mike burk

Due to Mayor Bob McCoy being unable to attend, City Council President Tom Sells resided over the meeting.  The Council members in attendance then approved the minutes of the previous meeting and the accounts payable.

City Clerk-Treasurer Kerry Sayre presented the council with some additional appropriations to approve. The first was for $30,000.00 for sidewalk rehabilitation. The second was for $3,312.00 to help care for the Police Department’s two K-9 Officers. Both of these were approved by the council members.

Sayre also noted that the city had received a letter from Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita requiring the city to set up two accounts for any funds received as a part of the Opioid settlement that Indiana is involved in. One of these accounts is to be restricted access and the other unrestricted. The first readings to establish these accounts passed 4-0. The second and third readings will take place at the next meeting on December 5. 

Another item introduced at this time was amending the salary ordinance and employee handbook to address firefighters and police officers losing vacation time.  Both departments are short staffed and this has resulted in employees having to cover those shifts. In turn making it difficult for them to use their allotted vacation time before it expires. The Council agreed with this issue and it approved.

A citizen’s questions regarding the City’s Abandoned Vehicle Ordinance were then addressed. The question concerned unplated vehicles on private property. It was eventually decided to review the ordinance and amend it to match the State’s ordinance on the matter.

The council was to discuss the recent requests for assistance from Fountain Park Cemetery but it was decided to wait until the next meeting to do so due to the absences of the Mayor and Teale. Council Member Jim Nuñez informed the council that the rear drive had been completed following the recommendations suggested by Water Superintendent Chris Martin.