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March 16, 2026 Council Minutes
COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF JEFFERSONVILLE, INDIANA March 16, 2026 Regular Meeting Minutes The Common Council of the City of Jeffersonville, Indiana met for the Regular Meeting on March 16, 2026. Council President Reed along with City Clerk Gill called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. The meeting was open to the public in person as well as live streamed via the City Website using Zoom. INVOCATION: Led by Brian Walters PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: ROLL CALL: The roll call was conducted by City Clerk Lisa Gill and present in Council Chambers were Councilperson White, Council Vice President Burns, Councilperson Semones, Council President Reed, Councilperson Webb, Councilperson Snelling, Councilperson Stoner, Councilperson Anderson attended the meeting via Zoom, and Councilperson Hawkins Was absent. Let the record reflect that 7 Council Members were present in Council Chambers, 1 present via Zoom and 1 absent. Daniel Walters, Council Youth Advisor was present for the proceedings. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilperson Snelling made a motion to approve the Minutes for Regular Proceedings on 3/2/2026, seconded by Council Vice President Burns; City Clerk Lisa Gill conducted a roll call vote: Councilperson White—Yes Council Vice President Burns—Yes Councilperson Semones—Yes Councilperson Anderson—Yes Council President Reed—Yes Councilperson Webb—Yes Councilperson Snelling—Yes Councilperson Stoner—Yes Motion passed, 8-0. APPROVAL OF AGENDA: Councilperson Stoner made a motion to approve the agenda, seconded by Councilperson Semones; City Clerk Lisa Gill conducted a roll call vote: Councilperson White—Yes Council Vice President Burns—Yes Councilperson Semones—Yes Councilperson Anderson—Yes 4 Council President Reed—Yes Councilperson Webb—Yes Councilperson Snelling—Yes Councilperson Stoner—Yes Motion passed, 8-0. 4 CLAIMS TO APPROVE: Civil City$ 1,542,597.18 Council Vice President Burns made a motion to approve the Civil City Claims, seconded by Councilperson Snelling; City Clerk Lisa Gill conducted a roll call vote: Councilperson White—Yes Council Vice President Burns—Yes Councilperson Semones—Yes Councilperson Anderson—Yes Council President Reed —Yes Councilperson Webb—Yes Councilperson Snelling—Yes Councilperson Stoner—Yes Motion passed, 8-0. Parks$ 157,524.22 Councilperson Semones made a motion to approve the Parks Claims, seconded by Council Vice President Burns; City Clerk Lisa Gill conducted a roll call vote: Councilperson White—Yes Council Vice President Burns—Yes Councilperson Semones—Yes Councilperson Anderson —Yes Council President Reed —Yes Councilperson Webb—Yes Councilperson Snelling—Yes Councilperson Stoner—Yes Motion passed, 8-0. REPORT OF THE CLERK: Reminded that council the next meeting would be April 6th, because of the five Mondays in the month of March. REPORT OF THE YOUTH ADVISOR: Daniel Walters thanked the council for helping him with the youth leadership course. Daniel also specifically thanked Council President Reed and Councilperson Stoner for speaking at the events. President Reed asked Daniel to explain how the program went and to remind everyone about the programming so there was a clear understanding. Daniel explained that it was a four-part course held every Tuesday from 6:00 to 7:30, he added that attendance was lower than expected, but he believed it benefited those who participated. President Reed continued by asking Daniel if he felt he learned anything from the program. Daniel shared that he learned about work ethic, different types of leadership, and learned more about the presenters involved. President Reed then asked about his experience working with CASI throughout the program. Daniel described the experience as very positive, noting that it helped him build strong communication skills and form new connections particularly through working with Adrian, the CEO of CAST. President Reed expressed her appreciation and asked if anyone else had questions for Daniel regarding his program. Councilperson Stoner added that he did not have a question but wanted to offer a comment. He expressed appreciation for Daniel taking the initiative to engage directly with executives and CEOs of organizations in the community. He noted that Daniel appeared to have learned a great deal and shared that he was looking forward to seeing what he accomplishes in the future. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 1. Kerby Conner 2026-OR-6 Ordinance for Vacate of an Unimproved Grandview Drive, a Public Way in the City of Jeffersonville. There were no questions or discussions from the council Councilperson Semones made a motion to approve Ordinance 2026-OR-6 on the 3`d and final reading, seconded by Councilperson Stoner; City Clerk Lisa Gill conducted a roll call vote: Councilperson White—Yes Council Vice President Burns—Yes Councilperson Semones—Yes Councilperson Anderson—Yes Council President Reed —Yes Councilperson Webb—Yes Councilperson Snelling—Yes Councilperson Stoner—Yes Motion passed, 8-0. 2. Heather Metcalf(PUBLIC HEARING)2026-OR-8 Ordinance of Additional Appropriation President Reed introduced the next agenda item and gave the floor to Heather Metcalf, City Controller. Ms. Metcalf informed the council there had been no changes since the last meeting. President Reed opened the public hearing at 6:08 PM for anyone who wanted to speak for or against 2026-OR-8, no one stepped forward to speak. President Reed proceeded with closing the public hearing at 6:08 PM. There were no questions or discussion from the council. Councilperson Webb made a motion to approve Ordinance 2026-OR-8 on the 3`d and final reading, seconded by Councilperson Stoner; City Clerk Lisa Gill conducted a roll call vote: Councilperson White—Yes Council Vice President Burns—Yes Councilperson Semones—Yes Councilperson Anderson—Yes Council President Reed—Yes Councilperson Webb—Yes Councilperson Snelling—Yes Councilperson Stoner—Yes Motion passed, 8-0. NEW BUSINESS: PUBLIC COMMENTS: None 1. (Evan Stoner) Dominique Whipple Domino Affect Program Funding Request President Reed introduced the next agenda item and invited Dominique Whipple to step to the podium and also asked Councilperson Stoner if he had anything to add to this presentation. Councilperson Stoner: "First of all I just want to thank everyone in the community who has come out today to support Dominique and support this request. I want to specifically thank Judge Reger, thank you for being here. I see Malinda Mackenzie and Pam Clark. I see of course Judge Vicki Carmichael, I appreciate you being here as well and for everything that you've done in our community. We also have a few council members that are working in the areas of youth and families and have supported our youth for a long time, Councilperson White and Councilperson Semones, so appreciate what you all do in the community as well. I'm really excited to have this discussion, so I will turn it over to Dominique. You know I think that we've all seen some of the headlines recently, but I think we know that even prior to that, there's been issues in the community with violence and instability for our youth and so I feel like this is a great way. Obviously, the youth that this would be impacting,they're currently incarcerated. However, I feel like in the future there's opportunity to expand, to more prevention based services as well, and so I'm going to let Dominique explain and present on The Domino Affect, thank you for being here." Dominique Whipple: "Thank you all for having me today. So at The Domino Affect, our motto is "I'm learning, I'm growing, and I'm changing" and so when we start our sessions we shake it out, we shake out our nerves and we repeat that mantra because life is ever changing right? So I like to start with that." (See attachments for presentation and letters of support) After sharing her presentation and reading the letters of support, Dominique Whipple informed the council she was open for any questions. President Reed: "I had a question actually. I know you've gone through two cohorts so far, and those have been justice impacted juveniles, correct?" Ms. Whipple: "Yes ma'am." President Reed: "And so you're asking us to fund two cohorts? But I was a little bit confused, because I assumed those were in the court system, but now you're saying they're in the high schools?" Ms. Whipple: "No, they're going to be for the juvenile detention centers, sorry for that." President Reed: "That's ok, so tell me about the high school portion of it then." Ms. Whipple: "So what was mentioned in the letter is that we would like to expand and do preventative work in the high schools eventually." President Reed: "In the future?" Ms. Whipple: "Yes." Councilperson Stoner: "That is what I was mentioning as well, is that this specific funding request would deal with the incarcerated youth at JDC. But I think you would like to see the program expanded, potentially going into the schools and focusing more on prevention as well?" Ms. Whipple: "Yes." Councilperson Stoner: "I mean, might as well intervene now, even if they are incarcerated, twhen it is 20 or 30 years down the road and they are in Judge Karaffa's court instead of Judge Reger's." President Reed: "And how had you funded the previous two cohorts?" Ms. Whipple: "LifeSprings Foundation." Councilperson Semones: "Are you doing any tracking? I know you are early in, but as far as the two cohorts you have had, what kind of data are you gathering on the backside?" Ms. Whipple: "So we do a pre-, mid-, and post-survey, and then, according to the LifeSprings grant, we have to check with them six months afterward. We have not hit that milestone yet. But I do check in with the participants, and I have asked a couple of them if they are okay with going to dinner or a coffee shop with their parents, so we are in the process of that." Councilperson Semones: "And is the Domino Affect, a nonprofit organization?" Ms. Whipple: "We're in the process of becoming a nonprofit organization." Councilperson Semones: "Ok, so you've applied for that status but it hasn't been granted?" Ms. Whipple: "Not yet, we're applying now." Councilperson Semones: "Ok, you have not applied?" Ms. Whipple: "No, ma'am. We have a calendar with outlined items that we need to do by each date." Councilperson Semones: "Ok." Vice President Burns: "Is this not part of the community group that we were going to set up?" President Reed: "I believe this was set on the agenda before we created that." Councilperson Stoner: "Well, there are two different funds. This one would come from an unrestricted settlement fund, and the one that we are setting the committee up for is specifically for the restricted fund. Because there is a policy at the state level of how communities should distribute those funds. The state tells you that you can spend it at your discretion. The state would like us to spend it in a way that aligns with the further goals of the opioid settlement funds. And I think this would because of the fact that you are dealing with youth that are impacted by substance abuse, substance misuse, or later in their life they are going to be impacted by that. And I don't know if Mr. Burns still had another question, but I was going to ask you specifically about you mentioned those whose parents were dealing with substance misuse. What have those conversations been like with those students, with those kids?What is that like?What does that look like in the day to day of them being impacted by that?" Ms. Whipple: "So originally when we started the cohort, I had this curriculum that I had built out and a structure that I thought I was going to follow. But when we started doing the pre and mid-surveys, I asked, "What are some things that you would like for me to talk about that I haven't talked about, that I haven't discussed yet?" And I had about four kids put grief. So we do one-on-ones with the participants when we do the pre, post, and mid-survey so that they can disclose anything that they would like. And during those one-on-ones, there was a recurring theme of, "I found my grandfather when I was eight years old, and he had passed away because he overdosed. I found my father a couple of years later," or, "My mom just passed away a couple of months ago, and she was addicted to prescription pills, and it happened because she got an injury, and then this happened, and then my brother started to take some of those items." And it kept uncovering. So then I went off the script a little bit, and I developed a curriculum around grief, and so we talked about the stages of grief and how it's not linear, but it's fluid and comes in waves. You might think that you get to one point, and you may go back to another one. And then we talked about eventually grief can be like a bruise. It's open, and it's a wound, and it hurts at first. But then there may be a reminder, and you're going to go back and see it, but it's not going to hurt as bad anymore, and you're going to know that it's there, and so the conversations were really intimate and authentic. With the first group, I was able to bring in a therapy dog, and they were able to play with the dog afterwards. So when we talk about anything deep, we always end with a coping mechanism—breathing techniques, going to your safe place, and talking about how to find resources for counseling. And with that one, we ended with, "What is your safe place? Close your eyes, visualize it." And then they had a therapy dog." President Reed: "I'm always impressed by the amazing work you do and by your passion and your story. To me, $12,000 is a little bit high just because it covers both of your cohorts in whole, and I don't know that we've ever funded entire budgets. But I do hope that we're able to give you something to help out your cause because I do think it's a worthy cause." Ms. Whipple: "I appreciate that, thank you." Councilperson Stoner: "Well, I don't know if Judge Reger would be willing to speak on this, I don't want to put you on the spot. But I believe that when we had a conversation, you said that the courts would be comfortable with supervising the funds, that once we give those, 4 the courts would be willing to oversee." Ms. Whipple: "The detention center will." Judge Reger: "You have a question for me?" Councilperson Stoner: "Well, if we were to give the funds directly to the Clark County courts, you all would be willing to supervise distribution of those funds?" Judge Reger: "Yeah, of course we would. But I think there's been some discussion about CASI being the financial person for that. But if it needs to be Clark County courts, we would definitely be overseeing those funds." Councilperson Snelling: "We can't release those unless they go to a nonprofit, am I correct?" Councilperson Stoner: "I don't think so, no. We've given to church organizations." President Reed: "Which qualifies for a 501(c)(3)." Councilperson Stoner: "Right, and I think there's been other organizations that we've given to. I guess Larry would have to probably fill us in on that." Council Attorney Larry Wilder: "I think it's relative where it's a 501 nonprofit." Councilperson Webb: "I had a question. I know where you help out where the kids have already gone through juvenile court. But how would you seek out the kids that have never had any type of act of violence?You said you are going to reach out to the school system. Would you present a program to ask the kids to attend to prevent it before it ever happened?" Ms. Whipple: "Yes, sir. We had a meeting a couple of months ago because there was an incident that happened. And the conclusion from that meeting is that all of the organizations would come and present to the schools, and then the schools would identify the children who would be good for the program." Councilperson Webb: "Yeah, I think that would be good because that would at least prevent it before it ever even occurred. Because right now you are just helping the kids where the act has already occurred, which I think is good, and there has already been some violence or damage. But you would try to seek out where we could do something before it ever happens, correct?" Ms. Whipple: "Yes, sir, and that is ideally how we wanted it. It just happened that the dominoes fell in the right place, and we landed in the Clark County Detention Center." Councilperson Webb: "Thank you." Councilperson Stoner: "So do you have data numbers around how many of these incarcerated youth are from Jeffersonville specifically?" Ms. Whipple: "From the last cohort it was 50%of the participants that were from Clark County." President Reed: "Which is how many Students?" Ms. Whipple: "Four out of the eight." Councilperson Stoner: "So I think there are two things here. For one, it is obvious. If you think about that whole "why are people falling in the river versus going upstream and figuring out why they are falling in, like pulling people out of the river versus going upstream and figuring out why they are falling in". So I do think that we have to have that conversation, I believe that Councilman Webb is correct. But it is still very important to intervene when they are in the position that they are at right now because this intervention could potentially keep them from problems down the road. So there is a lot of foundation work that has to be done in order to create the system and to work within the system that we have to get into the schools and to offer that prevention there. So during this whole process, I was able to have a conversation with the school resource officer at Jeff High and was able to have a conversation with the administrators at Jeff High. Head basketball coach Sherron Wilkerson and I were able to have a conversation,you know these are issues that they are seeing. So yes, we are going to have to have that conversation, they are dealing with it every day. But this is sort of like an emergency situation where we have the potential to make an impact right now to keep them from future problems down the road. So I mean I think it would be nice is if we are so invested in the prevention, why do we not do $6,000 for one of the cohorts and then give her$6,000 to place the seed money for a prevention program? Because I know that is where she wants to go. Councilperson Semones: "Well, I think that is a lovely idea. Of course, if we had unlimited funds, we would all say yes to that. Also, Ms. Whipple, when you are talking ACEs, you are speaking my language, and every point that you identified is something that I see in my work every week, there certainly is a need for this. I wish we could have programming all day long for those folks in our JDC. But I am really glad to see you doing the work you are doing. It is much needed. I feel more comfortable funding at a much lower level. We had funded BAYA at $1,500, so that is what I was prepared to propose when we came in today. But again, you are just pulling at my heartstrings, and I love the work you do so much and the community that it serves. I would probably be more comfortable at$2,500 or$3,000, but I know we have a lot of budget constraints, we have a lot of hands we need to help. I would encourage you, no matter what the result is today, to get involved with the task force that has been formed to bring in all the stakeholders to come up with a plan to present to the council about how to divide that pie. Potentially you could get a funding approval today, but also be involved in that dialogue and look at that for an additional source of funding." Ms. Whipple: "I appreciate that, thank you." President Reed: "I love that idea, actually. I think that especially when you figure out and get a framework together and a plan for the schools, I would love to hear that. I think that would be something amazing to hear. But I do think that we put together this task force to look at all these issues as a whole, and I hope that they reach out to you, and I'm sure Mr. Stoner will make that happen, where they reach out to you and talk to you about where you could be in that and what that could look like, I think that is a great idea." Councilperson Stoner: "The task force is going to be specifically focused on the restricted funds, so obviously, that's a separate conversation, I agree that that conversation needs to be had. Being one of nine, there's going to be a decision that's made I might not agree with. If anything, I would say$6,000,just half, because the thing is, what is our plan for the unrestricted funds?The state has some guidance as far as how that needs to be used. This is the perfect program for what unrestricted funds were designed for. I don't see us being able to use that for any sort of funding gaps or to pay any of our bills. I see that as something that should be reinvested back into the community. I think at the very least we should fund one cohort, and then we should challenge the community, challenge others in the community to match us. I think matching is a great way to make our dollar get larger. So we say, "Hey, let's do one cohort, we know this is a program that's working," and let's challenge the other entities in our community to match that and see how much more we can get. Last time we did that, I think it was $25,000 for the library project, and we were able to match that, and it got up to $150,000." Councilperson Snelling: "So 50%of them are coming from Jeffersonville, am I correct?" Ms. Whipple: "Yes sir." Councilperson Snelling: "So where are the others coming from? Charlestown, Borden, Clark County?" Ms. Whipple: "The first cohort, we had a lot of Floyd County residents, and then the Juvenile Detention Center also accepts people from different counties. So we had people from Evansville and then also we had a lot of Jefferson County residents as well." Councilperson Semones: "Mr. Snelling, there are a lot of counties that don't have facilities for juvenile detention, and they come here. I had a couple more questions. When is your next cohort starting?" Ms. Whipple: "We are waiting until we can secure funding for another cohort." Councilperson Semones: "What other funding have you secured?" Ms. Whipple: "There's none secured this far." Councilperson Semones: "When did your last cohort end?" Ms. Whipple: "March 2nd." Councilperson Snelling: "So you need it now." President Reed: "Is LifeSprings going to be able to fund again, or is that a one time?" Ms. Whipple: "We have to finish out the grant and give them the items that they're needing first, and then we can potentially go back for another proposal. We're not at that six-month mark yet. I'm compiling all the information right now, and then I'll speak with their foundation to let them know where we're at." Councilperson White: "Ms. Whipple, did you go to undergrad and graduate school at Indiana State?" Ms. Whipple: "Yes sir." Councilperson White: "What is your graduate degree in?" Ms. Whipple: "Higher education." Councilperson White: "Let me commend you on both your bachelor's and graduate degree, especially under the circumstances that you had to fight through. Getting through school is not easy when you don't have to deal with all that. That showed an exceptional level of determination and drive that I'm sure your mother instilled in you as she was raising you. I also want to commend you on the great work you're doing with this program. However, whatever happens tonight,just know that I will continue to look for ways to support what you're trying to do in any way I can." Ms. Whipple: "I appreciate that, thank you." Councilperson Stoner: "So I believe that we gave $7,500 from the unrestricted funds to Thrive. Outside of that, I can't think of another time any council members used that specific fund." President Reed: "$7,500, that was for Drug Fact Week." Councilperson Stoner: "Right, well to Clark County Cares, and Thrive is included in that. But I can't think of another time that we've had any other proposals from any other council members to reinvest these funds back into the community. So you know bringing this, it was prior to the incident that just happened at the Big Four Bridge. It was right before the incident that happened with the young man that was shot outside Mick's Lounge, and obviously, that has other factors to it, and we've seen some charges in that, so we know that there were other factors there. But, you know, thinking about a situation like that and how we can avoid future situations like that is where I'm coming from on this. I've done several ride-alongs with our law enforcement officers. I literally have seen what the issues are that they're facing, and this is a growing issue of youth violence. Some of the images that we've seen over in Louisville are now spilling over into Jeff, and if we are not doing anything, and again, it's not going to be completely solved in this room, I do not think that we can completely fix it. To Councilman Webb's point, there is a lot more that needs to be done around prevention, but it's going to take leaders getting together, getting in the room, and working together and solving it. So we can play a piece to that. I know that we want to get down, we want to compromise, we want to look at ways to be smart with our funding. But there hasn't been another proposal for the usage of these funds. I brought this proposal forward because I think it will make an impact. I'm hoping to see if we can't do the full $12,000 that we could at least fund one cohort and make a public request to other agencies to match us." President Reed: "I don't disagree with what you're saying. I think that there does have to be a community-led fight against this, but I think that's what it has to be, is community-led. We sit in these chairs to encourage people. We sit in these chairs to give them their little part of a way, but never usually to fund the entire thing. That's my only thing, I love what you do Dominique. I was with Ms.Semones, I came in here, and I was like$1,500, that's what we gave to BAYA.That's what we've given to several other organizations, and we even dropped them down from a $5,000 gift to$1,500 because our finances have been so tight. But I agree with Ms. Semones, I'd be willing to go up to$2,000 or$2,500. But that's really where I am right now,just because we do have so many great organizations doing so many great things. I would push you to go out there to finish your 501(c)(3)so that the funding doors are out there for you.You have such amazing people behind you right now, and you're going to do great things. I think that the$2,500 will help you get to that point, hopefully when you can finish your 501(c)(3), really get out there,finish your data, and really work with all the other organizations that we're also looking at right now." Councilperson Webb: "Heather, what is in that fund and what have we used?" Councilperson Stoner: "$40,000." Councilperson Webb: "And where have we used that in the past, over the last three years? I mean, we can't use that for the budget." Heather Metcalf, Controller: "There's restricted and unrestricted funds." Councilperson Webb: "And this is on the unrestricted?" Councilperson Semones: "Right, and I just found it, it's$40,400.32." Councilperson White: "What about the command center?Are we using any part of that for that?" Councilperson Semones: "No,that is out of a different fund." Councilperson Stoner: "That's the Meijer." President Reed: "But there is a little bit more flexibility with this fund correct?" Ms. Metcalf: "There's flexibility in it." Vice President Burns: "I would concur with Ms. Semones and what Ms. Reed said, I would be in support of the lower funding." Councilperson Webb: "I'm just seeing what else we could use that fund for. I mean, if it's even going to the command center." Councilperson Semones: "The command center, I think is going to come out of 006." Councilperson Stoner: "The Meijer Settlement Fund." President Reed: "We've used it for Drug Fact Week,Thrive, and some other organizations, and I think we took BAYA out of there also." Councilperson Webb: "I'm willing to get one of the cohorts started. I mean, I just don't know what else we can use this fund for." Councilperson Stoner: "Can we use it for bills,so to speak?Can we use it to pay police officers? If it's completely unrestricted,then we can use it for anything." Ms. Metcalf: "But like you said, it is favored to be what the reason of the money is used." Councilperson Stoner: "So it would be, I guess you could say,frowned upon to use it on just standard governmental operations." Councilperson Webb: "I'd rather see cut back on a concert one weekend and support the young kids to be quite honest with you." President Reed: "I agree. I think once you get the high school program built out and we understand what that's about, I would love for you to come back, especially when you get your 501(c)(3) because I think that's going to be your biggest thing. I'm so excited just to see you out here with your passion doing something." Councilperson Semones: "I'm a little concerned about making any award without you having your 501(c)(3) status or someone here to say that they're going to be the umbrella for that." President Reed: "I believe Pamela Clark is here from CASI, and she said that Adrian would function as the 501(c)(3)." Councilperson Semones: "If we gave you $3,000, how quickly do you think you could raise another$3,000 to get your next cohort started?" Ms. Whipple: "I would start next week with the fundraising and getting the word out there. We have a Givebutter account." Councilperson Stoner: "I don't know, not to put you on the spot Chief, but if you would, and you would be willing to. I know that youth violence is something that's happening in our community. Would you be willing to speak towards any of that,that you're seeing from your perspective?" Police Chief McVoy: "Sure." Vice President Burns: "I think we all recognize that there's youth violence." President Reed: "I think so too." Councilperson Stoner: "It's an educational opportunity." President Reed: "I agree, but we have to say that this funding that we're saying is for students that are already justice impacted. We haven't built out any high school cohort to prevent that violence yet, correct?" Councilperson Stoner: "Well,we're working on that solution. But again, it's going to take people getting involved, so you can do the same thing that anybody else can do in that situation." Councilperson White: "Chief, I'd like to commend you on making sure that nothing that happened on the Louisville side came over and took place in Jeffersonville around the Big Four Bridge. And thank you for continuing the patrols that we have around the park." Chief McVoy: "Absolutely, it's our pleasure.A couple of things first, Ms. Dominique should be commended, as you said, for a young person getting involved in today's society,which is very refreshing because for so many years, us as adults,the adults in the room, have asked where are all the young folks at? In different avenues and arenas of all the places I've been to in the last 12 years as being an administrator,we've always said, "Where are the young folks at?" Well, here we have an outstanding opportunity to help a young person who has personal experience in a world that very few people see. Most of us will go home tonight and not experience any type of violence whatsoever. Some, in their entire lifetimes, will never experience any type of violence. Ms. Dominique has to live with that every single day of her life, and she's chosen to make a positive impact. I don't think youth violence or youth crime is specific to any type of region or city or state,for that matter, and there are so many things that affect youth in today's society, whether it's mental health or substance abuse. Very few have the ability to deescalate or have the emotional intelligence to de-conflict, which leads to fights.A lot of their role models aren't present in their life, and it's very challenging. I sit here today as a police chief and can tell you, I don't have the resource. When I look, and I spend my weekends on Facebook, I don't spend my entire weekend on Facebook, I try not to, but at times but I have to be responsive to the community. It's not as simple as just arresting them.That's not going to be an acceptable response, nor is it practical, I just don't have the people to do that. In many of these cases,these are status offenses that we're going to have to wait for a parent or a guardian to show up at a police department and pick these juveniles up, and I'm taking officers off the street to do that. It's just not feasible, especially on a Friday and Saturday night. We've talked about the overtime situation and budgets.This is a fund, in my opinion,that's designed for certain items like this. It's not my purview or my place to dispense those funds, but I would strongly support helping this young lady accomplish the things that she needs to accomplish in her life.This is not a business venture, or someone making a career out of this. It's someone who's trying to make an impact in her community, so I fully support that. For the record, I will personally support that, and I'll give you $500, so come see me at the police department. I'm a big fan of hers. I think when we all come together,we find a way to help people accomplish, and this is for the good of the community. It's very frustrating when I have men and women that do a fantastic job, like you had pointed out. I wasn't there the other night, I showed up after the fact. But I have folks that do a fantastic job every single day, and the resources and the frustration level, it's just not there. We have to have help from outside, we have to have help from civilians, mental health experts, people we can attach. I fully support Dominique and her program, and I have no problem attaching her to my agency. Anything else?" Councilperson Snelling: "Thank you Chief, we just need to come up with what we're going to give." Councilperson Semones made a motion to approve to give $3,000 from the Unrestricted Settlement Funds to CASI, seconded by Councilperson Snelling; City Clerk Lisa Gill conducted a roll call vote: Councilperson White—Yes Council Vice President Burns—Yes Councilperson Semones—Yes Councilperson Anderson—Yes Council President Reed —Yes Councilperson Webb—Yes Councilperson Snelling—Yes Councilperson Stoner—Yes Motion passed, 8-0. Before leaving the podium, Ms. Whipple informed the council that she had also made handouts from the last slide of her presentation for them (see attachment). She explained that she serves as the committee chair for the Problem Solving Court breakfast and added that May is National Problem Solving Court Month. She attended the meeting to present the sponsorship levels and to invite council members to the event, emphasizing that their attendance would be greatly appreciated. She highlighted that a registration link was included in the materials and encouraged members to RSVP, noting that the event typically fills up quickly despite being free. She also asked council members to share the information with others and thanked them for their consideration.The council thanked Ms. Whipple and commended her for doing a great job and discussed that they would talk more about the sponsorship at the next council meeting if that would be ok with Ms. Whipple. Ms. Whipple agreed that the next meeting would be fine to discuss the sponsorship further, she thanked them again and encouraged them to attend the sponsorship breakfast. Before ending the discussion President Reed asked Ms. Whipple the total amount she had raised while standing before the council. Ms. Whipple responded that she had raised a total of$6,500, City Attorney Larry Wilder had also made a personal contribution in support of the program. There were no further discussions or questions from the city council. Councilperson Anderson left the meeting at 7:02 pm. 2. Matthew Hill 2026-R-2 Resolution Authorizing an Urban Enterprise Zone Deduction Within the Inner City Roads TIF President Reed introduced Matthew Hill and the next agenda item, Resolution 2026-R-2. She explained that it is a resolution authorizing an urban enterprise zone deduction within the Inner City Roads TIF. She added that the project is commonly known as Legacy Shops, formerly Youngstown Shops. The council discussed fond memories and history of what was once the Youngstown Shops. Matthew Hill expressed appreciation for the shared memories of the Youngstown Shopping Center and thanked the council for the opportunity to be on the agenda. He introduced himself as being with Legacy Commercial Property, an 80-year-old family-run company he has worked with for three generations over 22 years. He noted the company has been active in the Louisville community for about 25 years as property owners across Southern Indiana and Northern Kentucky. He explained that the company identified the Youngstown Shopping Center in late 2023 and early 2024 while searching for investment properties in Southern Indiana.The property was seen as a strong opportunity to reinvest in the community due to the growth and development occurring in Jeffersonville. Mr. Hill added that Legacy is part of a parent company, Highland Ventures,which is also the largest franchisee of Marco's Pizza in the country. He noted they previously opened a Marco's Pizza on 10th Street before investing in the shopping center, demonstrating their confidence in the area. He explained that the primary goal of the investment was to act as a catalyst in this 10th Street corridor, recognizing growth in other parts of the city and the opportunity to invest in this area. He highlighted positive collaboration with city leadership, including Chad Reischl and Mayor Moore. Mr. Hill referenced materials provided to the council (see attachments), outlining the transformation of the property. He acknowledged the site's history, including former tenants such as Kroger, Bacon's,Taylor Drugs, Woolworths, and Adams Shoes, which later became Shoe Sensation. He noted the significance of these businesses and the community's connection to them. He shared that the shopping center spans 180,000 square feet and that approximately$3.5 million has been invested so far, including facade renovations and an initial $1.1 million roof replacement. He emphasized that while the roof replacement may not necessarily have any assessed value, a lot of the tenants specifically the Dollar Tree and Save-A-Lot, were very appreciative. Mr. Hill outlined the project phases, including completed roof and facade work, with future phases focused on additional roof replacement over vacant spaces, parking lot improvements, and landscaping enhancements. He emphasized that one of the things they were the most proud of and as part of their project phases, was the increasing of tenancy along with the success in renewing existing tenants, including a bank and Mai's Thai restaurant, which has operated there for nearly 30 years. He also highlighted the addition of Kinship Health, which invested over$1.5 million into its space. Mr. Hill added that there was also a proposal for new signage and ongoing coordination with the city regarding variances. He also explained that efforts are being made to attract tenants that meet community needs and welcomed input from council members. Mr. Hill also added that potential tax savings would be reinvested into property improvements such as parking, landscaping, along with improvements that they would be able to provide to any prospective future tenants. Mr. Hill concluded by opening the floor for questions. President Reed: "First of all,thank you. I think when I look at your development,you invested everything up front and didn't ask the city for money up front, and I appreciate that so much.You took a risk on us, and to me,that's huge because I think sometimes it is a risk to invest in some of our areas that are not growing as much. But it's that big area of 10th Street that our constituents talk about all the time.They're saying, "Fix up 10th Street," "Fix the donut hole. Help us have a better 10th Street." And you took a risk on us, and I think that's commendable." Councilperson White: "One of the other shops is Woolworth's that used to be in there as well. I grew up here, so I spent some time in Woolworth's while my mother was in Bacon's. I But following up with what Council President Reed said,thank you for investing in Jeffersonville.This is in my district, and I appreciate the spruce up and taking a risk on investing in our city. I love what you've done so far, so keep up the good work. I also sit on the Urban Enterprise Zone board, so I support this as well. When you take a risk like this and put forth money to renovate structures and areas that haven't been for a long time, that's a big decision for a company, and that is one of the reasons the Urban Enterprise Zone was set up,to encourage and incentivize those types of investments. So, I will not ask you how you're spending your savings. I'm just glad that you are in a position to receive the incentive, because it means you're doing something positive in the city. So thank you for that, and I'll be supporting your application." Councilperson Snelling: "Yeah thank you for coming to Jeffersonville, in that area anyway. Like Dustin, I did a lot of bowling at the bowling alley. But do you have any other areas in the city that you're looking at?" Mr. Hill: "Well, to be honest sir, prior to opening Marco's on 10th Street there in the Dunkin' Donuts building, we did approach that owner about buying that property as well. However, at the time, he was not in the position to entertain an offer from us." Councilperson Snelling: "Like from Allison Lane and down?" Mr. Hill: "Well, I will say that we do have interest in another parcel that is extremely close to ours. However, I'll simply comment that we don't view the investment as a risk in Jeffersonville. Unlike most developers and commercial real estate investors, we are not the type of company to buy a property, hold for five years, and then flip the property.We are long-term buy and hold,the family that I work for views it as a legacy property.The specific property in mind that we have interest in,the family wishes to continue focusing efforts on filling space in our shopping center before we make another investment. So if that answers your question,yes." Councilperson Snelling: "You have my support." Mr. Hill: "Thank you, sir." President Reed asked if there were anymore questions or concerns from the council before making a motion. Vice President Burns: "Just curious, do you have any tenants interested in the center since you've revamped it?" Mr. Hill: "Yes, I spent my entire day in Jeffersonville today with a few brokers showing space to a couple different clients.There was a question prior to the meeting as well about the Taco Bell property. We're working with a commercial real estate broker and trading paper on that space right now for an existing restaurant in the community who wishes to relocate to that building, in this section of Jeffersonville. Again, speaking highly of city staff, who has been supportive, Chad Reischl has been super supportive throughout the process as we have worked to do the renovations. But he's also been a great source of connection with other resources for us to drive foot traffic and bring more attention to the center." Councilperson Stoner: "Before we go on, I just want to note this also came through redevelopment, and Scott and I both supported it.The only reason why they have to come before redevelopment and the council is because this exists not only in the Urban Enterprise Zone, but also in a TIF, which is expiring next year. But the deduction itself will have very little impact on the TIF, and so we felt comfortable in redevelopment with it moving forward." Councilperson White made a motion to approve Resolution 2026-R-2, seconded by Council Vice President Burns; motion passed, 7-0. Before moving on to the next agenda item, Councilperson White addressed President Reed. Councilperson White: "Madam President, I was wondering,just in the event anything like this comes up in the future. We have the sole ability to approve the enterprise zone incentives within TIF districts. It doesn't have to go to any other board beforehand." President Reed: "Ok." 3. Greg Fifer 2026-R-3 Resolution Approving 2026 City Public Safety& Utility Services Agreement Between the City& River Ridge Development Authority President Reed introduced the next agenda item and welcomed Greg Fifer to the podium to speak. Mr. Fifer greeted President Reed and the rest of the council in return and began his introduction by informing the council of why he was there. Mr. Fifer: "I'm here hopefully to either finish or try to start finishing the process that we've been in for a couple of years now, which is finding a long-term revenue sharing solution that's permitted by Indiana law and that benefits our overlapping taxing units. I'll give you a little bit of context, if you want more detail I'd be happy to bring Wendy back with me, together with our financial advisor Andrew Lanham. He can give you a lot more accurate technical information than I'm able to do. But basically what we did was, part of the discussions we were having with Mayor Moore and Mr. Merkley and others, was basically we came down to an analysis of what would happen if River Ridge would have developed exactly as it had, but if the reuse authority had never been established. Now, probably if that was true, we wouldn't have what we have there today because somebody had to issue a $130 million in bonds and do all the work to get the public improvements constructed. But regardless of that, Andrew basically came up with numbers that we have applied hard and fast, but basically it's in the ballpark of what that number was. So in the aggregate, what we came up with for this year was $5.175 million. That is roughly fifty percent of what our TIF revenues were last year. It's probably in the range of forty-five percent of what we project to receive this year.The constraints on us are, and that's why we're doing a one- year agreement, and I'll explain that a little bit more in just a second. But our board, with the five members from each of the appointing authorities, had to take that number and say, "How are we going to equitably divide this up for 2026 and try to get this program started?" Obviously, the Jeffersonville section of the Commerce Center has developed much more extensively than the Charlestown section has. So obviously your expense of providing services there is greater than Charlestown's is today and that will change over time, but it'll take a while. So the numbers that we ended up coming up with and what's before you tonight, and I've sent our approved resolution with Mark's signature and my signature this morning so it's here to be signed whenever you're ready. But your allocation of that $5.175 million would be $3.5 million, which is almost two-thirds to the penny, of the total pot. The rest of it gets divided up amongst Charlestown, Greater Clark, Utica, and Clark County. So all of them are for services agreements, which provides the authority by which we could survive an audit, in saying that we expended money properly. I'll be glad to answer any questions, but I think that we wanted to go slowly in this process and make sure we didn't bite off more than we could chew. Because we understand now that we're starting this, you'll be using that money for purposes of calculating next year's budget, anticipating that you'll get at least that much again, and so we want to meet that expectation without overpromising and putting either of us in a bad situation. I think we're going to be fine, but we probably want to go through one or two more years of one-year agreements. Once we have a comfort level that we have reached a sweet spot that we don't have to worry about some of those things on an ongoing basis, I think we'll move to two or three or three-plus year agreements that just adjust automatically every year and we can kind of get rid of some of the paperwork. But for now, that's our feeling. Basically you have a broad umbrella on what you can use this money for. It is for anything that would compensate for police services, fire protection services, or wastewater utility services. So there's no description of any specific thing that needs to be done, it just says you'll provide those services to the same extent and scope that you provide them in the rest of the city. I think you're doing that anyway, so I don't think it changes very much and there's no reporting requirements. I'll just close by saying, I've told the other overlapping taxing units that we've met with during this process. You know our board, five members from five different appointing authorities, still have to form a consensus with whatever we do both this year and going forward. So I would say that Wendy will probably run a program, starting later this year, perhaps by the end of the summer, in which we'll ask you to come to a board meeting. I don't know whether it will just be one recipient or multiple recipients, she'll work all that out. But at any rate, our board is going to want to hear from you, what did this money enable you to do?You don't have to justify how you spent it, but how is this beneficial to the community?So that if they were to allocate a larger share of the pie to you, what would that reasonably be in, as opposed to what they've heard from the other recipients.Just friendly advice going forward to try to shape your expectations, that's where I think we're headed. Once this resolution is signed, and the agreement is signed and delivered to us, I'll have our controller start processing the check. I would anticipate you would have the full amount of the money within three weeks. Then we will learn within the next month or two what the anticipated assessed value and TIF revenues will be for 2027. So we'll want to start this process again so that we can complete at least a consensus of what do we think the numbers will be in a 2027 agreement, so that you can factor that into your 2027 budget meetings. So with that, I'm glad to answer any other questions but that's really what we're here for and we look forward to having this be a productive relationship going forward and continue this program for many, many years." Councilperson Webb: "Mr. Fifer I really appreciate it, I've been waiting for you to show up all night. I know your board has talked and you're saying that you'd like to see where this is allocated to sewer, fire, and police. I'm sure you guys have talked. Based on your expert opinion and some of your board's talk at the table, and I think I know this answer, what do you see that needs to be up there and addressed the most up there in River Ridge, in that District 6 area? Because we all know what's lacking." Mr. Fifer: "Well,traffic enforcement is obviously at the top of the list because International Drive has become a cut-through for people that don't want to drive up and down 62 and through the roundabouts, which is understandable.That's going to get worse before it gets better. We're completing the remaining segment of Penny Martin Lane in Charlestown that will enable traffic to get off 62 sooner coming towards Jeffersonville and not have to wind your way through the commerce center. Basically a straight shot onto International Drive, that'll be done sometime later this year. Additionally, if you're out there early in the morning or late in the afternoon,traffic stacking at the intersection of the bridge overpass at Exit 11 and continues to get worse. One of the things I should have said during my remarks,we've been working with INDOT trying to get a redesign of that interchange. In fact we told them in the beginning, what's there is a rural interchange.We tried to tell them, "This isn't going to stay rural once it's here.", and it hasn't but it's not workable with what's there today.So they've told us that probably to get in line for the traditional funding. It's going to be years before they can fund that project. So we're prepared, we have hired an engineer at our expense to start designing what's called a divergent diamond intersection or interchange.There's enough land already there, so we don't have to do land acquisition,we don't have to do environmental studies. But we're trying to expedite that to start construction of that new interchange within the next two to three years, and if we have to pay for it, we have to pay for it.You know, it's probably a $15 million project but it's not going to fix itself. In the meantime, I know that there were some recent publications of things that Congresswoman Houchin was able to get in federal funds. I would anticipate we're going to try to find some of that to offset some of that cost over the next couple years. But if we don't and we have to pay for it, well it's just not conducive to River Ridge's mission or for our tenants out there to have those conditions continue to get worse. On International Drive, it's amazing how many times you're out there and you see somebody behind a semi-truck who is doing the speed limit out there, but the people aren't patient and pass down the center turning lane around that truck and that's a disaster waiting to happen. So anything we can do to try to stop those things is greatly appreciated." Councilperson Webb: "I appreciate that, I'm glad we are able to walk together. So you're basically saying police, safety, and traffic control." Mr. Fifer: "I mean use it in your discretion how you see fit." Councilperson Webb: "Yeah, being from District 6 and I think Councilperson Snelling will agree with this, I think we need some fire support up there too. I'd like to see some of these funds, instead of us filling these gaps in this budget like we did last year, I mean there's an issue up there. District 6 is the fastest growing area of all our districts and with River Ridge being there. I've always thought of a scenario to where a fire starts at River Ridge, a train's going across 62,the fire trucks are dispatched,then a house catches on fire. I know I've talked to Chief Grant about this before, I think we need to allocate some of this for more fire protection. I think Chief Grant has some ideas that he'd like to meet with this council on further expanding that at a low cost budget to the city. But I just hate to see all these funds go to fill the gaps from SB1 you know?" Mr. Fifer: "The last thing I guess I would say is, I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the contribution made by your appointee to our board, Mr. Ballenger. He was instrumental in getting to this result, making sure that the city got what we believe to be an equitable fair share that looks like something that fairly apportions the money that we're able to distribute this year and still keep the other four members on good terms moving forward. Because I think since this isn't the last time we'll do this, that's essential as well. So he did an exceptional job." Councilperson Snelling: "It's kind of hard to plan for fire protection when you only do it for one year. I know what you're saying, but it's kind of hard to build a fire station in our area up there and then you have to hire firefighters, which costs a lot of money and that adds to everything." Mr. Fifer: "Understood, we'll get there as quick as we can. I'm hopeful that maybe this year and next year on one-year agreements, and then after that we'll be comfortable moving out more years into the future. I think this will fall into place pretty quickly." Councilperson Snelling: "And I don't want to spend money—I'm not into money spending. We need to plan ahead,just like you're planning infrastructure out where the International Drive is." Mr. Fifer: "I think if there's going to be a new fire house at River Ridge, and we've set the property aside to do that, that's going to be a complex subject to have many meetings about and try to figure out where do we collectively find the money from to build it and staff it and equip it and all those things. I understand that fully." President Reed: "I love to hear you say that, and I know Mr. Webb has been a huge champion of that for his district, and I'm grateful for that. And so I hope you'll include him in those conversations going forward, and Mr. Snelling." Mr. Fifer: "And I think that all falls in with what they did last year with Senate Bill 1, and unfortunately with shortening this year's session, and from my perspective they simply kicked it down the road a year, anything that they were going to do this year to try to offset the effects of that. So I don't know that we're going to have any better clarity on that until next legislative session." Councilperson Snelling: "Well, it cost us 2.9 million out of our budget this year. If anybody don't know that, that's what they took out of our budget." Councilperson Stoner: "And I would just like to note, the latest estimates from the legislative services agency indicate that the City of Jeff will be losing out on $1.5 million in fiscal year 2026, and will lose out on $1 million in fiscal year 2027, and 3 million in fiscal year 2028. So with this $3.5 million it would put us 1.9 million over where we would have been." Mr. Fifer: "Well hopefully that helps, that's the intent." President Reed: "If you can just go up every year after this, I'm ok with it." 4 Mr. Fifer: "So,you know,we actually pay our bond service debt from our UEZ revenues. But we can't pledge our UEZ revenues because our UEZ is scheduled to sunset in 2033. So we pledge TIF, but we actually make the payments out of UEZ. Well, our TIF is going to keep increasing no matter what we do. No matter what happens up there from now on, it's going to keep going up. UEZ is going to keep going down, but the total pot is going to keep getting bigger. So that's why I say I think if we can go through this process one or two more times, and our board gets a comfort level, then I think we can do things on a more permanent basis." President Reed asked if there were anymore thoughts or comments before moving to a motion. Councilperson White: "Yes, and to follow up with the numbers that were put out. I know that when the law changed last year,there was a lot of talk about how much money we were losing.The other side of that was that we were still going to receive more money than we had the year before. I haven't looked at the most recent numbers, but that may still be the case.The three-year projection was that we would still receive more money than we had before, but because the rules had changed, we would not be receiving what we thought we would receive under the old rules.This is a one-year agreement.Thank you, we welcome the funds. But just to be clear,this is not an alternative and we can't hire 9 to 10 people, career firefighters, off of a one-year contract.That's what I believe, my understanding is this scenario is what was used to do away with the fire territory, which would have put a company of firefighters in the East End. So although I'm thankful, of course for the funds that the board has agreed to give the city, we still are not going to be able to accomplish our goal, which is to put another company of firefighters in the East End. I just don't want there to be any illusion about this, because I know that there was a post by the administration on Facebook talking about this is going to increase fire service and police, and it's not going to hire another company of firefighters to service our East End, which we have been trying to do for 19 years. I just want to be clear on that.Thankful for the funds, and what I'm saying has nothing to do with you or your presentation, but this is not accomplishing what it needs to accomplish.Although we are thankful." Councilperson Snelling: "Very thankful." Councilperson Webb made a motion to approve the Resolution 2026-R-3 , seconded by Councilperson Stoner; motion passed,7-0. Councilperson White: "Madam President?" President Reed: "Yes? Did you have a question for Mr. Fifer or just the council?" Councilperson White: "Just the council. I would encourage that this council have a representative,whether it's the president or someone that we all decide, should participate in their negotiations. We have to approve this, not the mayor, so we should be a part of that negotiation. If we want to accomplish what we expanded,then we're going to have to have a contract that probably lasts 20 years. Because you know,once we hire a fireman,they've got a collective bargaining agreement and a merit commission. I suppose subject to budget constraints, but who wants to lay off firefighters?So, I just encourage more participation from members of the council, not me, I've been through that, and to work on having a very long-term agreement so that we can get to where we need to go. That's all I have, thank you." 4. Heather Metcalf(PUBLIC HEARING) 2026-OR-9 Ordinance of Additional Appropriation President Reed introduced Heather Metcalf, City Controller, and the public hearing for 2026- OR-9. She explained that previously the rules had been suspended to vote on all three readings at once. However, since a public hearing had already been publicized, they needed to hold that public hearing before suspending the rules. President Reed further explained that the only reason the council would suspend the rules and pass this ordinance on all three readings was because they had already heard the information two other times along with a public hearing. President Reed then gave the floor to Ms. Metcalf. Ms. Metcalf: "These are all appropriating cash that's already in these special revenue funds." President Reed opened the public hearing at 7:36 PM, for anyone to speak for or against 2026-OR-9, no one stepped forward to speak. President Reed proceeded with closing the public hearing at 7:36 PM. Councilperson Semones made a motion to suspend the rules to vote on Ordinance 2026-OR- 9 on all 3 readings, seconded by Council Vice President Burns; motion passed, 7-0. Councilperson Semones made a motion to approve the Ordinance 2026-OR-9 on all 3 readings, seconded by Council Vice President Burns; motion passed, 7-0. 5. Heather Metcalf 2026-OR-10 Ordinance of Additional Appropriation President Reed introduced the next agenda item and gave the floor to Heather Metcalf, City Controller. Ms. Metcalf: "So this is also appropriating cash balances in the local law enforcement continuing ED fund for the police department. They did have some reimbursement to be re- appropriated into vehicles, and then also another$10,000 from the police non-reverting. So it's all appropriating cash that we've already received." There were no questions or comments from the council. Councilperson Semones made a motion to approve the Ordinance 2026-OR-10 on the 1st and 2nd reading, seconded by Council Vice President Burns; motion passed, 7-0. 6. Heather Metcalf 2026-OR-11 Ordinance of Additional Appropriation President Reed introduced the next agenda item, Heather Metcalf 2026-OR-11, Ordinance of Additional Appropriation. She acknowledged concerns about funding the mobile command center as well as recently purchased fire trucks. She noted that the finance committee had met the previous week and brought forward two suggestions. One was a financing solution that everyone had, she highlighted the concerns from the finance committee about extending debt service during financial uncertainty. The other option was to pay in full for the command center using EDIT and LIT funding, which would leave the reserves 36% above the threshold, she also added there were concerns from Ms. Metcalf about spending the cash. She concluded by suggesting the floor be opened for discussion on both items and if Ms. Metcalf wanted to add anything. Vice President Burns: "Well, although we do have the money in the bank, it does make me a little uneasy spending that kind of cash, with the unknown of Senate Bill 1 and what we've got coming down the road, and I know there are other needs and departments that are going to rise too. You know, we have aging vehicles in other departments that we need to figure out solutions for as well." Ms. Metcalf: "There's no prepayment penalty." Vice President Burns: "So we could pay it off if we figure out that SB1's not hurting us as much as we thought, and maybe if Mr. Fifer ups the ante a little bit over the next couple of years, we could pay off early." Councilperson Webb: "Yeah, we could always add to the payment, you know, at the end of the year, that's correct?" Ms. Metcalf: "Yes." President Reed: "I could go either way. My mentality,just because this is the way I run my household, is if we have the funding and it's still going to leave us 36%above reserves, then I think we should pay it off now, not indebt the next council to the debt services and, you know, say no if we have to down the road, but to live within our means now. However, I'm only one of nine." Councilperson Webb: "Well, Heather, based on this interest rate, which is fairly inexpensive on this five-year term, I mean, that's at 3.75, that's pretty cheap." Ms. Metcalf: "It's a very good rate. We went out to about six different banks." Councilperson Webb: "Some of our investments, some of those, you got them in CDs or you got them in money markets? I can't remember." Ms. Metcalf: "Both, but they're making more than that." Councilperson Webb: "Yeah money markets, easily you get 4, well at least a CD. I'd vote we go five years." Councilperson White: "Well I think if we have the money, and not knowing. I mean, there was a letter written, talking about our finances. You know, if we have the money to pay for it, I think it's wise to pay for it, as opposed to going into debt not knowing what our future finances are exactly going to be. We've known these things were going to come for a long time, as I'd mentioned, and as everyone understands, we can't hire nine firefighters or ten, based off of what we received. So, I mean, it's the executive's decision on maybe using that money for that. But, I would not be interested in going into debt when we have the money to pay for it. It's just my opinion." Councilperson Snelling: "I would agree with that. We have fire apparatus, it's not going to be here until December, am I correct?" Ms. Metcalf: "Yes." Councilperson Snelling: "So originally, we had to do this, you said, in two weeks, or it won't be delivered, am I correct?" Ms. Metcalf: "It was delayed." Councilperson Snelling: "Yeah, then we talked with the chief. Chief said they wouldn't be here till June, so I'm in favor of paying for it now. If we have to do it later in the year, then we can finance the fire apparatus." President Reed: "I think that's a fairly good compromise. Pay for the command center now, and then if we have to finance the fire trucks at a later time." Councilperson Snelling: "I believe we can still get the same rate." Councilperson Webb: "I always believe in paying things off, but what I'm going by is what we're making on some CDs here. We're making more money on the CDs than what the interest rate is. I mean, it's just like I don't pay my house off when it's at 3% and I'm getting 4.25 on the money market. You know, I'm just looking at the percentages." President Reed: "So you're saying throw that money into an investment?" Councilperson Webb: "Yeah, on the five-year. Then, if we think that this year doesn't look too bad, we can always add a million to it. At the end of that year, it goes right to the principal of it. Because Heather, you would have to pull it out of some of these funds, would you not?" Ms. Metcalf: "Correct." Councilperson Webb: "Just my thought, but like I said I'm one of nine." President Reed: "I don't think either option is bad. What I will commend is our finance committee, because I know we've all had this looming over our heads, and we've been worried, and Heather's been worried. I really commend Heather and the finance committee for coming together and presenting the council with options so that we could move on." Councilperson Webb: "Well, with you being the coordinator, the money lady, what would you like to see?" Ms. Metcalf: "I voiced my opinions on both sides. I am also personally not one that goes into debt when not needed, but I'm also very concerned about cash reserves moving into the future. I also very much agree with you that we've got an interest rate that's very competitive and a very good rate based off of our investments that we currently have." Councilperson Snelling: "If you pull it out, you're not going to get that investment right?" Vice President Burns: "What was your next closest rate to the rate we have now, do you remember?" Ms. Metcalf: "The next ones were in the fours." Vice President Burns: "Yeah, and you may not get these rates again." Ms. Metcalf: "Tomorrow it might change. At least now we can kind of lock this in for the fire apparatus that are coming in the future. Because I really don't think you're going to have the cash balances to pay for that part of it either. That's probably going to need to be financed." Councilperson Snelling: "That was our thinking, depending on what River Ridge just showed us, we'll have to look at that. But there are other things we're looking at besides these new fire apparatus, that's going to come to light." Councilperson Webb: "Well, that's an aggressive rate. We've always got the funds to pay it off, but you don't see that rate in today's world. I would lock that down in my line of credit, I know that." Councilperson Stoner: "I like the idea of having the flexibility down the road to pay it off early." Councilperson Snelling: "We don't need any new debt." Vice President Burns: "I'd make a motion for 2026-OR-11 that we move forward with the five-year term, confirming that there's no prepayment penalty, where we could pay it off once we see where our finance is at." Ms. Metcalf: "Well 2026-OR-11 is the ordinance of additional appropriation." Councilperson White: "We can approve it or not." President Reed: "Then if we vote against it, then it will go to...." Vice President Burns: "Are we going to vote for the financing as well?" President Reed: "So a negative vote is sending it to financing." Councilperson Semones: "Hang on, Mr. Burns were you on the council that approved these contracts?" Vice President Burns: "Yes." Councilperson Semones: "And that was prior to this term?" Vice President Burns: "That's Correct, we were planning on doing a note very similar to this. But we did not know at that time that it was going to take three and a half years to get these apparatuses, I don't think." Councilperson Semones: "Were any provisions made at the time of approval of these contracts to pay for them?" Ms. Metcalf: "Our reserve levels were much higher than they are now." Councilperson White: "No they were not." Vice President Burns: "But we knew that we were probably going to do a bond anticipation note, something similar to this." Councilperson Semones: "So the council that was in term before this one, committed us and we're not going to be paying it off until the term after this one?" Councilperson Snelling: "Yes." Councilperson Semones: "That's how our government works." Councilperson Snelling: "No, we need to pay bills." Vice President Burns: "Unfortunately it takes two to four years now. How long have we been waiting on these Chief Grant? Unfortunately, we had to approve the contract or they wouldn't be produced, manufactured." Fire Chief, Shawn Grant: "It takes an average of 36 months to get a fire apparatus built. We used to get an apparatus in a year. What used to happen is we had LIT money allocated to us every year for a payment, and then every three to four years we'd replace an apparatus. Now, I've got one of my newest ones, it's got busted lines, I've got transmission fluid all over the front of station one down there. These trucks get ran a lot and hard, and it's a very vital piece of equipment that we have to have. We've got to keep a rotation,just like the police do with their police cars. What we've done in the past is when we were a year away from our last lease payment, we would come to you, which is what we did with previous council and is the reason why we're here today. But COVID hit, supply chains were jammed up, and it took three years to get fire trucks as opposed to a year, and it's still going on right now. That's why we're where we're at right now." Councilperson Semones: "Nobody has been putting money back for these contracts that we've committed to in the three or four years?" Chief Grant: "Well, we had money, myself and the police department always had money in our budgets for these payments. I think we gave up our money for this last-there was something that happened here in the past that we paid something off, I'll find out. But we usually had the money in our budgets to make our payments." S Councilperson White: "Ms. Metcalf,you just said something that confused me. I want to go to this statement that you presented,the 10 million,that's the surplus?" Ms. Metcalf: "In the general fund?" Councilperson White: "Yes." Ms. Metcalf: "Yes." Councilperson White: "The difference between January 1st in line 17, where did that 1.6 million subtraction come from?" Ms. Metcalf: "The estimated revenues for property tax was less than what the LSA estimated when we originally did the budget.So you can see that difference also in the parks department, because they're a levy fund.That's noted right at the top on the right- hand side." Councilperson White: "Ok, so you said the reserves are less than four?" Ms. Metcalf: "Correct, based on the estimated revenues." Councilperson White: "Okay, because there's$10 million there that we haven't always had." Councilperson Webb: "Do we need this motion tonight?Can two weeks hold? Because we need five favorable either way, correct?" Councilperson Snelling: "Yes." Councilperson Webb: "We've got seven members here, and the way I'm looking at it, it's going to be three to four or four to three, I don't know. I recommend we table it." Ms. Metcalf: "It can be on first too. I mean however you want to do it." Councilperson Webb: "I recommend we table this because this is quite a bit of money. Whether we pay for it or borrow it, I recommend we table until we get the other two council members here." Councilperson Semones: "I think that's wise." Vice President Burns: "I would rescind my motion and go for that." Councilperson White: "Does the person who seconded it have to agree to rescind it Mr. Wilder?" Council Attorney, Larry Wilder: "Correct,yes." Vice President Burns: "I move to withdraw." Councilperson Webb made a motion to table Ordinance 2026-OR-11 until the next council meeting, seconded by Council Vice President Burns; Councilperson Webb requested a roll call vote. City Clerk Lisa Gill conducted a roll call vote: Councilperson White— No Council Vice President Burns—Yes Councilperson Semones—Yes Councilperson Anderson—Yes Council President Reed —Yes Councilperson Webb—Yes Councilperson Snelling— No Councilperson Stoner—Yes Motion passed, 5-2. COMMITTEE REPORTS/COMMENTS: President Reed asked Councilperson Snelling and Councilperson Semones if they would give an update on what the Finance Committee had been working on. Councilperson Semones: "I think we talked about funding the fire apparatus and command vehicle, and the options there." Councilperson Snelling: "Came as favorable, to pay it, out of the Finance Committee." Councilperson Semones: "What I will say is that from my perspective, that proposal came out of asking a series of questions that we all gave due consideration to. The Flock cameras, whether we're going to be able to afford to keep those on, and what options we have there. And then we're giving a lot of consideration to our insurance issue being self-insured, whether that's sustainable, and what options there are to address that issue moving forward." President Reed thanked the Finance Committee along with Ms. Metcalf. She then proceeded with giving an update on the Opioid Funding Committee, informing the council that everyone had accepted their appointments and that there was a poll going around regarding the first meeting that should take place in the upcoming weeks. ATTORNEY COMMENTS: Larry Wilder—No comment Les Merkley— Not present DEPARTMENT HEADS: Police Chief McVoy: "I know that you all have been through a lot, and it's been a long night. This mobile command center, several years ago I was given the direction to stay under$1.3 million. It's been a lot of time, a lot of effort for a piece of equipment that's going to last 20 to 25 years, that's going to serve this community and other communities very well in these times of need. Here in a few short weeks, while there's military action going on halfway across the world that involves a lot of our family members and friends, the largest public event in the United States is going to occur on our riverside, and this police department, this fire department have to be absolutely equipped, staffed, and ready to go to protect those people, and the residents. You all do a fantastic job, my job is to lead the agency, to let you all know what I need, and what those projections are for the next several years. So I would like, along with the fire chief, to present to the council a five-year plan of projections of just exactly where this police department and fire department should be. When we talk about infrastructure, protecting our way of life, protecting the safety in this community, that's my responsibility—to lead those men and women and make sure that we're investing in the proper things to not allow violence and acts of that nature to occur in our community. A hot topic item right now takes violent offenders off the street, recovers children, and reduces our man investigation hours probably by 75%.Those are things that we have invested in community-wide that I believe in,just like I believe in Ms. Dominique and her program. At the end of the day, I'm only one of one, I'm not one of nine. I'll give you all the info I can get and I will present that information to you. But I think it's best to do that when I have all the information, when I have all the data, so you can consume it,just like I did several weeks ago. There are a lot of people in this room who, when Mr. Fifer was here, worked on attaining that type of funding. The fire department guys have been down there for years, almost a decade. I'm glad to see that come to fruition and hopefully in the future, because I do need the manpower. I have no vehicle money in my budget, I have 2019 patrol cars out there. They're being run eight and a half to ten hours a day and they're breaking down—you see that in my maintenance budget. I'll be back in June or July to ask for money to make it to the end of the year. I'm looking for every option I can, even if it's changing cars to a different make and model to get the best car for the lowest price. Those are the things that I need to bring to you as the agency head for you all to help make decisions on where we're going and how we're going to keep this community safe. For me, it's about the standard, it's not about sacrificing and lowering our standards to allow Jeffersonville not to be the city that we all expect it to be, from these men and women that serve every day. I get the honor to lead them, they do all the work. We owe them our best, not just me. Other than that, I know the points about the youth here. I won't release any times, dates, tactics, or anything we employ to keep the Big Four Bridge safe. Typically, those overtime details don't start till the middle of March, it was a one-off with the weather, but we since corrected it. I think our response has been appropriate. This police department nor the city should tolerate any type of criminal acts or mischief, criminal mischief—things that maybe youngsters don't really think are crimes. However, it leads them down the path to bigger and worse things down the road, most of them are status offenses. Again, we have to enforce it, and we will. Parents need to know where their kids are at 11 o'clock at night, and that's not roaming around Riverside Drive, I can assure you that. My guys have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to that, but it ties my people up. For every one good thing, there's another negative draw to that. We did have overtime details, which is more than just the park, it's the entire immediate area. I don't want to discuss a lot of our tactics in a public meeting, but feel free to reach out and call me, I know some of you have. I'll be more than happy to answer those for you regarding patrols in that downtown district. I take offense when I hear people say, "Oh, I never see the police." Never see the police on Riverside Drive? I take exception to that, and I'll be a voice for my people as I always have been, been doing this a long time. Any questions for me? Councilperson Webb: "Yes, Chief, you do an awesome job. You've got a tough job, and I wouldn't want to trade your position, much rather do what I do. What I would like to see basically—and you could probably, and Chief Grant, put this together—is how many firefighters, how many police officers, and how many hours are down at those concerts every weekend. Now, everybody loves parties. We might want to consider cutting those back every other week or every third week to try to reduce some of the overtime and over expenditures of this city." Chief McVoy: "I can absolutely prepare those numbers for you. What I can say is, and this happens 4 across the country, I've been to a lot of places, and I have a lot of networking connections that have these types of events. Every community wants to have that festival type. When you go to Carmel, or some of these other places, they want to entertain. You could have the opinion that it's not the government's job to entertain folks, that's not for me to decide. My job is to keep them safe. I look at all these events that we have, and then the moment something happens where you cut back and then something occurs, not only the media but our citizens will say, "Why weren't the police down there? Why wasn't EMS down there?" So I agree with you." Councilperson Webb: "I wasn't talking about cutting the police. I was talking about cutting the concerts completely in half." Chief McVoy: "That's what I'm saying." Councilperson Webb: "Basically, then you wouldn't have the crowd. But I'm talking, like immediately, I'm talking like every other weekend. I mean, trust me, I think we all love going down there, but sometimes it's based on the bands, sometimes there's good crowds, and sometimes there's no crowds. I think going every other weekend is something we might want to consider because I think everybody gets spoiled, "Oh, same old, same old, same old." I mean, when you take the carrot away, people appreciate it a little bit more." Chief McVoy: "Well, and I agree with you. My comment was more to the fact of the elderly folks, those who attend the brass bands at Water Park deserve the same type of protection and services as those on the Riverside. I don't get to pick when those are, but we have to staff them to the appropriate levels to make sure that in the event something happens, we're ready to go and able to address whatever needs, whether it's criminal, EMS, or fire. That would be up to you all, but for what we have now, we have to staff them. Again, we have an overtime special event budget, which we're looking at creative ways to be able to... If I want to buy cars right now, I can do the best I can until September and come back and say, "Hey, I saved X amount of dollars in overtime money," then I buy cars with that money.That's a terrible way to operate in my opinion, but it may be my only option this year. I'm looking at creative ways to continue to staff it and do the things we need to do to keep District 1 and District 6, and all the places that have all this stuff going on, staffed with the appropriate level of service. Because again, it goes back to the standard. What is the city's standard?" Councilperson Webb: "Well, I think it would help this financial body if we had the numbers and what it paid out. Wouldn't you all think? I love them down there, but that might be a place we have to look at." Vice President Burns: "We've done that before in the past." Councilperson Webb: "I don't think we ever got the numbers of the overtime." Vice President Burns: "At the parks level we've entertained that, and did not get the support.There was not support to change the schedule, that's just how folks were." Councilperson White: "I would be agreeable to, you know every other weekend, rather than to try to eliminate all of them." Councilperson Webb: "No, no. God, no. But to have a better band every other weekend instead of a no- name band." Councilperson Snelling: "Yeah, quality over quantity." Councilperson White: "Also, and he kind of mentioned it, but Jeff Main Street has those concerts at Water Park every Friday.So they're handling that, and then they have to get ready for the River.That's a huge burden every Friday, as opposed to maybe having our concerts on Saturday because we know that's going on, but you're overburdening the police department.Then if you alternate weekends, that is going to be cost saving." Chief McVoy: "It's not uncommon, to Councilman White's comments,to have a concert on Friday night, a 5K run in the morning on Saturday, a NOCO event in the afternoon, another concert Saturday night, Water Park Saturday night,and then something happening at the Big Four Bridge. Then if you have a public demonstration, or any of those events that occur, we also have a responsibility to make sure that's protected as well. So that could be any weekend, I believe next weekend we have multiple events going on downtown. I have to staff, plan,and prepare for it, because at the end of the day I'll be the one standing here answering questions about why this was or was not done." Vice President Burns: "Well, I'll tell you why we have so many 5Ks. How many officers does it take on average,just for these?" Chief McVoy: "Eight to ten,just depends on the route." Vice President Burns: "Eight to ten,charge $150, I think for a special events permit for a 5K." Councilperson Semones: "Are you saying that's to low?" Vice President Burns: "We're paying eight to ten officers generally overtime. Most of them that I see, because I've participated, are not there on their regular shift." Chief McVoy: "That's correct." Councilperson Stoner: "May I ask?And Chief, correct me if I'm wrong, but most of the problems that we're having are not at these events, but you're putting officers there for prevention. Most of the issues are happening outside of event times." Chief McVoy: "Issues as far as?" Councilperson Stoner: "Like what we saw at the Big Four Bridge." Chief McVoy: "Yes,wouldn't be specific to the events." Councilperson Stoner: "Most of our events, people are well behaved and everything goes well." Chief McVoy: "For the most part. I think if you go back through the large part of our concert details, you'll have the occasional arrest for maybe a public intoxication or a minor altercation, it's very rare though. For the most part, I think there's private security, which the event people are now required to have,then we staff it with appropriate law enforcement." Councilperson Stoner: "So in my opinion part of the problem, and I agree with Councilman Webb, we need to be more innovative in thinking about our funding options because there is federal funding available. There was an idea that the administration had about placing permanent bollards in our downtown district where we have events, to where we wouldn't have to have a uniformed officer sitting there in a vehicle. You would actually have a bollard system that would come up. Other cities have done this when they have events in their cities because, yes there's an expense when it comes to events, but they also have an economic benefit to the community, to local businesses, and to our future. So we want to be able to strike the right balance. I agree with you, I just think it's going to take more of an innovative approach and being committed and intentional about how we pull those dollars in. Not necessarily that they are going to come from tax dollars, but that they could come from other sources." Chief McVoy: "We have applied for those bollards, between us and the street department, and city safety. I think we were awarded some money, I'll have to double-check, but I can provide that information as well." President Reed: "I would like to thank you. You've worked overtime these last few weeks, you've gone above and beyond to answer questions about social media posts and everything else. I would just like to appreciate you for really doing that. When we call you and ask you finance questions off the cuff, you are there and I just really appreciate you going above and beyond because I know there are other things that you might rather be doing." Councilperson Stoner: "That incident at the Big Four Bridge, it did happen at the base of the Big Four Bridge on the Jeff side correct?" Chief McVoy: "Yes." Councilperson White: "What happened?" Chief McVoy: "Well, probably 45 to 55 juveniles had come across the Big Four pedway, came down the pedway into the Market and Mulberry area. A minor altercation occurred and of course it ended up on social media. We were there within less than about 90 seconds, dispersed the crowd and they went back to Louisville. I had conversations with the higher-ups in the Louisville command staff on Saturday as to possible future notification of when large groups are moving across the bridge at 11:30 at night, which I think we've shored that up with Metro's Real Time Crime Center. Again, we get into our safety and our infrastructure and what our capabilities are to keep our people safe. We disregard a lot of these things until it's my mother or father walking across the Big Four Bridge that get knocked over by a large crowd of unruly people, so that's why I'm so invested in that." Councilperson White: "Gathering at the base of where the stairs come down?" Chief McVoy: "Yes." Councilperson White: "We responded within 90 seconds, dispersed, they got back over the bridge to the Kentucky side." Chief McVoy: "Yes.— Councilperson White: "Kept from spreading, nobody got killed and all that." Chief McVoy: "Correct sir." Councilperson White: "Thank you." Councilperson Stoner: "They fought at the top." Councilperson Webb: "I think we discussed during the riots in 2020 about a gate across that Big Four Bridge." Councilperson Stoner: "I don't think we need that, we don't need a gate." Vice President Burns: "I don't think it's prohibited based on the way that bridge was built." Chief McVoy: "I don't think so, it is Kentucky's bridge. There's some language in there as far as an agreement, I really couldn't comment on if we could or we could not. Again, this comes down to society, behavior, who's parenting children. What are we doing to make sure that this doesn't occur?And is it going to occur?Will it happen again in the future?Yes. What is our response going to be? Kids are kids." Councilperson White: "I mean fights happen all over this country between kids. Not something particular to the walking bridge, any one school, any one neighborhood. So thank you for addressing it as it is" Chief McVoy: "I would agree with that, thank you. I'll get you those numbers Mr. Webb." COUNCIL COMMENTS: • Councilperson White—"Thank you, it's good to be back. I'm a trial attorney for those in the crowd who might be wondering. I was in a trial for basically five weeks, and that's why I was not present here. I hope my constituents forgive me for missing the three meetings, but now I'm back in the saddle. So I want to reiterate that, although I am of course thankful that we did get an agreement with River Ridge, and it's been a long process, we started in 2024, we had that one overtime agreement with the police, then another agreement. Now we have one that's more substantial, and everyone's going to be better off for it. But I just want to be clear, as I've already seen public posts by the administration, it does not accomplish what we've been trying to accomplish for the last 18 or 19 years. It's not going to allow us to hire nine to ten firefighters to fill the gap that we have on the East End, and by not having that gap filled we're making the whole city less safe. On that situation, and I believe it's happened in the past, where they were at River Ridge and then a house caught on fire in a neighborhood on the other side of the tracks and they didn't get to it in time. So we have some real-life examples of the potential problems. So I hope that someone or a couple of my fellow council members get to participate in future negotiations with River Ridge so we can accomplish the goals that would have been accomplished if we had kept the fire territory. It's my understanding, and I'm going to dive a little bit deeper into it, that the income tax portion at least, and it's a big bill so I haven't gotten through it, has been pushed to 2029 of SEA1 as of last year. So we're not going to have to deal with that for next year's budget, and as I get through the material I'll speak a little bit more on it. But yeah, glad everybody's safe and welcome to the blizzard right after the spring." • Council Vice President Burns— No comment • Councilperson Semones— No comment • Councilperson Anderson— Not comment • Council President Reed—"I will keep mine short because I know this has been a long meeting. First of all, I'd like to thank Mr. Anderson, I know he had to hop off the meeting earlier. He was very proactive in setting up a meeting with zoning and engineering this week to address the concerns where a child was hit in one of our residential areas. We've had speeding issues in a lot of our residential areas, and I think we have tried to attack it in many different ways, and of course it takes agreement through all different levels of leadership to make those things happen. I look forward to those conversations and I hope that we can get some push forward because I think all of our districts have dealt with that in different ways and we've really tried to champion that. Second of all, thank you Mr. Stoner for mentioning the SEA1 committee. I've been able to work with the president of our county council, and we're hoping to set that up soon, within state legislation. Again, thank you to all the council members, I know that sometimes people just see the decisions that we make in these council chambers. But I think this week especially, we've seen people working with River Ridge—Mr. Webb with some of those agreements and those initial conversations. We've seen Ms. Semones and Mr. Snelling working on the finance committee and being proactive. We've seen Mr. Stoner working with the opioid committee. We've seen our other council members, like Mr. White and Mr. Burns, out and doing community actions, and Mr. Hawkins and Mr. Anderson looking at safety. Sometimes you don't get appreciated for those areas and just seeing you all out and active and doing those things is the way we should be as servant leaders, and I appreciate that. So everybody have a wonderful spring break, whether you have plans for it or not." Councilperson White: "Just quickly, I just want to be clear on some things. When we started the discussions about the fire territory, it was only about providing fire service. It wasn't until the mayor got into a dust-up that he wanted to add EMS. So we did studies to accomplish the original goal, we were still going to be able to do that even after SEA1. I also want to add that there were an extensive number of meetings. Everybody in the county—from the county commissioners, the county council, to Utica Town Board, to the Utica Township Fire Protection District, to the medical director, to the fire chief, to the police chief, to EMS director—all spoken to. Some accepted meetings, others did not. So there was a great number of meetings that fleshed out how it would be structured and how it would be implemented and the communications between different bodies. So as someone actually doing the work, I take issue with statements that are made by people who weren't involved. So thank you." • Councilperson Webb—"Well, it's been a long meeting. I'll volunteer to be on that committee, I think there needs to be two of us with one backup on that committee on putting a firehouse together. My thought process is you build the house, then you buy the chariot, then you buy the horses. We'll do it backwards. I know that doesn't give us everything that we wanted, but I'm thankful that River Ridge is stepping up to the game. They haven't stepped up for a lot of years, but I think they're finally getting over the hump and I appreciate them bringing to the City of Jeff what they have, $3.5 million this year. Yeah, and really they don't have to do anything, but I think it's an alternative. It would've been nice if SB1 didn't come into play, but we'll work through it. That's all, thank you." • Councilperson Hawkins—Absent • Councilperson Snelling— No comment • Councilperson Stoner—"Yeah, a few things. First of all,just want to thank again Dominic Whipple, Judge Reger, everyone who came out to support that funding. Really appreciate that, and I look forward to hearing the council's future ideas for that funding. I've spoken before about some of these particular funds where the money just sits there and it's supposed to be reinvested in the community. So I appreciate everybody being very intentional about that and I'm excited to hear your ideas for how we're going to be able to use those funds. Secondly, there were some comments about the River Ridge agreement, and I just want to appreciate River Ridge and the administration for getting us to that point. Had a great conversation the other day with Mark Hildebrand, the executive director of River Ridge, and I really appreciate and think that it's going in the right direction. What I will say is that I think the big piece here is around communication, and communication with other entities of government. Specifically, there was some legislation that was passed this year that is going to create a task force of city and county leaders in order to work through some of the implementation of SEA1 and I think that's going to be vital. When it comes to the fire territory, there were a few things that we thought we were going to be able to do that we weren't able to do because of the impacts of SEA1. Including the EMS portion, which was touted by those that got that started as a major piece of that investment, and that wasn't going to be able to be done either. So I think that as much as possible, I would love to see that conversation with River Ridge be transparent and done in a way that people can feel like they have ownership in that process, because I think that's what got us stopped up with the fire territory plan—people felt like it was done in the dark. I appreciate those conversations and look forward to the council members that choose to serve on that committee. But I think when we talk about public safety coverage, we should have those conversations with our county leaders and with our state leaders as well. I actually appreciate the fact that the state is forcing us into those conversations through those new task forces. Other than that, everyone has a great week." ADJOURNMENT: Council President Reed made the motion to ADJOURN the meeting at 08:23 p.m. DISCLAIMER: These minutes are a summary of actions taken at the Jeffersonville City Council meetings. The full video archive of the meeting is available for viewing at www.cityofjeff.net for as long as this media is supported. APPROVED BY: Donna Reed, Council President ATTEST. 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P. at ,I -r...... r... iii,) —11. so Alan vovilirixr The Domino Affect Trauma-Informed Intervention for High-Risk Youth (Ages 13-19) Program Overview The Domino Affect is a trauma-informed prevention and intervention program supporting youth ages 13-19 involved in or at risk for involvement in the juvenile justice system. Participants often come from environments impacted by violence, trauma, substance misuse, and instability. Through weekly facilitated sessions, the program builds emotional regulation, accountability, decision-making, and restorative growth—helping youth interrupt cycles of violence and create positive futures. Youth Population Served The program works with youth facing serious charges such as: • Murder, Reckless Homicide, Armed Robbery, Burglary • Criminal Gang Activity, Auto Theft, Firearm Possession • Aggravated Battery, Intimidation, Obstruction of Justice • Resisting Law Enforcement, Drug Paraphernalia Possession • Sexual Battery, Child Molesting These cases reflect the high-risk population requiring intensive, trauma-informed intervention. Program Focus Areas • Emotional regulation and anger management • Trauma awareness and healing • Accountability and decision-making • Conflict resolution and communication • Healthy relationship development • Restorative practices and making amends • Goal setting and future planning Common Themes Identified Across cohorts, participants often face: • Limited access to stable support systems • Exposure to substance misuse • Unresolved grief and trauma • Easy access to firearms • Lack of emotional regulation skills • Minimal parent or guardian involvement Many participants had never learned to recognize or process emotions before joining the program, making The Domino Affect a critical first step toward emotional awareness and healthy coping. Program Impact Goal The Domino Affect seeks to: • Reduce recidivism among justice-involved youth • Prevent future violence and harmful behavior • Strengthen emotional regulation and decision-making • Support youth in building healthier life trajectories By addressing the root causes of violence rather than its consequences, The Domino Affect fosters safer communities and stronger futures for vulnerable youth. • • • • 4. • .,,r ..n CD a) CD U i Vf W C Q o 0 +� c MC = •. 11114 Q) OA >, 0 0 a) +; 1- t 0400 - , CD g c _ (IS E 0— • � � o c� >, .2 U cz it w u— w _i • • • • • s ri if } • • • s C • 0 >1 •CO • a� all U +-) - V) CZ U C in .— c75 -0 D.0 C C � - (I/a) a) co Q c C cd -0 -0 04 5 U C D C N C 0- s_ a) �, O O 0 Q 0 no — I ' O Q) a) N 06 .c 06 06 p E L .O L c c� N E Q a) > 0 0 O O a) U O O > O -0 Q) 10.0 co lac 0 0° cti COE a..) a) ,c CL > c O °� O U E c� _ o CC (L.) a> >, C E D O 4_, I c > z a) -0 o a) a.) U 4_ (42 + tt O Li2 i_ 5- CO - N 17u0 U 1 O O in D E -0 W 0 r- cp Lv D CC CC a) (J) U (/) 'E— co F— s a)ob O 44`ki i. t Tt O ----, ;op ,- --,. Ci) t itfr, 1 . - 7 J { The Proposal The Domino Affect Opioid Settlement Funding Proposal Funding Request Overview The Domino Affect seeks $12,000 in unrestricted opioid settlement funds to support two 8-week trauma- informed prevention cohorts. These cohorts serve justice-involved and high-risk youth impacted by trauma, substance use exposure, and community violence. The program aligns with opioid settlement priorities by addressing upstream drivers of substance misuse through prevention, stabilization, and skill-building. Program Rationale Opioid settlement funds are intended to support prevention, intervention, and harm reduction strategies that reduce future substance misuse. justice involvement, and community harm. The Domino Affect targets emotional dysregulation, grief, and trauma—factors that frequently precede substance use and high-risk behaviors. By strengthening coping skills and accountability, the program reduces reliance on substances as coping mechanisms. Program Structure • Two 8-week cohorts serving approximately 10-14 youth each• Cohort 1: Juvenile detention or justice- involved youth• Cohort 2: Re-entry or high-risk community youth impacted by substance use, violence, or instability• Weekly facilitated group sessions utilizing a structured, trauma-informed curriculum• Two graduation ceremonies celebrating completion, accountability, and positive transition Budget Breakdown Total Request: $12,000 1. Program Facilitation & Trauma-Informed Delivery — $6,400 • Lead Facilitator (16 sessions total): $4,800• Co-Facilitator/ Support Staff: $1,600 2. Curriculum, Materials & Therapeutic Supplies — $2,000 • Participant workbooks and journals. Emotional regulation tools and therapeutic group supplies 3. Participant Snacks & Engagement Support— $1,200 • Healthy snacks and beverages for 16 sessions per cohort• Supports emotional regulation, focus, and consistent participation 4. Graduation Ceremonies (Two Cohorts) — $800 • Certificates, recognition materials. and program completion incentives. Light refreshments and event supplies for participants and invited supports 5. Re-Entry & Stabilization Support— $1,000 • Basic needs and self-care kits for re-entry youth• Resource guides and stabilization materials 6. Evaluation, Data Tracking & Reporting — $600 • Pre- and post-program assessments. Data tracking aligned with opioid settlement reporting requirements. Final impact summary and outcomes report for the city Expected Outcomes • Improved emotional regulation and coping skills- Reduction in aggressive or high-risk behaviors. Increased engagement and program completion rates. Reduced long-term risk of opioid misuse and justice involvement Conclusion This $12,000 investment in unrestricted opioid settlement funds leverages the settlement as intended—by addressing trauma, instability, and unmet needs before they escalate into substance dependency, incarceration, or overdose. The Domino Affect provides a prevention-focused, data-informed approach that delivers measurable outcomes and long-term community benefit. s + j5 �'� t r 4 "s f i l{if,. r 41, tII zf t I Viii � t' ' t +' fir € 1 Y�t ,,,0 # '? ,i �.1 1 ' '`A.-. i_; 4 13 t'� / Y g 4 y 14 t , � I` ,.a 9t � d- g i 1�t I �`, . jF �+ � ? , � a +r r � { 4 �t W. � }� ' r {� 7 �`ti'tp , � { Jai } �i i= t 1 ' 1 5� � �s It ' a t i r$ h�. 1� 1 k 9� } jl;'t X 1 Il •14) ,i 1 py 4 M,a { z " t, `� '�y ;.�"4. t ;f t}V i p Vli3 t i 'i1 is fa ! .. f +�> 1>t , , i,.: �,1 1h� ,!h It''''''' ..� { tl iq �Y, j y K r' h (1 ':,)$4 ��.F i r 11 \ 1, �f s:it ` v': 1 � t.% k`; 41�';ii,'if `},, f ' r ° •4� ' 3 t tE 'y i i r 1i s 1 !,,.11s tl ; i �� 1 1 1r .)',.yl h°, 1./tVI li`.11,,\ '.-4' ',.\,.,\.'\ 't\l',,\\ w. �� tt4 1q •a l'.` j',,'141,11 A. . ,1 . , r r z ,r k'' ,'i 4"' i ''' ."..,.- I- r'.' ''\ %. :I. ' % . 'j '‘. '`'.' " ',i. e � 1 ' t tid s`� b :\ N 1' , '° � ''t�t ^'\ � 1 kit � 11"r ,. 7 �ti1�, • Sim �! 0 c� O c O- - Q 0 L- z G) s � a. w O cc o > cn a) 0 CC -0 C = O o L. o_ z u o a G. _ ilmi W CC E 1:1) o 1 � i , 1 ; t',,, 1,1 �` 1 i � � 4i r ' i .4 Helping People.Changing Lives �community Ctio Community Action of Southern Indiana PARTNERSHIP 201 East 15th Street Canauniry Aden of Southern Indiana Jeffersonville. IN 47130 IMIBNCXS►OYERIY FIGNONG NEIMIORK March 3, 2026 Jeffersonville Town Council 500 Quartermaster Ct. Jeffersonville, IN 47130 Subject: Letter of Support for The Domino Affect Dear Council Members, On behalf of Community Action of Southern Indiana (CASI), I am writing to express our organization's full support for The Domino Affect and their request to fund two additional cohorts for youth engaged in the juvenile detention system. For over 60 years, CASI has led the fight against poverty in Clark, Floyd, and Harrison counties. Through our work, we witness how early interactions with the justice system can become a primary driver of the poverty cycle, often leading to long-term disadvantages in education and employment. We view the work of The Domino Affect as a critical, cycle-breaking investment.Their focus on restorative intervention directly supports our Agency-level goals of empowering individuals to achieve stability and obtaining economic independence. And by providing targeted support to justice-involved youth, we reduce the likelihood of future housing instability and unemployment—two of the greatest challenges currently facing Jeffersonville. CAST is proud to stand alongside The Domino Affect. We believe that expanding these cohorts is a vital step toward fostering a community where every young person is valued and given the opportunity to succeed. We strongly urge the Jeffersonville Town Council to approve this funding request, as it represents a proactive investment in the future well-being and safety of our community. With Gratitude, Adrian Jamieson Executive Director&CEO (812) 288-6451 Ext 2144 ajamieson@casil.org Phone: (812) 288-6451 www.casil.org E I N: 02-0591170 STATE OF INDIANA .c sTa rF oT CLARK COUNTY CLARK CIRCUIT COURT 4 JUDICIAL CENTER 4TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT <b';,. ` ' y 501 E.COURT AVENUE CLARK COUNTY,INDIANA s. t:>• £'-01 v JEFFERSONVILLE,IN 47130 (812)285-6294 4•. 1816 LISA GARCIA REGER JUDGE Jeffersonville City Council 500 Quartermaster Court, Suite 156 Jeffersonville, IN 47130 Dear Members of the Jeffersonville City Council, I am writing to you in my capacity as the Juvenile Court Judge for Clark County Circuit 4 to offer my strong support for the Domino Affect, a vital grassroots initiative dedicated to breaking cycles of violence by addressing its root causes, including mental health challenges, trauma, and family instability. Founded by Dominique Whipple,the Domino Affect currently delivers an impactful 8-week program within the Clark County Juvenile Detention Center. In this setting, it equips detained youth with essential life skills such as emotional regulation, self-care, accountability, and positive self-affirmation through mantras and structured teachings designed to build self-confidence, heal from trauma, and foster hope for a better future. Participants learn practical tools to manage impulses, make healthier decisions, and disrupt patterns that lead to further involvement in the justice system.The program's early results have been encouraging, demonstrating measurable improvements in participants' outlook and behavior while in detention. As a judge who sees the consequences of unaddressed youth trauma and instability daily, I can attest to the program's value in our community. It represents a proactive, preventive approach that complements the justice system's efforts by focusing on rehabilitation and root-cause intervention rather than solely on punishment. Of particular urgency now is the need to expand the Domino Affect into school settings across Clark County, including those serving Jeffersonville's young people. Recent trends in our region—including increases in youth gun possession,violent incidents involving juveniles, and broader statewide rises in firearm-related incidents among young people— highlight the critical importance of early intervention.Violent crime rates in Clark County have risen in recent years, and firearms continue to pose significant risks to our youth. By bringing evidence-based emotional regulation, accountability, and mental health-focused programming into schools,the Domino Affect could reach at-risk students before they enter the juvenile justice system, helping to prevent escalation and promote safer, more supportive learning environments for all. This expansion would deliver clear positive benefits to the Jeffersonville community: reduced youth violence and gun-related incidents, stronger mental health outcomes for students, decreased strain on local law enforcement and courts, and ultimately a safer, more cohesive neighborhood where families can thrive.The program aligns with broader community priorities around public safety, youth development, and preventive health services. I am available to discuss this further, provide additional details on the program's outcomes, or testify at a council meeting if helpful. Thank you for your dedication to the residents of Jeffersonville and for considering this important initiative. Sincerely, _ Lisa Garcia Reger Judge, Clark County Circuit Court 4 Page 12 To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to offer my full support for The Domino Affect, a socio-emotional training program designed for juveniles who are currently incarcerated in Southern Indiana. As the Founder and Executive Director of the Street Widows Foundation, I have spent years working at the intersection of trauma, loss, and community violence. Through our work with families impacted by homicide, incarceration, and systemic instability, I have seen firsthand how early exposure to trauma can shape a young person's choices, relationships, and emotional development. Programs like The Domino Affect are critical because they address something our systems too often overlook: the emotional and psychological foundation that drives behavior. Many incarcerated youth are not simply making isolated, poor decisions. They are reacting to environments shaped by grief, instability, unaddressed trauma, and a lack of healthy emotional modeling. Without intentional intervention, these experiences can create a cycle that continues well into adulthood. Socio-emotional learning programs provide the tools young people need to interrupt that cycle. What makes The Domino Affect especially valuable is its focus on self-awareness, emotional regulation, communication, and accountability—skills that are rarely taught but absolutely necessary for long-term change. When young people are given the opportunity to reflect on their experiences, understand their emotions, and learn healthier ways to respond to conflict, we create the conditions for genuine transformation. From my perspective as both a community leader and someone who works directly with families impacted by violence and incarceration, I believe efforts like this are essential to public safety and community healing. If we want different outcomes for our communities, we must invest in the emotional development and resilience of our young people—especially those who have already encountered the justice system. The Domino Affect represents the type of proactive, human-centered intervention that can help shift the trajectory of a young person's life. By equipping incarcerated youth with the tools to understand themselves better and navigate their emotions, this program has the potential to reduce recidivism, strengthen future relationships, and ultimately contribute to healthier communities. For these reasons, I strongly support the implementation and expansion of The Domino Affect program. Sincerely, Ashlee Johnson Founder & Executive Director Street Widows Foundation l THRIVE #togetherwethrive 0 Dear Council Members, 2/15/26 On behalf of THRIVE, I am writing to express our strong support for The Domino Effect and Dominique Whipple's request to fund two additional cohorts serving youth engaged in the juvenile detention system. As a certified Recovery Community Organization operating across Southeast Indiana, THRIVE works daily with individuals and families impacted by substance use, mental health challenges, and justice involvement. We understand firsthand how early justice system involvement can set the trajectory for long-term instability, including disrupted education, limited employment opportunities, and ongoing system engagement into adulthood. The Domino Effect represents a meaningful, upstream intervention. By engaging justice- involved youth through structured cohorts focused on accountability, skill development, and positive identity formation, Dominique Whipple is interrupting patterns before they become lifelong barriers. This work aligns closely with THRIVE's mission to promote recovery, resilience, and sustainable community reintegration. In communities like Jeffersonville and throughout Clark County, prevention and early intervention are not optional;they are essential. Expanding these cohorts is a strategic investment in public safety, economic stability, and the long-term well-being of our youth. Programs like The Domino Effect reduce recidivism risk and create pathways toward productive citizenship, which benefits not only the participants but the entire community. THRIVE is proud to stand in support of Dominique Whipple and The Domino Effect. We strongly encourage the Jeffersonville Town Council to approve this funding request as a proactive, evidence-informed investment in our community's future. With appreciation for your leadership and consideration, itPHIL STUCKY cro..•C. •Sea-�et. ■eMe uvcO,ewl a,,S I*W..St Nw.INn,.IM 0ISO •t.rmr[o ere Floyd County Office 115E Write(S New Albany.IN 47150 thriverco.org Clark County Office (502)516-9000 • 1 , ;•., t ; Lu - - . • - .__. .... -. .. . • . .,. .. , I ' ' , - - ; 0 . ilkpits .A. 1..... . . ..., (1) 14.1 ... .. . 0 .-' .... ...- . :1 4 ....p... rilm. 2 r..... . 1 '411.1 . ,„ ,..... a..... CI) + .... . . . . . .... . . ..„ I ',.• - •'- ,......-- . 't . . , . . . _ ,.... .. _... . ...... N. . .. :Cifl i -4.7111114 . 1 1 ' ' . 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