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Commissioners discuss APC/BZA alternates, attorney approvals and possible conflicts of interest
Summary
The board reviewed candidate lists for the APC and BZA alternates, debated whether commissioners must approve certain appointments, flagged a potential conflict of interest for one candidate, and asked county counsel to review applicable Indiana code and meeting minutes before final action.
Pulaski County commissioners reviewed candidates for the Area Plan Commission (APC) and Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) alternate seats and asked county counsel to confirm whether the commissioners must approve alternates selected by those boards.
Carla Redwick, the county building inspector, presented a list of applicants for APC alternates: Daryl Goodman, John Williams, Rhonda Sabatine, Jason Podoff, Scott Becker and others. Commissioners discussed eligibility questions: one commissioner noted Jason Podoff was already serving on the industrial park board and therefore ineligible to serve without resigning that seat. Another commissioner raised an indirect conflict of interest concerning Scott Becker, noting Becker’s family had land tied to commercial solar projects and expressing concern this could affect perceived impartiality on upcoming solar and battery energy storage matters.
Carla said she had previously submitted minutes showing a board vote last year approving an alternate (Jamie Murray) but that the county’s online minutes were incomplete; commissioners asked staff to locate and circulate the minutes. Jacob (county counsel) said he would review the statute language on alternates and circulate relevant Indiana Code citations to the commissioners.
The board debated whether county council or commissioners could deny an APC-selected attorney or alternate and whether the council’s refusal to appropriate funds effectively blocked a board’s choice. Commissioners noted procedural confusion in past actions and asked counsel to provide clarification in writing. The board agreed to hold off finalizing some appointments until counsel and staff could verify the statute and the missing meeting minutes.
On candidate vetting, commissioners asked staff to check for conflicts of interest and dual-board service before final appointments. Carla said she would provide the requested minutes and code language to the board.
