January 14, 2008
The
Ellettsville, Indiana, Town
Council met in regular
session on Monday, January 14, 2008, at the Fire Department Training and Conference
Room. Dan Swafford called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. David Drake led the Pledge of Allegiance and Phillip Smith led in
prayer.
Dan Swafford introduced the new Town Council members; Brian Mobley and David Drake.
Roll Call: Members
present were Dan Swafford, President; Dianna Bastin, Vice-President; David Drake, Brian
Mobley and Phillip Smith.
Sandra Hash, Clerk Treasurer; Mike
Spencer, Attorney and Rick
Coppock, Town Engineer
were also present.
Supervisors Present: Mike
Cornman, Jim Ragle, Jay Humphrey, Russell Harris, Mike Farmer, Jeff Farmer and Frank
Nierzwicki were present.
Liaisons
Dan
Swafford announced the Town Liaisons as follows:
Police
Department – Brian Mobley
Fire
Department – David Drake
Street Department and Planning Department/Grievance Officer – Phillip
Smith
Utility
Department – Dianna Bastin
Approval of the minutes
Dianna
Bastin made the motion to approve the Minutes for the Regular Meeting December 26,
2007 and the Organizational
Meeting January 7, 2008. David Drake seconded. Motion carried.
Action to Pay Accounts Payable Vouchers
Phillip
Smith made a motion that we pay the Accounts Payable Vouchers. David Drake seconded. Motion
carried.
Approve 2008 Meeting Dates
David
Drake made the motion that we approve the Meeting Dates for 2008 as
listed. Dianna Bastin seconded. Motion carried.
Commission Appointments
Dan
Swafford stated
there needed to be a vote for two Plan Commission members. We
will take care of this at the end of the Commission Appointments.
Parks and Recreation Board: Michael
Griffey. Dan Swafford stated Ron Wayt
could not be on the Parks and Recreation Board since he will be serving on the
Plan Commission. There is a Republican
vacancy on the Parks and Recreation Board.
Board of Zoning Appeals: Darlyne Sowder has been appointed.
There is a Republican vacancy on the Board of Zoning Appeals and this
person needs to live in the town limits.
Redevelopment Commission: Frank
Buczolich, Darby McCarty, Phillip Rogers, Darlyne Sowder and Matt Stille.
Plan Commission:
Dan
Swafford explained
the governmental appointment vote for Phillip Smith and Sandra Hash was omitted
during the Organizational Meeting. Terry
Baker and Ron Wayt were assigned to the Plan Commission as citizens.
Dianna
Bastin made the motion for Phillip Smith.
David Drake seconded. Roll
call vote: Dan Swafford – yes; Dianna Bastin – yes; David Drake – yes; Brian Mobley –
yes; Phillip Smith – yes. Motion carried
5-0.
Dan Swafford stated Sandra Hash was not voted on. Phillip Smith nominated Tom Cornman for this
position. Dan Swafford clarified Sandra Hash was assigned during the
Organizational Meeting but a vote was not taken. Mike Spencer stated a motion needs to be made
of the person you want to appoint to the Commission.
David Drake made a motion we reappoint Sandra Hash to the Plan Commission. Dan Swafford seconded. Roll
call vote: Dan Swafford – yes; Dianna Bastin – no; David Drake – yes; Brian Mobley –
yes; Phillip Smith – no. Motion carried
3-2.
The following discussion took place
before the vote
David Drake believed this was taken care of at the last meeting
and printed in the paper. He has nothing
against Tom Cornman. It would make more
sense for Sandra to be on the Plan Commission,
if she wants to be, because she prepares the agenda and transcriptions. Sandra clarified she does not do the agendas
for the Plan Commission. Frank
Nierzwicki, Director of Planning Services prepares the agenda.
Phillip
Smith stated the reason he nominated Tom Cornman was because of his experience
on the Utilities Department. Brian Mobley asked if there needs to be a political
affiliation. Dan Swafford said no.
Monroe County Ambulance Advisory Board – Jim Davis
Monroe County Emergency Management Advisory – Jim Davis
Monroe County Solid Waste Management Board – Dan Swafford
Ellettsville
Chamber of Commerce – Sandra Hash
Ordinances on Second Reading
Ordinance 07-15 to amend Section 36.220,
36.230, 36.231 and appendix B of Chapter 36 of the Ellettsville Town Code
Brian Mobley spoke with the Town Marshal and this ordinance needs
to be taken off the table.
Brian Mobley made a motion to permanently table this. Phillip Smith seconded.
The following discussion took place
before the vote
Dianna
Bastin explained this is the proposal for rank changes in the Police
Department. The Marshal decided to
withdraw it.
Janie Shipley asked for more information on what this was. Dianna further explained the Marshal was
going to “mirror” rank structures from other departments. Based on public opinion, the Town Marshal
felt people didn’t understand it and wouldn’t approve. Ms. Shipley asked “he was going to make
changes but now he’s decided to leave it like it was?” Dianna said “yes, as far as I know”.
Russ Ryle, Reeves Road resident proposed to the Council that the next time
the structure of the Code is reviewed; the first sentence should state “all
officers shall have completed the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy Basic
Course”. He also suggested a committee
be put together to review current codes and structures based on the Town’s
needs and an analysis of what towns, similar in size to ours, are doing. He feels the Town Council would benefit from having a guest speaker, an
attorney familiar in this area or someone from the Indiana Law Enforcement
Academy, to get a broad consensus of input acceptable to all the citizens of
Ellettsville.
David Drake asked if tabling this, indefinitely, is something the
Council is allowed to do. Is there
something, more final, so the citizens won’t wonder if this will come up
again?
Mike Spencer stated “permanently table” is an odd phrase. What happens if it comes back in a different
form? Ordinances can always be
changed. There were aspects of this
ordinance that did not deal with the structure; does this mean those items
can’t be brought back up? Mike Spencer
believes this ordinance is “being withdrawn”.
This does not mean it can not be brought up again. It seems to Mike Spencer the Town Marshal’s
desire is to withdraw the ordinance and not act on it.
Dan Swafford stated Ordinance 07-15, the motion to table it, has
been deleted and we are going to bypass the Ordinance and withdraw it.
Ordinance 07-17 to amend Chapter 36.005,
36.121, 36.204, 36.228, 36.122, 36.126, 36.205, 36.229 and 36.127 of the
Ellettsville Town Code concerning PTO, Holidays, Paid Sick Leave and Other
Leaves
Sandra Hash summarized Ordinance 07-17, which makes changes to the
personnel policy. The Ordinance clarifies if an employee gives written
notification of intent to separate, resign or retire from employment and is vested
in the Town’s retirement after June 30, they will receive their remaining Paid
Time Off and Holiday Pay in a lump sum on the next regular payroll after the
date of separation. The paid holidays
are rearranged in chronological order.
The language regarding paid Sick Leave in the Civil, Fire and Police
Departments are standardized and allows sick leave to be granted in two hour
increments. Grandparents are added to
Bereavement Leave as immediate family and clarifies a Fireman will receive one twenty-four hour shift for any family member.
Mike Cornman stated the Personnel Policy is reviewed annually. There was nothing new added; just
clarification.
David Drake made a motion that we adopt Ordinance 07-17. Dianna Bastin seconded. Roll call vote: Dan Swafford –
yes; Dianna Bastin – yes; David
Drake – yes; Brian Mobley – yes; Phillip Smith – yes. Motion carried 5-0.
New Business
Agreement between Sycamore Ridge
Landfill and the Ellettsville Waste Water Treatment Plant for sludge disposal
Jeff Farmer, Ellettsville Utilities presented an agreement between Sycamore Ridge
Landfill, where all the sludge is taken, and the Town of Ellettsville. Last year the
fee was $17 a ton and this contract is $21 a ton; eleven hundred tons are
hauled a year and Sycamore Ridge is the only one that accepts sludge. The increase will be $4,400 a year but it
will remain under $30,000 a year. One
hundred trips are made a year using our own equipment and man power to keep
costs down.
Dianna
Bastin made the motion that we accept the agreement between Sycamore Ridge
Landfill and the Ellettsville Waste Water Treatment Plant for sludge
disposal. David Drake seconded. Roll
call vote: Dan Swafford – yes; Dianna Bastin – yes; David Drake – yes; Brian Mobley –
yes; Phillip Smith – yes. Motion carried
5-0.
Council Comments
Dianna Bastin thanked Sandra Hash for the new meeting agenda
books.
Adjournment
Dianna
Bastin made a motion to adjourn. David
Drake seconded. Motion carried. Dan Swafford adjourned the meeting at 7:58 p.m.