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The Grant County Record
in Grant County · Regular meeting · 2025-08-05 · full transcript
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    1:21  Good evening and welcome to the Marian Common Council regular meeting. Today is August 5th, 2025 at 7 p.m. in the Marian
    1:30  City Council chambers. We welcome everyone here and so glad you're here.
    1:34  We're going to call this meeting to order and first we're going to begin with prayer. I'm going to lead that and then I'm also going to follow with the pledge. If everyone could stand with me.
    1:45  Heavenly Father, we come before you with hearts burdened by the loss of two devoted public servants, Deputy Sam
    1:53  Fowler and former Marian City Councilman and firefighter Paul Thompson Jr. Lord, we lift up their families, friends, and
    2:01  all who love them. We ask for your comfort to surround them. Your peace to settle over them and your strength to carry them through the days ahead. Thank
    2:10  you for the lives of these men. Men who answered the call to serve, protect, and uplift their community. Deputy Fowler's bravery in law enforcement and Paul
    2:18  Thompson Junior's years of service both in government and as a firefighter reflect a deep commitment to others above self. May their legacy inspire
    2:27  utility, unity, resilience, compassion within our city and beyond. We pray for the entire Grant County Sheriff's Office
    2:35  and the mayoring community as they grieve. Give them courage to continue their mission, strengthened by the example these men set. Let us honor
    2:43  their memories not only in the words, but in actions that reflect love, service, and sacrifice. Though we mourn, we trust in your promise of eternal
    2:52  life. May Samuel and Paul rest in your presence where there's no more pain and only peace. Amen.
    3:01  I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation
    3:10  under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
    3:23  Okay, madame deputy clerk, roll call.
    3:29  Kain here.
    3:30  Marshall here.
    3:31  Ford here.
    3:32  Brunner here.
    3:33  Klene here.
    3:34  Divine here.
    3:35  Whitten here.
    3:36  Calgill here.
    3:37  McKinley here.
    3:40  Okay, we're going to go ahead and move into tonight's community spotlight.
    3:43  Tonight's community spotlight is going to be on the Journey Square sober living with Angela Mask and I'm going to hand that over to Councilman David Kaine.
    3:51  Thank you, Mr. President. You know, a couple years ago, Angela and I met uh out actually at the estates of Serenity
    4:01  Cemetery at the time. uh she was out volunteering her time on a a beautiful day and and I was out mowing at the time
    4:09  and we ran into each other and and and developed a conversation there and and uh and she shared with me that she spends a lot of time out there
    4:17  volunteering her time and energy. And so, uh, here again, just oh, maybe two
    4:23  weeks ago, she and her crew from Journey Square Sober Living were out at the cemetery doing some work and I ran into
    4:32  her again. So, that prompted me to invite her uh to be a part of the community spotlight here tonight. And
    4:41  Angela, if you would come forward and you can share with us and the community what you do.
    4:48  Thank you. I appreciate you guys having me tonight. Um, I'm born and raised in Marian, so I've always worked in Grant County. I've always wanted to give back.
    4:59  Always been more of like the health type of of job where I I want to help something rewarding. Um, I also flip
    5:07  homes, so I'm in real estate. ran across a building a little right at a year ago and I thought, what can I do for our community with this large building?
    5:15  6,700 square feet, one woman. What can I do? I needed, of course, have a job like all of us. I need for me to make a
    5:24  difference in our community. What's something that we need? Um, my first approach was veterans struggling with
    5:32  addictions. I kept hitting roadblock after roadblock with that. Um, so I just opened it up completely to a broad
    5:38  aspect to anybody that needs help. Um, I'm not educated per se. I've never myself struggled with addiction, but
    5:47  I've als I've been a family member outside looking in. I've dealt with seeing the struggles, having the worries, the heartbreak. Um, I'm a mom.
    5:56  I'm a grandma. I'm a friend. You know, I'm a family member. A lot of these people have burnt bridges. They have
    6:04  ruined family relationships and sometimes they just need someone to love them and help them and hold their hand,
    6:12  give them a a shove and say, "Hey, I got you." They need one person to make that difference. One person that can show
    6:20  them the way. One person that can say, "Hey, here's your here's shelter. Work with me. I'm going to work with you.
    6:27  We'll build back those relationships.
    6:29  I'll help you get back to being a father, a son, a family member, getting those relationships back on track. My
    6:36  approach is a little different than most of the houses here in Marian. Being owner and director, I can kind of set my
    6:44  rules and my expectations and everything on my own. I I feel like everyone that struggles in life at all es especially
    6:52  with addictions there's an underlying mental health issue be it depression trauma in their life I know I've
    7:00  struggled with depression in the past there everybody there's something there that can be helped and improved so I
    7:08  work individually with all these people I want to build a relationship my big thing is I tell them when they come in my door and they sign on that I want two
    7:17  years from now to them to walk back through that same door and and say, "Hey, Mama An, here I am." It's what a lot of my guys call me is mama an. I'm
    7:26  back. These are my kids. This is my wife. This is my girlfriend. This is where I'm working. This is what's going on in my life. That's the reward I'll
    7:33  get from this. Knowing that I'm making any bit of a difference in this community, that's enough for me. But I
    7:40  really, really strive to make a huge difference. I hope later on that I'll be able to get more into transitional housing. So when the guys graduate my
    7:48  nine-month program, they can go on and they can move into an independent living spot all on their own. I don't check up on them. I don't tell them to do chores.
    7:56  I simply rent to them. But they will have built that rapport with me that I know that, hey, I can count on them. I can give them the second chance. I don't care if you have three or four
    8:04  evictions. I don't care that you have kind of bad credit. I trust you. I've got to know you. I'm going to give you this chance. I want to be that person.
    8:13  Um, so thank you for letting me come tonight.
    8:18  We are, like I said, three months and and just starting. Um, my biggest struggle has been kind of getting the
    8:25  probation department to communicate with health care services, mental health, and back with myself.
    8:32  you know, as a team. Um, a lot of times I found that it's very separate and I feel like that's
    8:40  something I'm trying to work on really hard while also running the house at the same time is get everybody integrated and working together as a team. I made
    8:47  some big progress this morning. So, I'm very happy with that. But that's what we're doing. So, if anybody ever wants to stop down, if you see a little blue
    8:55  car there, I'm there. You don't have to make an appointment. You don't have to call ahead. Stop in, ring the doorbell, come on in, check it out, and I welcome everybody to stop by.
    9:04  Well, thank you so much. I appreciate all you're doing for the community. Thank you.
    9:09  [Applause]
    9:13  It's customary that we always get a photo. So, Oh, okay.
    9:17  Um, behind the scenes.
    9:24  He said behind the scenes. He's gotten really good at this, too.
    9:42  Samsung Thank you so much.
   10:05  Okay.
   10:07  And we're going to move into tonight's city employee spotlight. And tonight we
   10:13  are um honoring Jeff Edwards, the director of transportation.
   10:19  And let me throw his nice picture up here. Jeff, if you want to come up to the very front. I think you've been here a few times. I know the routine.
   10:34  That's all right. You know, it was inevitable. Thanks for coming tonight. I think they have it.
   10:39  So, Jeff's been at many meetings obviously speaking about things that the transportation department needs and um
   10:46  Jeff is a a huge asset to the city. He's been with the city since 2017.
   10:53  And before I read, you know, some of the stuff that's on the screen, uh, I will say just my my input,
   11:00  transportation department, this is no offense to any of the department, is literally the one that just kind of runs itself really all the time. I mean, the
   11:08  all departments, we have great department heads, but it's just so smooth. You've made it uh really, really
   11:15  easy for us to work with and and I think the rest of the city appreciates uh how easy you are to work with. So, I asked
   11:23  the mayor just for a quick comment and the mayor said, "Jeff runs a great transportation department and his team is top-notch. I had the opportunity to
   11:31  ride the bus when I first became mayor and it was a great experience and I would put Jeff and his team up against anyone in the state." Um, and of course,
   11:40  I put Jeff joined the city of Marin in January 2017 to take the lead role in the transportation department. He's a true model of a public servant and has
   11:48  elevated the transportation department to the highest standards. Thank you, Jeff. So, uh, we just really appreciate all that you do. I mean, our we have a
   11:56  lot of residents that truly depend on our transportation department. It's how they get to work. It's how they go get
   12:02  groceries and and you provide that lead example for the rest of your employees,
   12:08  how to treat those those uh riders or our residents. And, you know, sometimes
   12:15  that that experience and that ride makes the world of difference. So, we appreciate you leading the way on that.
   12:21  Any other council members want to share anything? Yes. Go ahead, Council.
   12:27  And I've I've always uh uh interacted with Jeff and his department down there.
   12:32  And like I I've I've said before, if you guys have never been down there, you really need to go down there and watch that operation. It's one of the
   12:39  smoothest, best operations of of all the departments. I mean, seriously, it's organized. It's clean. Um, those buses,
   12:47  I sat down there one day and watched them clean those buses when they come in. They don't just wash the outsides, they go inside and they wash and
   12:54  desitize everything every night when they come in. I mean, it's just phenomenal the crew that he has and the
   13:01  way it operates. I appreciate it very much, Jeff. Thank you.
   13:06  Thank you so much. Let's give him a round of applause.
   13:13  Of course, can't leave. One more photo. No escaping us.
   13:45  Yeah, absolutely.
   13:54  Skipped over there. My bad.
   13:58  Of course, I forgot to ask Jeff if he wanted to say anything. So, Jeff, what would you like to say? I I'm just uh
   14:05  honored to be transportation director. U I have a staff that is phenomenal.
   14:11  That's the reason we're what we are right now. Uh we're so good because they buy into what we do and it's it's it's a
   14:20  a good system. I want to thank the mayor for the kind words. Everybody here for the kind words.
   14:27  I want to thank my wife because without her I can't You know, sometimes I think I'm anybody
   14:34  play basketball when you do do those defensive drills back and forth, that's what it feels like, you know, at transportation because we have so many
   14:43  moving parts. So, I just want to thank thank everyone and I'm just so happy uh to be a part of uh transportation and
   14:51  and the up upgrowth of uh the city of Marian with what the mayor Morel is doing. I'm just glad to be a part of that.
   15:00  It's just it's just great. So, that being said, I have one more thing.
   15:06  I usually say this first, but I'm gonna say it now. God is good. Uh he's uh I
   15:12  fall, I stumble, he picks me up, gets me going. So, that's it.
   15:19  Thank you.
   15:24  [Applause]
   15:27  Thank you, Jeff, so much. I appreciate you coming tonight and letting us um shower you with praise.
   15:34  We are going to move into the consent agenda for the approval of minutes from the regular meeting July 15, 2025.
   15:42  Consideration of pre-approved claims and consideration of claims. Is there any discussion before we ask for a motion?
   15:53  If not, I would entertain a motion. So moved. Second.
   15:58  I have a motion by Councilman Brunner, a second by Councilman Klene. Any discussion?
   16:05  Madame Deputy Clerk, roll call.
   16:08  Kane, I.
   16:09  Marshall, I.
   16:10  Forice, I.
   16:11  Runner, I.
   16:13  Klene, yes. Divine. Yes. Whitten. Yes. Calgill. I. McKinley.
   16:18  Yes. Moving into committee reports. Do we have any committee reports tonight?
   16:28  Councilman Marshall, I have not a committee report, but I'm just going to stick this in here. I I uh had an encounter today with the Marian
   16:36  animal control. Uh young some young kids showed up in my house with a German Shepherd that they rescued from the street and we called uh animal control
   16:45  and within about 10 or 15 minutes, the young man came. I was very impressed by how nice the truck was maintained, his
   16:53  manner. I think I believe his name was Cade. I didn't catch his last name, but I let him know I was a city council person, asked him a bunch of questions
   17:00  and um I was just really impressed with the way he carried himself and and how fast it came and efficient it was. And hopefully those owner of that dog will
   17:09  show up. But and that's all I have to say. Well, I appreciate that. Thank you. Anyone else with a committee report?
   17:18  Councilwoman Divine.
   17:23  Um, so first of all, I wanted to report on uh to let everybody know that the city did carry the trophy of the
   17:31  corporate challenge this weekend. So, wanted to do a shout out for them. That was on the end of my announcements.
   17:40  I know. I know. I'm excited about it.
   17:42  That it was a very, very tight competition. There was only four points between the first three places. So very competitive and um and I'm hoping that
   17:50  we can let them come and show off their trophy and and give them a good round of applause sometime soon. So they worked
   17:58  very hard to that. Um the border works met yesterday and they had a short agenda. They opened bids for the street
   18:07  department. Um, I think I reported on that a couple meetings ago that they had thrown the bids out and rebid uh selling
   18:14  all the defunct vehicles and equipment that are backed by the street department where they're going to put their new uh
   18:20  salt barn. And they did get three complete bids in. Uh the first one uh
   18:27  was Shrouts at 14,000, BNK was second at 12, and then there was a independent person out of Illinois that bid 4,000.
   18:36  So, they're taking those under review.
   18:38  Um, assuming they'll sell it for the highest amount that they can get on that. Um, and then the transportation department opened sealed bids for
   18:47  actually they had sealed bids that were opened at the previous meeting for two buses. They were 2017 buses that they
   18:54  had gotten permission to sell. Um, and they received a total bid of um just over $7,000 for those two bids and I believe was accepted.
   19:04  Jeff left so I can't get the confirmation on that but um and that's all they that's all they did in their meeting.
   19:11  Well, thank you so much. Any other committee reports?
   19:16  Council member Runner, a reminder that uh the children are going back to school tomorrow, but the uh Splash House will still be open on
   19:24  weekends through uh Labor Day. So, if you've not had an opportunity to take your family down there, uh be sure and do so. I would also like to congratulate
   19:33  our city attorney for having a tremendous honor paid upon him on Sunday
   19:41  when he uh was named to the uh Grant County Sports Hall of Fame. Mr. Harker, congratulations.
   19:48  [Applause]
   19:53  That also was on my announcements, too.
   19:55  You guys are beating me to it. This is great. Saving time.
   19:58  I know, right? Well, it's just swapping time, but yes, congrats, Marty. Okay, any other committee reports?
   20:07  All right, we'll move on to unfinished business, beginning with general ordinance 16-2025, issuance of taxable
   20:14  economic revenue bonds. Second reading and public hearing.
   20:19  An ordinance authorizing the issuance of one or more series of taxable economic development revenue bonds series 2025.
   20:26  Vita Investment Holdings LLC, Jones Heritage LLC, and Built Marit Built Marion LLC have submitted a proposal to
   20:34  redevelop the Jones Middle School into approximately 80 apartment units, construct approximately 56 cottage units, and develop and construct
   20:42  approximately 36 flex industrial units and 146 self- storage units. all on the project site. The company expects that
   20:50  this total investment in the project will be approximately $40 million. As a result, the city has agreed to provide certain incentives to assist the company
   20:58  in the construction of the project pursuant to certain project agreements.
   21:02  The city proposes to issue two or more series of economic development revenue bonds in the aggregate principle of $7,500,000.
   21:10  Speaking Chris Gryel, Barnes & Thornberg.
   21:14  Thank you, uh, President McKinley, members of the council. Good evening.
   21:18  For the record, Chris Chrysler, Barnes & Thornberg, Council for the City's Redevelopment Commission. Happy to be before you today talking about the Jones
   21:25  Heritage Project and what will hopefully be the final conversation about this. I know we've talked uh for several months about the project, so I won't go over
   21:33  the details of the project. I will tell you since the last time we met for first reading on our borrowing ordinance, uh other city bodies have completed their
   21:41  actions. And so the Maran Redevelopment Commission met and approved their pledge of TIFF uh as outlined in the project
   21:48  agreements uh to both of the allocation areas and they've completed their process doing that. And then last week the city's economic development
   21:56  commission met uh conducted their public hearing, approved their project report and uh approval of the bond. So uh with
   22:04  that, it's now back in your court for final approval of the bond ordinance. Uh assuming uh your approval tonight, I
   22:12  will tell you that uh we're continuing to march forward with uh the development of our closing documents on the project.
   22:19  Uh we have this tenatively slated to close in the first week of September and uh we're certainly pushing hard to make sure that we continue to hit that that
   22:27  deadline. Uh but I am happy to answer any questions about the project, the project financing or any of the processes that we've gone through at this point.
   22:37  Thank you, Chris. appreciate that. We'll open it up for some quick questions before we go to the public hearing and then open it up again if needed. Any
   22:45  questions before we go to public hearing?
   22:50  All right. Thanks, Chris. We're going to go and open this up to the public hearing. If you'd like to speak on this, you're welcome to come to the microphone. And you have three minutes.
   23:05  All right.
   23:06  I'm not seeing anyone make their way to the microphone. So, we'll close the public hearing and any council members with any further questions for Chris.
   23:18  If not, I would entertain a motion. Quick question. Sure.
   23:22  Chris, what is the expected completion date of the project if everything goes well?
   23:27  So, uh, Councilman Brunner, I I believe the expected completion date is a spring of 26. So the from what I understand the
   23:36  inside of the old Jones Heritage Middle School has already been demolished and so the developer is uh fairly ready to
   23:44  start the inside development of that project. I think what was originally going to be termed as phase two which was the uh light industrial flex units
   23:53  and the self- storage units are also going to come on point at the same time.
   23:56  So assuming that we can go ahead and get financing closed here in September, um then I think they would hit that target and to the extent that changes, I'll certainly let the council know.
   24:07  Thank you, sir. You're welcome. Thank you. Any other questions? I'd entertain a motion.
   24:16  Mr. President, I'd like to uh make a motion that we suspend the rules on general ordinance 16 2025.
   24:23  Second I have a question, Mr. President. I can we suspend the rules on taxable bonds? I thought it had to go to three.
   24:30  No, you can suspend the rules. All the all the considerations have been taken.
   24:34  I mean, from a state law perspective, you can. I'd defer to Marty on your own local rules. Okay.
   24:42  There's no problem with suspending the rules.
   24:47  All right. Got a motion to suspend the rules by Councilman Calgill, a second by Councilman Kaine. Any discussion?
   24:54  Madam Deputy Clerk, roll call.
   24:56  Kain, I.
   24:57  Marshall, I Fordice, I.
   25:00  Brunner, I.
   25:01  Klene, yes.
   25:02  Divine, yes.
   25:03  Whitten, yes.
   25:04  Calgill, I.
   25:06  McKinley, yes. Rules have been suspended. I'd entertain another motion.
   25:10  Mr. President, like to make a motion that we pass general ordinance 162025. Second.
   25:18  Motion by Councilman Calgill to pass general ordinance 16-2025. Second by Councilman Kaine. Any other discussion?
   25:28  Madame Deputy Clerk, roll call.
   25:31  Kain I. Marshall. I. Forice. Hi. Runner. I. Klene. Yes. Divine. Yes. Whitten.
   25:38  Yes. Calgill. Hi. McKinley.
   25:41  Yes. General ordinance 16 2025 has passed. Thank you, Chris, for all the work you've been doing and continue to do.
   25:50  This stuff is complicated, intertwined, and about 15 different hoops to jump through just to get to the next step. So, we appreciate all you're doing.
   25:58  Moving into additional appropriation 10-2025, aviation equipment third reading in appropriation appropriating funds in
   26:07  the amount of $83,147.86 for aviation. Aviation formally formally requests an additional appropriation of
   26:15  funds for the necessary replacement of our underground fuel storage tanks.
   26:19  Speaking radosh, can you turn the microphone on, please?
   26:26  Yes, there we go. Good evening, U.
   26:29  President McKinley and members of the council. I don't know that you need me to go into a lot more detail if you have questions, but I'll gladly answer them.
   26:37  I do want to report that I have had uh discussions on three occasions with Mayor Bill Rock City. Um last Monday
   26:48  uh we spoke and he said he was going to be speaking with his redevelopment commission on Tuesday. I spoke with him
   26:55  again on Wednesday. He told me that they had a number of questions and as soon as they got those questions to him that he
   27:02  would forward them on to me and since then I've heard nothing.
   27:07  So, I think I know about where that's going, but I could be surprised. So, we've got nothing at this time. We're
   27:14  still uh hoping that you'll grant the full request. So, appreciate that, Ray.
   27:23  Any questions from council members, Mr. Josh? It is a fact that the airport does not reside in the city limits of Marion. Is that correct?
   27:35  I am not real clear on that. I just joined the uh commission just this January. Uh but I believe that the the
   27:44  airport itself is city property uh just not the surrounding ground is my understanding.
   27:52  It is also correct that the county council uh did not help in any way, shape or form. And right now Mr. Rock is not planned to help with any shape or
   28:01  form. Is that correct? I I don't get the impression that they're going to do anything. He hasn't, like I say, he hasn't gotten back with me with those questions. I just think that they're
   28:09  hoping for it to die on the vine. That's just my opinion, but I think I would have heard something by now. And as far as the county is concerned, I did speak
   28:17  with the uh uh council president and he had spoken with members of the
   28:24  council and indicated that he had had no support from them at all. Thank you. You're welcome.
   28:33  Appreciate that. Any other council council Klein?
   28:36  Yeah, thank you. Um, Mr. Dash, what happens if this doesn't happen?
   28:43  We have looked into that and we've identified about 56,000 uh of in the scope of work that we could
   28:52  roll back and not do at this time and could be completed uh next year with you
   28:59  know perhaps from the budget. But my concern is what our budget is going to look like post Senate Bill one. And I
   29:08  don't know that there's going to be a great deal of fat there. So, and if And if there's a hiccup in this, does the FAA have anything to say?
   29:18  No. Okay.
   29:23  Do you lose the current funding? I mean, the grant money that you've received from the FAA if we don't approve the additional
   29:31  that is strictly on the Jeda project, which will go forward. If we don't go forward on the AG gas project, which is
   29:39  locally funded, we would have to do a redesign on the uh Jet A project to move it to where it's not going to be over
   29:47  top of the AG gas underground storage tank as it is currently.
   29:53  Um, and I don't know if we'd asked this question, and if we did, I apologize.
   29:57  What do you have any general numbers on what the return of investment is back into the county into the city for the airport?
   30:07  I I don't have anything along that line.
   30:09  It's just it just it supports all the aircraft that uh use the facility both
   30:16  locally based aircraft and a great amount of uh itinerate aircraft that come to the mer to Marion for recreation family uh business whatever.
   30:30  Is there a risk in this if this doesn't happen that some of the aircraft there
   30:37  will leave and find another and we lose our if we lose our uh our AG gas tank or god forbid we lose
   30:46  our jet A tank. If we did not have fuel available, we could see some aircraft
   30:53  migrating from Air Maran. And the risk we have there particularly is we're
   30:59  right at the uh dividing line I guess is where they consider us at regional
   31:05  airport. Uh and that's 50 based aircraft. We're just barely maintaining
   31:12  that and if we lose that we would be losing funding from the state in the order of about Excuse me.
   31:22  Ryan McCrosky with Walpert. Uh yeah, if we lose based aircraft, we lose funding per year. Uh so, you know, it's it's
   31:30  likely $100,000 per year that we would lose because we are not classified as a regional airport and we we would be
   31:36  classified as a basic airport. So, we would definitely lose funding.
   31:43  And if it's a local airport, not a regional airport, does that affect your traffic then?
   31:50  Probably not. I mean, but beyond losing the planes, there are losing the planes, we'd lose funding and and that would be the greatest risk, I think.
   32:01  And you said you were also going to be affected by Senate Bill One. Is that Do you currently have
   32:08  that uh we won't be granted quite the budget that we've had in the in the past?
   32:14  Um, and does that funding come from through property taxes or is it a sales tax?
   32:18  Well, I mean, I'm talking about our city budget. city budget. Okay.
   32:26  Any other council members? Council.
   32:31  Yeah, Mr. President. I not a question but a comment that uh really this just kind of falls under normal maintenance
   32:40  and at some point in time underground storage tanks and this is my this has
   32:46  been my life uh over the last 48 years um at some point in time they
   32:56  have to be removed and so this is a a normal maintenance uh procedure
   33:03  and going above ground is what everybody's doing. It it it get gets rid of a lot of problems and issues with
   33:11  underground uh storage uh leakage that you may or may not know that's actually happening. Uh there's a lot of
   33:20  sophisticated equipment that can be put on a tank, but you can still have issues. Um so I I'm ready to move
   33:28  forward with this and and Mr. President, whenever you're ready for a motion, I'm I'm ready to make that.
   33:36  Oh, I just wanted to add I know there was a question about gas city and the county. I do want to add I did actually
   33:43  reach out to Mayor Bill Rock and their council president Larry and asked about
   33:50  contributing even five or 10,000 just to contribute um because they have entities
   33:56  in their city that use the airport and they have residents and was not successful. Um, they of
   34:05  course I heard from the council president there about their loss of funding with Senate Enrolled Act One or Senate Bill One.
   34:15  Um, feel like it's a broken record at this point, but it is a real concern and I'm not going to discredit that. And um
   34:23  and so I talked to Mayor Bill Rock and he you know of course I think pushed me over to Larry because
   34:30  Larry is their council president and it would have to go through them anyways.
   34:35  So I I don't think it was necessarily that they did not want to contribute. It was just a concern of the un uncertainty
   34:44  of the way finances going forward. No different than your concern moving forward as well. I must add that we have
   34:51  that concern as well here. And I mean $83,000 is $83,000.
   35:01  I'm at the point where I wish we would had some help from other government entities because we're all facing the same thing here. We're not alone. We're
   35:09  not the uh anomaly that's not being affected by it. Uh, however, I feel like it's just a continuation of
   35:17  the commitment that we made last year and it's a it's nothing to you're doing that you just miscalculated. It was just
   35:25  things changed, things got more expensive and so I just want to say we don't blame any of you guys. We don't think you're coming here and just it's
   35:33  just trying to get a hand out. Uh, we know that you're under stress as well and we appreciate what you do at that airport. It is an asset to our community. It's an asset to our county.
   35:44  Yes.
   35:44  It's an asset to Gas City. It's an asset to every community in this county and surrounding counties as well. So, uh, I just wanted to add that on there.
   35:53  I appreciate you guys trying. I know we push this all the way to third reading.
   35:56  We wanted to make every attempt and give every other larger government entity an opportunity to put some skin into the game. And unfortunately, it is falling
   36:04  on us. Even though I did hear I've heard a couple times that well it is called the Marian Municipal Airport. Okay.
   36:12  Well, the Indianapolis airport is called the Indianapolis airport but it serves entire Marian County. I mean you could you know people call airports based on
   36:20  the closest largest city. So um you you really could call it the Grant County, Gas City, Marian, whatever you want to
   36:27  call it airport. And so um but we just appreciate all you're doing. That's all I had.
   36:32  Thank you. If anyone has nothing else, I would entertain a motion.
   36:37  Mr. President, I would move that we pass additional appropriation number 10, 2025.
   36:48  I have a motion by Councilman Kane, a second by Councilman Klene. Any other discussion? Madame Deputy Clerk, roll call.
   36:57  Kane, I.
   36:58  Marshall, I. Forice. Hi. Brunner.
   37:01  No. Klein, yes. Divine. Uh, yes. Whitten.
   37:10  Yes. Calgill. Hi. McKinley.
   37:13  Yes. Additional appropriation 10205 moved on to or I'm sorry, it is passed. Thank you very much.
   37:20  Thank you. Appreciate it.
   37:21  On this side, I invite everyone out to the Indie Air Strip Attack this Friday through Sunday and great event
   37:29  and to the ice cream shop. Yeah, absolutely. Yep.
   37:34  Thank you very much. Moving on to additional appropriation 11-2025.
   37:40  Additional appropriation for center township trustee. Second reading and public hearing.
   37:46  An appropriation requesting $300,000 for the center township trustee for the purpose of maintenance and revitalization of the estates of
   37:54  serenity cemetery. The city of Marian is requesting $300,000 in additional appropriation to center township trustee to help maintain the estates of serenity
   38:03  cemetery. Speaking Deborah Kane, center township trustee.
   38:12  Good evening and welcome. Good evening.
   38:16  um you're being passed the revised um financial plan
   38:24  and so I've been before you multiple times so I will take any questions that you may have
   38:32  um and I look forward to being able to do something for this for
   38:40  everybody that's across the United States. I've had multiple calls from multiple states thanking me for this
   38:48  endeavor. So, I'll take any questions you may have before the public hearing.
   38:55  Thank you, Trusty Kaine.
   38:57  If you just want to give us a moment to look through it here.
   39:20  I'll just allow the other council members to read through it. If anyone has any questions off the bat, we'll take those. My plan was to go ahead and
   39:29  go to the public hearing and then come back and follow up with any other questions that council members might have and to give some opportunity maybe to skim through this some more as well.
   39:37  Does anyone have any initial questions before we go to public hearing?
   39:41  Otherwise, we'll we'll do that after the public hearing. Would that be all right?
   39:48  Okay, we'll move into public hearing then. If you would like to speak on this appropriation, please make your way to the microphone.
   40:03  Good evening. If you just state your name, address, and you have three minutes.
   40:06  Karen Cree, Ironwood Drive here in Marin. Um, she gave me one of those papers she just gave you, and that answered a few of my questions I had
   40:14  prior to this meeting. So, I appreciate that. My question primarily is um is this a one-time thing or is this going
   40:22  to be something that is going to be continually being taken because according to the little paper uh all the things she's going to apply for which is
   40:31  good things but they are lengthy in time frame to get approved and I just wonder what plan B is in the event these things
   40:38  are not approved or it takes a lot longer to get grants or takes a lot longer to get the historical uh grading and etc. Um, is this going to be
   40:46  something that's going to be a regular budgeted item that we're going to take money out of for it? Um, I think it should be primarily private funded and
   40:55  not really city funded, even though it is in city um in city limits. Um, I'm not against having it repaired or
   41:02  restored. I like history, but I just want to know what the long-term plan is and what plan B is and exactly what is
   41:10  the general projected cost for the whole thing once it's completely restored. Are we looking at $2 million, $5 million,
   41:17  five years, 10 years? Kind of like to have some kind of timeline. I understand this is in sections, which is a good thing to do. Um, and I do think that
   41:25  this has answered a lot of my questions, but I kind of like to know what plan B would be in the event it takes a lot longer to get these outside funds. Thank you.
   41:33  Would you like to stay whether you're for or against it or you just have the questions.
   41:38  I'm against it at this time until I get some of the question rest of their questions answered. Thank you.
   41:48  Public hearing still open. You're welcome to make your way up to the microphone. I see a hand in the back. I
   41:56  you you can just sit in the front there if you state your name, address, and you have three minutes. Ruth Anne Sumpter, 809 Mac Allen Drive, Marian.
   42:06  Um, I didn't come prepared to speak just, but I feel very passionate about this cemetery.
   42:18  I only have an old man out there that I adopted from the county home. So, you know, he's been out there a long time and and I have this connection to him.
   42:30  Um that cemetery is such an eyesore to this
   42:38  city, to this community that it's an embarrassment and
   42:46  it represents so much of our history that it's it's a crime that it has
   42:54  gotten to this condition. And I feel we should do everything we can to get it
   43:01  back to where it's something that we can be proud of. You look at the bigname cemeteries, other places, they they take
   43:11  great pride in their cemeteries. And I think we would be missing the boat to
   43:18  not help the trustee in getting our cemetery back to where it's
   43:26  decent, that it's doing what it's supposed to be doing.
   43:32  Um, I am wholeheartedly in favor of this
   43:40  request and I appreciate Deb's effort and what she has gone through in trying to get
   43:49  this done in a timely fashion so that it was completed by the end of the 2024 to
   43:58  receive the request. But the courts just the attorneys just kept delaying. And I
   44:08  want you to know I went to every one of those events that was scheduled because I believe in it. I found out
   44:17  after I got there, and I'm not a morning person, but I got there because I believe wholeheartedly
   44:26  in this. And I am definitely in favor of it. Thank you, Ruthanne.
   44:35  Welcome. And state your name, address, and you have three minutes.
   44:38  All right. Angela Mast, as I had introduced myself already. Um, it just happens Oh, 1203 East 28th Street here
   44:44  in Marian. Um, as Councilman Kane had mentioned, I met him initially when I and a friend were just out picking up
   44:52  sticks and we couldn't understand why the cemetery had been let go so bad. It was horrible. We had arranged a couple different times to have people meet out
   45:00  there and just pick sticks up so I could go knock on the door because I have no problem telling somebody this looks horrible. Go mow. And the, you know,
   45:08  when we were out there, we could tell it was a lot of it just lack of effort. The equipment was there. You know, the the guy that was in charge just wasn't doing
   45:15  it. So, we would go out there and we would clean up so there was no excuse for him not to mow. And that was just on our own time. And like I said, a couple groups did it. Um, I prayed and prayed
   45:24  and was so hopeful that she would gain control of it, the city would gain control of it because then I knew it would be preserved. It might not be able
   45:31  to have everything fixed right away, but if anybody can get it done and get the funding to get things back up to par, it
   45:38  would definitely be her. Our trustee, she's amazing. Um, she has the heart for it. I have family members out there and
   45:46  it's it's embarrassing to me. It feels like a lot of disrespect. And then driving through there, there's so much history there. It's rich. It's it's a beautiful even though it's a cemetery.
   45:58  It's it's it's also a beautiful place.
   46:00  Um it's always been known the IOF cemetery. You know, I used to go out there and walk for exercise. I used to, you know, I take my kids out there and
   46:08  they would run around and play as I would put the flowers on our family's graves. Like now it's it's looking a lot in the month. I don't even think it's a
   46:17  month, but it's improved so much. If anyone's driven through there in the last month, in just every few days it
   46:25  changes, and I think it's amazing. I'm thankful for that. But I definitely would love to see that money go to at least I know it's not going to stretch a
   46:34  whole lot, but it's going to preserve what's there now, make some improvements so it doesn't get dilapidated again, get
   46:41  it up to par as to where those other funds can be gained and they can they can make even more improvements. So I am for it. I wish more people showed up in
   46:51  support because they'll contact me and tell me, but they don't they don't show up for things like this and that's unfortunate.
   46:58  Thank you. Thank you.
   47:07  Good evening. Welcome. Just say your name, address, and you have three minutes.
   47:10  Katherine Brighton. I'm chief deputy trustee for Center Township and I live in Country Lake Estates. Um, I don't even know where to begin. The last four weeks have been absolutely phenomenal.
   47:21  Deb is spending her time doing everything she can at the cemetery. Uh my coworker and I are manning the office and fielding the phone calls that are
   47:29  coming in on how amazing the cemetery looks in just a short time.
   47:35  Um but we can't do it alone.
   47:40  We we need this we need this little bit of a push. Um Deb has put blood, sweat, and tears into this for well over a year. 15 16 months.
   47:51  Um she when I do see her in the morning, she looks like she hasn't had any sleep and I'm guessing she probably hasn't had a lot lately. Um she's doing what she
   48:01  can for us. She's doing the cemetery and it's phenomenal. We get daily phone calls on how amazing it is. I was out
   48:08  there a couple weeks ago and Deb took me around and as we were exiting the old part, what I call the old part across
   48:15  Central Avenue into the new part, it just looked I said it just looks lush. It's lush and green. It's fresh grass.
   48:23  It was just beautiful and it hasn't been that way for for a long time. We appreciate any any help that you're willing to give us. Thank you.
   48:32  Thank you. Public hearing still open.
   48:40  Anybody else?
   48:45  I'm not seeing anyone move towards the microphone. Last chance.
   48:53  Still no one moving. I'm going to go ahead and close the public hearing then and I will open it up to council members if they have any questions or responses to any of the statements that were made.
   49:03  Councilman Calgo.
   49:06  Um, I have volunteered out there with Deb to to help man the office and
   49:13  things like that in the last couple of weeks and everything and and I can't tell you guys how many people is driving
   49:21  through that cemetery. It's I mean I'm talking 50 60 cars a day where they normally never seen anything. We've had a lot of them stop in and they just
   49:30  could I had a lady I talked to a couple of days ago that she came in there to the office and she started to talk and she started crying. She couldn't even
   49:38  talk. So I had to sit her down and she when she finally got together she said, "I cannot believe how beautiful this
   49:45  cemetery looks. It has not looked like this for years and years. All of my family's out here." She said, "I come
   49:52  out here week after week to take care of my family's grave sites. Instead of visiting with them, I'm working out
   50:00  here. And when by the time I'm done, I'm so tired I can't I have to leave." That's just one of some people I've
   50:08  talked to. Um, and I I I urge any of the council members that haven't been out there, go out there. I'm going to tell you, this cemetery looks better now
   50:16  after two or three weeks of Deb having this than it ever has. And it's been on volunteer basis. It's been people kind
   50:23  to get out there. She now needs the funds that we promised her.
   50:28  That's the main thing. We can't tell somebody, "Go get something and we have the funds for you and then they do it and she's proven that she's going to do
   50:36  what she said she would do and then say, well, we kind of changed our mind. We don't think we could do it for one reason or another." That's that's
   50:46  I can't imagine that somebody doing that. It it's unbelievable. The the amount of support and love from people
   50:53  that have their loved ones out there has been overwhelming.
   50:58  They they finally have it. And I tell you, the part that stands out to me the most is if you go in and I'm like Kathy, the old part, the new part, all the way
   51:06  in the back of the old part where just the the single little slab stones, that's where the orphans are buried. You
   51:13  haven't seen the orphans stones in years. Now it's mowed up. It's weedied up. All the stones that I mean, they was
   51:22  orphans. They didn't have anybody when they died. Now they got somebody that cares about them. I'm telling you guys, it's it's amazing. I I just I can't even
   51:31  say enough about it. I just probably need to stop because I could go on for hours. Um I am a 100% in favor of this.
   51:39  We need to do what we promised Miss Kane we would do. Thank you, Councilman Calgill.
   51:45  Councilman Klein. Thank you. All the comments about the improvements I agree with. I've driven out there. Massive
   51:53  improvements. Um the good news and I mean this is that the township trustee now has control of the cemetery and that
   52:02  gives hope for the improvements out there. And I mean that's the best thing that's happened out there in a long time.
   52:10  And along with that comes the cost of paying for it which brings us again to tonight.
   52:17  The bottom line for me, and I hope I mean it's a it's a fact and it's one of those stubborn facts. By statute, it
   52:26  falls to the township trustee to maintain, repair, and care for uh yeah, repair and care for the cemetery.
   52:34  Township can levy a cemetery tax that can be used to clean up and fix up the place. And the place is looking I can't
   52:42  imagine how much. Anyway, um you know, a member of the legislature did not need to write special legislation to raise
   52:50  money for fixing up the cemetery. That idea was properly refused. There's a process for doing it and I hope
   53:01  you know the great work continues and I like the idea of donations. I like the idea of community involvement. The place
   53:09  looks wonder, wonderfully better compared to what it looked like. But a fact that
   53:16  sticks with me and why I'm going to vote against this is that the the township trustee can levy a tax on the township.
   53:26  No one likes taxes. I don't like taxes, but that is an answer, a statutory answer to this problem. And
   53:36  that's where I'm going. Thank you. And thank you for the improvements at the cemetery. Also,
   53:43  thank you, Councilman Klein. Council, just one other real thing just to kind of go on what Mr. Klein is talking about
   53:52  and and Deb, I hope that you kind of talk about this because she can't there is no levy. That can't happen. She's already talked to the
   54:00  state board of accounts on that. So, that answer is is not there. So, I hope you kind of touch on that.
   54:11  Other council members, Councilman Fores.
   54:16  Yeah, I I'm kind of of the same uh aspect as as as Mike Klein. Um you there
   54:22  is a levy tax for cemeteries. Um, I've talked to the state legislative too and representative and you do have to
   54:31  there's a provision in the state statute that you can levy a cemetery tax to maintain the cemeteries. It's it's you
   54:38  can ask the attorneys. It's right there in the statute and that's what provides the township trustees to maintain the cemeteries. They've done it in other
   54:46  cities and you have to increase the property taxes in center township 5.
   54:51  It's a cemetery tax levy. I don't want to see my township uh levies go up on property taxes, but that's what's going
   54:58  to happen because you're not going to be able to maintain it. This this is just a band-aid.
   55:03  You're not going to be able to maintain that cemetery for this amount of money.
   55:07  It's going to have to be a tax levy. And I've talked to the county and we're more than willing to send out the inmate work crews. It's been talked to with the
   55:15  mayor. We've already got it in our budget. We've got two work inmate crews in our budget and I'd be willing to have our one of our inmate work crews go out
   55:23  there two days, three days a week and the county said they would do the same and that alleviate a lot of that problem. And then when she assesses a
   55:32  levy on the township taxes for the cemetery maintenance and care, that'll take care of a lot of that and still get volunteers. That'd be great. Fantastic.
   55:43  I think it's awesome and it is an improvement. And Brian Jeff needed the same help. He just didn't get it. So, I
   55:52  mean, you know, I sat down with him several several times. And before Deb took over, Bryce Corier helped him out with inmate work crews and the county
   56:00  crew out there leveling the roads and bringing gravel and helping him. He just didn't have the income and the the money
   56:07  in it interest bearing account to to do all of it and keep it up. I understand the situation. I'm not saying it doesn't
   56:16  need help, but there's other remedies that I think that we could use. I mean, tonight we've got additional appropriations of $36,315
   56:25  for our own city administration and department heads that need money. We almost turned down the airport
   56:32  for $86,000, the Mary Municipal Airport. So, I mean, you know, and we did you guys I didn't
   56:41  vote for it, but you did tell her that she could have it if she owned the cemetery. If she acquired the cemetery and owned the property, you did say
   56:50  that. I don't think at this point in time she owns the cemetery. She's got control over it, but she does not own the property yet. If it goes into
   56:58  imminent domain, it goes into imminent domain. And then she's going to have to come up with money. then she's going to have to come up with money to pay the
   57:05  owner on imminent domain. That's a state statute. That's a state law. It's in the constitution.
   57:11  So that's another reason that I just can't appropriate this money when we're going to appropriate another $36,000
   57:20  tonight for our own city and our own department heads. And since Senate Bill One is going to cut us back, we've got
   57:27  to think about that and take care of our own. This is going to be a county property. It's going to be a public cemetery. That also means that you got to bury pulpers free in that cemetery.
   57:37  Since it's a public cemetery, they've got the right to have free burial. I admire what she's doing and and but it's a personal commitment. There's a lot of
   57:46  emotion involved in it and I can't let that be involved in my decision to appropriate taxpayers money for
   57:54  something above and beyond when we need it right here, right now for our own city department heads to operate and continue functioning.
   58:04  Thank you. Thank you, Councilman Brunner.
   58:11  I've been waiting for this meeting because I hadn't had a chance to talk to Deb about uh what I see because I drive
   58:19  by that cemetery probably four times a day and it's just incredible to me how much better it already looks and I can
   58:27  only imagine uh how much better it will look throughout the rest of the summer and into the uh the fall season. My men
   58:35  my mentor William C. Fowler is buried there and there are a lot of people even more famous than he is and they deserve
   58:45  uh nothing but uh our best consideration. So uh Deb, thank you for what you're doing out there and continued best of luck.
   58:56  Thank you, Councilman Brunner. Any other council members?
   59:02  So I want to address address just a few things that were brought up in the public hearing. Um,
   59:09  I can say from myself as one council member, this is a this is a one-time thing. This is to provide some initial funding.
   59:18  Um, so this is not a perpetual ask, nor am I in favor of being a perpetual ask.
   59:27  Uh, I've also heard discussion about living a tax. Whether that office can do it or not, that's on that office to do it, not us.
   59:37  We don't levy that tax, let alone that's a tax just on Center Township when this cemetery really is for the whole county.
   59:49  Even if she was able to levy tax, that's a long process and it's not immediate.
   59:59  So my perception of this this is an immediate request. This is not an act of charity. This addresses a clear public obligation.
 1:00:11  There was the the predicate of the township's office getting this possession with getting the funding.
 1:00:21  And part of the reasoning that the courts granted the takeover of the cemetery by the center
 1:00:29  township trustes office was because the center township trustee had a commitment from government bodies that they would
 1:00:38  contribute a one-time contribution to initially help with maintenance to put some money towards a um interestbearing
 1:00:46  fund while there's time to recruit, I don't know, advertise, whatever. Ask for more
 1:00:55  money, levy attacks, the big T word again here. Um, but something that just kind of struck
 1:01:04  me today I didn't think about was, you know, there's a lot of people buried out there. And I've thought about
 1:01:12  how many people buried out there lived in this city and paid city taxes, spent their lives paying city taxes, and contributed to the very
 1:01:21  infrastructure and services that this city was built on and their final final resting places in decay.
 1:01:30  So, Councilman Force, you have something.
 1:01:37  Okay. I thought you had something.
 1:01:40  Um, so yeah, the final final resting place is in decay and for me it it feels like a betrayal
 1:01:48  of like their lifelong contribution to this city.
 1:01:53  Um, I don't have any family buried out there, but by God, if I did, I'd probably have a little more emotion in this. I don't have anyone buried out there. But it's just it's it's
 1:02:02  heartbreaking that the previous owners that had the cemetery.
 1:02:09  Sure, maybe they didn't have support, but they didn't ask for support.
 1:02:16  I mean, all they have to do is walk through the building that they lived in with dogs and tore it up and let uh feces or whatever else run outside
 1:02:25  the building. I mean, just the condition of the building they were living in explains why the condition of the cemetery is what it is. They couldn't
 1:02:32  even get their own house in order to take care of grass.
 1:02:38  And if somebody's living out there all the time, by God, they could sit on a lawnmower all day, all summer and mow
 1:02:44  that property. And it wasn't. They're just lazy and did not care. And it's
 1:02:51  beyond the grass. You look at headstones being knocked over, you know, just the the the desecration of some of these
 1:03:00  graves, branches put on top of of headstones. It was a complete utter lack of disrespect. It was the selling of
 1:03:08  Indian barrel burial ground mounds.
 1:03:13  That property was sold to people to bury them on top of it. That's how disrespectful
 1:03:21  That's how much disrespect was put into this cemetery for so long that they were so greedy they wanted to sell lots on
 1:03:28  top of Indian burial grounds. Like get out of here.
 1:03:34  But those people that live out or that that have been buried out there lived here, paid their city taxes, and before they took their last breath
 1:03:42  thought, "Wow, my grave sight's going to be taken care of." And here we are. They aren't. This is a one-time ask for the city from the edit fund.
 1:03:54  This fund or what we're funding is I feel like it's it a way for the city
 1:04:02  to honor its moral debt um and to give back to those who gave
 1:04:10  their life and lifetimes to this entire city. So even in death, their role in this community is still remembered and respected through this passage right here. One time.
 1:04:23  That's all it is. It's a one-time ask.
 1:04:25  The other government entities that this center township trustes office has asked, that's going to be on them.
 1:04:31  That's going to be on whether they think that this is moral debt or whatever they think.
 1:04:39  The city, we have the funds for it. We have it in the edit fund. It's a one-time ask.
 1:04:48  And I just I ask for council members to consider that and support this. This is not about Deb Kaine.
 1:04:55  This isn't even about the Center Township Trip Trustes Office. This is about the people that are buried out there that have been neglected for so
 1:05:02  long and the people that will bury be buried out there in the future that own the plots.
 1:05:09  That's all I have. Any other comments or questions? I have a comment.
 1:05:15  Councilman Marshall, I do have uh family buried there and uh so I understand uh how everyone feels.
 1:05:23  Uh there's been a tremendous amount of energy put towards this. And I think what we need to maybe focus on is trying
 1:05:30  to take that energy and move it, keep it going. And as I said at the last meeting, if we were putting $300,000
 1:05:39  into a fund that wouldn't be touched, capital campaign, that's what we need to have is a capital campaign. Let's get
 1:05:47  $6 million in the bank or let's get four and a half million in the bank and then start spending it or take some money and
 1:05:54  spend it. I I just don't feel that this is a a sustainable thing. I don't think it's a one-time thing and I don't feel
 1:06:04  like the city should be responsible for this. Um, I just don't uh I think put some buckets out there when the people
 1:06:12  are coming through and giving you the high five for what a good job uh the improvements have been. Ask them to write a check. Tell them we need money.
 1:06:20  You ought there ought to be signs out there right now raising money. call and donate here because um $300,000 is not
 1:06:30  going to make a noticeable change in my opinion. And I think $300,000 put in a bank that's generating
 1:06:38  interest over years is a better idea. So it is not personal about Deb or anyone else. I think she's done her heart is in
 1:06:48  the right place and as everyone else that goes out there and volunteers their time, their heart is in the right place.
 1:06:53  Let's get more people to do that. This didn't happen overnight and it's not going to get fixed overnight.
 1:07:01  I do have a follow-up question with you, Council Marshall, on that is just the mindset of if uh you know, it's just not enough.
 1:07:11  But if if the center township trustes office goes and asks different entities and every one of those people had that
 1:07:20  same mindset, then nobody would donate because they would go, "Well, what I'm giving isn't enough." This is her capital campaign. This is part of her
 1:07:28  capital campaign. This we just happen to be the first real entity that has become
 1:07:36  has come across. So, this is the first step and I have full faith that Debb Kane and the center township trustes office is going to continue to pursue more funding.
 1:07:46  Um, we are just the first one. Sometimes you got to be the first one to go and
 1:07:52  then when we if we do this it encourages other people like oh wow
 1:07:59  city's willing to help fund it. Okay, let me add on to that. Let me contribute some as well. I think GoFundMe count
 1:08:07  GoFundMe accounts are great, but at 25 $30 a pop, it's going to take a long
 1:08:14  time to get to 300,000 or 5 million or two million. Um, so I hear what you're saying. I would just challenge that
 1:08:22  that's the mindset of everyone that's being asked for money. She'll get zero dollars. And so this is the first ask
 1:08:29  because I believe that that office is coming to us because we had voted on and made a commitment in
 1:08:38  front of our taxpayers and in the whole council that we would do this. So that's why I think that office is back here because we originally made that
 1:08:46  commitment and so they're asking us to follow up on make that commitment again.
 1:08:51  And so my hope is that if this funding is passed and she did break it down, you know, being that we would be the first
 1:08:59  funding for this. So there are some initial expenses that have to be to be spent trucks, some machinery, initial
 1:09:07  restoration, lawn care, and then the 100 another 165,000 that's going to go in the interest bearing reserve. My belief
 1:09:14  is that and and Trusty Kane could clarify this is that after the truck acquisition, machinery, some initial
 1:09:21  restoration, lawn care, then more a higher percentage of funding can go into the interestbearing reserve and can
 1:09:29  continue to collect and develop and and then the the yield on that could be used for future maintenance. So, which is all due respect, I hear what you're saying.
 1:09:40  I just I if if we thought that about everything we funded, then we probably
 1:09:46  would always say no. So, any other council members? Vice President Portise?
 1:09:54  I I I've just got a rebuttal for that. I mean, you know, she's got a budget. Center Township Trustees got a budget.
 1:10:01  She's she's has to pay for the attorneys and everything else to try to acquire this and take over control. That's coming out of her budget. She's got a
 1:10:10  budget and she can do a levy on a cemetery tax. I was just offering to help like of our work inmate crew that
 1:10:17  we already have in our budget that we don't have to expend or appropriate more dollars out of our edit fund which is
 1:10:25  for economic development or out of our general fund which I'm sure that the city would be more than happy and the rest of the council people would be more
 1:10:32  than willing to say yeah sure use our work inmate crew. The county has agreed to it also that would help with the mowing and weed eating and stuff
 1:10:40  continuously during the mowing season and we've already got it budgeted. It's not costing us anything to take it out of an additional fund and and we did.
 1:10:51  You guys did. I didn't vote for it. You guys told her that she could have it upon the acquisition and proof of acquisition of the Estates of Serenity.
 1:11:02  That means that she has to have ownership. It's right here in the ordinance. Proof of acquisition.
 1:11:10  Acquisition is ownership of the property and the cemetery.
 1:11:16  That's what we wrote in that ordinance.
 1:11:24  So, I would much rather use the assets and facilities that we already got budgeted instead of taking out of our
 1:11:31  budget. We just talked about cutting the council's budget because of Senate Bill One.
 1:11:38  We're cutting cost. We could use that 300,000 for the city.
 1:11:45  That's my I'm more than willing to help, just not with our funds. It's a county cemetery. It's a township trustee cemetery. We didn't take it on.
 1:11:56  The county won't even help us with the airport for 10,000 or 15,000.
 1:12:02  and you want to give them 300,000. That's that's my only rebuttal on that.
 1:12:09  So, go
 1:12:19  the mayor even knows about the the the counties are talked to him about using the work in May crew.
 1:12:26  Why not? We got two crews that we fund.
 1:12:32  more than I I've got to interject at this point. I I've sat here and I've kept my mouth shut and I am
 1:12:40  beyond I don't know. First of all, she's she's asked for the work crew inmate cruise
 1:12:47  from the county. She's been denied that, Mr. Ford. I absolutely denied that.
 1:12:53  Okay. So, what you're saying is not true. I know that for a fact and I'm not going to sit here and argue the point. That is a fact.
 1:13:02  Okay. So, I I could go on and on and on.
 1:13:06  I got a a text and a picture uh Sunday from uh somebody I knew that went out and visited their parents.
 1:13:18  And this is the first time they've been out there in years where they didn't have to work. And she said, "You wouldn't believe, this was a Sunday afternoon. You wouldn't believe all the
 1:13:26  people that are out here with their lawn chairs just enjoying and visiting their
 1:13:33  loved ones. Now, this is because of what the cemetery looks like. Uh they've been
 1:13:40  filing calls to where hey, how do we go about getting buried at the estates of cemetery? estates of
 1:13:49  Serenitary uh Serenity Cemetery now because it looks good. It's looking restored and people
 1:13:59  are interested in being buried out there once again. I can understand why you wouldn't want to be buried out there a year ago, two years ago, even a month ago.
 1:14:10  But now it's completely changed. And this is this is a one-time mass that's always been upfront.
 1:14:17  it's always been upfront and so uh this council voted in majority to give her the money.
 1:14:29  So I think it's end of argument and if we want to say well we don't want to put any more money this is blight
 1:14:38  this is a blight issue on our city and if we didn't want to move forward with blight hey what's the point of doing
 1:14:46  dumpsters throughout the city and having cleanups on a Saturday let's stop that too because that surely cost us money
 1:14:55  and so why move forward with cleaning up anything at this point in time.
 1:15:03  Let's don't spend any money on blight or cleanup.
 1:15:08  But as I drive through the city now, and that's a good thing. I'm not saying not do that. Mayor, you're doing a great
 1:15:14  job. That is a great function of city government to provide that.
 1:15:21  just like eliminating the blight in that cemetery.
 1:15:27  And kind of lost my my train of thought, but um
 1:15:37  I don't I as I drive through the city, there is a change.
 1:15:43  There is a change in this city. people that weren't mowing their yards a year ago, they're mowing their yards and it's
 1:15:51  looking good. Not everybody, but there is progress being made. And as people drive through the city
 1:16:00  and they see that, it grows. It's changes people's attitudes.
 1:16:08  And the cemetery is a part of the city. It's looking It's looking beautiful.
 1:16:19  And I have no We've been accused of financial gain in
 1:16:27  this and that irritates me to no end. We have absolutely no in intentions of
 1:16:35  financially gaining on. In fact, this has cost me lots and lots of money, guys.
 1:16:43  money out of my pocket and I'm glad to do it. I am glad to do it and I don't plan on recovering that money. That's just what we do.
 1:16:54  And so I would hope that the majority of this council would see fit that we
 1:17:01  continue with blighting elimination, that we honor our loved ones, our ancestors,
 1:17:09  and give this one time ask of $300,000 for the township trustee. Thank you,
 1:17:17  Mr. Councilman Calg. Just so that everybody on the council is informed in the right way. Mr. Ford I said that it
 1:17:25  says right in the ordinance that it's only if she owns it. Right in the ordinance. Well, Mr. Ford I she owns it.
 1:17:30  She had it through intimate domain. So, she does own it. Just so that you're aware of that.
 1:17:37  Well, I just want to clarify she doesn't. Center township trustes office does.
 1:17:42  Just for the record. Um it is a center township trustee. But but I know what you're saying. She led the led the charge for that. Uh, I mean, it's clear
 1:17:50  to me. I think, um, you know, we have different positions on this, some of us, and we can go about this different ways, and we probably could talk about this
 1:17:58  till midnight, but I don't think we all want to. Um, and I think it's a situation where I'm I'm not sure we're
 1:18:05  going to change any minds one way or the other. And so, unless somebody has more discussion, I would entertain a motion.
 1:18:13  Mr. President, I'd like to make a motion that we suspend the rules on uh additional appropriation 11 2025.
 1:18:22  Second motion to suspend the rules for additional appropriation 11-2025 by Councilman Calgill. A second by Councilman Brunner. Any discussion?
 1:18:33  Madame Deputy Clerk, roll call.
 1:18:35  Kain, I.
 1:18:36  Marshall, no.
 1:18:38  Forise, no. Brunner. I.
 1:18:41  Klene, no. Divine. Yes. Whitten. Yes. Calgill. I. McKinley.
 1:18:47  Yes. Rules have been suspended. I would entertain another motion.
 1:18:50  Mr. President, I would now gladly like to make a motion that we pass additional appropriation 11 2022.
 1:18:58  Second.
 1:18:59  Motion to pass additional appropriation 11-2025 by Councilman Calgill. A second by Councilman Brunner. Any other discussion?
 1:19:10  Madame Deputy Clerk. Roll call.
 1:19:12  Kane. I Marshall.
 1:19:13  No Fordise.
 1:19:15  No runner.
 1:19:16  I Klene.
 1:19:17  No Divine. Yes. Whitten. Yes. Calgill.
 1:19:21  I McKinley.
 1:19:23  Yes. Additional appropriation 11-2025 has passed.
 1:19:28  Thank you, Trusty Kaine, for all you've done and will continue to do.
 1:19:40  All right, moving on to new business.
 1:19:43  Additional appropriation 12-2025, additional appropriation for controllers's office, first reading.
 1:19:50  An appropriation requesting 144,555 for the controllers's office. I am pleased to announce that the controllers's office will be
 1:19:58  transitioning to a new cloud-based online software provided by our current vendor. We anticipate that this upgrade will significantly improve our
 1:20:06  efficiency, accuracy, and overall management capabilities. Speaking a representative from Voice Cloud and the city controller, Dana G.
 1:20:14  Good evening everyone. Thank you for having us here. Again, for the record, I'm Dana G, city controller. And we are
 1:20:21  here to ask for the 144 additional appropriation for 14455
 1:20:28  to improve our um our whole financial um software and um I have Parker Bryce here for any deeper questions that you have.
 1:20:37  I've spoke to a couple of you and you have something in front of you, but this will improve our uh cyber security for our financial software, improve our
 1:20:45  processes for efficiency and um just improve our workflow. al together. Um this is cloud-based that will help with our balancing and auditing uh purposes.
 1:20:56  And so the process is a um couple of weeks uh training process.
 1:21:03  So it'll it'll go through a couple of weeks. So it's not a um it's not a quick
 1:21:10  training. From what I understand, next year we'll be going through several weeks of uh training to implement. So there are several stages. If you look at
 1:21:18  your um document that I um gave you and um if you have any questions, Parker is here to help.
 1:21:32  Thank you, Controller G. Appreciate it.
 1:21:34  And I'll open up for any questions from council members.
 1:21:39  Councilman Whitten, is the current software you use going out of date or it's just time we have to
 1:21:45  upgrade or what's what's the precipice for the move?
 1:21:49  Okay. Yeah. So, um the current software that you guys use is Keystone and Keystone was created in 1989. Um and
 1:21:56  right now there are no current plans to end of life it. Um but that being said, with us releasing a new product, nobody
 1:22:05  can split resources over two different products. So somewhere in the time frame between five and 10 years is when we will start to draft that language.
 1:22:18  Councilwoman Divine, um how many years has this cloud-based software been available?
 1:22:23  Uh it has been in the market for four years now.
 1:22:26  Okay. And have we talked to other communities that are using that have made the migration and have been using
 1:22:33  the software and you're satisfied with their uh experiences with it? That's more you Dana. Sorry.
 1:22:41  No, no, you're good. I just So I haven't spoke to other communities with this software because it's kind of um new in Indiana and I'm So a lot of us
 1:22:49  here in Indiana are transitioning over and that's why ours is is next year because we're in line. So, I haven't talked to anybody, but I've talked to uh
 1:22:57  BSNA who has helped other clients and um and we use Keystone. So, it's kind of even though it's a new training and a
 1:23:05  new software, it's still kind of what we're used to and so it's just going into the cloud.
 1:23:10  Um will this also uh you talked about efficiencies. So, will the departments start submitting things more electronic
 1:23:19  based rather than paper? or is that part of um what this will allow them to do?
 1:23:24  They'll have a little more I saw there's purchase orders and other things like that as part of the modules. Um is that
 1:23:31  was your thought process was going that way?
 1:23:33  Yeah. And and we're we're starting in the controllers's office first. We have to learn it first and then um hopefully um like Parker and I was talking about
 1:23:41  the whole city can be on one, you know, software system so the whole city can can everything can talk to one another.
 1:23:47  But we're starting in the controllers's office first. That's going to take a while before we before other departments implement it. We need to get to know the software first.
 1:23:56  Okay. And then what's the difference in the annual fees that we're paying now for Keystone versus what this will be annually?
 1:24:04  So annually we pay 19 I think Linda.
 1:24:07  Yes. So 19. And so our yearly if you look at it I think it was 48 48 180.
 1:24:15  Okay.
 1:24:17  And then with it being cloud-based, is there um I assume that that location has also
 1:24:24  has backups and you have a secondary location for if one system goes down, we can access it from another system.
 1:24:32  Cloud-based while great also has a lot of limitations on that because we don't have 100% control of that data.
 1:24:39  Absolutely. So, it is hosted in Microsoft Azure. Um, and you do have two separate data sites held up by NA natural disaster recovery. Um, so if one
 1:24:48  were to fail there, one's in Virginia, one's in Arizona. If one were to fail for some reason, it would take us no less than 30 minutes to get you live in
 1:24:56  the other one. Um, and then continually your data is backed up every 20 minutes.
 1:25:01  We hold your daily backups between seven and 14 days if you were ever to need them. Then it's all the system is also backed up monthly and we hold your
 1:25:08  monthly backups for a quarter. So, okay, Councilman Whitten.
 1:25:15  So, with the annual fee, um, does that just include the controllers's office or is this for the software so that we can expand it to the other departments?
 1:25:25  So, right now, um, that includes the controllers's office and then payroll.
 1:25:29  Um, going forward, if you guys were to move more stuff into it, you could certainly do that, but right now it just encompasses payroll and the controllers's office.
 1:25:40  I have a question. Um, how long have have you guys been in business?
 1:25:45  So, Keystone has been in business uh since the early well 1989. Um, BSNA has been in business for 40 years. BSNA this
 1:25:54  year did acquire um Boyce Systems um and A a stat that I like to talk about um
 1:26:01  with them is BSNA in that 40 years of business has lost four financial management customers and they have thousands. So
 1:26:09  uh have you guys ever had any uh breaches of security or data?
 1:26:14  Nope. Now since it's hosted in Microsoft Azure, we have to follow all of their cyber security rules um which are quite elevated.
 1:26:25  So let me uh extract that a little bit.
 1:26:28  Have you had any internal breaches or external breaches? No. None at all in 40 years.
 1:26:36  Well, the cloud's four years old, so Okay.
 1:26:40  And those four breaches could happen offline, too.
 1:26:42  Oh, yeah. Absolutely. Yes. But, uh, we take extensive training um, monthly.
 1:26:49  I just ask because obviously in today's world uh that that information is sensitive and we want to make sure it's
 1:26:56  well protected and just know what we're signing up for if we were to do this. Um Councilman Whit Whitten made a good point and I actually um had a little
 1:27:04  discussion with controller earlier today about just the expansion. So that's the cost for it to be in the controllers's
 1:27:12  office. if we were to expand it to other departments. Can you kind of give us an idea of that cost and that expansion? Um
 1:27:20  so those expansion related expenses, right? Um so and it it's truly going to depend on what you want to add when um you know once the controllers office
 1:27:29  gets this and ready to go and they feel confident in the software and they want to add other things uh you know they could come to us and say hey we want to
 1:27:36  add the rest now and obviously the more that they purchase at one time is going to give you a lower annual fee. Um, and then you will still be looking at uh
 1:27:45  some install costs, but not anywhere near as much as what you're seeing now because you have to take all the data out of Keystone and get that into the
 1:27:54  voice cloud. Um, so for future purchases, there will still be an install cost, but nowhere near as to what you're seeing now because it takes a full data conversion and migration.
 1:28:05  Okay. So, I I saw the $50,000 for the migration fee.
 1:28:14  Yep.
 1:28:14  But then I see uh estimated travel expenses. Are the travel expenses incorporated into that that So, the migration would not have
 1:28:23  any travel expenses. The travel expenses are for your training. So, we do actually send people on site here to do
 1:28:30  like classroom style training. So, uh, when our trainers are on site, they'll grab whoever Dana has in that day and we're going to cover payroll. Um, and
 1:28:39  we'll have two or three people covering payroll in person, um, and giving you live training. Uh, we have found that
 1:28:46  especially through COVID when we tried to do virtual training, it just doesn't pick up as well. And so, we went back to uh, in person.
 1:28:55  So, this $144,000 quote underneath it on this says set 13,385
 1:29:02  for estimated travel. So, okay. So,
 1:29:10  is that 13,000 part of the 144 or is that on top of it?
 1:29:14  That's on top of it, but it's also estimated. So, we could send 10 people here and we could do five days of training or we could do 20 days of
 1:29:23  training. it's truly going to matter as to what the controllers's office wants.
 1:29:29  So, they could go through five days of financial training and go, "Hey guys, we're good. We don't need anymore." Um, and so, typically, we like to overbudget
 1:29:36  on training because it's easier for you to cut us short than it for us to add more days on in the end. So down the
 1:29:44  line, however long down the line it is, if other departments, other areas
 1:29:52  join this, can the training be done inhouse or we going to do these costs all over again?
 1:29:59  So when they have new modules, it'll have to be done all over again because they wouldn't have been trained. So like a good example would be community development is something that I know
 1:30:07  that they're interested in. So that's building inspection, code inspection.
 1:30:11  They're not going to get trained on building and code inspection right now.
 1:30:15  It's much later on if they decide to move forward with that. That's when training will come back up.
 1:30:20  I have a question. Is there a con is there a contract? Is there like a five-year contract, one year, anything like that?
 1:30:26  So, it is an evergreen contract, so automatic renewal um year after year.
 1:30:32  I guess my you know, the the migration fee is is probably the one I'm just zoning in on the most.
 1:30:41  because I'm going to be honest with you.
 1:30:43  When I see just a flat rounded number, I go, "Well, that's pretty convenient that it only is cost exactly $50,000."
 1:30:50  So, that was actually my doing. Um, it was a little bit more, but I've been working with Dana um and her group for
 1:30:57  over two years. So, I cut a little bit off of that and made it a round number for her. Okay. All right.
 1:31:04  That's what Yeah. Yeah. What was it originally?
 1:31:08  That's what I want to know. It was originally 65.
 1:31:11  Okay. So, I mean, what all is I mean, I I guess it's outlined here, but like how much is really involved in the migration? What are we getting for $50,000 on that migration?
 1:31:21  So, what are you getting with that migration is you're basically taking the system that you have today, your your normal running system and putting that
 1:31:30  in the cloud. So that's taking all of your data, all of your transactions, everything that is stored in that system and then we are putting that in the
 1:31:38  cloud and it is a running and functioning system without you having to skip a beat. So that that's what you're getting for that.
 1:31:46  Are you going to have to like create special code or is this like a export an Excel spreadsheet and import
 1:31:53  an Excel spreadsheet? So, by the time that we get to Dana, it will not be special code, but um we did have to
 1:32:01  create special conversions for Indiana customers. Um and so we will have been
 1:32:07  through probably 10 to 12 of them before you guys would be up on the install list.
 1:32:17  Going back to the contract, what's the procedure for cancelling the contract? 90 days. 90 days.
 1:32:25  Question on that too. If the if contract were to be cancelled, do we retain the right to all that data and get all that data back? You own your data.
 1:32:32  Is that in the contract? Correct. We own the data. Yes.
 1:32:35  And you're required to give the data back. Yes.
 1:32:40  Is there any way to get the 50,000 down some more? I mean, if we sign up, the reality is is if we sign up for this, I mean, we're pretty much stuck with it,
 1:32:49  right? It to convert to another one. I mean, it's going to cost a whole host of money. So, essentially to sign up or continue this, you're going to get that
 1:32:58  perpetual income and evergreen contract, so to speak. So, I'm just hung up a little bit on the migration because I
 1:33:06  don't know the full scope of what 50,000 is really getting us. I get data migration. My first career was an IT manager. Had to do that stuff, dealt
 1:33:14  with it. We would acquire companies and migrate data.
 1:33:19  And I just don't understand the 50,000 and really what that is really going to entail. I'm not saying I don't support it. I just it's hard for me to say
 1:33:28  50,000 when I don't really know. I mean, is it going to how long is it going to take to migrate? I mean, if you would assign one person to that, how long is it going to take him to do full-time?
 1:33:38  Four to six months. You guys would probably be looking towards more of the the six-month timeline just because you guys are a larger city. Um, you know,
 1:33:46  most of our our this the towns that we are converting, you're looking at, you know, 1500 to 2,000 population. And so,
 1:33:54  we definitely would get them in and under four months. Um, but with the the bigger size that you have, I would say
 1:34:01  five to six months conversion timeline for one person full-time.
 1:34:08  Uh, we our all our conversion are like all hands-on. So we'll do one, then we start the next one and start staggering
 1:34:15  them. So starting in September is when we will have the first person go live and then every week and a half someone else is going to go live from then on.
 1:34:32  Sorry about that. Councilman Whitten.
 1:34:34  Um the the current software costs us about $19,000 a year and the new software is about4 $38,000 a year.
 1:34:43  Mhm.
 1:34:44  So, this advancement is going to save us 30 grand somehow.
 1:34:49  So, I don't personally know what you guys put into your servers. Um, but you'd be able to get rid of some servers. You also are looking at
 1:34:57  enhanced, you know, cyber security, which you don't have today. Um, on average for a community, your size, you
 1:35:05  know, a ransomware attack can be upwards of two and a half million dollars. Um, you're also the other increased cost
 1:35:13  that you're seeing with this is actually we are holding physical servers inside of Microsoft Azure for you. So that's
 1:35:21  kind of part of the cost that we're taking on.
 1:35:27  I remember now. Um, so when you do this data migration, how many years history are you migrating as well so that she
 1:35:34  has easy access to it? So she will get this year and next and then also will be
 1:35:41  given a lifetime ADA license for the previous software and then not only that but going forward all the data stored in
 1:35:50  the system stays in the system. The current Keystone system you have to archive away years and then you got to go back into those archives and it's a
 1:35:57  pain in the butt. But going forward this holds everything into one. So, if we at least for the next couple years, if she
 1:36:05  needs five years data, she's still going to have to go back to the old system to look that information up.
 1:36:12  She'll have reports and queries that she can run from that. Correct. Yes.
 1:36:16  But that information is not going to be continually backed up like the new information is. It'll still be that we have to have on-site or in some sort of
 1:36:24  storage capacity here on in our building.
 1:36:29  Correct. It won't be continually backed up, but it won't need to be because none of that data is changing other than if we have a server go down
 1:36:36  then. Yeah. I mean, I'm just thinking ahead to if we're talking about data storage and all that, making sure that we're preserving the past data as well.
 1:36:47  Yeah.
 1:36:48  Um Okay. And does the annual cost I'm bouncing around now in my questions. Good.
 1:36:54  Does that include um support? Do they get unlimited support to call with questions and assistance for running reports and things like that?
 1:37:03  Yep. Okay. I have a question for controller G.
 1:37:10  I have a question for you. We kind of touched a little earlier today on this, but is how is this going to change the
 1:37:19  efficiency of your department? Is it going to speed anything up? How's that look? So, let me ask answer the server
 1:37:27  because we got that from um Danny. The server is replaced every five years and it's about $7,000 to replace our current
 1:37:33  server. So, that's from Danny. So, from talking to Boyce and what we're um
 1:37:40  hoping to do is is is everything will be kind of automated and so we can we can plug it in, run
 1:37:48  reports. We've watched their demo, run reports, uh pull reports. Um, right now we're when uh we do invoices and
 1:37:57  vouchers, we'll be able to uh eventually when we learn everything of the software, we'll be able to plug the vouchers in and they uh print out. Right
 1:38:05  now, some of the vouchers were we're writing where so it's it's going to make it easier and um more efficient for us to use.
 1:38:15  And this would be true for other departments right away or only if we expand it to other departments. So um
 1:38:23  some from what I'm understanding from watching the demo and um we've been in many meetings with them also is that when we when we pull in information from
 1:38:32  other departments it's going to be easier for us to plug it into it's going to be like plugandplay. So plug it into the the new software system and even
 1:38:40  right now when we back up we physically back up. We have to make sure everybody's out of the system. we have to um um hit a button on our computer,
 1:38:49  wait and back up where when it's in the cloud, it's automatically already backed up. So things that we do now, slow motion is now going to be uh different in the cloud.
 1:39:00  Great. Thank you. Go ahead. Oh, sorry. Well, Miss G's there. What happens if we don't do this?
 1:39:09  Well, still we've been using Keystone.
 1:39:12  uh deputy um said that we've been using Keystone for many years, right?
 1:39:17  Since 2007. So, we know this company, we know what we're using now. So, nothing happens, but eventually we're going to have to go to the cloud with someone.
 1:39:25  So, yeah, the times are going to change where we're going to have to make a decision and the price will go up. Yes.
 1:39:46  No, no, no, no.
 1:39:48  But to speak more to your effic efficiency question, um, a lot of controllers offices, as we're finding
 1:39:55  throughout the the state, are very centralized. They handle all the invoices. is they handle everything that comes into that building. Um, and it doesn't necessarily have to be this way.
 1:40:06  So, a good example is if you have a police chief and the police chief's assistant enters all of his invoices for him. Um, you know, everybody in the
 1:40:15  system is given a login and they're restricted based on user controls and everything else so that they can only do their work in the system that they're
 1:40:23  meant to do. Um, but using the example of a police chief's assistant, if she's got to enter invoices in, she can enter
 1:40:30  in those invoices. It can flow to Dana's office for approval and or a denial. She can deny and give reasons to ask to fix
 1:40:38  it or she can approve and move it on down through her office. Um, and another thing that she was talking about is
 1:40:45  entering in the invoices. Uh, we do have scanning capabilities with AI. Um, so she could scan in an invoice and the AI
 1:40:53  will pop up and populate um, everything it needs to with an efficiency rating and you can either accept it or change
 1:41:01  how you want to uh, put it in the system. And those are just a few things.
 1:41:06  Yeah, right now they um, walk up the invoices to the office and drop the hard copy. And so that would be a big change
 1:41:14  is to be able to to get those invoices faster and and receipts uh quicker to Trixie.
 1:41:21  Great. And then another question. I thought maybe I heard something about payroll. I know currently we have some
 1:41:29  city employees that still punch a time clock. Uh is this going to eliminate that? Is this going to go virtual digital for people to clock into work?
 1:41:39  So it will not eliminate that but there will be integration built in so that those hours are automatically coming
 1:41:46  into the system and giving you know people approve or deny capability managers approval or denial capabilities
 1:41:53  uh and then that will flow through for everyone to get paid.
 1:41:56  Does this have the capability to automate clocking in whether you know there's people can use their phones or
 1:42:04  you can use the hand scanners. Does he have any integration for that? Uh we have integrate we do we do not have our own product for that. Uh but we do are
 1:42:11  very tightly integrated with UKG um who does have the geocaching through your phone. Um if that's something that you are interested in.
 1:42:20  All right. Thank you. That's all the questions I have for today. Any other council members?
 1:42:24  Just real quick. Um so those modules with these pieces um especially like invoice entering and stuff that's included for people to have
 1:42:33  those login. That's not an additional piece for different departments.
 1:42:37  It's an unlimited site license, so you could have anybody in the city in there.
 1:42:43  Okay. And then we conceivably as councilmen would have access to receive those invoices instead of getting the
 1:42:50  all the digital PDFs and stuff we get right now to be able to look at them and maybe see balances and things.
 1:42:59  I'm just I don't know.
 1:43:00  I don't know. Honestly, I don't know what that's going to look like. um because we haven't got that far, but I don't know what that's going to look like, but we will um keep you a breast of that. So, okay. Yeah.
 1:43:14  Councilman Marshall.
 1:43:15  Um so, we are going to be alleviating the physical physical cost of servers, but have we done or is it necessary to
 1:43:24  do any kind of assessment of our other hardware within our facilities? And do we have any cost to anticipate to make
 1:43:32  our systems work with what you're going to be doing? That make sense?
 1:43:36  Uh I I think so what you're asking is if you make change, if you make a citywide change, is there going to be other areas
 1:43:45  that are going to affect this and cost you more money?
 1:43:48  Are there hardware costs? because we're basically paying for software and cloud stuff and our with our physical the computers we have now we're going to
 1:43:56  still be able to use everything or as long as you got an internet connection and a browser you're good to go.
 1:44:01  That's kind of that's what okay thank you.
 1:44:03  That's how those billion dollar data centers get built. All these fees and servers trust me we could use a couple
 1:44:11  of them here. Uh Vice President Ford so you were talking I've just got a question. and I'm computer illiterate,
 1:44:19  but um you were talking about the security. We just invested $70,000 with
 1:44:25  the IT department for cyber security. So I is is that can that mix in with that
 1:44:33  security or you have your own separate security or if if you're going to use that security is every department going to have to have because I know this
 1:44:41  cyber security we did with the IT department is supposed to be for the whole citywide. So, and it's supposed to be update. I mean,
 1:44:50  topofthe line security. I mean, at least Danny feels like it's it's a good security. So, and I heard you talking about security. That's my first
 1:44:58  question. The second question is the police department already has cloud.
 1:45:02  They have to use it for their flack cameras and their body cameras. So, they've already got a contract that we're paying for for the cloud for that.
 1:45:10  You said we're going to in maybe intergate it throughout the whole building or all the departments. So would I think Motorola does that for the
 1:45:18  police department on their cloud. So how would that work if it wants to go
 1:45:25  citywide, departmentwide? This is just controller. I understand that.
 1:45:30  Right. Uh so so address the cyber security first because we just invested like I said in our capital improvement plan $70,000 for new cyber security.
 1:45:40  Right. And so cyber security as a whole for your city is that's definitely a great investment. The the thing is here
 1:45:49  now that you would be moving to the cloud um that is moving risk off of that cyber security firm's books and putting all of the oness into Microsoft Azure.
 1:46:02  So it's still good that you guys have that policy because it's covering much more else than just the controllers department. But it does help that the
 1:46:10  controllers department is going and moving into a very secure um facility.
 1:46:15  So it would alleviate the controllers security off of that cyber security because you've got your own. Correct. Yes.
 1:46:23  Okay. So what about the additional migrating into the other departments like the police department because we
 1:46:30  pay a fee there for that cloud too for our flack cameras and right and so body cameras
 1:46:36  those items would not touch where it would become important for someone in the police department to have a boy
 1:46:44  cloud login is anybody that touches finance. So the the Motorola and the the body cams that would certainly stay with
 1:46:51  the police department, but we would just be giving somebody a login to be able to enter purchases into the system so that they can be tracked by Dana.
 1:46:59  So it wouldn't and I So you're just going to be with the finances throughout the whole department.
 1:47:05  Yes. It' be finances all of the So it it wouldn't be uploaded with the flat cameras and the body cameras. That has to stay separate. You're just doing finance.
 1:47:14  Correct. Okay.
 1:47:15  Thank you. Any other council members? Councilwoman Divine, I had one other question that I just
 1:47:22  remembered. Um, it also talks about the speed of our internet. I just wanted to make sure that you've checked that that
 1:47:29  we're ste our steady state speed is good and that doesn't have to be upgraded, too. I held a meeting off your internet.
 1:47:37  We're good. Okay.
 1:47:39  Also, I did speak to Danny, our IT director, a week ago, and uh the speed to this building is about to
 1:47:46  substantially increase, change in providers, and uh there's going to be no issues once they get that upgrade.
 1:47:54  Any other council members?
 1:47:57  Good discussion. Really appreciate you answering these questions. You've been great. Thank you guys for having me.
 1:48:02  Um council members, if there's no other discussion, I'd entertain a motion.
 1:48:10  Mr. President, I'd like to make a motion that we pass additional appropriation 12 2025 on the second reading.
 1:48:19  Motion by Councilman Calgill to pass additional appropriation 12 2025 to second reading public hearing. Second by Councilman Klene. Any other discussion?
 1:48:29  Madame Deputy Clerk, roll call. Kain. I. Marshall. I. Forice. I. Brunner. I. Klein.
 1:48:37  Yes. Divine. Yes. Whitten. Yes. Calgill. Hi. McKinley. Yes. Additional appropriation 12 2022.
 1:48:44  We'll move to a second reading public hearing of the next city council meeting. Moving on to the last agenda item. Additional appropriation 13-2025.
 1:48:55  Additional appropriation for parks and recreation. First reading.
 1:49:00  An appropriation requesting $78,61346 for parks and recreation. The city of Marian's goal is to improve access to
 1:49:09  the waterway. It will allow the public access to the water's edge, making this reasonable modification and the building and building this railing will accommodate the citizens of Marian.
 1:49:18  Speaking superintendent Randy Hyatt, thank you for coming tonight, Randy. And
 1:49:25  I just realize it feels like parks and recreation always at end of the agenda.
 1:49:29  Next time, I promise we're going to try and move you guys up. Your champ for staying to the end. Go ahead. Or at least dinner.
 1:49:38  Good evening. First off, I want to extend a thank you to you for pushing us along with whoever you put us in contact with. Appreciate that, Mr. Ford Ice, for your input for me. Helped me out a lot.
 1:49:49  Appreciate that.
 1:49:52  DNR was not fun to deal with by no means, but here we are. They've approved that we can put it back, but the
 1:50:00  improvements that we wanted to make were not approved. by beefing up the whole system. They didn't want any part of that. If we put the existing back, we
 1:50:08  can beef up the footing and the lag bolts into the concrete, but we couldn't change the overall structure.
 1:50:17  It isn't a flood zone as the papers that were emailed to each council person. So, this is the best we're going to get or we shut it down to be honest.
 1:50:27  I'm going to steal a line from Councilman Klein. What happens if we don't approve this? Then then we have to shut that whole walkway down.
 1:50:36  And just for public's knowledge, which walkway exactly where are we talking about right now?
 1:50:42  From the underneath the Highland Avenue Bridge to where the old dam used to be, not just the slope.
 1:50:48  It is just the slope. Yes, sir. Just the slope part.
 1:50:53  The slope doesn't meet ADA. So, we have to get the handrail up just for public safety because it is four or five feet above the water in certain areas and
 1:51:02  then it actually slopes into the rock edge on the bottom.
 1:51:06  But do you think you can beef it up a little bit without needing extra requirement bigger bolts?
 1:51:13  You I mean I know it's hard way to predict with storms, but you think it could potentially hold up better in future storms?
 1:51:22  Yes. And the fact that DNR is going to allow us to put a deflector on the bottom rail, that'll push some of that out. That's the only change they allowed us to make.
 1:51:29  All right. Well, that's that's the price the price went up like $4,000 from our original meeting because they will allow that deflector.
 1:51:38  And this is the rail on the river side, not against the bank side. Correct. Okay.
 1:51:48  All right. Any council members with questions?
 1:51:55  appreciate you doing this, Randy. Sorry it took a while. Glad Vice President Ford and I could help you push this
 1:52:01  through and uh I I will defer credit to State Representative Lori Goss Reeves who I had reached out to and and
 1:52:08  provided some of those connections for us, the DNR. So um it's a team effort.
 1:52:15  So even for some of these we'll call little things. So yes, sir.
 1:52:19  One other question. Go ahead. Sorry. Um, for Marty, uh, what's what's liability for this? If we can't make it ADA
 1:52:28  accessible, but we're putting one up for safety purposes, what what part of this becomes our liability if somebody's
 1:52:36  walking on that section now versus fixing it? Um, or if they want to push at us for it not being ADA accessible.
 1:52:46  You say you wouldn't be able to have it open if you didn't have this railing. Correct.
 1:52:50  That's that's the standard. It's either railing and and it's open or it's not.
 1:52:55  There's no nothing in between. But if someone were to walk and I don't know I maybe I'm making it too
 1:53:03  complicated but I'm thinking you know a lot of people do walk along that route and I sit there and watch them you know
 1:53:10  most of my day u when it's accessible when it's not underwater and that always worries me that section as they're
 1:53:17  coming into the dam and then they climb on all those rocks and then down into the river and so that's where my question comes from by making it more
 1:53:26  accessible and having that that railing there. What is there a liability for us making it a walkway?
 1:53:32  I don't know that it's any more there's any more liability risk than there was before.
 1:53:36  Um liability risk still is still going to be there to a certain degree. I mean um but there's also a million different scenarios of where things could go wrong
 1:53:44  and that doesn't govern um how things go. So, it's it's difficult, but to the extent that a railing can be put up to
 1:53:53  allow to be open, then um that should satisfy it.
 1:53:59  To answer that a little bit, too, we have it blocked off now with the cement blocks. They climb over it. They they take our caution tape off. So, I mean,
 1:54:08  the liability part's always excuse me, is always going to be there.
 1:54:15  Can you turn your mic on? Sorry. Nobody at home can hear us without a mic. Ah, I just didn't want the implied liability either to make sure that we're at least
 1:54:22  doing the right thing to to solve some of the issues. So, I I'm afraid if we put up all sorts of
 1:54:31  walls that people would still cross them and we would still get sued if something bad happened.
 1:54:40  All right. Any other council members? If not, I'd entertain a motion.
 1:54:49  Mr. President, I'd like to make a motion that we pass additional appropriation 13 2025 onto second reading.
 1:54:57  I'll second that.
 1:54:59  I have a motion by Councilman Calgill to pass additional appropriation 13205 to second reading public hearing at the next council meeting. Second by Councilman Klene. Any other discussion?
 1:55:11  Madam Deputy Clerk, roll call. Kane. Hi. Marshall. Hi. Forice. Hi. Brunner. Hi. Klene. Yes.
 1:55:19  Divine. Yes. Whitten. Yes. Calgill. Hi. McKinley. Yes. Additional appropriation 13-2025.
 1:55:27  We'll move to second reading public hearing at the next council meeting. Thank you, Randy. Appreciate it. Thank you. And thank you for staying to the end.
 1:55:35  And moving on to some announcements.
 1:55:36  There's one listed. Uh citywide cleanup August 16th for district five. I think we know the routine now. 9 to 2, you can
 1:55:45  take yourself down to the city maintenance building. But if you're in district 5, that'd be Councilman Whitten's district. I'm sure there's
 1:55:53  nothing to clean up there, but um there might be a few things. Please put your stuff out the curb, not in the alley.
 1:55:59  They don't pick up in the alley. And I had penciled in two things um to give recognition to our council, Marty
 1:56:07  Harker, for the induction into the Grant County Hall of Fame. a Hall of Fame tennis player at Marian High School.
 1:56:15  Congratulations, Marty. State champion at Marian High School.
 1:56:18  State champion. Yes. And all other accolades. So, yeah. Of all time. Yep. Andre Agassy 2.0
 1:56:25  over there. Right. Um and then I did have about the corporate challenge winners and I just wanted to give a
 1:56:33  shout out to Rose in the parks department, all of her staff. Um that is an endeavor for sure. So, we appreciate
 1:56:41  it. We may not have won it as a city if it wasn't for Rose pushing people and asking for a lot of help. So, and then the other thing that was mentioned too
 1:56:49  was the airship attack out at the Marian Marian Municipal Airport and we just
 1:56:58  encourage everyone to go out there. It is I mean the land speed record was set out there. It's a major asset to our city and um we just encourage everyone
 1:57:07  to go and tend it and support it. So, any other council members with announcements?
 1:57:13  Council member Runner. Uh, if if I could get um Mr. Klein to say a few words about Ed
 1:57:21  Breen, we're putting him to rest finally this weekend. It's taken a couple of uh months, which is typical Ed Breen, but
 1:57:27  uh he'll be laid to rest at the Catholic Church coming up uh late Saturday morning. And Mike, you knew him better
 1:57:35  than anybody. So just a couple of words on Ed Breen. Um he was a friend for a few years a neighbor. He was a mentor.
 1:57:45  Um he was a pain in the butt sometimes and I was a pain in the butt to him sometimes. Um but I still miss him every
 1:57:54  day. Uh there was something in the paper I saw and I said got to tell Breen about this.
 1:58:02  And he's one of those people that you miss and that you're sad and that you're sad you miss him. But you know that's
 1:58:11  not bad because it's even a Saturday a sadder day. Not Saturday
 1:58:19  if you ever stop missing people like that. So yeah um calling starts at I
 1:58:27  think 9:30. funerals at funerals at 11
 1:58:32  and uh mass following that and then a uh the kind of thing he would like at
 1:58:40  McCarthy Hall after that. Yeah, we've had three hits lately with uh Ed and Sam
 1:58:48  Fowler and um Paul Thompson. We lost some damn good people.
 1:58:57  Thank you for that, Councilman Klein.
 1:58:59  And for those that watching at home are not sure, the image today on the screen is of a flag with a thin blue line often
 1:59:08  used for police officers. Uh and the image of that officer is Samuel Fowler from the Grant County Sheriff's Department. While he worked for the
 1:59:16  county, was it a county employee, it does affect all police, all the community, has had a big impact also on our Marian Police Department, and I
 1:59:24  wanted to acknowledge that. So again, um, just condolences to his family, Paul Thompson Jr.'s family, and Ed Breen's
 1:59:32  family. So I'll end this meeting with the best quote of all time from the best movie of all time, Shaw Shank Redemption.
 1:59:40  It's get busy living or get busy dying. I would entertain a motion to adjurnn.
 1:59:47  Motion by Councilman Klein, second by Councilman Whitten. Any discussion? Madame Deputy Clerk, roll call.
 1:59:57  Kane, I.
 1:59:58  Marshall, hi.
 1:59:59  Ford, I.
 2:00:00  Brunner, I.
 2:00:01  Klene, yes. Divine. Yes. Whitten. Yes. Calgill. I. McKinley.
 2:00:08  Yes. Meetings are journal. Did you see that vote that time?