By KEN ALEXANDER
Hamilton County Councilman
I want to thank everyone who reached out to me after my first column ran in the Hamilton County Reporter last month. I’m excited to share a regular recap of what is going on with the Hamilton County Council. Informed citizens can make the greatest impact.
This month’s meeting was relatively brief, so I’ve included some information from our joint Council/Commissioner meeting and highlighted a few exciting developments.
We recently learned Hamilton County has become the only S&P rated “AAA” local income tax county in the State of Indiana. AAA is the highest rating possible, which is a tremendous reflection of our overall financial health. While we continue to recover from the effects of the pandemic, have numerous projects planned and underway, and provide assistance to our residents and businesses also recovering from the pandemic, to improve our credit rating is impressive. Taking it one step further, we are doing all of this while also improving services and building assets for our citizens, which is our number one priority.
For example, Governor Holcomb announced last week that Hamilton County has been awarded another grant from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) in the amount of $1,047,670 through the Next Level Trails Grant Program for trail expansions. It will be used to build the Steven Nation Community Pathway Phase 1 (Kathryn Street in Cicero to Koteewi Park). The trail will eventually follow 234th Street from Cicero to White River Campground at Koteewi Park and connect with the pedestrian bridge over the river. I must note – of the 62 projects submitted, Hamilton County was one of 18 selected in this highly competitive program.
The parks system in Hamilton County is wonderful and the interconnectivity of the trails is part of what makes them so accessible. In addition to the wonderful grant mentioned above, the Council authorized the Hamilton County Parks Department to move forward with the purchase of land to support their strategic plan at 216th Street and Hinkle. Timing is everything in these types of transactions, and while DNR has not been able to get their funds in place to meet that timing, the Council agreed to allow the Parks Department to use its cash to cover the DNR portion, knowing that reimbursement for the land will happen later this year.
These community assets and attractions are what help make Hamilton County one of the most sought-after places to live in not only Indiana, but in the entire country. You don’t get where we are today without purposeful planning and spending strategically.
While we are discussing finances, I serve on the finance committee for the county, and we were presented with a laundry list of projects that included considerations for the State Road 37 project, parking garage additional floor, Pleasant Street Bridge project, our new ERP (financial software), support for a women’s shelter, park land acquisition, and intersection improvements along 146th street at Allisonville, Hazel Dell, Carey and Gray roads.
One issue I raised was the strategic projects lists in many cases already had committed obligations because of grant applications. Such is the case for 146th Street and Allisonville Road. I directed our Council Attorney to draft a resolution stating that financial obligations included in grant applications need to be shared with the County Council so we could update our financial plan. While a minor change, it is not meant to stop progress but to be more collaborative with the rest of the county government.
Our financial plan for these projects was well received by the Council. We will bond the garage in its entirety which will not affect our tax levy. The overages that we are obligated to on SR 37 will be funded with cash, and the Pleasant Street bridge and intersection at 146th Street and Allisonville will be funded out of our “Major Bridge” fund. The additional intersection improvements along 146th street will not be considered at this time but could be brought back to our attention if they were part of an MPO (Metropolitan Planning Organization) grant application. The rest of the projects will be addressed at budget time.
On a side note, I want to share with the readers that the “Major Bridge” fund (Ind. Code 8-16-3) is a statutory fund that has limitations to what it can be used to support. Because of these stipulations, it effectively can only be used on river crossings in excess of 200 feet and major elevated intersections, which means the county has minimal, if any, opportunities to use this fund for projects in Adams, Washington, and Clay townships.
Following up on a conversation from last month, the Council voted unanimously to add a fifth level to the parking garage being built in downtown Noblesville. While some may say the expansion is unnecessary, it is being added primarily due to the impact of the court system. We are in the process of adding a court, and with that will come additional jurors and litigants who will need to have a place to park. It would be easy to vote no, as a fifth floor isn’t necessarily needed now, but our job entails planning for the future in addition to the here and now. We expect for the garage to bid this month with construction to start in May. The project should take 12 to 14 months to complete with consideration for the added floor.
Lastly, on a personal note, I would like to sincerely thank Chris Sorensen, former President/CEO of Janus Development, for her dedication and commitment to Janus and Hamilton County over the last nine years.
I would also like to congratulate Yolanda Kincaid who will begin her role as President/CEO on March 29t. Yolanda brings to her new position more than 20 years of experience in adult disability services. I know firsthand that it takes a special person with a huge heart for people with disabilities to lead this organization. My sister-in-law, Erin, has Down Syndrome and participates in programs in Elkhart similar to programs that Janus provides our community. I know how impactful this has been to her life, which is why I asked to be the liaison to Janus Development this year.
Erin participates in numerous activities and was even provided the support to start her own business selling her quilting and blankets (etsy.com/shop/buttercupsemporium). We are very proud of Erin and as a family will do all we can to support Janus Development’s mission. Best of luck to Chris and Yolanda and the entire Janus organization.
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.