By KEN ALEXANDER
Council Minutes
May in Indiana is always fun. The Mini-Marathon and activities at the track seem to be the announcement that summer is almost here. I hope the changing seasons do not have the same impact on you that they do on me.
This year it was a bit different as I sought my first re-election to the Hamilton County Council. I did not have an opponent, which was nice as I managed through a very busy time at work, but it did not stop me from being involved in some of the primary campaigns.
This month’s County Council was a short agenda, which will allow me to also share some insights on the primary.
If you remember, I was asked by the full Council to represent them on a review committee of the RFPs for the Baker’s Corner Sewer and Water Utility. I started off the meeting in my VP comments to announce that we received multiple responses that varied from developer-led teams to proposals that only covered operations. We had further follow-up with a few responders to clarify their RFPs and score the proposals individually. This project will have a huge impact on the county and expand our tax base up the U.S. 31 corridor. The results of our scores will be tabulated by the project engineer under the oversight of the county’s legal team and then presented to the Commissioners.
The agenda had several grant appropriations and multiple “Additional Appropriations” that were approved unanimously. We also went through budget instructions. During the budget instructions, two items were communicated that differ from years past. One was how non-profit requests will be incorporated, which has been in discussion for some time. The other was an issue I raised months ago that we need to create asset life cycle management plans for all county buildings, equipment, and vehicles. Previously, the Council asked that when funds were needed for maintenance that requests would be made of Council, but this does not support good fiscal planning. I’ve spoken to many departments, and they are prepared to honor this request with many already doing this on their own.
These new budget instructions will help us reduce the risk of unplanned capital outlays and maintenance expenses by including maintenance and obsolesce plans with their budget requests. This is a sound business practice and one that will better inform the Council of upcoming expenses that we can incorporate into our fiscal plan.
The next item to clarify was the request of the county for funds to build out Superior Court 7, which has been required of the state based on our county’s demographic profile. You will have seen this new Court on your primary ballot. The funding was requested in two locations because as an additional appropriation it must be advertised, so we put it in our two funds which gives the Council the opportunity to make a choice of which fund to utilize as they have different impacts on our tax levy. We unanimously agreed to fund it out of the county’s general fund.
The last items to address are the road project requests. There was one project, 276th Street, that you will have noticed had several requests. This was done as we utilize the existing funds before going for additional appropriations from our county reserves. The other was appropriating funds for the anticipated State Road 37 overrun at the intersection of 141st Street and SR 37. I had made quite an issue of this of late, as I am worried that the inflation we are experiencing in all aspects of life will have a detrimental impact on these major projects.
As a person familiar with the construction industry, we have seen material and fuel inflation that exceeds double digits in just the first quarter of this year alone. We generally plan for project cost escalation due to inflation at about 3 percent annually. To put that in perspective during 2021, the construction pricing that I have witnessed showed a growth more than 12 percent, which has impacted construction projects across the country. The project, a collaboration between INDOT, the City of Fishers, and Hamilton County, bid on May 5 and the initial indications are that inflation and project cost escalation have again exceeded expectations.
I am working hard with all parties to address this issue, as it is my belief that the citizens of Hamilton County have funded enough of this project already and we need to work to live within the project budget even in these difficult times. Everyone agrees that the project needs to be rebid with some changes to scope, and we have not ruled out drastic changes to design to avoid additional appropriations from the county or city of Fishers.
Lastly, I want to address the primary elections. The county participation was roughly 11 percent, which is a 20-year low. I cannot state enough how important local elections are, whether it be the school board, a council position, the county prosecutor, or a judge. These decisions have immediate impacts on you and our community. Changes in Washington, D.C., and even the Statehouse take time to be implemented, but the decisions local bodies make are immediate.
I would love to hear from people about what can be done to increase voter turnout and/or educate voters on the issues at large. It is a quandary. The exchange of unfounded claims and campaign rhetoric turn people off, and elections suffer. I hope that on a local level we can do better. Hamilton County is a great place because of all of us, and it is incumbent on us all to participate and make sure that the right people are representing you. I ask that you work with me and others to create a better medium for the public debate.
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.