Retter resigns

REDKEY — The town was already looking for a new attorney.

It is now looking for a new town council member as well and already has a volunteer to fill that role.

Chance Retter announced his resignation during Thursday’s Redkey Town Council special meeting, effective immediately.

His resignation follows that of town attorney Wes Schemenaur, who resigned last week.

Retter, who last week said he planned to step away from the council, resigned at the close of Thursday’s meeting. Among his reasons were that his family has started the process of moving out of the town limits.

“This has been an interesting journey to say the least,” said Retter, who prior to serving on council was the town’s marshal for about seven months. “I made the decision to run for council because I wanted to make a difference and see this town thrive.”

He said he didn’t always make the best decisions but tried his best and wanted to help the residents of the town. He specifically apologized to Bob and Alicha Miller regarding the process of getting a sewer clean-out moved on their property. (The issue led to last week’s regular town council meeting devolving into chaos and being abruptly adjourned.)

“This town council has proven time and time again they cannot put their differences and egos aside and work together,” he said. “The Town of Redkey and its citizens deserve much better …

“Last week was embarrassing, a bad representation of Redkey,” he continued, apologizing for the “unprofessional” and “uncivilized” behavior.

He said he hopes the council pulls together for the good of the town. He also thanked the town’s voters.

Retter said he would deliver his resignation to Jay County clerk-treasurer Jon Eads on Friday.

By state law, such vacancies are filled by a caucus of the party of the departing officeholder. Such a caucus must be held within 30 days of the vacancy. (In cases in which fewer than two precinct committeemen are eligible to be members of a caucus, the party's county chair fills the vacancy.)

The absence of a town attorney was also addressed, with council president Dave Dudelston saying he had reached out to attorneys Josh Atkinson and John Brooke regarding the position. He said neither had given him a firm response yet. Council members agreed to continue to reach out to potential attorneys in an effort to fill the position.

Retter’s resignation came at the end of a meeting during which former town council president Erik Hammers asked to take Retter’s seat if, in fact, he did depart. (Retter had commented previously that he planned to resign.)

Hammers chose not to run for a second term in 2023, saying he hoped things would go smoothly under the new council.

“The reason I want to come in is because of the disorder that we’ve been going through for a while, ever since January,” he said.

He advocated for his return to the president position if he is named to council.

Hammers also offered opinions on several issues, including that zoning in the town will take time to put together, livestreaming meetings — it will be required beginning July 1, 2025 — will be a challenge financially and logistically in the park cabin, that town properties have not been mowed by council members as planned and that he is concerned about the town not having an attorney following Schemenaur’s resignation. (He later suggested “begging” Schemenaur to return to the job.)

After another discussion that was sometimes heated — Dudelston at one point threatened to adjourn the meeting early again — the issue with the sewer clean-out at Bob and Alicha Miller’s property at the east end of Delaware Street was resolved.

The Millers said the clean-out was installed in the wrong place and that they wanted it moved at no additional cost. When a motion to do so failed 3-2 last week, the meeting devolved into chaos with Dudelston abruptly adjourning the meeting.

This time, the Millers’ nephew Shannon Clark spoke on their behalf, asking a series of questions in an effort to get the clean-out moved. After another back-and-forth discussion, council member “Watermellon” Jim Phillips again made a motion to move the clean-out at no cost to the Millers. The motion passed, with Brenda Beatty, Phillips and Retter in favor. Dudelston and Floyd Life dissented. (Retter flipped his vote from the previous meeting. “Enough’s enough,” he said, “I want to help the Town of Redkey.”)

Dudelston had started the meeting with a warning that any disruptive behavior would not be tolerated, saying offenders would be escorted out of the meeting. He referred to previous town council policy that those interested in speaking should ask to be placed on the agenda and would be limited to five minutes.

In other business, council:

•Officially hired Chris Boggs as a new police officer. (Boggs had already been on the job, with other council members saying Dudelston had hired him without a proper vote.) His hiring passed unanimously.

•Approved a mowing contract for town properties with Tim Kesler, which has handled the work for years, at a rate of $398 per mow. (Gary Fraley had the other bid at $395 per mow.) The contract passed 3-1 with Dudelston dissenting and Phillips abstaining. (Phillips said he feels mowing is part of town employee Randy Young’s job description.)

•Approved a contract with Suzy Bass of Local Government Services at a rate of $150 per hour plus travel, hotel and meal costs for training for the clerk-treasurer’s office.

•Heard Beaty ask a question about the town’s situation with Indiana Department of Environmental Management, which has given Redkey until Dec. 31 to update its Combined Sewer Overflow Long Term Control Plan. No one had an update.

•Briefly discussed the following:

    —the town’s personnel policy and whether a previous version had been signed by council. Former clerk-treasurer Mary Eley said such documents should be available via the Department of Local Government Finance website.

    —plans to install a flag pole at Redkey Fire Department.

    —the possibility of converting one of the Redkey Morgan Park basketball courts into a pickleball court

    —putting a tee ball dugout back in place — it was moved in a recent storm — before the start of the season May 11

•Sought input from those in attendance regarding the handling of junk cars, dilapidated houses, trash and other issues. Council was urged to enforce the existing ordinance on those issues.

•Reviewed a proposed reimbursement contract for town marshal Zach Moser, who is currently at Indiana Law Enforcement Academy. Council members tabled the contract in order to have it reviewed by an attorney.

•Heard a question from Beaty about when street paving will begin. Dudelston said he does not have a date.

•Voted 3-2 with Dudelston and Retter dissenting to keep the red key on the side of its police vehicles. Boggs had suggested having the key, which he said draws attention to the vehicles, removed.

•Heard former town council president Dottie Quakenbush suggest a flashing stop sign at the intersection of Meridian (Indiana 1) and High streets in Redkey.

•Accepted the high bid of $651 from Randy May for the purchase of a Chevy Impala police vehicle.

•Approved a water leak adjustment of $751 for 39 E. Delaware St.