The Ellettsville, Indiana, Town
Council met in regular session at 7:30 p.m., Monday, March 13, 2000. Members
present were Geraldine McIntyre, President, John Dailey, Jerry Pittsford, and
David Sorokoty. Mrs. McIntyre called the meeting to order. Jerry Pittsford gave
the prayer. David Sorokoty led the Pledge of Allegiance.
PUBLIC
COMMENTS
None.
MINUTES AND CLAIMS
David Sorokoty made a
motion to accept the minutes and claims. John Dailey seconded the motion. Motion
passed 4-0.
OLD BUSINESS:
APPOINTMENTS
Geraldine McIntyre
reappointed Terry Baker to the Plan Commission for a four year term ending
12/31/03, David Drake to the Plan Commission for a four year term ending
12/31/03 as secretary, Jack Neal, Terry Baker, Paul Baugh, Bill Baxter as a
council appointment, Bill Evans to the Board of Zoning Appeals, and Leasa Farkas
to a four year term as President of the Parks and Recreation Board. Geraldine
McIntyre noted that Carl Harrington was the School Board appointment to the
Parks and Recreation Board and that there was currently a vacancy on the board
and Leasa Farkas had some people in mind that she would like to talk to before
the council makes an appointment. Geraldine McIntyre asked for a vote on these
appointments. David Sorokoty made a motion to approve these people for the
Planning Commission, Board of Zoning Appeals, and Parks and Recreation Board.
John Dailey seconded the motion. Motion passed 4-0.
EDGEWOOD HEIGHTS
COVENANTS AND RESTRICTIONS AMENDMENT
Geraldine McIntyre noted that Matt
Bailey was not in attendance.
REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL
.011 ACRES OF PERMANENT RIGHT-OF-WAY McNEELY STREET BRIDGE PROJECT
Sandra
Hash said that Rick Coppock had looked it over and approved of it. It is a
little more area that the county needs. John Dailey made a motion to approve the
request for the additional .011 acres of permanent right-of-way for the McNeely
Street Bridge Project. Jerry Pittsford seconded the motion. Geraldine McIntyre
advised that she had a map showing the area if anyone wants to look at it.
Motion passed 4-0.
ORDINANCE 00-2: AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE 99-15
FIXING OF SALARIES FOR BUDGET YEAR 2000: 2nd READING
David Sorokoty read
the ordinance by title only. Sandra Hash said this was for John Stone for the
evidence room adjustment on second reading. John Dailey made a motion to approve
Ordinance 00-2. David Sorokoty seconded the motion. Motion passed
4-0.
ORDINANCE 00-4: AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 255 OF THE
ELLETTSVILLE TOWN CODE: JOB DESCRIPTIONS FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT: 2nd
READING
David Sorokoty read the ordinance by title only. John Dailey made
a motion to approve Ordinance 00-4. David Sorokoty seconded the motion. Motion
passed 4-0.
NEW BUSINESS:
ORDINANCE 00-5:AN ORDINANCE
CONCERNING VACATING OF A PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY IN THE TOWN OF
ELLETTSVILLE
Geraldine McIntyre indicated this was a request by Lisa
Ridge and said the location was on Reeves Road and has to with the senior
citizens center. The Plan Commission had previously decided not to put a road in
at that location and Rick Coppock approves of the vacating this piece of
property. Sandra Hash said that Lisa Ridge has notified all of the property
owners in the plat, has published in the newspaper, and she has verified from
the Plan Commission minutes that this was approved in 1995. David Sorokoty
verified with Lisa Ridge that this was talked about at the Plan Commission and
was mostly due to the sight restrictions. David Sorokoty made a motion to
approve Ordinance 00-5. John Dailey seconded the motion. Motion passed 4-0.
Lisa Ridge thanked Sandra Hash and Patrick Stoffers for their help with
her request.
ORDINANCE 00-8: AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE 99-15 FIXING
OF SALARIES BUDGET YEAR 2000
David Sorokoty read the ordinance by title
only. There was some procedural discussion. David Sorokoty made a motion to
approve Ordinance 00-8. John Dailey questioned where the ordinance originated
and how it came about. Sandra Hash referred to a previous council meeting
regarding supervisor overtime and the special exception in our salary ordinance
and that Mike Spencer directed that we should remove the special exception
because it was not in line with the Fair Labor Standards Act and that this was a
first reading of the ordinance. Sandra Hash said that Patrick Stoffers drafted
the ordinance and that Mike Spencer made some revisions to it. Jerry Pittsford
asked what the original ordinance governing this says. Sandra Hash explained
that the special exceptions appeared in each section: police, fire, street then
read the special exception regarding the Town Marshal. John Dailey stated that
that section is not in agreement with the Fair Labor Standards Act. Sandra Hash
stated that that was correct because they are working supervisors and are not
salary exempt. There was further discussion on this subject. John Dailey
seconded the motion. Motion passed 4-0.
SUPERVISORS
JIM DAVIS
Fire Chief Jim Davis referred the council to his letter
recommending that Ken Parrish and Chris Clouse be brought up to their full
salary on their anniversary dates on becoming full time. He affirmed that the
money was in the budget. Jerry Pittsford made a motion to approve the
recommendation that these two men be moved to the next increment on the pay
schedule. John Dailey seconded the motion. Motion passed 4-0.
RON
McGLOCKLIN
Town Marshal Ron McGlocklin and Chief Deputy Jay Humphrey
indicated that Dan Rarey, a member of the government center committee, had told
them that it would be 5 or 6 years for the government center project. They then
proposed a 20 x 20 addition to the police department due to the current staffing
as well as the future staffing. They had received donation of the materials as
well as direct cash contributions. Materials donations had been received from
Stewarts, Wickes, Lowes, Maxwells, IMI, Ralph Rogers, Quality Windows, Burch
Construction. Currently three officers each share a desk. David Sorokoty said
that the committee was looking at two years driven by the fact that the fire
department would not be able to get their trucks out due to the highway. Ron
McGlocklin affirmed that he already had talked to Mr. Kain and Mr. Lewis and
they have no problem with them doing the addition. Mr. Kain wanted a letter from
the council approving the addition. Dave Sorokoty said that they need to check
with DNR because of the flood plain. Ron McGlocklin indicated that they would
check with DNR. There was further discussion. John Dailey acknowledged the
contributors to the project and the cramped space at the police station. Ron
McGlocklin further described the use of the proposed the addition and that it
will not cost any taxpayer money. Geraldine McIntyre asked if Ron McGlocklin had
talked to Dan Rarey since their last meeting on Thursday night. Ron McGlocklin
said no. He had talked to Kenny Williams. Geraldine McIntyre said that the
committee was thinking about giving the police department the entire building
and moving the fire department somewhere else if they could find the right
amount of ground for the fire department. David Sorokoty said that they would
raise the floors up to get you out of the flood plain. Unintelligible….
Geraldine McIntyre said that we do have the money to purchase the land and the
committee has not found the right space for Jim because they have to have access
and that we are looking at some land and if we can buy 10 acres where we are
looking we will be moving Jim there and giving you the building. This should
happen probably within the next 2 years if at all possible. David Sorokoty said
that he did not have a problem with the building addition because it adds value
and it is a good thing. It is not going to be that long, 5 years. After the
first meeting it was going to be five years but some things have come up and
certain places we have looked at have not panned out cost wise and so forth. Mr.
Rarey was supposed to go see this one gentleman and make him an offer on ten
acres and it would be an ideal location for the fire department. Darlyne Sowder
asked so instead of having a government center your just going to have a fire
department? Geraldine McIntyre said no we may build the government center there
eventually. Dave Sorokoty said it is something you can add on, but to be good
stewards of the taxpayers money it is best that we use existing facilities that
we have and end up building the one building for the fire department and that
building being able to be added on to the ten acres that we do purchase, if we
do. Darlene Sowder said at that time then you would add on to the existing
building. Dave Sorokoty said as money was available yes. Jerry Pittsford
referred to the City of Bloomington and how they have shifted the use of some of
their buildings and that it is a common practice. Darlyne Sowder said she
understood that and just wanted to make sure that we have not lost the
government center. Geraldine said no, just like we have a little over four acres
out here where the old sewer plant was. We are considering putting the utilities
on part of that leaving Jimmy Ragle where he is and adding more to Jimmy's land
because Jimmy needs it for salt and sand and other things and why do away with
that building when it's a good building and possibly build Jimmy an office
outside the building when we put on more for his salt and sand and stuff like
that. Put the utilities department on this side of the land and…the committee is
working and why cost the taxpayers money to go out there and buy land when we
have land all over town. We have four and one half acres up here by the old
water tower and that was a our first choice for a community center but we cannot
purchase any more land there we are told. David Sorokoty said Vi Simpson said
spend the three hundred thousand dollars then come back for some more. What the
three hundred thousand dollars will do will secure the ten acres plus do a
little bit of the add on or for utilities department. After that we will go back
and we will be able add….the building we want to build is something that can add
on when money comes in. Not all in one shot deal obliviously if you take what
all four departments heads said you would have about a two and a half million
dollar building and to come up with that you would have to bond or ask the
taxpayers to pay heavily for it. So we are going a step at a time. Jerry
Pittsford said that when you guys get done with this can you start raising funds
and materials. Unintelligible…for a municipal building. Besides that you know
what, even if two years from now we move the fire department out of there that
would make a great kennel for the police dog and for all the stray dogs that
animal control can round up around here. Unintelligible…Ron McGlocklin said to
get back to this I will check with DNR but basically that all I'm here before
the council tonight is asking for basically your blessing. David Sorokoty said
we will get a letter to Steve Kain. Ron McGlocklin said whether it's two years
from now or whatever, two years is two years too long. David Sorokoty made a
motion to approve it. John Dailey seconded the motion. Motion passed
4-0.
David Sorokoty asked if Brian Mobley was here tonight. Geraldine
McIntyre asked if he could be radioed in here tonight. David Sorokoty asked Ron
McGlocklin if any of the officers are First Responders. Ron McGlocklin said that
would be Brian Mobley, Jeff Thomas…David Sorokoty said he had emails, letters
and I'm starting o get responses back. I'm asking for two defibrillators. I
figure you have two, one day one night or something along those lines or use
them both on the same shift whatever. I'm getting pretty close but no confirmed
yeses so far. There was more discussion on this. Jerry Pittsford urged the guys
to have that certification and not let it lapse as well as the new guy coming on
in June. There was some more discussion. Ron McGlocklin said that grass fire
season is upon us and if Jim Davis wanted to have a training session with some
of our guys I can have them in there that way during the day if there is a fire
and they need help and assistance….I know you've done it with the street
department. Jim Davis said we never turn down help. Ron McGlocklin said we would
be glad to do a class or whatever, basically be able to tell a guy to get out
the hose. Unintelligible…
JIM RAGLE
Jim said he did not have
anything. Geraldine McIntyre and others praised Jim on the snow plowing the
previous Saturday. Jerry Pittsford asked if he had ordered his trucks. Jim Ragle
said yes and that they had torn the transmission out of one of their trucks.
David Sorokoty said he did not want to here that. Jim Ragle said Saturday was
one off those days when everything broke. Jerry Pittsford commented on the
intensity of the snow and its duration.
Geraldine asked Brian Mobley to
come forward and the council presented him with Officer of the Year for
Ellettsville. Brian Mobley thanked the board and the people of Ellettsville and
said he would continue to pursue grant and appreciated the support of the town.
Geraldine said Gina's name is not on there but since she is your liaison maybe
when she gets back from Florida you can have her sign it. Brian Mobley said will
do.
JEFF FARMER
Jeff Farmer said he did not have
anything.
MIKE FARMER
Mike Farmer reminded everyone that they were
crossing the road at 46 and Judy Street on the west end. People coming to
Ellettsville from the west need to be aware that traffic is going to be down to
one lane and hopefully it will be in the paper in the morning and that the
police department will have a presence out there and if someone is going too
fast they will be talking to them and not me. We will be crisscrossing the road
all day long.
BILL LAND
Bill Land said he did not have anything to
report.
WES MARION
Wes Marion said he did not have anything to
report.
SANDRA HASH
Sandra Hash said she would like to know
a little more about the committee for the government center. You have these
ideas then are you then solely the ones to make the decision or will there be a
written plan for the community to look at and give opinions on. David Sorokoty
said we really have not gotten that far. We are…it sounds pretty definite at
every meeting until the next meeting but we are looking at all possibilities. We
are looking at several plots of land, couple buildings, existing buildings. The
committee itself has not made final approval and I think there is going to have
be a process where we notify people to get some input and make sure we are doing
the right thing and we are thinking of everything. I don't think it's going to
come right down on our shoulders. But I would like to have the public input too.
Sandra Hash said that originally when that committee was formed it was said that
supervisors were going to be involved. David Sorokoty said that there is part of
the process that they will be involved. But we need to get narrowed down and
focused a little bit more to see what the realities as far as the money and as
far as what we can do. But all four of them will be in there to look over the
ideas and if they have a different choice we will have to look at that. Sandra
Hash said okay so far your plan is you think you have a new site for the
firehouse, you would give the police officers the existing site and the service
building would stay where it is for the street department. Does that mean that
the utility workers would also be housed in that same location? David Sorokoty
said no, they are going to get a new building ….it would be like the existing
building now would be duplicated and moved over. Sandra Hash said okay what
about this…utilities office here…Dave Sorokoty and Geraldine McIntyre both said
we have not got that far yet. Mike Farmer asked who was on the committee. David
Sorokoty said myself, Geraldine, Dan Rarey, and Kenny Williams. Geraldine
McIntyre said Frank Terkhorn, Gina Kapzinski, Rachel Peden, and John Davis.
Sandra Hash said the question has been raised in her office that all those
people are mostly out of town people. Concern has been raised and I just want to
forward that to you. David Sorokoty said that we have a wide variety of people.
There was more discussion about what committee members live in town and that the
meetings were public but not published. It was asked where the ten acres was
located. David Sorokoty and Geraldine McIntyre said they would rather not say
where the ten acres are till the person is contacted and that it was just
brought up to them recently. The next meeting of the committee will be April
13th at 7:00 PM at Town Hall. An audience member asked if they meet monthly.
David Sorokoty said basically yes, within a few days or a week. Geraldine
McIntyre said that we chose those people who come to the meetings and they are
like liaisons to each department, everything is discussed here then suggestions
are taken back to each supervisor and again we are trying to use some of the
land we have got so that we don't have to go out here and buy land and raise
taxes for the people and like the three hundred thousand we don't use it all for
purchase of land we can use it on some building and again we can go back this
year and ask for Build Indiana funds next year and we are looking at other
avenues of getting money maybe through federal government and through grants.
David Sorokoty said we have even checked about holding cells and so forth and
what kind of grants we can get for that for federal prisoners, for people en
route to Terre Haute and so forth. There is a lot going into it so once we
gather the information the department heads will be called in to help us sort it
out and the public is invited to the meeting and also it will be out for the
public after we get a little more definite. This only our second meeting…second
meeting. So that's how early it is in the process. Darlyne Sowder asked to
clarify if Dan Rarey was to make the gentleman an offer on the land or just talk
to him. Geraldine McIntyre said talk to him…to see if he really wants to sell
the land. One of the committee brought the land up for the committee so Dan
Rarey said he would go talk to the gentleman.
DAVID SOROKOTY
Dave
Bucope from CATs wants to come in and do a couple meetings for BCAT. I told him
we won't be able to fund for it until we get our franchise fee renegotiated.
Iris told me that it would either be…she told me next year actually but I don't
know what part of next year …it could be the first or toward the end. But with
the budget and everything it will be raised up to five percent…we are the only
people at three…three percent…we would split the two and one half percent…that's
what they want fifty percent of the five percent. So if we go up to the five
percent that covers two percent and the budget will have to come up with a half
percent, which I think we estimated at sixteen hundred dollars. So that would be
very doable. He's very excited about coming over here and doing them. I don't
know when he will get back with the dates on which meetings he's going to
do…which dates he will be here for. Second thing, Sandy and I are starting a
neighborhood association up on Chandler Hill to take care of some of the little
knickknacks up there and hold block yard sales, block party in the summer and
take advantage of some of the freebie stuff like they have in Bloomington, free
flowers and so forth and try to dress up the neighborhood and make it look nice.
Other than that, that's it for me.
JOHN DAILEY
No.
JERRY
PITTSFORD
I got my census form in the mail today. I hope everyone got
theirs and it will be back out in the mail before the end of the week…or an
equally appropriate time. And I would like to let everyone know one particularly
talented seventh grade English student…my English class…designed a billboard,
which will go up on 46 across from what used to be Pizza Hut encouraging
everyone to fill out their census forms. That goes up around the first of April.
Make sure you notice that and recognize the child's name and applaud that
student. We had a great time and you will see others…examples of their work
posted around town. My kid's are psyched about the census now cause we spent
about a week talking about it and they understand how important it is. And I
hope that everybody in the community understands how important the census is to
us. Not only in historical terms but in terms of finances. That's
all.
BILL LAND
Excuse me. At the last Plan Commission meeting, I
went over a little bit of the progress on the work I've been doing and what we
are looking forward to. The idea is by June to develop enough of a document
relative to what we call the east Ellettsville area plan. We will have a couple
of Plan Commission workshops on that plan. Right now there is a steering
committee of people who live in that area and the area is really Smith Road
Smith Pike over to about Lakeview Road perhaps a little further west, north to
McNeely and south short of Woodyard. That's a study area. This involves you know
the two areas of annexation very clearly. Now there's a peripheral area around
it maybe about a half-mile on the entire outside boundary, which will be
included in a minor way, so we don't like…so we connect them together. A feature
of the study will be talking about the access of traffic and all the drive
…driveways and shared access along the corridor. That will be a major feature
for the study as well. We are going to be looking at the zoning that presently
exists and making recommendations on how that should continue or how that could
be modified. The idea is to be pretty much finished with a text that can be
looked at by June. That will give us you know maybe six or eight weeks to kind
of fine tune it from there. A steering committee will be selected of people who
live inside that area and that steering will be giving us a lot of guidance in
terms of the issues that existed for years within that area so that we can make
sure that the whole plan is locally controlled and locally derived. I'm there to
advise it. I'm there to help construct it and to make sure it turns out to be a
very readable document and one that we can be proud of in terms of
recommendations that are not that difficult for us to work with. We are not
assuming that Bloomington or any other jurisdiction is going to guide us. This
is guidance only from ourselves. The steering staff will make projections out
twenty years form what it is now. So we are going to have to put our thinking
caps on in terms of vision for that area. So this is a typical area plan. I've
been involved with in probably half a dozen of these before. There is always a
steering committee, the plan commission is heavily involved and the public will
be brought in for a larger public meeting and or survey or both probably some
time in late June. That is the progress to this date.
GERALDINE
McINTYRE
The only thing I have is I talked to Mayor Fernandez and asked
if Bill Land, I, Rick Coppock, and since Dave Sorokoty has already talked to the
mayor, meet with the mayor and his people. Dan Sherman will set up the meeting
and will notify us because we have to go before the new council and since Pam
Service was our representative that we talked to before and she's no longer on
the council they will have to appoint a new person to be our representative in
the annexation process. So he is to get back with me and we will meet with them
and then I have to go before the council requesting the part of the annexation
that we need to go farther with. So when I notice from the mayors office I will
be contacting you, Dave, and Rick and it will probably be a morning meeting with
the utility department, the new planner that they are hiring now. And that's all
I have to report.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Darlyne Sowder she
would just like to add a little bit more to what Jerry Pittsford said about the
census. We will get almost four hundred dollars per person per year for each
person that is counted that is why it is so important that everybody is counted.
In addition, our representation in congress is also dependent on an accurate
count. If our count doesn't go high enough we will lose one seat in congress.
Geraldine McIntyre said maybe you should suggest to your friends, I know I have,
and some of the elderly people here in town, call them ask them if they have a
problem with filing it out and seeing if we can get maybe some people to go
around and help some of these elderly file out their census form and just make
sure they do get it in because it affects us money wise plus a s you said
congress-wise and other things. So it's important to do and I got mine today and
I'm going to mail it back tomorrow. Darlyne Sowder said, as I understand it
there is someone at the library helping people fills out their forms. Geraldine
McIntyre said but somebody that can't get out...unintelligible…some committee to
go around to help these people who are a little afraid of filing out anything
you know. I think it would be a nice gesture from the town's people to do that.
Okay…anything else. Anybody.
ADJOURNMENT:
John Dailey made a
motion to adjourn. David Sorokoty seconded the motion. Motion passed 4-0.
Meeting adjourned at 8:30 PM.
___________________________
Geraldine McIntyre, President
_____________________________
Gina Hawkins, Vice
President
_____________________________
John
Dailey
_____________________________
Jerry
Pittsford
_____________________________
David
Sorokoty
Attest:
_____________________________
Sandra
C. Hash, Clerk-Treasurer