by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

Hamilton County Commissioners officially appointed Lisa Charles as County Veteran Service officer at their Monday meeting. Ms. Charles was originally appointed in January, but her appointment was temporarily rescinded a few weeks later when it was learned that state law required a service officer to have lived in the county for five years.

The state legislature changed the law earlier this year to allow appointments after one year of residency. The statutory change became effective July 1.

Ms. Charles, a Carmel resident and military veteran, has been serving as interim service officer since the January rescinding decision and departure of the previous officer.

Following their Monday meeting, Commissioners met with representatives of Aspire, the mental health agency for the county.

Barbara Scott, director, told commissioners that Aspire is continuing to maintain services through the current pandemic crisis.

Outpatient clinics are located at 17840 Cumberland Road in Noblesville, and at 697 Pro-Med Lane in Carmel. They offer primary care and a variety of services.

Aspire serves about 5,000 clients annually in Hamilton County. Patients pay for service, but the county funds a significant portion of the agency’s budget.