Commissioner Meeting Notes. May 1, 2024.  

May 1, 2024, Agenda Commissioner Meeting

Audio of the Meeting

New Highway Superintendent. The current highway superintendent (Mike Magnor) announced that he will be retiring but will be available through November to support the transition to the new superintendent. The effective date of his retirement is May 3, 2024. Among his accomplishments, Mike was instrumental in ensuring that the county received the grant money from the State’s Community Crossing Grant every year. We received 1.5 million this year, and the county’s match was 500K, which was available in the Highway Department budget.

The newly selected assistant supervisor (Arec Burton) was selected as the new superintendent. The vote by the commissioners was  2 to 1. Ron Sanders voted No and reinforced his commitment for ensuring the new superintendent’s success.

• • Additional Context:  Highway Department Staffing 2024. 

Commissioner Meetings. Commissioner Sanders requested that agendas be documented for every “Admin” meeting and that our legal council review the items. Commissioner meetings include Executive Sessions (agenda items determined by state law), “Admin” meetings, Working Sessions (discussions that can lead to a decision/vote), and Public Meetings (where votes are made on a decision). ANY discussions that lead to a decision must be public. Admin meetings should just be administrative, such as office procedures, issues with vendors, internal coordination challenges, etc.

Repair of Sidewalks. Courthouse, Van Buren Street, and sidewalk to the fairgrounds. An application for a Lilly Gift Grant was submitted for $3.5 million. Those working on the application included representatives from the county (Melissa Stinson), Town (Sandie Jones), Brown County Community Foundation (Alice Susemichel), and ARA (grant writer).

Brown County Highway Department website 

Last Updated May 5, 2024.

This post shared at Brown County Matters

Summary:  Selection of a New Superintendant and Assistant Superintendent.

• • The commissioners vote at the beginning of every year to retain the superintendent.  The commissioners have always been highly complementary of the services received. 
  • At Jan 16, 2024, Council Meeting, Mike Magnor’s request to provide funding for an assistant supervisor/superintendent position was not approved by the council (see below).  
  • In February, two of the commissioners (Pittman, Wolpert) decided to recruit a new superintendent and assistant superintendent.  This came as a surprise to both Commissioner Sanders and the Superintendent.  There was not an official “Executive Session Meeting” held to discuss the rationale for the decision.
    • The two positions were posted on the county website on February 9, 2024—see below. The assistant superintendent position was filled. The person selected (Arec Burton) was then selected as the new superintendent at the May 1 commissioner meeting.
  • The former superintendent (Mike Magnor) served in the position for over 9 years and will be vested in the state retirement system with 10 years of service. His resignation became effective on May 3, 2024. He stated that he expected to support the transition through November.  

May 5, 2024. Request for Information. I have submitted a follow-up request to confirm the funding decision made at the Jan 16, 2024 Council meeting (see below) and to clarify a couple of issues.  If the council did not approve funding, they may need to vote to approve a transfer of funds. The request is submitted by the Auditor.

May 1, 2024.   Agenda Commissioner Meeting 
(Agenda Posted at Brown County Matters)

• • Highway Retirement Announcement
  • Highway Appointment for 2024  

Commissioner Meeting Notes, May 1, 2024. 

• • The current highway superintendent (Mike Magnor) announced that he will be retiring but will be available through November to support the transition to the new superintendent. The effective date is May 3, 2024.  

  • The newly selected assistant supervisor (Arec Burton) was selected as the new superintendent. The vote by the commissioners was  2 to 1. Ron Sanders voted No and reinforced his commitment for ensuring the new superintendent’s success.  

Personnel Policy.  The policy regarding the personnel management of the highway department was changed to exclude the highway superintendent from the recruitment and selection process.  This caused some skepticism and confusion within the department as to why the superintendent was not involved in selecting a key position.

Morale and Turnover. A lack of transparency in personnel management can affect the morale of all county employees, who may conclude that a process is biased and unfair and jobs are preselected. This can lead to job insecurity, which can then contribute to turnover.

• • Management – Commissioners Office Re-Org. The changes regarding the re-org in the commissioner’s office for example, led to an employee being informed her job was being defunded at a public meeting.  County employees in public meetings, expressed their criticism of the changes that included allegations of pre-selection.
     

• Feb 9, 2024. Brown County Matters:  Highway Department – New Positions Posted.

• • Interesting. Was not aware the county is looking for a new highway supervisor — “Incumbent serves as Superintendent for the Brown County Highway Department …: and the council at the last meeting did not vote to fund a “new” Assistant Supervisor position.

Jan 16, 2024. County Council Meeting Notes 

I clarified some points after listening to the audio: 

• • Audio – Discussion on Highway Position Funding begins at 1:40:30
  • Highway Superintendant.  Money removed from the highway budget was replaced.
    • Discussion on funding for unfilled positions … including a supervisory position ….
      • (The commissioners had discussed adding a new position ..- an assistant supervisor but the position exists – just not filled. 
  • 1:46 37 Magnor- Request to fund 6 positions(4 are existing employees)
    • Kemp suggested open positions remain unfunded ..(Fund existing – leave other 2 open and unfunded.) …. Rudd – I thought we did that last time ….
    • Judy Powedrill Swift – in salary ordinance but has to be appropriated
    • Byrd – questions Kemp’s concerns – Kemp references to organization development issues, and need for business planning.
  • Mike Magnor identified additional staffing is needed. Not all 19 positions filled – more efficient without … voluntarily not filled ….
  • Redding – asking for clarification on funding sources …  3 
  • 1:53:99 Rudd –  approve funding for 3 existing and one new hire (mechanic)  ..    Redding asking for clarification ….  (unspent money stays in the county). Kemp wants money to accumulate …
  • Motion and Second …

Stopping for a quiet break on Indiana’s Tecumseh Trail (Photo: “Yellowwood Lake – looking north” by sf-dvs is licensed under CC BY 2.0)

Source: Backpack Magazine, The 50 Best Hikes in the U.S., UPDATED MAR 22, 2022 BACKPACKER EDITORS & CONTRIBUTORS

Indiana: Tecumseh Trail

Length: 42 miles

Backpacking opportunities may not abound in Indiana, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any at all. The Tecumseh Trail provides a perfect weekend outing close to Indianapolis. Only an hour drive from the city, it’s easy to reach on a Friday after work or get an early start on Saturday morning. Best done as a shuttle hike, this well-maintained path  winds through dense forest, rolling hills, and quaint towns. The scenery is distinctly Indiana: thickly-forested groves, bridges over stream crossings, and a portion of trail along the shore of serene Yellowwood Lake. Three pristine cabin-style and lean-to shelters provide options for overnighters. Two of the shelters were built in the last two years, and they’re ideally located for splitting the trail in half or turning it into a two-nighter over a weekend. Catch splashy fall foliage in autumn, or visit in the middle of winter to have the trail to yourself.

Brian Ainley travels all around the world to mountaineer, backpack, and climb when he’s not exploring near his hometown of Carmel, IN. He summited Aconcagua in 2020 and has climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Editor’s Note: Indiana’s Tecumseh Trail has been closed since May 2020 from State Road 45 to the parking area south of Beanblossom Creek. The trail is bisected by a railroad crossing. Hikers who cross the tracks or divert to an adjacent road will be trespassing. The Knobstone Hiking Trail Association is working on a solution to reopen the trail.]

Local Efforts to Re-Open the Trail: Part 5 Indian Hill – The Final Season – maybe

• • 2024_03_13 Remember Indian Hill Closure-Rebuttal-Analysis ….  A detailed analysis of the timelines and supporting documentation regarding the lack of a public hearing, a likely violation of open meeting laws, questionable legal advice, and misleading statements by elected and appointed officials.

My position as a candidate for Commissioner is to submit a practical engineering plan for reopening the Indiana Hill railroad crossing that will be approved by INDOT. I will also identify funding strategies and a plan of action for reopening.  More info: Re-Opening the Crossing and Road.

Additional Information

Facing a new challenge: Route changes due to railroad crossing closure
Abigail Youmans -October 14, 2021

• • Brown and Morgan counties have hosted runners in a variety of distance events during the Tecumseh Trail Challenge every year since 2003.
  • The trail has been a destination for runners from dozens of states who participate in the DINO (Do INdiana off-road) race, with participation growing to more than 700 in 2010. But now the point-to-point race route has been turned into a loop due to the Indian Hill Road railroad crossing closure.

Tecumseh and Knobstone Trails and Maps

Commissioner Meeting Notes, April 22, 2024, Road and Bridges, Stellar. (This meeting was moved from April 17, 2024, to accommodate Interim Commissioner Wolpert’s work schedule.)

The post at Brown County Matters.

Agenda – 04.22.24 Agenda Commissioner Meeting

Audio of the Meeting

Roads. The county received a 1.5 million community crossing grant, and the Highway Department has the 500K matching funds. Four paving bids were received, and Milestone was selected as the lowest bidder.

The roads to be paved include:  Gatesville Road (full length) = 6.448 miles, Bear Creek Road (from State Road 45 to 200 feet north of Bridge #3) = 2.288 miles, Branstetter Road = 0.584 miles, Beech Tree Road = 1.720 miles, Sprunica Road (Sprunica Ridge Road to Upper Salt Creek Road) = 0.878 miles, Total proposed = 11.918 miles (Source Highway Department website).

Bridge 122 – Mt Liberty Road. Milestone was also the lowest bidder on this project.  Work is expected to start within 45 days. This work was generated from an emergency work order requested by Mike Magnor and approved by the Commissioners.

Clerk – Digitization of Records. The cost of converting manual records to digital is estimated at 300K. Records will be converted as time and money allows.  A mandated timeline was not identified.

Washington Township Board Appointment. Richard Hall who also serves on the Brown County RSD Board, was selected to fill the position.

Stellar 2024. At the joint commission and council meeting on April 16, 2024 which was also attended by the Nashville town manager and Alice Susmichel of the Community Foundation,  there was acceptance and agreement for delaying the application for Stellar. This would allow the county and town the needed time to develop a vision and plan for the county.  It would also allow time for projects to be identified and prioritized and allow time to get community buy-in and support. This approach would contribute to building trust and confidence in elected and community leadership. The grant may require matching funds, but it is undetermined at this time as to the amount and source. Melissa Stinson’s suggestion to ask the Stellar Committee for an exception to policy “if” there was unanimous agreement by the council and only 2 of 3 commissioners, was unanimously rejected. 

Re-Vote.  Despite the support for this decision at the joint meeting for a more deliberate and collaborative planning process, interim commissioner Wolpert asked for another vote to apply for Stellar via a letter of intent by the May 1 deadline.

Wolpert misrepresented my position with the likely intent that it may cost me some votes in the election. Once again, Wolpert and Pittman votes Yes, Ron Sander No.  Sanders also explained that his vote was also based on conversations with those involved with one or more of the projects, which indicated that there was no unanimous agreement on the scope of one or more of the projects. The Town manager and individuals from the town of Nashville voiced their support for submitting the application. The Town of Nashville can apply for a Stellar Grant on their own but choose not to.

It was “speculated” that a Stellar Grant may not be available in 2026, so we “must” apply this year.  No detail was presented regarding what projects were considered priorities and their respective sponsors. No detail was presented on the steps in the application timeline to provide assurance that would allow sufficient time to get community buy-in and support. And, no assurance that if there was not an agreement as to projects, the application would be canceled.

I support the position of Ron Sanders and the agreement reached at the joint commissioner and council meeting. We need to take the time to identify a vision and plan for the county that  will lead to community buy-in and support for needed projects.  The practice in the county on major projects has been for the few to determine what is best for the community and push it through as fast as possible before there can be any organized opposition. This is a destructive practice. Quality leadership involves taking action that will produce results where everyone benefits. This can be supported through collaborative decision-making processes. An outline of a process is available at BrownCountyLeadernetwork.com

Audio

Agenda Council Meeting April 15, 2024

• • Call to Order
  • Pledge of Allegiance
  • Additions to Agenda or Changes
  • Approval of Minutes
  • OLD BUSINESS
  • No old business
  • NEW BUSINESS
  • Helmsburg Redevelopment – Sock Factory Money $228,600
  • ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION
  • SOLID WASTE – $10,000 to Special Waste;   $11,150 to Equipment
  • Auditor – $19,511.79 from Fund 1216 for New Workstations replacing the 33-year-old workstations.

Helmsburg Redevelopment – Sock Factory Money

Statement HCDC President Adrian OShea 

The council tentatively approved transferring the balance from the sale of the Sock Factory to the Helmsburg Community Development Corporation (CDC (501c3.)

In 2016/2017, citizens in Helmsburg asked the RDC for help with dilapidated housing. Below is the documentation from 2017  including The Helmsburg Economic Development Plan and Economic Development Area (EDA). Link to the “timeline” that tells the Story starting in 2016.

• • Helmsburg-EDA-Docs-and-Econ-Plan
  • Timeline – Helmsburg Revitalization – Community Led

Originally, the RDC needed a structure where we could acquire properties.  “This was never needed” — which is a story in itself.

HEADLINE NEWS. Helmburg now has an approved economic plan, economic development area, community development corporation (501c3), and “funding.”

Helmsburg provides a pretty good model for citizens to determine what they want and do not want in terms of quality of life and development.  Citizens (top management) in the community led the effort with the county government – elected and appointed officials (employees), “serving” the interests of the citizenry.

Last updated: April 19, 2024 

RDC Meeting  Notes April 16, 2024  – Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Districts

Apr 19, 2024. This post at Brown County Matters.

Summary of Key Points:  The main topic was advocacy for creating Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts.  A TIF district allows the county/RDC to borrow money for infrastructure projects needed to support development. The increase in assessed value as a result of the investment is returned to the RDC to pay off the bond.

TIFs can only be used as a last resort e.g., development in the area would not be possible without government investment in infrastructure.

A proposed TIF is for the old Little Opry Property.  Andrew Tilton is requesting around $2 million to run a sewer line to the property. This will help him to lease the property to an apartment developer.  The developer might be asked to agree that if the project is not completed, the county is reimbursed.

• • Background – Nashville Sewer Expansion. The Nashville Utility Service Board (USB)  developed a master plan for expanding sewers that includes the Little Opry property. Nashville has not selected this expansion as a priority, and thus, the request for the “county” to fund this part of the expansion as well as other areas in their plan.

Meeting Attendees: RDC Board members: Ross Benson, Sue Lindborg, Bill Cayne, Jon Curry
Tim Clark (re-appointed to the RDC in March).  Ross Benson was a candidate for Nashville Town Council in 2023.

Guests included: Robyn Rosenberg Bowman (local GoP /co-owner Tramcore Realty), Kevin Allen/BLN, and Jimmy Tilton.

Agenda RDC Meeting Agenda for Tuesday, April 16 6PM

• • Handout – 20240416 Sue  Lindborg – Indiana Uplands Readi Funding – Projects
  • Presentation Material – Bill Cayne
    • 2024_04_16 Bill Cayne Evaluating Population Centers for New Development Opportunities
      • 240416 Parcels of populated areas within Brown County
    •  Melissa Stinson (Commissioner’s assistant) suggested the creation of an “Administrative Working Session” on how to generate a TIF for the project and ensure that the area is not annexed.
      • Was this suggestion approved by Commissioner Pittman and Wolpert?
      • TIF policies. Note that any discussion among commissioners that leads to a county policy decision must be discussed in public meetings, as required by Indiana Open Meeting Laws. Open meeting laws can be ignored with few consequences.
    • Kevin Allen – BLN, also mentioned that a TIF District could be created within 30 days, He is also part of the team promoting this development.
    • 20240416 TIF Handbook OCRA Kevin Allen
  • 20240416 TIF Gateway Reports Kevin Allen

Overall Observations on the RDC.   I’ve participated in or observed RDC since 2016. Each RDC  tends to start from scratch as new members are added with varying agendas.   It would be helpful to have a series of meetings with former RDC members to discuss and document the past work that has been done, challenges, issues, accomplishments, frustrations,  policies, available economic data, and lessons learned. Knowledge of this information may help reduce some learning curves.

Bedroom and Retirement Community. TIFs are effective in counties and cities that have to invest in infrastructure to attract development and jobs and expand their tax base and workforce. In contrast, Brown County has not had to provide these incentives.  Hard Truth Hills is a case in point.

• • The county is funded primarily by income tax and property tax. 
  • Brown County is a Bedroom Community and a Naturally Occurring Retirement Community supplemented with Tourism.  A high percentage of residents choose to live here and commute (or work from home) to other counties that offer higher-paying jobs.  What is our economic engine?  It’s not tourism. Tourism accounts for $12.1 million in wages, and county citizens who file tax returns account for over $425 million in taxable wages.

Assessed property values and taxes (historical and current) are contained in a database and supported by the County’s GIS system.  The information in this system can be used to assess areas experiencing growth, declines, or staying about the same.

If TIFs are a solution in Brown County, what is the problem?   What areas in the county should but cannot be developed without an investment in infrastructure by the government?
What are the current trends for revenue growth?  What is the expectation for growth?  How will areas be identified?  What is the criteria for new investment by the county?   How will this be funded?  What is the current Zoning in the proposed areas?  Are residents in the area supportive of the proposed developments?  Do the TIF areas align with the County Comprehensive Plan?  Given the county’s financial condition, credit rating,  and long lead time for reimbursement, is it a viable option for the county?

Meeting Notes 

As stated above, the main topic of the meeting was advocacy for creating Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts. This could allow the county/RDC to borrow money for infrastructure projects needed to support development. The increase in assessed value as a result of the investment is returned to the RDC to pay off the bond.

TIFs can only be used as a last resort e.g., development in the area would not be possible without government investment in infrastructure.

• • Purdue – The-Use-of-Tax-Increment-Finance. Indiana law now makes clear that TIF is intended to fund infrastructure to promote development that would not occur but for the added infrastructure financed by the TIF revenues. Evidence that the development would not happen but for the establishment of the TIF district must be presented before
    the TIF district is approved. TIF is not meant as a source of revenue for responding to ongoing development nor as a substitute for other sources of infrastructure funding. TIF districts are required to expire once the infrastructure bond is repaid. TIF is not meant as a permanent source of revenue for the enacting government.
    

Barnes and Thornburg – Handbook for RDC and attorneys 2023

• • • Before an “allocation area” (often referred to as a “TIF District”) can be created, the Redevelopment Commission must first (or simultaneously) create an Economic Development Area, and then select some or all of the parcels in the Economic Development Area to constitute one or more TIF Districts.
      • Example – EDA Paperwork – Helmsburg Helmsburg-EDA-Docs-and-Econ-Plan
      • See also:  Helmsburg Revitalization – Community Led

A proposed TIF is for the old Little Opry Property purchased by Andrew Tilton. He (through his advocates) is requesting around $2 million to run a sewer line from Nashville to the property. This will help him lease the property to an apartment developer. Per Kevin Allen, the developer might be contractually obligated to agree to reimburse the county if the project is not completed. This assumes the developer remains solvent.

Brown County Democrat – Article on the Project

• • Looking at unused potential: Housing project in works at site of former music venue; government assistance possible, Abigail Youmans -October 12, 2021, Brown County Democrat.
    • When the former Little Nashville Opry property was purchased this March many started to wonder what its future held after being vacant for more than 10 years.
    • The property has sat vacant since 2009 when the Opry was destroyed by fire. Now the property has a new future as owner Andrew Tilton plans to use it to fulfill a need here: More housing.
    • Those working on the project are communicating with county leaders about possible help in the forms of tax abatements, an economic development agreement or tax-increment financing.
    • He has been working with is Strongbox Commercial, a real estate development company out of Zionsville. Alyn Brown not only works for the company, but is also a member of the Nashville Utilities Service Board.
    • Tilton said that about two days after he purchased the property, he started receiving phone calls then meetings started about three weeks later.  “I closed on the property on March 2, shortly after that, the ball started rolling,” he said. “For real estate that’s super fast.”
    • Kevin Allen with BLN in Bloomington is the senior site designer involved in the civil engineering of the Opry property. He presented to the Utility Service Board on Sept. 22.
    • “We’re looking at every possible way to get (sewer) there,” Allen said. The Utilities Service Board agreed to work with M.S. Consultants to see what possible routes the developers could take.

Background – Nashville Sewer Expansion. The Nashville Utility Service Board (USB). The USB developed a master plan for expanding sewers that includes the former Little Nashville Opry property. Nashville has not selected this expansion as a priority at this time.  And there has been no county public meetings that identified that the county will fund sections of the Nashville sewer expansion.

• • Nashville Sanitary Sewer Master Plan
  • Nashville Utility Services Board (USB):

    • President Pam Gould (term ends 12-31-2026);  Vice-President Alyn Brown (term ends 12-31-2027); Secretary Nancy Crocker (term ends 12-31-2027); Jim Cramer (term ends 12-31-2025); Tom Roberts (term ends 12-31-2026)

County Comprehensive Plan.  A TIF district requires the establishment of an Economic Development Area (EDA).  TIF districts and the likely effect on Zoning could be developed and included as an addendum to a new County Comprehensive Plan.  This plan identifies what the “citizens” (not developers/local politicos) want and do not want in terms of economic development and quality of life.  Any proposed TIF districts can be added as a layer on the county GIS map to help communicate the TIF plan to the citizenry to get community buy-in.  This layer can also include what Nashville has identified in its sewer expansion areas.
Individuals in government positions should also disclose any conflicts of interest.

Economic Tax Baseline:  RDC – County Property Tax Assessments and Taxes- Database – Notes 

Last updated: April 18, 2024.

Sources of Revenue. Our major sources of revenue are from income taxes and property taxes. We can access our property assessments and taxes by area, type of property, trends, etc.

Our county GIS system includes assessed values and taxes paid but maintains only 5 years of data. https://brownin.wthgis.com/

This data comes from the auditor, the assessor, and the treasurer. The software system used is Government Utilities Technology Service, Inc (GUTS).  https://www.g-uts.com/about/

This data is now available on the “Cloud” and we can get access to more than 5 years (maybe 15) of data using an Application Programming Interface (API).  We would need access to analytic software to query the data to discover trends in assessed values by areas and types of properties.  An API, or Application Programming Interface, is a set of rules or protocols that enables software applications to communicate with each other to exchange data, features, and functionality.

It may be possible to get support from graduate students at IU. They have access to software called Tableau. IU supported two previous RDC projects.

• • 2017 Student  Report – Covered by the Brown County Democrat with links to the full report. Report: Local taxes, job options need further scrutiny By Sara Clifford/Brown County Democrat
  • 2018 Student Report. Brown County Democrat,IU students discuss how data can guide county’s financial decisions By Sara Clifford

To get access to the data, we need permission (a memo) from the commissioners, treasurer, auditor, and assessor. Attached is the email correspondence from Eric Goodnight from G-UTS.

If we want to target an area for development, access to the data would provide a current baseline. This helps identify the expected results (increases in the tax base)  you expect from strategies like a TIF.

Email Correspondence

Brown – Property Tax Analytics (from Brown RDC
Grant Goodnight <grantg@g-uts.com>
Wed, Dec 27, 2023, 11:56 AM

Hey Tim,

I hope you’re doing well and had a Merry Christmas. I recently received your request and had a chance to review it this morning. Back in August, Kevin Patrick reached out to us, and I sent him the attached list of available Adhoc views, which you can access using both our Adhoc reporting tool and our API. Let me provide you with more details about these tools.

Before we dive into the technical aspects of obtaining the data, I want to note that the data you’re looking for belongs to our customers, specifically the Commissioners and office holders (Auditor, Treasurer, and Assessor). We’ll need written authorization from them, granting the RDC access before we can permit anyone to connect to the live data.

Regarding your request, it appears that some of the information you seek may already be part of the assessment trending process, which I believe Nexus handles for Brown County (although I’m not entirely certain). Some of the elements you’ve mentioned could potentially be gathered during this process, but I’m not entirely sure about your specific goals.

Our PVDNet platform offers various ways to extract data, allowing you to use your preferred analysis tool. First and foremost, we have an Adhoc reporting tool that enables you to create reports from a comprehensive set of views (please see the attachment). These views cover almost every critical data element within the system. You have the flexibility to generate full reports within the tool or export raw data for analysis in another tool.

I also wanted to mention that Brown County is scheduled to transition to our cloud platform within the next month. Once this transition is complete, they will gain access to our web API (PVDNet API), which includes an Adhoc endpoint. This integration will make it easier to connect to the same views available through our Adhoc reporting tool, streamlining your data analysis process.

To sum it up, the first step is to verify with the Assessor whether the data you require is already a part of the trending process. If it isn’t, then the RDC would need to request authorization from the relevant parties to access the data. Once authorization is secured, our Adhoc reporting tool and the upcoming PVDNet API should make it straightforward to analyze the data using your preferred tool. If you can provide us with specific data requirements, we’d be glad to recommend any relevant reports or data sources.

If you have more questions or need further assistance, please feel free to reach out.

Best regards,
Grant

Grant Goodnight
President
P: 765.481.2851 | F: 765.535.5044
grantg@g-uts.com | http://www.g-uts.com | LinkedIn

=====================
From: tjclark2036@gmail.com <tjclark2036@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, December 22, 2023 8:01 PM
To: ‘Greg Jordan’ <gregj@g-uts.com>
Subject: RE: Brown – Property Tax Analytics (from Brown RDC)

Hi Greg,

On the “analytics”, this would include software that makes it easier to query the data and produce some pretty good visuals of the information (see links below).

For instance, within Brown County, what areas are seeing the most and least assessed values and property taxes stratified by property types, townships, “neighborhoods”, etc. Trend data on this information would also be helpful and would allow us to assess the impacts of development strategies.

I assume G-UTS maintains our historical data.

IU/SPEA students have offered to provide support if they could get access to the data. I think they have access to Tableau which is what the Kelly School of Business at IU uses. We also got contacted by a company that offered analytic-type support.

Those offering support said that they just need the “API.”

What would it take for the county to get access to the API?

Tim

List of software

10 Best Predictive Analytics Tools and Software of 2023

10 Best Predictive Analytics Tools and Software for 2024

The Best Data Visualization Tools Of 2023

Council members present: Huett, Rudd, Byrd, Kirby, Swift-Powdrill. Kemp. Commissioners Office: Melissa Stinson, Jerry Pittman.

Tuesday, April 16, Combined Work Session Agenda

Agenda April 16, 2024:

Stellar will not be available in 2025 but will in 2026.  Agreement that the county needed to be better prepared in identifying needs that could be supported with a longer term vision and strategy  . Melissa Stinson’s suggestion that Brown County ask for an exception to the unanimous vote by commissioners rule was rejected by all.

Per Melissa Stinson, DNR is interested in providing some funding for the Salt Creek Trail and Indiana Hill. The prosecutor’s office may be eligible for “blight” related funding, and INDOT may be interested in making sidewalk-related repairs in front of the courthouse.

Brown County Community Foundation – Alice Susemichel

• • Grant and other Funding Opportunities report 
  • Stellar 
  • READI 2.0. Uplands (Sewer Issues)
  • Regional with Owen County
  • Lilly GIFT grant with Community Foundation
  • ARA
  • Cook

·Development of the Capital Improvement Plan

• • Review of feedback from departments on CIP needs
  • Five-Year Financial Plan 
    • Three year budget plan
  • BINDER of BROWN Co Sustainability 04 15 24 gjb
  • Projects on the CIP list include replacing the jail A/C units – about 1 million.

Review of county budget items:

• • Benefits – Perf, 457, 401a (Jim, Melissa, Judy meet) report
  • Law Enforcement financial concerns – report
  • Prepare for Dept. Heads Luncheon – Budget Guidance sheet
  • Any other pertinent budgetary concerns

Helmsburg – Balance Sock Factor Money.  Adrian OShea – President, Helmsburg CDC  to work with council attorney Susan Bevers on the details.

·2025 Budget Timeline:

• •  April 16. 9 – 11:30 Work Session
  • April 16. 11:30 – 1.   Luncheon – Dept Heads –
  •  May?     Work Session
  • June 30 – Form 1’s due, or use last years budget
  • July 17 9-12  Work Session to review Form 1’s
  • July 24  9-4.  Intake session from each dept – all day
  • Sept 16.
  • Oct 21 Budget Adoption Reading
  • Work Session to review dept budgets
  • Future monthly meeting dates

Agenda Commissioner meeting Apr 3 2024

Audio of the Meeting:

Infrastructure Repairs/Replacements.

• • Jail AC Units.  Commissioner Sanders proposed funding a partial replacement of the Jails AC Units versus all at once. This would result in a more immediate response if one or more of the aging units fail.  The complete replacement (around a million) will require a capital improvement loan.
    • Specification, Request for Proposals, Project Management. Discussions included contracting for these services. DLZ quoted 64K.
  • Budget Deficit?  The county’s financial advisor identified that balances in the general fund may be needed to pay operating expenses.
  • Capital Improvement Loan.  County has to routinely borrow money to fund infrastructure costs.  The current loan will be paid off this year.  And a new loan will be needed. The goal is to make it tax-neutral. Given the old loan was for 3 million/3 years and was at an interest rate of less than 1%, staying “tax neutral” will require less money to be borrowed or pay back over an extended timeframe. 
  • In addition to the Jail  AC units, building new prosecutors’ offices was identified as a priority.   Requirements identified included making it “bulletproof.”   

Vacancy – Washington Township Board. The commissioners will be advertising the vacancy. The Chair of the Democrat Party did not identify a replacement. This allows the commissioners to make an appointment – independent of political party affiliation.

Sherrif

• • Turnover.  Sheriff Stogsdill briefed that they continue to lose staff to surrounding counties.  Mentioned they may need to reduce coverage on shifts.
    • Will the council approve changes to the salary ordinance that would allow the Sheriff to use available payroll dollars to increase the salaries of existing personnel?
    • What is the risk to citizens of reduced staffing?
  • Leasing Vehicles.  Sheriff bought one new vehicle and is leasing three more. He identified that “purchasing the vehicles” would be less expensive. This is a change from a former commissioner who believed leasing was less expensive.

Bike Signs.  Mike Magnor is continuing to research the issues.  Alyn Brown of Brown County Mountain Biking suggested a phased strategy and priorities based on bike traffic and safety issues.  Bike Sign Proposal 2024_03_03

• • The law in Indiana is that cyclists can use the whole lane and that motorists are required to pass when they can do so safely and when they can do so with 3’ of clearance. It doesn’t matter if there is a center line or not.
  • Commissioners are not being asked to change any laws or make any special allowances.  These laws already exist and are in place.
  • The request is to add signage to let motorists know the laws and make them aware that cyclists are on the roads.

Solar Eclipse.   Plans are in place.  The Governor did declare an “emergency” that facilitates cooperation among states.

Bridge 122 Mt. Liberty Road.  Beams had to be replaced and approval for additional repairs have been approved by the commissioners.