Area northeast of the city of Huntington petitions for annexation

Mike Hartburg, Huntington City attorney, said the council’s only job Tuesday was to set the public hearing.

“Within the timeframes described by Indiana code, that would be Tuesday, Sept. 8, at 7 o’clock,” he said, adding this date is the regularly scheduled meeting of the council.

The council meets on the third floor of the City Building.

The council voted to set the public hearing on this date with a 6-0 vote. Councilman Paul Pike, R-2nd District, was absent.

Pete Mallers, an attorney representing Parkview Health Systems, said the process to annex PHH started about a year ago.

“The city indicated there were other parties who were also considering annexation,” he said. “We worked with Mayor (Brooks) Fetters, city attorney Mike Hartburg and plan developer Bryn Keplinger to have questions answered to determine the exact boundaries of annexation and we also discussed the fiscal plan.”

Mallers said the fiscal plan provided to the council for Tuesday’s meeting wasn’t finalized yet. However, he added it would be finalized by Umbaugh and Associates, the city’s financial advisors, and the city by the time the annexation takes effect.

According to a timeline provided by Hartburg, the annexation will be effective Nov. 15.

“As it was presented to us, Parkview accepts the terms as been presented and I believe all the other parties have as well,” Mallers said.

There were no other representatives at the meeting but the council has received signed forms for petition to annex from all five entities.

This area was initially set for annexation last year, as part of Fetters’ five-area, seven-year annexation plan that was defeated by council.

Since the plan was voted down, several individual properties and the Hidden Hamlets subdivision have been voluntarily annexed into the city.