17 July 2007 Dearborn County Commissioners Meeting Notes
Present: Hughes, President, Fox, and Thompson.
Also Present: Pickens, Auditor, Ewbank, Attorney, and Messmore, Administrator.
A uniformed police officer was also present.
Mike Rozow - Chamber of Commerce was present in the audience.
Jim West of DCEDI removed himself from the agenda earlier. [NOTE: Does this mean he won't pesent to Council next week?]
Vieste representative- Dick Robertson was NOT present.
1. Don Townsend- Building Dept. presented a repeat hearing on a burned out house at 5345 Dutch Hollow Road to allow for notification of 2 other parties with an interest in the property- JP Morgan Chase Bank and Countrywide Home Loans. (Keaton is owner- somewhere in California- but unable to be found). Ewbank swore Townsend in again- no one was present to testify or comment for or against the demolition. There is a 60-day window for the owner to show and/or take control and demolish the home. If not- the county will take money and do it with the bill being added to the property taxes. If unpaid, the property will go for tax sale. Thompson motioned and Fox 2nd to proceed with demolishing the home in 60 days for health and safety reasons. All ayes.
2. Veterans Officer- Bill Ewbank- gave an update on the veteran’s transport van. Briefly- the new Windstar they were to obtain through donations was caught in a mess of red tape and bureaucratic rules. They had to give back donations and are back to using the 1998 Econoline van. Ewbank has volunteers to drive- and ridership has doubled, but the VA regulations are proving to be a problem. [NOTE: Would a few well –orchestrated calls and emails and letters to state and federal representatives help fix this problem for ALL VA officers?]
3. Hylant Group- the Property and Casualty Carrier for the county gave a mid-term report showing claims and costs and a reported savings of up to $45,000 this year on $265,000 total. ( It was unclear if the $265,000 was premium or something else) Loss ratio was 18% at $23,244. Fifteen suggestions were made for safety and maintenance in the county and Messmore and the Safety Committee have implemented many. The County is using the IN Municipal Ins Program with Argonaut as the carrier and Hylant/Trident as Agents.
We are carrying $1 million in insurance in case something happens to Argosy.
Thompson asked what Argosy income was- Pickens said $ 7 million from Argosy and $5 million from Lawrenceburg. It would appear we are underinsured. The insurer is looking into a quote for increasing this amount. [NOTE: This insurance covers various things (as result of flood, fire, etc), but does it covers the loss of the riverboat as in it goes out of business or declines in revenue?]
4. Todd Listerman was not present- no highway report. [NOTE: Thus a very short meeting!]
5. Claims paid and Minutes approved.
6. Messmore- Letters from Listerman to INDOT approved at last meeting were signed- requesting an option of restricting trucks to RIGHT lane only on US 50 unless turning left.
7. Messmore also presented info on replacing commissioner’s chairs as several have broken and are unsafe to sit in (they tip over) The chairs are expensive- Messmore will proceed with a not to exceed $7,000 option. They will also find lower chairs for the conference table. Fox and Thompson voted aye and Hughes Nay- he thought the chairs were comfortable.
[NOTE: Unfortunately, the public chairs will stay the same. Hopefully Messmore can take advantage of August being a big month for furniture sales.]
8. Ewbank updated commissioners on the continuing saga of Anchor Glass bankruptcy filings. They will pay the $100,000+ in real estate taxes, but the federal judge will likely disallow the personal property taxes of nearly $400,000 in an effort to keep Anchor Glass operational.
Ewbank said this was called a CRAM DOWN- as they cram it down on us- local gov’ts are treated pretty much like any other citizen creditor. [ NOTE: I suppose we could just pretend this is a $400,000 tax abatement… to keep them here in business.]
Meeting adjourned 7:10 PM
Christine Brauer Mueller
Lawrenceburg Township
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72 comments:
"Jim West of DCEDI removed himself from the agenda earlier."
Jim West must have a "strong" case for the additional $80,000.00 he requested! (Sarcasm off)
Did Ewbank or Messmore make any mention concerning the "No Enforced Sewer Hook-Up Letter?"
Mike Rozow: Our number one promoter of Dearborn County!
Has he convinced his family to move here yet?
"Vieste representative- Dick Robertson was NOT present."
For the record, Dick, Dearborn County was NOT very pleased with your deliverables!!!
There was no mention of the letter on enforced sewer hook-ups.
"There was no mention of the letter on enforced sewer hook-ups."
Well, I guess we can all understand that the potential of Dearborn County’s common, everyday citizens being FORCED into tens of thousands of dollars of debt by enforced sewer hook-ups would not be a priority for Ewbank, Messmore or, apparently, our Commissioners!
Well thankfully, if Ewbank would ever slip to the dark side and endeavors to place the financial burden of his clients’ development on the “little” guys of this County via enforced sewer hook ups, we still have an impartial, unencumbered to any of Ewbank’s conflicts of interests, Frank Kramer, Esq, ensconced as the DCRSD’s Board Attorney!
I bet he will look out for us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ewbank and Kramer?
I wonder if the two have ever met?
For the record, Dick, Dearborn County was NOT very pleased with your deliverables!!!
Generally, when "Pick-Pockets" pick the "Pockets" of their “Pick-Pocketed Victims,” they don't refer to their bounties as "DELIVERABLES."
Can West go to Council for the funding request without getting approval from the Commishes?
Oh the pickle that Ewbank and Messmore find themselves in.
They can try to postpone this hook up letter until after the election, hoping that Fox and Hughes can survive the next election cycle, thus immediately beginning their campaign against Thompson’s reelection…
…but…
…Fox and Hughes cannot squeak by in their respective reelection attempts unless they can go before the public with this letter!
All their “Brain Housing Groups” must be in a frazzle!!!
"Hey! i'm going to cali this sunday.. gonna be there for a week, this is the site i was talking about where i made the extra cash. later!"
Did Brett Fehrman find another get rich quick scheme?
Brett’s parents have to be beyond exasperated at this point!!!
Is it true that the addition Brett’s parents made to their business office, consists entirely of a “BRETT-TIME-OUT-ROOM?”
It is better to poor and Honest than to be a fool and dishonest.
Proverbs
This is so true of where the county is going "poor and honest"
Fehrman Realty?
Is there, a bigger, revolving door of "realtor-associates" in Dearborn County?
Ask yourselves why?
Is there a proverb for what the few, but influential, are doing to this once great County?
This is so true of where the county is going "poor and honest"
And as Rodney once said: WE CAN'T HAVE BOTH THE POOR AND THE DISHONEST!
THE POOR GET IN THE WAY OF THE DISHONEST!
”Jim West must have a "strong" case for the additional $80,000.00 he requested! (Sarcasm off)”
Jim West should go door to door and be forced to personally ask each and every tax payer for a handout.
Followed closely by Fehrman, Dennerline and Maxwell, demanding that each and every tax payer to support their respective fortunes.
But, could these swindlers do, face to face, to the tax payers, what they wish their attorneys to do by operation of law?
I think they all lack the testicular fortitude!
I do not understand the Brett Fehrman thing.
Why so personal?
Why so personal?
I guess you would have those who Brett is trying to force on to substandard grinder pumps and pressurized sewer lines, at bankrupting costs, to support his little subdivision on 50, not take that personally?
Brett is willing to hurt people, to reap whatever rewards he seems to be imagining.
Actions have consequences!
Brett has good and decent parents and he was raised better than he is presently acting.
That is why he is such a disappointment.
Brett could speak up tommorrow...
...make a stand against "forced" sewer line hook-ups...
...and see to it that Kramer personally drafts such a resolution...
...but he won't...
...and we all know why!
What is next? Is someone going to suggest that Fehrman is on the sewer board because he is concerned about the "septic tank and field crisis" in dearborn county? Please! The citizens that Fehrman and his buddies are willing to "squeaze" to enrich their coffers no better!
If Brett is so concerned about death by septic tank, he should issue a moratorium at his Mom and Dad’s Realty agency against the listing of any house or property that is serviced by a septic tank. I won’t hold my breath!
At least Dennerline is willing to "talk the talk and walk the walk" when it comes to paying his own way relative to sewer hook-ups!
You don't see ole Rodney using his position on the Sewer Board to get any breaks for his trailer park!
I'm sure he is demanding that he pays whatever his neighbors are being forced to pay for sewer hook-ups!
Because Rodney is a stand-up guy!
His tenure on the Sewer Board is entirely altruistic!!!!!!!!
Judge those by the company that they keep!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rodney Dennerline!
Ha! Ha!
Is there anyone who has had an encounter with Rodney who walked away with the feeling:
“THAT WAS A LIFE ENRICHING EXPERIENCE!”
I think not!
I have again requested status of the "no forced sewer hookup" letter. There have been a couple drafts; but it has not been finalized. I will continue to push for it's completion.
However. DCRSD by now knows my position and the stated position of the other two Commissioners and can at any time establish a no enforced hookup policy. This hasn't happened yet.
Ralph Thompson
Thank you Commissioner Thompson.
Is there anyone on the DCRSD who is not working some sort of personal "angle?"
And as far as the "drafts" of the "no forced sewer hook-ups" letter, geesh!
Ewbank should either write the letter, or refuse and step down!
His little school girl games are growing tiresome!
Ewbank has not quite figured out that he no longer is the puppet master! He is back to being just another shyster with all the respect due his credentials.
Boy, Jim West was sure in hurry to have Hughes place him on the agenda a day before the commissioners' meeting, two meetings back!
Now, he can not be found with a search warrant!
Maybe he suffers from one of those “Speaking before the Public” phobias?
Maybe serial meetings were not a means to by-pass public scrutiny of his plans, they were just a way to deal with his anxieties!
I do not know how most of you can be so pissed off at everthing, every person, and any potential project.
Constantly making fun of everyone, condeming everything and name calling.
There are no solutions offered with the exception of "get them out of office" and name calling.
Did you ever think that all of this name calling and constant complaining is causing this county to spiral in to a worse situation then it is. There is nothing positive about it.
Taxes will not get better if the county continues to produce nothing.
Whether you like or dislike county officials or DCEDI directions makes no difference to me.
My take is that the county is economically in bad shape and it is not getting better because nothing is getting done.
Give me some real answers and solutions other then "the realtor/developer types are screwing us".
GREAT IDEA LETS SEE HOW THE READERS RESOND
We are not against growth. We just want smart growth, where we all have some imput. Handing out tax abatements does not help this county's tax base.
Subsidizing the development of others by forcing sewer hook-ups, at extraordinary cost does not help this county's tax base.
Cuting tax payers out of the process does not help the tax base.
Annexing the entire governmental process by one group will not help the tax base.
The problem with the development crowd, is they have so confused what makes them money somehow enriches the tax payer. Not so.
Smart growth folks call this county home. They would like for their children to feel comfortable calling this county home.
Places like Northern Kentucty no longer have the original citizens living there and those that live there now do not call that their stale subdivisions, home!
Enforced sewer hook ups are an extremely hign tax placed upon the common citizen/taxpayer by the pro-development crowd! It would seem that the pro-development people have no real goal or plan of lowering our taxes! They just want to use the taxpayers to lower the pro-development's operating costs!
We keep on hearing the same tune, that development will keep our taxes down, but with all the collateral costs viewed as taxes, development is raising taxes so high that people have to take out loans to pay for all this development!
Subdivisions, unless they are made up of houses in the $350,000.00 plus range, use more tax dollars than they produce.
Having local governments offer long term tax abatements to companies moving here, does not, by its very nature and make up, produce tax dollars.
If you need government to guarantee your profits, you are in the wrong line of work!
And if you have plans for someone's community, how about including these folks in the plans up front?
Our first order of business should be in the saving of our tax dollars. To do so, we need to divorce taxpayer dollars from those who use them only to supplement their own incomes.
Government should not be the guarantor of individual business enterprises.
Can someone explain what you what by smart growth? What type of growth is smart that you would not be against.
It seems that putting development near an interstate is smart growth. The interstate would allow the county to have some industrial growth for the taxes we need. It would also keep the traffic like semi trucks off the county roads.
So I guess I just want to know what your definition of Smart Growth is.
Also the developers do not force sewer hook ups. The sewer districts and the state are doing that. I think if you are really not in favor of sewer hook ups you need to be contacting the State.
Development does not need to lower their development operating cost with any help from the tax payers. The pro-development people is trying to find ways to lower taxes by trying to bring in commercial and industrial development. But anit's want to stop everything because they don't want any type of growth.
I also want to know how many of you that believe houses under $350,000 hurt the tax base live in a house that is over that amount. If you live in a house over that amount I think you have the right to argue but if you don't leave the house prices and taxes out of your arguements.
Growth, smart or otherwise, has to be agreed upon by the citizens, not dictated by developers.
Sewer hook-ups, reading the statutory language, don’t require forced hook-ups.
Thus, by forcing sewer hook-ups, developers are using these forced hook-ups to lower their over all costs.
The $350,000.00 dollar home price to tax revenue, came about in the discussion of Brett Fehrman claiming the taxes from his subdivision would produce, would somehow pay for our new jail.
Just more lies from the development crowd how they are going to lower our taxes.
Nothing will be solved in this county as long as the developers have the only voice which is heard.
Sewer hook-ups, reading the statutory language, don’t require forced hook-ups.
Which is why Thompson, Fox and Hughes (the later two for mere short term political purposes) has requested Ewbank to draft the "No Forced Hook Up" letter!
It is pro-development, Ewbank, dragging his feet on what should be his "duty" to draft the letter demanded by the Commissioners!
We all know why Pro-Development forces in this County desire "forced hook-ups!"
And you can always be sure, when the topic of forced sewer hook-ups is mentioned, pro-development types go straight for the misdirection and lies about state forced hook-ups!
"And you can always be sure, when the topic of forced sewer hook-ups is mentioned, pro-development types go straight for the misdirection and lies about state forced hook-ups!"
As sure as the Sun rises from the East, it is equally reliable that our local realtor/developers will repeat the lie that "they have no choice, other than to force sewer hook-ups!"
"It seems that putting development near an interstate is smart growth. The interstate would allow the county to have some industrial growth for the taxes we need. It would also keep the traffic like semi trucks off the county roads."
This is something that has to be discussed openly with the folks up in the NW Quad.
The Political Market Place of Ideas is the proper place for these types of discussions...
...not in secretive meetings where only developers or those with similar interests are present.
Storms are rolling through our County.
If your electric should go out...
...will your toliets still flush?
Not if the DCRSD has its way!
If I am a developer and I come to an agreement with an owner for an option to develop a 250 Acre industrial park.
There are public approvals for things like rezoning, sewage treatment etc... and they all need to meet the codes and get approved. This is where you have the right to say something.
But as a private business you do not need to know what property owner I am speaking to.
Nobody cares who you are talking to.
But some in the local development industry have had a hard time with keeping public matters before the public.
And if public monies are being invested and spent, the public should be the first to know what is going on, not the last. As what happened in the Northwest Quadrant.
Let us hope that is a thing of the past.
"...will your toliets still flush?"
Only in Dearborn County is something called progress that is in reality a step back in functionality.
If I do obtain the 250 Acres along I-74 and go through all of the approvals and an Industrial Park is built how do you feel about that?
Don't Give me an answer about secret meetings.
Thanks to wood heat, my family was able to tough it out this last winter when the snow and ice storms left us without electric for almost 6 days.
I guess we would have had to spend a fortune on a motel if we had to rely on grinder pumps to flush our waste!
If I do obtain the 250 Acres along I-74 and go through all of the approvals and an Industrial Park is built how do you feel about that?
If everything is done, out in open and you can get whatever approvals you need, more power to you.
Nobody likes to see farmland blacktopped over, but sometimes the dice do not fall your way.
But it has to be a "public" process.
Which cannot happen behind closed doors (See, I said closed doors and you did not melt!!!).
Now, what are your feeling about enforced sewer hook-up and don't give me the answer about State mandated hook-ups.
There, we both dictated to the other!
TGIf...question for you. let me know your address on this blog site. I will put the area on the map to the commishes as an area to develop. No? Why not? You want "smart grwoth", but not next to you? Black top, heavy trucks, dust, pollution, noise...etc. How about a bar/strip club next to your house? The inbreeds of the County would love to hang around your place and litter the area where you live. Oh, so it's ok for you to say "smart growth" is where I live, but not where you live.
We are surrounded by counties and cities ripe with industrial parks and the like. What is wrong with remaining a bit different than our neighbors? What is there to be gained by every bit of highway and byway all looking the same with these glass and cement monuments to tedium and monotony?
I live in the centeral park of the County. If commercial or idnustrial development was smart growth where I live, I would be fine with that.
I don't think there is anything wrong with wanting to be different than the areas around us, but there are things that we should be doing to insure that are taxed don't go up and to make sure we are on solid ground if the boat were to leave town.
If I do obtain the 250 Acres along I-74 and go through all of the approvals and an Industrial Park is built how do you feel about that?
Don't Give me an answer about secret meetings.
I believe your question was answered, now, what your thoughts on enforced sewer hook-ups?
"to insure that are taxed don't go up "
We don't need to turn our county into another Northern Kentucky to assure our tax base.
And we certainly cannot rely on the developers word that their projects will be net gains for the tax base.
How many hundreds of thousands of dollars has been spent of the taxpayers dollars to cheerlead for various development interests of this county?
Should not that type of business expense be borne by development itself?
We spent over $300,000.00 of tax payer money to have Vieste tell us that we could build industrial parks where farmland now sits.
How many billable hours did it take to come up with such a novel idea?
Maybe, if development is left to grow naturally, from already developed areas out, we could grow in a more measured and sustainable manner.
Throwing taxpayers' money away to quicken the "natural" course of development has proven to be folly.
If I do obtain the 250 Acres along I-74 and go through all of the approvals and an Industrial Park is built how do you feel about that?
Don't Give me an answer about secret meetings.
I believe your question was answered, how about an answer concerning enforced sewer hook-ups?
Or do you only bark orders?
"Or do you only bark orders?"
Looks like tough guy or gal left to go out baseball batting farmers' mailboxes!!!
It is safe to say he or she just loves the whole idea of sticking it to the little guy and forcing him on sub-par sewer lines to subsidize his business interests!!!
Maybe, he or she should invest in TAR & FEATHERS FUTURES!!!
Or do you only bark orders?
Two-way conversations, with those who may not be of like mind, scare these folks...
...they so miss their cozy, intimate serial meetings!
Two-way conversations, with those who may not be of like mind, scare these folks...
Now that these would-be development "tycoons'" political fortunes are changing for the worse, they do seem to be getting a little testy.
TGIF, based on developers ideas you live in a growth area. Why not have"smart growth" where you live? Or is there no more trailers allowed in the park?
Face it, anywhere a farm is for sale is considered a growth area to these developers.
A growth area crying out for a zone change to multi-family, quarter acre lot sized subdivisions or needing to be zone commercial.
That is the developers' idea of "smart growth!"
Dearbonr COunty
What a great place to raise your children.
No place for them work.
No place for them to build a home.
No place for them to stay.
No reason for them to be here.
People, get over your selfishness
People, get over your selfishness
Spare us drama queen!
I know of no one without a job.
I know of no Realty Office that has no homes to sell.
I know of people who are here and who love it.
Realtor/Developers, get over your greed!
People, let us bulldoze our entire rural landscape...
...our Realtors, Developers, Bankers and Lawyers will not feel completely fulfilled until we do!
If people long for all the asphalt, cement and glass, Northern Kentucky is just a bridge trip away!!!
Maybe the DCEDI should go into the business of publishing maps of congested, crowded and homogeneous areas that are within a short driving distance of picturesque Dearborn County!!!
Then we all could have the best of both worlds!!!
”What a great place to raise your children.”
Oh Criminy Christmas Cathy, you act as if we are raising our kids in the middle of some remote, Appalachian like squalor of a shanty-town, with our children all on the dole, subsisting on government cheese, with nowhere to work or live!
You are hyperventilating for God’s sake!!!
"no reason for them to be here"
Who is this crackhead? Are you serious? Speak out of your mouth and not out of your ---!
"What a great place to raise your children."
Dearborn County has become the place where people come to get away from subdivisions, strip malls and industrial parks that your type keep trying to push off on us!!!
If people come to Dearborn County to get away from subdivisions, then where do they live?
In a subdivision.
Hey, if someone wants to move to Dearborn County, what gives you the right to tell them no?
Where will your chilren live?
In a subdivision.
You people live in some sort of "Happy World" as if no change is always going to be the best for everybody.
”Hey, if someone wants to move to Dearborn County, what gives you the right to tell them no?”
What gives you to the right unilaterally change zoning laws and to refuse to follow the Planning Commission's dictates as to your approved developments?
What gives you the right to have your political stooges force others on substandard sewer lines to lower your expenses and to raise your profits for you personal projects?
What gives you the right to make drastic additions to our communities, costing the taxpayers thousands upon thousands of dollars in infrastructure costs, without impact fees paid by you and your development enthusiasts?
In your "Happy Little World," you want to own our politicians, rig our elections and browbeat all those who don't share your particular vision of the future of this County!
Pay your own way, refrain from trying to abuse the political process and quit lecturing those you expect to bear many of the costs of your developments!
Subdivisions will come to Dearborn County, just not at the pace some of our local realtor/developers would like and not at the expense of those who are already living here.
It will have to be gradual and at a pace existing and reasonable proposed infrastructure can absorb.
I'm sorry if that so perturbs those selfish enough, who would have us all subsidize their personal fortunes.
Everyone! Everyone! Everyone!
OPEN UP YOUR CHECKBOOKS!
The spoiled and pampered of this County deem we should bankroll all their self-seeking dreams!
The mollycoddled yearn for your grandparents and your children to finance their dreams!
Gone are the days, where self-sufficiency rules the business realm.
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