By John Estridge
During the pandemic shutdown and the time after the shutdown, many items within society went on hold.
One of those things is the Brookville Town Council annexation attempts.
At the last BTC meeting in August, council members were asked about what was going on with the proposed annexation of the area off Reservoir Hill Road. When some area residents and officials found the Renaker family was selling Brook Hill Golf Course, BTC members decided to try to annex the area around the golf course and then purchase the golf course from an LLC, which purchased the golf course from the Renaker family. At that point, the town would then run the golf course.
It has been operating the last two years through the efforts of the LLC and some local residents.
However, BTC wants to do a friendly annexation where the majority of those within the annexation area are in favor of annexation.
To this point, BTC does not have the majority of votes in the affected area.
BTC President Mike Biltz addressed the situation at the Tuesday, September 8 meeting, saying before the pandemic shutdown, BTC had talked about doing a feasibility study. It was put on hold because of the shutdown, and now was the time to do it.
In answer to some comments from Carla Hacker, who is against the annexation, Biltz said the feasibility study will be a cost to the town, but it is worth it because there has been so much disinformation about the proposed annexation, from both sides, the study is needed to clear the air and present facts.
BTC member Curtis Ward has been on the forefront of the annexation process. He said the residents need to know what potential costs are involved as well as what benefits may be garnered as a result of annexation. Also, he said he would like to see ordinances, which allow residents in that area to be able to discharge firearms and have open burning.
Both of those activities are not allowed within town limits at this time.
Rick Gill, owner of Brookville Gun Shop at Sixth and Main streets, was told by BTC members, at a previous meeting, he is not allowed to test fire firearms in his store’s basement after attempting to fix the firearms brought to him for that purpose.
“The promises we promised early on to have common-sense ordinances in place that protects you guys (residents of the proposed annexation area) the people who live up there,” Ward said. “That’s important to me. The things that are important to me that we’re able to have open burning and that we are able to discharge firearms in a safe and effective manner.”
Hacker asked why the town council members have not shown a vision of what they plan for the golf course like the committee did for the new aquatic center. Those boards showing a facsimile of the new pool drew the residents to seeing the dream to a reality, she said.
Ward addressed that subject as well as what a feasibility study can show and what it won’t show.
According to Ward, a feasibility study will show the costs to the town borne with annexation and will show if the town will be fiscally able to annex the area by comparing the funds derived from property taxes compared to the costs from putting services in after annexation. Also, it may not show what the town can expect to lose operating the golf course. He said the municipal pool operated in the red when it was open and probably will do so again after the new pool comes on line, but those things are done as a service to the town’s residents. However, the feasibility study will just look at the annexation process.
“The annexation will be first and the golf course purchase will be second,” Ward said. “The golf course operation has been different from annexation and is not included in a fiscal plan. We didn’t present a fiscal plan or a business plan on how we’re going to operate that pool. That pool will most likely operate at a loss every year like it has for several years prior. It is a service we’re providing and that’s how we view the golf course as a park service that is being provided to the community. So, even if it operates in the red slightly like the pool does, that is a service the town is willing to provide as a park for the residents.”
Ward said the feasibility study will tell the town what it will be able to do in the way of providing services to the affected residents in the three-year period after annexation. And it will also show what if any money will be left over after adding the additional property taxes gathered from the new residents compared to those expenses for providing sewage, garbage pickup, roads and road maintenance, police protection and other services.
“Could we build a huge sports complex up there?” he rhetorically asked. “Sure. Only if the feasibility study comes back and says the town has that money. Is that likely? Absolutely not. What is likely is it will remain a golf course. And if it doesn’t remain a golf course in the future, it will remain a green space for future parks.
“What I envision up there – we’ve talked about this several times – until we get to this next step, we have been prohibited to get to for one way or another — is what can we afford and what can we do?” he continued. “I have a ton of ideas I want to do. Are they feasible? I have a ton of ideas I want to do in the Town of Brookville … but things we can aspire to and things we can set goals of having: Is it tennis courts important for the town? Is a golf course important for the town in addition to what they have behind the transportation center (tennis courts behind the public transportation complex at the county park)?
“Are all those things important for the people up there?” He rhetorically asked again. “And if they are, can we do it in the three-year period of time? Because, once we commit to that, we have to do that. So, we’re only going to commit to what we know we can afford to do, not what we hope we can afford to do. That’s the difference of why you’re not seeing a vision board.”
Randy Powell, who is against annexation, said the town council has been unable to get the number of votes needed for a voluntary annexation after two years of trying. Thus, the town should wait until it has the votes before paying the money for a feasibility study.
But Biltz said the affected people should know all the facts before they vote one way or another on annexation. And that means the town needs a third party to look at the situation, thus, the feasibility study.
“After two years I think everybody should know…” Powell started to say before Biltz interrupted him.
“I don’t think they do,” Biltz said. “I think everything’s been very muddy.”
Powell then said the feasibility decision should be put on hold until after November’s election.
However, Biltz said the feasibility study should show if the town can afford the annexation or not.
Powell asked how long the feasibility study will take. Council members said they did not know.
Council members unanimously approved the feasibility study. No cost estimate was placed on what the feasibility study will cost.