Commissioners create emergency council, discuss fairgrounds sewage
- Nathaniel Smith | Editor-in-Chief
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 23 hours ago
The May 19 Commissioners Meeting covered topics such as damage from last night’s storm, the formation of an Emergency Management Advisory Council and the proclamation of Washington County Family YMCA’s 25th anniversary, making May 11-17, 2026 the official anniversary week.
To begin the meeting, Lucy Brenton came forward to utilize her public comment time. She inquired once again about the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) request that she submitted to the Auditor’s Office on February 18, 2026.
“I have tried to follow up both in meetings and via email, and I'm getting what the teenagers call ‘bupkis’. As in nothing…” Brenton said. “We're at the 90 day mark. It's appropriate that I take this up to the state level.”
Then, after stating that the grant for the 4-H building the county applied for has not yet been awarded to the county and that the project has gone from “$350,000” to “$1.2-1.4 [million],” she asked about information regarding the footprint of the building.
“The footprint for the new building seems to encompass a piece of the property that Randy Lee formerly occupied with his home on the 4-H Fairgrounds,” she said. “He used to live there, and that was good for security. This is just my speculation, but maybe one of the reasons that Randy Lee was fired and kicked off the property was to make way for this potentially very profitable project… How big is the new footprint on the 4-H building, and does it encompass the part where Randy Lee used to live? I'm just speculating, does that mean that Randy Lee had to be kicked off and fired? Not just because he's an unpopular person among county officials, but also because we need to make way for that for our building?”
Following Brenton’s remarks, the commissioners approved the previous meeting’s minutes in a 2-1 vote with Commissioner Tony Cardwell opposing. They then moved to approve claims and payroll, but Cardwell presented a question regarding $13,095.55 that was deducted from an EDIT (Economic Development Income Tax) fund. Commissioner Todd Ewen explained what the money was used for.
“One of them is for Lawson Excavating septic service, one is for Murphy Elevator Company, one is Eddie Gilstrap Motors and the other one is Dynamic Camera Solutions,” explained Ewen. “There are four different claims that came out of EDIT.”
Following this explanation, the commissioners unanimously approved claims and payroll. Then, Auditor Kyra Stephenson read a resolution commemorating Washington County Family YMCA’s 25th anniversary.
“The YMCA has strengthened communities across Indiana and the nation for generations through programs that support youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. And whereas, the Washington County Family YMCA has served residents throughout Washington County for 25 years through programs such as child care, youth sports, youth development programs, and health and wellness initiatives. And whereas, the Washington County Family YMCA brings together people of all ages and backgrounds to strengthen communities, improve quality of life, and create a sense of belonging for all. And whereas, 2026 marks both the YMCA's 175th anniversary of service nationwide and the 25th anniversary of the Washington County Family YMCA's lasting impact in Washington County. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Washington County Commissioners and Council recognize the week of May 11th through the 17th, 2026 as YMCA 175th Anniversary Week and commend the YMCA for its contributions and 25 years of service to our county. In a county where there's no place like this place, we celebrate the people, the purpose and the impact that make our YMCA a place for all.”
Following this reading, the commissioners unanimously approved the resolution. Then, the commissioners were informed that Joe Keith, previously sitting as a highway department representative, has stepped down from the Weed Board and is being replaced by Rick Voyles.
Next up, the commissioners approved a request for the Washington County Tourism Board to utilize an office in the Courthouse.
Sonya Mitchell, Health and Human Sciences Educator from Washington County Purdue Extension, then approached the commissioners to inform them of the sewage issues that have been plaguing the current 4-H building and Fairgrounds. She explained how the building is used by many people for more than just 4-H purposes and how the issues have caused sewage to back up and come out through the sinks in the commercial kitchen, for example. She provided several images of sewage and feces on the floor in the facility to further expose the severity of the matter.
Commissioner Cardwell made a motion to, “pursue getting this fixed, and maybe keep a budget of around $25,000 or under.”
The motion passed unanimously.
The next item on the agenda was the formation of an Emergency Management Advisory Council. The commissioners voted to form the council, starting with adding the commissioner representative: Commissioner Cardwell. There was no further discussion on who else will be on the advisory council.
Lastly, Rick Voyles from the Highway Department came forward to provide updates on damage from Monday night’s storm.
“Our crews were out most of the night. We had approximately 30 trees down with several areas with debris washed into the road. A lot of flash flooding and road closures. There were several water rescues and a few abandoned cars that we were having towed out of the road this morning. A lot of debris needs to be cleared out of the bridges in the affected areas. Bridge 133 on Old Palmyra Road has been submerged for several hours. As soon as the water recedes enough to get under there and do an inspection, we'll take a look at it. We'll keep the road closed until then. Right now you can't get to it, let alone under it to look at it. Small structure D1P005 on Blankenbaker Road, a wing wall washed out on it. It's eroded out from under the road, and that road will be closed until we get that fixed. Those are the only two closures at this time… There's a lot of damage south of town. It doesn't seem like much happened up here, but we have a mess south of town.”
Following the update from Rick Voyles, the meeting adjourned.
