FRANKFORT, Ind. (September 12, 2023) – Mayor Judy Sheets got what she wanted during the September City Council meeting held Monday evening – the elimination of the Historic Preservation Commission on a 5-2 vote.
Councilman Clarence Warthan and Brandt Fuller voted against the ordinance to immediately dissolve the HPC and place the policing of historic standards onto the city building inspector – the city currently does not have a building inspector.
The mayor had previously said the HPC was “keeping us from getting work done and they only meet once a month”
During public comments prior to the vote, Reverend Philip Jordan addressed the council encouraging the members to vote in favor of ending the HPC.
Rev. Jordan, who has owned a home for 27-years and situated within a historic district, spoke of having the painting of his home halted by the HPC – describing the experience as feeling much like a “gross over-reach into our personal lives.”
Tommy Kleckner, director of Indiana Landmarks for the Western Region, explained the city’s ordinance that formed the HPC is based on Indiana state law and lacks essential updates the state has made. And, updating the city ordinance would allow the commission to have the proper tools to serve the community.
Kleckner equated the dissolving of the HPC without first addressing the underlying fixes amounts to “throwing the baby out with the bath water.”
Bud McQuade also addressed the council. McQuade, who served as the chair of the HPC and served as building inspector when Don Stock was mayor, took his allotted 3-minutes to speak to a one-page summary of suggested ideas to improve the efficiency of the commission – “more fluid, more receptive to the needs of the city and the citizen.”
Prior to the close of the council meeting, councilman Steve Beardsley asked the mayor to “appoint a taskforce to look at historic districts to honor what we said tonight which is we do not want a gap in this.” Beardsley suggested two names to the mayor upon request, Stock and McQuade.
After the meeting the mayor was asked the taskforce suggestion and what might a timeline look like to having this in place.
“I haven’t even really thought of a timetable, but counselor Beardsley asked me to put a committee together – so I am going to be working on that. It’s something I thought about anyway even before this because I had no idea what would happen tonight – I was just waiting to see what they said.”
The mayor was asked – you were really surprised? – “I really did not know. I hadn’t had any conversation with any of the counselors.” The mayor acknowledged that she did not speak to any members of the HPC prior to introducing the ordinance in August.
As the city is without a building inspector and the job posting has recently been removed from the city website, the mayor was asked of the status and if someone has been hired.
“We have not hired anyone,” the mayor said. When asked about applicants and interviewing, the mayor said, “We have interviewed some people. We just have not made a decision.”
When might a decision be made?
“I say probably in the next couple of weeks we will know something,” said the mayor.
