Hamilton County agencies to scale back training request

After failing to secure $3 million in funding from the Hamilton County Council, public safety agencies plan to downscale a proposal for improvements at a countywide training facility.

The council in August narrowly rejected a proposal to fund a shooting range, fire training tower and infrastructure improvements to the training facility along River Road in Noblesville.

However, the council offered to fund $568,000 to build the tower only, which would allow firefighters to fight live fires in training.

In a letter delivered to the council Aug. 28, though, Fishers Fire Chief George Kehl wrote on behalf of the public safety agencies that it would be irresponsible to accept that lesser funding without knowing specifically how much the tower building would cost.

Kehl said the scope of the project would be revised to provide a more accurate cost estimate. While the $568,000 might cover the cost for the tower, he wrote that the amount doesn’t take into consideration necessary site improvements, such as earthwork, utilities, parking areas and roadways.

Kehl was out of the office Friday. But Hamilton County Sheriff Mark Bowen said the public safety agencies would work with their consultant, RQAW, to revise the plan. He said they might seek funding needed beyond the $568,000 offered from either the County Council or city governments.

It’s unclear how a new proposal would be met by the council, though, which was deeply divided on the issue. Or whether the council still would be willing to fund the $568,000.

President Paul Ayers said he, for one, is ready to move on to other county business after failing to secure a compromise at this point.

“I would hope it doesn’t come up for some time,” Ayers said. “We spent so much time on this and we have so much more to do at the council level.”

Hamilton County Council nixes $3M for safety training facility

County Council member Rick McKinney said he wonders who may end up landing the contracts not just to build the facility, but also to manage it and teach training classes — in essence whether it would create a landing spot for retiring or off duty Hamilton County public safety officials.

“Behind all of the smokescreen about the need for training, there needs to be a spotlight for who is going to profit monetarily from the facility,” McKinney said.

In a contentious meeting Aug. 5, dozens of police officers, firefighters and public officials spoke or stood in support of funding improvements to the training facility. Several made heart-felt pleas about the importance of live-fire training, especially, to survival in emergency situations.

Ayers, McKinney, Brad Beaver and Fred Glynn, though, said the county has no statutory obligation to fund fire departments. They pointed out that cities, towns and townships, which do have such an obligation, were funding none of the capital cost. They also said they were aware of nearby training facilities in other counties that public safety agencies can and do use.

Ayers said the council was being a good neighbor by agreeing to fund the fire tower.

“We wanted to show them we are interested in public safety and we want to be a good neighbor, even though we don’t have a fire department,” Ayers said.

Supporters said the council had the money and the facility would benefit the entire county. And the shooting range, they said, would benefit the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department, along with other police agencies.

Bowen said he’s disappointed in the council’s decision not to fund the entire proposal and that Hamilton County is losing out on the chance to be a leader.

“I think this was a unique opportunity for Hamilton County to set the standard for an all-encompassing public safety training facility,” he said.

Westfield Mayor Andy Cook first proposed the public training facility in 2009, when the water utility, which was at that time owned by the city, bought 93 acres from Beaver Materials on River Road and 160th Street in Noblesville. The utility used water wells on the land — a former gravel mine — but offered up the surface for a training facility.

At that point, no county funding was envisioned. Cook proposed pooling the resources of local agencies and applying for grants, which is how the training facility has been funded to this point.

Supporters of the training facility, though, ultimately proposed a master plan with up to $42.7 million of future, unfunded upgrades. Some County Council members worried that they would set a precedent by voting for the $3 million in proposed improvements and then be on the hook to pay for future upgrades.

Supporters at the meeting insisted the $3 million was a one-time appropriation and future upgrades would come from a variety of sources, if at all.

County Commissioners, the executive branch of county government, back the project, which also has broad support among city, town and township governments.

Westfield, Noblesville, Fishers and Carmel/Clay Township each had agreed to fund $40,000 per year in operating expenses.

Commissioner Mark Heirbrandt, a supporter of the proposal, said he believes the training facility improvements will be built, but that it may take more time than he, city, township and public safety officials had hoped.

“I am positive that we will find a solution to get this done in the future,” he said. “There are too many leaders and too many people supporting this project.”

Hamilton County training facility draws scrutiny

Call Star reporter Chris Sikich at (317) 444-6036. Follow him on Twitter: @ ChrisSikich and atFacebook/chris.sikich.