Town will adjust policy

Hair goes nothing.

No more shaving it for later.

It’s time to get to the root of an old policy.

Redkey Town Council agreed on a split vote Thursday to move forward with amending town policy to allow police officers to have facial hair.

Also regarding police, council shared former town marshal Zach Moser’s resignation letter and discussed back pay for officer Jon Cave.

Per the town’s personnel policy and Redkey Police Department’s standard operating procedure, Redkey officers are not allowed to have beards or goatees. (Mustaches, however, are OK.) The policy on facial hair dates back several decades, explained officer Jon Cave.

He reached out to surrounding law enforcement agencies, including Jay County Sheriff’s Office, Portland Police Department, Delaware County Sheriff’s Office and Muncie Police Department, to learn more about what their policies allow on the topic.

Cave shared a list with council members of potential facial hair stipulations for officers, which require facial hair:

•Must not be longer than 1/4 an inch

•Must be well kept, trimmed and neat

•Is not allowed below the “Adam’s apple line”

Additionally, special designs in facial hair, such as lines or shapes, would not be allowed.

Council then agreed — council president Brenda Beaty and council member “Watermellon” Jim Phillips dissenting — to move forward with amending the policy. Answering a question from board member Dave Dudelston, Beaty noted the list will need to be written up in ordinance form and voted on by council. 

Phillips also read town marshal Zach Moser’s resignation letter that was submitted Oct. 11.

“The reason for this resignation is due to select town board members repeatedly violating town policies when it comes to discipline procedures and attempting to terminate me without having any sort of discipline hearing,” read Phillips. “I feel that I have been attacked due to personal reasons from select board members and many have shown repeatedly their willingness to violate policy and procedures to attack me on my job.”

Tensions have been boiling for the past few months between council members and the police department regarding employee conduct and interpretations of town ordinances. A motion from Phillips to remove Moser from his duties during council’s Aug. 22 meeting died for lack of a second.

Phillips continued reading Moser’s letter, which stated his last day will be Tuesday and that he will return town property to Redkey prior to that day.

Moser has been utilizing compensatory time for approximately three weeks, according to town officials, and plans to continue vacation time through his last day. Redkey is currently looking for applicants for the position.

Also Thursday, Dudelston questioned why utility worker Todd Miller — he started Oct. 20 — has not been given a drug test yet and noted it violated the town’s personnel policy. Beaty pointed to recent issues with getting ahold of a company to administer and evaluate tests. She said she had gotten the OK from Jay County Health Department to administer tests herself because she has her nursing license. She talked about a potential contract with Labcorp for failed tests.

Dudelston pointed out Cave rode along with Moser for a week prior to starting on the town’s payroll while he waited for his drug test results. (Cave said he “job-shadowed” for the week.) Dudelston suggested the town compensate Cave for that week, and he made a motion to that effect, with Phillips seconding the motion. Council went into discussion before a vote was taken, and after advisement from legal counsel, board members — Dudelston dissenting — voted to rescind the motion and table the topic.

In other business, council members Gavin Grady, Floyd Life, Dudelston, Phillips and Beaty:

•Heard from Linzee Funkhouser regarding the town’s animal ordinance. She explained she faced a fine for owning chickens and questioned why the new ordinance hasn’t taken effect yet. (Council agreed to move forward with amending the town’s ordinance to allow hens in town.) Beaty explained the process involves writing up the new rule in ordinance form, a task that will be taken on by the town’s new attorney Maura Hoff. 

•Agreed to change town council’s regular meeting to the fourth Tuesday of each month starting in January 2025.

•Approved the following: a one-year, $533.91 contract with Perry ProTech of Lima, Ohio, for providing ink and maintaining three printers at Redkey Town Hall; spending $640 on replacing eight belts for machinery at the wastewater plant.

•Explained council will be reviewing the town’s 2025 budget at 6 p.m. Tuesday and voting to adopt the budget at 6 p.m. Oct. 29. (Budget approval was originally scheduled for Thursday.)

•Tabled the following: discussion on a potential contract with Cave, agreeing to pay for his training at Indiana Law Enforcement Academy in January with the stipulation he work for the town for a number of years; a decision on how to address trash issues and after-hours activity at Redkey Morgan Park, with suggestions including providing a dumpster for the community to use year-round and installing security cameras at the park; and a discussion of removing a pole in the sidewalk at the intersection of Bell Avenue and George Street.

•Learned Redkey Fire Department will be receiving a truck from Rescue 19, the county emergency response group recently abolished by Jay County Commissioners.

•Listened to a report from utility worker Ted Kolodka, who talked about various developments at the water and wastewater plants. Kolodka noted the town will be flushing hydrants Oct. 28 through Oct. 30 and Nov. 1 through Nov. 8. He also welcomed residents to visit either plant for tours.

•Learned Miller Pipeline has completed its work, which required cutting into road surfaces. Road resurfacing on several streets — sections of Union, Mitchell, Washington and Oak streets as well as Delaware Avenue — should begin within the next week. Redkey received $163,686.75 in Community Crossings funding last year for the project.

•Spoke with Mindy Weaver, Jay County Humane Society treasurer. Weaver referenced council’s decision in September to terminate its animal control contract with the organization. She apologized for a lack of communication with Jay County Humane Society’s board of directors. Amid discussion, she also noted the organization has taken calls from Redkey and currently has six animals from the town. 

•Noted Halloween trick-or-treating hours are set for 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 31.