By KEN ALEXANDER
Hamilton County Councilman
Editor’s note: This is the first in a new series of monthly columns provided to the Reporter by Hamilton County Councilman Ken Alexander. He is serving in his first term on the Council, representing District 4, which includes Adams and Washington townships, and part of Clay Township. A Purdue University graduate, he is currently working with IU Health on its multi-billion-dollar consolidation of the Methodist and University Hospital campuses in downtown Indianapolis. Ken and his wife Jenni are raising three children in Westfield.
I want to thank the Hamilton County Reporter for providing me the opportunity to share monthly columns with you about what is happening in county government, particularly focused on recapping the Hamilton County Council meetings from which I participate as the District 4 representative.
This is my first elected position, and to be truthful, was never part of any career aspirations. My goal in running for office was to serve and apply business philosophies to government. Mission statements, departmental goals, business plans, return on investment and KPI’s are all common focuses in business. I and other newcomers to the Council believe government should reflect more of that bottom-line mentality.
The County Council is essentially the fiduciary body that approves budgets and appropriations for Hamilton County and consists of seven members. While we have ultimate decision-making power regarding fiscal affairs for the county, our counterparts are the three-member Hamilton County Commissioners that provide day-to-day direction of the county. This checks-and-balance function is true in all of Indiana’s 92 counties.
The Council meets on the first Wednesday of the month and is livestreamed. There were three important takeaways from February’s Hamilton County Council meeting.
County parking garage
We are the midst of planning for a parking garage near the square in downtown Noblesville. Last year, the Council approved moving forward with a four-story parking garage to serve county employees and visitors. The parking garage represents more than just a structure; it is a three-way commitment that provides a safe place for our county workers to park, allows for a developer to build a residential development and supports Noblesville’s vision of its downtown. Hopefully this can help support Noblesville’s downtown businesses, especially the restaurants that have been devastated by the pandemic shutdowns.
During our February meeting, we discussed adding a fifth floor to the garage while still in the planning stages. While the original design called for four floors – is there demand for a fifth floor? Will people be working in offices post-COVID? On the one hand, four floors are sufficient for our current county employees and demand; on the other hand – what will our growth be in the future?
The cost of adding a fifth floor now, while in planning, is significantly less than building a four-story garage only to add another level several years down the road (not to mention the inconvenience to the staff who will need to find alternative parking while the garage is closed.)
There was lots of discussion about the right decision. While many items we discuss are shuttled to committee meetings to be vetted, I brought this matter to the full Council to have an open conversation. The discussion will move to the Finance Committee, on which I serve, to be vetted before being brought back to the Council for a decision.
These are the kind of decisions we often have to make: Forecasting long-term needs vs. immediate demands.
Emergency rental relief
Another item of interest: Hamilton County was awarded $10 million in emergency rental relief assistance from the federal government to be directed to people struggling to stay in their rental homes. As we have seen during the pandemic, renters make up a large portion of the service and entertainment industries that have been economically decimated. Kudos to the Hamilton County Auditor Robin Mills and the Hamilton County Commissioners for securing these desperately needed funds, as we were only one of a handful of communities across the state to secure this grant.
To not duplicate government services, the Commissioners reached out to the Hamilton County Township Association (HCTA) to support this effort since one of the townships’ main purposes is providing poor relief and emergency assistance. As the President of the HCTA, Westfield Washington Township Trustee Danielle Carey Tolan will oversee the administration of the federal funds to ensure we are efficient and get the dollars to those in need. She has hit the ground running, and has already pulled together a coalition of churches and housing organizations, as well as administrative and advisory groups. She will work closely with the other eight township trustees to ensure a smooth program.
Having worked with Danielle, I am confident she will do an outstanding job. Stay tuned for more on this.
County debt
The final interesting topic was the restructuring of some of our county debt. Like many of you may have already done, the financing opportunities to restructure a home loan are extraordinarily favorable to the borrower. Without extending the term of our debts, we have restructured three bonds that will net a savings of approximately $4,400,000. This is the kind of fiscal stewardship that is often not shared or highlighted, but I see daily in my interactions with our county government leaders and employees.
Lastly, I want to congratulate the Hamilton County Health Department on expanding the COVID vaccine site at the Hamilton County 4-H Fairgrounds. It will be a huge success, and it has greatly expanded our ability to deliver more vaccines to Hoosiers safely and efficiently.
My goal with these monthly columns is to inform you of county-level issues and to invite you into the conversation. It is easy to say we have all the answers, but I see myself as a gatherer of facts elected to promote business principles in government. I welcome your questions at ken.alexander@hamiltoncounty.in.gov.