Council approves change to in-town speed limits

Thursday, February 22, 2007

Last week's snow fall could no longer keep the Roachdale Town Council from approving a speed limit ordinance and purchasing of a new dump truck for the utility department.

Town Marshal David Barber provided the council on Monday with a copy of Ordinance 2007-2, an ordinance on speed limits. Barber has been working with town attorney Tom Casey since last November on creating an ordinance to correct some of the speed limits around town, especially in the school zone area.

Back in November, Barber wanted to remove "when children are present" from speed limit sign to prevent any confusion as to when motorists should and should not travel 20-mph through a school zone.

Barber said, at Monday's meeting, after talking with the city of Greencastle's attorney and receiving some other input, he recommended to the council that the language on the signs remain the same since they are working fine as is.

"All I really wanted was the big, bright signs and to get them off the ground," Barber said.

The council approved Ordinance 2007-2.

The council also heard from Bob Vice from Kenny Vice Ford Sales Inc. in Ladoga about a new dump truck for the utility department.

At last December's meeting, Supt. Teddy Knowling provided the council with quotes for the purchase of a new dump truck.

What Vice brought down was a gas powered, four wheel drive, 2007 truck for the utility department to look over and take for a test drive. The cost of this truck, plus a plow, receiver hitch and dump bed will be $33,157. Vice also provided the council with a quote on an 2008 truck.

The 2007 truck could take any where in between two to four weeks to arrive for the town to use. It currently has a utility body, and it should take 10 days for all the equipment to be added.

Council president Bill Long asked Vice about municipal finance. Vice said the municipal finance works like an annual payment. "One time a year, you make one payment," Vice said.

Vice informed the council that it should think of the municipal finance in the terms of a lease.

Town Clerk-Treasurer Jennifer Archer asked Vice how long the municipal finance ran. Vice said the run time was for five years, but Vice did say the town could either pay whatever it wants to up front or it could finance it all at one time.

The council approved to purchase the vehicle on a five year annual payment basis.

In other business, the council:

* Approved the general 2007 election contract with Putnam County. This contract allows the county to assist the town with its election process in November.

* Learned that water is frozen under Railroad Street. There are no residential homes along that road, so nobody was effected.

* Approved the construction proposal from Parker Construction in Bainbridge to work on the front exterior of the town hall. Parker quoted the town for removing existing wood siding and replacing it with metal siding, along covering the gutter board with aluminum and replacing the existing front door. This would cost $3750.

The town has used Parker Construction before to work on fixing the north side of the building which was damaged after the hotel burned a couple of years ago.

* Discussed putting truck route signs on Indiana and Railroad streets and not truck thru signs on several other streets to prevent heavy semi-trailers from destroying the roads.

* Learned that council member Jack Jones has offered his dump truck for the town to use to haul away the snow piles. This would be considered a rental, and Jones is offering for the town to rent his truck for $45 an hour.

Jones informed the council that he has already talked with Casey about it, and he should have something written up for the next meeting.

The council meets regularly every second Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. in the town hall.

The next scheduled meeting is set for Tuesday, March 13. It is open to the public.

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