bridge over Tanners Creek was presented to commissioners by a copy obtained by Thompson and Listerman. Cost over $20 million- close to 26 million per Cunningham at that meeting last week. Construction per Thompson was to start in early 2008 to be completed by late 2009 with only 30 days of down time for the connections to the current US 50.

4. Chris McHenry presented along with Chuck Whiting the new Historical Society President. Whiting was affiliated with Cinti Museum Center previously. They requested their annual $10,000 to be part of the commissioners budget as it was in previous years. Commissioners agreed. Historical Society provides services free of charge and is volunteer run. Thompson motioned Fox 2nd to add to Commissioners budget. All ayes.

5. A police officer appeared sometime during the middle of the meeting.

6. Messmore- presented FYI to commissioners regarding brick exchanges from back to front of jail to get matching façade to repair the wreck damage to the building earlier this year.
The insurance company will go after the driver for the $5,000 deductible also.

7. Todd Listerman – Transportation Director took nearly 30 minutes to get contracts signed for the bids approved for trucks, striping, bed liners, salt boxes, etc.
2 vehicles plus extra 3 years on warranties to 5 years for $136,048 awarded to Freightliner.
Kaffenberger Trucking awarded for bedliners, stainless salt boxes and spreaders for $67.540
Three bridges to prepare designs and contract bids to Structurepoint (formerly ACE) for $50,000- this includes Sagamaw, Salt Fork, and Johnson Fork Bridges.
Listerman will seek Council approval to use the cum bridge fund as back-up money for the Tripple Whipple construction until INDOT and state reimburse our 80%. They have $700,000 and $1.2 million in funds- and it won’t go nearly far enough for the county’s needs per Listerman.
Listerman noted that cost of construction went up 10-15,000 in the last 2 years.

8. Pickens – tax sales contracts signed with SRI- same as last year. Minutes and claims approved with one question from Thompson regarding per diems.
He asked about DCRSD Chairman Hankins getting per diems to attend meetings for Commissioners, Council, Conservancy District, and Lawrenceburg to request sewer funding.
Pickens said he doesn’t think others have ever used the per diems for that but that their boards allow it. Even commissioners can get per diems and mileage for trips to Indy etc. Hughes said it’s nice to know it’s available though he hasn’t used it. [NOTE: Fehrman attended some of those meetings with Hankins- did he charge a per diem also?]

9. Ewbank- No new lawsuits.

10. Fox- Animal Control Board asked for Det. Dave Schneider- worked with canine unit, loves animals, hunts, etc- to fill the unexpired term of Teresa Voltz. Commissioners approved. Thompson said he’d like to see more information on appointees as they are “hiring” them essentially for a time. Fox agreed- and said this board isn’t used to providing that yet.

11. Hughes said that a member of the Advisory Board to the Master Plan wanted to speak earlier and as chair, he would like to hear him now. He asked Mark Hall to speak. Mark said to Pickens: Cary, now that you have a cop here, is it safe for me to go to the podium?
[NOTE: Hall had gone to the hallway after the first item on the agenda and Pickens was in Messmore’s office calling the sheriff’s dept to get a cop over to the meeting. Hall told him it wasn’t really necessary to call the police and Pickens had replied that they are supposed to be there anyway. The question is why are cops supposed to be there?
The commissioners (I’m assuming Pickens was acting on their behalf again) must feel threatened by activists who have only demonstrated their resolve to settle issues and no behavior has ever occurred to justify the need for physical force. OR perhaps commissioners wish to intimidate the citizens. The cops have to comply with commissioner’s requests- this is not their doing. I sometimes feel like I have to check my calendar when I come home to remind myself that this is Lawrenceburg 2007 and not Berlin 1938.]
Mark Hall asked when West had signed up to be on the agenda. Hughes said he thought Friday- but asked Messmore- and Messmore said it was yesterday. (Monday) Hall asked that if citizens have to get on a week in advance, how can they get on agenda when this is allowed. Fox said it was a forgone conclusion that we were going to table it. [NOTE: Now how would ANYONE know that? He’s only one commissioner- and when items get added a day ahead or even on the meeting itself citizens have no way of finding these last minute changes out. The county website never seems to be working right- when this happens. You’d think the county would have better control over their technology in this day and age.]

Ewbank chimed in at this point and said the chair has the prerogative to recognize citizens.
Hall said- but we can’t be assured we’ll be recognized. He asked again if it can be finalized a week before- the system as it’s working now is not cut and dried. Some people are getting on the agenda late. Was this urgent with DCEDI?
Hughes- not really.
Hall- we need to be fair to the citizens- when the cows are all out it’s too late to ask to fix the fence. He ended by asking the commissioners to re-evaluate this process.

Meeting adjourned at 8:30 PM

Christine Brauer Mueller
Lawrenceburg Township