Issue 1186

October 25, 2022

On October 19, 2022, Spectrum (Charter Communications, Inc.) held a brief award ceremony and provided a buffet dinner to invited local and state elected officials as well as community leaders.

“Expanding rural broadband is what Spectrum is all about,” said Spectrum Vice-President Tom Stevens. Spectrum already serves 32 million customers in 41 states. No matter how long someone’s driveway is, they will connect homes and farms in their assigned service area and they do not charge an installation fee. Their prices include all taxes and fees and they do not require homeowners to sign long-term contracts to get service.

LOW COST INTERNET OPTIONS

“We realized during COVID that everyone needs a connection to the Internet,” said Spectrum Manager Margaret Bailey-Stewart. This is why Spectrum offers high speed Internet options through the Federal Communications Commission’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) at a low cost or even no cost to eligible households who qualify.

If your household is eligible, you could receive:

• Up to a $30/month discount on your internet service
• A one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, tablet, or desktop computer (with a co-payment of more than $10 but less than $50)
• A low cost service plan that may be fully covered through the ACP.



To learn more, go to https://www.affordableconnectivity.gov

Not all Internet providers, offer the discounted service. To find one, go to “Companies-Near-Me”.

SPECTRUM’S PROGRESS IN ROLLING OUT INTERNET SERVICE

Photo: Spectrum installation trucks.

Spectrum won federal bids to install high speed fiber optic Internet service in rural Franklin County and to 87 other underserved communities in Indiana. The bids were awarded by “census blocks”, which look like a jigsaw puzzle on the state map. The result is that a major road can have different Internet providers on each side of the road, with different options and prices. See map of Indiana below. Yellow lines border spectrum’s areas of service.

Spectrum also received grants from the state of Indiana to install Internet in un-served or underserved areas mainly in the southern part of Indiana.

Matt Cook, Spectrum Fiber Optic Splicer, said that he is currently installing cables along Oxford Pike between SR 101 and Holland Road. When their phase one is completed in Franklin County by the end of 2022, they will have hooked up more than 725 homes or small businesses to high speed Internet. They will be expanding to the west side of Franklin County in 2023.

To learn more about where and when Spectrum service will be available, go to www.spectrumruralexpansion.com. Great Plains Communications (Etczone) and Southeastern Indiana REMC are also building fiber optic cable networks to offer high speed Internet in Franklin County.

Besides a range of Internet options for homes and businesses, Spectrum also offers television with over 200 channels and mobile phone services. Spectrum is compatible with many electronic devices. To learn more about their services and prices, go to www.spectrum.com. Spectrum has offices in Indiana and Ohio and their own local installers and repair crews.

WHAT’S INSIDE THOSE UNDERGROUND CABLES MARKED WITH ORANGE PIPES?

Spectrum showed what is inside their cables. There are color coded bundles of glass filaments that are as thin as a human hair. Each filament can provide Internet and other services to 2,000 homes or 40 large scale manufacturing factories.

A Spectrum employee demonstrated how he splices the thin glass filaments. It takes time and special equipment to fuse the glass and this step is required to complete the network. The fiber optic cable comes in 20,000 foot roles that are extremely heavy and which require splicing of one filament at a time.

Spectrum prefers to hang their fiber optic network on existing electric poles, because it is faster to install especially when the terrain is rough or rocky. They will also bury cable underground when no poles are available.

Spectrum praised the work of Franklin County Economic Development Commission President John Palmer, a volunteer who has been assisting the county in the rollout of Internet service. Watch for more updates as they become available.

Reported by Sara Duffy

Council Proposes Levy Increase for 2023

County Council October 18, 2022

• Council passed a $20.3 million budget for 2023 and a property tax levy, which if approved by the state, would be a tax increase.
• County Auditor Bauman is checking for possible tax fraud by property owners claiming multiple homestead exemptions.
• Councilmember Joe Gillespie voiced his concern about the cost of moving the 911 operation out of the jail.
• Councilmember Glenn Bischoff was absent.

BUDGET FOR 2023

Council unanimously passed a $20.3 million budget for 2023, which would be a 3% increase over 2022. The revenue to pay for the budget comes from many sources: federal and state grants, income taxes, excise taxes, fuel taxes, fees, fines and property taxes.

A lesser amount of $5.3 million is the proposed property tax levy. The proposed property tax rate is 55.3 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. Council did not discuss the tax rate. It is listed in their ordinance that they approved. Click to see more. If approved by the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance, the proposed tax levy rate would be a 40% increase over the current tax rate of 39.56 cents.

                 2022                2023                 Increase

Budget      $19.7 million      $20.3 million       3%

Levy          $4.4 million       $5.3 million       20%

Tax Rate    $.3956              $.5530              40%

From the audience listening on Zoom, county resident Mildred I. Simmermeyer asked how much revenue the county would collect in 2023. Councilmember Joe Gillespie read aloud a long list of revenue sources that totaled $21.4 million, which would be more than enough money to cover the 2023 proposed budget of $20.3 million.

CHECKING FOR TAX FRAUD BY

CLAIMING MULTIPLE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS

County Auditor Karla Bauman reported on her review of records for possible homestead exemption fraud. She found 363 Franklin County property owners who own multiple properties with homestead exemptions. Indiana law allows residents to claim one homestead exemption from property taxes for one home in which they live. Some owners are clearly not eligible for more than one homestead credit and they will receive a letter from Auditor Bauman. Other properties may have changed ownership and are not a problem.

The homestead exemption is either 60% of the property's assessed value or a maximum of $45,000, whichever is less. Click to read more about homestead exemptions. Go to the Franklin County auditor’s website for the homestead exemption form as well as other exemption forms.

Auditor Bauman said that the current computer system does not alert her staff to multiple homestead exemptions automatically. The homestead data has not been properly maintained and it will require “a lot of work” to update. Her staff must check by the owner’s name not by parcel number, which can be time consuming for a common name such as John Smith. She proposed that her staff resolve the discrepancies now and then hire a vendor to maintain the records in the future. The good news is that correcting homestead exemption errors “could generate revenue” for the county, said Auditor Bauman.

HOW TO PAY FOR 911 MOVE

Councilmember Joe Gillespie addressed the group with his concerns about the cost of moving the 911 operation out of the jail. To form his opinion, he questioned jail employees, 911 dispatchers and other counties. Everyone told him that the move was necessary.

His main concern is how to pay for 4 to 5 additional staff for the jail, when the 911 operators are no longer in the building and running the jail control board. Jailers will be paid a $38,000 salary in 2023 plus benefits. The county would also need a 911 director and possibly more employees for 911 for a grand total of 6 or 8 new people.

Councilmember Gillespie said that council has worked hard to balance the budget over the last few years. He acknowledged that the county has cash on hand, but said that the county’s financial status is “fragile”, because some funds are “close to deficit spending”. He proposed that the Reedy Group do a feasibility study about hiring eight new employees in 2023. “I’m worried about how we are going to pay for this. I would like to have a plan.” Council agreed to pay for the study.

Sheriff Pete Cates said that he would need 4 or 5 more jailers to run the jail control board 24 hours per day after the 911 dispatchers leave the building. He was already authorized to hire one more jailer in 2023. He said that three more people would be needed for the 911/dispatch operation. Council previously approved one more 911 employee to be hired in 2023.

Councilmember Gillespie added that the new location at 1020 Franklin Avenue will need renovations and he suggested using federal American Rescue Plan Act money. The commissioners have already hired Barry Ritter to advise them on the cost of setting up the 911 operation in the new location.

ANOTHER $2 MILLION BOND

Council passed a resolution to issue another general obligation bond in an amount up to $2 million when the current $2 million bond is paid in 2023. The resolution allows council to retroactively pay for roadway improvements and other capital projects that occur now before the bond is finalized.

From the audience, county resident Mildred I. Simmermeyer asked what the fees and expenses for the new bond would be? She reminded everyone that the current bond required payment of a $30,000 fee to council’s financial advisor Reedy Group and a $7,500 fee to council’s attorney Grant Reeves. Councilmember Joe Gillespie chimed in that asking about the fee amounts was a reasonable request from a taxpayer. Council President Jeff Koch will have the answer at the next meeting.

Mrs. Simmermeyer also asked what the dollar amount of council’s 2023 contract with Reedy Group is, including the additional work to oversee the county’s federal American Rescue Plan Act grant? Mr. Koch asked the auditor to provide this answer.

BUDGET DECISIONS

Council reviewed and approved the motions they passed during their three days of August budget meetings. These document the 5% pay raises and other decisions. Click to see the list.

NEW PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT AT COUNTY PARK

Photo: Catalogue image of new playground equipment. Final installation could vary in some features.

County Deputy Auditor Eugena Monroe secured a $15,000 matching grant from Reid Health for a new playground for the county park. She advised council that next month the Park Department will ask for an additional appropriation of $15,000 to hire a contractor to install the playground and to purchase other supplies.

MORE GRANTS MEAN MORE WORK FOR AUDITOR

Ms. Monroe described the additional work required by the auditor’s staff to oversee 23 state, federal or private grants with a total value of $3 million. The grants cover a wide range of everyday expenses from road repairs, bridge work, emergency services and health department expenses. Emergency Management Agency Director Amy Lindsey alone had secured over $500,000 in grants for the county.

Auditor Bauman suggested that her staff be appointed to oversee all grants to ensure requirements were met. She noted that the county has had to repay less than $200 to the state, when the full amount of one grant was not spent.

Councilmember Brian Patterson suggested that council hire a full time grant writer to assist all volunteer fire departments, the park, community centers and the county in applying for grant money. He said that a successful grant writer would more than pay for their salary. Council took no vote on hiring a grant writer.

Ms. Monroe also pointed out that many grants are reimbursable, which necessitates the county paying all expenses up front and then waiting to be reimbursed, which can take months. Reimbursable grants can put a strain on the county’s general fund. Some departments apply for grants, but they are not trained on how to manage the grants, said Ms. Monroe. The auditor’s office is currently drafting a grant policy for the county.

Councilmember Scott McDonough agreed with having one “central control point” that can give regular reports about grants to council.

ADDITIONAL SPENDING

With no objections, council approved additional spending totaling $449,000. Much of the spending comes from state grants or collected fees. The largest expense was $64,500 paid to Chace Painting, LLC. for tuck pointing the courthouse.

PAYING BILLS

The county will pay $5,075 to Jacobi, Toombs, Lanz, Inc. to update the county’s building code, which was written in the 1980s, according to commissioners’ attorney Grant Reeves.

Council approved paying their financial consultant Reedy Group’s monthly bill for $5,257 and attorney Grant Reeves’ bill of $87.

The next county council meeting will be November 29, 2022 at 7:00 pm.

Reported by Sara Duffy

Plein Air Artists Painted Franklin County

About 50 artists from around the region participated in the Plein Air Paint Out last weekend. In the photo, the artist is located in Brookville’s Town Park. Some artists painted barns and buildings; some painted landscapes; others focused on the river or the canal trail. The water level was so low in the east fork of the Whitewater River that one woman set up her easel on the rocks in the middle of the river near St. Mary’s Road. The artists were provided with meals and space at the Brookville Library to gather and hold an art show.

Information and photo provided

by Marty Mullin

Time For COVID-19 Booster

& Flu Shots

With colder days ahead that’ll force activities and events to move indoors, federal health officials are urging everyone to get their COVID-19 vaccinations and flu shots now.

Whether you still need your primary series of COVID-19 vaccinations or a booster dose, it’s recommended you also get your flu shot during the same visit, if possible. Officials at the CDC say experience has shown the body’s immune response and possible side effects are generally the same whether you get one type of vaccine at a time or two. Click to read more.

Submitted by Reid Health

CDC Expands Updated COVID-19 Vaccines

to Include Children Ages 5 Through 11

What’s new with United Way?

We’ve been hosting a series of Community Conversations across both Franklin and Ripley Counties.

UWFC realizes that we’ve all been through a lot these past few years. We’re finding out what matters most to people in today’s realities.

We call this approach “Turning Outward” because we are listening deeply to all kinds of populations so the community can help lead the solutions. Each conversation takes about 2 hours.

People have been excited to be part of these conversations. They feel more hopeful, often more energized, knowing these important questions are being discussed.

We’re learning not just about their needs and challenges, but also what their aspirations are for their families, communities, and themselves.

We see so many complex challenges that no one can solve alone. Once we have strong and current knowledge, we can make well-informed decisions about how we use United Way’s resources. Click to continue reading.

To give to UWFC, you can mail a check to PO Box 105 Brookville, IN 47012 or give securely online at the website www.uwfcin.org

Submitted by Kelly Bulmer, Executive Director

October Is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

As October comes to a close, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the fact that this month is Domestic Violence Awareness month. While domestic violence and intimate partner abuse is something we should be aware of every month, October is a chance to bring attention to something that affects every single part of Indiana and our nation.

As your Prosecutor here in Franklin County, I wanted to take a moment to talk about the nature of domestic violence and give the residents of our community some helpful tips on how we can all do our part to combat it.

It is of utmost importance that victims of crime allow their voices be heard in a Court of Law, without fear of intimidation by the perpetrator and/or those acting on behalf of the abuser who would seek to silence or twist the truth. As your Prosecutor, I am duty-bound to seek and present nothing but the truth, and see to it that our Court system deals with violent offenders accordingly. 

In addition, Indiana recently passed a bill that will help domestic violence survivors who might be testifying against their abuser. It adds a possible charge of Obstruction of Justice against anyone who tells a witness to lie or not show up to a court proceeding. Many survivors are bullied into not cooperating by their abuser or the abuser’s family members. This new law should help address that behavior and further protect survivors.

My office takes domestic violence very seriously and we want to do everything we can to eliminate it in our county and state.  Click to continue reading.

Submitted by Chris Huerkamp

Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney

Art On Main Kicks Off With Student Mural

The 2022-23 season of the Batesville Community Education Foundation’s (BCEF) mural project in downtown Batesville recently kicked off with the installation of the first display, created by students at the Batesville Primary School (BPS). The mural features representations of the BPS staff members created by approximately 70 students. Click to continue reading.

Submitted by Anne Wilson

Stayin' Alive's Coalition Celebration - Nov. 3

Join us for Stayin' Alive's Coalition Celebration and Fundraiser on Thursday, November 3 at 6:00 pm at the Brookville United Methodist Church. Click for the registration form to be completed and returned to Stayin' Alive. RSVP by Thursday, October 20. Please feel free to invite others who want to make a difference in their community by supporting the efforts of Stayin' Alive. If you have any questions, please contact me. We hope you can join us for this celebration and fundraiser.

Submitted by Melinda Brown



Surviving the Holidays

When you are grieving a loved one’s death, the holiday season can be especially painful. Our Surviving the Holidays seminar helps participants. Join us at Holy Guardian Angel Activity Center in Cedar Grove, 406 US Hwy 52, Cedar Grove, IN 47016 on November 8 at 9:00 am or at 6:45 pm. All are welcome. www.griefshare.org/holidays

Submitted by Kathy Bauman, 812-623-6348

Around the County

Spaghetti Supper - Oct. 29

K of C 1010 will be having its annual Spaghetti & Meatball Supper on Saturday, October 29th, from 5:00 - 8:00 pm at 333 Main Street in Brookville. All are welcome to join us for spaghetti. As always, Christmas presents for boys and girls from age 12-17 are welcome. A gift list is on the local events page of our website. Donations can be made at KnightsofBCC.com/donate. All proceeds go to supporting children at Gibault. For more info on our #1 charity go to: Gibault.org.

Submitted by Nick Schuck, GK Council 1010

VFW Breakfast - Oct. 30

The public is invited to have breakfast at VFW Post 2014 on Sunday, October 30, from 8 am to 12 noon.

Submitted by David Pelsor, QM VFW Post 2014

vfwpost2014@outlook.com

Creekside Basket Raffle - Thru Oct. 30

Taking place at Creekside Church, 11001 Bossert Road, Brookville, IN. Proceeds will benefit New Mercies Paper Pantry. Pictures of the items can be found on Creekside Church’s Facebook page. Ticket sales will take place on the following dates and times:

Wednesday Oct. 26  10AM-2PM

Thursday Oct. 27      2-5PM

Saturday Oct. 29      10AM-2PM

Drawing will be held Sunday, October 30, after church services. If you have any questions, text 765-914-1531. This event is on file with the Indiana Gaming Commission. License Number 16936

Submitted by Rose Mary Stirn

Trick-or-Treat in Brookville is Monday, October 31, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m

Food Pantry - Nov. 1

Franklin County High School Food Pantry: 4-5:30pm

Come to Door A16 for pick-up. Click to see the future dates.

Submitted by Tanya Wirtz, FCHS JAG Specialist

Coats for Kids Fundraiser

Since COVID we have been purchasing new coats and the kids get so excited to get a brand new coat that we’ve decided to fundraise every year to get new coats. Please give through the Facebook fundraiser, or mail a donation to PO Box 105 Brookville IN, 47012 with Coats for Kids specified in the memo.

Submitted by Kelly Bulmer, Executive Director

United Way of Franklin County

FFA Annual Fruit Sale - Place Orders Now

Franklin County FFA annual fruit sale started on Monday, October 10th, and will run until November 18th. Despite Hurricane Ian, the FFA is still able to offer citrus, apples, pears, and pineapples. Besides fruit, the group is also offering Christmas poinsettias, a variety of gourmet nuts, and Jack Link’s Beef Steaks. If you have any questions or would like to place an order please contact a Franklin County FFA member or FFA advisor Teri Hornberger at thornberger@fccsc.k12.in.us. 

Submitted by Teri Hornberger

St. Michael School Annual Turkey Dinner – November 4

St. Michael School will be hosting their annual Turkey Dinner on Friday, November 4 from 3:30 - 7 pm, or until the food runs out. Drive-thru and carryout options are available in the school cafeteria, located at 275 High Street, Brookville, IN. We will be serving turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, dressing, roll, dessert and more for $12/dinner. For information, call 765-647-5462.

Submitted by Jennifer Wieseman & Emily Whalbring

Turkey Bingo and Raffle - Nov. 6

St. Peter's Catholic Church Community Building, 1207 East Road, Franklin County, IN. Sunday, November 6, at 6:00 pm. Doors open at 5 pm. Refreshments, sandwiches & homemade pies. All proceeds given to charity. Come and spend an enjoyable evening.

Submitted by Dolores Alexander, St. Peter's Ladies Sodality Secretary

Delts Craft Show - Nov. 12

The Delta Theta Tau Sorority is having their 10th annual craft show on Saturday, November 12, at the Brookville Elementary from 9AM to 3 PM. There will be lots and lots of vendors in the cafeteria, gym and hallways. There will be lots of food, fun, and prizes. Booths are still available by calling 765-647-6620.

Submitted by Linda Holman, Chairperson

Old Fashioned Turkey Supper - Nov. 12 

Brookville United Methodist Church, November 12. Cafeteria style: 5 pm to 7:30pm, Carry-out: 4:00pm to 7:00 pm. Adult & carry-outs-$15. Children (6-12 yrs) - $7. Ages 5 and under are free. Facilities are handicapped accessible. Advance tickets available by calling 647-5265 or from Southeastern Insurance, The Cutting Edge, Brookville Tire Mart & George's Pharmacy.

Submitted by Beth Caudill

Final Ignition Demolition Derby Nov. 5

Sponsored by Franklin County 4-H Association

& Everton Volunteer Fire Department

Submitted by Brain Baxter