By KEN ALEXANDER
Council Minutes
I trust everyone is having a joyous and productive summer. It was nice to see the July 4th gatherings, parades, and fireworks as we celebrated our nation’s birthday. It was a special time.
For those that traveled like my family, we got the chance to see how other states have adapted in this post-pandemic world. Absence can make the heart grow fonder. Our separation only reinforced the truth that we live in an amazing county in a great state. Adult vaccine rates are above 75 percent here in Hamilton County, which is 25 percent more than Indiana overall. Businesses are open to full capacity. Mask mandates are gone with businesses making their own policies.
The County Council agenda for last week was rather involved. Much of the activity was follow-up from events and subcommittee meetings over the past month. There were the typical grant appropriations, funding for revisions to employee pay and the project appropriations. I’m going to take this time to talk about all three and want to end with a statement with regards to what others are stating in the paper about roles and responsibilities.
One item that was on the agenda is a reoccurring appropriation that we have every July. It involves a six-month additional appropriation for the state grant to support pretrial supervision. The question you might ask is why can’t this be done during budget time? The fiscal calendar for the State Supreme Court and Hamilton County are not aligned. This means that every year we appropriate the remaining half of the grant from the year before and wait for the next year to fulfill the balance of that grant. I’m sure for counties not in as strong a financial position as Hamilton County that this can be frustrating.
I reached out to Stephanie Ruggles, Director of Pretrial Services, before our council meeting and asked if this was ever going to change because the new agreement attached indicated an extra six months. I am happy to report that starting in 2022, the State Supreme Court will revert to the same fiscal calendar as our county. The lack of coordination is sad but inevitable without better collaboration with other government entities. More on that later.
The sheer amount of 144 amendments (payroll and employee classification changes) is frustrating for every county councilor. Most are reclassification of employees that changes budget projections, but there are others that are done to hire new people or create new positions.
This month, we had one that was directly tied to succession management. The Clerk’s office sought to create a new Office Administrator role which will be funded primarily with a vacant position. This request is a welcome one as the Clerk recognizes that she has some senior people retiring in the next few years. This new administrator will work alongside the Chief Deputy until her retirement so the transition is seamless. This is great, but how does the county deal with succession management? I’ve asked this in previous articles, and it starts with thinking like a business and recognizing that leadership is about planning, not reacting.
The last major conversation regarded the funding of two highway projects. One was tied to an awarded federal grant to support pavement preservation and covers the resurfacing of 146th Street.
The second was more contentious. My career outside of the Council has provided me with experience regarding construction. I understand the grant process and the length of time it takes to get things approved and then constructed. The request was for $800,000 to fund engineering of a new intersection at 146th Street and Hazel Dell. This is being expedited because we understand that a federal infrastructure package is coming out to support major projects. Hamilton County wants to have a few projects queued up for when this is released.
This all makes perfect sense, but in absence of a project priority list, the Council is faced with making decisions with limited information. 146th Street had four intersections listed in the top 50 worst intersections in the entire metropolitan area, with the Hazel Dell intersection listed as the worst. The Council overwhelmingly supports the project, but we need to have a better plan in place to support projects going forward.
A former Councilor chastised our current Council at pursuing responsibilities outside of its purview. He stated that the Council “has always operated under the philosophy of not originating spending but acting on requests from the Commissioners and county departments.” This same former councilor sought to grant $3.5 million to the Humane Society for their new building – which was in need. The idea that several councilors are seeking to lead, and influence, is somehow “new territory” is incorrect. This kind of status quo thinking gets us nowhere and this non-collaborative approach is why our Council and the Commissioners could not seem to work together in the recent past.
As an elected leader in Hamilton County, I stated early on that I ran to help change the status quo, not rewrite Indiana Code. With Councilor Steve Nation’s support, I led the support for the creation of a collaborative career center, including the schools and workforce development leaders. I am supportive of the efforts of Councilor Fred Glynn to fund the design of a desperately-needed domestic violence shelter. I authored the initial drafts of the rules for managing our funding of non-profits that Councilor Sue Maki carried across the finish line for adoption by the Council. I also helped drive the funding of a county business audit to help create better efficiencies, provide for business plans, create KPIs and establish a better budgeting process with Councilors Fred Glynn and Amy Massillamany.
These are efforts to help us plan better, budget departments appropriately and create priorities to support major projects. This is how businesses’ plan and strategize, and I believe these principles are essential to maintaining our presence as one of the best counties in the country to live and work and be a leader in how government works.
As this July 4th passes, I can assert that I am proud to be an American and I am proud to represent the citizens of Hamilton County, District 4. Thank you again to the Hamilton County Reporter. I hope you find these articles helpful and informative.
If you are interested in learning more about the county or getting involved in Hamilton County Council committees, please do not hesitate to reach out via email at ken.alexander@hamiltoncounty.in.gov. The next County Council meeting is on Aug. 4 at 7 p.m.
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.