Dearborn County commissioners approve juvenile center contracts, Yes Home covenant and parks master plan; deny two informal right-of-way requests

Dearborn County commissioners on March 17 approved a slate of routine and project-related items including medical agreements for the county juvenile center, a restrictive covenant tied to a United Way grant for Yes Home and a five-year parks and recreation master plan, while denying two informal requests to use county road right-of-way.

During the meeting Chair (unnamed) opened the session and turned to an old-business item about informal requests to use Old County Road right-of-way. Jared, attorney for the Grama family, told the commission no agreement had been reached with neighboring parties and said the county would instead pursue the county’s apparent right-of-way process and advertise the matter for formal action. A motion to deny the informal requests for Dog Ridge Road and Old Houston Road off Bloom Road was made and carried by voice vote.

On new business staff presented annual contracts for the juvenile center: a physician agreement of $19,000 per year and a nurses’ agreement of $15,000 per year. Staff identified Daniel Barkdoll as the juvenile center physician and Ronald Phillips as the nurse and asked the commission to approve the agreements. A commissioner moved, the item was seconded, and the board approved the contracts by voice vote.

County staff then described a restrictive covenant the United Way requested on a county farm parcel (11.2 acres, parcel 15-05-30-300-011.005-019) where Yes Home operates. The covenant would protect the grantee’s use of the renovated first floor for the grant term; staff said the Yes Home raised most of the renovation funds and the covenant is a condition of the United Way grant. Commissioners approved the covenant and authorized signatures.

Staff also introduced Resolution 2026-003 to formally adopt the Dearborn County five-year parks and recreation master plan (2026–2031), noting the Park Board had approved the plan and that the Indiana Department of Natural Resources had signed off on February 12. The commission voted to adopt the resolution.

Several routine administrative items — personnel claims, payroll and approval of the March 3 minutes — were taken up and approved by voice vote. The commission announced a public informational session on tax-increment financing (TIF) for March 30 at South Dearborn High School; presenters from Veritas were named for that session.

The meeting ended after public comment and an adjournment motion carried by voice vote.