[0:00] Frankly, Lord, thank you for the day
that you've given us. I want to thank
[0:03] you for going before us. Help us honor
you well in things that we do and we
[0:06] say. I pray Lord you will look over the
team that works for the town of
[0:10] Walkerton. Help us
keep them safe.
[0:13] And help us to make good choices and
good decisions. Lord, we ask for your
[0:17] blessings in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
>> Amen.
[0:20] » I pledge allegiance to the flag of the
United States of America and to the
[0:26] republic for which it stands, one nation
under God, indivisible, with liberty and
[0:33] justice for all.
[0:37] » [clears throat]
[0:41] » Okay, Tara, I want you to do a roll call
tonight.
[0:47] I don't want to be fine.
I need a motion to uh
[0:51] » [clears throat]
>> uh what am I looking for? Yes, I need a
[0:53] motion
uh to approve the minutes of August
[0:56] 10th.
>> I'll move.
[0:58] » Uh I need a second.
>> Second.
[1:01] » Anything in there that you would like to
change or
[1:05] anything at all?
All in favor?
[1:07] » Aye.
>> Those opposed, same sign.
[1:10] I need a motion to pay the claims,
please.
[1:12] » I'll move.
>> I need a second.
[1:16] » Second.
>> Is there anything in the claims that you
[1:18] want to ask about?
[1:22] All in favor?
>> Aye.
[1:24] » Those opposed, same sign.
[1:28] Is the cash balance thing just for
review?
[1:31] » Do you need that? That's just for
review.
[1:36] » Um which line? Uh we have no
correspondence, so next thing on the
[1:41] agenda is old business.
Anyone in the council have old business?
[1:45] Anyone that's an attorney have old
business?
[1:48] How about new business to council?
Anybody have new business?
[1:52] How about from our attorney? Do you have
any new business?
[1:55] Okay.
Moving on to the finance report. Is that
[2:00] the cash balance statement we want to
look at?
[2:05] So,
>> [clears throat]
[2:06] » I looked at it and my question to you
would be is there anything on there that
[2:10] jumped out at you?
Okay.
[2:14] » It did when I first looked at it.
>> Okay.
[2:17] » And then you had any more there.
[2:20] » Remind me what the downtown plan is.
>> Old.
[2:26] » Okay.
That's when we had a downtown plan.
[2:29] » A long time ago.
>> All right. Very good.
[2:32] Um are we just getting ready to to pay
the seated bond?
[2:37] It's on the second page about halfway
down.
[2:40] » Yes, we're going to
>> Okay.
[2:41] » review in September. Two bonds review in
September.
[2:44] » That's excellent.
Okay.
[2:47] Do I have a motion to approve the
finance report?
[2:51] » So moved.
>> And I second.
[2:53] » Second.
>> I apologize to not ask anybody else if
[2:56] they had questions about it. So, does
anyone else have question about the
[2:59] finance report?
All in favor?
[3:03] » Aye.
>> Those opposed, same sign. County
[3:05] administrator.
[3:11] » County administrator,
Bill Buckmaster.
[3:17] Starting off with the
application for the boring
[3:22] at our Walnut Crossing.
Uh this time they come with the
[3:26] application and it does not have the pot
holding of the street.
[3:31] So, it's just boring.
>> So, you're
[3:35] And if you look at this
you're looking at this favorably?
[3:38] » Yes.
>> Okay.
[3:40] Can I get a motion for the application
for permit?
[3:43] » I'll make that motion.
>> And I second.
[3:45] » I'll second.
>> Anybody else have any questions about
[3:47] that now?
All in favor?
[3:50] » Aye.
>> Those opposed, same sign.
[3:52] » I need this one signed.
>> Okay. We can do that. you.
[3:57] Let's talk about the CCMG 2027.
>> Yes. Does this
[4:02] have signatures or one?
>> Five.
[4:10] Okay, on the CCMG application
um
[4:16] like to put in an application have that
in March
[4:20] apply for a CCMG grant
for a million dollar project.
[4:27] Um the project will include Washington
Street from Park Drive to US 6
[4:35] Virginia Street from Jackson Street to
Tyler Street
[4:39] Virginia Street from Indiana Street to
Main Street
[4:43] Georgia Street from Roosevelt um
to Tyler Street
[4:50] um
from yeah, from Roosevelt and then
[4:53] Georgia Street from Clark Street to walk
Walkerton Trail Walkerton Trail uh from
[5:00] Georgia Street to Gemini.
>> So normally on a bond like this or on a
[5:05] grant like this we we're required to
have matching funds. Do we have those?
[5:10] » Yes, we do. It's part of the our
application for the bond.
[5:14] » Okay.
>> And to do street sidewalk and that's
[5:18] what we've done street sidewalk curb and
gutter along with the the sidewalk
[5:22] project at the 700 block of Roosevelt
Road.
[5:26] » Okay.
>> And it will also have the money that
[5:29] will pay for the engineering costs.
>> Okay.
[5:32] Um
>> [clears throat]
[5:34] » let's have a motion to approve this and
we'll second and we'll find out if you
[5:37] got questions.
You've got a motion to approve this
[5:40] application.
>> I'll make the motion.
[5:44] » Can I get a second?
>> So moved.
[5:47] » A motion and a
Now, questions?
[5:50] » Oh yeah, the other thing I wanted to say
is that it's an 80/20 match.
[5:55] Um we we put in the 200,000 and you guys
800,000.
[5:59] » That's a pretty good deal.
>> It's $1.85.
[6:03] » Yeah, I like it.
>> So, Phil, on the summary on this, um
[6:09] two and three are going to be removed
>> Yes.
[6:12] » from this?
>> Yes.
[6:16] Because the project
um estimate was over a million dollar
[6:20] budget, and so they removed items two
and three, which
[6:25] was not in my previous team statement,
and then maybe it sets down to a million
[6:30] 51,000 before it's bid out.
>> Okay. And then on the engineering, uh
[6:38] do are any of these which are these
associated with two and three? I see by
[6:43] the addresses down here.
[6:47] Can you remove those two from the
request of the of this grant so that we
[6:52] don't get confused?
Further down the road, a year from now,
[6:56] we know exactly what
>> All we're doing now is approving
[7:00] um going forward with the CCM the
application with those two items
[7:05] removed.
>> Okay. And that will show that this is
[7:08] not going to be supported so it'll it'll
be correct.
[7:12] » Thank you.
[7:16] » And in your projections at the bottom of
your summary there,
[7:21] um
[7:23] we will be applying for another CCMG in
2027.
[7:27] » It looks like they'll have uh I have
uh
[7:32] NHDOT restricted in order to apply for
another million dollars next year.
[7:36] » Okay.
>> That'll be 80/20.
[7:39] » 80/20 again?
>> Yes.
[7:42] » Okay.
>> 80/20 also?
[7:44] » Also.
>> that would be better. That would be
[7:46] even better.
Uh any other any other questions?
[7:52] I know one of the things that people
always want to know is is that how do we
[7:55] choose these streets?
How do we choose where this project is?
[8:00] » On this, I I just looked at the um
we have
[8:04] a rating system on the streets that we
have an outside firm that does
[8:09] and we use that and we use the um
some places that sidewalks weren't
[8:15] » Mhm.
>> and we get that in the project.
[8:17] » Okay.
>> And also the to go on with the project
[8:22] that we started on Georgia Street,
>> Okay.
[8:24] » Virginia Street, and Washington Street.
>> Okay.
[8:27] Anybody else have questions?
All in favor?
[8:30] » Aye.
>> Those opposed, same sign.
[8:34] Looks like water alliance grant, next on
my agenda.
[8:37] » Okay. I've got a couple other things.
>> You go ahead.
[8:40] » Okay, so I'm going to have a word.
>> We'll go there first.
[8:43] Um
we set
[8:47] uh so we have in our continuing effort
to save money,
[8:53] we try to get other people to pay that.
>> Other people's money, I believe it's
[8:58] called.
>> And so right now we have uh Jared that
[9:01] is going for a water license and his pay
for 18 months is being paid from the
[9:06] water alliance.
>> Mhm.
[9:08] » And now we want to we're having um Brian
Bolt by Brian
[9:13] Bolt's
uh go to the wastewater school and the
[9:17] water alliance will pay for that. His
wages for 18 months.
[9:22] » And is he okay with that?
>> Yes. He's excited about it.
[9:25] » Is there an overlap between Jared and
Brian or one finishes the other one
[9:30] begins?
>> It's an overlap. One one's on water and
[9:33] one's on waste water.
>> Oh, I'm sorry. go ahead.
[9:35] » Yeah.
So, that is at
[9:39] at the moment we'll have two of our
employees that are being paid from the
[9:42] fire department.
>> Is this for a point of information or do
[9:45] you need some kind of a motion?
>> Don't need any motion.
[9:48] » Okay.
Okay, thank you. You had a couple other
[9:50] things you said, go ahead.
>> Um yeah.
[9:52] » Wait, I'm sorry.
>> On Brian going to the wastewater,
[9:56] does at that time do they do the testing
as well so he can certified in
[10:00] wastewater through the school? So, it's
all
[10:03] » Same same as wastewater.
>> Yes.
[10:07] » Do you have anything on that?
[10:11] » I'm good.
>> Okay, um
[10:13] we have some uh positions open on the
planning commission and BCA because of a
[10:19] death and two people moved out of town.
Uh one I'd like to uh
[10:24] present is Brian Bogard
>> Mhm.
[10:27] » uh to be on both the planning commission
and BCA.
[10:31] I talked to him and he's
accepted the position if you
[10:35] » He's a good one, isn't he? He's a good
one. Yeah.
[10:38] Um
That's Go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead.
[10:42] » It's uh
non-partisan, correct?
[10:46] » Yeah.
>> Yeah, it's non-partisan.
[10:49] » Okay. So, um
>> I'll make a
[10:51] I'll make a motion to accept Brian
Bogard for the planning commission and
[10:55] the BCA.
>> Second.
[10:57] » I'll second.
>> Okay.
[10:59] All in favor or any other Anybody else?
>> Well, I cut you off and you want to say
[11:04] something.
>> you asked you asked the question I've
[11:05] been asked. So,
>> Okay.
[11:07] » Okay. [clears throat]
All in favor?
[11:09] » Aye.
>> Those opposed, same sign.
[11:11] » Good thinking. I'm still looking for a
few people if you have some ideas.
[11:15] » Do you need both on the planning
commission or do you need
[11:17] » Planning commission. I need two for each
of them.
[11:21] And they can be the same person person
person for both.
[11:25] » Did you have something else?
>> Oh, excuse me.
[11:27] » They cannot be
They cannot be town employees.
[11:32] » I apologize. Did you have something
else?
[11:33] » Yeah, we did.
And
[11:36] the guys have been working on the storm
damage um
[11:40] and the outages we had with that storm
that came through. It's going to take
[11:45] them probably the better part of a month
to get all the branches picked up.
[11:50] We had a water leak that they fixed
today, so
[11:53] » So, wouldn't wouldn't it behoove us to
get a hold of a tree service to come to
[11:57] town and just take care of all the
branches instead of our guys considering
[12:03] all the other stuff that we have to do?
>> I don't think so at this time because we
[12:07] might get reimbursed for everything, so
I think we want to see how this is going
[12:11] to play out. I'm trying to make an
application for the state so we can get
[12:15] some reimbursement.
>> Okay.
[12:17] » Okay.
Uh
[12:20] » While while we're on that, I'll throw a
note out there.
[12:24] I think the electric utility
for four four gentlemen and then and
[12:30] then however many others were helping
did an excellent job of getting our
[12:33] power back on in town in 54 hours
complete after that storm.
[12:39] » Right. And
>> They worked some late hours and
[12:42] and early mornings.
>> Because of NESCO's pole out here and
[12:46] NESCO didn't get on that right away and
that's what held us up. We would have
[12:50] gotten on it a lot quicker had
they'd been able to get on that pole.
[12:54] » Yeah.
>> It was an NESCO pole and we can't touch
[12:57] that.
>> Thank you, Jeff. That's
[13:00] » Do you have anything else, sir?
>> I do not.
[13:02] » Thank you.
Um I need a uh
[13:06] » [clears throat]
>> I need a
[13:07] » Yes, ma'am.
>> I just I just had an item of business,
[13:09] I'm sorry. Um I gave you the thing for
the new budget.
[13:12] » Yes.
>> For the budget um
[13:14] » Mhm.
>> schedule
[13:17] » Mhm.
>> Did it work out? And I wanted to talk
[13:19] about the meeting for September 28th.
There's a conference um that a couple of
[13:25] council members and we were going to
>> Okay.
[13:28] » and I going to so I don't know if you
wanted to change that meeting or cancel
[13:32] that meeting.
>> Then the meeting will be cancelled or
[13:35] rescheduled. What's your opinion?
>> It's the second meeting of the month so
[13:40] right now I'm okay with if we don't have
one.
[13:43] » Okay.
>> I'll make a motion we don't have a
[13:45] meeting the week of September 28th,
2026.
[13:48] » And we're talking about a meeting or are
we talking about this budget thing?
[13:53] » No, we're not we're not talking about
>> It is somebody.
[13:56] » Not have a meeting.
>> The council meeting, yes.
[13:59] » Okay.
Anybody else got any thoughts?
[14:02] » I'm in favor of Carol's
motion.
[14:05] » You don't want to be here?
>> Correct. I will be with her in southern
[14:07] Indiana.
>> Will you?
[14:08] » Will we?
>> Is there three of you that could have a
[14:11] meeting on that night?
>> We got it.
[14:14] » I need a motion for that. We got it?
>> We did.
[14:16] » Second?
>> I have a second.
[14:18] » Okay. Anybody
anything else? All in favor.
[14:22] » Aye.
>> Vote opposed.
[14:26] I'm going to show up and have a cup of
coffee. What are you going to do?
[14:29] » Well, yeah, I don't know.
>> Thank you.
[14:32] » Okay, thank you. Can you give me the
sheet over there, please?
[14:48] Thank you.
>> What?
[14:50] » I said that we make up a meeting.
>> Cancel the meeting.
[14:55] » Mr. Kaufman, you are the first man up.
[15:00] » Rick Kaufman, 1156 Birch Street.
We need a home telephone.
[15:05] » We probably don't even need you to give
your address anymore, you know. We got
[15:09] it, don't worry.
>> Got it.
[15:11] » Got it. Thank you.
>> Okay. I did send each of you an email
[15:15] earlier this evening
of the letter. Just some follow up
[15:19] trying to understand or get
clarification on Geo Bond and Parks
[15:24] Bond.
Uh it looks like that the cost of the
[15:27] $20,000 for each of those just in fees
alone, then another $75,000 in
[15:33] insurance.
So, all together that seems to be a lot
[15:36] of
dollars based on the $595,000 and
[15:40] $685,000.
And there's a number of questions that
[15:44] I've listed, uh but I guess
trying to get some explanation on why
[15:50] that amount of money and expenses before
you've even added in the interest over
[15:55] the life of the bond.
I think I think you do well. So, you
[15:59] know, I'm not I'm not going to read this
word for word, but I would like some
[16:02] clarification for the public, not just
myself.
[16:04] » You did a good job explaining it
quickly. That was excellent. Go ahead.
[16:08] » So, with that said, because, you know,
maybe I'm misunderstanding something,
[16:12] but, you know, I made a public records
request, I got the information, and
[16:16] that's what's on there, and I think it's
important for the community our citizens
[16:20] to definitely understand how much
dollars are being spent, including the
[16:24] interest, and why is it that expensive?
And did we try to use uh the Indiana
[16:32] Finance Authority
uh to get the same
[16:35] uh bonds?
If yes, why did that occur? If no, why
[16:40] didn't you reach out to them and try to
go with the least cost possible for the
[16:44] taxpayers?
[16:46] » Okay.
>> That's it.
[16:47] » Yes, sir. Thank you.
>> Thank you.
[16:50] » Mr. Lorax. So, did I pronounce that
right?
[16:53] » You did.
>> I I read it on the signs, and I thought
[16:55] I'm doing good.
>> You did.
[16:57] » Glad to have you here tonight. Why are
you here, sir?
[16:59] » Thank you.
>> I'll give Rob Waris, I'm guy running for
[17:01] sheriff.
>> Okay.
[17:03] » And again, coming down here, I just want
I've been going around the communities
[17:07] and getting these town boards, I got to
say, this is the most important one that
[17:11] I've seen. I think it's just
you guys put together this one.
[17:14] » I'll tell you what, we get our packets
on Friday, and the people on the board
[17:17] here are really good about studying what
they got at home.
[17:22] » Well, it goes like clockwork.
>> Yeah.
[17:24] » I think that's a campaign slogan.
>> Yeah, well that's
[17:26] » [laughter]
>> It's really not.
[17:28] » Oh, oh, you mean YOU DIDN'T MEAN IT?
>> WELL, ACTUALLY NO.
[17:32] Um it's not it. I I do appreciate it.
But in any case, the reason I wanted to
[17:36] come down this time to talk,
um one of the things that I want to do
[17:39] is I'm doing this campaign thing, which
like I mentioned before, I'm not a
[17:43] politician. This is new for me. But I
want to know from you guys as a whole,
[17:48] like maybe next time I come down, if you
could say, "What is it that the county
[17:52] sheriff's department could help you
with?" And I talked to the chief and his
[17:55] assistant chief.
Um I talked to the assistant chief quite
[17:58] a bit, but
um so I can have a a really good grasp
[18:02] when I take office, how can I help our
surrounding communities? Cuz I know
[18:05] currently that doesn't happen.
And one of the things I'm going to do is
[18:09] every month
be having a meeting with the chiefs, so
[18:13] we can talk about things and if they
have issues, how our department can come
[18:16] down and have a
And that's that's really all I wanted to
[18:19] say to you. Just to give you guys
something to think about.
[18:21] What is it that I know down here with
the county, you're
[18:26] kind of on your own.
Um I think it's unsettling as far as my
[18:30] concern as far as the sheriff's
department doesn't come and help you
[18:33] guys more. Um
I know our guys I try to come down here
[18:37] all the time when I'm working this side
of town.
[18:38] » Mhm.
>> But normally the guys stay up north.
[18:42] Cuz that's where most of the problems
are. But
[18:44] » Do you have any idea when you're going
to be coming the next time?
[18:47] » Uh
well, you canceled the meeting on the
[18:50] 28th.
Um
[18:52] October 28th.
>> That's what I think it is.
[18:54] » Original date.
>> Is it October?
[18:58] » So, whenever that date is,
it's for me, you'd be a great resource
[19:03] for us in terms of how you interact and
how you work.
[19:07] So, I just want to find out when we got
when you could kind of help us get those
[19:10] answers. What are we looking at?
>> October 12th is what we're looking at.
[19:14] » October 12th?
>> We'll have a public meeting that night.
[19:16] » That work for you?
>> That's perfect. I'll figure it out.
[19:19] » All right.
>> And just so you know, the next guy up is
[19:21] my campaign manager, Dan Coil.
>> Yeah.
[19:23] » So, he's been riding shotgun with me and
I can't say that he's really good at
[19:27] anything, but he's really
>> [laughter]
[19:28] » good.
But thank you. I appreciate your time.
[19:31] » Thank you.
Dan, do you want to come up and say
[19:33] something?
>> You know, I really like that Gloria's
[19:35] guy.
>> [laughter]
[19:37] » There's just something about him.
>> Is it just because he gave you a shirt?
[19:42] » Uh no, one of the reasons we we wanted
to come down and do this is
[19:46] like Rob said, I'm his campaign manager
and he brought me here from Chicago. I
[19:50] lived in the Windy City of Chicago for
20 years. I retired and coming here I
[19:55] enjoy this. I enjoy
It's a It's a different feel, right? And
[19:59] And one of the things that we wanted to
focus on when we do this campaign is
[20:02] number one, we want to make sure we hit
all the places around South Bend. We
[20:05] want everybody to know that they matter,
right? The old school road and stuff,
[20:09] North West, everywhere, right? Because
one of the big problems that we're we're
[20:12] getting from a lot of people is that
there's not a lot of communication.
[20:15] That's one of the things that we want to
try to bridge is having the county
[20:18] police be more involved with a lot of
local groups so that one of the things
[20:20] we're trying to set up is making sure
that we have these quarterly meetings
[20:23] and stuff.
Uh not just things like this, but with
[20:26] the police so that we have uh
the organization together and um
[20:32] we want to make sure that we not not
only talk to everybody, but we also want
[20:36] to make sure that
we show people physically that we're
[20:39] responsible, right? Um
we know that the taxpayers are going to
[20:43] want to pay for it, you know,
everything. So, we want to make sure
[20:46] that everybody feels represented. If
there's problems, especially when it
[20:49] comes to things like the jail, we want
We can only know what people tell us.
[20:53] And you know, I I
It's kind of feeling a little bit like I
[20:56] was back in Chicago being up on the
South Bend with all the shootings and
[20:58] things that have been happening lately.
You know, I'm kind of used to that, but
[21:02] uh
you know, crime in South Bend is three
[21:06] times higher than what it is anywhere
else in the state. you know.
[21:10] A place like this is astronomically
different. Even Mishawaka is four times
[21:14] higher.
And
[21:16] » than anywhere else in the state?
>> state. Got it.
[21:19] So, uh
>> You guys have a theory on that?
[21:22] » Do we have a theory?
>> Yeah.
[21:23] » Yeah, uh the
>> Something that puts you there.
[21:27] » So, uh but when you,
you know, decide to replace manpower
[21:31] with drones, this is what you get.
>> Got it. People know that they can do it
[21:34] for you.
>> So, uh that's one of the things we're
[21:37] talking about. We're doing something
different. Putting boots on the ground,
[21:39] having people who are actually out there
in the community. That comes when we had
[21:42] our the units that used to exist, the
Metro Drug Unit, the Metro Homicide
[21:46] Unit. So, we all collaboratively worked
together. The county working with the
[21:49] state, working with the city, working
with other agencies. And everybody came
[21:53] together, worked together. Now, it's all
separate. It shouldn't be that way
[21:57] because things are
So, um
[22:01] we're looking to do things different,
you know, rather than uh
[22:05] kind of how they've been. And I think if
people are happy the way things are,
[22:07] then they're going to, you know, vote
accordingly. We're We're trying to bring
[22:11] a change here in the city. So, the big
concern I've heard this and then I'll
[22:15] I'll leave you guys with this is when
I've been going to a lot of these
[22:18] smaller towns, people are saying that
the opportunity to get out and early
[22:21] vote,
uh they don't really have those or they
[22:23] don't know that it's out there to do
uh to do early voting.
[22:27] So, one of the things that we're trying
to do as we come around is present
[22:30] people with absentee
ballots or or if they know people who
[22:34] are are sick, you know, whether it's in
in the city or in my facility or they're
[22:38] just, you know, at the house sick.
Uh we're making sure we have have
[22:42] absentee ballots and have things for
people so they can fill these things out
[22:45] and get them sent in so that they have
an opportunity to feel represented. And
[22:48] these
>> Thank you.
[22:50] » You got 3 minutes. You You did a great
job in those 3 minutes.
[22:54] » All right. Because I'll I'll take up an
offering, you know. I I can talk
[22:56] I can talk for a while.
one
[23:01] » Any other uh business come for the
council?
[23:06] I'd take a motion to adjourn.
>> So moved.
[23:08] » I'll take it.
[23:10] Okay, I have a motion and a second.
All in favor?
[23:14] » Aye.
>> Those opposed, just stick around.