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Vanderburgh County Board of Commissioners Meeting

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AGENDA of Vanderburgh County Board of Commissioners

June 25, 2019 at 3:00 pm in Room 301

  1. Call to Order
  2. Attendance
  3. Pledge of Allegiance
  4. Action Items 
    1. Permission to Advertise: Request for Proposals for Commercial Fuel Supply and Fuel Management Assistance
    2. First Reading of CO. 07-19-018  : Amending Advisory Board on Disability Services 
    3. First Reading of CO.07-19-019: Use of Credit Cards-Amendment
    4. Vanderburgh County Employee Healthcare Committee Update
    5. Health Department: 
      1. 1.Memorandum of Understanding with 4C of Southern Indiana
      2. 2.Intake Coordinator Agreement with Charissa Schuetz
      3. 3.Grant Agreement
    6. County Clerk: EViD System License Rental Agreement
  5. Department Head Reports
  6. New Business
  7. Old Business
  8. Consent Items
    1. Approval of June 11, 2019 Meeting Minutes
    2. Employment Changes 
    3. County Commissioners 2020 Budget Request 
    4. Claims Voucher Report for 6/10/19 – 6/14/19 and 6/17/19-6/21/19
    5. County Auditor: 2019 Covered Bridge Certification
    6. SWCD June 2019 Meeting Minutes
    7. Weights and Measures May 16- June 15 Report
    8. County Engineer
      1. 1.Department Report
      2. 2.University Parkway TIF Pay Request No. 50 for $304,338.59
    9. County Clerk 
      1. 1.May 2019 Monthly Report
      2. 2.Surplus Request
  9. Public Comment
  10. Rezoning
    1. First Reading of VC-4-2019

St. Joe Business Partners, LLC

3701 N. St. Joseph Avenue

Change from R-3 to C-4

    1. First Reading of VC-5-2019

Altay Y. Soyugenc Special Needs Trust

5601N St. Joseph Avenue

Change from Ag to M-2 with UDC

  1. Adjournment

CCO “Living Outside The Box” Event Is Filled To Capacity

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Mike Stepto “Living Outside The Box” Speaker

(Tucker Publishing joins the City-County Observer as a co-sponsor of this event)

Steve Hammer the Chairman of the “Living Outside The Box” speaker series announced the sponsors of this event will be the City-County Observer and Tucker Publishing. This event will be held on Wednesday, June 26th in the private room at Pangea Kitchen at noon. This event is filled to capacity.

We orginally planned to make this event an invitation only but it got out of control when we started to receive many requests from interested people that wanted to attend this event. We originally planned to invite 20 guest but it quickly mulipulyied to 40 guests.  Even more amazing is we now have a waiting list around 23 people who want to attend the next “Living Outside The Box” speaker series event.

This month features speaker is Mike Stepto career spans over 25 years with the iconic Evansville family business, the Pet Food Centers.

Mr Stepto is the the President and CEO of Pet Food Center a regional Pet Retail Chain.will be the City-County Observer and Tucker Publishing  “Living Outside The Box” speakers series on June 26, 2019 at PANGEA restaurant.

Mike Stepto earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Occupational Safety and Health at Murray State University Murray, Kentucky. earned his Associate of Arts Degree at Kemper Military School and College in Boonville, MO. Mr. Stepto and his family are member of St. Benedict Catholic Church.

He’s a supporter of numerous charities; Vanderburgh Humane Society, Tri-State MS Society, PC Pound Puppies, It takes a Village, Memorial High School Athletics, Vanderburgh County 4-H, Eagle Scout, Boy Scouts of America and a member of the Knight of Columbus Chapter 12541, Holy Redeemer.

Mike Stepto is married to Tiffany Nunn Stepto and they have two children, Alan Michael a Junior at Memorial High school and Phoebe who attends St Ben’s Catholic school.

Event Chairman Steve Hammer stated “that our monthly speaker series will focus on home grown businesses successes and challenges. Mr. Hammer says; “Living Outside The Box” speakers series will feature unique and insightful stories of success and perseverance from prominent business leaders that tend to fly under the public radar.”

Hammer also added; “We understand that there are a lot of successful entrepreneurs who, because of economic, technological, or political challenges, have experienced a negative impact on their businesses.”   “We are going to actively search for local business people who went through economic adversity due to bureaucratic restrictions, governmental intervention, or increased competition, but had the good business sense to “Living Outside The Box” to allow their products or services to continue to thrive. We also hope that this will turn out to be a great resource for local developing businesses.”

For additional information concerning our next ‘Living Outside The Box” speaker event please contract Steve Hammer by calling him at 812-589-3802.

FOOTNOTE: Get your own copy of “Living Outside the Box” on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Living-Outside-Box-outside-courage/dp/1092964894/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

 

 

 

 

Fireworks: Know the Law for a Safe and Legal Fourth of July

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The Fourth of July is fast approaching and many area residents are stocking up on bottle rockets, sparklers and firecrackers. We’ve summarized Indiana’s Fireworks Laws below so that you can stay safe and legal this Independence Day.

Indiana Code 22-11-14-6 allows you to discharge fireworks on your property until 11 PM. On a legal holiday (which by statute includes every Sunday) you may discharge fireworks up until midnight.

You may only discharge fireworks on your own property, on property that you have permission to use, or at a special discharge location authorized by the fire department having jurisdiction. If you are under 18 years of age, you must have an adult present in order to possess or use fireworks.

Discharging or possessing fireworks in violation of IC 22-11-14-6 is punishable a Class C Infraction. Damaging another person’s property with fireworks is punishable as a Class A Misdemeanor. Causing serious injury to another person with fireworks is punishable as a Level 6 Felony. Under IC 35-45-3-2 a person who places or leaves a spent firework on the property of another person commits Littering as a Class B Infraction.

Vanderburgh County Code 12.24.010(u) prohibits the possession or discharge of fireworks within a county maintained park. The City of Evansville further restricts the use of fireworks within the corporate limits. The Evansville Municipal Code regulating fireworks may be found here.

Sheriff Dave Wedding explained, “Even though the law permits the discharge of fireworks on any day of the year, intentionally annoying your neighbors during the work week could result in a citation for disorderly conduct.” Sheriff Wedding added, “Our office wants everyone to have a great time this Fourth of July, we just ask that residents be courteous to their neighbors and exercise a little common sense.” 

Pictured Above: Fireworks complaints in the county have been on a downward trend in recent years. The Sheriff’s Office received only twenty-seven (27) complaints last summer, compared to thirty-four (34) in 2017 and up to seventy-one (71) during the summer of 2013. (Data Source: Evansville City – Vanderburgh County Joint Department of Central Dispatch)

 

Tools Available To Help Hoosiers Grow Skills, Find A Job

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Tools Available To Help Hoosiers Grow Skills, Find A Job

BY Wendy McNamara

In a changing job market, it can be difficult to grow in your career or find a position in a high-demand, high-wage field. WorkOne Southwest connects unemployed and underemployed job seekers with employers in our area, and offers a wide range of resources for new opportunities.
WorkOne Southwest regularly hosts hiring events, workshops and job fairs. Please click here to visit their website and stay up-to-date on upcoming job fairs, opportunities and networking events. This is an excellent resource that I encourage you to take advantage of.
Some of the tools available to job seekers include resume development, career planning, interview coaching, job search assistance and skills evaluation.

Finke Furniture Company By Pat Sides

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Finke’s Furniture was a major retailer in downtown Evansville during most of the nineteenth-century.

Founded in 1902 by brothers L. B and C. E. Finke, the store was originally located at 623 Main Street. In 1914, it moved to 7 S. E. Seventh Street, “37 steps from Main,” as their famous slogan advertised.

Brass foot plates were embedded in the sidewalk to guide customers to the store. The building also housed Evansville’s first radio station, WGBF, which went on the air in 1922, with Harold Finke serving as the first announcer.

The Finke family retained ownership of the business until 1968, and the downtown store closed in 1975, soon after a new one opened on S. Green River Road. In 1989, Finke’s was sold again and renamed Kittle’s.

Commentary: In Defense Of Curtis Hill

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Commentary: In Defense Of Curtis Hill

By Robert Hall
Special to TheStatehouseFile.com

Allegations have been made against Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill for inappropriately touching four women last year at a bar in Indianapolis. I have thought about this matter for months and have now formed my opinion about it.

Allegations like this are always serious, but there’s a lot more to the story. It appears to me to be a political hit job — an overreaction to friendly gestures. I have attended many political events for years and often noticed friendly gestures such as handshakes, fist bumps, touching arms, patting backs, hugs, kisses and air kisses.

Most politicians are friendly people, many even gregarious. They hug and touch other people. It is harmless, innocent and definitely not sexual groping. This incident occurred in a bar after hours, and everyone was in a festive mood and having fun after the legislative session ended. It was not a hostile environment, but most people were having libations.

This matter was investigated and no criminal charges were filed. Inappropriate touching accusations after the fact and months later may be uncomfortable but not necessarily criminal or illegal. It was not severe or pervasive. It was not sexual assault or battery. It was not sexual harassment or sexual misconduct. It was not sexual advances and no touching was done under clothing. It was friendly gestures.

These four women, the media and other politicians have used exaggerated inflammatory language against Curtis Hill. Where is the standard of fairness? Why no presumption of innocence? We need to give him the benefit of the doubt until a crime is proven. People should be held liable for defamation. There are no cellphone photos of inappropriate behavior by Curtis Hill, and no men have gone public with eyewitness accounts of misbehavior.

For sheer hypocrisy, we know that Joe Biden, Al Franken, Bill Clinton and Democratic politicians have behaved much worse. Creepy Joe Biden is on video inappropriately touching, kissing and smelling women’s hair, and he is the Democratic front-runner. There is a photo of former Sen. Al Franken sexually groping a woman while she slept. Bill Clinton’s sexual assaults are public knowledge. Several Virginia Democrat leaders also were accused of behaving badly but they are still in office.

In regards to policy, Hill won an appellate ruling last month in which he defended an Indiana law that requires local police to cooperate with federal requests to detain immigrants, according to a news release from his office.

In February, Hill asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review a lawsuit regarding a 2016 Indiana abortion law that requires women to wait at least 18 hours after an ultrasound to seek an abortion. The Supreme Court has not announced whether it will hear the case.

Hill asked the Supreme Court in the fall of 2018 to rule on a lawsuit over two other parts of the law. The Supreme Court just ruled 7-2 to allow Indiana to require health centers to bury or cremate fetal remains from abortions or miscarriages but declined to hear another part that banned abortions on the basis of disability, race or sex of the fetus.

It’s time to restore Curtis Hill’s good reputation and quit mentioning these allegations in every media story written about him. He has done a fine job as attorney general for Indiana, and we need him focused on his job and not on these exaggerations. This is a cautionary note to all that danger lurks in the simplest of human interaction but it is time to move on.

FOOTNOTE: Robert Hall is leader of Grassroots Conservatives.

This article was sent to us by StateHouseFile to post without opinion. or editing.

 We post this article in the spirt of the First  Amendment Rights.  

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Commentary: The Indianapolis Archdiocese Is Shrinking Its Tent With Pride

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Commentary: The Indianapolis Archdiocese Is Shrinking Its Tent With Pride

By Michael Leppert
MichaelLeppert.com

I grew up in a Catholic home. My two kids were raised in a Catholic home. They both graduated from a Catholic high school here in Indianapolis and have pride in it.

I’m glad that is behind us.

Gay teachers are no longer allowed to teach in Indianapolis Catholic schools. They likely never were before, but times have changed, right?

Apparently not in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.

For the third time in a year, the Catholic community here has gone above and beyond to make it clear that they will not allow employees of its schools to enter into a same-sex marriage. On Thursday, a two-year fight ended between the Archdiocese and Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School over the employment of a gay teacher. The Archdiocese wanted him fired. Brebeuf told them no. So, the Archdiocese booted Brebeuf from their 57-year partnership.

Arika Herron of the Indianapolis Star wrote on Thursday: “Brebeuf, which is sponsored by the USA Midwest Province of the Society of Jesus, received notice Thursday that the Archdiocese will issue a canonical decree Friday stating that the Archbishop will no longer formally recognize Brebeuf Jesuit as a Catholic school in the Archdiocese.”

The teacher in question was “a longtime valued employee of the school” according to Brian Paulson, provincial for the Midwest Jesuits. It is clear the school needed to choose between their valued employee or the partnership with the Archbishop.

They chose wisely.

When will the church actually begin learning and healing? The Boston Globe’s expose on sexual abuse by members of the Catholic clergy by its “Spotlight” team was initially published a little over 17 years ago. Why does it feel like it was just yesterday? Mainly because in terms of the church, it was. As was noted in the Oscar-winning movie, Spotlight, “the church thinks in centuries.”

At the rate it is coming to grips with human sexuality, centuries could easily turn into eons.

It would be easy to take the position that the Brebeuf teacher, as well as two Roncalli High School counselors who were fired last year for the same “offense,” were not compliant with the contract they had with their schools. It would be just as easy to take the position that Brebeuf and Roncalli should be prohibited from having a discriminatory and unconstitutional employment policy since both accept public dollars through Indiana’s school voucher program.

Shelly Fitzgerald and Lynn Starkey were both guidance counselors at Roncalli and were both fired in the last year for similar reasons: the school became aware that both employees were married to spouses of the same sex. Starkey had worked there for 39 years, earning the Teacher of the Year award in 2009.

Clearly, both Fitzgerald and Starkey were valued employees too. There was 54 years of experience at the school between them.

Thousands of employees work for more than 60 schools in the Archdiocese. Statistically speaking, the Archdiocese has more valued employees to identify and fire. Plenty more.

Luckily, Brebeuf took a stand this week and decided its conscience and values wouldn’t allow it to continue to be a part of the Archdiocese’s darkness. Good for them, their employees, students and families.

I can promise you that had this occurred when my boys were still in an Indianapolis Catholic high school, I would have pulled them. When a school system gets anything this wrong, they cannot be trusted with the rest of their “molding of young minds” responsibilities. Especially when this would be impossible to keep separate from the rest of the curriculum.

My largest complaint as a Catholic high school parent was with regard to the school’s teaching of the pro-life/pro-choice movement. I knew the church’s position on the matter. But the position had led their teachings to get the history (facts) of the debate wrong. That is intolerable.

And so is the way these professionals are being treated.

In an April 1, 2019 interview with the Catholic Publication “Crux,” even Pope Francis said “you never throw a homosexual person out of the house.” I wonder what he would say about Indianapolis today.

I have a difficult time believing that former Archbishop of Indianapolis and current New Jersey-based Cardinal Joseph Tobin would have handled this situation in an identical way. Maybe he would have, but I like believing otherwise.

Regardless of how this darkness plays out here, it will hurt. It will hurt the entire city. Intolerance never attracts investment, particularly human investment. Not of any kind.

Teachers are scarce. Churches are not. Empty classrooms and pews will eventually teach them all about that.

“LEFT JAB AND RIGHT JAB” JUNE 24, 2019

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“LEFT JAB AND RIGHT JAB”

“Right Jab And Left Jab” was created because we have two commenters that post on a daily basis either in our “IS IT TRUE” or “Readers Forum” columns concerning National or International issues.
Joe Biden and Ronald Reagan’s comments are mostly about issues of national interest.  The majority of our “IS IT TRUE” columns are about local or state issues, so we have decided to give Mr. Biden and Mr. Reagan exclusive access to our newly created “LEFT JAB and RIGHT JAB”  column. They now have this post to exclusively discuss national or world issues that they feel passionate about.
We shall be posting the “LEFT JAB” AND “RIGHT JAB” several times a week.  Oh, “Left Jab” is a liberal view and the “Right Jab is representative of the more conservative views. Also, any reader who would like to react to the written comments of the two gentlemen is free to do so.

FOOTNOTE: Any comments posted in this column do not represent the views or opinions of the City-County Observer or our advertisers.

COA reverses $66K restitution order for insufficient evidence

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Katie Stancombe

A father will still get time behind bars for failing to pay at least a decade’s worth of child support, but questions as to how much he owes led to the reversal of his more than $66,000 restitution order on Friday.

In February 2013, Jackie Pratt was charged with Class C felony nonsupport of a dependent after he was alleged to have failed to provide child support in an amount of at least $15,000 for two of his children between August 2000 and January 2013. His alleged arrearage at the time was $39,188.66.

Five years later, the alleged dates were amended to August 2000 to August 2010. Pratt pleaded guilty, but disputed how much he owed, claiming the amount was approximately $20,000.

Without evidence, the state argued Pratt owed $66,059.46 in child support. The St. Joseph Circuit Court agreed, ordered Pratt to pay the larger restitution amount and sentenced him to three years behind bars. It further denied his objection that the amount was actually $26,500.

Although it found Pratt’s sentence was not inappropriate in light of the nature of his offense or his character, the Indiana Court of Appeals did find issue with the restitution order in Jackie Pratt v. State of Indiana, 18A-CR-3099.

Specifically, the appellate court found that the state’s assertion that presenting the trial court with Pratt’s Indiana Support Enforcement Tracking System, or ISETS, number and a “substantial amount of information from the civil case” was insufficient evidence to support the restitution amount.

“We cannot agree that ‘this was enough.’ While the trial court’s order refers to the ISETS database, the court did not state that it took judicial notice of any court records or identify those records,” Judge Edward Najam wrote for the court. “Evidence is required for appellate review of a restitution order. We do not have access to the civil case or to ISETS. Without any evidence in the record on appeal to support the restitution order, our review is significantly hindered.”

The appellate court further found that it did not have access to either the child support orders in the civil case or to Pratt’s case information through the ISETS database. Neither did the state ask the trial court to take judicial notice of the amount of Pratt’s arrearage, it continued, nor did the order indicate the trial court took judicial notice of the verifiable information.

“Given the record on appeal, we are obliged to say that the evidence is insufficient to support the restitution order. Accordingly, we reverse and remand to the trial court for further proceedings on this issue,” the appellate panel concluded. “The parties may submit evidence to the trial court to support their arguments regarding the amount of Pratt’s arrearage, or the trial court may take judicial notice of the amount of the arrearage, providing documentation to aid our appellate review should Pratt seek review after remand.”

HOT JOBS IN EVANSVILLE

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Batch Maker
Parson Adhesives Inc. – Evansville, IN
Bachelor of science in chemistry is preferred. Cleans work area, machines, tools, and equipment. Weighs quantities of materials for use in the manufacturing…
Easily apply
Sponsored
Exterior Cleaning Specialist
Mr. Sudsy – Evansville, IN
$12 – $16 an hour
Driver’s License (Preferred). Yes. We are a high energy, high efficient exterior cleaning company that cleans houses, roofs, fences, driveways, company…
Easily apply
Jun 20
Automotive Title Clerk
DPatrick – Evansville, IN
$10 – $14 an hour
Valid Drivers License and good driving record. Drivers License (Required). Individual must have good interpersonal skills, good communication skills (verbal and…
Easily apply
Jun 20
Part-Time Cashier
ALDI 3.4/5 rating   5,513 reviews  – Evansville, IN
$13.50 an hour
Meets any state and local requirements for handling and selling alcoholic beverages. Whether it’s in customer service or our exceptional products, we owe our…
Jun 19
Excellent Full Time Cleaning Opportunity
Evansville Rug Cleaning and Dyna-Kleen Services – Evansville, IN
$12 – $13 an hour
Candidates must have a valid driver’s license. Driver’s License (Required). With exposure to several smaller facilities per evening, you will have the…
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Jun 19
Caseworker/Family Support Services-Positions Open Throughout Indiana
H.O.P.E. Counseling & Associates, LLC – Evansville, IN
Possess a valid drivers license. Possess a Bachelors degree in Psychology, Sociology, licensed BSW or a directly related human services degree with a minimum of…
Easily apply
Jun 20
Front Desk Assistant
Affordable Care, Inc. 3.3/5 rating   210 reviews  – Evansville, IN
Answer and handling phone calls. Greet patients at the Front Desk. Affordable Dentures & Implants is looking for an experienced Front Desk Assistant….
Jun 19
Accounts Payable Clerk/Administrative Assistant
Superior Concrete Constructors, Inc. – Evansville, IN
Duties include job costing invoices and verifying field tickets, entering invoices into accounting system, filing, tracking certificates of insurance, clerical…
Easily apply
Jun 19
Distribution Coordinator
EVANSVILLE COURIER & PRESS 3.8/5 rating   19 reviews  – Evansville, IN
$11.50 an hour
Aids in the distribution of newspaper to the Independent Contractors. Delivers complaints, as required. _Gannett Publishing Services….
Easily apply
Jun 19
Warehouse Associate
Goodman Manufacturing Company 3.6/5 rating   576 reviews  – Evansville, IN
Must have Valid driver’s license. Ability to complete Will Calls. The Company will comply with all federal and state regulations and statutes pertaining to…
Jun 20
Warehouse Supervisor
Gabes(Gabriel Brothers) 3.2/5 rating   316 reviews  – Evansville, IN
$12.50 – $13.00 an hour
Join our unbelievable! team! We are an off-price retail company that is looking for energetic, sociable, and confident individuals who want to be part of our…
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Jun 20
Receptionist/Office Assistant
Kitty Licks Auto Spa – Evansville, IN
$8 an hour
Book appointments Manage invoices Light duty office/lobby cleaning Answer phones Collect payments Write receipts Job Type: Part-time Salary: $8.00 …
Easily apply
Jun 18
Babysitter
4.4/5 rating   92 reviews  – Evansville, IN
$12 an hour
If you are interested, please let me know so we can set up a meet and greet! Our little 5 month old needs a sitter July 1….
Jun 20
IT Support Technician
MetroNet – Evansville, IN
Responds to telephone calls, email and personnel requests for technical support. Requires valid driver’s license….
Easily apply
Sponsored
Digital Production Coordinator
Ten Adams – Evansville, IN
BS/BA in Marketing, Communications, Business or related field preferred. Works independently, takes responsibility for own actions;…
Easily apply
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Security Officer – Custom Protection Hiring Event
G4S Solutions USA – Evansville, IN
$15 an hour
Security Officer – Custom Protection. Security Officer – Upscale. G4S Solutions USA Hiring Event!…
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