By KEN ALEXANDER
Council Minutes
The October, the Hamilton County Council meeting started with an Executive Session, then a work session for the Council, and finished with our regularly scheduled meeting.
The purpose of the separate meetings is spelled out by Indiana Code. Executive Sessions provide the opportunity for the Council to discuss and strategize about private matters such as collective bargaining, litigation, security, the purchase or lease of real estate, and economic development negotiations. Work sessions are small, public group meetings that allow for deeper conversations and dialogue regarding county affairs.
While I cannot divulge the items discussed in the Executive Session, the work session involved two topics. The first was the appointee portal process and the second was a review and discussion of County Council Rules. The County Council rules are simply a formal document about how the Council will conduct its business. It merely put into writing what is generally done today with a few tweaks for appointments and committee duties.
Regarding the Council appointee process, the appointee portal was designed to consider annual appointments, not unplanned vacancies. We agreed that the portal will accept applications through Nov. 15. These applications and lists will be distributed to Council members and votes will occur at the December Council meeting, as has been the general process in the past. We are hopeful that the use of this appointee portal will increase participation by people in the county. It can be accessed at this link.
The regularly scheduled Council meeting was dominated by three public hearings.
The first related to the General Obligation Bond Series, Ordinance No. CC08032022-A, to cover projects discussed at the previous Council meeting. This was approved without any public comments which authorizes the County to issue the bond.
The second public hearing related to appropriation for these bonds when they are received. It was Ordinance No. CC08032022-B. This also was passed without comment from the public.
The last public hearing was for the 2023 budget. Due to changes at the state with respect to how the highway department is funded, our budget appears to be out of balance, but that was part of our fiscal plan as we spend down some budget line items and take on deferred maintenance projects. Our goal is to ultimately move toward a program that is tracking metrics regarding project costs, maintenance, and general review of financial planning to better serve our County.
Another general obligation bond (2022-B) was brought up during new business. This bond is specifically for the long overdue Hamilton County Women’s Shelter, which currently has a Request for Information (RFI) on the street looking for developers, constructors, and operators. This project is designed to provide a safe space for victims of domestic violence, which exploded during the response to the pandemic. As we understand, Hamilton County is one of the only counties in Indiana of similar size to not have a victim’s shelter.
The Council suspended the rules to vote on authorizing the bond issuance but did not act on the appropriation as that will require a public hearing, and the council was adamant about understanding the complete scope of the project before appropriating money for the project. This was in the county’s best interest as it allowed for us to fulfill some requirements that were built into the 2023 fiscal plan. This bond will also benefit from being issued before another rate hike.
There were a few projects that were funded as part of the normal course of business, but I wanted to take a moment to discuss the grant appropriation of $24 million in ARPA dollars to fund the Bakers Corner project. This project will provide for growth in assessed value in Hamilton County and drive commercial and industrial growth along the U.S. 31 corridor.
This is one of a few transformational projects that the county has been able to fund in partnership with the State of Indiana. We anticipate a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) from our development partner in the coming months that fits within the budget. While most are frustrated by the inflationary impact of these distributed funds, this project was identified early and will open a part of the county that is currently not served by municipal water and sewer, replace some failing septic systems in that area and provide the infrastructure to improve the U.S. 31 corridor. It will benefit the county for years and has received the full support of our Council and Commissioners.
As with every meeting, you can watch recordings or live stream meetings from our YouTube channel.
If items mentioned above are of interest, please reach out to me or any member of the County Council. As always, I am thankful that the Hamilton County Reporter for publishing my Council updates and a special thanks to you, the readers, and residents of Hamilton County, for reading it and being engaged in the discussion. Our county is better because of you all. 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. He currently serves as the Vice President of the County Council.