July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Geneva officer facing complaint (9/8/04)
GENEVA — A complaint has been filed by a Geneva couple against a local police officer alleging he used excessive force during an arrest in July of 2003.
Sandra and John Hines, 470 Williams St., told council members Tuesday night they filed a complaint on July 28, 2003 against Geneva officer Duane Booth, alleging that he used excessive force while arresting Sandra Hines on July 25, 2003.
According to the complaint, Sandra Hines was “bruised and (has) upper body pain due to (Booth’s) physical roughness.”
Bruises on her wrists, arms and shoulders were photographed by Geneva Police Chief Rob Johnson on July 28.
Council member Lew Wingler had copies of these photographs at Tuesday’s meeting that were included in Hines’ criminal file at the police department.
Sandra Hines also wrote “I feel like (Booth) should be punished by the town of Geneva, as well as the state of Indiana.”
Hines was arrested on July 25, 2003 for resisting law enforcement, a class A misdemeanor, following an altercation with her neighbor. The charge was dismissed in Adams Superior Court on Jan. 13, 2004.
“(The complaint) is not going to just die,” John Hines told council members during Tuesday’s meeting. He added an official outside of Adams County should investigate the complaint.
Hines said he has contacted an attorney, but a formal civil complaint has not been filed against Booth.
Booth was an assisting officer during the July 2003 incident.
Johnson said this morning he submitted the complaint to town attorney and Adams County prosecutor Chris Harvey and council members on Aug. 5, 2003.
Harvey said this morning that Hines’ complaint against Booth has not been sent to him as a civil complaint. He would not comment on what the Hines said at Tuesday’s meeting because he arrived at the meeting after they had addressed the council.
“It is before the town, and the town is going to deal with it,” Harvey said.
In other business, board members Wingler and Jim Timmons voted to endorse Red Gold’s grant application to rebuild all migrant housing at its Geneva plant. Councilman Mike Schwartz abstained from voting.
Red Gold official Steve Austin told council members Tuesday that Red Gold is applying for a $500,000 grant from the Indiana Housing Finance Authority to replace 20 trailers currently used as migrant housing. The company also will include a $50,000 match.
The trailers will be replaced with buildings including small, connected apartments. It will take approximately five years and $2.5 million to replace all of the units, Austin said. Red Gold will be allowed to reapply for this grant annually, he added. This project will increase the capacity of the housing complex, located on the south side of Geneva just off U.S. 27, to 320 residents from 270.
The grant application is due Friday, Oct. 1.
The company has already received grants and replaced units at its Orestos and Elwood locations. This is the first time the company has applied for this grant for new housing at the Geneva plant.
Also Tuesday, council members learned from Geneva Fire Department Chief John Kleinknight that Bearcreek Farms officials have requested that GFD and Geneva First Responders be alerted first of calls to the business located in Jay County.
The department currently only has a fire protection contract with Wabash Township in Jay County.
Currently, Bryant Volunteer Fire Department and First Responders are called to all incidents at the Bearcreek Township site. According to Harvey, the town can have a contract to respond first in a township but not for a selected entity such as Bearcreek Farms.
In other business, Kleinknight highlighted events planned for the department’s 100-year anniversary scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 16.
He said an open house and flag ceremony at the fire station and town hall will be held at 1 p.m.
The current members of the department are planning to have a photograph taken at the station.
Kleinknight also said approximately 200 past and present volunteer firefighters and their families are expected to attend a dinner at 6 p.m. at South Adams Middle School. That event will not be open to the public.
Also Tuesday, council members:
•Approved the $18,650 purchase of a mower and Kubota utility vehicle from Affolder’s of Berne. The Kubota will replace a truck currently used by the street, water and wastewater departments. The truck will be sold by the town.
•Approved the first reading of an ordinance to set up a fine schedule for handicapped parking violations.
There are three handicapped parking spaces located on East Line and Decatur streets.
The fines will total $10 to $100 depending on where in the county and how soon the fines are paid.
•Heard council president Timmons tell Geneva resident Mark Bauman that he will contact him to affirm that Bauman can have a sanitary sewer hook up with the town for the new home he plans to build off Ind. 116, just west outside town limits.
There are several other homes in that area that currently have septic systems and need to be hooked up to the system before a new connection is made to land outside town limits, Schwartz said.
Council members also talked about annexing that area.
•Heard town manager Steve Hampshire report that six new fire hydrants were ordered and should arrive today. These hydrants will be replaced immediately.
•Set Saturday, Sept. 25 as fall clean-up day.
•Told Charles Fravel, 113 South Drive, that recent paving to an alley between East Line and Shackley streets will redone. The paving of the alley recently by LICA Construction Corp. of Linn Grove, caused water to drain into Fravel’s basement.
Council members told Fravel they have already looked into the issue and are in the process of making corrections to the alley with help from LICA.
•Heard the telemetry unit on the town’s water tower was recently replaced. This unit controls the water plant which pumps water into the tower.
The unit was likely damaged by a power surge or lightning striking the tower, Hampshire said. He added he has not received the bill for the work from Hurst Technical Services of Fort Wayne.
•Heard Steve Stout report a Veterans Day program will be held at SAMS in Geneva on Sunday, Nov. 7, at 2:30 p.m.
This program was previously held at High Street United Methodist Church in Geneva.
•Approved the third and final reading of an ordinance defining employee benefits, including vacation days, sick leave, leave of absence, personal days, bereavement and holidays.
This ordinance was last updated in 1998.
•Announced a special meeting will be held Friday, Sept. 17, at 3 p.m. to adopt the 2005 budget.
The town’s next regular meeting will be Tuesday, Oct. 5, at 6:30 p.m.[[In-content Ad]]
Sandra and John Hines, 470 Williams St., told council members Tuesday night they filed a complaint on July 28, 2003 against Geneva officer Duane Booth, alleging that he used excessive force while arresting Sandra Hines on July 25, 2003.
According to the complaint, Sandra Hines was “bruised and (has) upper body pain due to (Booth’s) physical roughness.”
Bruises on her wrists, arms and shoulders were photographed by Geneva Police Chief Rob Johnson on July 28.
Council member Lew Wingler had copies of these photographs at Tuesday’s meeting that were included in Hines’ criminal file at the police department.
Sandra Hines also wrote “I feel like (Booth) should be punished by the town of Geneva, as well as the state of Indiana.”
Hines was arrested on July 25, 2003 for resisting law enforcement, a class A misdemeanor, following an altercation with her neighbor. The charge was dismissed in Adams Superior Court on Jan. 13, 2004.
“(The complaint) is not going to just die,” John Hines told council members during Tuesday’s meeting. He added an official outside of Adams County should investigate the complaint.
Hines said he has contacted an attorney, but a formal civil complaint has not been filed against Booth.
Booth was an assisting officer during the July 2003 incident.
Johnson said this morning he submitted the complaint to town attorney and Adams County prosecutor Chris Harvey and council members on Aug. 5, 2003.
Harvey said this morning that Hines’ complaint against Booth has not been sent to him as a civil complaint. He would not comment on what the Hines said at Tuesday’s meeting because he arrived at the meeting after they had addressed the council.
“It is before the town, and the town is going to deal with it,” Harvey said.
In other business, board members Wingler and Jim Timmons voted to endorse Red Gold’s grant application to rebuild all migrant housing at its Geneva plant. Councilman Mike Schwartz abstained from voting.
Red Gold official Steve Austin told council members Tuesday that Red Gold is applying for a $500,000 grant from the Indiana Housing Finance Authority to replace 20 trailers currently used as migrant housing. The company also will include a $50,000 match.
The trailers will be replaced with buildings including small, connected apartments. It will take approximately five years and $2.5 million to replace all of the units, Austin said. Red Gold will be allowed to reapply for this grant annually, he added. This project will increase the capacity of the housing complex, located on the south side of Geneva just off U.S. 27, to 320 residents from 270.
The grant application is due Friday, Oct. 1.
The company has already received grants and replaced units at its Orestos and Elwood locations. This is the first time the company has applied for this grant for new housing at the Geneva plant.
Also Tuesday, council members learned from Geneva Fire Department Chief John Kleinknight that Bearcreek Farms officials have requested that GFD and Geneva First Responders be alerted first of calls to the business located in Jay County.
The department currently only has a fire protection contract with Wabash Township in Jay County.
Currently, Bryant Volunteer Fire Department and First Responders are called to all incidents at the Bearcreek Township site. According to Harvey, the town can have a contract to respond first in a township but not for a selected entity such as Bearcreek Farms.
In other business, Kleinknight highlighted events planned for the department’s 100-year anniversary scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 16.
He said an open house and flag ceremony at the fire station and town hall will be held at 1 p.m.
The current members of the department are planning to have a photograph taken at the station.
Kleinknight also said approximately 200 past and present volunteer firefighters and their families are expected to attend a dinner at 6 p.m. at South Adams Middle School. That event will not be open to the public.
Also Tuesday, council members:
•Approved the $18,650 purchase of a mower and Kubota utility vehicle from Affolder’s of Berne. The Kubota will replace a truck currently used by the street, water and wastewater departments. The truck will be sold by the town.
•Approved the first reading of an ordinance to set up a fine schedule for handicapped parking violations.
There are three handicapped parking spaces located on East Line and Decatur streets.
The fines will total $10 to $100 depending on where in the county and how soon the fines are paid.
•Heard council president Timmons tell Geneva resident Mark Bauman that he will contact him to affirm that Bauman can have a sanitary sewer hook up with the town for the new home he plans to build off Ind. 116, just west outside town limits.
There are several other homes in that area that currently have septic systems and need to be hooked up to the system before a new connection is made to land outside town limits, Schwartz said.
Council members also talked about annexing that area.
•Heard town manager Steve Hampshire report that six new fire hydrants were ordered and should arrive today. These hydrants will be replaced immediately.
•Set Saturday, Sept. 25 as fall clean-up day.
•Told Charles Fravel, 113 South Drive, that recent paving to an alley between East Line and Shackley streets will redone. The paving of the alley recently by LICA Construction Corp. of Linn Grove, caused water to drain into Fravel’s basement.
Council members told Fravel they have already looked into the issue and are in the process of making corrections to the alley with help from LICA.
•Heard the telemetry unit on the town’s water tower was recently replaced. This unit controls the water plant which pumps water into the tower.
The unit was likely damaged by a power surge or lightning striking the tower, Hampshire said. He added he has not received the bill for the work from Hurst Technical Services of Fort Wayne.
•Heard Steve Stout report a Veterans Day program will be held at SAMS in Geneva on Sunday, Nov. 7, at 2:30 p.m.
This program was previously held at High Street United Methodist Church in Geneva.
•Approved the third and final reading of an ordinance defining employee benefits, including vacation days, sick leave, leave of absence, personal days, bereavement and holidays.
This ordinance was last updated in 1998.
•Announced a special meeting will be held Friday, Sept. 17, at 3 p.m. to adopt the 2005 budget.
The town’s next regular meeting will be Tuesday, Oct. 5, at 6:30 p.m.[[In-content Ad]]
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