Russellville council samples building, insurance bids

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

RUSSELLVILLE -- The old hotel building in Russellville is becoming a cockroach. No matter how many times the town council tries to stomp it, the building keeps crawling back to life.

After last month's meeting, and the month before that, destruction appeared imminent.

In May the only holdup was a sampling of the building's contents so the waste management facility would know how to properly dispose of the rubble.

Russellville Clerk-Treasurer DeVon Davis has been working the phones for more than a month searching for someone to do the tests, but still has not found an acceptable service.

"I can't get anybody to call back," Davis said.

Davis has been searching for public and state resources to get the tests done, but now it appears a state-run agency, if the town can find one, will test the samples.

"No state agency wants to take the initiative to do anything," Council President Don Reddish said. "As soon as we get that, it will be coming down."

Davis said she has been told she can take samples herself, following a specified protocol, but those results would not be returned for six to eight weeks.

There was a brief concern that testing would raise costs even further, but Bill Horn, a representative for Indiana Municipal Insurance Program, corrected the council, stating that the test would be covered with their policy.

Horn was at the meeting because he presented he council with a bid for Johnson Malott & Williamson to be the town's insurance carrier.

JMW has represented the town for three years already, but its contract is up on July 6.

Lee Fordice presented a bid for HBG Insurace & Bonds.

The policies have very similar coverages and the council will consider each before making a decision on Monday, June 25 at a special 7 p.m. meeting.

"We've always been pretty well satisfied. We never had any complaints (with JMW)," Reddish said. "That doesn't mean we can't change."

The final bids will be different from those presented on Monday because HBG and JMW had different town properties factored in.

In other news Putnam County Highway moved up its construction date and repaved a number of roads that lead into and through town.

Initially it was believed these roads would be repaved after the water project is completed this fall.

"It sure needed it, and we appreciate it," Reddish said.

Another Putnam County service shared its generosity with the town as the Putnam County Sheriff's Department donated a used police cruiser.

The car is in need of some repairs and aesthetic work, though that should be covered within the police budget.

The car is already loaded with necessary equipment.

"I went in there and acted real pitiful," Town Marshal Mike Biggs said. "They left the 800 (Mhz police) radio in it and the lights in it."

The town also passed an ordinance to ban nepotism and renewed its contract with the Russellville volunteer fire department.

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  • Residents can thank County Commissioner Beck for choosing to invest Hazardous Waste funds to improve road conditions in and around Russellville.

    -- Posted by kubotafan on Wed, Jun 20, 2012, at 6:27 PM
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