Council rejects policy change

REDKEY — Police officers will only be allowed to take police vehicles home when they are on call.

Redkey Town Council decided not to change its take-home car policy at its meeting Thursday, after splitting a vote on the matter at last month’s meeting.

Council members also hired two new police officers and decided to contribute extra funds for a grant application.

Earlier this year, former Redkey police officer Chad Ridenour responded to a law enforcement call in his personal vehicle and was involved in a collision. Council voted to pay Ridenour’s car insurance deductible because he was conducting town business at the time of the crash.

The accident sparked a discussion about the town’s policy, which only allowed officers to take police vehicles home when they were on call. The police department is not staffed 24/7, instead relying on its on-call officers.

Redkey Town Marshal Todd Miller presented a proposal at February’s meeting that would have allowed officers to bring their department-issued vehicles home, even when they aren’t on call. Council’s vote on the proposal was split, with Randy May and Gary Gardner voting in favor and Dottie Quakenbush and Erik Hammers voting against. (John Pierce was absent.)

The proposal was revisited at Thursday’s meeting. Miller told council that aside from preventing future liability for personal vehicles, the take-home car policy would make it easier for officers to respond to requests for backup.

Hammers, speaking against the policy change, noted that Ridenour was on-call at the time of the crash, so would have been able to drive a department vehicle according to the existing policy.

“I have no problem with the current policy, it just needs to be abided by and the police need to take the police vehicle home when they’re on call,” Hammers said. “But if they’re not on duty, I don’t see any purpose in taking a police vehicle home …”

Pierce supported the policy change, saying that the town could try it out temporarily. May also expressed support, agreeing that it could help with back-up for on-call officers.

Ultimately, council voted against the police change. Quakenbush, Hammers and Gardner were in opposition to the proposal while May and Pierce voted in favor.

In other police business, two new officers were hired to replace Mitchell James and Ridenour, who both recently resigned. Council approved hiring Samuel Mauller, who lives in Ridgeville and currently works for Ridgeville Police Department, and Brad Ridenour, a rural Portland resident who formerly worked for Portland Police Department.

Also at Thursday’s meeting, council agreed to contribute more money to apply for a matching grant from the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs.  

At February’s meeting, council voted to apply for a 90%/10% matching grant to study the town’s sewer system in order to create a utility improvement plan. At the time, council members committed to paying $5,000.

Mitch Hansel of Fleis and VandenBrink told council Thursday that for another $4,000, the town could also study the stormwater and water utility systems. The grant would allow for a more comprehensive review of deficits in the town’s utilities.

Council approved allocating the extra $4,000 for the grant application, which is due this summer.

In other business, council members:

•Heard from Hansel that the Indiana Department of Transportation sidewalk project, which will connect Redkey Morgan Park to Redkey Elementary School, will be bid out on Dec. 8. Construction, estimated to cost about $120,000, will begin next spring, with INDOT paying for 80% of the project. 

Council also approved an engineering inspection plan with Fleis and VandenBrink for the project at a cost of $28,458. Eighty percent of the cost will be reimbursed to the town. 

•Approved the multi-hazard mitigation plan put together by Jay County Emergency Management Agency, which contains the county and its municipalities’ plans for various hazards and liabilities such as flooding. The plan is valid for five years and will be registered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.  

•Heard that the town’s Easter egg hunt will be April 3. The location is still to be determined.

•Briefly discussed the idea of hiring a full-time town employee, which was proposed by Gardner. The discussion was tabled until budget talks for 2022.

•Declined to pursue a proposal by May to allow residents to pay lower water rates during the summer, reducing costs accrued by watering lawns and filling swimming pools. Quakenbush noted that the water department is already low on funds.

•Tabled discussion of purchasing a new town vehicle. The town received two quotes for a truck, which will be discussed at April’s meeting.

•Gave approval for road closures and the use of the town’s utilities and insurance coverage for Redkey Gas Boom Days, which will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Aug. 14.

•Paid claims of $97,464.68.