Town plans annex

REDKEY — Annexation of the Bell Aquaculture property, measuring several acres along Ind. 67, will be a top priority in 2011, town council members agreed Friday night.
Council president Terri Taylor was given the go-ahead Friday to immediately contact town attorney John Brooke about initiating procedures to annex Bell’s fish processing and office facility at 9885 West Ind. 67.
This idea was proposed last year and some preliminary steps were taken, but a definite timetable was never adopted. The procedure is expected to take about eight months due to requirements for public notices and other necessary steps.
Taylor said she felt it was time to set the formal process in motion, noting that Bell officials had previously indicated they had no objections to being annexed into Redkey.
Fire Chief Randy Young, who also serves on the Redkey Economic Development Corporation, told council members that Bell favors being annexed because the company is interested in helping the community.
Bell Aquaculture purchased the entire Redkey Industrial Park from the REDC more than a year ago, and has located its headquarters and processing facilities there. However, the land is located just outside the town limits.
In addition, Bell has an Albany facility where the firm raises yellow perch which is then processed at the Redkey location and primarily sold to restaurants and private individuals over the Internet.
To make the annexation possible, some adjoining parcels of land between the Bell property and the Redkey town limits would have to be annexed as well. These property owners will need to be contacted, too.
The annexation process will take several months, town officials estimated, noting that legal descriptions will have to be prepared and a public hearing will have to be scheduled.
Due to the town’s financial constraints, Taylor said she wanted be sure the council members were in favor the annexation as it will require substantial time and effort by the law firm. She added that she felt the town attorney should also be present for the public hearing and wanted to be sure council members were in agreement on that point as well.
Last year the town council got behind in its payments for legal services and took steps to prevent that from happening again. At the end of the year, Brooke agreed to write off $4,000 from Redkey’s 2010 bill, so the law firm’s account with Redkey would be starting from zero in 2011.
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Young also said that the REDC could help pay for some of the expenses related to the annexation proceedings, as they will be beneficial to economic development.
In other business at Friday night’s meeting — which was rescheduled from earlier in the month due to bad weather — council members:
•Approved spending $3,000 to establish an inventory of clamps and other equipment to be used for water department repairs, as needed. Taylor said that the water department’s previous inventory of equipment had been exhausted during the major water main improvement project. Council members unanimously approved spending $3,000 to start up a new supply of inventory as well as putting $1,000 in reserve to replace items as needed.
•Learned that Redkey Volunteer Fire Department members were planning a fish and chicken fund-raising dinner, open to the public, for 4 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 5, in the Redkey Fire Station.
•Discussed ways to upgrade the town’s computer equipment. Clerk-treasurer Debbie James said she is in the process of setting up an account with Best Buy of Muncie.[[In-content Ad]]