The Bargersville Arts Commission and a request to add police officers were approved Tuesday as the town prepares for continued growth.
Bargersville Police Chief Todd Bertram made a request and approved to start the process to hire two more officers this year, with an expected cost of $100,000. He said the officers would not likely be able to start until about June of 2026, based on the typical hiring and training timeline. The amount reflects partial-year salary and benefits, with a full year salary for an office being $65,000 as of the 2025 budget year.
In addition to these two officers, Bertram said he plans to request two more for the 2026 budget year. Those four should be enough for a few years, depending on how fast the community grows, he said.
The department has not increased police staffing since 2022. However, hundreds of houses have been built and thousands of residents have moved in over the past three years. The growth has led to an increase of about 500 calls yearly, Bertram said.
Adding the positions would help divide those calls up and keep officers available for things like patrols and crime prevention throughout the community, he said.
“More calls, means less time spent protecting the community and residents,” he said.
Calls increase with just about any development and Bertram shared some research on how much specific types of businesses might add. For example, he said Meijer creates about 90 calls for Greenwood, while Urban Air creates about 50 calls for Franklin.
“We need to catch up and stay ahead of the curve,” Bertram said.
In other business, the town council also approved an ordinance to establish the Bargersville Municipal Arts and Culture Commission unanimously at their Tuesday meeting. The goal of the new art commission is to support local artists and integrate the arts into the town’s public spaces and everyday life. The commission will develop long-term plans for the town’s art and culture strategy and set goals and objectives for arts in the community, according to the ordinance.
The commission will be an advisory body with no fewer than seven and no more than nine members on the board. One member of the commission will be appointed by the town parks board, three member will be appointed by the town council president and three to five other members will be appointed by the town council. Up to two members of the commission can be town council members, the ordinance says.
Initial terms of the newly formed commission will expire Jan. 1, 2026. After, appointees will serve staggered two and three year terms. The commission will make monthly reports to the town council and members will serve without salary or compensation.
Arts are defined as work produced by human creative skill and imagination, including but not limited to painting, sculpture, music, theater, dance, film and photography. Entertainment is defined in the ordinance as events, performances or activities designed to provide amusement or enjoyment, the ordinance says.
The goal of the commission will be to promote and foster a thriving and inclusive arts culture, enhance the community’s access to arts and culture and support local artists by integrating the arts into the town’s public spaces and everyday life. The commission will make monthly reports to the council. The commission will be funded through donations and grants from state and federal agencies, the ordinance says.
Commission meetings will be subject to the Indiana Open Door Law and regular public meetings will be held, according to the ordinance.
Council member Andrew Greenwood said it was “vitally important” to establish and work on this as growth comes. Other council members echoed the same sentiment.