Oh, my microphone was on, sorry.

The honorable council of the city of Evansville is hereby called to order.

Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

Councilman Truckman.

Councilwoman Taylor.

President.

Councilman Haronymus.

Here.

Councilwoman Hatfield?

Here.

Councilwoman Kaylor Lindsay?

Here.

Councilman Brickmeyer?

Here.

Councilman Green?

Here.

Councilman Johnson.

Here.

Councilwoman Allen.

Here.

There being eight members present, one member absent.

Hereby representing a quorum.

I declare the session of the Common Council officially opened.

We'll start with the Pledge of Allegiance.

Councillor Haronimus would it lead us?

And to the Republic for which it stands.

One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Please join me now in a moment of silence.

Fellow council members and those in the audience, welcome to the April 27th, 2026 meeting of the Common Council.

Approval of meeting uh memorandum.

Is there a motion to approve the meeting memorandum of April 13th, 2026 meeting of the Common Council as written?

So moved.

Second.

Second.

Okay.

It has been first and second.

All in favor?

Okay.

So ordered.

Reports and communications.

Emailed material, ordinances G 2026-10.

G 2026-11.

F 2026-03 amended.

F 2026-04.

F 2026-06.

Resolution C 2026-15.

Area Plan Commission report for April 2026 weights and measures monthly report, March through April 2026.

And on your DASIS evening, extended agenda.

Is there a motion to acknowledge the reports and communications?

Submitted.

Second.

Okay, we have a first by Councillor Kaler Lindsay, a second by Councillor Hieronymus.

All in favor?

Aye.

So ordered.

Special orders of the day.

There are no special orders this evening.

Consent agenda.

First reading of ordinances and resolutions.

Ordinance G 2026-10 and ordinance of the City of Evansville, Indiana, approving the issuance of bonds of the City of Evansville Redevelopment District.

Ordinance G 2026-11 and ordinance of the Common Council, the City of Evansville, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, approving a payment in lieu of taxes agreement for affordable housing project.

Ordinance F 2026-04 and ordinance authorizing the issuance of the City of Evansville, Indiana.

Taxable economic development tax increment revenue bonds, series 2026, the Republic Project.

And the lending of the proceeds thereof to Gooden Bow Bowen.

Excuse me, Bowen, Evansville LLC, or an affiliate permitted assignee thereof and authorizing or approving other actions in respect there too.

Ordinance F 2026.

Is there a motion to adopt the consent agenda as written?

So moved.

Second.

All in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed?

So ordered.

Committee reports.

Ms.

President, the area plan commission submits the following recommendations.

Ordinance R 2026.

Comes forward with a recommendation for approval, having eight affirmative votes.

Is there a motion to acknowledge the committee reports?

Second.

It's been uh first by Councillor Brinkmeyer and second by Councillor Hieronymus.

All in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed?

So ordered.

Regular agenda.

Second reading of ordinances and resolutions.

Ordinance G, 2026-09, and ordinance of the Common Council, the City of Evansville, Indiana, amending Chapter 16.10, floodplain management of the Evansville Municipal Code.

Sorry, what?

Are you Oh yeah, that's me.

Okay, sorry.

Okay.

Is there a motion to adopt ordinance G 2026 09?

So moved.

Second.

Uh floor is now open for discussion of this item among council.

Do we have anybody from Steve Bumble?

Okay.

Thank you, Council.

Thank you, uh City Councillor.

Um my name is Bill Petke.

I represent the Builders Association.

And I really want to thank our legal team, uh, the the Trockman uh team and uh uh condees for really digging into this.

This was something that was really uh the way we had it in the beginning was gonna be a really pro real problem for development inside the city limits.

And um we got to the bottom of it by working with uh DNR and finding out what our realistic uh standards need to be, and we got them.

So I hopefully we'll be able to uh work with our staff to get the lower insurance rates on the flood rates also be able to do that.

Cool.

Josh, thank you very much for working on this.

Thank you, Bill.

I mean, I I would just say I I did send an email to you guys explaining this ordinance, but essentially it's repealing and replacing chapter 1610 of our local code in its entirety to establish an updated floodplain management standards uh for all areas that are in the special uh flood hazard area within the city's jurisdiction.

Um as you guys might know, the city is a participant in FEMA's national insurance uh program under which the city is encouraged to adopt and maintain FEMA compliant floodplain management regulations in this regard, you know, beyond baseline compliance, updated ordinances, um this ordinance in its itself, excuse me, is uh expected to improve the city's CRS rating score from an eight to hopefully a seven, um which would essentially increase the floodplain insurance discount that is offered to individuals and businesses operating in that area by uh 10 to 15 percent.

Um so as Bill mentioned, this ordinance was developed over probably six or seven months with the NI the NFPI coordinator at DNR, um, the county commissioners, the building commission, Morley Engineering, the Builders Association.

So it was a um a productive group.

Um so happy to answer any questions you guys might have about that.

Any comments, questions from members of council?

Okay, hearing none.

Any comments, questions from members of the public regarding this matter before council?

Hearing none, madam clerk, please call the roll.

Councilwoman Taylor.

Yes.

Councilman Hironimus?

Yes.

Councilwoman Hatfields?

Aye.

Councilwoman Kaler Lindsay?

Aye.

Councilman Brinkmeyer?

Aye.

Councilman Green?

Aye.

Councilman Johnson.

Aye.

Councilwoman Allen.

Aye.

There being eight ayes and zero nays, ordinance G 2026-09 is hereby declared adopted.

Ordinance F 2026-03 amended an ordinance of the Common Council, the City of Evansville authorizing transfers of appropriations, additional appropriations, and repeal and reappropriation of funds for various city funds.

Is there a motion to accept the amendment for ordinance F 2026-03?

So moved.

Second.

Okay.

All in favor?

Aye.

Is there a motion to adopt ordinance F 2026-03 amended?

So moved.

Second.

Okay.

Open to Robert.

Okay.

Good evening, Robert Gunter with the controller's office.

Uh we have two amendments we'd like to make to the 2026 budget.

The first one is moving $15,000 from the ARPA interest to DMD so that they can use that for the mobile home relief fund for the residents.

Excuse me.

At Oak Hill Road, Trader Park.

So again, that's coming from the ARPA interest.

You want to vote on these each one?

Um I thought of it.

No.

No, we'll go through them all.

Okay, go ahead.

And the the second one is we're using $33,000 from the Terre Haute casino payment that we received last year.

We received $900,000 from that casino.

We'd like to put $33,000 of that into the downtown Poulu.

It's the new downtown bathroom right next to the Mets station there at the at the quarter.

So this will be this will completely use part of this for wrap, and then the rest of it about 28,000 will be used to pay the downtown Evansville and improvement district to maintain the facility over the course of the year.

So this Portland Lew it's expected to be available 24-7 for folks downtown.

Let me defer that to Adam.

Yes.

Okay.

Great.

And other discussion?

Just a question then on the loo.

Do we know going forward what the cost is going to be to the city to maintain this?

That's what it about $28,000 a year.

We'll pay that to the downtown Evansville Improvement District.

And they will.

And then will we always be able to take that payment from the casino funds that we get from Terra Haute.

Well get we'll get another payment this year, and that will be the last payment.

So we're thinking this year or next year will be used.

And then going forward, we'll have to figure out where that's going to come from.

Okay.

Thank you.

Any other discussion from council.

I want to just talk a little bit about this particular project and how beneficial it's going to be to downtown.

Having worked in homeless services, uh our challenge in the downtown, and I know uh Adam can attest to this is uh the lack of available amenities uh for our unhoused neighbors.

Um I I want to commend everybody that worked on the on the project, the mayor as well.

Uh I do understand I I think we're hoping to get another uh location in the downtown.

Um for two reasons.

One, obviously not having amenities has caused a particular unique challenge uh for our downtown residents, our downtown businesses, also our downtown nonprofits that are serving our unhoused neighbors.

Um uh this brings a ample amount of dignity where it has been desperately needed uh for our neighbors that are experiencing homelessness.

Um so again, um, you know, I'd highly encourage everybody to support this today, tomorrow, next year, ten years down the road, um, because we we can do a lot better by our our neighbors that are experiencing homelessness, and this is just one step in the right direction.

So that's it for me.

Any other comments from counsel?

Uh no, I was just gonna say I couldn't have said that better, and I agree a thousand percent with everything you said, and not only to our unhoused neighbors, but also people visiting downtown.

Uh oftentimes when I'm walking around and on a Sunday or a random off-hour time frame, people are, you know, people are wondering where can I use the restroom?

So it's also just a great public option for folks visiting our downtown to have their and Portland Lews are great.

And I was just gonna echo what the two of you said living downtown and um having this available to um you know anyone that is downtown.

Um it it's gonna be beneficial to a lot of people, um, whether our unhoused population, um those with nonprofits.

Um I want to commend the improvement district, uh, the downtown improvement district.

You guys do great work.

Um, and I'm excited to support this today.

And they're designed to be pretty vandalism-proof, have a nice wrap around them.

I don't know if you've gone to other communities and have seen them, but this is something that's been advocated for for quite some time.

So I'm really happy to see it come to fruition.

Did you have something to say, Sarah?

I did.

I'd just like to add Sarah Dower Corporation Council for the City of Evansville.

And since this discussion was happening, I thought it would be a good idea to add a few more points to the record.

Um so while it supports our own house population and it supports visitors to downtown, it also is an important public health um amenity for people who live and work downtown every day.

Um we've had many, this isn't this is uncomfortable language, but we've had many instances of human feces in downtown Evansville.

So this is when when we talk about the city and why why financially it's important.

I know Angela, or sorry, Councilwoman Lindsay, um, that we we are constantly scrutiny scrutinizing what we spend money on.

This is incredibly important to citizens of Evansville to to our businesses and our just residents alike.

Uh and I'm sure that Adam can attest to the number of incidents of human feces that that are and he has clean up every every day, every month.

Anyway, I just wanted to add that to the record.

Thank you so much.

Yeah, thank you.

Thank you.

And we appreciate that a lot, absolutely.

And that speaks to your dignity uh comment as well.

Is there any other comments from council?

Any comments from the public?

Adam, do you want to talk?

It may put you on spot.

That's fine.

That's why I'm here tonight.

Adam Trinkle with the downtown Evans One Permit District.

Thank you all for your remarks.

We just want to echo the importance of this project to Councilmember Allen's point.

Yes, we our team documents every incident, every incident that happens.

So until you bring an accessible restroom to the community, you know, this is the solution.

And it's been demonstrated successful.

We've talked to communities like downtown Grand Rapids, where they started with one Portland Loo right before the pandemic, and I think they have up to four now.

Larger city, of course, there's a lot of variables, but it's uh it's really been embraced by the community and talking with the folks there at their improvement district.

So this is a operational model that's very common throughout the country where you know it's uh everything we know that happens in our community happens through collaboration and partnership like this.

So we're um ready to do our part to do the daily cleanings on this uh to be open 24-7 to Council Haroniman's um point to make sure it's accessible for all people in our community.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Any other comments from the public Madam Clerk, roll call?

Councilwoman Taylor?

Yes.

Councilman Hieronymus?

Aye.

Councilwoman Hatville?

Aye.

Councilwoman Kaylor Lindsay?

Aye.

Councilman Brickmeyer?

Aye.

Councilman Green?

Aye.

Councilman Johnson?

Aye.

Councilwoman Allen.

Aye.

There being eight ay, zero nays.

Ordinance If 2026-03 amended is hereby declared adopted.

Thank you.

Ordinance R, 2026.

More commonly known as 203.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Boulevard.

Is there a motion to adopt sorry?

I was on the wrong page.

Make it right.

Here we go.

Is there a motion to adopt ordinance R 2026-07?

So moved.

Second.

It's been first by Councillor Hatfield, second by Councillor Kayler Lindsay.

The floor is now open for discussion.

Good evening, Council members.

Cassie Virgin with the Area Plan Commission.

Sorry to disappoint you this evening, but I only have one for you.

This was APC docket number REZ-2026-009 proposed ordinance R 2026-07.

This is pretty straightforward.

This is located in area with that has mixed zoning and uses.

And then there's governmental uses, zone CO2 to the south that includes the federal building and the civic center.

The greater surrounding area includes the downtown redevelopment area and the central business district to the west, and it's almost exclusively zone C3.

The county assessors records indicate the existing building on this site was constructed in 1867 for a single family residents.

And it's been used as a residence and then also as professional offices in the late 1960s, and it's been occupied sporadically since that time.

The applicants now requesting to downzone to CO2 for proposed residential use.

The application stated the building would house a total of three units.

The 2035 future land use map recommends this site for mixed uses.

So downzoning to CO2 would remain consistent with the comprehensive plan.

The mixed use recommendation is part of the overall plan for the greater redevelopment area, and it covers most of the downtown district.

So a CO2 zone would allow for both the proposed residential use while also retaining the potential for future commercial office in the future or even mixed use commercial office and residential together without the need to rezone.

And this request now comes forward from APC with a recommendation for approval, having eight affirmative votes.

Okay.

Yes, would you like to come up?

Absolutely.

Just state your name and address for the record.

Hi, I'm Quentin Kyle, owner of uh 203 Northwest Martin Luther King Jr.

Boulevard.

Um my goal is uh to uh renovate a building that's obviously been here a very long time and provide um short-term rentals to visitors and occupants of Evansville any questions from council?

Um just say just being uh with in fourth ward, uh we have not received any opposition to this.

Is there anyone from the public like to make a comment?

No, seeing none, Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

Councilwoman Taylor.

Yes.

Councilman Hieronymus?

Aye.

Councilwoman Hatfield?

Aye.

Councilwoman Kaylor Lindsay?

Aye.

Councilman Brickmeyer?

Aye.

Councilman Green?

Aye.

Councilman Johnson.

Aye.

Councilwoman Allen.

Aye.

Oh, that's me.

Being and there's you're seeing eight ayes and uh one uh zero and's ordinance twenty twenty-six-07 is hereby declared adopted.

Resolution duckets.

A resolution of the common council, the city of Evansville, Indiana, approving one, a declaratory resolution and the economic revital development plan of the City of Evansville Redevelopment Commission establishing the Republic Economic Development Area from which declaratory resolution also removes certain property from the Evansville Burkhart Road Economic Development Area, and two the order of the Evansville Vanderburgh County Area Plan Commission related thereto.

Is there a motion to adopt resolution C 2026-15?

So moved.

Second.

There's been first by Councillor Hatfield, second by Councillor Hieronymus.

The floor is now open for discussion.

Colby Jackson, DMD.

Um this resolution before you today is to establish the creation of the Republic Economic Development Area and Economic Development Plan.

Um it actually removes this project from the Burkhart Economic Development Area and allocation area, and so thus creating its own individual allocation area and economic economic development area.

So the Evansville Redevelopment Commission um approved this declaratory resolution to establish that area, the republic, um, and that passed as part of the process.

It has to then go to the area plan commission to determine if the project economic development plan project conforms to the plan for the unit that has went to area plan commission and it passed, and it has passed um 8-0, I believe, and I believe you all have that in your packet.

Um and so the last step to um establish that economic development area allocation area in the economic development plan that goes along with that is to have city council's approval.

Um this is the Republic project for those that aren't familiar, is uh 153 unit mixed use development.

It's market rate, it's out on Vogel Road.

I believe there's three parcels that make up this project out on Vogel Road.

It is bounded to the north by Vogel Road and to the east by Cross Point Boulevard to kind of orient you all.

And so you will see um this again actually at uh the next city council meeting when the financing for the project comes before the city council.

So you all are approving the fact that it does conform to the plan of the unit per APC and establishing its own economic development area and allocation area along with the plan that goes with that.

Happy to answer any questions.

Anyone have any questions?

Any comments from members of the public?

Okay.

All right, Madam Clerk.

Councilwoman Taylor?

Yes.

Councilman Hieronymus?

Aye.

Councilwoman Hatville?

Aye.

Councilwoman Kaylor Lindsay?

Aye.

Councilman Brickmeyer?

Aye.

Councilman Green?

Aye.

Councilman Johnson?

Aye.

Councilwoman Allen.

Aye.

There being eight ayes and zero nays.

Resolution six, twenty twenty-six-15 is hereby declared adopted.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Miscellaneous business.

The next meeting of the Common Council will be Monday, May 11th, 2026 at 5:30 p.m.

Are there any additional comments from members of council?

No.

Are there any additional comments from members of the public?

Okay.

You guys are making this easy.

And then committee reports.

Oh.

Committee reports.

I don't know why that was on there.

I don't think that should be there.

Yeah, it is.

There are no committee reports this evening.

All right.

I entertain a motion to adjourn.

Second.

We have had a first and a second.

All in favor?

So ordered the meeting adjourned at 5:56 p.m.