Welcome to the Timesheet. This column is a report of work done on behalf of the people of Hamilton County. It’s to be informative, too – a place to learn about projects and how our county government works.
As your employee, it’s important to me that you know what is being worked on as transparently as possible in government. You hired me as your County Councilman, and my hope is that you’ll choose to be informed by regularly reading this column, getting involved, and by asking questions. Council meetings are at 7 p.m. the first Wednesday of every month at the Judicial Center in downtown Noblesville. Meetings are also available to watch online for those unable to attend in person.
Here is where my time this past month has been spent.
January’s work involved normal county business, collaborating with Cicero and the northern parts of our county, and the Redevelopment Commission. Neighbors in Jackson Township are considering reorganizing into a new town. This could include the township along with one or more of the other municipalities (Cicero, Arcadia, and Atlanta). The residents’ information meeting was well attended and educational. Should two of the four governing authorities in Jackson Township agree to reorganize, and a majority of the voters approve, a new town would be created. Residents’ concerns include annexation, maintaining the present quality of life, and the continuity of government services. Meetings concerning water and wastewater utilities, the use of eminent domain, and constituent questions required many additional hours this month.
My committee assignments are now insurance, finance, and personnel along with now serving on the County Regional Development Commission. January’s personnel committee meeting was completed by an electronic poll of the members. Personnel requests are voted on as they occur, at the next regular council meeting. We did not have a Finance meeting in January. The RDC meeting was largely organizational and included electing officers, setting meeting dates, establishing agenda items, and approving funding for the first phase of design for a public safety training center.
In addition to the County Council public meetings, January’s work included attending a Board of Commissioners public meeting, meetings with Noblesville Mayor Jensen and Noblesville Councilman Aaron Smith, attending a Noblesville City Council meeting, a Cicero Town Council meeting, a Jackson Township reorganization informational meeting, and a quarterly joint County and Cicero planning meeting.
Normal County business included another update on the Wastewater Treatment Plant construction. We were happy to hear that Phase I is on schedule and under budget. This month there were seven constituent service requests. Usually, requests require research with a county department, securing the correct answer and then following up with the taxpayer. January’s taxpayer questions included the HEPL budget, retiree drug benefits, county employment opportunities, the use of eminent domain, the county workforce housing project, and construction progress at Koteewi Park.
Of note this month was spending hours auditing our county appropriations that carried over from 2023; the council must approve these amounts. After reconciling the totals with the county financial data, I pulled three different vendors’ information and called them to verify that what we show is due to them is accurate with their records. Happily, each amount was accurate.
January included delving into the use of eminent domain. This is the right of a government or its agent to take private property for public use, with payment of compensation. The council was asked to transfer our eminent domain authority to a city for their use in negotiating the purchase of a parcel of land. While being supportive of the project I voted against the transfer of the authority over the relatively quick timing of the request.
It was an honor to represent you at the Serve Noblesville Celebration, and at tours of the new Wastewater Treatment Plant and the Hamilton County Humane Society facility.
This is my timesheet. This is where my time went during month 13. There are quite a few projects in the queue for 2024, and while my job is primarily the financial oversight of the county budget, it is important to understand the Board of Commissioners’ priorities and balance them with the stewardship of taxpayer dollars. That is the job, and I am excited to do the people’s business.
As a taxpayer myself, and listening to so many of you, our employers, it’s important for the taxpayers to have access to all the information you want. I work for you and although you may not choose to do a deep dive into what your County Council does, it’s important that you can always do so.
Feel free to contact me at (317) 832-1104 or mark.hall@hamiltoncounty.in.gov with questions, feedback or if you would like to talk about county business.