EVANSVILLE, IN Mayor Lloyd Winnecke announces his response to today¡¦s Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) decision on the Smart City initiative by unveiling his new program, Positive Progress for a Smart City. The Positive Progress for a Smart City initiative, which is expected to create more than 170 jobs and support local business development in Evansville, is an evolution of the previous administration¡¦s initiative.

Positive Progress refocuses the project to maximize economic development opportunities, while investing in our city¡¦s energy, water, network infrastructure, and operational improvements for the Evansville Water and Sewer Utilities (EWSU).

I think it is imperative that the city move forward with this initiative to replace aging infrastructure and automate EWSU water meters to ensure equity in billing by more accurately measuring the amount of water used by utility customers,¡¨ Mayor Winnecke said. ¡§The initiative will not only improve the accuracy of water meters, but more than 90 percent of the dollars spent on this project will stay in the community in terms of materials and labor needed to complete the work.

Local contractors and engineering firms, including minority- and women-owned businesses, will be used to perform the installation and upgrades featured in the initiative. The program was developed in collaboration with Johnson Controls, a global leader in energy efficiency and employer of more than 1,200 Indiana residents.

Investing in Infrastructure:

A state-of-the-art Automated Meter Reading (AMR) system replacing water meters citywide that are more than 5-years-old will enable EWSU to streamline operations as well as bill and collect for actual usage, eliminating the need for outdated, inaccurate, manually-read meters.
¡§For residents, the new automated meters will provide our customers with a way to better understand and measure your home¡¦s water use, eliminate estimated readings, and provide more accurate billing,¡¨ said Allen Mounts, director, EWSU.

Creating Economic Development Opportunities:
The creation of a fiber optic network will support the EWSU’s AMR system and future needs for other voice and data applications. The enhanced fiber optic ring will also be a new economic development tool in the City¡¦s efforts to attract new or expanding businesses that may desire connectivity.

Connectivity is critical in today¡¦s economy and as our region is in the bottom tier for broadband coverage and speed, this initiative will propel us straight to the top,¡¨ stated Greg Wathen, President and CEO of the Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana. ¡§Only a handful of cities are currently participating in a program comparable to this; and, as far as future businesses become interested in our region, it¡¦s a definite game changer.

Cleaning-up our Waste Water Treatment System:

A new FOG (fats, oils and grease) program will collect fats, oils and grease materials, currently put into the landfill, and use them to create 500 kilowatts (KW) of green methane that will be used to power EWSU facilities.

The Positive Progress for a Smart City initiative differs from former Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel¡¦s Smart City program in that the wireless municipal network portion of the original program has been removed, while the city explores the community¡¦s connectivity needs. The decision coincides with similar feedback the IURC released at its biweekly conference earlier today. The IURC chose not to approve financing of the original contract signed in December of 2011.

Now is the perfect time to support a new approach that focuses on job creation and economic development as we address the City¡¦s and EWSU¡¦s infrastructure needs. That¡¦s something we can all agree on,¡¨ said Mayor Winnecke. ¡§I anticipated the IURC¡¦s concern regarding wireless services as part of the original contract, and our changes are a result of positive negotiations with Johnson Controls. This administration is committed to assessing the community¡¦s need and developing the right solution to address it.¡¨
Pending a review and final approval from the IURC on this new initiative, the contract will be financed and guaranteed through the performance contracting model. With performance contracting, savings and increased revenue will pay for the project over the term of the contract. If the savings are not
realized, Johnson Controls pays the difference between the value of the measured and verified consumption and the guaranteed consumption under the contract.

The administration intends to make a full presentation to the Evansville City Council in the near future to continue the dialogue on this important opportunity for the City of Evansville

The City County Observer has just learned that the Indiana Utilities Regulatory Commission has denied the request of the City of Evansville to issue debt to finance the Johnson Controls Project that was submitted as a Guaranteed Performance Contract.

The basis for denial included the testimony of a Mr. Kaufmann that raised several issues with Joint Petitioner’s calculations that could shift the result of the contract from a net savings to a net loss. For example, changing the interest rate by as little as 5 basis points or the inflation rate from 2.8% to 2.7% results in a net loss. Mr. Kaufman also pointed out that the sample of meters tested during the contract analysis contained one meter that was clearly anomalous compared to the others in the sample. Excluding this single meter from the sample reduced the estimated savings under the Contract by more than $500,000, alone sufficient to produce a net loss.

The City County Observer along with Evansville City Councilman John Friend and some private citizens had raised these issues vocally in the last couple of months for the purpose of educating the general public about the marginal payback or even losses associated with going forward with this contract.

State Ruling:

EVV JCI 44123order_081512

This feature is sponsored by Chris Walsh For Vanderburgh County Clerk. Chris Walsh is a veteran county administrator that strongly supports our local law enforcement professionals . Chris is a candidate that possess a non-partisan attitude with a consumer friendly demeanor. Chris also stands against unification of city and county governments.

This ad paid for by the committiee to elect Walsh Clerk,

VANDERBURGH COUNTY FELONY CHARGES

Evansville, IN – Below is a list of felony cases that were filed by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday, August 14, 2012.

Charles Adams Strangulation – Class D Felony
Battery Resulting in Bodily Injury –Class A Misdemeanor

Theodore Boarman, Jr. Possession of Chemical reagents or Precursors with Intent to
Manufacture a Controlled Substance –Class D Felony

Anthony Brodie, Jr. Possession of Marijuana – Class A Misdemeanor
(Enhanced to a Class D Felony due to Prior Convictions)
Resisting Law Enforcement –Class A Misdemeanor
Criminal Trespass – Class A Misdemeanor
Disorderly Conduct – Class B Misdemeanor
Public Intoxication –Class B Misdemeanor

Kalah Daniels Possession of a Controlled Substance – Class D Felony
Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated Endangering a Person with a
Passenger Less Than 18 Years of Age – Class D Felony
Neglect of a Dependent – Class D Felony (Two Counts)
Possession of Marijuana – Class A Misdemeanor

Abram Hall Dealing in Methamphetamine – Class A Felony
Operating a Motor Vehicle After Forfeiture of License for Life – Class C
Felony

Natalie Huffman Intimidation – Class D Felony
Battery Resulting in Bodily Injury –Class D Felony (Two Counts)

Dennis Hungate Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated – Class C Misdemeanor
(Enhanced to a Class D Felony due to Prior Convictions)
Disorderly Conduct – Class B Misdemeanor
Public Intoxication – Class B Misdemeanor

David Johnson Habitual Traffic Violator – Class D Felony

Gregory Kermode Battery Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury – Class C Felony
Public Intoxication – Class B Misdemeanor

Shawn Lewis Theft – Class D Felony
Possession of a Synthetic Drug – Class D Felony

Jerry Lipson Criminal Confinement – Class D Felony
Battery Resulting in Bodily Injury –Class A Misdemeanor
Intimidation – Class A Misdemeanor

Willie Maffett Theft – Class D Felony
Possession of Paraphernalia – Class A Misdemeanor
(Habitual Offender Enhancement on Counts 1 & 2)

Juan Martin Operating a Vehicle with a BAC of .15 or More – Class A Misdemeanor
(Enhanced to a Class D Felony due to Prior Convictions)
Operating a Vehicle with a BAC of .15 or More – Class A Misdemeanor

Stanley Morgan, Jr. Possession of Marijuana – Class A Misdemeanor
(Enhanced to a Class D Felony due to Prior Convictions)

David Myers Dealing in Methamphetamine – Class B Felony
Possession of Chemical reagents or Precursors with Intent to
Manufacture a Controlled Substance –Class D Felony
Maintaining a Common Nuisance – Class D Felony
(Habitual Substance Offender Enhancement)

Frederic Rhodes Child Molesting – Class A Felony

Jeremy Robb Theft – Class D Felony
(Habitual Offender Enhancement)

Robert Smith Habitual Traffic Violator – Class D Felony

Bobby Vincent Criminal Confinement – Class C Felony
Domestic Battery – Class A Misdemeanor
(Enhanced to a Class D Felony due to Prior Convictions)

Derrick Willis Battery Resulting in Bodily Injury – Class D Felony
Resisting Law Enforcement –Class A Misdemeanor

For further information on the cases listed above, or any pending case, please contact Carly Settles at 812.435.5688 or via e-mail at csettles@vanderburghgov.org.

Under Indiana law, all criminal defendants are considered to be innocent until proven guilty by a court of law.
SENTENCE CHART

Class Range
Murder 45-65 Years
Class A Felony 20-50 Years
Class B Felony 6-20 Years
Class C Felony 2-8 Years
Class D Felony ½ – 3 Years
Class A Misdemeanor 0-1 Year
Class B Misdemeanor 0-180 Days
Class C Misdemeanor 0-60 Days

The two tracking polls with the best results for predicting presidential contests now have three days of data after the selection of Paul Ryan as the running mate for Mitt Romney in their calculation and and both polls are indicating that the Romney/Ryan ticket is opening a lead on Obama/Biden nationally. The Rasmussen Tracking poll today shows Romney with a 47% – 43% lead over President Obama while Gallup’s Tracking poll shows Romney maintaining a lead of 47% – 45%.

The average of these two polls is now showing the Romney/Ryan campaign with 47% and the Obama/Biden at 44.0%.

The average approval rate for President Obama is now negative 4.5% meaning that 4.5% more of those polled disapprove of the Presidents job performance than approve of it. The average approval rating for the President was 46.0% and the average disapproval was 50.5%.

Electoral college polls all still show President Obama with a lead over Romney on the basis of having strong leads in the big city dominated states of California, New York, and Illinois. The current safe electoral counts for President Obama and Mitt Romney are 201 and 181 respectively with 156 electors considered to be either toss ups or within the margin of error.

1. Call to Order
2. Attendance
3. Pledge of Allegiance
4. Issues Relating to North Green River Road Between Lynch and Millersburg Road
5. Permission to Open Quotes:
• VC12-08-02: Baseline Road Bridge No. 200
• County Assessor’s Vehicles
6. Action Items
• Road Race Request: See Bob Run Charity 5K Run on October 27, 2012
• First Reading of CO-08-12-06: Amendment to Animal Control Ordinance
• County Health Insurance Discussion
• Contracts, Agreements and Leases
i. Health Department:
Business Associate Agreement with Joe Harrison, Jr.
2013 MCH Grant
Memorandum of Understanding with Catholic Charities, Diocese of Evansville
ii. Assessor:
DS Parker Family, LLC Assessor Services Agreement
Contract with CEI Appraisal Group,Inc.
iii. Commissioners
Old Courthouse Lease Agreement with Matt Wagner Design
iv. Sheriff:
Domestic Violence STOP Grant
7. Department Head Reports
8. Board Appointments
• Disability Advisory Board
9. New Business
10. Old Business
11. Public Comment
12. Consent Items
• Approval of July 24, 2012 meeting minutes
• Employment Changes
• Commissioners:
i. Sale of 821 Jefferson Ave
ii. Transfer Request
iii. Appropriation Request
• County Auditor: July 2012 A/P Vouchers
• Sheriff: Request to surplus various electronics for disposal
• Veterans’ Services: Request to donate fax machine to Veteran’s Council for use at the Coliseum
• Building Authority: Pay Requisition No. 96 for Jail Construction Fund
• County Clerk: July 2012 Monthly Report
• Evansville ARC: June 2012 Report of Activities and Meeting Minutes
• County Engineer:
i. Pay Request No. 156 for TIF accounts in the amount of $269,290.31
Drainage Board Immediately Following
ii. Waiver of partial mortgage release for parcels 9/18 and 57 for next Phase of N. Green River Road
Widening
iii. Department Head Report

13. Adjournment

Most people spend their weekends relaxing, spending time with their family
or working around the house. For EFD’s Combat Challenge team that would
probably seem boring. Why else would someone strap on 45 lbs. of
tireñghting gear, breath from an air tank and run up 5 flights of stairs
carrying an additional 42 lbs. of tire hose. That’s what a typical weekend is
for George Madison, Adam Brock, Marc Schiele and Joey Jones as they
compete in the Firefighter Combat Challenge. This past weekend “the boys”
went to Lexington Kentucky and competed in 4 categories, medaling in all.

Adam Brock took 1St place in the Open Male Individual event and set an
Indiana state record with a time of 1:30.95 minutes. Adam and teammate
George Madison then won the Tandem Event. Adam and George then added
Marc Schiele to the mix setting another State record and taking a 2nd in the
Individual/Team Event with a 5:15.21. Last but not least Team Captain Joey
Jones joined the trio for the Relay. The fearsome foursome lost in the semi-
finals due to penalties, but placed 3rd overall and broke their own State
record along the way by posting a 1:18.50 in the NCAA-style eliminations.

The Team’s next adventure will probably be the World Championships at
Myrtle Beach this November to compete against the best of the best.

Congratulations to Adam, George, Joey and Marc for a job well done I!