String of resignations raises questions for Roachdale leaders

ROACHDALE — Wednesday’s regularly scheduled town meeting drew quite the crowd as citizens packed the community center, many of them prepared to speak during the allotted time for public comment.

“I’d just like to know what’s going on,” said one member of the public, a simple but sincere response to the recent string of resignations among town workers; Town Marshal Adrian Lepine resigned May 11, full-time deputy Dave McIntosh resigned May 21 and utility worker Mark Ketchem resigned June 1.

These recent resignations, though the details behind them cannot be disclosed during town meetings, ignited speculation and worry among Roachdale residents. A post on a local Facebook group went “viral” in the town of 830 after it raised alarm, saying the town was now without utilities workers and a police presence after these resignations.

Digital fingers were pointed at the council as some accused the members for corruption and mishandling of funds, and for secrecy surrounding the consecutive resignations.

The post especially “dragged names through the dirt,” and was “full of misinformation,” according to council President Rick Miles, and he speculated that the negativity in the Facebook post is what drew dozens of residents to the town meeting. The monthly gatherings usually only have two residents in attendance, he said.

During public comment time, another resident drew attention to the council’s hiring of Heath M. Kerns, the new town marshal, who has an alleged history of writing fake speeding tickets during his time as an Indiana State Police officer. The member of the public requested this action be tabled.

Kerns once worked as Roachdale town marshal before accepting a position through Indiana State Police, but in 2010 he was accused of writing over 40 fake tickets at his Putnamville post as a way of improving performance numbers. Kerns resigned, denying the allegations, and the investigation concluded before any legal action could take place, according to a report from the Banner Graphic.

“The council was aware of the allegations in 2011 as I believe the entire town is aware of,” Miles said.

“During our due diligence we did a background check and followed up as much as we could on the allegations. None of this shows up in the background check and it appears that there is more to the story than the public is aware of.”

There were two other applicants for the marshal position, and the council hired Kerns at a special meeting on June 12, meaning the action could not be tabled.

“Since the allegations were not substantiated, it was determined that he should not be guilty until proven innocent,” Miles added.

Another point of contention from the public was the lacking documentation of past minutes and the announcing of future meetings. On the Roachdale website, meeting minutes have not been posted since 2022, and with the meetings on Wednesdays at 6 p.m., some members of the public found it unfair as it coincides with weekday church programs.

Because of the nature of her job, Debbie Sillery, clerk-treasurer, was given much of the blame for what was stated in the infamous Facebook post. However, many members of the public and the council members were quick to diffuse the blame.

“She’s not the sounding board, you’ve gotta call these three to complain, not Debbie,” said a member of the public, pointing to the council. Many clapped in agreement.

Per the Open Door Law of Indiana, meetings must be announced at least 48 hours/two business-days prior to the town meeting, which the council insists it has done, as well as making paper copies of past minutes available to the public by going to the Town office.

The Council is looking for a new staff member who can assist in uploading the minutes and tending to the website. “It’s going a lot slower than we wanted. That’s on us, not on Debbie,” Miles said.

In other business:

- The property at 100 E Washington St and 102 E Washington St., located behind the funeral home, is being rezoned after initially being registered as residential property instead of business property. The board approved the rezoning.

- The multi hazard mitigation plan was adopted, the 200-page document assumed to have been read by council members. It outlines the potential hazards that the county could endure, natural and man-made, and has been adopted by other parts of the county thus far.

- The wastewater project is on schedule, and the county plans to participate in bidding for a $700,000 OCRA grant with a 20 percent local match.

- Roachdale’s design is over 50 percent complete as part of applying to INDOT’s Community Crossings Matching Grant. Because the population is under 10,000, a 25 percent match must be provided by Roachdale in order to participate.

The next regular meeting is scheduled to take place on July 19 at 6 p.m. in the Roachdale Community Building.