Council hears update on new police vehicle

Friday, July 14, 2006

Even though Bainbridge Town Council president Mike Smith said, "This is going to be a quick meeting," the board had several questions in regards to the marshal's new and old cars and fixing the streets around town at Wednesday night's meeting.

During the marshal's report, Rodney Fenwick informed the board that the new car is still not ready due to some back ordering and an indecision as whether or not it should be striped.

The board was a little indecisive as to what should be done about the striping. Richard Cope said he wanted the car to be stripped so it could be seen, while Smith said it did not matter to him. Naomi Barker also stated it did not matter to her, but "when I get pulled over, I want to be sure that it's the police who are doing it."

Fenwick said that he would check with the Putnam County Sheriff's Department to see where they got the striping done on their vehicles. The board unanimously voted to have the new car's decals match the old car.

Since the town is receiving a new police car, Smith told the board they need to decide what to do with the old car. Cope said the town needs to keep the car. "I want the presence," he said.

Smith said that he did not mind keeping the car until it costs the town more money. Fenwick made the suggestion of using the old car as a back-up and having one or the other always out patrolling.

The board voted 2-1 on keeping the old car in service and will go on a month by month basis for it.

During new business, Clerk-Treasurer Jason Hartman informed the board that Daryl Hewett from Wabash Valley Asphalt came to look at fixing the town's streets. Hewett provided the board with base bid pay to do all patch jobs and minor repairs to residential streets, plus four options they could go with. These options included repaving South Locust Street, extending Circle Drive, repaving the basketball court at the school corporation building, and paving the parking lot at the baseball diamond.

Smith said he was not convinced South Locust Street is in terrible shape. "I didn't think it was that bad," he said.

Circle Drive is the only remaining gravel street in the town which will be running behind the new Family Dollar store.

The board is hoping that they can receive some monetary help from Family Dollar since they will be using the street as well.

The board will have to wait to hear from the park board as whether or not they have an agreement with the school corporation to maintain the basketball court at tonight's park board meeting.

The board voted 2-0 to go with the base bid of $5,020, plus patching South Locust Street instead of repaving, extending the Circle Drive so all residential streets will be paved for $4352 and repaving the basketball court for $4796.

In other business, the board:

--Learned that the annexation for the new park is being worked on.

--Learned the town attorney, Laurie Robertson-Hardwick, is still working on an employee handbook and American Legal Publishing Company has contacted them about the recodification book.

--Learned that Charlie Boller and his assistant completed about half of the parking stripe painting project, and will be finishing it soon.

--Approved of tabling the water drainage project near the baseball diamond until they received some type of pricing for the job.

--Agreed to the creation of the 2007 salary ordinance that is needed in preparation for the 2007 budget.

--Learned that Don Malicoat, a utility employee, will be retiring at the end of September.

--Learned that the Wright family is in the process of quick claiming the deed to Church Street over to the present owner of the property, Ron Jaggers, who will in turn quick claiming it to the town.

Church Street for 50 years has never been recorded as town property but is used as a street.

The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 9 at 7 p.m. in the community center. It is open to the public.

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