Bainbridge council looks into park events

BAINBRIDGE -- Bainbridge Town Council Wednesday made friends with friends in the park, approved two ordinances and decided to look at coming up with a comprehensive plan.

The Friends of the Park is an organization that holds an annual event during October during the Covered Bridge Festival. The event takes place at the same time as Parke County's Covered Bridge Festival and attracts visitors traveling along U.S. 36.

The town council approved the use of land for this event. They are also extending a hand out to the Friends of the Park, to see what the town might be able to do to help the organization in the future.

The town council also decided to start the town down the road to come up with a comprehensive plan. This comprehensive plan would evaluate all areas of the town and then implement plans for projects to improve the town in the next five to 10 years.

This plan could cost upward of $40,000. Town clerk-treasurer Jason Hartman told the council that grants were available to help and the town would have to come up with at least 10 percent to help match.

John Ellis of the utilities board said the utilities department would give 25 percent of the match for the grant.

"This will help future council members," Chuck McElwee said.

To help the town more the utilities department will be offering underground electric services.

Ordinance 2013-2 was voted in after its first reading. This ordinance will allow the utilities department to offer residents of Bainbridge to have underground electric services provided by the town at a $300 fee for up to 150 feet of wire, with a $2 fee for each additional foot. This cost is for residences, cost for industrial and commercial properties will be based on a "time and material" basis.

There will be a second reading of this ordinance at the March meeting.

Ordinance 2013-1 was also read again. This ordinance allows for an $18 per hour wage for Deputy Marshal when working under the grant stipulations of "Operation Pull Over." This grant was issued by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute to the Town of Bainbridge and was adopted fully at the meeting.

The next town meeting will be on March 13 at 7 p.m.

In other business:

-- Mike Clampitt was made a reserve police office for the town.

-- The East Point Park barn will be torn down, it was announced.

-- The Town of Bainbridge will be undergoing a Federal and State Audit for 2011-12

-- A planning meeting is set for Feb. 27 at 6 p.m. to go over two zoning issues.

-- Forrest Humbles lodged a complaint about a neighbor. The town council handed the issue to the town marshal who will be looking into the matter.