Council Meeting - September 15th, 2026

Town of Osgood
Regular Meeting
Tuesday, August 18, 2026
5:00 p.m.

Attendance

Present at the meeting were Tammy Wilhoit, Chris Kuhn, Holley Rose, Bill Roberts, Lynn Fledderman, Jessica Beach, Ryan Flint, Ryan Busch, Jeff & Sue French, Stephanie Narwold, Stephanie Back, Susan Black, Carla Moore, Kris Kappes, Owen Menchhofer, Toya & Travis Neal, Dustin Payne, Rachel Runge, Ken McAfee, Amber Wilhoit, and Michael Norman.

Call to Order

Pledge of Allegiance.

Roll Call: All present.

Approval of Minutes

Motion to waive the reading and adopt the pre-read minutes.
Moved: Bill. Seconded: Holley.
Vote: 3 ayes.

Public Hearing: 2027 Budget

The public hearing for the 2027 Budget was opened. Chris Kuhn asked if anyone had questions. No one responded. Hearing was closed.

Commonwealth Engineers Project Update Memo

2026 CCMG Project

Work continues with the 2026 CCMG project focusing on the Southern portion of the project in the vicinity of Western Street and Railroad Ave.

• All piping for the project is complete.
• Crews are working to complete the concrete work by August 21, 2026. When the concrete work is completed, milling and paving operations will commence. The contractor has not provided a date for paving to start.

Motion to approve Dave O’Mara Contractor’s pay app #2 for $150,456.00 with $16,717.34 to retainage.
Moved: Holley. Seconded: Bill.
Vote: 3 ayes.

Motion to approve Commonwealth’s claim of $37,490.8 for Construction Engineering and RPR.
Moved: Holley. Seconded: Bill.
Vote: 3 ayes.

2027 CCMG Project

Preliminary Design for the project has begun.

The 2027 project will include the following streets:

• Sycamore St (from Cherry St to Railroad Ave): 1,665 LF
• Cherry St (from Sycamore St to Maple St): 315 LF
• Beech St (from Sycamore St to Maple St): 325 LF
• Cravens St (from Sycamore St to Maple St): 330 LF
• Western Ave (from Sycamore St to Maple St): 330 LF
• Railroad Ave (from Sycamore St to Maple St): 450 LF

Motion to approve Commonwealth’s claim of $11,620 for Preliminary Design and Survey/Data Collection.
Moved: Holley. Seconded: Bill.
Vote: 3 ayes.

Wastewater Utility Preliminary Engineering Report and Asset Management Plan

• A meeting was held with the Town Board on July 21, 2026.
• A contract has been assembled for design and additional services to bring the project to bidding. Baker-Tilly is reviewing funding options and we expect to re-submit to IFA next funding year.

Buckeye Street Water Main Replacement

• A meeting was held with the Town Board on July 21, 2026.
• A contract has been assembled for design, bidding, and construction management for the project. Baker-Tilly is reviewing funding options.

Water Improvements and Lead Service Line Projects

Construction has begun on both water projects. Construction progress in the past 30 days is as follows:

• Potholing of service lines continues in order to confirm service line materials prior to replacement.
• Galvanized service lines have begun being replaced throughout town. 12 lines have been replaced.
• Hydrants and valves have been continued to be replaced throughout town.
• Filter media has been replaced in two of the three filter tanks. The third filter is undergoing rehabilitation currently.
• Both clarifiers have been rehabilitated and are back online.

The next construction meeting for this project has been scheduled for August 19 at Town Hall at 9 a.m.

No contractor claims were presented. Commonwealth sent them back to the contractor for revisions.

Motion to approve Commonwealth Engineers claim of $30,528.17 for Construction and Commissioning, RPR, and Legal/Financial Assistance on the Water Utility Improvements Project.
Moved: Holley. Seconded: Bill.
Vote: 3 ayes.

Motion to approve Commonwealth Engineers claim of $47,827.35 for Construction and Commissioning, RPR, Regulatory Assistance, Legal/Financial Assistance, Field Investigation/Survey, and Service Line Evaluation on the LSLR Project.
Moved: Holley. Seconded: Bill.
Vote: 3 ayes.

Ripley County Economic Development 2027 Inter-Local Agreement

Osgood agrees to pay Ripley County Economic Development 12% of the 2027 EDIT funds.

Motion to approve the Ripley County Economic Development 2027 Inter-Local Agreement.
Moved: Holley. Seconded: Bill.
Vote: 3 ayes.

Hoosier Hills Water Easement Request

Hoosier Hills Water has reached out requesting a perpetual easement and temporary construction easement. They will be doing improvements to their line. Lynn asked if there were any benefits to the Town. We have Hoosier Hills as an emergency backup. They have no intentions of reinstalling the meter there, but it would not be a big deal to reinstall one quickly in the event of an emergency.

Motion to table this until after Council speaks with the Water Superintendent.
Moved: Bill. Seconded: Chris.
Vote: 3 ayes.

Personnel

Motion to hire Rodney Wettering for the Gas/Street position.
Moved: Holley. Seconded: Bill.
Vote: 3 ayes.

Buckeye Village Development

Travis Neal presented Council with an updated application and site plans for the proposed Buckeye Village development, which are also being submitted to Ripley County for review.

Mr. Neal advised that the proposed development has changed from his earlier concept based on engineering, existing site conditions, parking requirements, and storm water considerations. French & Associates completed field and topographic work, and Gonzalez Engineering, a civil engineering firm based in North Vernon, prepared the site development and engineering plans.

Mr. Neal stated that the current proposal consists of six buildings totaling 20 residential units. Separate applications have been prepared for each building to allow construction and inspections to proceed individually.

Current Proposal

• Four duplex buildings, with each unit proposed to include a two-car garage, first-floor entrance, handicap-accessible features, two bedrooms, and two full bathrooms.
• Two six-unit buildings. Mr. Neal stated that the number of units was reduced from the earlier proposal due to storm water and parking considerations.
• An additional 24 parking spaces incorporated into the revised site plan.
• Construction consisting of concrete foundations and slabs, 2x6 exterior walls, vinyl and veneer siding, and shingled roofs.
• Engineered truss plans as required through the building permit process.

Mr. Neal advised that the plans have been submitted to Ripley County Technical Review, with review anticipated in September. Any deficiencies or required corrections identified through that process will need to be addressed.

Storm Water / Site Drainage

Mr. Neal stated that storm water concerns raised during previous discussions have been addressed through the revised engineering plans.

According to Mr. Neal, the submitted drainage analysis includes a 100-year storm event study and supporting calculations. He stated that storm water will be managed on the development property and will not be intentionally diverted onto neighboring properties.

The proposed storm water improvements include approximately 814 linear feet of ditching, 6-inch drainage tile, and a retention/detention area approximately 18 inches deep.

Mr. Neal stated that the development has been designed to comply with the applicable Ripley County requirements identified to him by the County, including provisions he referenced as Chapter 80 / Section 40.5.

Council noted that the Town’s utility superintendents and engineers still need to review the revised plans as they relate to Town utilities and infrastructure.

Utilities

Mr. Neal provided Council with an update regarding utility coordination. He stated that:

• He has received verbal confirmation regarding water availability.
• The Sewer Department has been advised that the current proposal consists of 20 units.
• The proposed sewer design includes a manhole near the road, with the private development sewer lines connecting at that location.
• A commitment letter has been received from Duke Energy.
• The property contains existing electrical infrastructure associated with a previous planned build-out.
• A commitment has been received for high-speed internet service.
• A formal sewer commitment letter remains outstanding.

The proposed development has been discussed with the Osgood Volunteer Fire Department, and Mr. Neal stated that Fire Department concerns have been addressed.

The revised plans also include vehicle turnaround areas and areas for trash collection.

Additional Regulatory Review

Mr. Neal advised that Gonzalez Engineering indicated that IDEM involvement will be required and that the project will comply with applicable IDEM requirements. Ripley County Soil and Water Conservation may also be involved in the project review.

Mr. Neal stated that, to the best of his knowledge, the revised plans satisfy the applicable requirements identified by Ripley County.

Final determination of compliance will remain subject to the appropriate County, State, Town, utility, and engineering reviews.

Property Management

Mr. Neal provided Council with a sample rental application and discussed proposed property-management practices.

He stated that the property has partnered with Isaiah’s Image, a home-health agency, as a potential resource for residents.

Mr. Neal also stated that Buckeye Village remains subject to Indiana Housing Authority requirements through 2032, which affect the property’s ability to establish age restrictions. He discussed efforts to limit pets while acknowledging applicable requirements concerning service animals.

Council Direction / Next Step

Council requested that the Town’s utility superintendents review the revised plans and confirm whether the changes address their respective utility and infrastructure concerns.

The revised storm water, water, and sanitary sewer plans will also require independent engineering review before the Town can determine whether the proposed designs, capacities, and flows are acceptable for the Town’s existing infrastructure.

Council requested an updated response from the Town departments following review of the revised plans.

Reports and Comments

Chris Kuhn stated that they will only be taking comments on what was on the agenda for today.

Police Department

Alex Wilhelm gave his monthly report. Eric Amy has started and on his own. Doing great. Chris Kuhn asked if there was any news on speed limit signs. He’s still waiting on resolution for crosswalk by REMC.

Osgood Lions Club

The Osgood Lions Club, Candy Day for Cancer, would like to be at the stoplight on September 12. The Clerk-Treasurer will double check the calendar and call Owen Menchhofer tomorrow.

Public Comment

Stephanie Back asked if there was a process for the neighbors to look at the Neal plans. She asked if INDOT has to look at it. Chris was not aware of how that worked.

Adjournment

Motion to adjourn the meeting.
Moved: Bill. Seconded: Holley.
Vote: 3 ayes.

Claims were signed.