14 June 2022 Dearborn County Council Meeting Notes
Present: Liz Morris, President, Dennis Kraus. Sr., Dan Lansing, Kevin Turner, Tim Doll, Alan Goodman, and Glenn Wright.
Also present: Connie Fromhold, Auditor, Leah Bailey, Comptroller, and Sue Hayden, County Administrator
Title VI Statement read as legally required
TAX ABATEMENT- Mohr Capital- Dave Deddens presented for DC Redevelopment Commission. Proposed Economic Development project in West Harrison TIF district. $25 million. Wheatley Group worked out that it will have another $19million in jobs. Mohr Capital says a real property tax abatement is critical to this. Doug Swain is participating via phone for Mohr Capital.
Jeff Kroeger of Colliers- Class A structure being built. July 2025 is completion date for the project. Break ground this year and have 12-18 months to finish the building.
Council members asked questions to clarify particulars.
Andrea Ewan said they are only asking for the real property abatement. Tenants may ask for another abatement. The EDA is transferrable to a new owner should Mohr sell it.
Morris- Council is being asked to approve the abatement for the land and the building- not any contents.
Doll - asked about restrictions- Jeff-There are some restricted uses for the space- no alcohol or whiskey barrels for example. Have to sell or lease got tenants that have at least 25 jobs for at least $18/hr. Looking for someone like a Cintas or Schneider Electric etc.
Morris said it speaks volumes that the DCRC has vetted this. Mohr has a good track record.
Turner- this property has been empty for about 10 years while DCRC owned it.
Wright- Mohr knows there is a flood plain on part of this?- Yes- and they are buying the property - “as is.”
Turner - thinks that this is a favorable position for us. Jeff- There is a lot in info coming in about how Intel is setting up around Columbus.
Turner- motioned to adopt the resolution for the tax abatement. 2nded and all ayes. Approved.
Morris said- this looks like its a win for the county and she’s very excited about it.
ADDITIONALS:
COMMISSIONERS- Eric Hartman- presented.
HVAC Replacement-boiler is at least 37 years old and it had been switched to the Juvenile center. Basic equipment is the chiller etc. Why is the sq ft so much more for the Juvenile center than the arm building. Mark Frost- PE Juvenile center will have 2 boilers now so there is a redundancy should one go out. He was not sure where the sq footage numbers came from. Adm is on the roof so a crane has to be brought in to place it. The other is on the ground. It is general practice in Indiana to have 2 boilers as one could fail and it is critical to have it for heat.The 2 units each handle 75% of the load.
Goodman noted that redundancy is important when there is precious cargo ( vulnerable people) like kids in the juvenile center.
Morris wants to use Fund 1138 for the Juvenile Center as that fund can only handle one of these items.
Juvenile Center- HVAC $277,953 1001/1136/4915 - Goodman motioned for using Fund 1138 and it was 2nded. Approved with Wright and Kraus NAYS.
Administration Building-$367,847.04 1001/1136/4914/4915- A/C- Chillers needed here. The old ones lasted 28 years. Warranty is 5 years for total warranty on this per Mark Frost, PE. Kraus asked about guaranteed savings on this. They did not have that number on them. New units are all air cooled- no cooling tower. Wright motioned out of Cum Courthouse Fund- 2nded. Approved.
Window Replacement-$884,168.52 1001/1136- It was1988 when the last window replacement occurred per Hartman. Biggest problem is the seals that are broken. The seals broke on windows and on all 4 sides of the courthouse. They are doing special things abut the 8 stained glass windows. There are 61 regular windows. This glass will be highest class and thicker glass as some of them are 10 ft tall. Warranty for them is long- 20 years. Windows lead time is about 8 weeks now. They build them as they need them. Installer is from the west side of Cincinnati. There is some energy savings out of this- but it doesn’t pay for itself. They have talked to the Historic Preservation Society. The grid has to be on the outside of the glass. The windows do not open and closed.Turner motioned to approve this out of Cum Courthouse, 2nded. 4 yeses and 3 nays from Kraus, Lansing, and Wright- due to the cost of these. Passes.
AUDITOR-
Minutes- approved from the last meeting. Connie said she needed people due to turnover and wants a 10% bump for the people making $32-33,000. They keep losing them to the Courthouse She lost 2/7 in the last month. Courthouse and Community Corrections have grants to pay them more. Kraus- We can’t pay our employees a living wage and yet we have those expensive windows- that’s bull cr#@. Council voted to increase the salaries that Fromhold and Bailey have selected.
Health Department grants-Lead & Covid Vaccine related funding projects. - not addressed.
Public Comment- none
Meeting adjourned at6:08 PM
Christine Brauer Mueller
Lawrenceburg Township
