Don't take cars home

REDKEY — Town police officers will no longer be allowed to keep their vehicles at home.

Redkey Town Council passed a new personnel ordinance Thursday, requiring that police cars remain at the station when officers are off duty.

It also got an update on wastewater infrastructure improvements, heard a presentation about purchasing a new utility mapping service, discussed codification of the town’s laws and listened to a number of complaints and comments from the public.

Council had heated debate surrounding the clause in the ordinance that would prevent Redkey police officers from taking their vehicles home, unless on call. Council member Mike Wright expressed concern that changing the policy would be seen as a punishment toward officers, and cited all the work officers have done in upkeep on their cars, including replacing auto parts at their own cost.

“Monte (Shrack) has saved the town a lot of money,” Wright said. “He’s put on his own power steering pump, he put new brakes on, he put a lighting system in. Monte’s done the work himself.”

Council member Charles “Red” Coons said he understood Wright’s point, but added that bringing the cars home every day puts extra miles of wear and tear and uses city-funded gasoline.

Despite Wright’s objections, council voted to approve the personnel policy 3-2, with Wright and Doug Stanley dissenting.

Council also heard an update from Fleis & Vandenbrink engineers Sri Venugopalan and Mitch Hansel on the progress of the town’s sewer separation project and wastewater treatment plant improvements.

According to Venugopalan, asphalt patching is underway to repair the damage to streets throughout Redkey, and the town has around $200,000 in savings on the project so far. Those saved dollars will be used to line more of the new sewer lines, helping to prevent future infiltration from roots and other underground obstructions. At the wastewater treatment plant, the engineers requested a $3,495 work change directive to relocate a sluice gate in the plant to help prevent flooding. Council approved the request.

Venugopalan also noted that the town saved $6,000 from a change order approved at its last meeting.

Claims for the three contractors on the projects were approved, totaling $590,787.46. Brackney submitted claims for $149,140.75, Crosby submitted claims of $401,660 and Fleis & Vandenbrink submitted claims for $39,986.71.

Council also heard a presentation from David Lawson, representing 39 Degrees North, a company that manages the GIS mapping system for Jay County. Lawson showed council a new technology being rolled out by the company that would allow municipalities to create digital maps with different layers in order to identify the location of water lines, fire hydrants, manholes and other utilities. The service would cost $30 per month for each existing layer. Randy Young estimated the city would need about eight or nine layers total.

“It’s a very cost effective way to map your city,” Lawson said.

Council agreed to set up a special meeting to review the specifics of the offer.

Town attorney Wes Schemenaur also presented a proposal to council about codifying the town’s existing ordinances to enable easier understanding of town laws and eliminate old and antiquated laws.

The codification process would compile all amendments and additions to existing ordinances together logically, rather than each entry being included chronologically. Council said it is necessary and will also help citizens better understand town laws in the future.

“Right now, it’s a mess,” Schemenaur said.

“Over the years, this was continually brought up,” said Stanley. “We need this.”

The codification service, American Legal Publishing, will also eliminate outdated laws, like the existing law in Redkey that charges a 50-cent fine for residents who bring pigs downtown after 5 p.m.

Council approved $5,995 for codification, to be paid out over a two year period.

Town council members Dave Dudelston, Ted Friddle, Wright, Coons and Stanley also heard a number of comments and complaints from members of the public.

Chance Retter said Redkey police weren’t present during the Firecracker Baseball Tournament the weekend before July 4. Town police disputed the claim, and council said they heard Retter’s concerns.

Kelly Henry asked if he could have livestock (one animal for his child’s participation in 4-H) on his property if half of the property is in the town limits and half is in the county. Town council agreed that he could have the animal if he kept it on the part of the property that was outside town limits.

Council heard from Jeremy Weaver that he would be willing to serve as the town’s dogcatcher, and could help provide space to humanely store captured animals. Council will meet with him at a special meeting at 6 p.m. Aug. 10 to discuss the position.

In other business, council:

•Approved a fire department contract for the Redkey Fire Department, with a 3-percent raise for firefighters. The contract awards $21,308.18 for coverage of the town of Redkey, $3,502 for Jefferson Township, $5,497.13 for Richland, $3,090 for Knox and $242.30 for part of Green Township.

•OK’d an application to replace the sidewalk on Main Street from Redkey Elementary to Mooney Street and then to the town park. The proposal will be submitted to Indiana Department of Transportation.

•Agreed to make three sewer rate adjustments totaling $380.49.

•Approved $1,109,468.20 in claims.