Hamilton County commissioners elect leaders, approve $2.5M payment and $30,000 hazardous‑materials study

The Hamilton County Board of Commissioners met Jan. 12 and moved through a packed agenda of leadership elections, appointments, contracts and grants.

The board elected Chris Nolan as president and approved Mark Hairbrandt as vice president for 2026. Commissioners then considered and approved a long list of 2026 board and commission reappointments and citizen appointments across county bodies, including the Board of Finance, Airport Authority, Board of Health and redevelopment and planning commissions.

Why it matters: the leadership votes set who will steer county agendas this year, while the reappointments maintain continuity on boards that advise or oversee county services and capital projects.

The board voted to approve several contracts and large disbursements. Among them, the board approved a professional services contract with Evolt Strategies for lobbying services in 2026 at $75,000. Commissioners approved a contract with MindWell Solutions Inc. to provide behavioral and mental health services to the county at a rate not to exceed $7,500 per month (capped at $90,000 annually), to be paid from opioid-related funds as discussed at the meeting. The board also approved a cyber‑services contract with Berrycom LLC at $15,000 per month, which staff said represents a reduction from the prior agreement.

The board approved Disbursement Request No. 2 in the amount of $2,514,899.69 payable to On Point Realty LLC d/b/a Meyer Nation Development for services at the Hamilton County Public Safety Training Center. The motion carried by voice vote.

Public safety and emergency management items included multiple approvals. Emergency Management staff presented three meal authorizations for upcoming workshops and requested acceptance of a 2026 hazardous materials emergency preparedness grant from the Indiana Department of Homeland Security to Hamilton County. "The award amount this year is $30,000, which is up from $15,000 last year's grant," Emergency Management staff stated. The board approved the grant; staff said the county will use it to fund a commodity‑flow study with 15 strategic observation points and about 120 observation hours, and identified SESCO Group as the planned vendor to be brought forward for contract approval later.

Highway staff asked that the board accept bond/letter of credit B26001 for County Bridge No. 7 and presented condemnation requests for parcels needed for the 281st Street project and the Hazelnut project (Parcel 9 at Clover Creek Park); the board approved the bond acceptance and both condemnation requests.

Criminal-justice items included acceptance of two Indiana Supreme Court problem‑solving court grants: $4,500 for veterans court and $12,500 for drug treatment court. Probation staff explained the two courts apply separately; commissioners questioned the lower veterans‑court award relative to drug court, and staff cited differences in population and application processes.

Other approvals: the board approved an insurance renewal recommendation presented by Kristen Walker of Walker Professional Insurance, selecting option B because it includes flood coverage for the utility district; permission to dispose of a damaged vehicle via Copart; approval for the League of Women Voters to post nonpartisan election banners on the town square in April and October 2026 (with commissioners requesting review of the content if necessary); blanket permission to use the historic courthouse courtroom during the judicial expansion project; sheriff’s office approvals for ClearView investigative software and new scheduling software; and routine auditor presentations and claims approvals, including payroll and vendor claims.

What wasn’t decided: staff noted a few items would return to a future meeting for legal or timing review (for example, a right‑of‑entry correction and the contract for the SESCO Group vendor will be brought back for formal contract approval). Several agenda lines that listed multiple payment amounts in the packet included garbled or unclear figures in the transcript record; the board approved the requests but staff should confirm the final invoice/accounting numbers in procurement documentation.

The meeting ended after the board approved adjournment.

Votes at a glance (selected items) — all recorded as passed by voice vote: - Election of Chris Nolan as board president (approved). - Election of Mark Hairbrandt as vice president (approved). - Reappointments across boards and commissions (multiple motions; approved). - Acceptance of bond B26001 for County Bridge No. 7 (approved). - Condemnation approvals for 281st Street and Hazelnut projects (approved). - Acceptance of Indiana Supreme Court grants for veterans court ($4,500) and drug court ($12,500) (approved). - Approval of Evolt Strategies lobbying contract ($75,000) (approved). - Approval of MindWell Solutions contract (not to exceed $90,000 annually; paid from opioid funds) (approved). - Approval of Berrycom LLC cyber services contract ($15,000/month) (approved). - Disbursement to On Point Realty LLC d/b/a Meyer Nation Development ($2,514,899.69) (approved). - Acceptance of Indiana Department of Homeland Security hazardous‑materials grant ($30,000) to fund a commodity‑flow study (approved).

Quotes from the meeting: "We request your support to move forward with option B, which includes flood coverage for the utility district," said Kristen Walker of Walker Professional Insurance during the insurance renewal presentation. "The award amount this year is $30,000, which is up from $15,000 last year's grant," Emergency Management staff said when describing the hazardous‑materials grant and planned commodity‑flow study.

Next steps: several items (notably the SESCO Group contract for the commodity‑flow study and any right‑of‑entry corrections) will return for contract approval or legal review at a future meeting; staff will also submit detailed billings for the MindWell contract as requested by commissioners.

(Reporting based solely on the Jan. 12 meeting transcript; amounts and contractor names quoted here reflect the meeting record. Some packet line items in the transcript contained garbled totals that require confirmation in official procurement records.)