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Residents urge Monroe County Council to press commissioners for pause on Thompson-property evictions
Summary
At a packed Dec. 9 Monroe County Council meeting, more than a dozen public commenters and service providers urged the council to press county commissioners to pause planned evictions at the Thompson property, citing unclear approval processes, limited notice and heightened risk during cold weather. Councilors agreed to draft a letter requesting postponement and greater transparency.
Dozens of residents, outreach workers and nonprofit leaders told the Monroe County Council on Dec. 9 that a planned eviction of people living at the Thompson property is premature, poorly communicated and poses a public-safety risk as temperatures fall.
Mary Morgan, executive director of Heading Home of South Central Indiana, told the council her organization and others remain willing to partner on long-term housing solutions. Several unhoused residents and volunteers described receiving short notice and inconsistent outreach from the county and contractors. "Evictions are harmful, inhumane actions," Shelby Porteroff said, asking the council to press the commissioners to pause winter evictions and to craft a publicly vetted eviction procedure.
Speakers who identified themselves as living at or working with Thompson property residents gave consistent accounts: flyers or notices were distributed, a cleanup contractor posting referenced disposing of personal items and the community reported confusion about where belongings would be stored. Several commenters said outreach staff who had been scheduled to provide assistance did not return after initial contact. "I was misrepresented in an earlier press release," one speaker said, and others described community members who spent the evening scrambling to find emergency hotel placements.
Councilors voiced concern about both the human impact and the county's internal processes. Multiple council members said they had not been briefed in advance through regular county channels, and several noted that the commissioners' office and county staff had not provided consistent information about who authorized the action or what funding lines would be used.
In discussion, council members proposed immediate next steps: (1) a one-page letter from council leadership requesting the commissioners postpone any eviction action until a jointly developed operational and communications plan is in place; (2) a request that the commissioners provide clear answers on which fund(s) and contracts would pay for eviction-related work; (3) a requirement that outreach providers and people with lived experience be engaged in planning and that the county publish an after-action and property-retrieval plan in advance of any future action.
Councilor Kim Wills agreed to draft an initial letter and circulate it to councilors and county staff for review; council members indicated they will sign individually if they choose. County counsel and staff said they would review the draft for legal or procedural issues before distribution. Several council members also warned they would seek greater fiscal transparency (including examining any related contract claims) if the commissioners do not respond to the request for postponement.
What happens next: Councilors said they will seek a prompt response from the Board of Commissioners, and planned to return to the topic at the council's Dec. 16 meeting. The letter will request postponement until a jointly agreed plan (including outreach, shelter/housing options, property storage/retrieval procedures, and funding and contract transparency) is published and stakeholders are engaged.
