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HOT JOBS IN EVANSVILLE
EVSC Announces McCutchanville School Mascot and Colors
At tonight’s EVSC School Board meeting, the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation officially announced the mascot and school colors for McCutchanville Elementary School, a new kindergarten through sixth grade school being built on Evansville’s northside. The school’s mascot will be the Mustangs and the school colors will be orange and blue, which matches the long-standing colors of McCutchanville Park.
The mascot and colors were voted on by Oak Hill and Scott students, which will both have students that will be attending the new school. Students at both schools were invited to submit their mascot and color ideas to their school. The schools then traded submissions and each school voted on their favorite mascot and school colors. After both schools voted, the Mustangs and orange and blue were resounding winners.
Out of nearly 90 submissions, seven students asked for the Mustangs to be the mascot and out of those seven, three students also submitted orange and blue as the school colors. All seven students were recognized in front of the EVSC School Board at tonight’s meeting for helping select the mascot and colors.
The new school is slated to open for the 2018-2019 school year. More information on the school’s location, attendance district and more can be found at www.evscschools.com.
VANDERBURGH COUNTY FELONY CHARGES
Below are the felony cases to be filed by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office today.
Edward D. Goodman: Operating a vehicle as an habitual traffic violator (Level 6 Felony)
Ashley N. Waller: Possession of methamphetamine (Level 6 Felony), Possession of a controlled substance (Class A misdemeanor), Possession of paraphernalia (Class C misdemeanor)
Jacob Aaron Sweatt: Residential entry (Level 6 Felony)
Jamie Lynn Durham: Domestic battery (Level 6 Felony), Domestic battery (Class A misdemeanor)
Devon Lamont Davidson: Operating a vehicle as an habitual traffic violator (Level 6 Felony)
Sean Michael Crawford: Criminal trespass (Level 6 Felony)
IS IT TRUE SEPTEMBER 25, 2017
IS IT TRUEÂ one should not expect to see a request by the Mayor to develop Roberts Park in the 2018 city budget? Â …we are also told that the Mayor needs to forget about submitting a request to raze storage buildings at Mesker Park Amphitheater? …the Mayor also needs to forget about asking City Council to give him $1 million dollars to help EVSC to renovate Bosse Field?
IS IT TRUE we still stand behind our predictions that in order to fund the City Of Evansville 2018 budget request either the City Council will have to increases taxes or make massive budget cuts?
IS IT TRUE we are disappointed in the way that a couple of City Council and Mayoral appointed Board of the Zoning Appeals members insulted Amy Word Smith, a supporter of  Maiden Brew Pub during last weeks parking variance hearing?  …if our memory serves us right when the owner of KC Timeout Bar went before this same board for a parking variance on West Franklin Street he was also treated in a similar manner?  …there is no reason why any members of a public board should insult anyone coming before them for any variance request? …we encourage our local elected officials to demand that the Board Of Zoning Appeals members that publicly disrespected Amy Word Smith resign from this board? …we are pleased that the Board of Zoning Appeals overwhelmingly voted in favor of a parking variance for Maidens Brew Pub? …we now hope that this board will revisit the owners KC Time Bar requests for a parking variance on West Franklin Street? …we hope that the Board of Zoning Appeals will approve KC Chesser request to open an entertainment venue on West Franklin Street?
IS IT TRUE that the Area Planning Commission/MPO paid for a new parking study for West Franklin street?  …the study was just released that seemly backup City Councilman Jonathan Weaver claim that the above entities should have not spent any of our tax dollars to do this study because its obvious to him that there is an over abundance of parking spaces on West Franklin Street?
IS IT TRUE that our most recent “READERS POLL” question asked “Which Evansville City Council member do you feel will take the lead to balance the proposed 2018 City budget”? Â …that a whooping 523 people voted in this trendy but non scientific poll? Â …that 5th Ward Justin Elpers (R) received 207 votes, John Hayden (R) received 127 votes and Jonathan Weaver (D) attracted 116 votes? Â …the remaining votes were split between the other 6 Council members?
IS IT TRUE that the North Main Street project to become pretty and bicycle friendly is about to be deemed completed?…in spite of the admissions that the lane width was designed too small for buses and truck traffic, the city decided  to leave the little lanes in place without widening them?…this is taking a willful chance of having an accident with the bicyclists they were hoping to attract when this project was started? …because of the small width of the road and someday an accident might happen and the taxpayers will be left holding the liability bag?
IS IT TRUE we congratulate the City of Evansville for renting their former North Main CVS building to the DaVita Dialysis Center?…DaVita does seem like the right kind of business for that particular location? …we wonder what kind of a monthly rental fee are the Evansville DMD charging DaVita Dialysis Center? Â …we also wonder who’s responsible for the expensive renovation costs involved in getting this property up to city codes?
IS IT TRUE some dogs have to get hit by a car on multiple occasions to learn their lesson and the Haynie’s Corner/Washington avenue  area “Idea Home” team may be an example of that?…after 7 long years the “Idea Home” still has an estimated value of only $215,528 on Zillow, meaning that instead of growing the $400,000 investment in our robust stock market, these “Idea Home” supporters seemly turned the money into half of what it once was?  …it will be interesting to see if the Winnecke Administration takes the bait to turn a significant amount of money into dust the way former Mayor Weinzapfel did when the magic words “Idea House” sung a siren’s song to his gubernatorial dreams?
City Council Meeting Agenda For September 25, 2017
I. INTRODUCTION
II. APPROVAL OF MEETING MEMORANDA
III. REPORTS AND COMMUNICATIONS
IV. SPECIAL ORDERS OF THE DAY
V. CONSENT AGENDA: FIRST READING OF ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS
ORDINANCE G-2017-28
Sponsor(s): Discussion Led By: Notify:
ORDINANCE G-2017-29
Sponsor(s): Discussion Led By: Notify:
ORDINANCE G-2017-30 AMENDED
Sponsor(s):
Discussion Led By: Notify:
ORDINANCE G-2017-31 AMENDED
Sponsor(s):
Discussion Led By: Notify:
RESOLUTION C-2017-23 AMENDED
Sponsor(s):
Discussion Led By: Notify:
An Ordinance Amending Chapter 5.70 (Contractor Licensing) of the Code of Ordinances
Brinkmeyer
A.S.D. Chair Brinkmeyer 10/9/2017
Marco DeLucio, ZSWS
An Ordinance Amending Chapter 15.05.470 (Building and Construction Fee Schedule) of the Code of Ordinances Brinkmeyer
A.S.D. Chair Brinkmeyer 10/9/2017
Marco DeLucio, ZSWS
An Ordinance Amending Chapter 13.05 (Sewers) of the Evansville Municipal Code
Elpers, Brinkmeyer
Public Works Chair Weaver 10/9/2017
Marco DeLucio, ZSWS
An Ordinance Amending the Code of Ordinances (Residential Water Wells and Geothermal Heat Pump Systems)
Elpers, Brinkmeyer
Public Works Chair Weaver 10/9/2017
Marco DeLucio, ZSWS
Resolution on Ordinance Modifying the Public Safety Component of the Expenditure Rate in Vanderburgh County
Mosby, McGinn, Weaver, Mercer, Adams
Finance Chair McGinn 10/9/2017
Joshua Claybourn, City Council Attorney
RESOLUTION C-2017-24
Sponsor(s):
Discussion Led By:
Notify:
VI. COMMITTEE REPORTS
VII. REGULAR AGENDA: SECOND READING OF ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS
ORDINANCE G-2017-24
Sponsor(s): Discussion Led By: Notify:
ORDINANCE G-2017-25
Sponsor(s): Discussion Led By: Notify:
ORDINANCE G-2017-26
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 2018 and Establishing Salary Administration Procedures
McGinn
Finance Chair McGinn 9/25/2017
Russ Lloyd, Jr., City Controller
An Ordinance to Vacate Certain Public Ways or Public Places within the City of Evansville, Indiana, Commonly Known as an Alleyway Lying West of Grove Street and South Dresden Street
Brinkmeyer
Public Works Chair Weaver 9/25/2017 Maria Bulkley, Kahn, Deese, Donovan & Kahn, LLP
An Ordinance to Vacate Part of North Fourth Avenue (former Walker Street) between Blocks 110 and 111 and Part of Canal Street in Lamasco, Now Part of the City of Evansville, as per Plat thereof, Recorded in Deed Record E, Pages 372, 373 and 374 and Transcribed of Record in Plat Book B, Pages 6 and 7 and as per Corrected Plat Recorded in Deed Record G, Pages 286 and 287 and Transcribed of Record in Plat Book A, Pages 156 and 157 and Re- Transcribed of Record in Plat Book E, Pages 34 and 35, Which May Not Represent All Documents Describing Said Right of Way Brinkmeyer
Public Works Chair Weaver 9/25/2017 Bret Sermersheim, Morley
Sponsor(s): Discussion Led By: Notify:
Resolution in Support of I-69 Central Corridor 1 for Ohio River Crossing
Mosby
President Mosby 10/9/2017
Joshua Claybourn, City Council Attorney
ORDINANCE F-2017-17 AMENDED
Sponsor(s): Discussion Led By: Notify:
ORDINANCE F-2017-18
Sponsor(s): Discussion Led By: Notify:
ORDINANCE F-2017-19
Sponsor(s): Discussion Led By: Notify:
ORDINANCE F-2017-20
Sponsor(s): Discussion Led By: Notify:
ORDINANCE F-2017-21
Sponsor(s): Discussion Led By: Notify:
An Ordinance of the Common Council of the City of Evansville, Indiana Fixing the Salaries of Elected Officials for the City of Evansville, Indiana for the Year 2018
Council as a Whole
Finance Chair McGinn 9/25/2017 Russ Lloyd, Jr., City Controller
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, 2018
McGinn
Finance Chair McGinn 9/25/2017 Russ Lloyd, Jr., City Controller
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, 2018
McGinn
Finance Chair McGinn 9/25/2017 Russ Lloyd, Jr., City Controller
An Ordinance of the Common Council of the City of Evansville Approving and Adopting the 2018 Budget for the Port Authority of Evansville
McGinn
Finance Chair McGinn 9/25/2017 Russ Lloyd, Jr., City Controller
An Ordinance of the Common Council of the City of Evansville Authorizing Transfers of Appropriations, Additional Appropriations and Repeal and Re-Appropriations of Funds for Various City Funds McGinn
Finance Chair McGinn 9/25/2017
Russ Lloyd, Jr., City Controller
RESOLUTION C-2017-04
Sponsor(s): Committee: Notify:
VIII. RESOLUTION DOCKET
RESOLUTION C-2017-25 AMENDED
Sponsor(s):
Resolution Docket Notify:
A Resolution of the Common Council of the City of Evansville Confirming the Property Tax Phase-In for Redevelopment/Rehabilitation of Real Property – Eastland Station, LLC managed by Phillips Edison & Company, 1500 North Green River Rd., Evansville, IN
McGinn
Finance Chair McGinn 9/25/2017 5:25 p.m. Andrea Lendy, Growth Alliance
A Resolution Encouraging the Vanderburgh County Council to Vote on the Proposed Public Safety Local Income Tax
Elpers, Hayden
9/25/2017 Joshua Claybourn, City Council Attorney
IX. MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS
- THE NEXT MEETING of the Common Council will be Monday, October 9, 2017 at5:30 p.m.
- ADDITIONAL MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS
X. COMMITTEEREPORTS
XI. ADJOURNMENT
RECAP OF AVAILABLE COUNTY INCOME TAX Programs In The State Of Indiana
RECAP OF AVAILABLE COUNTY INCOME TAX Programs In The State Of Indiana
by Wolters Kluwer -Legal & Regulatory Expert
Indiana has adopted legislation repealing the county adjusted gross income tax (CAGIT), the County Option Income Tax (COIT), the County Economic Development Income Tax (CEDIT), and the various local income taxes for special purposes and projects and combining them into a single local income tax with three rate components.
The existing local taxes are repealed effective January 1, 2017, and the taxes in effect on May 1, 2016, will be consolidated into the new law.
The Office of Management and Budget is directed to work with state agencies and county
governments to document the existing taxes and assist in the transition to the new tax. As part of the transition to the new structure, a county may not adopt any ordinances under the former taxes after June 30, 2016. Â Further, an adopting body cannot take any action under the new local income taxes article before July 1, 2016, even though it is effective July 1, 2015.
There are three rate components of the reorganized local income tax: expenditure rate, property tax relief rate, and special purpose rate. The revenue collected from a rate component may be used only for the purpose established in the statute. Each rate component serves a function similar to an existing local option income tax.
The expenditure rate component may be used for school corporations and civil taxing units,certified shares, public safety, and economic development, and the rate is set at a maximum 2.5%, except for Marion County, the rate for which is 2.75%. The property tax relief component is used to fund a property tax credit to reduce property tax liabilities, and the rate is set at a maximum 1.25%.
Finally, the special purpose rate component is a distinct rate implemented for a specific purpose by a particular county and the rate can vary. Excluding the special purpose rate, the maximum local income tax rate is 3.75% for all counties except Marion County, which has a maximum rate of 4%.
Further, effective May 6, 2015, Rush County is authorized to impose a CAGIT tax rate for the construction, renovation, operation, or maintenance of a county jail. The tax rate adopted by the county can range from 0.15% to 0.6%. (P.L. 243; H.B. 1485, Laws 2015, Laws approved May 6, 2015 and effective as noted above.)
Lawmakers Hear Proposals For Increased Indigent Defense Funding
Lawmakers Hear Proposals For Increased Indigent Defense Funding
Olivia Covington for www.theindianalawyer.com
Public defenders from across the state came to the Indiana Statehouse Thursday to share their concerns about what they see as crisis in the state’s judiciary – the increasing difficulty their offices face to comply with caseload suggestions as more and more filings hit their desks.
The public defenders, who spoke at the second meeting of the Interim Study Committee on Courts and the Judiciary, specifically focused their testimony on misdemeanor, children in need of services and termination of parental rights cases. CHINS cases have skyrocketed in recent years, but public defender agencies have struggled to find funds to increase staffing levels accordingly.
Further, the Indiana Public Defender Commission does not provide reimbursement for misdemeanor cases, which has also led to serious issues concerning excessive caseloads, Larry Landis, executive director of the Public Defender Council, told the committee. Some counties, such as Allen, have faced federal litigation as a result of caseload issues, Landis said.
Similarly, staffing in the Marion County Public Defender Agency’s CHINS department has doubled since 2013, while the CHINS caseload has increased by 104 percent, Marion County Chief Public Defender Robert Hill told the committee. The TPR caseload has likewise increased by 139 percent, he said.
As a member of the Public Defender Commission, Hill’s office must maintain the caseload maximum standards laid out by the commission, a charge that has stretched the offices finances as it tries to hire enough attorneys to keep caseloads at acceptable levels. On a similar note, Larry Hesson, a Hendricks County attorney who offered testimony on behalf of the Association of Indiana Counties, said Hendricks County recently joined the commission and will likely have to spend more money to maintain compliance with caseload guidelines.
Under current law, the Public Defender Commission is able to reimburse the 59 participating counties 40 percent for indigent defense services, but from 2001 to 2009, the commission was unable to reimburse the full requested amount from the counties. That resulted in prorating reimbursements, leading to a loss of as much as $2.7 million owed, according to data Landis provided to the committee. From 2003 to 2004, the commission was only able to reimbursement 25.1 percent of the total requests — the lowest reimbursement rate in the data Landis provided — leading to a loss of $1.4 million.
As a result of the prorating, participating counties began to view the commission’s requirements as unfunded mandates and, thus, left the commission based on their belief that the state was an unreliable funding partner. To remedy that issue, Landis set forth a proposal that would add language to existing law to allow the State Budget Agency to authorize augmentation of the Public Defense Fund. If there was authorization to supplement the fund through augmentation and counties did not have to supplement reimbursement, then more counties would likely join the commission’s reimbursement program and maintain the applicable caseload requirements, he said.
Those funds would then go into each county’s general fund, where the money could be allocated based on the county’s most pressing needs, Landis said. That need could be either CHINS cases or compliance with misdemeanor caseloads, whichever is more urgent.
Hill agreed the state is “woefully behind†on its funding for misdemeanors and called on the General Assembly to find a way to reimburse public defenders for handling those cases. He also called on lawmakers to increase the reimbursement rate for CHINS and TPR cases to 50 percent, while maintaining the 40 percent level for all other cases.
The committee did not take action on the public defenders’ proposals, but only heard testimony and asked a handful of questions. Its final meeting is scheduled for Oct. 5, when a final report will be adopted.
Women General Counsel Honored For Keeping Shideler’s Spirit Alive
Women General Counsel Honored For Keeping Shideler’s Spirit Alive
Marilyn Odendahl for www.theindianalawyer.com
In the shadow of the first woman attorney to become a partner at a large Indiana law firm, five female general counsel of publicly traded companies were honored Thursday for their achievements not only in the legal field but also for developing other women and minorities into leaders.
The women were recognized by Barnes & Thornburg LLP at its 3rd Annual Shirley’s Legacy ceremony. Started in 2015, the law firm has annually remembered its late colleague, Shirley Shideler, by honoring female attorneys who reflect her trailblazing spirit.
Shideler first joined Barnes as a legal secretary then became the first female associate at the firm in 1963 after completing her law degree in night school. She made partner in 1971, and in 1998 became the first woman to be president of the Indiana Bar Foundation.
Although she died in 2003, she was very much a part of the evening reception. Several recalled memories of Shideler and marveled at how graciously she was able to accomplish so much for women.
“I am very blessed to be able to walk in the shoes and stand on the shoulders of someone like Shirley,†said Sharon Barner, vice president and general counsel of Cummins Inc. “I feel very fortunate that I am able to do work that I am passionate about.â€
Along with Barner, the other 2017 Shirley’s Legacy honorees were Carrie Hightman, executive vice president and chief legal officer of NiSource Inc.; Cynthia Kretz, vice president and general counsel of Cook Group Inc.; Erin Roth, senior vice president, general counsel and secretary of Wabash National Corp., and Judi Sobecki, U.S. general counsel of The AES Corp.
Each were introduced to the audience by a female attorney at Barnes and presented with an award encased in glass. The women were praised for being exemplary attorneys and leaders in the companies as well as their communities. In addition, they were applauded for cultivating and mentoring the next generation of leaders, especially among women and minorities.
“We all have an obligation to help others and bring them up, whether it’s people that look like us or don’t look like us, whether people came from the same background as we did or from some other background,†Hightman said. “The more we can do that, the more that we can incorporate them in everything that we do in our jobs and in our lives, the better we’ll be in all respects.â€
As the Barnes’ attorneys pointed out, being a general counsel takes hard work and is a position that has to be earned every day. The five honorees were described as excelling in their field and setting an example for all corporate legal officers to follow.
Kretz credited Shideler with shouldering a lot of the burden of getting women a place in the legal profession. And she noted that Shideler’s achievements have led to others looking beyond gender and paying more attention to what a person could do rather than who that person was.
“I have been blessed with those women and men in my career from day one who have supported and mentored me in this role,†Kretz said. “This is an opportunity not just to recognize Shirley but also everyone in this room who help each one of us help other people.â€
As a young associate at Barnes & Thornburg, Roth met Shideler and was invited to some of the infamous partners’ lunches that put Shideler at the table as the lone female among the men. Roth was most impressed that the male partners treated Shideler as an equal, wanted her to succeed and were not intimidated by her intellect.
“I always looked at that as a very young attorney and thought, if I could be half of what she is, then I’ve done a really good job,†Roth said of Shideler. “Standing here and actually getting an award that has her name on it, means a great deal to me.â€
Sobecki indicated the work that Shideler started is not finished. The AES executive echoed both Kretz and Hightman, saying she benefited from the support of others and she had an obligation to do the same.
“Most people who achieve any level of success in life couldn’t do it on their own,†Sobecki said. “(They) get help from the people around them and owe it to them to pay back and do everything they can to develop others, to show them the path to really achieving everything they can.â€