Tag: Peter Iversen

Monroe County sheriff stresses new jail’s functional capacity, not bed count, wants end to ‘tag, you’re it’

Monroe County jail commander Kyle Gibbons. (July 11, 2024)
Monroe County chief deputy sheriff Phil Parker. (July 11, 2024)
Joint meeting of Monroe countyc ouncil and county commissioners for presentation from Monroe County sheriff Ruben Marté (July 11, 2024)
Joint meeting of Monroe countyc ouncil and county commissioners for presentation from Monroe County sheriff Ruben Marté (July 11, 2024)
From left: county councilors Kate Wiltz and Peter Iversen; and county commissioner Julie Thomas. (July 11, 2024)
Monroe County sheriff Ruben Marté (July 11, 2024)

Monroe County sheriff Ruben Marté wants county councilors and county commissioners to start thinking about the size of a planned new jail in terms of its functional capacity, instead of its raw bed count.

Marté also wants the county executive and fiscal bodies to attach more urgency to the planned new jail project.

Those were the two big takeaways from Marté’s presentation to county councilor’s and county commissioners on Thursday afternoon. Continue reading “Monroe County sheriff stresses new jail’s functional capacity, not bed count, wants end to ‘tag, you’re it’” →

Planned new jail budget numbers start to come into sharper focus for Monroe County council

A contingent from Care not Cages appeared at the June 25, 2024 Monroe County council meeting to oppose construction of a new jail.
Seated is Chris Ciolli, with Weddle Bros. Construction. Standing at the lectern is Scott Carnegie, with DLZ Corporation (June 25, 2024).
Monroe County councilor Peter Iversen holds up a printed copy of the jail budget estimates presented at Tuesday’s council meeting (June 25, 2024).

At its Tuesday meeting this past week, Monroe County’s council got a briefing that included some estimated hard construction costs for a new jail with different bed counts—400 compared to 500 beds.

The difference in hard construction cost between a 500-bed jail and a 400-bed jail is about $20.2 million. That’s based on 120,000 square feet for a 400-bed facility and 150,000 square feet for a 500-bed facility and a construction cost of $674 per square foot.

The hard construction cost for a 400-bed new jail is estimated at $80.9 million. The current jail has 287 beds.

The additional hard construction cost of a new, 50-percent bigger justice center, to be co-located with a new jail, is estimated at around $78.7 million. That’s based on a 136,848-square-foot facility, at a cost of $575 per square foot. The current justice facilities cover 91,222 square feet.

The all-in cost of a combined new 400-bed jail and a co-located justice facility—which includes 20-percent for “soft costs”—would be about $199.6 million. Soft costs include contingency, professional fees, land purchase, FFE (furniture, fixtures and equipment), bond counsel, permits, printing and the like.

All the numbers came from Chris Ciolli, with Weddle Bros. Construction, and Scott Carnegie, with DLZ Corporation, who briefed the county council on Tuesday.

It was just after a storm blew through the county, leaving many Duke Energy customers without power for a day, some as long as four days. Power was available at the county courthouse on Tuesday evening. Continue reading “Planned new jail budget numbers start to come into sharper focus for Monroe County council” →

Randy Cassady to run for District 2 Monroe County commissioner as Republican

Randy Cassady gives remarks at the Monroe County courthouse (June 25, 2024).
Randy Cassady files his paperwork to be a Republican Party candidate for District 2 Monroe County commissioner. Deputy clerk Larime Wilson is checking his submission (June 25, 2024).

Randy Cassady announced on Tuesday that he will appear on the Nov. 5 general election ballot as a Republican candidate for District 2 Monroe County commissioner.

Cassady, owner of the local electrical company that bears his family’s name, will be competing for the seat with incumbent Democrat Julie Thomas, who is seeking her fourth term as a county commissioner.

Cassady currently serves as a member of Bloomington’s redevelopment commission as well as Monroe County’s redevelopment commission.

Thomas won her party’s primary by a three-point margin over Peter Iversen, who currently serves on the 7-member county council.

Even though the three county commissioner seats are numbered based on a geographic area of the county, all registered voters countywide can cast a ballot for all three county commissioner seats.

Reached by The B Square, Thomas texted: “We will see him on the campaign trail!” Continue reading “Randy Cassady to run for District 2 Monroe County commissioner as Republican” →

New jail notebook: 0.2% tax advised by Monroe County consultant would generate $8.5M a year

June 21, 2024 meeting of the Monroe County council’s long-term financial planning committee. From the left corner of the table next to the empty chair, going clockwise: councilors Cheryl Munson, Marty Hawk, Trent Deckard, Geoff McKim, and Peter Iversen; Mike Guerrettaz, and Greg Guerrettaz, with Financial Services Group.

This year, Monroe County should enact a corrections local income tax (LIT) at the full 0.2 percent rate that’s allowed by state law, according to Greg Guerrettaz with Financial Services Group (FSG).

Guerrettaz was speaking at a Friday morning meeting of the Monroe County council’s long-term finance planning committee. FSG is the county’s financial planning consultant.

The additional jail income tax would have an impact on all residents of the county. A household with a taxable income of $60,000 would pay $120 a year due to the jail tax. [Listen to this report] Continue reading “New jail notebook: 0.2% tax advised by Monroe County consultant would generate $8.5M a year” →

Over protest from many employees, Monroe County to change health clinic vendor by Aug. 1

Monroe County councilor Peter Iversen (May 29, 2024)
Monroe County sheriff’s office administrative coordinator Liane Johnson (May 29, 2024)
Democratic Party nominee for District 3 county commissioner Jody Madeira (May 29, 2024)
Monroe County planner Anne Crecelius (May 29, 2024)
Monroe County assessor Judy Sharp (May 29, 2024)
Monroe County treasurer Cathy Smith (May 29, 2024)
Monroe County personnel administrator Elizabeth Sensenstein (May 30, 2024)
Monroe County commissioners from left: Lee Jones, Julie Thomas, and Penny Githens (May 29, 2024)
Monroe County’s employee health clinic is located in the county’s health services building at 7th Street and College Avenue. (May 28, 2024)

Monroe County is starting a transition to a different vendor for its employee health clinic, which was established in 2010.

At their regular meeting on Wednesday, Monroe County commissioners voted unanimously to approve a $59,750 business associates agreement with ProActiveMD to start the transition work.

The move was opposed by many county employees, who will no longer be able to get healthcare at that clinic from the current clinic physician, Clifford Mitcheff.

Speaking from the public mic at Wednesday’s meeting, county auditor Cathy Smith pled with commissioners not to change vendors, which would mean Mitcheff’s departure from the clinic: “I’m begging you to allow it to stay as it is—an amazing clinic with access to a wonderful general practitioner, and our own internal medicine doctor.” Continue reading “Over protest from many employees, Monroe County to change health clinic vendor by Aug. 1” →

Monroe County nixes $30K MOU with Bloomington Economic Development Corporation, wants BEDC to be ‘better partner’

Monroe County commissioners have rejected a $30,000 memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Bloomington Economic Development Corporation.

The vote, which came at the regular Wednesday meeting for commissioners, was uncharacteristically split among the three electeds, with board president Julie Thomas casting the sole vote of support.

Commissioners Lee Jones and Penny Githens voted against it. Even Thomas voted just a “reluctant yes.” Continue reading “Monroe County nixes $30K MOU with Bloomington Economic Development Corporation, wants BEDC to be ‘better partner’” →

Mapping the Dems: 2024 Monroe County commissioner primary election results

In Tuesday’s Democratic Party’s primary to select one nominee for each of two county commissioner seats, two slates formed across the two positions, which among other things shared financial resources, by sending out joint mailings.

It was hardly a surprise that the two incumbents—Penny Githens (District 2) and Julie Thomas (District 3)—worked together.

On the side of the challengers, it was Peter Iversen (District 2) and Jody Madeira (District 3) who banded together, leaving Steve Volan, who also ran in the District 3 race, as the one solitary campaigner for a county commissioner nomination. Continue reading “Mapping the Dems: 2024 Monroe County commissioner primary election results” →

Monroe County 2024 primary winners: Thomas, Madeira, Van Deventer, Munson, Deckard, Henry

The unofficial tallies for Monroe County voting in the Tuesday, May 7 primary elections made for the following outcomes in contested local races for respective party nominations:

  • Incumbent Democrat Julie Thomas over Peter Iversen for District 2 county commissioner;
  • Democrat Jody Madeira over Steve Volan and incumbent Penny Githens for District 3 county commissioner;
  • Incumbent Democrats Trent Deckard and Cheryl Munson ahead of David Henry and Matt Caldie for the three at-large county council seats, with Henry slightly better than Caldie; and
  • Republican Joe Van Deventer over Paul White, Sr. for District 3 county commissioner.

Continue reading “Monroe County 2024 primary winners: Thomas, Madeira, Van Deventer, Munson, Deckard, Henry” →

Alea iacta est: May 7, 2024 primary election results, served when ready

Primary Election Day polls for May 7, 2024 have now closed in Monroe County.

The cutoff time was 6 p.m., which made for a 12-hour voting day. But anyone in line by 6 p.m. has to be allowed to cast a ballot.

Voters who joined the line just before the closing of the polls are just one reason that results can’t be reported immediately at 6 p.m.

Monroe County clerk Nicole Browne typically cautions against expecting any results before 7 p.m. The earliest votes that will be reported are from in-person early voting and mailed-in absentee ballots.

The B Square will add to this article with time-stamped updates from Election Central until the final unofficial results are in, or otherwise indicated here.

[Updated 8:25 p.m. May 7, 2024. The unofficial winners of the contested local races for respective party nominations: Democrat Jody Madeira for District 3 county commissioner; Democrat Julie Thomas for District 2 county commissioner; Democrats Trent Deckard, Cheryl Munson, and David Henry for at-large county council. And Republican Joe Van Deventer for District 3 county commissioner.]
Continue reading “Alea iacta est: May 7, 2024 primary election results, served when ready” →

Weeklong Bloomington annexation trial: It’s a wrap, each side gets 45 days to submit final brief

Attorneys in the annexation trial wanted to be able to leave their exhibits in the courtroom overnight, so a sign was placed instructing the cleaning crew to skip the courtroom used for the annexation trial. (May 2, 2024)
Map of annexation areas. https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1_7o1q_H6CpeK-1gdEzDTxnPk84RZQ_E&usp=sharing
The image of Reed Quarries is from the Pictometry module of Monroe County’s property lookup system.

Now over is the trial on the merits of Bloomington’s plan to annex two territories on the west and southwest sides of the city.

Around 3 p.m. on Friday, both sides rested their cases after five full days of witness testimony in the courtroom, located inside the justice center at College Avenue and 7th Street in downtown Bloomington.

This past week’s trial was just about the merits of annexing Area 1A and Area 1B into the city, and did not address a different, constitutional question for other territories, which relates to annexation waivers of remonstrance, which were signed by some land owners.

Over the course of the week, not every witness on either list—for the the city of Bloomington, or for the remonstrators—was called to the stand. Those who did testify included current and former elected officials, current and former city staff, the city’s paid consultants, as well as a dozen or more landowners in the areas to be annexed.

Nathan Nikirk, the special judge out of Lawrence County who is presiding over the case, gave the two sides 45 days to submit their proposed orders in the case, which will include their final arguments. No closing oral arguments were given on Friday.

Before leaving the courtroom on Friday, Nikirk thanked all of the attorneys for their professionalism. He noted that annexation is a “passionate issue.”

Nikirk said he does not know the “perfect answer” on the case but promised to do his “very best.” He would be giving the matter all the consideration that he could, Nikirk said. Even if some are not happy with his eventual decision, Nikirk said he hopes that they understand that he had given it a lot of time and effort. Continue reading “Weeklong Bloomington annexation trial: It’s a wrap, each side gets 45 days to submit final brief” →