Resident-led town-hall proposal wins tentative support; county to advertise Sept. 6 work session

A resident asked the Pulaski County commissioners to host a quarterly town-hall series to provide structured, two-way public dialogue on major county issues; commissioners directed the auditor to advertise a work session for a town-hall forum on Saturday, Sept. 6, at approximately 10:30 a.m.

Brandy Larkin, who described herself as a county resident and volunteer organizer, presented a detailed proposal asking the board to formally support quarterly town halls with focused topics (she suggested solar and energy storage, budget transparency and comprehensive-plan implementation for the first session). Larkin recommended a neutral third-party facilitator, hybrid livestreamed meetings, pre-submitted and write-in questions, ADA-accessible venues, childcare options and other accessibility measures. “This isn't about taking sides,” she said; “it's about connection.”

Commissioners and staff discussed scheduling, venue options and open-meetings requirements. One commissioner cautioned about Indiana open-door/open-meetings law and said any county participation must distinguish between a work session and an official meeting; the county attorney and auditor were cited as sources of guidance. The board’s auditor said she would handle advertising through standard channels (county website, local radio WKDI, Pulaski Post, Channel 57 and the Journal) and the auditor was asked to place a notice for a Sept. 6 work session at about 10:30 a.m. for the purpose of a town-hall forum. The location was left to be finalized; commissioners and staff discussed alternative neutral venues outside the courthouse to emphasize a community forum setting.

Commissioners and community members said town halls could reduce misinformation, improve transparency and build public trust. Several commissioners indicated support for the idea and discussed calendar conflicts that might affect specific dates; one commissioner also noted the county’s courthouse grand-opening planning and a potential overlap if the ribbon-cutting occurs near the same date. County staff and one attorney reminded the board that advertising, facilitator selection and meeting structure should comply with statutory public-notice and open-meetings obligations.

The auditor was asked to advertise the Sept. 6 work session for the town-hall forum; the board committed to working with the organizer on logistics and to finalize venue and facilitation details in follow-up meetings.