Vanderburgh County Board of Commissioners & Drainage Board - October 13, 2026

The Vanderburgh County Board of Commissioners and the Drainage Board met on October 13, 2026. The agenda listed a 9:30 A.M. start; the provided meeting timestamp was 2026-10-13T15:30:00+00:00. Commissioners Justin Elpers (President, District 2), Amy Canterbury (Vice President, District 3), and Mike Goebel (District 1; rendered as 'Gable' in the raw transcript) were present. No separate minutes were provided. All votes were unanimous (3-0) unless otherwise noted.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the September 29, 2026, Board of Commissioners meeting minutes.
• Approved employment changes.
• Approved Auditor claims voucher reports for Sept 28-Oct 2, 2026, and Oct 5-Oct 9, 2026.
• Approved the Clerk’s September 2026 monthly report.
• Approved the Engineer’s report and claims.
• Approved the Treasurer’s August 2026 Innkeeper’s Tax report and September 2026 monthly report.
• Approved quit claim deeds transferring county-owned properties to the Evansville Land Bank Corp.
• Approved the Evansville Land Bank Corp. 2026 Tax Sale no-sales property selection.

Public Comments & Testimony

• A representative of the Old Farm development, Chip, testified in support of the requested sidewalk/trail width waiver. He stated the request was not about saving money and argued a 6.5-foot trail would allow about four feet of green space between the trail and curb, improving safety and appearance; he said an 8-foot trail would leave little or no buffer and could result in paving directly to the back of the curb.
• County Engineer John said the county has no written trail-width standard, but INDOT/Federal Highway guidance identifies 8 feet as the recommended minimum, and separation from the roadway is safer. He noted the county generally follows state guidelines when no local standard exists.
• No public comments were made during the formal public comment period.

Discussion Items

• Sidewalk Waiver - Old Farm Subdivision: Area Plan Commission staff recommended approval of the waiver only with a condition to build the trail at a minimum of 8 feet. The developer requested 6.5 feet. Commissioner Goebel said he was torn and concerned about setting a precedent, but the Board voted 3-0 to waive the condition and allow the 6.5-foot walking trail/bike path.
• Street Plan Approval - Old Farm Subdivision: Approved the internal street plan unanimously.
• Eagle Point Subdivision Street Improvements: Accepted completed streets totaling approximately 0.2 miles, three short streets off Volkman Road east of Highway 41.
• Change Order #1 - Milling and Resurfacing of County Roads: Approved a net increase of $60,139.74 for additional asphalt leveling, increased asphalt quantities for proper crowns/drainage, and reduced patching.
• Change Order #3 - Oak Hill Road Reconstruction: Approved an $8,292.50 increase to remove a large tree near the new sanitary sewer installation and avoid future fall damage.
• Temporary Speed Limit Reduction - Clover Drive: Approved continuing the 15 mph temporary speed limit on Clover Drive between Elmridge Drive and Bergdolt Road for an additional 30 days.
• Bids - Demolition at 4612 Detroy Road (listed as 'Detroit' in transcript): Two bids were opened: Stemley Excavating, $5,006, and Hydehorn Excavating, $4,090. The bids were taken under advisement; no award was made.
• Professional Services Agreement: Approved the agreement with Bartlett & Associates, Inc. for appraisal services at the old County Coroner’s Office.
• Workers’ Compensation Claim Settlement: Approved a settlement for an injured employee, reviewed by the workers’ compensation attorney and third-party administrator Davies.
• Animal Holding Period Ordinance (CO.10-26-016): Missy, Director of Evansville Animal Care and Control, explained the change aligns county animal holding periods with the city’s four-day stray hold to free kennel space and encourage faster owner pickup. The Board voted 3-0 to waive the second reading and approved the ordinance on first and final reading after no public objections.
• Veterans Services Quarterly Report: Tanya Weber, VSO, reported 33 out-of-county claims, 16 out-of-state claims from Kentucky, and 2 from Illinois; Vanderburgh County saw nearly $13 million in claims increases. She noted 61% of county veterans are Vietnam veterans. She highlighted The Wall That Heals at USI (opening Oct 29, closing ceremony Nov 1 at 1:45 p.m.) and Veterans Day ceremonies at Oak Hill (11 a.m.) and Locust Hill (10 a.m.) on Nov 11.
• Announcement: Commissioners promoted the Veterans Coliseum Gala on October 24.

Drainage Board

• Approved minutes from the prior drainage board meeting.
• Approved Morley’s application to affect Nurnburn Ditch at 1919 Enterprise Park Drive for a driveway and garage within the right-of-entry; the county surveyor’s office concurred.
• Approved the amended final drainage plan for Old Farm (presented by Cash Wagner), originally approved May 12, 2026, adding an apartment complex on Lot 172 and changes to swales, basins, and storm sewers. The county surveyor and engineer reviewed the plan. A separate variance request for the project was received after the agenda was set and will be presented at the next meeting.
• Approved 11 ditch maintenance claims totaling $22,045.29 since the Sept 29, 2026 meeting, as requested for retroactive approval; all claims were for contracted work completed in 2026.
• Informational updates: Pigeon Creek Watershed Development Commission meeting on Oct 26 at 10 a.m., with a public input session at 11 a.m.; a new Pigeon Creek stream gauge installed with USGS/EPA/IDEM cooperation, the first since a gauge was decommissioned in July 1987; no response yet from the lawyer or Mr. Murphy regarding the Ivy Meadows storm sewer repairs; and the Daniel Haas obstruction hearing notice mailed Oct 5, with a hearing scheduled for the Oct 26/27, 2026 drainage board meeting.

Key Outcomes

• Sidewalk/trail width waiver approved for Old Farm (6.5 feet instead of 8 feet) unanimously.
• Old Farm street plan, Eagle Point street acceptance, two county road construction change orders, and the Clover Drive speed limit extension all approved unanimously.
• Demolition bids received and taken under advisement.
• Professional services agreement, workers’ compensation settlement, and the four-day animal holding ordinance approved.
• Consent agenda approved unanimously.
• Drainage Board approved the Nurnburn Ditch encroachment, Old Farm amended drainage plan, and $22,045.29 in ditch claims.
• No public comments received during the formal public comment period.