As mentioned in my column after the March Council meeting, there are a myriad of projects that the County is pursuing. These projects are in various stages from conceptual design to construction documentation. Many of these projects are supported within departmental budgets while others require funding outside of the normal revenue streams for the County.
These projects have been referred to as “major projects” and while you and I may be extremely interested in a resurfacing or culvert replacement, these major projects have greater impacts that help improve commerce, support economic development, improve quality of life, or support public safety. Most of these major projects are transportation focused, but we also have several building (vertical) projects in queue.
A joint session of the County Commissioners and Council was called on March 13 to help prioritize these projects so that the Council could strategize solutions within our fiscal plan.
Projects that appeared to have joint support included support for a corridor improvement along 191st Street in Westfield, an Olio Road corridor study, Cherry Tree Road repairs, the expansion of the Judicial Center, and improvement of the 146th Street and Hazel Dell intersection. These items are already built into our fiscal plan, so there was not much conversation regarding this other than a request for ongoing budget updates so the fiscal plan can be a working document.
The Public Safety Training Center seemed to have support but that was tied to it being able to be funded from the Public Safety LIT (Local Income Tax).
There was much debate regarding the 141st Street and State Road 37 intersection that bid over budget back in 2022. Some wish to fund the project 50/50 with the City of Fishers while others want to see how the “Right-in, Right-out” improvement works that was done as an interim solution. Either way, this project will go back out to bid in the INDOT letting this fall and that debate will surely be rekindled.
The last project of focus is the anticipated County Fairgrounds renovation. As previously discussed, the Council approved a $15 million bond to support Phase 1 of this project. This money was provided with the explicit direction that the Council would not entertain additional financial support due in part to current construction escalation but primarily because this is not a statutory responsibility. I would say that this is a “want” and not a “need.”
Six months later at our March Council meeting, the County Fairgrounds leadership has returned to Council requesting an additional $11 million to finish out Phase 1 of the project. The Commissioners have prioritized this project ahead of the Judicial Center expansion and 146th Street and Hazel Dell. In total, this project will ultimately cost in excess of $70 million, and those numbers have not yet been adjusted for inflation. The $11 million request did not move forward for vote due to the lack of a motion by any member of the Council.
The County Fairgrounds is a wonderful asset for many people. It doesn’t support the same number of people as your traditional community youth sports groups, but it does have a value on the community. When I ask around, most everyone likes the idea of a fairground but wants a county fair to go along with it, including rides and games, and have a safe place for Hamilton County residents. It also supports some tourism opportunities and there is no doubt that, if expanded, it could be a much better tourism destination for meetings and conventions. However, some may argue that the private sector could be meeting that need.
Herein lies the dilemma for many: do we support this expansion or not? If money was not an issue, this project would already be moving forward, but we have to be cognizant of our decisions and the impact that has on our county.
Overall, the Commissioners and Council support the County Fairgrounds. We have set aside $15 million to support upgrades to the facility, but to put taxpayer dollars into a project like this when we have statutory responsibilities that need to be met and construction escalation that is sending projects overbudget seems irresponsible.
I recognize this, which is why I presented an idea in 2022 that would fund Phases 1 and 2 without an impact to County taxpayers. That idea did not move forward, but I was able to get additional information to substantiate this idea. My idea, which I believe has support of the Council, is to seek a developer through a build, operate, transfer (BOT) agreement (Indiana Code 5-23-2) to build a fairground elsewhere in the county and operate until the County purchases it at an agreed upon price.
I know what you’re saying – how would that be less expensive? The secret is what we do with the existing fairgrounds, which is bordered on the north by the future Pleasant Street and to the east by the future expansion of SR 37. Once those projects are complete, the highest and best use would be mixed-use and/or corporate and will be some of the most valuable property in the county for redevelopment.
By working with our jurisdictional partners, the County could create a TIF district that would allow for real estate tax increment to be collected, which is currently $0, and used for projects around this area or to relocate existing tenants (the different fairground entities) to the new fairgrounds. I met with the County financial consultants and walked through this plan, and everyone agreed that this would work. The proceeds from our bond would net $30 million toward the fairgrounds and leave additional money to support improvements to the intersection of Pleasant Street and SR 37, as well as support the economic development of the Pleasant Street fairgrounds site similarly to how most cities utilize TIF. With the existing bond revenue and this plan, the net savings to taxpayers to build out Phase 1 and Phase 2 would be just shy of $50 million.
As I know I will be vilified for even making this suggestion, I seem to be the only one willing to be honest about the sheer fiscal challenges of moving a project like this forward. This is the kind of stuff I’ve done my whole life, and I have brought forward a plan to build the fairgrounds that this County deserves. Is it what everyone wants? No, but you don’t get what you want without a bit of sacrifice.
I welcome a better plan, healthy debate, or discussions with those involved, but I also recognize that I have a duty to the whole county. I joined the Council to get more control of the project planning and execution. I want to implement positive changes to our processes and am always looking outside the box for the best solutions. What I have found in my first term is that government is reluctant to change, and in many cases for good reason as we shouldn’t make huge commitments that bind the county without proper due diligence.
In the end, the decision is not up to me or Council. Moving this facility is a decision that will be made by the Commissioners with input from the Farm Bureau, Purdue Extension, and other leadership of the fairgrounds. I’m merely putting forth a way to finance the project.
If the 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. I welcome your questions at ken.alexannder@hamiltoncounty.in.gov.
Ken Alexander represents District 4 on the Hamilton County Council, which includes Adams and Washington townships, and part of Clay Township. He currently serves as the President of the County Council.