July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Collett to quit Redkey council (10/19/04)
Has reportedly moved out of town
REDKEY — Local Republican party members here will soon be asked to choose a replacement for the lone GOP member on the town council.
Former Redkey Town Marshal Brenda Collett is no longer living within the town limits. Redkey clerk-treasurer Brenda Adkins and town council president Violet Erlenbush reported at Monday night’s council session that Collett has informed town officials that she is in the process of writing a letter of resignation from the council.
Collett was not present at Monday night’s meeting. She has missed several in the last few months.
Several residents raised the issue of Collett’s continued status as a member of the town council during Monday night’s meeting.
Redkey Fire Chief Randy Young said, “She’s lived out of town for the last few weeks.”
Park board president Delford Lowe also questioned her status as a council member, saying he didn’t have anything against Collett, but she was the designated parks and recreation department representative on the town council. In the last few weeks, council member Dottie Quakenbush has voluntarily been performing those duties.
“(Collett) said she would turn her resignation in,” Erlenbush said.
Town attorney John Brooke said, “She technically can’t qualify as a board member if she lives outside the town limits.” There is a legal process whereby she could be asked to step down, but everything would be much simpler if she just submitted a letter of resignation, he added.
Once such a letter is submitted to Adkins, a copy should be turned over to Redkey area GOP chairperson Marlys Saxman who will then start procedures to fill the vacancy. Collett has a little more than two years remaining on her term.
In other action at Monday night’s meeting, Jay County community developer Wayne Bailey reported on a meeting which he had attended earlier Monday about bringing zoning to Redkey. Bailey said he discussed the issue with Jay County Commissioners and Jay/Portland Building and Planning director Bill Milligan.
One of the options being considered is having the Redkey zoning ordinance as an addendum to the county regulations, and then having county officials enforce and administer the regulations.
Bailey said there are some communities in Indiana which function under similar arrangements. “I think it’s do-able,” Brooke said.
Bailey said the next step will call for Brooke to meet with county attorney Brad Burkett and Jay County Planning Commission attorney Robert Clamme to try to iron out differences and come up with an ordinance agreeable to all parties.
Redkey council members and Brooke agreed to try this approach, with Brooke saying that he would set up a meeting with the other two lawyers.
Also at Monday’s meeting, Bailey said he would soon be starting work on preparing a grant application for a five-year park plan for Redkey. He asked the council to choose three residents from the community to serve on a committee to select a consulting firm to develop the plan. Named to the committee were Quakenbush, park board president Lowe and Loretta Smith, a member of the park board.
In addition Bailey told council members there is still about $40,000 in the town’s revolving loan fund for economic development projects with the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development agency. Bailey offered to help streamline the process for anyone interested in applying for one of those loans. He advised that interested individuals or (Continued on page 5)
(Continued from page 1)
businesses may contact him at (260) 726-3497.
Also Monday, town council members:
•Noted that trick-or-treat hours for children would be 6 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 30. Also on that date, the Redkey Volunteer Fire Department will host a ham and bean supper from 2 to 6 p.m. at the fire station, as well as a costume contest for youngsters at 5 p.m. at the fire station.
•Approved an adjustment for a water and sewer bill concerning a rental building, owned by Redkey resident Beecher McCowan. Adkins said there was a major water leak on the property but it was not obvious because the leaking water went directly into an area where there was a drainage tile. Adkins said instead of using 3,200 gallons of water like normal for a bill of about $40, the water meter recorded 80,000 gallons of water for a bill totaling more than $500.
Councilman Darrell Smith made a motion to adjust the bill back to the normal amount, and the motion was approved unanimously.
•Agreed to change the date of the townwide clean-up program from Saturday, Oct. 23 to Saturday, Nov. 6.
•Authorized Brooke to draft an ordinance eliminating the angled parking on High Street in the downtown area and changing it back to parallel parking.[[In-content Ad]]
Former Redkey Town Marshal Brenda Collett is no longer living within the town limits. Redkey clerk-treasurer Brenda Adkins and town council president Violet Erlenbush reported at Monday night’s council session that Collett has informed town officials that she is in the process of writing a letter of resignation from the council.
Collett was not present at Monday night’s meeting. She has missed several in the last few months.
Several residents raised the issue of Collett’s continued status as a member of the town council during Monday night’s meeting.
Redkey Fire Chief Randy Young said, “She’s lived out of town for the last few weeks.”
Park board president Delford Lowe also questioned her status as a council member, saying he didn’t have anything against Collett, but she was the designated parks and recreation department representative on the town council. In the last few weeks, council member Dottie Quakenbush has voluntarily been performing those duties.
“(Collett) said she would turn her resignation in,” Erlenbush said.
Town attorney John Brooke said, “She technically can’t qualify as a board member if she lives outside the town limits.” There is a legal process whereby she could be asked to step down, but everything would be much simpler if she just submitted a letter of resignation, he added.
Once such a letter is submitted to Adkins, a copy should be turned over to Redkey area GOP chairperson Marlys Saxman who will then start procedures to fill the vacancy. Collett has a little more than two years remaining on her term.
In other action at Monday night’s meeting, Jay County community developer Wayne Bailey reported on a meeting which he had attended earlier Monday about bringing zoning to Redkey. Bailey said he discussed the issue with Jay County Commissioners and Jay/Portland Building and Planning director Bill Milligan.
One of the options being considered is having the Redkey zoning ordinance as an addendum to the county regulations, and then having county officials enforce and administer the regulations.
Bailey said there are some communities in Indiana which function under similar arrangements. “I think it’s do-able,” Brooke said.
Bailey said the next step will call for Brooke to meet with county attorney Brad Burkett and Jay County Planning Commission attorney Robert Clamme to try to iron out differences and come up with an ordinance agreeable to all parties.
Redkey council members and Brooke agreed to try this approach, with Brooke saying that he would set up a meeting with the other two lawyers.
Also at Monday’s meeting, Bailey said he would soon be starting work on preparing a grant application for a five-year park plan for Redkey. He asked the council to choose three residents from the community to serve on a committee to select a consulting firm to develop the plan. Named to the committee were Quakenbush, park board president Lowe and Loretta Smith, a member of the park board.
In addition Bailey told council members there is still about $40,000 in the town’s revolving loan fund for economic development projects with the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development agency. Bailey offered to help streamline the process for anyone interested in applying for one of those loans. He advised that interested individuals or (Continued on page 5)
(Continued from page 1)
businesses may contact him at (260) 726-3497.
Also Monday, town council members:
•Noted that trick-or-treat hours for children would be 6 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 30. Also on that date, the Redkey Volunteer Fire Department will host a ham and bean supper from 2 to 6 p.m. at the fire station, as well as a costume contest for youngsters at 5 p.m. at the fire station.
•Approved an adjustment for a water and sewer bill concerning a rental building, owned by Redkey resident Beecher McCowan. Adkins said there was a major water leak on the property but it was not obvious because the leaking water went directly into an area where there was a drainage tile. Adkins said instead of using 3,200 gallons of water like normal for a bill of about $40, the water meter recorded 80,000 gallons of water for a bill totaling more than $500.
Councilman Darrell Smith made a motion to adjust the bill back to the normal amount, and the motion was approved unanimously.
•Agreed to change the date of the townwide clean-up program from Saturday, Oct. 23 to Saturday, Nov. 6.
•Authorized Brooke to draft an ordinance eliminating the angled parking on High Street in the downtown area and changing it back to parallel parking.[[In-content Ad]]
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