Welcome to The Timesheet. This column is a report of work done on behalf of the people of Hamilton County. It’s to be informative, too – a place to learn about projects and how our county government works.
As your employee, it’s important to me that you know what is being worked on as transparently as possible in county government. You hired me as your County Councilman, and my hope is that you will choose to be informed by regularly reading this column, getting involved, considering volunteering, and by asking questions.
Council meetings are at 7 p.m. the first Wednesday of every month at the Hamilton County Government and Judicial Center in downtown Noblesville. Meetings are also available to watch online for those unable to attend in person.
Here is where my time this past month has been spent.
In addition to the County Council public meetings, February work included: watching Board of Commissioners’ public meetings, meeting with the interim CEO of Riverview from Parkview Health, a review of the Council website updates, a meeting with Carmel City Council member Rich Taylor, a meeting with Jackson Township Board candidate Eric Scherer, and a Council Caucus session.
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The in-person February personnel committee meeting was canceled in lieu of a poll of the voting committee members. The poll addressed five position requests for reclassification from the Auditor’s Department and one reclassification from the Community Corrections department.
All requests were approved after committee members reviewed the supporting documentation which included studies from our outside vendor. Interestingly, one reclassification resulting in an expense reduction of over $7,000. The requests were moved on to the full council for a final approval vote.
The finance committee did not meet this past month. The insurance committee did not meet this past month.
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During February I received eight constituent service requests and communications. Several families living near the intersection of Pleasant Street and Cherry Tree Road contacted me regarding the speed limit along Cherry Tree Road and its intersection with the new Pleasant Street Parkway. After driving through the area myself, I contacted Brad Davis of the Highway Department to discuss both issues. The area is on a list of county roads that will undergo a formal speed test. There are no immediate plans to resurface Cherry Tree that I could discover (City of Noblesville or Hamilton County).
A constituent reached out asking me a question about the HCRUD (Hamilton County Regional Utility District). He was under the impression that the county was spending $50,000 a month on dog food using it as a biological agent in the facility while HCRUD awaits enough connections to no longer need any additive. After researching the question and speaking with the Auditor’s Office to verify expenses and with the head of the HCRUD, the county is using an additive named Smart B.O.D. which is used to feed and support the biological floc (biomass in activated sludge systems). For 2025 and so far in 2026 the district has spent $18,600 in total.
Another constituent reached out asking if he could connect to the HCRUD. After researching the location, I connected him to the head of the Utility District where they planned for his connection as the lines come through his area.
A family reached out asking for advice on an issue with their HOA. They feel as though their HOA was selectively enforcing rules rather than universally applying them to all homeowners in their Noblesville neighborhood. Specifically, they asked about county or city zoning overriding the HOA and about litigation.
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Lastly, it was an honor to represent you this month at the Pizza and Punchlines event produced by Crossroads Church.
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Of special note this month was the briefing that council received from John Bowen, the interim CEO of Riverview Health. As a reminder, the county purchased property from Riverview for $17 million and created a secured debt refinance package that allowed Riverview Health to continue operations.
Turning around a county hospital is an enormous challenge, and I’m happy to report that the new leadership has made and continues to make substantive improvements to operations, personnel, reimbursements, and processes. As my grandpa used to say, “It ain’t soup yet,” but I can tell you that the changes made so far have the confidence of many that the team brought in from Parkview to consult is well on the way to ensuring Riverview will be healthy for a long time to come.
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This is my timesheet. This is where my time went during February 2026. While my job is primarily the financial oversight of the county budget, it is important that I understand the Board of Commissioners’ priorities and balance them with the stewardship of taxpayer dollars. That is the job, and I am excited to do the people’s business.
As a taxpayer myself, and listening to so many of you, our employers, it’s important for the taxpayers to have access to all the information you want. I work for you, and although you may not choose to do a deep dive into what your County Council does, it’s important that you can always do so.
Feel free to contact me at (317) 832-1104 or mark.hall@hamiltoncounty.in.gov with questions, feedback, or if you would like to talk about county business.