We hope that today’s “IS IT TRUE” will provoke honest and open dialogue concerning issues that we, as responsible citizens of this community, need to address in a rational and responsible way?

IS IT TRUE that 5th Ward City Councilman Justin Elpers has decided to do something about the serious shortfall in the City employee’s health plan this year? …Mr. Elpers is sponsoring an ordinance at tonight’s Council meeting that addresses this serious deficit budget problem? …we are told that people will be watching City Council members see how thy vote on this ‘Good Public Policy” issue? …it’s also time for City Council to put out an RFP request to area insurance carriers to find a more affordable employee health care plan?

IS IT TRUE many people are disappointed that the local nursing programs at IVY TECH-Evansville  have not been allowed to go downtown leaving the medical student count at less than 200? …because of this decision, the Downtown IU Medical School has a less economic impact on the downtown than the once projected student count of over 2,000 would have?

IS IT TRUE that local GOP party Chairmen Wayne Parke posted the following comment in yesterday’s CCO “Readers Comment Section”?  …Mr. Parke said; “There are a lot better Evansville At-Large City Council Candidates than Alex Schmitt. He is the 1st candidate to be fined by the Vanderburgh County Election Board for filing an improper campaign report.”?   …we are told that every time Mr. Parke says something negative about Mr. Schmitt it improves his chances of being elected?

IS IT TRUE we are told that several people are wondering why the Evansville DMD isn’t considering helping the Center City, Northside and West Franklin Street areas merchants with facade grants, low-interest loans for renovations of loft apartments and street and sidewalk repairs?

IS IT TRUE when former CCO editor and celebrated book publisher CEO from Palm Springs, California was asked about the CCO publishing a printed newspaper his answer was surprising?…Mr. Wallace quickly pointed out that newsrooms across the country that are delivering print products are on a 20-year shrinking spree with most newsrooms having significantly less than the reporters they had 10 years ago?

IS IT TRUE the election for the Evansville City Council begins in earnest during the Westside Nut Club Fall Festival?  …Candidates for Mayor and City Council alike were glad-handing with anyone who listens to them? …a small fortune was spent on tee shirts, balloons, pens, hats, munchy maps?  …now its time to accelerate the door to door campaigning and mail out the expensive political mailers? …just in case some of the City Council Council candidates forgot or didn’t know the voters care more about political platforms and less about what party they represent?

IS IT TRUE that a couple of our readers pointed out that the Republican At-Large candidate Ron Beaane’s recent campaign mailer stated that he is a small business owner?  …it should have stated that years ago he was an owner of a local neighborhood tavern?

IS IT TRUE we find it extremely interesting that several individuals who served on the ECHO Housing Board Of Directors during the time that a large sum of taxpayers dollars was discovered missing are still members of the board?  …we hope that they learned from this most embarrassing experience and now have become a “Good Stewart Of The Public Trust”?

IS IT TRUE in 1998 the Teamsters Local 215 established a Taft-Hartley Scholarship Fund? …the Trustees of the fund are Chuck Whobrey and Rick Voyles as employee Trustees and two Employer Trustees? ..since 1998 the fund has awarded over $3.5 Million Dollars in Scholarships to sons and daughters of Teamsters members whose employers contribute to the fund? …we look forward to publishing what worthy students will be awarded this scholarship for this year? …the CCO gives five (5) cheers to the Teamsters  Local 215 for establishing the Taft-Hartley Scholarship Fund?

IS IT TRUE the silliest false claim ever made by local leaders was that moving Roberts Stadium from Boeke Road to the new downtown Ford Center would immediately constitute the creation of many new jobs?….to think that moving a job from point A to point B created a new job takes a special kind of stupid?

IS IT TRUE  we would like to thank Ella-Watson Johnson Evansville Water and Sewer Utilities Department public relations officer for sending us important news releases in a timely manner?  …we wish that Mayor Winnecke’s new PR guy would do similar?

IS IT TRUE that several months ago we urged City Council members not to buy into the statement that a salvage company will dismantle the old LST dock located at Marina Point for salvage value only?  …it looks like that didn’t heed our warning?

Today’s “Readers Poll” question is: If the election was held today in the City Council 1st Ward who would you vote for?

FOOTNOTES: This year’s awards luncheon will be held at Tropicana-Evansville Walnut rooms A and B. The registration begins at 11:30 am, the event officially starts at 12 noon on October 25, 2019.  The Keynote speaker will be announced later this week.

Reservations for this event may be obtained by calling Mollie Darke-Schieber at 812-760-4233.  The deadline for registration is October 22, 2019. Last year’s event was a sellout.

If you would like to advertise on the CCO please contact us at City-County Observer@live.com

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AGENDA

Agenda Attachment:

Memo Attachment:

A.	ORDINANCE G-2019-13 An Ordinance Amending Chapter 5.40 (Taxicabs) of the Evansville Municipal Code Sponsor(s): Melcher Discussion Led By: ASD Chair Mosby Discussion Date: 10/28/2019 Notify: Josh Claybourn, Jackson Kelly

G-2019-13 Attachment:

B.	ORDINANCE F-2019-22 An Ordinance of the Common Council of the City of Evansville Authorizing Re-Appropriations within the Department of Metropolitan Development Sponsor(s): Weaver Discussion Led By: Finance Chair Weaver Discussion Date: 10/28/2019

F-2019-22 Attachment:

C.

ORDINANCE R-2019-25 An Ordinance to Rezone Certain Real Estate in the City of Evansville, State of Indiana, More Commonly Known as 210 Waggoner Avenue Petitioner: Habitat for Humanity of Evansville, Inc. Owner: Habitat for Humanity of Evansville, Inc. Requested Change: C4 to R2 Ward: 5 Elpers Representative: Beth Folz, Habitat for Humanity of Evansville, Inc.

R-2019-25 Attachment:

D.

ORDINANCE R-2019-26 An Ordinance to Rezone Certain Real Estate in the City of Evansville, State of Indiana, More Commonly Known as 257 259 E Mulberry Street Petitioner: Sarah Schuler Owner: Albion Fellows Bacon Center Requested Change: C1 & R2 to C1 Ward: 4 Weaver Representative: Sarah Schuler, VPS Architecture

R-2019-26 Attachment:

E.	ORDINANCE R-2019-27 An Ordinance to Rezone Certain Real Estate in the City of Evansville, State of Indiana, More Commonly Known as 1807 & 1809 Stringtown Rd Petitioner:Jason Paul Owner:Jason Paul Requested Change: C4 to R2 Ward:3Melcher Representative:Jason Paul

R-2019-27 Attachment:

A.

ORDINANCE G-2019-12 An Ordinance Fixing the Salaries of Every Appointive Officer, Employee, Deputy, Assistant, Departmental and Institutional Head of the City of Evansville and the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Levee Authority for the Year 2020 and Establishing Salary Administration Procedures Sponsor(s): Weaver Discussion Led By: Finance Chair Weaver Discussion Date: 10/14/2019

G-2019-12 Attachment:

B.

ORDINANCE F-2019-16 Amended An Ordinance of the Common Council of the City of Evansville, Indiana Appropriating Monies for the Purpose of Defraying the Expenditures of Departments of the City Government for the Fiscal Year Beginning January 1, 2020 Sponsor(s):Weaver Discussion Led By: Finance Chair Weaver Discussion Date:10/14/2019 Notify:Russ Lloyd, Jr., Controller

F-2019-16 Amended Attachment:

C.

ORDINANCE F-2019-17 Amended An Ordinance of the Common Council of the City of Evansville, Indiana Appropriating Monies for the Purpose of Defraying the Expenditures of Evansville-Vanderburgh Levee Authority District for the Fiscal Year Beginning January 1, 2020 Sponsor(s): Weaver Discussion Led By: Finance Chair Weaver Discussion Date: 10/14/2019

F-2019-17 Amended Attachment:

D.	ORDINANCE F-2019-18 Amended An Ordinance of the Common Council of the City of Evansville Approving and Adopting the 2020 Budget for the Port Authority of Evansville Sponsor(s): Weaver Discussion Led By: Finance Chair Weaver Discussion Date: 10/14/2019

F-2019-18 Amended Attachment:

E.

ORDINANCE F-2019-20 Amended An Ordinance of the Common Council of the City of Evansville Authorizing Transfers of Appropriations, Additional Appropriations and Repeal and Re-Appropriation of Funds for Various City Funds Sponsor(s): Weaver Discussion Led By: Finance Chair Weaver Discussion Date: 10/14/2019

F-2019-20 Amended Attachment:

F.

ORDINANCE F-2019-21 An Ordinance of the Common Council of the City of Evansville Authorizing Appropriations and Repeal and Appropriations of Funds Within the Department of Metropolitan Development Sponsor(s): Weaver Discussion Led By: Finance Chair Weaver Discussion Date: 10/14/2019 Notify: Kelley Coures, DMD

F-2019-21 Attachment:

A.	RESOLUTION C-2019-19 A Resolution Encouraging Changes to the 2020 Budget for Fire Station Maintenance Sponsor(s): Mosby Discussion Led By: Councilman Weaver Discussion Date: 10/14/2019

C-2019-19 Attachment:

A.	THE NEXT MEETING of the Common Council is Monday, October 28, 2019 at 5:30 p.m.

B.	ADDITIONAL MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS

Aramark has awarded four $1,000 scholarships to students at the Indiana Women’s Prison (IWP) who are pursuing either associate or bachelor’s degrees through Oakland City University’s collegiate correspondence program in partnership with the Indiana Department of Corrections.  The scholarships were awarded as part of the Aramark Scholarship Program.

Aramark is the contracted provider of food services for the Indiana Department of Correction and their food services program, In2Work, provides offenders with skills needed to work in the food industry such as meal planning, industrial kitchen safety, nutrition and more.

The scholarships will help these students pursue their degrees through one of Oakland City University’s educational enterprises.  In addition to its traditional university undergraduate and graduate programs offered on its main campus in Oakland City and adult professional programs offered throughout SW Indiana and online, OCU provides associate and bachelor correspondence courses and high school equivalency education to incarcerated individuals in 13 Indiana Department of Correction facilities.  Currently, over 150 students are enrolled in OCU collegiate correspondence courses with an addition 2,587 students enrolled in high school equivalency program across the state.  Dr. Ron D. Dempsey, OCU’s president, stated, “We are proud to partner with DOC’s In2Work program and Aramark in the educational and professional growth of these students as they work to improve their life circumstances.”   

The scholarship application process was open to incarcerated individuals in Indiana who had completed the IN2WORK program offered through Aramark.