Geneva policy considered (2/4/03)

GENEVA — Officials here are planning to create a personnel policy for town employees.

This decision was prompted by the announcement that Geneva deputy clerk-treasurer/utility clerk Rhonda Moser is planning to move this month to a new home located approximately a half mile into Wells County. Council members waited a month before re-appointing Moser on Tuesday.

At the council’s Dec. 30 meeting, Councilman Mike Schwartz said he feels that the deputy clerk-treasurer should be a Geneva resident.

The town has no written job descriptions, residency requirements or job evaluation process for employees, except for the town manager, town clerk Doug Milligan said this morning.

“That is something that has been lacking for a long time,” council president Jim Timmons said at Tuesday’s meeting. “We need to get it in writing.”

Also Tuesday, Timmons, Schwartz and Councilman Lew Wingler learned that the Geneva Public Library received a $24,000 planning grant from the Indiana Department of Commerce.

The grant will be used to make plans for exterior and interior structural repairs at the library, located at 305 E. Line St.

In other business, the council will consider creating a town police merit board.

Town marshal Rob Johnson requested the change to allow the three- or five-member board to carry out disciplinary actions and hiring of the town’s officers

Town attorney Chris Harvey said that the marshal’s office is currently run by Johnson and consists of two full-time deputy marshals and seven reserve deputy marshals. If a merit board is created, there will no longer be a deputy system because a police department will be created, Harvey said.The members of a merit board also would need to be added to the town’s payroll.

Council members tabled the issue until their March 2 meeting to allow them to read the state’s statute on creating the board.Also, Milligan said this morning that the town’s application for the Indiana Department of Commerce grant was submitted by the Jan. 23 deadline.

If approved, the grant will fund an estimated $600,000 sewer project designed to alleviate drainage problems for residents living on Winchester Road in Geneva.

Also Tuesday, council members:

•Accepted a $2,995 quote from Limberlost Construction of Geneva to build a storage closet for the town marshal’s office under a stairwell in the newly renovated G.W. Pyle Building.

“We need that space,” Milligan said.

The architect for the renovations, that were completed in December, didn’t want the closet included in the original building plans, Schwartz said. He did not vote Tuesday because he is the co-owner of the selected company.

•Heard that the basic cable television service fee with Insight Communications will increase to $12 a month from $11.50, and the classic service fee will be raised to $28.95 a month from $27.05.

•Heard Johnson report that the town’s reserve deputies plan to donate $100 to both the Jay County Sheriff’s Department and Decatur Police Department’s K-9 programs. Council members approved Johnson’s request to match the reserve’s donation, making each department’s donation total $200.

“We are assisted by these department’s K-9 officers,” Johnson said.

Jay County is currently raising funds to purchase a $695 stab- and bullet-proof vest for its the department’s K-9, Billy.

•Heard town manager Steve Hampshire report that Liechty Brothers Plumbing and Heating of Berne installed a new furnace at the town garage for approximately $2,000.

The town garage is located just south of Fifth Street.

•Approved the $1,300 purchase of two new pumps for the wastewater treatment plant.

•Heard Hampshire announce that the town plans to advertise for bids for a new pick-up truck. He added that the truck will be used by the water and sewer department and to plow snow.

•Received a five-year plan for replacement of town equipment from Hampshire. The plan outlines a timeline when equipment used by the town’s street and utility departments will need to be replaced from 2004 to 2008.

•Heard Johnson report that Geneva police have been prohibited from using their shooting range, located at the town’s waste water treatment plant.

Johnson said that he received a notification of the change from the town’s insurance carrier, Downey Insurance through Bixler Insurance in Geneva.Milligan said this morning that use of the range has never been a problem and there have been no injuries reported.

The letter to Johnson was a result of general inspection by the insurance company officials.

Re-opening the range would increase the town’s liability insurance by as much as $1,000 a year, Milligan added.

Johnson said Tuesday that he feels the company’s decision is unfair and plans to work with the company to get the range re-opened.

•Asked Hampshire to look into a request for more parking to be created in front of the Bank of Geneva, 215 E. Line St.

Hampshire said that he would use state parking guidelines to determine if the request is feasible.

•Discussed the suggestion to create a traffic circle at the intersection of Washington, Line and Railroad streets near the downtown area.

“It would be a nice addition to our downtown,” Schwartz said about an idea relayed to council members on Tuesday by Geneva resident Jim Briggs. “It would add character to our downtown,” Schwartz added.

He also said that the idea for the circle would need to be discussed with downtown business owners.[[In-content Ad]]