[0:00] Are you ready? It's ready.

[0:09] Okay.

[0:13] Okay, it's 5 o'clock p.m. on Tuesday, July 28, 20, 20, 26. We'll call the board of works and say to be the order. We'll call please. Here. Here. Here. Here. We're going to be able to minutes from our last meeting on July 14. There are any changes or corrections. I had one and that is under correction agreement on Mr. Schultz last

[0:41] I'll make a motion, we have heard with the note of change.

[0:48] Motion, secretary, further discussion.

[0:50] All those things will sign.

[0:52] It is unanimous.

[0:53] Next up is the CIP committee meeting minutes from July 14th as well.

[1:01] Any questions, comments, concerns?

[1:05] Hearing none.

[1:06] I have a motion.

[1:08] Make a motion.

[1:08] I accept that.

[1:09] So you have to leave me a minute if I ask the presenter.

[1:11] One second.

[1:12] Motion sector for the discussion.

[1:14] All those favors of the usual sign.

[1:16] It is stimulus.

[1:20] Okay.

[1:21] Next up, we'll open the floor for any public comment.

[1:28] Hearing none, we'll call the public comment

[1:30] and we'll move to the encouragement agreement.

[1:38] I

[1:42] know what it is, but I need your name and address, please, when you get here.

[1:47] You want me right here?

[1:48] Yes, please.

[1:49] Alvin Hiscott, 824 South Redstone Court.

[1:54] Okay.

[1:54] And tell us what your final action is here.

[1:57] Well, tear down my old wooden fence and put up a vinyl fence.

[2:01] So it's just a one-for-one replacement?

[2:03] Yes sir. Okay. Gotcha. My guess is when the original fences put up it probably was put in the easement

[2:09] but was never reported so that's why I'm assuming you're here in front of us for. I was told I had to come up with it.

[2:15] Yes. So I don't know if it's in the easement or not. Yeah. Yeah, I think it's within those

[2:23] property lines. So utilities, any issues with that. Again, there's a fence there already but I just

[2:33] Okay, and it's same height as what you currently have.

[2:37] You know, same, I'm just taking that one out and putting it right back in the same spot.

[2:40] Gotcha.

[2:41] Okay.

[2:41] Any questions from the board?

[2:44] Okay.

[2:45] Make a motion that we approve the encroachment agreement for H-24 South Redstone Court is presented.

[2:52] I'll take that.

[2:53] Motion is secondary for the discussion.

[2:55] All of the figures for the usual sign.

[2:56] It is unanimous.

[2:58] So I'll tell you what I tell everybody else, which, if you've had it out, probably not

[3:02] But if you open it for some reason,

[3:03] we do have to get into that easement.

[3:05] We will notify you so you can take down the fence.

[3:07] Again, if you've had it up and it's not had a problem,

[3:10] we're probably not going to have that.

[3:11] So you're aware, let's say you want to tell him

[3:15] the process now.

[3:16] Yeah, so if we will send this back over

[3:18] to the building planning department where you

[3:19] fill up the paperwork, it would be there by noon tomorrow,

[3:22] so you will see if they stop back in and finish everything up

[3:26] with them.

[3:26] OK.

[3:27] They didn't start your project.

[3:28] OK, sounds good.

[3:30] That's it.

[3:31] All right.

[3:31] Thanks for coming.

[3:32] Thank you.

[3:32] See you later.

[3:33] Yep.

[3:37] Okay.

[3:37] Next up, 351 North Line, Street Update.

[3:41] Those are your hearing points.

[3:43] I'm sorry.

[3:43] I have nothing.

[3:44] You have nothing.

[3:45] We're unable to connect.

[3:47] I have not been able to find who A and I is.

[3:50] Okay.

[3:51] And the property, the last side look.

[3:54] I can't say that I looked today.

[3:57] Had not changed the ownership, it was still under me.

[4:02] Okay.

[4:04] We did get information, I think from Scott regarding, I don't know if you've seen that yet,

[4:14] but we did get information from Scott regarding what he could find.

[4:19] And at courtesy notice, apparently he found, excuse me,

[4:28] real quick, property is needed to

[4:30] and I grew one year old entity formed in July 1st of 2025 out of New Jersey, operates

[4:41] some out-of-state investment in wholesaling vehicle rather than localized construction

[4:46] rehabilitation firm, said the business registries list Indian Atlas address on Keystone Crossing,

[4:58] but apparently he called them and found out that they didn't know anything about the property.

[5:07] So I think what we had, that he copied me on that email.

[5:12] Well, though this was in our Dropbox, so he sent those over to him, that would be great.

[5:21] I'm

[5:27] just quickly reviewing this again because I've read it earlier but I don't remember.

[5:32] I'm just wondering if it's a scenario that we need to put on pause for another two weeks

[5:39] or we should just move forward with the demo, knowing that I don't know.

[5:48] I guess what's your thoughts on opinions?

[5:52] My opinion is to head and release or demolition, however I'll have to ask Nathan because it's

[5:58] his.

[5:59] It's not what I have authority over and he could use another meeting tonight.

[6:03] So I'll take that information to him and see what he can find out.

[6:09] He's pretty good at rooting that stuff out.

[6:11] Nutr is still listed as a property of last that I saw if you haven't been any transfer.

[6:16] and that was since the last 4-14 yeah okay so I don't know what the opinion thoughts

[6:26] are on this I'm excited to be valuable obviously for you to look over that

[6:30] information that he's got to have told but I can't I can't do it I'm not the

[6:41] enforcement authority, Nathan, that's here in the city.

[6:43] If you take it to the nation, that's what he wants to do.

[6:46] You know, what I would ever do is,

[6:50] I can do just so that they should have

[6:53] some kind of an instrument I would think to show us.

[6:56] I would assume that.

[6:57] I think Scott's notes, I read through these earlier,

[7:00] I think we've done the diligence.

[7:05] So I think the direct directive, if you will,

[7:07] forward would be, yes, good and anything,

[7:12] whatever he wants to do, but we're in favor

[7:21] I got some information on the other one, not the hearing, but the one on Hanna Street,

[7:31] my mind goes blank.

[7:33] That was forecasting.

[7:35] Yes.

[7:36] Yes.

[7:37] He did call me, said they're going to tear the building down.

[7:39] Okay.

[7:39] says they expect their, I think it was last year, he said they were expecting the refinancing

[7:44] part of that as demolition of the building. Maybe in the future they might put another

[7:48] one on the same foundation. Nice and that would be great.

[7:52] I would say that next day I made a phone call, but hopefully this doesn't have to go that

[7:56] step. I'm glad to hear that that's the work done.

[7:59] Did you hear the time, right?

[8:02] I would think by, I think it's about middle of August, he thought it would move down.

[8:14] I told him, you know, it's not going to be good, and obviously it's not by this point.

[8:18] All right.

[8:20] Thank you.

[8:21] Okay.

[8:22] Well, you might as well stay after the next is the unsafe building orders.

[8:25] So, okay.

[8:28] So, I will turn it back over to you then.

[8:33] This is a reminder of the board.

[8:36] This had a previous order, which was for repair, and that order has been ignored and nothing

[8:44] has been done on that.

[8:46] So Nathan re-issue this as a demolition order, demolition and removal of debris off the

[8:54] property.

[9:00] I

[9:05] don't have a card back here on the name or on the new order.

[9:12] I got the card back from the mortgage company but I don't have one from me owner.

[9:19] Okay, so that's going to be the course of action because I don't think the owner is going

[9:25] to do anything with it by the tree.

[9:27] So, if the board wants us to go ahead, we'll go ahead.

[9:30] We'll make sure that notification has been made.

[9:37] If not, we'll take care of that again.

[9:40] I can notify by putting the order on the building.

[9:44] But then that gives us another 10 days.

[9:45] We have to wait, you know, according to statute.

[9:48] And so then we'll do that and proceed with the notice and then we're going to issue

[9:54] for the demolition.

[9:56] We did get pictures for that property.

[10:00] I don't know if you saw it.

[10:01] We did get pictures for the property.

[10:04] It's clear it's a disrepair.

[10:06] It's caught me have some.

[10:07] Yeah, that's what, yeah.

[10:08] Oh, yeah.

[10:09] That's the word we're looking at.

[10:10] So, it's clear it's a disrepair.

[10:12] It's clear that it's falling in.

[10:13] It's clear that it's a hazard not only to, you know,

[10:17] that some of the infrastructure that's there,

[10:18] but also the alleyway.

[10:19] I would be in favor of moving forward with demolition pending the.

[10:27] Yeah, we'll make sure the proper notification is made, but we'll go ahead and get the notice of bits get ready so we can send that right now.

[10:34] Okay, you need a formal motion and go on that.

[10:37] It'd be nice.

[10:38] Okay.

[10:38] Okay, I guess that thoughts or opinions?

[10:43] Okay, I'll make a motion that we support the planning and building departments against

[10:52] directive to demo the garage structure at one of 60s Jackson Street as presented.

[11:00] Okay.

[11:01] Motion seconded.

[11:02] Further discussion?

[11:04] Oh, there's a visual sign.

[11:05] This is unanimous.

[11:06] Next step is we issue that notice busy and bit being let publicly go have to advertise

[11:13] some newspaper after that's done we collect the bed we'll be back just so

[11:20] unclear we try to get him to pay for it if he doesn't pay for it then the

[11:27] link goes on property correct there's several different options and state

[11:31] statue. Okay, we're getting that on the back. Okay. Okay. Hopefully. Yeah.

[11:37] PD sides. You know, I'll do it myself. Yeah. It's done. Yeah. Absolutely.

[11:43] That page only happens, but not real often. Questions are correct. Anything else?

[11:49] Good to go. All right. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for your air.

[11:55] Okay. Next up is the MOU for the must task force

[12:00] I'll turn this over to let's yeah so the county has partnered with Bakertelli to provide us with

[12:12] truly everything that we need to make decisions on the most committee as a city we've already paid

[12:19] $2,500 towards this full reporting so that would be a taken into consideration that

[12:29] I can talk to the floor and the Tiffany last Wednesdays

[12:32] in the meeting, they're gonna take that off

[12:36] of what our ultimate bill is gonna end up being.

[12:39] But I need proof of to move forward

[12:41] we're essentially splitting the bill

[12:45] based upon population.

[12:48] So as you'll see, we're gonna end up

[12:50] like 20 to 29% of the bill.

[12:53] Thought that was the only fair way to do it.

[12:54] Obviously, it doesn't make sense

[12:55] for the kind of water well to pay

[12:57] as much as we are. So asking for formal approval so that I can take this to our next

[13:03] must meeting on August 12th. I see it with being able to pay our fair share of all of the

[13:11] reports and pay for tilling being out of the meetings, mitigating meetings are doing pretty

[13:16] much everything for us to be able to make a decision.

[13:23] questions on the board okay

[13:28] I'll make a motion that we approve the memory of a

[13:30] understanding for the must task force that's presented second motion

[13:37] seconded further discussion although the favorites of the usual time it is

[13:43] unanimous

[13:48] still all right on a commission to pay all accounts table and the amount

[13:54] about $167,768.69 from the allowance of account payable vouchers stated July 28, 2026 for checks.

[14:04] Okay, motion seconded for the discussion. All those favorites of the usual sign. It is unanimous.

[14:10] Oh, make a motion payable account payable on the amount of $1,193,115.38 from the allowance

[14:19] that counts available after it's dated July 28th, 2026, e-accus payments.

[14:24] Second, motion, second, approval discussion.

[14:26] All those favors should be the usual sign.

[14:28] It is unanimous.

[14:30] I'll make a motion to have accounts payable except for overtime in the amount of $329,277.39.

[14:38] Plus, overtime in the amount of $12,843 in 34 cents for a total of $342,120 in 73 cents.

[14:49] for the pay file ending July 10th, 2026.

[14:52] Okay, motion seconder for the discussion.

[14:55] All those favoritials are for the usual sign and to tune in on us.

[14:58] I'll make a motion, they all accounts payable.

[15:09] The motion, second, aye, nay, abstain, quorum, motion,

[15:20] second, aye, nay, abstain, quorum, motion,

[15:24] from the allowance of accounts payable vouchers stated July 28, 2026, 4 meter deposits and credits.

[15:33] That's what I was just saying.

[15:34] Oh, well, how's that?

[15:35] I don't think that one.

[15:36] Okay.

[15:38] Okay.

[15:38] Motion-segular for the discussion.

[15:40] All those favourites are for the usual sign.

[15:41] Good issue, unanimous.

[15:42] And finally, I'll make a motion payable accounts payable on the amount of $777.38 from the allowance

[15:49] of accounts payable about your state of July 14th, 2026, for electric budget account

[15:54] refund and over payments.

[15:56] Second.

[15:57] Push in second.

[15:58] Further discussion.

[15:59] All those tariffs for the mutual side is unanimous.

[16:02] Great job.

[16:03] Great job.

[16:06] Department of Reports, Kelly.

[16:09] Yeah, concrete crew, I'm going to finish another 50-year sidewalk last week, 3-07-1-1-1-1-1.

[16:20] and potential another one coming up on Market Street sounds like, and they were working on

[16:27] the ramp up here at the corner of the line at Market.

[16:32] We had a bus to the ADA for him, but he didn't prepare and he worked on some

[16:42] mantle castings in Main Street. They were kind of low and was able to put rise

[16:47] reasons. Three of those and a couple more that we want to try to target. They're not

[16:53] perfect, but they're better than they were. Okay. We got four guys that started

[16:59] the treatment, lent them back out of the alleyways and they're going to

[17:04] transform them up the streets. And we have an intact end looking at our

[17:10] telepicing truck. We have little bullets going on with that and they were in

[17:16] today, I'm going to turn to get that.

[17:22] Questions of Kelly.

[17:25] Thank you, Chip.

[17:27] I've been working with the mayor and attorneys,

[17:30] a bunch of attorneys on getting tips

[17:32] into different areas in town.

[17:35] Also, an accusation of eagle waving.

[17:38] Got a head of small list from the mayor for aim.

[17:44] Westgate is getting ready to start that as soon as nips go. It's moving and

[17:49] amp teeters coming along kind of budget today that we're still we're pretty close

[17:55] to the budget so that's good. The old jail, on the old, old jail, the old jail

[18:01] we have several under resting parties so that's good. I was going to give Craig

[18:07] a little crap because the kitchen we have to get a state permit now since we're increasing

[18:16] the hood size which I kind of hope we didn't have to but we do so that should be coming

[18:21] here within the next couple of weeks and moving ahead on a lot of stuff.

[18:26] Thank you Matt.

[18:30] We had the city slam last weekend and we're getting ready for, I can't remember what this

[18:39] It's called, but we're getting ready for the baseball tournament.

[18:41] This coming weekend,

[18:45] making signs at the mountain bike trail.

[18:47] We have had a lot of people inquiry about the taking care of the trail.

[18:53] So I'm going to make some signs that let them know that it's a volunteer effort.

[18:58] It takes care of that, and then Ashley has made a QR code that they can click on.

[19:03] And it takes them right to the Facebook page so they can get right into the talk

[19:07] with the people that are taking care of it and being able to get in and help

[19:14] trim back some stuff for it.

[19:19] Dan Belk, who went out with last weekend, so we're getting ready to start doing

[19:24] that. Something that I didn't put down in this is that the head coach at high

[19:31] school, they told him that the scoreboard wasn't working. He knew someone that had a

[19:36] school board so we're working together to get that and it's going to be an LED

[19:43] so we're going to go from a 1997 school board to a 2013 school board so

[19:50] hopefully that'll be coming soon for for this year. Another next state. What

[19:55] field is that on the old high school football field? High school. Okay, question.

[20:02] Thank you.

[20:03] Thank you.

[20:03] I think we're finally through a stump grinding.

[20:07] The new stump grinding worked really well.

[20:10] Actually, we don't have to add as much dirt back because it doesn't

[20:13] have a better job of grinding those stumps up.

[20:15] So we'll move forward with the seed installing that I hear in the next couple of weeks.

[20:21] We've also had a couple of crews out trimming power lines.

[20:26] So they may be in your neighborhood trimming away from the lines.

[20:32] soon. We started engineering and that looked map today. We're looking at very

[20:36] much of the over head distribution through Eagle Park around to a product

[20:43] facility. I collect all the data for all of our images and I kind of put them

[20:50] on a map type of situation where I can look at it and see where do we have where

[20:54] we spend our money on. Over time, as compared to we can increase reliability and

[20:58] to do some improvements in the area.

[20:59] This is one of the areas that popped up on mine.

[21:02] So I don't know if we're looking at that,

[21:04] it's not going to be a cheap project,

[21:05] but it's going to ultimately, it's going to increase

[21:08] trees or reliability and reduce our overtime,

[21:12] which is good with areas.

[21:16] Next to that, it's a light of New York City

[21:17] with an INP executive committee.

[21:20] We're meeting with all the rate makers

[21:23] in the bottom of our bond rating for Ryan P.A.

[21:27] basically tell our story at Columbia City and how we're doing what we're doing

[21:30] so successfully and we meet with S&P, Moody and Fitch and the financial district

[21:38] there. So it's a really good meeting. Last year we were able to get our bond

[21:44] in rating increase to save us I think $6 million in bond refunding. We have

[21:49] another bond refunding available in 2028 so we can do that again. That would be

[21:54] wonderful for us here.

[21:58] Can you can you further describe for break payers why

[22:05] that would impact them? Because we specifically as in let me say municipal

[22:10] electric does not have a bond doesn't have bonds out there but I am PA is our

[22:14] electric provider death so can you talk just for a moment about that? So as we're

[22:19] saving money at the I and P.A. level which is where I am involved with the obviously

[22:22] exactly the committee. That trickles out to the rates that we pay for our

[22:28] electricity. If we can save money through IPA, our rates don't go up as you can

[22:34] tell. We're looking at, you know, usually between one and two to three percent

[22:39] increase, whereas across the state right now they're averaging almost 20

[22:43] percent increases every year. So, a lot about is being financially

[22:47] responsible, not buying into the green energy, which was a big one for us. A lot of them went

[22:56] 100% in with the green energy, it just doesn't work. So we kind of, we did it when it

[23:01] made sense, and I think Raj Rao was one of our CEO, we'll say we'll go green when it goes green.

[23:07] It's not there yet. So yeah, as we can save money to produce and sell the energy, it says our

[23:13] I already paid his money by their tracker charge not going up as much on their record bill.

[23:19] Great, thank you.

[23:20] Question.

[23:22] Mike.

[23:23] The altitude is out when the north power is in and hooked up and working great.

[23:28] They also pulled high service pumps for you to be rebuilt.

[23:34] Great.

[23:34] Question to Mike.

[23:36] Thank you.

[23:38] Mike.

[23:38] So I work started the day at Irish Bun for the new pound to go in there, that's that

[23:44] signaling the low station drives and there's the wind on the boat folks and then the one

[23:50] that is the board's permission to solicit quotes for a ceiling and crack filling need to sell

[23:56] me out there.

[23:58] The last time it was done was seven years ago and it's actually just now starting to show

[24:02] a lot of whiter.

[24:03] So coming that did it, it's not in business anymore. So they've done a great job there. Time because it's lasted this long. We haven't had to do it. So

[24:12] crack-feeling of the brick work or crack-feeling of the asphalt, the asphalt, the asphalt. Okay, parking, dry. It's and everything.

[24:23] You're just asking the quotes so you can bring back. Correct. I'm going to see how much it's going to be and then see how we'll go from there.

[24:31] Yeah, we're good, thank you.

[24:34] This is like on the floor, do I just get the quotes there,

[24:37] and then you have to down and see where we're

[24:38] at the financial aid.

[24:39] Yeah, so thank you, Mike.

[24:42] Yep, Gary.

[24:44] Officer Vivian, Officer Blocker, starting their last phase

[24:47] of FTO, they're doing well, so we don't expect

[24:50] to see any issues there.

[24:51] It should be really important to end of August

[24:54] so I'll come to what everything works out well there.

[24:56] 4-H prayer went well, had a few accidents down there in a throne of mischief incident but overall was a good prayer week.

[25:05] Wheels of Whitley County will be this Saturday 5-8 downtown and also the Whitley Resource Fair which is put on by the,

[25:15] most of it by the Woodland Senior Center. It's going to be out at the Indian Springs this Saturday as well.

[25:21] I'll spray it here, we'll be out there, going to throw him a demo, so I agree with them.

[25:26] I've had a couple of traumatic incidents and so I've asked a couple weeks for our department

[25:30] to deal with that with the board as batches, going good.

[25:35] Okay.

[25:36] Question Gary.

[25:37] Can you ever find out who let all the pigs out?

[25:41] Okay.

[25:42] I feel like I have to find out who's going to think that.

[25:45] I'm not going to find any of those bad things.

[25:48] Right.

[25:52] Yeah, there was a fun having a lot of things right now with the two different tip districts

[26:08] and amphitheater and other just missling his projects.

[26:14] but big focus right now is that tomorrow we'll be hosting I think 60 to 80 people from

[26:21] the aim board directors here at downtown Columbia City as an

[26:26] president I get the opportunity to host the summer meeting and so we'll be

[26:31] hosting them from across the state of Indiana which is which is really need to

[26:35] play host I don't know that we've ever done that so that's a really cool thing

[26:40] there's been some time downtown we have a trolley that will take a couple of

[26:44] different tours of the city so that people can see our city beside it beyond just U.S.

[26:49] 30 in downtown and then we'll go out to England for a little while to just do some socializing

[26:55] and stuff and then our actual board of directors meeting is on Thursday morning and so that will be

[27:04] until about a new niche but I think that what I was told was the holiday and express of the

[27:10] which is, I think, a good thing, and you know, we're trying to do as much local as we can, for sure, and stuff.

[27:16] So we're looking forward to hosting lots of mayors, clerk treasures, town managers, et cetera, et cetera, from across the state.

[27:25] And so it's kind of cool to put our community out there for people to see.

[27:31] I'm proud of it, and I know you guys are too, but this shows some more of the world of what we have here, so let me think about that.

[27:39] Besides that, let me just double check.

[27:44] I think from my calendar standpoint, besides that, uh, let's see,

[27:50] yep, it's, uh,

[27:54] busy timing,

[27:57] but I think we're good.

[28:00] I have nothing.

[28:01] Okay.

[28:02] Please.

[28:02] I have nothing.

[28:03] We have no audience.

[28:04] We have no press, so we will call the meeting adjourned.

[28:07] Thank you.

Columbia City (city), IN meeting

Transcript