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Record of Proceedings

Vanderburgh County Commissioners & Drainage Board Meeting - August 25, 2026

City Council — Tuesday, August 25, 2026
BodyEvansville, Indiana
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, August 25, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:40:03

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0:01

Good morning.

0:02

Good morning.

0:03

Welcome to the Vandenberg County Board of Commissioners meeting.

0:06

Sorry, we're a little bit behind here, but we'll start by 9.40, it looks like.

0:11

August 25th, 2026.

0:13

Madeline, please call to order.

0:15

Commissioner Gable.

0:16

Here.

0:17

Commissioner Canterbury.

0:18

Here.

0:18

President Elbers.

0:19

Here.

0:19

Please join me for the Pledge of Allegiance.

0:23

Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which stands one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

0:41

All right, first action items.

0:43

John, you here with the engineer's office.

0:45

Come on up.

0:50

Good morning.

0:51

Morning, John.

0:53

All right, number one, change order number one, VC 26, hyphen zero one, hyphen zero one, milling and resurfacing of county roads.

1:00

This is the final change order to balance the increases and decreases in material quantities for this project, resulting in a net decrease of $6,920 and 90 cents.

1:11

John, anything else on this?

1:13

That's our community crossings paving contract.

1:15

So once we get this processed, we'll get the project closed out.

1:19

Community crossings the state puts in a percentage and we put in percentage.

1:25

50 percent.

1:26

50-50?

1:27

Yep.

1:27

Okay.

1:28

Good.

1:29

So that means we get half the spat.

1:31

Actually, since they pay us up front, we have to reimburse them after that.

1:35

Gotcha.

1:36

Okay.

1:36

Thank you.

1:37

I'll make the motion to approve.

1:39

Second.

1:39

Commissioner Gable?

1:40

Yes.

1:41

Commissioner Canterbury.

1:42

Yes.

1:42

President Elpers.

1:43

Yes.

1:44

Number two, a sidewalk waiver request, Deerfield Subdivision Section 5.

1:49

This is a request to waive the sidewalks for the new extension of Deerfield subdivision off Remington Drive.

1:55

The Area Plan Commission unanimously recommended the approval of this request.

2:00

Anything else here, John?

2:01

No.

2:02

Sidewalks are they don't exist in this subdivision of Sardinal.

2:06

Not in this section that they're tying into with this uh section five of Deerfield.

2:11

Okay.

2:12

So but in Deerfield there are in a few locations, but not in this part of the subdivision.

2:19

So there wouldn't be anything for these sidewalks to connect to if they were built.

2:24

Okay, thank you.

2:25

I'll make the motion to approve.

2:27

Commissioner Gable.

2:28

Yes.

2:29

Commissioner Canterbury, yes.

2:30

President Elpers.

2:32

Yes.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Zoning Variance██████████████████████████26%
Data Center Infrastructure███████████████████████23%
Procedural██████████10%
Public Engagement████████8%
Public Health██████6%
Parks and Recreation█████5%
Infrastructure████4%
Engineering And Infrastructure████4%
Subdivision Regulations███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Vanderburgh County Commissioners & Drainage Board Meeting - August 25, 2026

The Vanderburgh County Board of Commissioners and Drainage Board met on August 25, 2026, at 9:39 a.m. in Room 301 of the Civic Center Complex. The meeting covered a wide range of items including infrastructure contracts, a major health department grant, the establishment of a Data Center Research Committee with 13 members appointed, several rezoning petitions, and a year-end report from Burdette Park Aquatic Center. The Drainage Board addressed a revised Form 803, final drainage plans, and set a one-year deadline for property owners to resolve an obstruction on a blue-line stream. All votes were unanimous 3-0 unless noted.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of Minutes: August 10, 2026, Board of Commissioners meeting minutes approved.
  • Employment Changes: Multiple department personnel changes approved.
  • Auditor Claims Vouchers: Claims for August 10-14 and August 17-21, 2026, approved.
  • Engineer Report and Claims: Approved.
  • Highway Surplus Request: Various vehicles and equipment declared surplus.
  • Treasurer and Clerk Monthly Reports: July 2026 (Treasurer) and June 2026 (Clerk) reports accepted.
  • Commissioners Appropriation and Transfer Requests: Approved.
  • Veterans Coliseum Preservation Foundation Appointment: Tom White appointed.

Public Comments & Testimony (Data Center Committee)

  • Ellen Spropski (717 Cherry Street): Urged thorough research before any data center development, warned against building on floodplains, and suggested using abandoned commercial sites instead of farmland.
  • Susan Taylor (4607 Hogue Road): Questioned the transparency of the application process and asked if any commissioner had signed a non-disclosure agreement with E-REP or others. Commissioners stated no NDAs signed and no pending data center project in Vanderburgh County.
  • Melanie McDowell (Mesker Park Drive): Voiced strong opposition to data centers, citing cancer rates, environmental pollution, noise, light, water depletion, and devaluation of homes. Requested a two-year moratorium rather than a pause. Played a recording of a Michigan data center showing noise levels of 68.3–76 decibels.
  • Sally Herron (Christ Road): Expressed distrust and opposition, alleging surveillance motives and that commissioners had sold out to data center interests.
  • Larry Herron (Christ Road): Argued data centers are unconstitutional and immoral, compared to surveillance states, and urged protection of constitutional rights.
  • Charlotte Reynolds (3635 Elmridge Drive): Raised concerns about the TDSIC mechanism allowing CenterPoint to charge ratepayers up to 80% without IURC approval for infrastructure projects tied to data centers.
  • Christopher Norrick (2728 Harmony Way): Commended the committee effort but asked for a 24-month strategic deferral to allow more time for policy development, citing risks to long-term residential electric rates.

Discussion Items

  • County Engineer – Action Items:
    • Change Order #1 VC26-01-01 (Milling & Resurfacing): Net decrease of $6,920.90; final closeout of Community Crossings project (50/50 state match). Approved 3-0.
    • Sidewalk Waiver – Deerfield Subdivision, Section 5: Unanimous APC recommendation; no connectivity for sidewalks. Approved 3-0.
    • Engineering Agreement with Lochmueller Group: Floodway mitigation site monitoring at 2947 Kansas Road; DNR-required reporting. Approved 3-0.
    • Partial Release of Limited Access ROW to Parkway Improvements, LLC: Expands University Parkway entrance from 50 to 100 feet for boulevard entrance; no new traffic control. Approved 3-0.
    • 3D Leasing Proposals for Berry Drive: Utility location and pipe cleaning to address sinkholes. Approved 3-0.
    • ROW Encroachment Agreement at Watership Drive: Poet Square retaining wall. Approved 3-0.
    • ROW Encroachment Agreement with USGS: Streamgage attachment on Lynch Road bridge over Pigeon Creek; USGS owns/maintains. Approved 3-0.
    • Temporary Speed Limit Reduction on Oak Hill Road: 20 mph for 30 days due to construction; renewable monthly. Approved 3-0.
  • Computer Services – Konica Minolta Master Agreement & Lease: Five-year agreement for multifunction devices; expected to save ~$40,000 over term. Approved 3-0 after clarification.
  • Health Department:
    • IDOH Grant #102685: $1,145,557.25 from Indiana Rural Health Transformation Program to expand Pre-3 Program to Knox, Davies, and Martin Counties. Program nationally recognized; employees will be local but hired by Vanderburgh County. Approved 3-0.
    • Credit Card Vendor Payment List Expansion: Added CapCut, Elementor, CLIA Lab Program. Approved 3-0.
  • Third Extension to Old Courthouse Listing Contract: One-year extension with Hahn Kiefer Real Estate Services; commissions donated to Old Courthouse Foundation. Approved 3-0.
  • First Reading of Vacation Ordinance CO.V-09-26-007: Petition to vacate Roesner Road in proposed Old Farm Subdivision. Public hearing set for September 15, 2026. Approved 3-0.
  • Ordinance CO.08-26-015 – Data Center Research Committee: Ordinance establishing a 13-member committee to research and evaluate impacts of data centers. Approved 3-0. Committee members appointed (see Key Outcomes). Meeting schedule set for Sept 2 kickoff and regular meetings through Dec 15, 2026.
  • Burdette Park Aquatic Center Year-End Report (Director Zach Wathen):
    • Longest season in 10–12 years (79 days).
    • Record attendance: 80,729 (up 4,000 from 2024).
    • Record season pass revenue: $94,000 (up $12,000).
    • Concessions up $30,000; total revenue ~$1.1 million.
    • Pool reopened in 25.5 hours after 6.5 inches of rain in 4 hours.
    • Fright Night event October 24, 2026 (movie "It") tickets $25.

Key Outcomes

  • Data Center Research Committee Appointed (13 members):
    • Agriculture: Jason Naab
    • Civil Engineering/Infrastructure: Scott Ambrose
    • Community/Neighborhood: Tom Shetler Jr., Lloyd Lamberton
    • Electrical Utilities/Energy: Jenna Richardt
    • Environmental Science: Lauren Lynch (Mayor's recommendation)
    • HVAC/Building Systems: John Bates
    • IT/Cybersecurity: Blair Doneske
    • Land Use/Planning: John Diekhoff
    • Noise/Acoustics: Jon Robertson (U of E professor)
    • Public Safety: Richard Reed
    • Transportation/Traffic: Chaitanya Mamidala
    • Water/Wastewater: Susan Hardwick (retired American Water CEO)
    • (Mark Murry noted as potential substitute)
  • Rezonings:
    • VC-6-2026 (Iron River Trucking, 2711 Allens Lane): M-2 to M-2 w/UDC adding Use Group 23 (septic transfer station). Approved 3-0.
    • VC-7-2026 (MMTT, LLC, 1710 Allens Lane): Ag to R-3 for two single-family homes; no commercial signage. Approved 3-0.
    • VC-8-2026 (Celeste Roberts Living Trust, 2900 Schlensker Road): Ag to R-3 w/UDC for two single-family homes. Approved 3-0.
    • VC-9-2026 (Jeffrey & Nancy Effinger, 1530 Schenk Road): Ag to C-2 w/UDC for dental lab. Continued for 90 days (to November 17, 2026) to allow petitioner to find alternative location.
    • VC-10-2026 (Connie Heilman Trust, 4605 Millersburg Road): First reading; approved 3-0 to send to Area Plan Commission.
  • Drainage Board Actions:
    • Revised Form 803 submittal accepted (substituted for August 10 version).
    • Final drainage plan for Field Stone 2 approved.
    • Final drainage plan for Deerfield Section 5 approved.
    • Drainage plan waiver for Creekside West approved (no current development).
    • Mark Norman obstruction petition: Property owners given until August 25, 2027 to clear obstruction; county may contract if not completed.
    • Ditch claims: 14 claims totaling $4,688.98 approved.

Next Steps

  • Data Center Research Committee kickoff: Wednesday, September 2, 2026, 9:00–10:00 a.m., Room 301.
  • Public hearing on Roesner Road vacation: September 15, 2026.
  • VC-9-2026 (Effinger) to return by November 17, 2026, or earlier if petitioner moves.

Meeting Transcript

Good morning. Good morning. Welcome to the Vandenberg County Board of Commissioners meeting. Sorry, we're a little bit behind here, but we'll start by 9.40, it looks like. August 25th, 2026. Madeline, please call to order. Commissioner Gable. Here. Commissioner Canterbury. Here. President Elbers. Here. Please join me for the Pledge of Allegiance. Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which stands one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. All right, first action items. John, you here with the engineer's office. Come on up. Good morning. Morning, John. All right, number one, change order number one, VC 26, hyphen zero one, hyphen zero one, milling and resurfacing of county roads. This is the final change order to balance the increases and decreases in material quantities for this project, resulting in a net decrease of $6,920 and 90 cents. John, anything else on this? That's our community crossings paving contract. So once we get this processed, we'll get the project closed out. Community crossings the state puts in a percentage and we put in percentage. 50 percent. 50-50? Yep. Okay. Good. So that means we get half the spat. Actually, since they pay us up front, we have to reimburse them after that. Gotcha. Okay. Thank you. I'll make the motion to approve. Second. Commissioner Gable? Yes. Commissioner Canterbury. Yes. President Elpers. Yes. Number two, a sidewalk waiver request, Deerfield Subdivision Section 5. This is a request to waive the sidewalks for the new extension of Deerfield subdivision off Remington Drive. The Area Plan Commission unanimously recommended the approval of this request. Anything else here, John? No. Sidewalks are they don't exist in this subdivision of Sardinal. Not in this section that they're tying into with this uh section five of Deerfield.

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