9 June 2025 Dearborn County Redevelopment Meeting Notes

 

9 June 2025 Dearborn County Redevelopment Meeting Notes

Present: Jim Deaton, Chairman, Dennis Kraus,Jr.,Tom Tepe, Trevor Bischoff, Jordan Hoffman, Jim Mansfield,Doug Baker.  

ABSENT:Daryl Cutter (non- voting school board member)

Also present: Sue Hayden, county administrator and minute taker, Connie Fromhold, Auditor and DCRC treasurer.

ABSENT: Anthony Smart, attorney

Title VI statement read as legally required.

EXECUTIVE SESSION @ 4:45 p.m. 

IC §5-14-1.5-6.1(b) (2) (D) which pertains to discussing strategy with the respect to the purchase or lease of real property by the governing body up to the time a contract or option to purchase or lease is executed by the parties

Memorandum for Executive Session- The Board certified that they only discussed what was advertised in executive session.

Action from Executive Session-  No action from the session. 

Approval of Minutes for April 14, 2025 Meeting- Approved.

CLAIMS: Drake Lawn Service -3 invoices $3,355.00 for mowing and work on W. Harrison and Aurora properties:  Smart Law $4,460.00 legal service Feb 1 thru April 14; Bayer Becker $240 working w/Railroad; Indiana & Ohio Railroad $1,621.50 Moore Lane Project; Intera $24,526.80 for WWTP Project      TOTAL: $36,788.30 - Approved

SEE VOUCHER REGISTER FOR APPROVAL OF FUNDS 

FINANCIALS :Review

OLD BUSINESS:

Bright TIF Project Deaton said in the past Bayer Becker gave them a list of the problems they were dealing with and a list of recommendations. We intend to continue with this. Business Park Drive has to be done to county specs- curbs and gutters replaced, Storm outlets near Picnic Drive, etc. This is why they established the TIF. He said they want to talk about requesting Bayer and Becker get a task order to fix these things. Kraus reminded them that they will not have TIF money until next year. Deaton said Fund 4931 and the Growth and Development Fund can be used for this purpose.  Tepe and Hoffman asked about cost. $32,000 was estimate for First Task per Rosenberger of Bayer Becker. He passed out his task list. He said he needs to update some of this. There does need to be more than just surface overlay for those streets. Kraus told Rosenberger about the House Bill passed that said if the lot is less than an acre they do not have to adhere to MS4. He also told the board that they get calls every year about storm water issues. 

Mansfield also mentioned the church there also has drainage issues. Rosenberger said he and Listerman talked to the Drews to work out a plan for Merrilees Hardware and the road. TABLED until next meeting for Rosenberger to get with Kraus to work on drainage plan.   

Bright Meadows Park Pledge - Resolution 2025-004- to authorize the DCRC to give $100,000 that they pledged last fall for the match for Bright Meadows Park grant. Approved and signed.

NEW BUSINESS

Letter and Resolution 2025-003 for Capturing 2026 Tax Increments-  annually this is done. Approved and signed. Sue Hayden will mail them tomorrow as they have to be mailed by June 15th. 

Cushman & Wakefield market update annual presentation- Tom  McCormack introduced Jeff Bender and daughter Chloe (??)  Bender his partners. Jeff Bender presented. He brought brochures and commented that mailing brochures is not done much anymore. Four page brochure. Developers do come in and need to take time and there were some false starts, pandemics etc. They do electronic marketing. They work with Mike Pereleberg. He showed 15,000 persons in their data bases. They get this out every 30 days to show our numbers. Their bounce rate is low on emails, which is good. There is no version of the residential MLS that is electronic. There are some other ways lie Costar. Basic listing and also silver listings. This shows that over 4600 are looking at these. Selling property is a lengthy process. Many people cannot visualize this and so they take an existing building. Vacancy rate is about 5-6%. Absorption rate is climbing. 2021 and 2022 were over-ramping. Now we are seeing dramatically less absorption. That means more buildings that are back on the market. 2023 had a lot of space in spec buildings. Almost no one is building those now. Cushman Wakefield has 110 staff- and globally many more. He talked about their relationships ups and downs thru the years. Gibidon Flavoring had looked at a property here. Dyke Industries was a success here. Manufacturing space in Greater Cincinnati is 34% of the spaces. Manufacturing creates jobs and gets people here.  More inquiries about people bringing their business to the US. Suspects there will be an increase - just not sure how much. Labor stats are good here in the region. West Harrison location is good, site does not need much grading.The fact that the site is owned by the DCRC makes for less of a hurdle. Proximity to the I-75 is a driver. Labor studies done and try to make them understand the drive times here are less than in more congested urban areas.  Dyke industries is up to 80 employees.   

US 50 Business Park Covenants- This will be covered at next meeting when Anthony Smart is available. 

BAYER BECKER REPORT- Mark Rosenberger

West Harrison I-74 EB Ramp- Rosenberger- This will be a Maintenance project by 2040 per INDOT. Perleberg said they reminded them that DCRC had committed funds for 10% of funds to get their attention. Project is about $3 million. Hoffman said that all agencies are losing revenue now. Not any further on this. We are on the INDOT list for this project. 

West Harrison Moore Drive and Railroad Crossing- They met with a RR representative. That has been passed to the project manager for the RR. The road master- Mike Reece- was there. They did keep the project moving. This has to be done and certified before projects. There is a whole document in packets for TASK 5A. There are additional fees for this not in the list per Rosenberger. This will cover the next step on improving that RR crossing. Deaton asked for approval to come out of West Harrison TIF. There is an error in the document. That Rosenberger apologized for. This will let it to the bidding. This just gets the boundary topographic survey and geotechnical investigation. Mansfield moved to approve Task Order 5A. Sue Hayden reminded them of the  correction needed to the 5A document. Scope of work is accurate but cover sheet needs to be corrected per Perleberg. With that happening the Board approved it for Deaton’s signature later.

West Harrison INDOT Clearing Permit and Billboard Permit- Rosenberger- we do not have any permits from INDOT. Norton- the billboard company. The did find some paperwork from the 1960s. This is in order to get the brush cleared for visibility. Perleberg- you have 3 choices. Keep persisting- Let them be as they are today, or if you have clear ROW- demolish them. Dyke Industries has a sign on their building there anyway. Will bring this in again next month. He wil call Norton again perhaps. 

ONE DEARBORN REPORT- Mike Perleberg

Annual Presentation to Taxing Units- anyone can request a digital copy of this. He noted the board now has 7 members, meets on Monday night at 5 or extra times if needed. All the taxing units get a copy of this. 

Kelso TIF- expires in 2036 and there is a bullet point plan for it.

West Aurora TIF-  expanded in 2020 for Kaiser Pickles. 

West Harrison and Whitewater Mill Allocation area are together. Expanded in 2015 and 2021. Dyke will expire later than 2036. This is one of the larger TIF districts by parcel. The Mill TIF expires in 2039. Smaller but most lucrative of the TIFs. Bond paid off scheduled in 2029.

Bright TIF - Largest TIF by parcel - its many small parcels. No TIF money yet. There are quality of life and public safety items in this one. 

READI 2.0 grant update- Perleberg said this is a holding pattern. Before we submit parcel for this grant they will have Bayer Becker work on task 5A

ATTORNEY’S REPORT- none- Smart was absent.
OTHER BUSINESS- Sue Hayden- 2026 budget is due early this year and this is due to Auditor by July 3rd. Increased legals to $20,000 and decrease the professional expert fees to $50,000. This kept the budget the same money wise. Only changes to be made. If more is needed - you can ask for an appropriation. The TIF money is NOT in the budget. Approved and signed the budget.
PUBLIC COMMENT-none

ADJOURNMENT - 6:35 PM

Christine Brauer Mueller

Lawrenceburg Township