Tag: Monroe County

2024 budget notebook: Monroe County council looks to do more for lower-paid workers

Monroe County council on Oct. 3, 2023 clockwise from left: Cheryl Munson, Marty Hawk, Geoff McKim, Kate Wiltz, Jennifer Crossley, Peter Iversen, and Trent Deckard.

At its work session on Tuesday night, the Monroe County council took up some leftover issues from its deliberations on the 2024 budget—salaries towards the upper end of the scale,  as well as those at the lower end.

Towards the higher end of county compensation, though not at the very top of the scale, are the salaries for elected officials like auditor, assessor, clerk, coroner, commissioners, county councilors, recorder, surveyor, and treasurer.

The county council settled on increasing the salaries of elected officials by 8.5 percent, compared to 2023. That’s the same percentage increase that other county workers will receive.

The council also agreed on Tuesday that for some jobs on the lower end of the county’s salary grid, they would increase the pay by 55 cents an hour—on top of the 8.5 percent increase that other employees will receive. Those lower-paid jobs are classified as COMOT (computer, office machine operation, technician) in the county’s salary grid. Continue reading “2024 budget notebook: Monroe County council looks to do more for lower-paid workers” →

Monroe County pay raises: Final discussions appear mostly done, but not for elected official salaries

About four hours into a meeting last Tuesday, Monroe County council president Kate Wiltz was looking to wrap up a topic that was leftover from discussions of the 2024 budget—pay increases for elected officials.

The elected positions under discussion are: auditor, assessor, clerk, coroner, commissioners, county councilors, recorder, surveyor, and treasurer.

Wiltz announced, “I would entertain a motion on what we should do with elected officials and their chief deputies, with respect to 2024.”

In the Nat U. Hill room of the Monroe County courthouse, where the county council meets, Wiltz’s invitation was met with about 20 seconds of silence.

“All right. Wow. We have to do something,” Wiltz said.

But on Tuesday, the council left open the question of pay increases for elected officials in 2024. The topic of pay for elected officials will be taken up on the night of the county’s budget hearing, which is set for  Oct. 3 at 5:30 p.m.

If the county council decides to treat elected officials like all other employees, they’ll get an 8.5-percent raise.

Even though the county council did not reach a consensus on pay increases for electeds, they did settle on an approach for some other employee categories that, until Tuesday, had been open questions. Continue reading “Monroe County pay raises: Final discussions appear mostly done, but not for elected official salaries” →

Lake Lemon Marina rezone denied: Driveway onto Northshore Drive can’t stay

A rezone request for Lake Lemon Marina was denied by Monroe County’s three-member board of commissioners at its Wednesday meeting.

Voting against the request were the two commissioners present—Julie Thomas and Penny Githens. Lee Jones was absent.

Based on commentary during Wednesday’s meeting, the case will eventually be litigated in the Monroe County circuit court.

Continue reading “Lake Lemon Marina rezone denied: Driveway onto Northshore Drive can’t stay” →

Next steps taken for Thomson PUD as potential site of new Monroe County jail

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.
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.
Aug. 29, 2023 review of jail sites
From front to back: Julie Thomas, Jeff Cockerill, Angie Purdie, Mary Ellen Diekhoff (Aug. 29, 2023)
Monroe County councilors, from left, Kate Wiltz, and Jennifer Crossley (Aug. 29, 2023)
Across the corner of the table are Monroe County sheriff Ruben Marté and Monroe County commissioner Penny Githens (Aug. 29, 2023)

The consensus was pretty clear among county officials who met on Tuesday at the county courthouse: They want to take steps towards making the Thomson PUD the site of the county’s new correctional facility.

The Thomson PUD is the county-owned property west of Rogers Street and south of Catalent.

Those next steps include doing a geotechnical analysis of the property, starting conversations with Bloomington’s planning department about zoning requirements, and talking to immediate neighbors.

Next steps also include getting an appraisal done on some land that the county does not own.

The land not yet owned by the county government is wedged between the Thomson PUD and Catalent along Strong Drive, which would be one of the access points to the new jail.

Tuesday’s gathering was a publicly noticed meeting of the county council and the county commissioners, but no formal votes were taken on a decision about the Thomson PUD property. Several other officials had been invited. Continue reading “Next steps taken for Thomson PUD as potential site of new Monroe County jail” →

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

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” →

Filling Monroe County election supervisor position called “good first step” by League of Women Voters

The upcoming Nov. 7 local elections include just one contested municipal race—for Bloomington city council District 3—plus a referendum question for Monroe County Community School Corporation (MCCSC).

Monroe County election supervisor Ryan Herndon (Aug. 23, 2023)

So they’re not expected to present a big logistical challenge for the county’s election division.

Still, this year’s municipal elections will serve as a kind practice run for the 2024 presidential elections.

In a letter to area elected officials dated Tuesday, Aug. 22, the League of Women Voters of Bloomington-Monroe County sounded the alarm about staffing for the presidential election cycle.

Looking ahead to 2024, the letter states: “The League of Women Voters is concerned that Monroe County will not be prepared to conduct the primary and general elections with adequate and knowledgeable staff support.”

Two key staff departures this year are the source of the league’s concern. Chief deputy clerk Tressia Martin resigned at the end of July. County election supervisor Karen Wheeler left in early February.

When the league sent the letter, it was not widely known that a new election supervisor had been hired. Ryan Herndon, who has served up to now as a deputy in county clerk Nicole Browne’s office, has been on the job as election supervisor since Aug. 1.

Responding on Wednesday to an emailed B Square question about the league’s letter, Browne relayed the news of a new hire: “I am very proud to oversee elections in Monroe County and, in fact, we do have a new election supervisor in place.” Continue reading “Filling Monroe County election supervisor position called “good first step” by League of Women Voters” →

11-member vote center committee OK’d by Monroe County election board, members not yet appointed

Monroe County election board from left: Lisa-Marie Napoli (proxy for Nicole Browne); David Henry; and Judith Benckart.
Excerpt from the document approved by Monroe County election board defining the vote center study committee

Eleven people are now being sought to fill positions on a committee that has been established to study the question of implementing vote centers in Monroe County.

Vote centers are different from the kind of precinct-based polling locations currently used by Monroe County. At a precinct-based polling site, only voters from specified precincts can cast a ballot there.

Vote centers are polling places where a voter who is registered in any precinct can cast a ballot. For election administrators, it means some additional planning—to make sure that all the different ballots, which are tied to different precincts, are available for voters across the county.

It’s conceivable, but by no means certain, that vote centers could be implemented in time for the 2024 election cycle.

But based on election board deliberations on Thursday, the prevailing sentiment appears to be against trying to implement vote centers in a way that is rushed.

The board removed a requirement in a draft document that said the study committee had to complete its work no later than 150 days after its first meeting. Continue reading “11-member vote center committee OK’d by Monroe County election board, members not yet appointed” →

Expected start of abortion ban prompts vigil on Monroe County courthouse lawn

Shruti Rana
Sue Sgambelluri
July 31, 2023 vigil
Lois Sabo-Skelton
Shelli Yoder
July 31, 2023 vigil

“Pregnancy is a private and personal decision and should not require the permission of any politician.”

That’s a line from a poem recited Monday evening on the Monroe County courthouse lawn, a traditional Bloomington venue for protests and demonstrations.

Delivering the verse, which was written by youth poet laureate Amanda Gorman, was Bloomington resident Amalia Shifriss.

Addressing around 80 people who had gathered on the lawn, Shifriss was the final speaker for the event, which was described as an ‘abortion ban vigil’ by the organizers—Hoosier Jews for Choice and Monroe County Now. Continue reading “Expected start of abortion ban prompts vigil on Monroe County courthouse lawn” →

Finance committee for new Monroe County jail set to take up topic of diversion

“What investments can the county council make for community services to reduce the number of community members entering the justice system?”

DLZ has reviewed four potential sites for building a new Monroe County jail, including the Hopewell neighborhood, the county-owned Thomson PUD, and two unspecified sites somewhere in the I-69 corridor

That’s the question at the center of the agenda  for Monday’s meeting of Monroe County’s justice fiscal advisory committee (JFAC).

The meeting makes up for the one that was blown off the schedule by the windstorm that struck the county a month ago.

When the county council created the JFAC in May, the council’s resolution set a September timeframe as the target for delivering a report to the full council.

The report is supposed to make recommendations on priorities for funding of mental health, substance abuse treatment, and a new correctional facility.

JFAC is also supposed to give guidance on investments to prevent individuals from entering the justice system, reducing recidivism, and promotion of equity. JFAC is also supposed to establish timelines for implementation.

The committee’s report is also supposed to identify funding sources within permissible uses of tax revenues. Continue reading “Finance committee for new Monroe County jail set to take up topic of diversion” →

Licensing for building trades pitched to Monroe County by plumbers and steamfitters union

John Bates, business manager of the Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 136 of the United Association.
From left: Monroe County commissioners Lee Jones and Penny Githens. Julie Thomas joined the meeting on Zoom.
From left: Penny Githens, Seth Carnes, and Cory Ray.

Monroe County has a licensing and registration board that is responsible for testing, registration and licensing of electrical contractors doing work in the county.

And the state of Indiana has a plumbing commission that administers a plumber’s license.

But those two professional trades don’t come close to covering the full range of work that is done in the construction industry.

At their Wednesday work session, Monroe County commissioners heard a pitch for enacting the kind of comprehensive licensing program for building trades that is used by Evansville and Vanderburgh County.

Giving the pitch was John Bates, who is the business manager for UA Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 136,  which has locations in Evansville, as well as a training facility in Bloomington, on Bloomfield Road.

Bates stressed how that licensing program covers all aspects of construction work. He put it like this: “Anything that you pick up a tool to do work for in Vanderburgh County is under that licensing.” Continue reading “Licensing for building trades pitched to Monroe County by plumbers and steamfitters union” →