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).