Long-time property issues see new light

Saturday, September 17, 2016

ROACHDALE -- Although several problem properties have been dealt with in recent months, there are still two that are taking the attention of council members at public meetings in Roachdale.

The area of 306-308 Central Avenue and 405 E. Washington St. in the northeastern Putnam community were again brought up during Tuesday’s public meeting.

This time, however, action will ultimately be taken on the latter as the owner, Steve Keck, has received “fair warning” and has not complied with unsafe building notices and property-cleanup orders that date back to 2013.

“At the August meeting we voted to put it up for (demolition) bidding, and we have received three bids,” Board President Zach Bowers said. “I drive by there at least once a week -- he hasn’t done anything we agreed on.

“Other than maybe the yard being mowed, but there’s nothing that I can see that’s being done.”

Keck, who was present at the town’s June meeting, has not attended since and has therefore shown no interest in reviving the property or adhering to plans that were agreed upon at that time, the board has concluded.

“He had until July 11 to get back to us,” Town Attorney David Peebles said, who has sent a number of letters to Keck about the property. “He had until that time to raze (the structure) and get the lot back into acceptable condition.”

Peebles went on to display copies of letters sent that date back more than three years and explained what would happen after the town accepts a bid and razes the property.

“There’s a statutory procedure for an unsafe building order for a demolition lein,” Peebles said. “You (the board) would have to decide (if) you want to do a lawsuit -- because it’s an ordinance violation -- to try and collect fines, attorney fees and all of that on top of the demolition cost, or not.”

The board then went on to weigh the monetary difference between seeking a lawsuit against the property owner and simply razing the property itself through a lein.

The board ultimately decided to accept a bid for demolition from Busse’s Excavating out of Waynetown for the amount of $5,000.

As for the aforementioned area on Central Avenue, a bid by the same company was re-sent to the Waynetown-based excavation service and will be discussed further at the October public board meeting, which is set to take place on Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m.

In other business:

• Trick-or-Treat hours were approved Tuesday to take place on Halloween Day (Oct. 31) from 6-8 p.m.

• A Stormwater Grant update was given by Bowers, saying that the board has now received paperwork from the state that contains bidding information ahead of a pre-bid meeting next week.

• The Gas Utility Agreed Order through the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) was updated by town attorney David Peebles, who said the proposed order between the town and IURC that concerns the sending of certified operators to gas leaks and the general compliance of gas laws.

A response to IURC was approved via 3-0 vote.

• The Revised Agreed Order through the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) was updated by Peebles as well. Peebles said the order was originally proposed by sewer plant and originated with IDEM, that requires the town to comply with wastewater laws and “make sure there are no combined sewer overflows” or “problems with the plant.”

The order acquired the approval of the board Tuesday via 3-0 vote.

• Building permits were approved for the following properties: 104 E. Oak St., pertaining to a chain-link fence; and 113 E Washington St., pertaining to a privacy fence and storage shed.

• Deputy Marshal Levi McCloud will soon be attending the Tier 2 program at the police academy. After doing so, McCloud is technically free to work for any law-enforcement agency. However, since the town will be paying for the training, board members are extending McCloud a three-year contract. McCloud, who was not present, had sent his approval via Town Marshal Mike Mahoy for the contract. The subsequent motion to finalize the contract with McCloud was approved via 3-0 vote.

• Marshal Mahoy presented the monthly marshal’s report, saying that the police department’s Chevrolet Tahoe, which was recently decommissioned, has been stripped of any law-enforcement tools/emblems and is ready for sale. Mahoy also announced that he and his officers will be attending Qualification Day on Sunday, Oct. 23.

• Utility Superintendent Troy Elless gave an update on which he and other town employees have been working: The water tower has been painted, drained of water, cleaned and recoated as part of a 10-year maintenance contract. He said samples of the water will be taken before any use of the tower; Elless said three fire hydrants are currently running to prevent lines from breaking during the aforementioned process; water tests have been completed, finding that everything is in “good shape”; mowing and weed spraying is coming along as expected; and Marshal Mahoy was approved to up his utility department hours from 20 to 24 per week to assist utility personnel.

• Clerk-treasurer Sillery updated the board that billing cards for the town’s residents are currently being updated and will be very similar to the cards currently in use.

The next town council meeting for Roachdale will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m.

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