Council OKs interlocal with Noblesville to allow eminent-domain steps on Olya Road federal-aid project

Hamilton County Council approved an interlocal agreement with the City of Noblesville that allows the city to exercise certain acquisition powers, including steps associated with eminent-domain filings, for a federally funded project on Olya Road.

County staff explained the interlocal is needed because some parcels affected by the Olya Road alignment lie outside Noblesville’s corporate limits and the city lacks legal authority to acquire them directly. County staff said the agreement follows state interlocal statutes and is similar to other interlocal agreements the county has used with major cities to allow federally funded projects to meet timeline and regulatory requirements.

Mister Sullivan, identified in the record as county staff, told the council the interlocal “provides the parties a broader range of ability to have, hopefully, more productive conversations” with property owners during the pre-filing process. Ally Krebski, identified as Noblesville city engineer, said the project has two federal-aid awards — which she described as “NDOT rule call funds and highway safety improvement funds” in the transcript — and emphasized safety, noting that “the roundabout at 156 and Olya Road will be improved as a part of this project.”

Krebski said the city has met in person and by phone with property owners along the corridor and that the current alignment avoids total acquisitions: “So we do not have any total acquisition on this project at this time,” she said. County staff added that the interlocal can offer both schedule protection for the federally funded timeline and procedural safeguards for property owners.

The council voted on a motion to approve the agreement; the roll call recorded all ayes: Ken Alexander; Brad Beaver; Tim Griffin; Sue Mackey; Amy Masalomani; Steve Nation; Mark Hall.

No public comment disputing the project or the interlocal was recorded in the transcript.