Dunkirk makes ordinance updates

DUNKIRK — The first round of ordinance updates is going into effect.

Dunkirk City Council members approved changes to 13 of the city’s ordinances at their meeting Monday, most having to do with public safety.

Over the past few months, city attorney Wes Schemenaur has been working with council president Jesse Bivens and Dunkirk Police Chief Dane Mumbower to update the ordinances pertaining to public safety and police matters. It was part of an ongoing larger effort by council to update the city’s ordinances for each department.

One of the larger changes included increasing the speed limit on Highland Avenue from 5th Street to county road 1150 West from 30 miles per hour to 35 miles per hour.

Other changes were minor, with several merely updates with clarified wording for the ordinances about rubbish accumulation and littering. The ordinance prohibiting skateboarding on sidewalks and city streets was updated to include rollerblades, roller skates and hoverboards; meanwhile, council removed previously unenforced requirements for bicycles to be inspected, registered and licensed with the city.

Two ordinances related to the park were changed — law enforcement officers are now allowed to carry weapons in the park. Previously, parks had a blanket weapon prohibition. Additionally, posting signs and posters in the park will not be allowed without permission from the city.

The other changes were to designate an additional parking spot for the police department on Main Street, to allow the Dunkirk Board of Works and Public Safety to appoint Dunkirk Police Department reserve officers and to remove a fee for soliciting in the city limits.

Council tabled an ordinance that seemingly prohibited carrying a knife of any length to determine if a knife length limit would be more appropriate.

“We’re covering a lot of stuff that hasn’t been done, a lot of them since ’83” said Dunkirk Mayor Jack Robbins.

Two other ordinances were also approved Monday, including one that will allow council to pay city employees for unused vacation time in extraordinary circumstances.

At council’s last meeting, it approved paying police officers for unused vacation days from 2020, as they were unable to take days off because of short-staffing in the department.

The policy covers any city department, but Robbins emphasized that employees were encouraged to take their vacation days if possible, rather than carrying them over into the next year.

“This is leaving this up to council whether we pay or not,” Robbins said. “It’s not mandatory, if we don’t think that was a good enough reason, we don’t have to pay, but it’s in there so we can.”

The other change clarified that employees could not earn overtime pay by taking a vacation day, bringing the city into compliance with the Indiana State Board of Accounts.

In other business, council members Tom Johnson, Lisa Street, Bryan Jessup, Kevin Hamilton and Bivens:

•Heard that the city’s new animal shelter should be operational within three weeks, as the building now has electricity hooked up.

•Approved adjustments of $3,489.67 for a leak on the city’s side in a resident’s home and $458.60 for an underground leak at another residence.

•Heard Robbins commend city employees for quick snow removal over the past week.

•Canceled $485.19 in uncashed checks from 2016 through 2018.

•Approved paying claims of $174,040.38.