Annexation effort is underway

REDKEY — Plans are progressing to annex Bell Aquaculture’s fish processing facility, along with several adjacent properties.
A public meeting on the topic will be held March 22 at 6 p.m. in town hall, council members agreed at Thursday’s council meeting.
Council president Terri Taylor said she plans to have town attorney John Brooke present at that meeting to explain the annexation process and answer questions from property owners that will be affected by the action.
Bell Aquaculture purchased the Redkey Industrial Park along Ind. 67 several years ago. Even though the property was owned by the Redkey Economic Development Corporation, it was just outside the town’s corporate limits.
Bell Aquaculture has agreed the annexation, town officials say, but five other pieces of property, lying between Bell’s land and the current town limits, need to be annexed as well.
Owning the adjoining pieces of property are John and James Rombeck, Jon Michael Lutman, Rick and Terry Barker, Ray Donald Bruns, and the Redkey Economic Development Corporation, according to town records.
The annexation proceedings are expected to take about eight months, once initiated due to requirements for public notices and other necessary steps.
Also Thursday, Redkey Fire Chief Randy Young, who also serves on the REDC board, stressed that an offer he made last month to use REDC funds towards the annexation process is contingent on approval from the REDC board.
In other business, council members:
•In anticipation of warmer weather, decided to seek quotes on lawn mowing services for town property as well as investigate the cost of purchasing lawn mowing equipment.
•Listened to a request from Dewayne Stevens, Bell Aquaculture manager of water resources, to allow the firm to perform some tests at the Redkey wastewater treatment plant.
The testing is needed in order for the firm to qualify for a permit modification from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, Stevens said.
The request was tabled pending further review. Taylor said she also wanted to check with the town attorney before the board made a decision on the request.
According to a newly adopted board policy, the town attorney is only sending a representative to council meetings when specifically requested. This is a cost-saving move by the town council.
Taylor said a previous report that the town had fallen behind on payments for legal services was incorrect.
•Approved purchasing $400 worth of tools for the town truck used by wastewater superintendent Violet Erlenbush. The council also agreed to buy a metal detector device to be stored on the truck, at a cost not to exceed $800.
•Noted that town officials were dissatisfied with the performance of a  video camera and audio system, recently purchased from DCS Computer Sales and Service, Dunkirk. The council directed the attorney to send DCS a letter requesting that the situation be resolved or a 100 percent refund issued.
•Directed town clerk-treasurer Debbie James to prepare to advertise for quotes on trash pickup services for the community, as the town’s contract with BestWay Disposal Co. is set to expire on March 31.
•Reported that water bills for January and February were estimated due to weather conditions.[[In-content Ad]]