The Evansville City Licensing Board on an unspecified date agreed to accept verification from Ivy Tech for at least one item and to tighten how applicants prove on-the-job experience, members said.

Board members debated whether the letters submitted for an applicant constituted meaningful proof of industry experience or merely character references. “They're all from the same company and every single one say I have known him for that long. Not working with him, not that he's been employed that long. I just don't think that should fly,” said Board Member 1 during the discussion, arguing the board needs documentation that shows time worked or hours.

The board noted that the local licensing packet and a recent rewrite of the ordinance require demonstrable proof of experience — preferably letters from someone in the industry that show hours or time worked rather than only character statements. “We rewrote the ordinance to say that at least one letter had to be from someone in the industry proving hours,” Board Member 2 said.

Members reviewed examples of documentary evidence described during the meeting, including pension or payroll-hour summaries. One speaker referenced figures shown in the packet, noting totals such as 1,937 hours and yearly company pension-hour contributions as the type of proof the board prefers.

Because several supporting letters submitted for an application were not notarized, a board member moved to deny that application. The motion to deny was seconded and approved by voice vote. Board members discussed that applicants can obtain notarized letters and reapply; staff was asked to notify Mike Webber and to post or distribute a sample verification letter so submissions meet the board's standard.

Separately, members questioned how continuing-education units (CEUs) are validated after an attendee reported taking a class listed as three hours while the session lasted about 45 minutes. “Is that how we do? They do. That's kind of strange,” said a board member, describing a class offered at a local supply house that claimed a three-hour credit despite a short session. The board discussed typical sign-in procedures and the practical difficulty of policing course length; one member recalled that when Kentucky first implemented licensing, observers audited classes and monitored attendance to enforce hour requirements.

Board business also included short, procedural votes: a motion to approve Ivy Tech verification passed by voice vote and the meeting was later closed by unanimous voice vote. The board asked staff to provide clearer guidance to applicants about acceptable proof of experience and to post a sample letter to reduce future submission issues.

The board did not record a roll-call tally in the transcript; decisions referenced here reflect motions and voice votes as said on the record.