Commissioner Meeting Notes, Sept 20, 2023.  Audio of the meeting

This post at the Facebook Group – Brown County Matters

Attendees: Commissioners Sanders, Pittman, Wolpert. Commissioner Assistant Melissa (Stinson) Waddell was absent. Melissa is also secretary of the local GOP.   Also present from the local GOP – Robyn Rosenberg Bowman. Not aware of any representation from the local Democrat party.  I tend to represent the conservative wing of independent voters. Attendees also included some members of the public.  More info: The county’s political culture and capabilities.

New Commissioner Assistant. Melissa (Stinson) Waddell was selected for the position. Melissa is also the secretary of the local GOP. The issues, controversy, and drama associated with this  new position were covered in a previous post: 

New Veteran Services Officer. Andy Alexander.

Next Level Broadband Connection Grant – Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA), sent a list of eligible locations for broadband service to the county. The new commissioner’s assistant is to provide a list of addresses in these areas. The grant requires a 20% match that is covered by the provider and the provider submits the grant. Scott Rudd is helping to facilitate the process.

Indian Hill Railroad Crossing. The decision by INDOT to re-open the crossing will be made by the end of the month. INDOT will allow an appeal to be filed within 15 days. Background information on the issue. Part 4: Closure RR Xing, Indian Hill Rd – Petition to Re-Open.  Summary: Commissioners at the time fast-tracked closing the crossing without a public hearing and notifying the residents and other stakeholders, that would be affected.

Bridge and Road -Elkinsville. Appears this will be an ongoing issue until the slats on the bridge are replaced and funding is available and designated for paving. Note that the condition of county roads and funding plans are available at the following: Local Road and Bridge Dashboard 

Commissioner Meeting Notes, Sep 6, 2023. 2:00-3:00.

2025 Bond Discussions. The current $3 million capital improvement bond is due to be paid off in Jan 2025. Last time, the amount borrowed went from 2 to 3 million with the justification being that interest rates were so low, the property tax used to fund the loan would not change.

Commissioner Sanders has the lead on this initiative. He has drafted and continues to refine the “first ever” capital improvement plan and budget. This is the “document” that should have been used to justify new debt and capital improvement funding. The lack of a plan was identified as a repeat audit finding from the State Board of Accounts – a finding that was always ignored by the county elected officials until now.

The plan identifies the need to replace air conditioning units in the jail (640K) and to build a new prosecutor’s office. Note on the prosecutor’s office – the need for replacement has been “talked about” for years but nothing was ever planned or budgeted.  The goal is that the amount to be borrowed will not require an increase in the current tax rate. Ideally, a “Rainy Day Fund” could be used to prevent the need to borrow money but we are a long way from this reality.

Update: Town of Nashville Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan. The proposal is being adjusted – no details. The Indiana Department of Health has provided 20K, the Commissioners 20K (ARPA funds), and another 10K is needed. The suggestion was that the county contribute another $5,500 and Nashville would provide $5,500. Another issue was that the commissioners were asked to allow contractors onto private property. Note this will only fund a “Plan” that will likely cost several million to build. It is expected that “grants” will fund the development of the trail.

Bridge #43 – Elkinsville Rd.  The wooden planks on the bridge are secured with nails. The nails pop up and cause flat tires. This has been an ongoing issue for the past three years.  The Post Office is requiring repairs or they will no longer drive over the bridge to deliver mail.