Town Council Regular Meeting

TOWN COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING DATE: December 18, 2025 LOCATION: Bristol Town Hall CALL MEETING TO ORDER - Jeff Beachy, Town Council President, called the regular council meeting to order at 7:00 pm Pledge of Alliance – led by Jimmy Rody, representing Bristol Boy Scout Troop 1, ROLL CALL – Doug DeSmith, Dean Rentfrow, Cathy Burke, Gregg Tuholski, Jeff Beachy, Town Manager, Mike Yoder, Deputy Clerk-Treasurer & TM Jill Swartz, Fire Chief Nik Kantz, Marshal Steve Priem, and Legal Counsel Alex Bowman. APPROVAL OF PRIOR MINUTES: Motion to approve minutes from the November 18 Executive Session, November 20 Regular Session, and December 4 Regular Session. * Motion: Cathy Burke * Second: Doug DeSmith * Result: Passed 5-0 PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT: BRISTOL COMMONS REZONING PROPOSAL: Rezone 208 North River Road from R1-DPD to R3-PUD for a 37-unit subdivision. Deborah Hughes from Surveying and Mapping presented the revised site plan and commitments that the Council asked Mr. Rebec to add: 1. Homeowner’s Association (HOA) Covenant Restriction: Property rental allowed for a minimum six-month lease. Property lease to be provided to HOA for review and approval prior to start of rental lease. 2. Landscape buffer along west, north and east property lines to contain 6 ft. height privacy fence and evergreen planting along property line inside privacy fence. Plant spacing to be determined based on plant species. Property line length is 1,764 ft. Evergreens selection to be arborvitae, spruce or other appropriate species. Plan spacing to be determined based on species. Intention will be to create an opaque buffer for adjoining property owners above the 6 ft. privacy fence. Number of plants would be dependent on species and spacing. Owner requests plant installation be included with each phase of construction. 3. Existing house to have exterior refacing to match the appearance of the new townhomes. Work to be completed during Phase 1 construction. 4. Existing house to be included in HOA for enforcement of HOA covenant restrictions. PUBLIC HEARING was opened @ 7:13 pm and later closed at 7:45 pm Name Address Position Comments Noted a need for new housing; cited high- Jacob Rebec 1004 E. Vistula St. Favor quality builds. Limited market; believes HOA will ensure Dennis Swartz 50611 SR 15 Favor property maintenance. Mary Jo Concerned with a 2-story design for seniors and 515 N. River Rd. Against Sartorius the lack of HOA rules. Bridge traffic capacity concerns and potential Nic Hedges 903 N. Division St. Against drainage/flooding. Density concerns and impact on older home Tony Burris 809 N. Division St. Against property values. Cited traffic study metrics and current bridge Sam Weisser 901 N. Division St. Against infrastructure gaps. Questioned rental status; concerned about lack Maxine Foster 105 CR 104 Against of basements. Wanted to know more about the HOA. Concerns regarding Airbnb use and the lack of Bridget Weisser 901 N. Division St. Against yards for children. Safety for children; concerns over trust Helen Calvin 707 N. River Rd. Against regarding rental potential. Construction traffic longevity concerns through John Calvin 707 N. River Rd. Against 2030/2033. Requested a 20-30ft green belt buffer to protect Anthony Stech 302 N. River Rd. Against neighbors. COUNCIL ACTION: The Council asked the developer to implement a complete ban on rentals within the HOA. * MOTION TO TABLE (Until Jan 15, 2026): Jeff Beachy * SECOND: Cathy Burke * RESULT: Passed 5-0 REPORTS TOWN MANAGER  SRF WATER DISBURSEMENTS (#44 Lori Shipman Consulting $3,531, #45 Niblock $257,388 with a retainage of $13;547, and #46 JPR $20,399): Motion: Dean Rentfrow | Second: Gregg Tuholski | Result: Passed 5-0   SRF WASTEWATER DISBURSEMENT (#42 Crosby Construction $898,030 with a retainage of $47,265): Motion: Cathy Burke | Second: Doug DeSmith | Result: Passed 5-0 Project updates: Mike provided several key infrastructure and administrative updates. He shared that the new water tower foundations are complete, and residents will soon see the concrete column rising. He also noted that the new wastewater treatment plant has reached approximately 25% completion. Mike updated the Council on the State Road 15 and 120 reconstructions, cautioning that while utility relocation (NIPSCO and Frontier) is currently underway, the "hard" construction phase and major traffic detours will be a significant factor through 2026. Finally, he mentioned the ongoing water meter replacement program, noting that the transition to the Water Scope app is nearly complete, allowing residents to monitor their usage in real-time. CLERK TREASURER – Jill Swartz is filling in, as Cathy Antonelli was absent Jill informed the Council that the Town of Bristol Employee Handbook has been amended. This amended handbook will be passed out to all staff members at the end of the year with a 1/1/2026 date.  Added the IPEP additional $50K life policy for all staff.  Reviewed all of the Michigan employment laws.  Reviewed the salary ordinance. Nothing was found that would conflict with the handbook.  2026 SALARY ORDINANCE 12-18-2025-24: Motion: Cathy Burke | Second: Gregg Tuholski | Result: Passed 5-0  ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION (#12-18-2025-26): Totaling $206,540. FUND # Appropriation # Amount Reason 4424 - Cum Cap Dev 4424-001-491 $25,000 Balance of Town Hall signs  1101 - General 1101-001-370 $150,000 Hydrant rental 1101 - General 1101-002-340 $7,040 PD insurance 1101 – General 1101-002-220 $5,000 Gasoline 1101 - General 1101-002-344 $4,500 Insurance deductibles 2240 - Public Safety LIT 2240-001-112.100 $15,000 Patrolman Payroll Total: $206,540 *Motion: Gregg Tuholski | Second: Cathy Burke | Result: Passed 5-0 TOWN MARSHAL - STEVE PRIEM Marshal Priem presented a year-over-year comparison for November, illustrating a sharp increase in police activity: Service Demand: The department responded to 654 calls in November 2025 (up from 590 in 2024). Marshal Priem noted that Bristol’s case volume is now consistently comparable to that of much larger cities. Proactive Enforcement: Citations rose from 60 to 95, and warnings increased from 46 to 78. Officers drove a total of 16,516 miles during the month. The "Workday Population" Factor: Mike Yoder discussed the recent budget appeal to the state (DLGF) for the Levy Access Appeal. They emphasized that while Bristol has only 1,700+ residents, the town provides safety services for a workday population of 10,000 to 12,000 people due to the heavy industrial and commercial base. FIRE CHIEF’S REPORT - NIK KANTZ Call Volume: The fire department handled 99 emergency calls and 447 responses in November. The department remains one person short of a full staff. "Toys for Tots" Success: Chief Kantz announced that the department raised $6,868.54 for its holiday campaign, nearly tripling the previous year’s total. Community Events: Nik reflected on the Christmas Tree lighting event and the department’s participation in the holiday parade. It was a great night with a nice turnout. The FD even decorated their Engine (put lights on it), which was a hit. PARK BOARD Linda opened the discussion with a request to appoint Town resident Austin Burton to the Park Board, following the completion of Andrew Medford’s term. Austin submitted a letter of interest to serve on the Board, and the Park Board recommends that the Town Council make a motion to appoint Austin Burton for a four-year term, beginning in 2026 and ending in 2029. *Motion: Dean Rentfrow | Second: Doug DeSmith | Result: Passed 5-0 Linda provided an update on the progress of several park initiatives and upcoming seasonal transitions: • Park Maintenance: General maintenance is ongoing to winterize the facilities. Linda noted that the parks saw high usage throughout the fall and expressed appreciation for the community's care of the grounds. • Hermance Park Improvements: There was a brief discussion regarding the status of the ADA kayak to remove it from the river for winter. • Upcoming Events: Plans for spring programming are already in the preliminary stages. Linda thanked the Council for the appointment of Austin Burton to the board, noting that having a full board will help move pending projects forward more efficiently. TOWN ATTORNEY Legal Counsel on Resolution 12-18-2025-22 (RDC Appointments): The Town Attorney, Alex Bowman, provided guidance on the annual organizational requirement to appoint members to the Redevelopment Commission (RDC). Alex confirmed that the resolution presented aligns with Indiana statutory requirements for commission composition. • Appointment Authority: He clarified the roles of the Council President and the Town Council as a whole in making these appointments to ensure the commission is properly seated for the 2026 fiscal year. • Conflict of Interest Review: The Attorney noted that the resolution ensures all appointees meet the residency and eligibility requirements. * Motion: Doug DeSmith | Second: Dean Rentfrow | Result: Passed 5-0 PRIVILEGE OF THE FLOOR (Public Comment) Brad Kurtzel, 101 North River Road, raised a concern regarding a missing speed limit sign on North River Road west of Turtle Drive. He inquired whether the sign had been removed and, if so, whether it needs to be replaced. Marshal Priem noted that the sign is under County jurisdiction and stated he would contact the County Highway Department to address the issue. TOWN COUNCIL ITEMS Cathy Burke had some questions for Linda regarding the crack in the Pickleball courts and her concerns about why there are cracks in them when they are fairly new. Jeff Beachy took a moment to thank all Town departments for their hard work, as well as his fellow Council members. He also expressed appreciation to the audience for attending the meeting. He concluded by wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. MOTION TO ADJOURN  Motion to adjourn made by Gregg Tuholski, seconded by Doug DeSmith. All in favor.  Meeting adjourned at 8:50 pm These minutes are a summary of actions taken at the Bristol Town Council meetings. The full video archive of the meeting is available for viewing at https://bristol-in.municodemeetings.com/ for as long as this media is supported. _________________________ __________________________ Jeff Beachy, Council President Jill Swartz, Deputy Clerk-Treasurer