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Cloverdale facing tough decisions

Thursday, December 3, 2009
By SHANNEN HAYES, Staff Writer

CLOVERDALE -- The town may be cutting employee salaries or jobs next year to save itself from going in the red.

During a joint town council/utility board meeting Wednesday, council members were told the town's health insurance premium could jump 17 to 22 percent in 2010. It is also considering a loss in property tax collections next year.

"It is not one problem. It's several things," said council member Dennis Padgett.

The town has already made cuts in law enforcement and left the utility department shorthanded for several years.

Council members will discuss their options further during a special "workshop" set for 4 p.m. Dec. 12 at Town Hall.

In other business:

* Council members voted to purchase a nearly $60,000 jet/vac truck for the utility department from Brown Equipment. The 1999 rebuilt machine was previously used in Columbus and promises to save the town money -- in labor and vac situations.

It will be financed through First National Bank at 3.97 percent with 36 monthly payments of $1,769.16. The utility department will take delivery of the equipment some time next week.

* Cloverdale residents will see a 3 percent increase on their water bills beginning Jan. 1, 2010. The second phase of the water rate ordinance will take effect on that date.

* Sewer Plant Road will receive a new name -- Vickroy Lane. The new name is in honor of the late Glen Vickroy, who served as a town council member.

Vickroy died May 7 at age 81. He spent 18 to 20 years serving on various town boards and retired as a truck driver.

His daughter Cathy Tipton won his town council seat in June. She said she felt honored the road will be renamed after her father.

"It was very nice for the council to honor him," she added.

* Council vice-president Steve Caulkins informed the council a snowplow is needed. The town currently has one working snow plow, with one fixable at a minimal cost.

Council member Terry Puffer made a motion to hear quotes and dollar amounts on repairs from utility manager Don Guthrie during the regular town council meeting Dec. 8.

* Council members approved to purchase fencing at $12,075. The Indiana Department of Environmental Management gave Cloverdale until the end of 2009 to erect a fence around the property at the utility department.

"Will we meet the deadline," questioned council member Kathy Tipton.

Council president Don Sublett said Guthrie is calling IDEM to inform them the situation is being handled.

* The Cloverdale Planning and Commission board needs two members. The Board of Zoning Appeals has one vacancy.

Anyone interested in joining either board should call clerk-treasurer Patti Truax at 795-6033.

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  • This town is so STUPID. Get rid of all the town council members and that might help. Are the council members willing to take a cut in their pay? NO I bet they not! Also the Town Police Chief lives in Senior Housing after filing Bankruptcy. How does that make the Town look, Stupid if you ask me. If he can't run his own business, how does the Town expect him to do a good job with the Police department. Yes I live in the town limits and own property.

    -- Posted by moo on Thu, Dec 3, 2009, at 11:29 AM

  • the town counsel are stupid. they would rather cut the pay of the employees but vote to buy some equipment for $60,000! anyone else see something wrong with this picture??? Just keep spending money you don't have....instead of paying out all the money they spend on chemicals to make the water so-called "soft", they should just save it because the water isn't soft, far from it!! i'm also sick of the water increases in Cloverdale too. My water bill already runs $125 per month and we don't waste the water and they claim there isn't a leak!!! everytime we elect someone we think would better, all we get is someone worse! i would sell my house except the counsel has ruined that for everyone and no one wants to live here!

    -- Posted by indianaresident on Thu, Dec 3, 2009, at 1:55 PM

  • Hey guys, if you don't like what's going on, attend the monthly meetings and voice your opinion, when council gets to "Comments from the audience" (listed every month on the Agenda), you're allowed 5 minutes to vent, criticise or even praise the council, Town Hall employees, Utility and Police departments, etc., Seems you have issues with this council, so face them at a meeting and voice your concerns!

    -- Posted by cowgirl46135 on Sat, Dec 5, 2009, at 11:13 AM

  • cowgirl46135, why would anybody want to be disrespected like that? You can have your 5 minutes at that meeting only for them to treat you like dirty dishwater. People can comment all they want on here and it stays on for more than 5 minutes. And you can actually get answers in a blog, at a meeting you get what- run over? Locked in a room? Punched?

    It's not the best idea that critics attend such meetings.

    -- Posted by Xgamer on Sun, Dec 6, 2009, at 7:05 AM

  • Xgamer, obviously you are referring to the Davis/ Whitaker Regime,IF you were ALLOWED to speak you were publicly criticized, verbally abused, and yes, locked up in a room, I was in attendance at these meetings. NOW a different council, no more fighting or screaming among the council members and respect is shown to all who attend. Come to the meetings before you misspeak.

    -- Posted by cowgirl46135 on Sun, Dec 6, 2009, at 5:56 PM

  • You must have missed my last sentence, and no one HAS to attend any meetings if they don't want too. bondsman, woody1,moo, Umad,i.r., are always welcome to comment as often as they like, even if they don't attend your meetings. If anyone does have an issue to speak of, the attorney is not hard to reach for questions.

    -- Posted by Xgamer on Sun, Dec 6, 2009, at 10:28 PM

  • I was in attendance almost a year ago today. They openly approved (without financing) a brand new 78,000 Cat backhoe. Whne they could have saved 50,000 by buying a gently used one from some some of the many going under businesses. Also where did the 30,000 they were given for a new officer go?

    -- Posted by Bentoverabarrel on Mon, Dec 7, 2009, at 1:22 PM
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