Board of Public Works and Safety Meeting – May 19, 2026
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Board of Public Works and Safety Meeting – May 19, 2026
The Board of Public Works and Safety met on May 19, 2026, to swear in a new police officer, approve routine items, update the fire department uniform policy, and discuss community events and property maintenance. The meeting also recognized National Public Works Week and announced upcoming city events.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the May 12 meeting were approved unanimously.
- Community Events: The board approved a series of community events recommended by the Community Events Review Group.
- Special Use of Right-of-Way: Several requests for special use of city right-of-way were approved.
- City Dockets of Claims: Two dockets of claims for the city were approved.
- Parks Dockets of Claims: Twelve claims (six regular, six payroll) for the Parks Department were approved via resolution.
- Conflict of Interest Disclosures: Uniform conflict of interest disclosure statements were accepted for four members of the Community Police Review Board: Fred King, Rick King, Joy Langdon, and Mark Ray.
Discussion Items
- Swearing-In of New Police Officer Colton Ross: Colton Ross was sworn in as a new police officer, bringing the department to 88 sworn officers (the allotted strength). He is a graduate of James County High School, IU Police Academy, and interned with the department last year. The board and mayor congratulated him.
- National Public Works Week Proclamation: The board recognized National Public Works Week, noting the department's 50 years of operation and its new chapter with a new facility. Approximately 23 public works employees were in attendance.
- Fire Department Uniform Policy Update (FD Order 0-16): Captain Ben Spencer presented the revised policy. Changes include: reimbursement language for firefighters who have not yet met the first-year mark, clarifying wording ("uniform items" instead of "items"), rules for wearing uniforms after separation (requires approval), and a prohibition on donating uniform items to thrift stores or nonprofits without authorization. A new patch design was also shown, featuring new buildings and the state of Indiana to distinguish from Columbus, Ohio. The policy was approved unanimously.
- Weed Letter for Property Maintenance: A weed letter was approved for 1103 Cottage Avenue, owned by Nicholas Alan Purdue and Amanda Joe Tibbs, to have the property mowed and cleaned up. The board noted that proactive door-knocking and tags have reduced the number of weed complaints.
Key Outcomes
- Approvals: All consent calendar items, the fire department uniform policy, the weed letter, and the claims dockets were approved without opposition.
- Announcements: The board reminded the public of upcoming events: the ribbon cutting for the new DPW facility on Arcadia Drive on May 20 at 1:00 PM; the monthly food truck festival on May 21 from 11 AM to 8 PM at the Cummins/Sears lot (18 food trucks); the Salute to the Airport event on May 22 at 7:00 PM; the Farmers Market on May 23; and city offices closed on May 25 for Memorial Day, with curbside collections running one day behind (Friday collections on Saturday, May 30).
Meeting Transcript
Welcome to today's um meeting of for the um the Board of Public Works and Safety. We are excited any time we get to uh swear in a new police officer. We have just a little bit of business we have to take care of first. So I have to call the meeting to order, which I have roll call. Melanie Henderson, John Pickett. Eric Fry present. I am here and will serve as chair and Brenda Sullivan is out today. First up is approval of the meeting minutes from May 12th. I'll move that they be approved. I'll second. And they are approved. All right, now we get to swear in our new police officer. This is Colton Ross. Uh uh brief background on having swearing and did I mean your turn around here. All right, where I go without mic for Jack. Yes, I will have to speak louder. Um we talked a little bit about Colton. Uh he went to James County High School when he graduated and then went to IES after that. Uh wonderful IU police academy while he was there. Uh a few of us here. And you're also IU can't research back there. So several of his uh police officers they work with over the phone so here as well. Um also interned with us last year, too. And uh since then graduated from college last week. Yeah. And uh before I interpret today, so we're very happy to have him. And you guys probably all know that stuff, but for everybody else. Yeah, yeah, yeah. What's great about it is cold because we have eighty-eight sworn officers that are allotted to uh to our department that he brings us up an 88. So Friday before losing one. But right now, good. So first of all, congratulations. It's very one of the uh here is coming to start with us and biologists, I have to add um and we lost a post office a couple of months ago. So I didn't care about that one cross. This is really an important day. And what's crazy that you always see your your peers, right, show up to welcome you because it is a family and we're trying to have you. And we appreciate the work that I you call this I see Kyle back there. Someday we're gonna get him back to Columbus PD archit. We appreciate the the work that you did. So um today is our honor so we're not five. I say the constitution of the man's yeah. The constitution of the state. And then I will face them. And I discharge the duties of my office. And the police officer of the city of Congress. According to law, according to the law. No, this is what's a good way. Congratulations. Uh don't go too far. Can we go to picture with you in the mayor and and uh and cold real quick and sorry?
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