Vanderburgh County Board of Commissioners & Drainage Board Meeting – August 25, 2026

The meeting opened at 9:40 a.m. with all three commissioners present. The board approved 14 action items, multiple consent items, and several rezonings. A major focus was the establishment of a Data Center Research Committee following extensive public comment. The Drainage Board also addressed several drainage plans and an obstruction petition.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of August 10, 2026, Board of Commissioners meeting minutes.
• Employment changes.
• Auditor’s claims voucher reports for August 10–14 and August 17–21, 2026.
• Clerk’s June 2026 monthly report.
• Commissioners’ appropriation and transfer requests.
• Engineer’s report and claims.
• Highway surplus request.
• Treasurer’s July 2026 monthly report.
• Appointment of Tom White to the Veterans Coliseum Preservation Foundation.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Ellen Sprepsky (717 Cherry Street, Apt 502) urged thorough research on floodplains and suggested siting any future data centers on abandoned commercial land rather than prime farmland.
• Susan Taylor (4607 Hogue Road) questioned the transparency of the committee selection process, noting that the application process was not publicly discussed at the previous meeting. She also asked whether any commissioner had signed a non-disclosure agreement with entities interested in data centers; all three commissioners stated they had not.
• Melanie McDowell (Mesker Park Drive) expressed strong opposition to data centers, citing elevated cancer rates in the Ohio Valley, potential harm to water, wildlife, property values, and noise/light pollution. She asked for a two-year moratorium and a $10 million decommissioning bond.
• Sally Heron (Christ Road, Evansville) opposed data centers, calling them dangerous and a surveillance threat. She accused the commissioners of selling out the community.
• Larry Heron (403 Chris Road, Evansville) argued that data centers violate constitutional rights and represent a form of tyranny. He noted that at a prior meeting, approximately 200 attendees were opposed.
• An additional speaker (name not stated) raised concerns about the TDSIC mechanism used by CenterPoint to fund infrastructure projects, asking who audits the costs and whether rates would decrease after projects are paid off.
• Christopher Norwich (2728 Harmony Way) commended the creation of a study committee but urged a 24-month deferral to allow for thorough research, citing risks to residential electric rates and community disruption.

Discussion Items

• Engineer’s Action Items (Items 1–8): All approved unanimously.
  1. Change Order #1 for milling and resurfacing (net decrease of $6,920.90).
  2. Sidewalk waiver for Deerfield Subdivision, Section 5 (unanimous APC recommendation).
  3. Engineering agreement with Lochmueller Group for floodway mitigation site monitoring at 2947 Kansas Road.
  4. Partial release of limited access right-of-way to Parkway Improvements, LLC (for a boulevard entrance at Old Farm development).
  5. Utility location and pipe cleaning proposals by 3D Leasing LLC on Berry Drive (sinkhole remediation).
  6. Right-of-way encroachment agreement for Poet Square Apartments retaining wall at Watership Drive.
  7. Right-of-way encroachment agreement with U.S. Geological Survey for a stream gauge on Lynch Road over Pigeon Creek.
  8. Temporary speed limit reduction (20 mph) on Oak Hill Road between Lynch and Bergdolt Roads for 30 days (renewable monthly).
• Computer Services: Approved Konica Minolta Master Agreement, lease purchase agreement, and amendments to both (5-year term, saving ~$40,000).
• Health Department:
  • Approved $1,145,557.25 grant from the Indiana Rural Health Transformation Program to expand the Pre-to-Three program into Knox, Daviess, and Martin counties.
  • Approved addition of three vendors (CapCut, Elementor, CLIA Lab Program) to the credit card payment list.
• Old Courthouse Listing Contract: Approved third extension with Hahn Kiefer Real Estate Services for one year.
• First Reading of Vacation Ordinance CO.V-09-26-007: Approved to vacate a portion of Roesner Road in the proposed Old Farm Subdivision; public hearing set for September 15, 2026.
• Data Center Research Committee (Ordinance CO.08-26-015): Approved with 13 members appointed. The committee will research impacts on zoning, infrastructure, environment, and public services, and report findings to the Board of Commissioners and Area Plan Commission. Members appointed include:
  • Jason Nabb (agriculture)
  • Scott Ambrose (civil engineering/infrastructure)
  • Tom Shetler Jr. and Lloyd Lamberton (community/neighborhood representation)
  • Jenna Rickert (electrical utilities/energy)
  • Lauren Lynch (environmental science/natural resources, recommended by Mayor)
  • John Bates (HVAC/building systems)
  • Blair Donski (IT/cybersecurity)
  • John Decoff (land use planning/zoning)
  • John Robertson (noise/acoustics, recommended by USI)
  • Rick Reed (public safety/emergency management)
  • Chai (transportation/traffic, employer recommended)
  • Susan Hardwick (water/wastewater infrastructure) Meeting dates for the committee were also set.
• Burdette Park Aquatic Center Year-End Report: Director Zach reported a record season: 79 days, 80,729 visitors (4,000 more than prior record), $94,000 in season passes, $60,000 more total revenue than 2025. Pool reopened in 25.5 hours after 6.5 inches of rain. Fright Night event scheduled for October 24, 2026.

Rezonings (Final Readings)

• VC-6-2026 (Iron River Trucking, LLC): 2711 Allens Lane – Change from M-2 w/UDC to M-2 w/UDC (adjusting permitted uses to include Use Group 23 for private septic haulers). Approved unanimously (APC 7-0).
• VC-7-2026 (MMTT, LLC): 1710 Allens Lane – Change from Ag to R-3 (legalize two single-family homes). Approved unanimously (APC 7-0).
• VC-8-2026 (Celeste I Roberts Living Trust): 2900 Schlensker Road – Change from Ag to R-3 w/UDC (two single-family homes). Approved unanimously (APC 7-0).
• VC-9-2026 (Jeffrey and Nancy Effinger): Part of 1530 Schenk Road – Change from Ag to C-2 w/UDC to legalize an existing dental lab. After extensive public comment from neighbors (Paula Kirk, Dan and Debbie Tweedle) expressing concerns about property values, visual impact, and past misrepresentations, the board tabled the ordinance for 90 days (until November 17, 2026) to allow the petitioner time to find a new location. Motion passed unanimously.
• VC-10-2026 (First Reading): Part of 4605 Millersburg Road – Change from Ag to C-4 w/UDC. Approved on first reading; sent to Area Plan Commission for September 3, 2026 meeting.

Drainage Board Items

• Revised Form 803 Submittal: Approved substitution of the revised Form 803 from the August 10 meeting to serve as a template.
• Field Stone 2 Final Drainage Plan: Approved; temporary easements from Section 1 will be replaced by permanent easements in the new plat.
• Deerfield Section 5 Final Drainage Plan: Approved (replat of Lot 39 in Deerfield Section 4).
• Creekside West Drainage Plan Waiver: Approved; no development planned yet, but a future drainage plan will be required.
• Mark Norman Obstruction Petition: Board affirmed the finding of an unintentional obstruction and set a deadline of August 25, 2027, for affected property owners to clear the obstruction. If not completed, the county may contract for removal.
• Ditch Claims: Approved 14 claims totaling $4,688.98, including retroactive approval for emergency tree removal.

Key Outcomes

• All 14 action items, 8 consent items, and 4 final-reading rezonings were approved unanimously.
• The Data Center Research Committee was established with 13 members; the committee will meet through the end of 2026 (with possible extension) and report findings.
• Rezoning VC-9-2026 (Effinger dental lab) was tabled for 90 days to allow the petitioner to seek a new location.
• The Mark Norman obstruction petition was given a one-year deadline for resolution.
• The meeting was adjourned at approximately 12:27 p.m.