By KEN ALEXANDER
Council Minutes
Fall is my favorite time of year. Having spent the majority of my childhood in either Colorado or Virginia, I got the full spectrum of colors, temperatures and weather. Indiana is no different. We get the color changes in the fall foliage and the temperatures are generally perfect. It is kind of like the calm before the storm.
Hamilton County Council is a bit like that too. Our Council activity is full of meetings, closing out projects, beginning projects, updating next year’s budgets with new information, and the inevitable beginning of election campaign season.
In 2022, the County Council district representatives are up for election. In years past, that has usually meant that the Council steers clear of potentially polarizing actions. Not this year. This Council has made it clear that it intends to be willing to tackle the difficult topics and act when others might have delayed. I’m proud to be a member of this body.
If you looked at the Council agenda last week, you would have seen it was packed. Standard things had some extras that might go unnoticed.
One of the more mundane items I mention regularly is the approval of grant appropriations. This month was the first appropriation of grants associated with the ARPA funding provided by the federal government to the county. This comes across as a very simple approval, but the effort to get the information, prioritize the asks, and then move them forward has taken many, many meetings.
Knowing this was going to be a Herculean effort, the Council created an ARPA Committee with the sole purpose of reviewing grant applications, discussing pros and cons, and making recommendations to Council, which is generally followed by a pretty simple vote. The effort that our Auditor’s office and other departments have put into this is monumental.
That committee includes two standing members (Brad Beaver and Sue Maki) and three rotating members. I am part of the rotating members along with Amy Massillamany and Steve Nation. We will have new ARPA grant appropriations regularly over the next year. This month’s appropriations included a White River opportunity, a workforce initiative, and two sewer and water projects.
For many years, our county has been reluctant to use financing on projects. With the parking garage approved earlier this year, we have seen the benefit of using this type of funding tool. Since then, we have refinanced existing bonds that date back decades to benefit the taxpayers.
One item on this month’s agenda presented by the Commissioner’s attorney, Mike Howard, was the refinancing of the 2014 purchase of hangars and the office complex at the Hamilton County Airport. This refinancing will save taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars. In addition, it was reported that Hamilton County is now the only county in Indiana to have a AAA bond rating. As we look forward to the needs of our residents and businesses, we are also looking into our past to find creative solutions to save our county money.
This month, Purdue Extension presented the 4-H Fairground’s master plan. As you may know, this project was initially looked at pre-COVID and we were forced to put the brakes on that effort due to the pandemic. The county has put minimal improvements into the 4-H Fairgrounds over the past 20-plus years. For many communities, the fairgrounds provide ample space for tourism through convention opportunities and events. Our fairgrounds are far behind many other communities as it pertains to technology and many of the buildings have outlived their useful life as supported by the subject matter experts. The Council had already agreed to support some drainage work and technology, but we know that there is a bigger capital ask. The extension stated that they wanted to use this time to reacquaint the Council with the long-range plan and will work to put priorities when they come back in front of Council.
The last item of note was the financial support of the County Efficiency Study. KPMG is widely respected as the leader in governmental efficiency reviews. They have no ties to anyone and can provide a fair and balanced look at our county. I’m thrilled to have the support of the Sheriff’s office and the Criminal Justice System as a whole for participating in this effort. I know our teams are doing great work and have wonderful leadership, but our goal is to help them see across departmental boundaries and offer a fresh perspective.
In the end, I expect that Sheriff Quakenbush (who has an MBA) will have glowing reports for their ability to handle the increases in activity, an expanded jail and an added court all while hearing the negativity that permeates from the national news. I’m proud to report that this is not the sentiment in our county and certainly not on this Council.
The KPMG efficiency study passed unanimously and we are getting started with a kick-off meeting in the next week.
Council has been a truly wonderful experience. I’ve learned a great deal about our county and the people who serve. I’ve seen other governmental bodies also providing overwhelming service to their communities and want to take this time to recognize one in particular.
For most readers of the Hamilton County Reporter, you will already know that Danielle Carey Tolan was just named Trustee of the Year. Her efforts to support people through COVID and her leadership to administer the $18 million federal grant for the Hamilton County Emergency Rental Assistance Program (HC ERAP) was only one of the many accolades that were noted.
I bring up Danielle because throughout 2020, I participated in weekly coordination meetings where she was working throughout the county on making sure food pantries were stocked, people had shelter and were being supported as needed. Her work in supporting the county was an ideal partnership because of her willingness to cross those invisible lines of political boundaries to get the job done.
It is my belief that through coordinated efforts between our governmental bodies, we can deliver the most efficient and best solutions for taxpayers. I’m proud to call her my friend and my Trustee. Thank you, Danielle. Westfield Washington Township and the county as a whole are proud of you.
Thanks again for reading this update. My goal with these monthly columns is to inform you of county-level issues. I’ve received some wonderful feedback and will continue to write. I have been participating in a number of events these past few weeks and hope that people will let me know so I can plug them when appropriate. I welcome your questions at ken.alexander@hamiltoncounty.in.gov.
Ken Alexander is serving in his first term on the Hamilton County Council, representing District 4, which includes Adams and Washington townships, and part of Clay Township.