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Dear Editor:
I am providing additional perspective on County Councilor Ken Alexander’s Feb. 11 “Council Minutes” column: It is wonderful that a government official decides to share additional information regarding its activities. But let’s be more objective, detailed and less spin-oriented. Business principles may be helpful to government but are not 100 percent applicable as government does not generate revenue and MUST provide essential services.
First, it was dismaying to see the status of the county’s parking garage described as “in the midst.” This project was first advanced in the fall of 2019, when a developer and the County Commissioners jointly approached the County Council regarding selling property to facilitate their project. At that meeting, it was stated unequivocally “time was of the essence” and a decision had to be made quickly. The idea was reviewed soon thereafter by the Council’s Finance Committee, on which I served, and the recommendation to the entire Council was to proceed with the two provisions: County would receive a minimum of $4.5 million for the parking lot, and the cost of the garage would not exceed $9.5 million, of which $5 million balance could be paid in cash.
In December 2019, County Commissioners introduced the concept of “B-O-T” (Build, Operate & Transfer) for the first time for a county project as a way to build it. With the January 2020 change in Noblesville city administrations, there occurred a delay in its approval of the project.
Money was appropriated by the County Council in March 2020 and then … nothing happened for months, until August 2020 when the County Council approved the sale of the lot for no less than $4.5 million. Then in October 2020, $400,000 was requested and appropriated for preparing the plans/construction documents for a parking garage.
Now, in February 2021, the idea of spending an additional $2 million for extra parking spaces is floated as a way of “saving” money at a later date. I would counter that the extra money should be paid exclusively by the city of Noblesville as they will be the primary beneficiary. The county staff has shown the ability to work remotely the last year, and there is no future growth of employees to justify this expense.
At this rate, the garage will not be ready for use until mid-2022. So much for expediency.
Next, emergency housing relief funding from the federal government is definitely welcomed, but it should have gone to an existing entity set up to distribute the funds expeditiously: The Noblesville Housing Authority. New software and staff will be hired by all townships to handle an amount much greater than any of them have ever handled for housing and utility relief. Now, a new layer of government will be created, as those federal funds must be kept separate and not co-mingled with local funds or future federal grants will be at risk.
Who championed the township trustees to do this? The attorney for three of them, also a County Commissioner.
Always, county debt, whether pre-paid or avoided, should be front page headlines! After the May 2016 primary, the County Council orchestrated the pre-payment of $12 million in bonds and received little fanfare.
Now with lower interest rates, it is wonderful to hear more savings of interest will occur.
The unstated: What will happen to the $4.4 million in savings?
Lastly, the Hamilton County Health Department and its staff have been phenomenal the last year as it has had to maneuver the ever-changing protocols regarding COIVID-19, its normal duties, the secession of Fishers in starting its own health department, and finally, the loss of its longtime leader, Barry McNulty. Kudos to them as they continue the Herculean task of administering the vaccine to the entire county.
Rick McKinney
Westfield
Senior Policy Analyst for Fiscal Conservatives of Hamilton County
Former 24-year At-Large member of the Hamilton County Council