Tag: county council

3 years at $110,000 a year for jail transition director OK’d by Monroe County, with some grumbles

Monroe County’s jail is located on the top floors of the Charlotte Zietlow justice center.
Monroe County jail commander Kyle Gibbons (Nov. 28, 2023)
Monre County chief deputy sheriff Phil Parker (Nov. 28, 2023)
County commissioners Penny Githens and Julie Thomas with county attorney Jeff Cockerill (Nov. 29, 2023)
Chief deputy sheriff Phil Parker in front of the Monroe County council (Nov. 28, 2023)
Foreground: county councilor Peter Iversen and commissioner Penny Githens. Background from left: Chief deputy Phil Parker, sheriff Ruben Marté, and jail commander Kyle Gibbons (Nov. 27, 2023)

Just before the Thanksgiving holiday, a rough patch was hit on the road to a new jail for Monroe County.

A disagreement emerged between the sheriff and county commissioners over the funding of someone to direct the transition—from the current jail at 7th Street and College Avenue to a new facility. No location has been decided for a new jail.

Even if the rough patch did not get smoothed out, it’s now in the rear-view mirror.

On Wednesday, Monroe County commissioners approved a change to their ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) plan to include $110,000 a year for three years to fund a contract for someone to serve as director of the jail transition. Of the amount, $10,000 is to cover liability insurance.

The day before, the Monroe County council voted unanimously to appropriate the $330,000. For the county council, the decision was not controversial to use APRA money to fund a contract position for someone who is not now working in the sheriff’s office. Continue reading “3 years at $110,000 a year for jail transition director OK’d by Monroe County, with some grumbles” →

Hiccup for convention center interlocal agreement: ‘Let’s take a breath’ says Monroe County council

It might be next year before all parties have signed an interlocal agreement between Bloomington and Monroe County—in connection with an expansion of the Monroe Convention Center.

The effort to get final consensus on a collaboration between city and county leaders about a convention expansion dates back several years, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

But two weeks ago, both branches of Bloomington’s government approved the interlocal agreement, for the operation of the capital improvement board (CIB) and the convention and visitors commission (CVC)—in connection with the convention center expansion.

Bloomington mayor John Hamilton inked the interlocal on the afternoon of Nov. 15. The city council followed suit that evening, with an uncontroversial vote to approve the interlocal agreement.

The county council and the county board of commissioners were expected to consider and approve the agreement this week.

But the item appeared on Tuesday night’s county council meeting agenda only as a discussion item. And that’s where it remained for Tuesday. No vote was taken, even though councilors expressed a fair amount of solid support for the agreement.

Part of the delay on the county council’s side relates to a request from Bloomington mayor-elect Kerry Thomson, who wrote a letter to Hamilton two weeks ago, asking him not to make strategic decisions that could have an impact lasting into 2024. Continue reading “Hiccup for convention center interlocal agreement: ‘Let’s take a breath’ says Monroe County council” →

Interlocal agreement on convention center approved on Bloomington’s side, county’s OK expected soon

Bloomington city council (Nov. 15, 2023)
Bloomington corporation counsel, Beth Cate (Nov. 15, 2023)

At its regular meeting last Wednesday, Bloomington’s city council approved its side of the interlocal agreement that will control the working relationship among local government entities as they collaborate on an expansion of the Monroe Convention Center.

The vote was 8–0. Kate Rosenbarger was absent.

Signing the agreement earlier in the day on Wednesday was Bloomington mayor John Hamilton. That wraps up the city of Bloomington’s side of the arrangement.

Remaining signatories of the interlocal agreement are the Monroe County council and the county’s board of commissioners. The county elected officials are expected to consider the interlocal agreement at their first meetings after the Thanksgiving holiday. Continue reading “Interlocal agreement on convention center approved on Bloomington’s side, county’s OK expected soon” →

Clash over role of future Monroe County jail transition director, possible post-holiday resolution

At their regular Wednesday morning meeting, Monroe County commissioners approved two additional studies of the Thomson PUD property, which is currently being considered as a potential new jail site.

A Phase 2 environmental study, as well as a wetlands delineation, are both to be done by VET Environmental Engineering, for a total of about $20,000.

Even if commissioners have stressed that no decision on a future new jail site has been made, those two studies mark a bit of progress towards the eventual construction of a new jail to replace the facility at 7th Street and College Avenue.  The current jail has been analyzed by a consultant as failing to provide constitutional levels of care.

Not getting any airtime at the commissioners meeting on Wednesday was significant discord that has emerged between the sheriff’s office and the commissioners—about filling a position to direct the transition to a new jail facility.

But that discord looks like it could be on a schedule for some kind of resolution, starting with a joint meeting of the county commissioners and the county council on Monday, Nov. 27.

At the county council’s Tuesday night meeting, council president Kate Wiltz  looked to the end of the month as a timeframe for resolving the sore points.

As a chance to work through some concerns and possibly get a transition director’s contract approved, Wiltz pointed to already scheduled meetings on three successive days—Nov. 27 (joint), Nov. 28 (county council), and Nov. 29 (county commissioners).

The new controversy was aired out at the county council’s regular meeting, which took place on Tuesday night. Continue reading “Clash over role of future Monroe County jail transition director, possible post-holiday resolution” →

2024 Monroe County budget OK’d with 8.5% pay raises, amid concerns about long term, new jail

This public commenter introduced himself as Leroy Jones.
Sam Holdeman called for decreases in the budget for prosecution.
Monroe County councilor Jennifer Crossley.
Monroe County councilor Marty Hawk.
Monroe County councilor Trent Deckard.
Monroe County councilor Peter Iverson.
Micol Seigel in a satirical guise.
Monroe County council (Oct. 17, 2023)

This past Tuesday, the Monroe County council voted to adopt the budget for 2024 on a 5–1 tally. Dissenting was Marty Hawk. Geoff McKim was absent.

The total county budget for 2024 is $132,259,264, of which $59,251,842 is the general fund.

Hawk still voted in favor of the salary ordinance for non-elected county employees, which included an 8.5-percent raise, and a roughly 11-percent raise for those workers who are lowest on the salary grid.

Hawk was also the sole vote of dissent on the salary ordinance for elected officials, which included the same 8.5-percent increase as for other county employees.

After the meeting, Hawk clarified to The B Square that when faced with an up-or-down vote on the same percentage increase for all elected officials, she felt she had to vote it down—because she was not in favor of the same increase for all county elected officials. She put it like this: “I would just say that I’m not as inclined to approve of the jobs some of them do. Most do a great job. Most do.”

On Tuesday, county council president Kate Wiltz noted that the 2024 budget does not include funding for the planned new jail facility. No decision has yet been made on a site, even if the county is taking steps to consider the Thomson PUD as a location for the new jail.

Several comments from the public mic included criticism of the county’s plans to construct a new jail. Continue reading “2024 Monroe County budget OK’d with 8.5% pay raises, amid concerns about long term, new jail” →

Meeting on site selection for new Monroe County jail set for Aug. 29

Not a proposed specific site. The building footprint of the Hamilton County jail is superimposed on the map to give a rough idea of the size of a potential jail compared to the overall site.
The building footprint of the Hamilton County jail is superimposed on the map to give a rough idea of the size of a potential jail compared to the overall site.

On Tuesday, a big group of local government officials has been invited by Monroe County commissioners to a discussion about the future site of a new county jail.

The meeting, which will be convened in the Nat U. Hill Room of the county courthouse, is set to start at 5:30 p.m.

The meeting on the jail site location coincides with the second day of departmental budget hearings that are on the calendar for Bloomington’s city council.

Scheduled on Tuesday night for the city council, starting at 5:30 p.m., are Bloomington Transit, followed by the fire department, and the police department.

Bloomington police chief Mike Diekhoff, who will be presenting his department’s 2024 budget requests to the city council on Tuesday, has also been invited to the meeting about the jail site location.

Other invitees include: Ruben Marté (sheriff); Mary Ellen Diekhoff (circuit court presiding judge); Erika Oliphant (prosecutor); Jill Lees (IU police chief); Jimmie Durnil (Ellettsville town marshal); Paul Bucher (Indiana State Police district commander); John Hamilton (Bloomington mayor); Sue Sgambelluri (city council president); and the members of the Monroe County council. Continue reading “Meeting on site selection for new Monroe County jail set for Aug. 29” →

Countywide authority for Bloomington Transit OK’d by city council, without Rural Transit in the room

The blue shading indicates “urban area” as defined by the US Census and Federal Transit Administration. The current, pre-annexation city boundary for Bloomington is shown in black. https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1irTiPkrnMPTnxXQcejdpvF0EMyR1jvo&usp=sharing
Fixed route ridership for BT through June 2022.
Bloomington city council (Aug. 9, 2023)
From left: Doug Horn, James McLary, and John Connell.

At its regular Wednesday meeting, Bloomington’s city council changed local law to give Bloomington Transit authority to operate anywhere in Monroe County.

That city council decision meant a rejection of the approach advocated by the board of the Area 10 Agency on Aging, which operates Rural Transit, also a public transportation agency. Rural Transit provides service in Monroe County as well as three other counties—Putnam, Owen, and Lawrence.

Rural Transit wanted the city council to allow Bloomington  Transit to expand service outside of the city limits—but only to include all of Monroe County’s “urban area.” The “urban area” is defined by the US Census and used by the Federal Transportation Administration to allocate funding.

Allowing Bloomington Transit to operate anywhere inside Monroe County, sets up a scenario where any ride provided by Rural Transit could also be provided by Bloomington Transit.

But on Wednesday, BT general manager John Connell told the city council that BT is not interested in trying to supplant any of the rural-to-urban and urban-to-rural service that Rural Transit can still legally provide.

In a resolution dated July 28, 2023, the Area 10 board expressed support for the expansion of Bloomington Transit’s service outside the city limits of Bloomington, but only to include the additional “urban area.”

In an email dated July 29, 2023, Area 10 executive director Chris Myers sent a copy of the board’s resolution to all city councilmembers.

Responding to a question from The B Square after the council’s Wednesday meeting, Myers indicated that she did not receive a reply to her email message from any city councilmember. She did not attend Wednesday’s meeting. Myers indicated she had not been notified that the council would that night be taking up the ordinance changing BT’s service area.

Attending the meeting on behalf of Bloomington Transit were general manager John Connell as well as board members Doug Horn and James McClary. Continue reading “Countywide authority for Bloomington Transit OK’d by city council, without Rural Transit in the room” →

Increase of hours from 35 to 40 a week OK’d for Monroe County health administrator

From left: health administrator Lori Kelley, health officer Clark Brittain, and vice chair of the Monroe County board of health Dawne (Aurora) DiOrio.
From left: Marty Hawk, Geoff McKim, Kate Wiltz, Trent Deckard, and Peter Iversen.

Up until Tuesday night, the job of health administrator of Monroe County was paid $62,026 annually, based on a 35-hour work week.

After the county council’s action at its Tuesday meeting, health administrator Lori Kelley will work a 40-hour week, and receive the corresponding increase in salary—an increase to $70,887 a year.

Also on Tuesday, a vital records registrar position in the health department was bumped from a 35-hour week to a 40-hour week. The additional work translates into an increase from $39,622 annually to $45,282

Appearing in front of the council to make the requests on Tuesday were new health officer Clark Brittain, and vice chair of the Monroe County board of health Dawne (Aurora) DiOrio, along with Kelley.

None of the councilors were supportive of the request to make the increased health administrator hours retroactive to Jan. 1 of this year. But a majority did support making the change retroactive to July 1.

The council voted 6–1 to make the change retroactive to July 1, 2023. Dissenting was Marty Hawk, who did not support making the change retroactive at all.

Related to salaries for all positions across the county’s organization was the appearance of county commissioner Penny Githens at the county council’s Tuesday meeting.

Githens was there to present the 2024 salary recommendations from the board of commissioners to the county council.

The commissioners are recommending an increase in 2024 of 8.5 percent. That’s the recommendation that the commissioners ratified the following morning, at their regular Wednesday morning meeting. Continue reading “Increase of hours from 35 to 40 a week OK’d for Monroe County health administrator” →

Bloomington Transit looks to city council for legal authority to serve whole county

Fixed route ridership for BT through June 2022.
Bloomington Transit board (July 18, 2023)
Rural Transit will not be able to offer trips with start and end points both inside the urban area (blue), beginning Jan. 1, 2024. A disallowed trip is shown in red. Allowed trips are shown in green.

Bloomington Transit (BT) wants to offer public transportation service anywhere in Monroe County.

In order to offer service outside the city boundaries, BT would need approval from Bloomington’s city council.

A request to Bloomington’s city council to enact such an ordinance won unanimous approval from BT’s five-member board at its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday.

The extension of service outside of Bloomington’s boundary has for a while been a part of BT’s long-term vision.  And running buses outside Bloomington is an explicit part of BT’s strategic plan, which was adopted at the start of the year.

Last September, Bloomington’s city council already gave a nod to BT along these lines, when it passed a symbolic resolution indicating support for BT to extend service past the western city boundary to Daniels Way. Public transportation to that area would serve a major educational center in Ivy Tech, and a major employment center in Cook Medical.

But the precise timing of BT’s current interest in providing service anywhere in Monroe County can be analyzed as less about strategic planning and more about dealing with a crisis—involving a looming loss of service for some passengers who live outside the city limits.

Rural Transit is a public transit agency serving the area outside of Bloomington. It is a program of Area 10 Agency on Aging.

But starting Jan. 1, 2024, Rural Transit will no longer be allowed to give rides to passengers in certain parts of the unincorporated part of Monroe County. Continue reading “Bloomington Transit looks to city council for legal authority to serve whole county” →

Justice committee tackles question of how best to help reentry process: Hire more staff at jail, or increase funding to community nonprofits?

County councilor Peter Iversen
Misty James, reentry mentor a support specialist with New Leaf New Life
County council president Kate Wiltz
Bloomington mayor John Hamilton
County councilor Jennifer Crossley
Jordan McIntire, executive director of New Leaf New Life
July 3, 2023 JFAC meeting

At a Monday committee meeting, a general consensus seemed to emerge: More money needs to be spent on programs for people who are incarcerated at Monroe County’s jail, so that after release, the path back to their communities is easier.

Chairing Monday’s session of the Monroe County council’s justice fiscal advisory committee (JFAC) was Kate Wiltz.

Wiltz, along with councilors Jennifer Crossley and Peter Iversen, were joined by several non-voting members of the committee. Among others, they included Bloomington mayor John Hamilton, city councilmember Isabel Piedmont-Smith, county commissioner Julie Thomas, and Misty James, who is a reentry mentor and support specialist with the nonprofit New Leaf New Life.

Reentry was the focus of Monday’s meeting. Next up, on July 10, JFAC’s meeting will focus on community corrections. Continue reading “Justice committee tackles question of how best to help reentry process: Hire more staff at jail, or increase funding to community nonprofits?” →