Hancock County Board of Commissioners & Drain Board: 9/1/26

Hancock Co. Drain Board/Co. Comm/Solid Waste Board

09/01/26

Terry Bynum

Normal business for drain board.  Approved a variance, approved a driveway over a drain easement, announced the hiring of a new beaver hunter, and noted there were few flood claims called in from the recent rains. 

CO. COMM.--normal business

Hiway Dept. got approval from INdot on striping. Submitted a request to FEMA for reimbursement of flood damage repairs (there is 300K threshold that they didn't meet–but they submitted anyway). 

Hiway will issue an RFP on micro transit.  

Facilities–submitted bills for signage on community corrections, and installing carpet at community corrections. 

The planning department submitted a Unified Development Ordinance for first reading.

The Commission held a public hearing on the 2027 Local Income Tax ordinance.  No tax increase noted, but some rates were adjusted up or down individually

The parks department notified the commission that Ninestar has donated a Gazebo(complete with installation help) for NineStar Park. 

Mark Elder was sworn in as the Emergency preparedness director, and announced that he had filed paperwork with FEMA concerning the flooding in the county.

The Solid Waste Management Board spent a lot of time examining how to restructure the board, whether to make Dede Allender an employee of the Solid Waste Board, an employee of the county, or have remain as an independent contractor.  Much discussion of insurance for the board, and for special events.  Also, if Dede is made an employee of the Solid Waste Board, the commission would probably enter into an intralocal agreement with Solid Waste, Greenfield and other municipalities to pay her insurance and benefits from the county. 

A decision has been put off until an intralocal agreement is drawn up and more research is done. 

One public comment speaking against the Mt. Comfort Data Center.