Cloverdale focuses on employee handbook, culvert, gutters

CLOVERDALE -- At the Cloverdale Utility Board/Town Council meeting Monday, the board set plans for a number of issues for future meetings regarding the town's employee handbook, a damaged culvert and gutters for a pole barn.

Cloverdale clerk/treasurer Cathleen Monaco asked the board to consider revising a portion of the employee handbook for increased clarity.

"I really think council needs to go through the employee handbook and get more descriptive in terms of what employees can and can't do in terms of benefit time and coming in late," Monaco said. "I would really appreciate if you did that so that when I do time cards I know what to do and how to pay them.

"There's nothing in the handbook that says when someone is out of benefit days, what we do," she said.

Board vice president Dennis Padgett said the last revision was in either 2008 or 2009, and changes were probably needed. Board president Cathy Tipton agreed.

"At the next meeting let's go ahead and mark it up from our drafts and see what we come up," Tipton said. "It does need some revisions, I will agree."

Interim utility manager Rich Saucerman talked with the board about adding gutters to the now finished pole barn, as well as other barns.

Saucerman presented one bid for $360 to put gutters around the structure, but wasn't sure on the specifics of that bid, since he talked with the person who gave the bid over the phone and they were not able to come look at the barn in time. Padgett suggested they table the issue for now, and asked Saucerman to get a more detailed bid, including gutter size and number of downspouts.

Saucerman said there was a culvert pipe on County Road 900 South that would likely need to be replaced.

"It's got a sinkhole that just appeared in the road and the culvert pipe is just no good. It's rusted out," Saucerman said.

There was some confusion as to who should take care of the road, as it is a county road. Tipton said the county won't repair the road, so it falls to them. Saucerman was made aware of the need the day of the meeting. The board held off on a vote until the next meeting, when Saucerman can bring a bid, but said it would fix the road and pipe.

Saucerman let the board know that someone had requested a sewer tap around Parker Place. Don Gedert of the redevelopment commission said they would need to make sure there were adequate check valves in the line, and to ensure there was proper engineering on such a project.

"I'm not an engineer, but I'm just telling you from a practical standpoint that when that big pump kicks on at the junction to pump the wastewater back into town it can overwhelm a smaller injection pump and backflow back into a residence," Gedert said.

The board eventually said the fee for the tap was $3,000, and would require an engineered plan.

Saucerman told the board he was in the process of getting a bid for radios for town vehicles, to be in compliance with a new national standard.

The board heard about two past-due accounts and heard legal suggestions from Yackey. They also issued an adjustment to the homeowner at 189 Lazy River Ct. for a leak that didn't go into the sewer for $73.63.

Saucerman brought up a water issue with weeds in a creek near West Street the town has previously cleaned. Saucerman asked if the town wanted to continue to clean the property. He made reference to another property, which prompted the property owner, who was in the audience, to speak up.

Tipton asked the citizen to calm down. When the man didn't calm down, the police were called and he was removed from the building without force.

Monaco said she was going to an IACT clerk-treasurer class in Indianapolis in late May to help with the town's new employee insurance. She also said there had been some miscommunication with the new IACT broker regarding the available rate for insurance, but that it was cleared up.

Monaco presented payroll for $19,051.20 and checks for $29,872.26 to the board, which was approved.