Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Blackford County commissioners appoint Auditor Lisa Simmons secretary during executive session on commercial prospect
Summary
During an executive session Dec. 17, 2025, Blackford County commissioners said the meeting's purpose was to "interview and negotiate with agents of a commercial prospect" under I.C. 5-14-1.5-6.1(b)(4). By motion, Auditor Lisa Simmons was appointed secretary for the session; the board adjourned at noon.
The Blackford County Commissioners met in a closed executive session on Dec. 17, 2025, at the Blackford County Annex in Hartford City. President John Lancaster called the meeting to order at 10:00 a.m., and Auditor Lisa Simmons called the roll; Commissioners John Lancaster, Dan Borgenheimer and Laura Coons were present. Warren Brown was recorded as also present.
Commissioner Dan Borgenheimer moved to appoint Auditor Lisa Simmons as secretary for the meeting; Commissioner Laura Coons seconded. The motion was approved, recorded as a 3-0 vote. The minutes state the purpose of the session was to "interview and negotiate with agents of a commercial prospect" pursuant to I.C. 5-14-1.5-6.1(b)(4), indicating the board met to conduct confidential economic development negotiations.
The executive session was adjourned at 12:00 p.m. after a motion to adjourn by Commissioner Borgenheimer, seconded by Commissioner Coons. The excerpted minutes include an approval line reading "Approved this 5th day of January 2025" and signature lines for President John Lancaster, Commissioner Coons (the text also contains a spelling variant rendered as "Launa Coons"), Vice President Dan Borgenheimer and Auditor Lisa Simmons. That approval date appears inconsistent with the Dec. 17, 2025 meeting date and is noted in the record for clarification.
No public record of the commercial prospect discussed, any offers, or subsequent board action on that matter appears in the provided minutes excerpt. Because the session was held under the cited statute, substantive details of negotiations were not included in the public excerpt.
