Alrighty.

I'd like to call that to order the Pigeon Creek Watershed Development Commission on April 27th at 1030 here in the Civic Center Room 301.

Attendance, please.

Christy Johnson.

Here.

Linda Freeman.

Here.

Karen Barnhill.

Here.

We have a quorum.

Cheryl Musgrave is not present.

Okay.

Everyone join me in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

And to the Republic.

One nation.

Underground.

All right.

Thank you.

We've got officer elections.

I would like to make a motion that we keep the same officers for next year that we have this year.

We've already we're about halfway in.

So I mean, and we haven't had one board member here for a couple of meetings.

Can I make that motion?

Is that allowed?

Yeah, we um so you the motion would be um to move to reappoint the slate as they currently are.

Um that would be um Linda Freeman as chair, uh Karen Barnhill as Secretary Treasurer, and uh who would be vice chair?

Cheryl.

Cheryl Musgrave is vice chair and Christy Johnson as member.

Yes.

Okay.

I'd like to make that motion.

Do we have a second?

Or any discussion?

We've tabled it.

I mean, have you had any discussion with Cheryl about this?

Any?

No, she hasn't reached out.

But have you sent any emails about this though?

Either.

Not this specific topic, no, but she's been sent the agenda.

So I will just state that she did not want to have Secretary Treasurer.

She resigned from that position.

I know.

I'm saying for the future.

If you want, I mean, just do a check-in beforehand, at least.

Okay.

I mean, she's been communication works both ways.

Right.

I just she's been sent the agendas and things and I'll second the motion.

Okay, we have a first and a second.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

Okay.

Motion carries.

Okay, action items.

Um bookkeeper search.

Um we had our interviews via an executive session.

Last last week.

21st.

Yes.

And we need to.

I'm sorry, I'm a little behind.

I'm not quite here today.

Um a personal tragedy this weekend.

Um we uh had a public notice we've had executive sessions, interviewed uh three candidates of the um about what, six, seven, eight applicants that we received.

Um we conducted those interviews um last week.

Um three of the members were at those executive sessions.

Uh this morning we had a follow-up discussion uh executive session uh for the members to share their opinions on that.

And here we are to appoint the bookkeeper.

I understand that we can have discussion or I can we can table this or uh entertain a motion on uh hiring one of the interviewees.

Yeah, and I would like to say that we did I posted it on indeed uh LinkedIn LinkedIn and Facebook, and then we also got some word of mouth uh when it got out, so that's how we gathered our applicants.

So we did have a fair handful, some of them were uh not very qualified for what we were asking for, and then the three that we picked were had the experience, or at least a portion of the experience that we were looking for.

I will make a motion to have the executive director move forward with no have the word.

On executing a contract with Jimmy Rutherford for bookkeeping services.

I think we would basically it would be very similar to the contract that we had with our previous bookkeeper.

And then that we would have a clause that we could immediately terminate if uh with cause and still carry the 30-day clause of either party could terminate the contract with written notice.

Yes.

Okay.

That's good.

Okay.

So I will second that motion.

Okay.

We have any further discussion.

No.

Okay.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Motion carries.

And I'm going to let Justin take over from here.

Thank you.

Okay.

Under new business.

The next next item we have is like to have a discussion about some discretion for either myself or a combination of myself and the chair and or the Secretary of Treasurer to have a little bit of discretion to pay for either small items, small incidental items for an office, such as like paper or like things under a certain threshold to have that discretion so that if and when we cannot have a meeting we can still kind of conduct business.

Also additionally, I'd like to have some discussion about whether we would or could be able to pay bills if we are not to have a meeting below a certain threshold also.

So I'll I'll just put that out to the board and let me know your thoughts.

Yeah, because one of the things that we thought of once we got those um mosaic tiles for the drone flights was that we really need currently it is backup redundant on the city-county system, but the other side of the coin is we want to be able to like maybe have um an external hard drive so if um something as a another backup, but then also that he could utilize um that Justin, our executive director could utilize to show folks like when he goes to the um enactsome next month, right?

And that he could what's next?

That's the MX4.

The MS4 partnership is next month.

Okay.

So that he would have uh portability because that laptop's not gonna hold those.

I had an opportunity to uh look into the public purchasing uh requirements and state law sets the minimum threshold where it has to be bid out uh and presumably um approved at $50,000.

Uh that seems um very very high, but just just FYI uh everything above 50,000 has to go uh through a bid and the public purchasing requirements.

Um there is um anything below that we can I I'm not suggesting a 50,000 limit.

I will just say that.

That's very generous.

Uh we're just saying that.

I think we're looking at anything in that room, but um like and I'm not looking for that kind of threshold either.

Um I'm just asking about contingencies if if if the board deems that it's not an issue with uh uh having to wait to pay vendors, then that's fine.

I just I don't know how that how that can not happen.

I don't know.

I'm I'm asking the question, I guess.

Well I I could understand uh needing office supplies, envelopes, maybe you know, some folders folders, you know, things like that.

So I would be willing to go up to maybe five hundred dollars to allow you to do some purchasing of internal things like that.

But I don't I'm that's just my thoughts.

You can't.

Yeah, because like like I said, we were thinking about like a terabyte or not even a terabyte, we can get bigger than that.

And we'll probably need bigger than that.

Um but like types of things like that that we've it's like wow, it would be really nice if we had this to be able to utilize, and obviously we're using a lot of the surveyor's office stuff, which I'm pretty cool with, and you know, but sometimes it's like ah you know if it's if it's if it's a hundred bucks or something, it's like uh because our budget's really tight uh in the surveyor's office as well, and uh we typically try to be very frugal.

Um we reuse things.

So but uh five hundred or a thousand.

I was kind of thinking a thousand, but that was just me.

But five hundred is fine, I think as well.

Christy thoughts.

I'm fine with us looking at a discretionary fund.

Um I kind of would prefer this proposal to come from Justin on you know what would be included.

That's discretionary fund along with what amounts.

Yeah.

Um it would be budgeted line item type things.

Um because we do have office supplies already in the budget, it would just be something, you know.

Um and then the other thing I've thought of is if he's on the road and has a flat tire or I mean I think that's all considered emergency type stuff, though that would be not that's not that can be um under the WEX contract.

Um there are auto services that they that you can have done.

Um so that could fall under that and with the WEX account.

That is that is also budgeted under like um I forget the term.

Fuel maybe well it's there's actually a separate there's multiple things in the budget for if something happens to the vehicle.

Right.

Like flat tire or something breaks and I'm out in Indianapolis or something.

Right.

So there is that I think that would cover those types of things.

And with our WEX contract, it is a set uh $500 deposit.

So that encompasses any fuel purchases, or if that card is used to like have the oil changed in the truck, so it kind of has a safeguard of $500 limit uh because we had to do it that way because we were a new entity without credit history and all that kind of stuff.

So that's covered under there.

I'm not exactly looking for anything extra there, more so just odds and ends, office supplies, and then y'all tell me if we don't want to do anything as far as bills being paid um before we can have a meeting, that's fine.

I just wanted to ask the question and and see where everyone was with that kind of situation.

If if it's if it's deemed not to be an issue, that's fine.

I just I didn't know how to handle that.

If we if we like I know some the we're gonna get into this later, but I know some that won't be able to attend.

Well, if we don't have enough to have a quorum, then we can't have a meeting, and those bills can't get approved to be paid.

So that's that's my only question with that.

If it's not deemed anything we need to worry about, that's fine.

Couple couple couple thoughts on the request.

Um I do um think Commissioner Johnson's idea of having a separate sort of discretionary fund established would be a good one that would have a limited amount of whatever the threshold is that could be replenished and budgeted.

Uh there would have to be a follow-up review after you uh made any discretionary expenses.

Um it would have to be you know backed up with the documentation, the receipts.

Um you uh going in before using the fund, you would want to as narrowly as you can define what uh our pre-approved um purchases are, what types of uh you know office supplies or um you know short term uh ancillary expenses, whatever whatever those might be, because if um just if something comes back and the board decides not to retroactively approve that, then Justin, you're probably gonna have personal liability for that expense.

Um I'm not saying that that's gonna happen, but if there is if it's uh questionable or on the border, uh then someone's gonna have to pay that back if it doesn't get approved, and as the purchasing agent, unfortunately that would fall on you.

So the stricter guidelines are directly for your benefit, uh so you don't end up uh holding the bag, so to speak.

Um and then my thoughts on pre-approving purchases, uh I mean, or a public body using public funds, um those funds have to be expended um uh pursuant to public votes, and um I think that vendors know when they are dealing with uh a special district uh that they're gonna be tied up with some public purchasing, and I don't know that there's a way that we can I mean already just with the small office supplies of you know whether it's posted for uh 249 or uh uh you know an external hard drive of $499.

Um, you know, you can pre-approve uh and pre-budget um for a discretionary fund, but you know, these other ongoing expenses or bills, claims as they come in, um I I really think that the open door law requires that that official action be taken at a meeting by a public vote.

Okay.

I'm not sure that there's a way that we can work around that.

And if we have to miss a meeting or reschedule, then um we'll just have to carry those over.

Okay.

Yeah, to add about that, like I yeah, I'm not comfortable pre-approving uh you know receipts from vendors of contracts that we already have.

Um I do think I at least for me moving forward.

I mean, because you know we have other commissions and other groups where we're where it's known that they are paying quarterly, and so those vendors adjust their bills based off of that, knowing that.

So it may be just something in the future before we sign those contracts.

There's expectations on how it have it written into the contract that could be.

Meeting dates, uh you know being being able to approve the the invoiced amount to be paid to the vendor.

Yeah.

I I'm with uh I understand what you're what you're saying.

I uh like I said, I was just asking the question because like the um the commissions that you're referring to, like uh such as Kel Kankiki Yellow River, I know they meet quarterly, so I just didn't know how that was how they did business.

And I have I was going to reach out to Scott Beloff, but I just haven't been able to as of now.

But but if if that's if that's what the the board deems we should do, that's all the more fine with me.

I just wanted the guidance.

Okay, so um do we do we want to set a discretionary line item in the budget, or do we want to say he's got a discretionary amount?

I would see proposal first.

Okay proposal first.

I'm not opposed to it, but okay.

I would I just on the we can do that.

Looking at the budget side and trying to keep things together, I just was like if it's an office supply item, which is what we're basically talking about most uh that it would just be uh an amount uh set amount.

So but Justin can work on that.

Alrighty.

Thank you.

Um you've got the announcement.

Yeah, so the the announcement for 2026 will uh be in September.

Uh wanted to talk to the board about uh allowing me to attend um and uh trying to get that before the the um the cost amount.

Well, I know there's always the early bird.

And that costs through July 31.

Um I believe the the renewal of my membership would be in July also.

Um and uh trying to get that before the the um the cost amount well I know there's always the early bird July 31st if we get the early bird and that costs through July 31 um I believe the the renewal of my membership would be in July also um if it was done now I would still be a member but I would also like to be able to renew that membership I believe it is fifty dollars for said membership so the cost for the registration would be $325 plus the fifty dollar membership fee to go for another calendar year um and the cost of hotel uh I believe it would be for three nights so it would be $330 per the uh discounted rate for government employees uh that they had on uh the NAFSIM website for the con for the uh conference.

Uh just like to ask the board their thoughts if they think I should attend and if so if we could get a vote I definitely think so and then um uh Commissioner Barnhill approached um me week or two ago asking if we could pay for her hotel hotel.

The city is tight with their budget, the city would be paying um the attendance fee, the $325, and then if we could pay the um hotel.

And I do not plan to attend, so it would just be Justin and Karen.

Uh and then if I actually did I my would be paid out of the uh surveyor's office funds anyway, but I think it um there's a lot of good information there.

I remember uh was that was the inafsim where you had all the good handouts?

I think Bella had all those cool handouts at the NAFSA.

I didn't though.

I had none of that.

Oh, okay.

There was there was good information.

Um I know in one of the classes there was one of the projects that the Kankiki Yellow River Commission uh was working on and they explained it nuts and bolts, and it it really kind of helped me understand how we need to attack things.

Um but uh but there again it's up to the commission whether or not y'all want me to attend.

I feel like the NASAM conference provides a lot of opportunities to gather information.

I've been on the board for five or six years, and I do get a lot of good information when I'm there.

Um like you said last meeting or a while ago at the last conference, there were several sessions that specifically tied to watershed and to large creeks and some construction.

So I think that's that's information that is really good for our benefit.

And I think the networking is good too.

Because you run into people and you're like, oh yeah, and you can kind of get more information of how other people are doing things and gives you a pretty good guidance.

So I would like to make a motion to allow um justin the executive director to attend the NAFSIM conference and we pay for his registration, his membership, and his hotel.

Do you want to add I know it's for yourself, but let's do those separate because we have one that's an employee and one that's uh a board member.

So I think that's separate those.

Um also is there a per diem uh that is going to be do we have a policy for that or um I there a lot of meals are included with those.

Yeah, there are there's meals included with that registration fee.

Um, anything beyond that, that would be up to me.

Right, yeah.

And then of course he'd be driving the Pigeon Creek vehicle with the Pigeon Creek um WEX card for fuel.

So um do we need to add that to the motion that he'd be utilizing the vehicle and the fuel card?

No, I don't think so because that's ordinary.

That would be ordinary business.

Okay.

Just like we wouldn't need a motion for him to drive out to examine something on the creek later this afternoon.

Okay, just making sure covering the basis, thank you.

So we have a motion on the floor.

I'll second the motion.

Okay.

Any further discussion?

All those in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

Okay.

Thank you.

Uh thank you.

And Justin can update us about the website and stuff.

We could vote on the Karen's hotel.

Shoot, sorry, Karen.

I'll make a motion.

Can I do that for myself?

Probably should be a good idea.

You could.

Usually people defer when they're for themselves.

But there's no um you're a voting member.

You can bring action.

I'm just gonna step back and let you guys do with the whatever you want to do.

And it won't hurt my feelings any.

No, it's just in general.

Are we okay with this?

Having paying for other board members trainings or conferences.

Maybe just because employees like I don't think I would be able to make a request like that.

So well, um we did set a bit of a precedent.

We did pay for a room one night last year, right?

Yeah.

And I I mean it's a matter of this is further away, so you wouldn't be able to drive back and forth like you were proposing at the last.

This is up in Muncie.

Muncie.

Um I mean uh I think it's totally up to you guys, whatever you think.

I mean, would I mean is it is it a matter of you being able to go or not go if we don't pay for your hotel?

Probably not.

I mean, I'll just have to rearrange and transfer money probably.

But I don't know.

It's okay.

I'll figure it out.

Yeah.

I just know they've you're going through a lot of transition in the office.

Yeah.

So I would really say the least.

I would I would really rather her make sure that she would be able to attend than not, but that's my opinion.

And I know just uh on the on the level of being in the building that that office is going through a lot of transition.

Um they've lost the assistant city engineer, the city engineer was gone.

They have a brand new city engineer, and then there's talk amongst the uh water and sewer some things there that might make things change too.

So that's insider information, I guess.

No pressure whatsoever.

It's whatever you want to do.

It's more of like it's I'm not completely opposed to it.

It's just more of do we need something in place like in our bylaws or something to kind of limit potential requests of for board members on I don't know.

I tend to I tend to agree with that.

I think it should be set forth in the bylaws.

That way there isn't there's no gray area, I guess you would say.

Or the expectation that I want to go, just cause.

I tell you what, I'll just make this easy.

I'm gonna withdraw my request and we'll figure it out.

So just not till uh September for the host.

Yeah, you know, not so you can make your reservation and stuff and then we'll just see where we're at.

And where your office is at, so to speak.

Yeah.

Okay.

Is the hotel pricing subject to the same uh deadlines as the conference or are they just is it a flat rate of it?

I think it's just cutoff date is August the 14th or when the room block is full, whichever happens first, which um I don't think this is the AIC did book up and I think the 16th for the the host hotel.

It's August the 16th.

Um we can look into the I mean we can look back at it.

That's what we're doing.

I do think Commissioner Johnson raises some good questions about conflicts of interest and having um having strict uh guidelines or something, at least a written policy.

So something in there that um that that guides this in the future and guides our decisions and something that we can point to uh with objective determinations if somebody questions.

Okay.

Sounds good.

All right.

Okay.

Uh the next thing on the agenda is an update about the commission website and um the email address attached to it.

Um so I I have received the the link for the website, although in reviewing it, uh I did put in a request with Tyler to change the kind of not so much the structure, but the color the colors that were involved were with it did not come out at all like I had thought that it would.

So I I have received the link for the website, although in reviewing it, I did put in a request with Tyler to change the kind of not so much the structure, but the color the colors that were involved were with it did not come out at all like I had thought that it would.

They were pretty bland in the gray.

Kind of hard to do.

The greens were very great.

It just didn't look good at all.

So I've put in that request.

Linda and I did go through a first training to be able to edit the website.

And we did come up with a solution for a it's not a new account, it's the way it gets directed.

So it would it would come, it would be a and kind of an alias that would be published on the website.

It would be PCWDC info at Vanderburg County.in.gov.

That would be the forward facing email link that would be published.

That would then come if someone uh wants to send an email, has a question, anything that would come to me in a separate I'm sorry, come to myself and Linda in a separate folder in our outlook that it's not a new account, it's just kind of an addition to our email.

And then it it also is if in the future, if either one of us are no longer involved with the commission, it can then just simply be changed through computer services here to be directed to the appropriate person, be it either the new county surveyor or it if I was gone and it's uh the new executive director.

So it it's streams line streamlines it, it eases it so that you don't have to have it turned over too much.

Uh it's just a simple phone call, pretty well.

Yeah, it's more more generic.

Yeah, it's more generic.

Um so that's kind of where we are with the website.

As soon as I hear back about the website and and when they can get those things changed, um I will send out the link for the rest of the board to review, see if there's anything we want to add.

I know there will be a web map link, uh, ArcGIS web map link that we will be developing that will be uh in conjunction with Christopher Burke, and we'll we'll link that to the website whenever we get something more tangible there in the future.

So again, this is there's no action uh to be had here, it's just more of an informational update of where we are with that.

So uh if there's is there any questions that that you might have for me?

I would just like to make a comment.

We are trying to get like uh Commissioner Musgrave wanted a an email account like for her type of thing, but we haven't really been able to pin that down.

Just wanted to put that out there.

Um we've been chasing our tails on that one.

Um we've gone tried to go through the um Indiana stuff and the vendor's not been real um, they've not been very responsive.

Yes.

Um the vendor in question.

Um they're kind of a middleman anyway.

It would go toward it would actually go with like a Microsoft email account or like a Google email account, which I think uh Commissioner Musgrave already has anyway.

So I don't know if that's really anything we want to be going after because there would be an associated cost.

With it with what we're doing now, there's no additional associated cost with because it's not a secondary email account.

It's my same account, Linda's same account.

It's just a matter of it's kind of a group email situation.

Yeah, it's redirected.

Yeah.

So that's where things stand with that.

Um the next item on the agenda, unless you had unless there's other comments or questions.

I a question.

Sure.

Was there an estimated time frame of rollout?

For the website.

I would like to get it out in the next two weeks.

Oh, okay.

I think if we can kind of work through things.

And I'm comfortable with being.

Is it?

Oh, it's still there.

Okay.

Hopefully, if I have a good comfortability level with editing and we can get the aesthetics fixed, I don't see any reason why we couldn't at least have it live so that people will be able to find the um the minutes of previous meetings, they'll be able to know what our calendar is looking like, what events that we might be involved with, such as like the tree swap and when that is and stuff like that.

So I think there will be an initial implementation, and then over the next months it'll be tweaked in to uh fit everything that we want to put on there.

But yeah, I I think that can happen in the next two to three weeks.

Like for review amongst the board.

Uh review maybe over the next two weeks and then maybe the third week we can go ahead and pop it up.

We can uh make it live.

Um next thing on the agenda is um for somewhat informational, but we kind of do need a vote too.

Um I was approached by um Aaron Schaup and Megan Clink at the most recent Lower Pigeon Creek uh meeting that I attended.

Um they are going to be soliciting uh a 319 grant in the next um in this cycle.

In the next cycle, which that funding I believe wouldn't come in until 20 2027, I'm thinking.

Um they were looking for a letter support from the commission to basically put in their packet so that it uh bolsters their candidacy.

Do they have a specific project or something that they're wanting to grant for?

I I think it's a vast array of projects.

It's not any one project.

I think did they have a dollar amount they're going for?

I don't know that right now.

Okay.

Yeah, we we put in a letter of support last year of 15,000, right?

In kind.

I I don't remember honestly.

That if it could be right, but I I just honestly don't know that right offhand.

Oh, so the 319 is a uh grant that you we give support and we're offering in kind type of things.

Um we can just an out of the time for meetings.

Time for meetings, time for meetings.

Um they need like uh mapping that a little bit a little survey work or anything along those lines.

Um I'm assuming this is for implementation funds.

Yes that would include the pigeon creek watershed.

Correct.

Correct.

So do we have a we do we have a motion to do the same as we did last year?

I think was 15,000.

And that's in kind dollars.

In kind of actual funds.

Or you're also not held to it.

Right.

Okay.

We don't have to actually say what we do.

In the LARSA's support letter or in the letters, they like to put that, but it's not like we're held to that.

Okay.

Yeah.

So it's we'll report what we do contribute for in-kind match, but it's not like we have to get to that certain amount that we said we would.

Right.

I'll make the motion to send a letter of support for 15,000.

I will second that motion.

Okay, we have a motion and a second for um SWCD in-kind support of 15,000.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

Aye.

All right, thank you.

Uh oh.

The C D.

So the next thing on the agenda is the uh PCWDC CD investment maturity.

Uh, as provided in the packet, there is uh the final maturity notice for the current CD.

And it's the issue value was 101,422 and 87 cents.

Um the maturity balance will be on May the 1st, 2026, 103,000.

I'm sorry, 103,082 and 59 cents.

Looking for the board.

Board's guidance guidance, whether we want to reinvest this money or whether we would like to keep these funds in reserve in our bank account.

So yeah.

Yeah.

We need a motion in that regard.

Right.

And then whether or not the term, whether we want to go five months at 375, four months at 369, or six months at four and a four twenty.

I would also like I have a potential proposal.

Okay.

Thank you.

Is if we also want to start look at maybe staggering CDs.

So instead of doing 100,000 for six months, like do we want to do you know, fift only 50,000 now and then three months open up another CD for another $50,000.

So it's a little bit more if we know of any upcoming expenses, then we can skip it, you know.

Right.

And then I mean we are we should be seeing our June settlement towards the end of June, and we're probably looking at about the same as last year.

Um but yeah, that's a great idea.

I I just don't know if the rates, what the rates are going to look like in that room.

Do you did did you have to ask like what the amounts were with these?

I think we're okay amount-wise if we do a 50,000.

I believe it was I think at the minimum was like 10,000, I want to say.

Okay.

Um you are right, Linda, that you know, in three months the rates may be different.

So it's just and then I don't know how the amounts work either.

This I don't have this kind of money to we only have one CD, right?

Correct.

Correct.

Right now, okay.

Yes.

The amount that you make off of interest would be the same on whether it was 100,000 or 50,000 or two.

Oh, okay.

Okay, are you just maybe are we thinking just for this go split this?

Oh, sorry, I meant like the amount that you make off of interest.

Yeah.

Like if you did, you know, like one CD for 100,000 or two CDs for 50,000, it'd be the same amount.

Yeah, if the rate, if the rates are the same.

If the rates are the same, yeah.

I apologize.

I think I forgot to run the executive director's report.

It had the balance of what we have currently, which I believe.

You may have not included it in your package.

Um I believe it was 199,000 is what we have cash on hand currently.

Um the balance as of April 27th is 240, 240,753 and nine cents.

I don't know if that number is correct though.

Because that was also April 27th.

Did you mean March?

Yes, that's my fault.

Sorry.

I apologize.

Okay.

March.

Because I was like, yeah.

Because it should be it, it should be after what came out between the March meeting and this meeting should have been around 199,000.

If I remember correctly.

So yeah, I know I'm pretty sure we're right at 200,000 in the account.

And I know expenses-wise, um, and I don't know when that would be invoiced.

Uh the amount for the stream gauge is a little over $28,000 that we would pay.

That includes the initial outlay for the gauge itself of the $22,500 that we would be reimbursed for uh after the project is completed.

And then the uh the other amount is the uh first yearly operation and maintenance fee uh for USGS to operate the gauge itself.

Which all that is actually in it's in the budget where you've way clear for that.

Um what do we want to like the CD?

What how do we want to roll with that?

I think the idea of staggering is a good idea.

Yeah.

I I kind of do too.

Thank you for bringing that up.

Because looking at all the expenses coming in.

That's reengage and yeah, we may need it.

Like we'll get reimbursed, but we have to have the money up front.

Yeah.

Yes, I kind of agree.

Do we want to do the $50,000 with United Fidelity Bank for six months for the 4.2?

Um as long as Justin is able to confirm that that's still the same rate for 50,000.

Yeah.

So I wouldn't I would have to contact and um confirm.

I do well, I say that.

Um the the old national term, that is the current, that is the most current because that's who we're with now, and I simply emailed them for their current term and rate.

Um this was the shortest one.

They offered a I believe it was a 10 month and 12 month also.

I didn't include those because I figured we wanted to be flexible.

Yeah, we want to be more liquid than that, I think.

Um the others were the others besides Old National Bank were taking off of their current rates published on their web various websites.

Um if we want to and then just re maybe renew the second fifty thousand for or do we not want to do two?

We just want to do one or do two staggering.

Well, if we're trying to stagger them, um that's what I'm looking at is like I don't know like these terms.

Three months or they're gonna be four months.

We've got four, six, five with the like well, and the three months not terrible.

Or do we wouldn't have to do that?

I wonder if United Fed Fidelity if they did they have a three-month did you say?

No?

Uh not published anyway.

I haven't contacted them directly.

Um was the staggering so that they was it intended so that the the CDs we don't have a hundred thousand dollars in CD ending at the same time, or was it so that we don't have a hundred thousand dollars locked up going forward until our next tax distribution?

What what was the objective of the staggering?

Do we I was thinking so we didn't have a hundred thousand dollars locked up for another six months.

So so your suggestion was to do 50 now, keep 50 liquid, and then we reassess uh what we could invest because I I think that it goes to your question, Karen.

I'm good with that um option.

I'm also good with if you were wanting to look at a six month and three month one.

Okay.

Um as long as we don't think as long as we think we're fine within those next three months, which I think we should be fine.

I think we should be too.

And we should be getting in at the end of June, we should be uh at minimum around 250,000.

Uh last year it was more than that because most people pay their taxes the whole thing.

Yeah.

Pay their whole tax bill for the year.

I think it was in the neighborhood of $310,000 was the was the uh distribution.

How about we look at United Fidel United Fidelity Bank for six months at 4.2 with 50,000?

Um and then we'll have the other deposited into our German American account.

Just and let it sit for um let it be there.

I think just let it sit there.

Um that money could then pay for the outlay for the stream gauge and none of the rest of the funds that are currently in the account would be touched for that particular item.

Um if it's and I don't know when it will be invoice either.

I don't know when it's gonna be installed necessarily.

Um but that would that would pay for that.

But why would we want to let it sit in the account and not draw any interest if we could get it for three months and drawing the case?

Do the three do the three months at 360 or see what kind of fidelity has if they do have a three-month CD?

I can I can ask the question.

Um pretty good return coming in here for the CDs that we've got.

I mean, I guess our current funds does it like in the savings or checking, does it have any interest with it?

No.

No, it does not.

Yeah.

So yeah, it does make sense to make some interest on it.

Um so could be.

The three months would be the first federal unless you can talk to United Fed Fidelity and see if they have a three-month.

And I and I can also ask the whole national.

Well, yeah, and they may be they may be willing to to get the they would still be having the full 100,000 and I'm saying the interest as well when I'm saying that we could roll let it all roll.

We could roll let it all roll.

Roll the total amount.

And then maybe they would be willing to say, sure.

So I don't.

I think that I would like to do that.

Okay, so I gotta put it into a motion.

I would like to make a motion.

To allow the executive director to check to see if I would like to put half of it.

Put half of it in a six-month CD with United Fidelity at the 4.20%, and to check with them to see if they have a three-month at the same interest rate.

If they do not, then research these others and use the highest interest rate that we could get for a three month.

For the three months.

Solely just the three months or just let's break that down into half and the six-month united fidelity at 4.2 percent.

Okay.

I make that motion.

Okay.

And I'll confirm that number with them.

If it changes drastically, I'll come back to the board.

Okay.

That's my motion.

I will second that motion.

Okay.

Okay.

My second motion would be to have or should we vote on it first?

Oh, yeah.

Oh, sorry.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Because we've had plenty of discussion already.

Okay.

And then I will make a motion for us to open up a different CD with the other second half of the money.

For a three-month term.

Okay.

A rate of 3.6 or higher.

Okay.

Then if perchance 3.6 or higher is not still on the table, what do we want to do?

Do we want to say at least 3%, 3.5%?

I'm just I'm being just to clarify real quick.

You said a three-month term only or three or four.

No, she said three.

Three only.

Okay.

3.6 or higher.

I think that that should work.

I mean, that's hopefully.

I think that'll work.

I second that.

One suggestion.

Um should we clarify that uh he's to check that the executive director is to check at these approved institutions on the list.

Yeah.

Keep it with our approved vendors.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Uh-oh.

Go walk over there.

It's over there.

Wave it.

Nobody's moved enough.

There we go.

Yeah, there's a motion thing over there.

Okay.

Okay.

So motion to for the psycho director.

Half.

Three month CD.

Open up a three-month CD for other half of the money at a rate of 3.6 or higher at with one of the financial institutions on this list that was provided to us at this meeting today.

Okay.

Any further discussion?

Karen's writing.

So I'll second that motion.

Okay.

So we have first by Christie, second by Karen.

Any further discussion?

I don't think we've been discussing.

All those in favor.

Aye.

Aye.

Aye.

All right.

Thank you.

Okay.

Moving on.

This is this is more of a discussion.

We had had a little bit of discussion informally.

And the first half of this, I don't really think that it applies after talking with Craig about it.

But the second half, I I would like to get the opinion of the board.

And mainly about how do we how do we feel like we need to be involved with the approval process if if we can be involved of the sites that are potentially going to come about for septic slash grease grease trap dumping that would be by some of the local vendors that handle uh septic and or grease from uh restaurants and so forth.

Do we need do we need to approach the commissioners?

Do we need to approach a different regulatory agency?

Uh I kind of feel like if it's if it's within the watershed, we at least need to be notified and give some sort of letter of approval or something of that nature.

Or at least been notified of this site.

Correctly.

Correct.

Um I would just like to have a discussion about that.

Yeah, I don't know what DNR or IDEMs or any of their because these would have to go probably before state board approvals as well for these dump sites, and I just we really don't know what what restrictions are there that would protect um they did notify the MS4 for the last one that tried to go through.

Right.

The one on Allen's Lane.

Yes.

Yeah.

This is IDEM that regulates stuff like this.

So I am not super familiar with those statutes or how they operate.

I'm not really aware of this whole situation that's being brought up right now as well.

Uh so I we kind of got I will say for the commission.

We don't deal with septic.

So I don't really know how much say or what we can how much we can do.

I think we'd like to be at least notified where they're going to be.

How how was the MS4 notified for the previous one?

Uh who who notified you and I believe it did come from IDEM.

Okay.

Because I I what I don't know is does this is this a site review process here locally that that uh or is this a state administration?

Because I know that to build the septic receiving pit, you know, the the major hurdle, I guess, is you have to have your plans approved through the EWSU, uh there all their checks in process, and I don't know if that's something internal with that department or if they're working with IDEM or if they're working with other agencies, but it seems that uh it's at that point that the triggering of the notice to us, at least saying, hey, this is going into your watershed would be uh it would be most logical to happen at that point, as opposed to somehow intercepting or interceding an additional step in there that I'm not sure this commission has the police power to do.

Yeah, I do not necessarily police.

I just I think well that that's a general that's a legal term of art that general that you can pass generally applicable, you know, uh ordinances for the protection of the public at large as opposed to specifically.

Do we think at least if we could ask for a notification if and when these sites come about because while yes, we may not have any powers to stop anything or to change anything, it would be at least nice to be able if if there is something in question if we have a consensus that as a commission we'd be able to voice that opinion if if we think there's something that maybe doesn't quite I can't I can provide contact information any anything like that that that anybody has to do, they have to go to um the water stormwater division of IDEM if they're gonna discharge or even if they're not going to discharge, they're kind of changing the industrial permit now, so it's it's done differently.

It's a core it's according to sick codes.

So and they're working their way through that update right now.

So I feel like at this point, maybe just reaching out to Randy Braun, who is over the stormwater division with IDEM.

Uh-huh.

With IDEM.

And um I can give you the contact information.

Okay.

And maybe just reach out to him and see what exactly they're gonna have to do through IDEM to get their approval because it'll be different if they're discharging and if they're not discharging.

I don't know how they're gonna be doing with the emergency, like if the if something would happen, the pipe would burst.

Yeah, do they have do they have uh a diking system?

Do they you know how is that?

Yeah, and we're how close it's gonna be to actual stream location.

Is it in is that kind of in the floodplain?

Is it in hopefully not in a floodway?

Right.

Yeah, I think that that's probably what the way I would like to see it go is just reach out to him and get some information from them before we start asking to add us to a list and then we'll get something that's we don't even care about.

Okay.

Sounds good.

Okay.

So no action needed on this.

Um future meeting attendance.

Um I've reached out and we have currently found out that um Christy's not going to be able to make the May or June meeting.

Craig will not be able to make the June meeting.

Um we have options that are that Craig sent us.

Um I did reach out to Craig and he said that what June the 15th, if we rescheduled would be the better date.

I would prefer to do it a week earlier as opposed to the Monday I returned from my vacation.

And then I didn't know if that would work for Christie.

Um June the 15th would work.

Okay.

Because let me check my um because I would have to check with uh building authority to make sure we're good for availability.

Yep.

June 15th works for me.

Would Karen's looking at her calendar?

And I think you looked at mine, didn't you, Justin?

I don't remember it.

I've slept since then.

True then, yeah, definitely.

Uh let's see.

Give me a second.

Correct.

Probably.

June.

Yeah.

June 15th.

Is okay with me.

Okay.

So we have the potential of us three, and then we could reach out to Cheryl.

I have not heard from her as far as any of these other future dates.

Um, do we want to make a motion to move our June meeting uh to June the 15th at 10 o'clock in this room if it's available?

I would like to make that motion.

Okay.

I will second it.

Okay.

We have a motion and a second, and we've discussed uh any more discussion.

Do we need to add any kind of language uh if the room is not available?

Um the next if I don't why don't we just in the civic center uh whatever room is available that has streaming service?

Okay.

So amended that's that's um we'll cover it.

Okay.

Um all those in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Okay.

June the 15th.

And I'll make sure the proper notices sent out.

Um just that would be like an amendment to the dates or something.

I could send it out any time, right?

Is that after we get confirmation, I think we can do that.

Yes, after we have confirmation of which room we would be utilizing.

You can send it out anytime uh as long as it's 48 hours before June 15th.

Okay.

Okay.

That should be doable.

Okay.

Umsurance policy renewals.

I'll let you go.

Yeah.

Uh so uh we received an email from Angela with Torian Insurance about the renewal for the crime policy and the I don't I can't remember what the other acronym means.

EPLI is the acronym.

I don't remember what that means.

I think it's employee uh it's an employee.

Yeah, I think so.

Um These are the same injured insurance we carried.

So the first invoice in your packet is what we paid last year for both of these policies, and then the next two are each one of the what the renewal would be.

Um the rate didn't change for the actual policies either either of them.

The policy fee um for each of them did change.

Uh for the EPL policy, uh the policy fee went from a hundred dollars to two hundred dollars, and everything else was the same, and the uh crime policy, the fee the policy fee went from a hundred dollars to a hundred and fifty dollars, and then the policy amount stayed the same also.

So an increase of fifty dollars on the crime policy, an increase of a hundred dollars on the EPL uh policy for the policy fees themselves.

So that's where we're at.

Uh just looking for an action to approve these policy renewals.

And payment.

Uh the payment of the policy renewals.

Alright, I'll make a motion to approve the proposals from Tory and Insurance for the crime and employment practices liability policies that we currently have to renew them for another year.

I'll second that motion.

Any further discussion?

All those in favor.

Aye.

Hi.

Aye.

Okay.

Yeah, he'll be able to do that.

Old business.

Tree swap.

Justin.

Uh yes.

Update on the tree swap program.

I believe they are going to take delivery on May the 2nd.

Correct.

That's correct.

As of now, we had committed to around 130 trees.

Previously, they had gotten requests for 30 through the City Arborish on Dickerson to get 30 trees to plant at Wesselman Woods that are replacing Bradford pears that are being removed along Lynch Road in the city.

As of now, there are an additional around 30 uh people that have solicited SWCD for trees to be replacing the Bradford pairs in various other locations too.

So as of right now, we have a we have around 60.

Um that was as of last Friday.

I heard a radio report on this program on uh I believe Thursday or Friday.

I did a pretty heavy blitz with it.

Um I was posting it on Facebook.

Hopefully we get some.

And I the commissioners uh posted it on their Facebook page.

I sent it again, I sent it to um news media uh and some other interested parties.

So we we tried to boost it up there again, and we may have more out there there may be a few more.

I I don't look for it to be the initial what we had thought out lane, but but we don't have to pay for those because we're not taking delivery on those trees.

Yeah, so that's uh that's where we're at with uh that program.

Um if there's unless there's any other discussion or question about that, I guess I could move on to the next item.

Good.

Okay.

Uh the next item under old business is an update on the aerial mapping project.

Um all the field work is done in the areas that we were able to do uh save for the three mile section that they were unable to get the waiver from the FAA in time to do the project.

Um I did speak with Philip uh oh my gosh.

I'm blanking on his last name.

Bernard Philip Bernard with uh Frontier Geospatial, and he was of the opinion that going back at a later date, you really wouldn't get any coverage what after the leaves would uh would be out like they are.

Yeah, we're past that.

We're kind of past that.

Um I have taken delivery of the tiles themselves.

They're they're in the neighborhood of a hundred to a hundred and twenty tiles um of aerial, they're they're big, they're chunks of a bigger overall.

Yeah, it's massive.

The I asked Philip to break it into his flight sections.

I believe there were 11, but some of those sections were like nine through eleven, some of them were like six through eight.

So he's going to create uh mosaics that are easier to put in a CAD drawing, put in RGIS, uh that instead of all these in little individual tiles, which I said there's over a hundred of them uh to be loaded in, don't have to do that.

He's creating kind of like what the um county has done with their uh mosaic tiles, it's big chunks of the county as as an overall doing the same principle here.

Um larger chunks, but they're still easy to bite off for the CAD programs.

Correct, correct.

So I think I um am only lacking maybe one of those.

Uh I will I'll have to look back at uh at make sure that that is correct.

Um but they these all have been passed on to Christopher Burke also.

If any of any of you would like to have them, um they are very big files, just like I said before.

Um I forget exactly how big the mosaics are, but they are gigabytes of data, not megabytes.

So can I make a suggestion?

Sure.

Maybe there's a way that we could talk to Laura and see if we could get a share file on the W drive so that we could maybe share them.

I can share them as of now through the OneDrive folder.

I have up to a terabyte.

Oh, okay.

Yeah that I can share.

Oh, okay.

Yeah.

And they're really, oh my gosh.

They're very clear.

They are all right.

It actually identifies some areas that I hadn't previously seen before where there could be options for us to do.

Um in particular, the previously mentioned area on the eastern county line is actually worse than what it has been previously.

Um so I do think there's needs to be some discussion about something there because it is deteriorating somewhat as to what it was previously.

So again, it it's this was definitely beneficial for those types of areas in particular.

I think it really identifies and it's gonna hone in for our work plan areas that we need to address.

So that's where we are with that.

It's it's almost complete.

Um to be able to fully distribute.

Most of it has been distributed already, but just wanted to make sure, make sure that we have everything that we need out of this particular project.

Okay.

Any questions, comments?

No.

Okay.

Consent items, approval of the March 23rd, 2026 uh meeting dates, and then we also have the um executive session that we had the 21st available, which is very it's a just uh very discussion about it.

You've got that paper.

I'm sorry.

You're talking about the meeting the meeting memorandum for the executive session in your name.

Yes, meeting memory and yes, and then the approval of the March 23rd, 2026 meeting minutes.

We have two items.

Oh, yes, yes, okay.

Um blanked moment.

So uh we need a motion to approve the uh March 23rd, 2026 meeting minutes, which are actual like full-blown minutes.

Yes, the executive sessions are uh summary.

But I'm talking about the meeting minutes.

I'll just motion to approve the divorce with their PCWDC meeting list.

I'm just gonna do that.

I can second it.

Yeah, do we just want to do all the consent items?

Oh, oh, sorry, yes.

Well that's why I'm a little bit confused.

I think that she she wanted to read into the consent items, the executive session meeting memorandum because they're not listed.

Yes.

So I guess the motion is probably to add those two to the consent item, and then we can approve the consent item with those two meeting memorandum added.

Okay.

Um I like that path forward, yes.

Yes, okay.

And then actually I would like to make um double check that finance report uh and make the make the corrections for the um I yes executive director's report.

Um that um I am in my motion to approve all of the stuff to each yes, make the correction to the executive and then the uh executive session that we had.

Okay.

And we have a second.

Yes?

Okay, and all those in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

Okay.

Sorry.

Thanks for that.

Uh I haven't had a lot of sleep.

I'm sorry.

Um and then just uh uh for informational purposes kind of uh redundancy, we do have the claims that have been paid listed.

Um just for more record keeping, I guess would be what go ahead.

And those are the recurring ones that get paid kind of in between meetings.

This is just so we keep track of it so that it's in a couple places.

I understand what what uh you were saying more so now.

Uh so I going forward, I think this is how I will format it if if you're good with that.

I would I would like to have them on there just so everybody knows, hey, between this meeting and this meeting, these are the recurring ones that get paid that don't need approval because they're recurring.

Okay.

Approved recurring.

They're um well, like a set like the salary and the stipends and the uh insurance and then I think that this is a good way to do it uh with uh any potential regulatory action or review that may be coming.

So I think this is a good way to do it.

Okay.

Um public comment public comment.

Bella?

Since you're left, you're the only one left.

Thank you.

Any public comment from the board members that they just you know thank goodness for the rain.

Hopefully it doesn't get too crazy.

We need the moisture.

Yeah, and I'll be uh I'll be going out in the field probably tomorrow after we see what is uh what we get out of this storm system.

Um I went out last Friday and there really wasn't a whole lot that was of note in the spots that I was able to get to.

But uh yeah, we'll definitely be investigating and continue identifying spots via our uh aerial photography to check on and check into.

And then uh I do have a meeting set up with Beth Beth Clarizia with Burke Engineering tomorrow.

We're going to fine-tune next steps where we're carrying to uh in regards to the work plan, what we need to be focusing on.

And uh probably if if you all have suggestions about when we would want to do the second of I believe three um public stakeholder meetings, I'm all for suggestions.

I think we kind of would have to we'd take our lead from Christopher Burke to see when they would be um and where it needs to fall in what they're doing.

Is that I mean is that fair a fair assessment or I think it depends on what type of information they're trying to get out of the meeting from the public.

Um I also say I am concerned about their schedule.

I think they're putting a lot at the end, and I do worry about having enough review time and for them to make edits before the contract ends.

Yeah.

So I would just be weary that uh that's kind of what I'm gonna be trying to hammer home is we need to we need to push forward and we need to get um maybe some uh more on the front end of the middle of the year, try to get things moving forward at a brisker pace.

I I think you're exactly right in your assessment there.

Okay, so you could apprise us of that when you talk to Beth.

How much how much time does the board need?

Are they gonna need to review the draft of this final plan?

I I don't know what this final plan is gonna look like, so I I'm not further familiar with the technical.

It was my recollect that they are only giving us a month.

Like that they were gonna submit the draft in November.

And it's my experience when you have a document that's over 100 pages long.

It's not gonna be enough time.

So we really need to just between like how long it takes them and us for reviewing, maybe move it to ask them about because the contract ends December 31st, if I am correct.

So you have the holidays as well.

Yeah, the holidays.

And I think at minimum we need it November 1st.

At bare minimum.

Uh and really preferably earlier than that.

Like maybe the middle of October to be able to review and if we like Christy was saying, if we need to pivot or make changes.

Or yeah.

We need to be able to do that.

So would so that on December 31st, it's in pin in concrete.

This is how we're moving forward.

Yeah.

But we would uh our meeting in December is it's earlier.

It's yeah, because of the holidays.

Yeah.

It is the 14th, December the 14th.

And our November meeting is November the 16th.

October meeting is the 26th.

I think I think we need to have it no later than that.

Before the 26th of October.

Is that the 26th of October, maybe mid-October.

Yeah.

Maybe a week before that.

Can you maybe kind of I will animate that too, Beth, and say, hey, we need to.

It the only bad part about that is we won't get as much input from farmers and stuff because that time of year is so ridiculously hectic for them.

Yeah.

Well we'll do what we can do.

We'll go with what we can.

Right.

If yeah.

Okay.

Um we did get all that information, or we there was a lot of publicity about uh is a U of E student and a kayaking, and they're trying to do something to help clean up Pigeon Creek.

So I don't know if they'll come I think survey with it.

Yes.

Yeah.

Which I haven't filled out yet, but I will fill out fill it out.

Did you get it in the I don't remember?

I may not have forwarded it.

Okay.

But we have apparently there's a U of V student that's been kayaking up Pigeon Creek and been note making note of some different things.

They uh created a survey and um we may be they may I don't know what what they're but just informational at this point, I guess is what I'm trying to say.

Okay.

So that might be a partnership that we would want to maybe get involved in.

Yeah, with you to see what they're doing.

U of E USI.

Yeah.

I kind of when I did the survey, I put a note at the end that we were, you know, we had a commission for the creek, and that if they found out anything they needed to kind of so we would know.

Well, yeah, and then anyway.

I had spoken to him on the phone, but we got wires crossed, and evidently I didn't take his email address downright because it bounced back to me whenever I sent.

I sent him some information.

I sent him uh our meeting dates and that that before.

Um but then he was we able we were able to get reconnected through uh Carrie Parmaner with the Nature Conservancy.

Um and then uh I believe that email included uh Megan and Aaron at SWCD and maybe Megan Ritter's camp with ISDA and uh I don't remember exactly.

He had a post on Facebook too.

I think my husband tagged me in it.

Right.

There you go.

Yep, yeah.

My sister sent it to me again.

I was like, yeah, we got that from multiple sources.

So just FYI on that, and we'll make sure we get that to you.

Um but yeah, so other than that, I don't have anything.

I make a motion to adjourn 10 fifty or eleven fifty-three.

I'm sorry.

I will second.

Uh okay.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Hi.

Hi.

Thank you.

My sister's name is Christy.

Every time I write your name, I put an E.