The Henderson City Commission and city officials will be looking for a new plan to house a Henderson Police Department officer as part of its proposed H.E.R.O. program.
A Letcher Street house that had been planned for a police officer to move into as part of the H.E.R.O. plan has proven to be unfit to live in.
Assistant City Manager Buzzy Newman said the condition of the house is “poor, to say the least.”
When city officials went to inspect the house, they found asbestos in the interior plaster walls and the exterior siding, Newman said.
The intent of the program is for a police officer to live in the neighborhood he or she patrols to build relationships with residents there.
Staton said he wants city officials to find a home for an officer and doesn’t want to be talking about a H.E.R.O. house a year from now.
- The city still has made no determination about what to do with the Peabody Building. The Hendersonian reported in July that to replace a broken HVAC system at the building would cost a staggering $3.5 million.
The air conditioning in the system went out earlier this year. The Peabody Building is home to the Henderson Police Department, the city codes office, the 911 emergency dispatch center and the Henderson City-County Planning Commission. During the heat of the summer, some employees of those departments relocated to the old Henderson Municipal Power & Light building on Water Street.
The city in July hired Hafer & Associates to explore acquiring a new property, according to a previous Hendersonian article. Hafer was also hired by the city to design an upgrade to the HVAC system. At Tuesday’s city commission meeting, a representative of Hafer informed the city commission that an HVAC system repair couldn’t be completed before fall 2026, leaving employees of the Peabody Building to sweat it out during next summer if a solution is not found. The rep said getting the necessary equipment to complete the project would cause the delay.
Staton said a decision on how to handle the situation at the Peabody Building will need to be made by the first regularly scheduled meeting in October, currently set for Oct. 14.
- The commission approved a municipal order to pay the city’s share of construction inspection fees for the additional time it took to complete the Wathen Lane construction project.
The city entered into a contract to have the Wathen Lane project completed by December 2024. It wasn’t finished until August of this year.
In all that time, the construction inspection continued by Palmer Engineering Co. of Winchester at a total cost of $355,397, of which the city’s 20% share (because the project was a state and federal partnership) was $71,079.
Mayor Brad Staton said he was “disgusted” with the fee because it wasn’t the city’s fault that the construction took longer than contracted. He believes the city shouldn’t have to pay inspection fees for something it had no control over.
Legal costs to battle it in court, though, would rival that $70,000-plus fee.
Also built into the contract was a $700 per calendar day fine that contractor Hinkle Construction has had to pay for work extending beyond the December deadline. Assistant City Manager Buzzy Newman said that total is almost $200,000, from which the city’s construction inspection fees will be paid.
Staton said in the future the city will conduct construction inspection using its own employees and not third-party inspectors.
- Henderson Economic Development Executive Director Missy Vanderpool told the Henderson City Commission that a retail developer has signed a letter of intent on a piece of property.
She said the developer specializes in “anchored shopping centers with retail junior box stores or grocery-anchored developments.”
She couldn’t say the store or location because of confidentiality of business negotiations.
HED has been working with the commercial development advisory firm NextSite for about a year, attempting to attract new retail in Henderson.
She said HED has had 17 face-to-face meetings with retail developers and about 12 follow-ups. Additionally, she said five developers have visited and toured the Henderson community.
- The Henderson City Commission approved an order that will place a Safe Haven Baby Box at the new Henderson Fire Station #1. A Safe Haven Baby Box allows a parent or parents who can’t take care of a newborn baby to place the child in the box so that it can be cared for by others. There are no legal consequences and the baby box will be monitored 24 hours a day, said HFD Chief Josh Dixon.
- The city honored University of Southern Indiana President Steve Bridges with the Community Spotlight award. Henderson resident Bridges was named USI president last spring. Bridges will be formerly inaugurated on Oct. 16.
- The city recognized new employees:
-Eli Chinn, Heavy Equipment Operator, Public Works Department
-Frank Harris, Equipment Operator, Public Works Department
-Shelly Allen, Custodial Worker, Public Works Department
-Rontreal Braxton, Recreation Center Worker, Part-time, Parks & Recreation Department
-Paul Hudnall, HWU Utility System Crew Leader, Henderson Water Utility
