Cleanup bid divides Fillmore council members

FILLMORE -- Coming off of a controversial session last month which saw the questioning of a tax abatement, strain between two Fillmore council members became evident last Thursday evening.

During the Fillmore Town Council’s regular September meeting, Council President Bill Ashcraft presented a bid from Keith Henderson of Coatesville to haul debris and other waste from 122 N. Main St. Ashcraft said that he and councilman C.J. Huller had tried to contact others, but were unsuccessful.

However, the $2,000 bid caused a rift between Ashcraft and council member Robin Duncan, who repeatedly said that it was the responsibility of the homeowner to clean up the property.

The unkempt grounds have been a concern for both the council and community members for over a year.

In a tense exchange between her and Ashcraft, Duncan said the town was not in a position to pay for the work, though Clerk-Treasurer Jayna Haldeman later said the money was there.

Duncan further said that a bad precedent could be set, where if one property was addressed by the town, it would have to cover other similar situations.

Ashcraft stated the homeowner has no stable monetary means. As such, he believed it was up to the town to ultimately take action on the heel of regular complaints from citizens.

Town Attorney Jeff Boggess stepped in, saying the town’s ordinances on the maintenance of dirty or unsafe properties allowed avenues for homeowners to clean up their homes. However, the town had the right to take on the onus when all else fails.

While reactions from the audience seemed mixed, Ashcraft became angry with Duncan as she persisted with her points, and laid the bid in front of her and said that “Robin will take care of it.”

As such, he said the bid was effectively being tabled. However, it is unclear if the bid will be seriously considered or approved in the near future.

In old business, the council heard from Liberty Industries president Kurt Clearwaters, as well as Kristin Clary of the Greencastle/Putnam County Development Center, regarding the company’s tax abatement.

Clary said Liberty Industries had not met the employee requirement set out on paper when the abatement was approved in 2014. However, she advocated that Clearwaters had tried to establish a delivery service, as well as contracted a salesperson, to up the company’s workforce.

Responding to a question previously brought by Boggess as to where Liberty’s employees came from, Clary said that five employees were from Fillmore, and that one was from Hendricks County.

Clary also spoke to the of wages set by the company, which range from $16.50 to $27 for assembly to administrative positions.

Jill Clearwaters, who co-owns Liberty Industries with her husband, also advocated that the company had met and exceeded its payrolls goals, even though the employee numbers had not been completely held to.

Boggess invoked Liberty not meeting that number, but was not aggressive in saying that weighing the financial impact was the council’s decision. However, he did suggest the question of the company’s contribution to the community.

Clearwaters said he understood the town had to be careful with its finances, and that he was trying, and continuing to try, to find quality employees. On the other hand, he felt that the company had supported the community in various ways.

Ultimately, the council approved the $245 abatement with no other exchanges or input from the audience.

The council also held a public hearing concerning Fillmore’s planned master utility study grant. Kristy Jerrell of Jerrell Consulting was present at the meeting to provide details on the application process.

Jerrell went through how the town met the state’s requirements, calculated by a points system, to be eligible for the award. This included a requirement that half of Fillmore’s population be low-to-moderate income, which the town supported through an income study.

Jerrell said this type of grant is noncompetitive as long as the requirements are met. Applications are also rolling, and can be submitted before the 15th of each month to be scored and approved soon after.

Jerrell said Fillmore’s application was ready to be submitted to the Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA). However, further documentation, such as photos and letters, would be needed heading into the actual project phase.

The project’s overall cost has been calculated to $55,000, and that the grant amount requested was $50,000 of that.

As OCRA grants are divided 75-25 percent between the state and the town, Fillmore would make up the last $5,000. This money would come out of the town’s water funds.

The council finally passed a resolution approving submission of the application.

In other business, the council approved a pair of ordinances to keep the town compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), specifically with postings and construction plans.

The council also held a public hearing regarding the town’s budget for 2020, with no input from the audience. The council will vote on the budget during next month’s regular meeting.

The next regular meeting of the Fillmore Town Council is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 3 at 7 p.m. in the Fillmore Town Hall.