Major move ahead

REDKEY — Big changes — including a move to a new town hall and two new members of the council — are in store here.
Two of the five-member council announced Thursday evening they were resigning, and later in the meeting on a 3-0 vote approved a 10-year lease to use the former Indiana State Police post along Ind. 67 as offices for the town’s police force and clerk-treasurer’s office.
The 25-page lease agreement calls for the town to pay $1 per year to the state for use of the facility. The town will also be responsible for utility and other expenses related to the building, which was closed down as a police post in November.
Some residents in attendance Thursday questioned the wisdom of the move, but council members said they believed it was a positive step.
In the middle of Thursday’s town council meeting, letters of resignation were read and accepted from longtime council members Phil Philebaum and Terri Taylor. Both are Democrats and replacements will need to be selected by the Democratic Party.
Taylor, who had served as president of the council, Taylor filed only last month to run for re-election in the May primary. But Taylor, who was not present at the meeting, said she has since changed her plans.
Philebaum’s term was scheduled to expire at the end of this year, and he had not filed for re-election. Present at Thursday’s meeting, Philebaum said he was stepping down for health reasons. He agreed to continue to serve as a council member through Thursday night’s meeting with his resignation effective today.
Taylor was not present at the meeting. Her brief letter of resignation, submitted Wednesday to clerk-treasurer Debbie James, stated: “This letter is to inform the Redkey Town Council and all interested parties, my intention to resign from my position on the Redkey Town Council immediately.”
When contacted at her home after Thursday night’s meeting concerning the reasons that led up to her decision, Taylor said she simply felt it was time for her to leave. She added that she also has health issues, and her husband, Dallas, recently retired. “We want to do other things,” she said.
In addition she commented, “I think this is the best thing all around.” When pressed for more specifics, she responded, “Some things are just better left unsaid.”
On Thursday night when the two letters were read, Philebaum was chairing the meeting as council vice president. Afterwards the remaining council members voted to elect Jim Funkhouser as the new town council president. The vote was 3-0 with Funkhouser abstaining.
The new council president chaired the remainder of the meeting that included discussion of the state police post.
Voting in favor of the police post lease were Jon Davis, Funkhouser and Philebaum. David Himes abstained from voting.
The lease agreement states the town will for utility and maintenance costs as well as any remodeling allowed under the terms of the agreement. The town will also be responsible for mowing the lawn and landscaping work.
“I think it’s a good deal,” Philebaum said.
However, longtime Redkey resident Charles “Red” Coons asked council members: “How are you going to get money to pay for this?”
Also another audience member asked what would be done with the present town hall and property the town leases from the Jay School Corporation for a nominal fee.
Funkhouser said that plans call for keeping both sites and using the current town hall at 20 S. Ash St., on a limited basis for town meetings and possibly as office and meeting space for the fire department.
Funkhouser added that one advantage of using the former ISP Post as the town’s police station would be keeping a police presence on the highway as a deterrent to speeders. “It puts the police department out in view,” Funkhouser said, adding that the location is also closer to the local bank, grocery store and Pak-A-Sak convenience store.
Town officials said the former ISP post would provide a more secure building for the clerk-treasurer’s office operations.
“I think the state is offering us a great deal,” Funkhouser said. “I’m for it,” he added.
Funkhouser said town attorney John Brooke had reviewed the agreement, and former town council president Taylor had been in favor of the idea as well. When contacted after the council meeting, Taylor agreed with Funkouser’s assessment, adding: “I did a lot of work on that. It will be a nice facility for the police department and the clerk-treasurer’s office.”
Funkhouser said if town officials wanted to terminate the lease agreement with the state for any reason, they would simply have to give 60 days notice.
“All I can think is — in my opinion it’s a good idea,” Funkhouser said, as he called for moving forward with the proposal.
In other business Thursday night Redkey council members:
•Discussed recent flooding problems in the community and agreed to send a representative to a Jay County Drainage Board meeting to request an assessment be done on Halfway Creek, which runs through the middle of town. Fire chief Randy Young said he believes dredging and cleaning should be done in the creek.
•Reviewed a schedule of deadlines that need to be met, according to the town’s Agreed Order with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management concerning the separation of combination storm and sanitary sewers.
Funkhouser said that Taylor had been working on this project, and he wanted to pick up where she had left off. Funkhouser said he planned to contact Jay County Community Developer Ami Huffman about the prospects of Redkey obtaining grants to help fund this needed work.
•Learned that officials of Green Township in Randolph County have decided to no longer include the Redkey Fire Department among its yearly fire protection contracts. This will mean a loss in revenue of $2,100 a year for the Redkey department. However, Fire Chief Young said that the Redkey department would still respond to calls in that area, if requested to do so, under mutual-aid agreements with Farmland and other Randolph County fire departments.
•Approved a new 3-year contract for town garbage disposal pickup with Best Way Disposal of Randolph County. Best Way submitted the only bid calling for 3 percent rate increases each year from the current rate of $9.95 a unit to $10.25 per unit in the first year; $10.56 per unit the second year, and $10.88 per unit the third year. This will result in yearly charges of $67,404 for the first year, $69,442 for the second year, and $71,546 for the third year.
The new contract will take effect on April 1.
Also in connection with these increases, council members agreed to raise the rates for trash collection on water bills to $12 a month.
Town officials agreed to set the collection rate higher than the per-unit contract amount to offset costs incurred by the town in preparing bills.
•Agreed to award a contract for mowing town property including park ball diamonds to Roessner Custom Lawn Mowing, rural Portland, which submitted the lowest of three quotes. His quote for the 2011 mowing season was an estimated $7,795 with an optional increase of $1,430 if the State Police Post property is included.
•Noted that a public meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 22, in town hall to gather opinions and discuss annexation of the Bell Aquaculture fish processing facility, along Ind. 67, to the town of Redkey, along with several adjacent pieces of property. Town officials said that the affected landowners have all been notified about the meeting.[[In-content Ad]]