Cloverdale Town Council sees big gains in 2015

CLOVERDALE -- The Cloverdale Town Council ended the year on a good note after seeing positive trends in the town budget.

"There is a gain on everything we've done," Clerk-Treasurer Cheryl Galloway said, going on to explain that the town's total funds have increased to $2 million since 2012, a time when Cloverdale was running on a deficit.

"We keep growing and doing things to improve the town," she added. "We've put in new blacktop; we've renovated the town hall; we're putting in sidewalks next year. I'm just so proud of the team effort that everybody has done to stay within our budget so we can grow and do more."

With the town budget being in the black, Cloverdale can begin paying for improvements itself rather than relying on bonds.

"I've been on the council 10 years and I've never seen a report like this," Vice President Don Sublett said. "Positive gains, positive money; it took the whole town working together and doing a good job of managing the money."

In particular, improvements to the town's inflow and infiltration (leaky pipes, stormwater) systems will mean Cloverdale can "get out from under" IDEM, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, which put a stopper on growth until these changes are made. Cloverdale has now made enough progress that IDEM will allow growth to occur, within limits.

"We've come a long, long way," President Coweta Patton said. "We have a lot to be proud of. We're not in debt for anything except the bonds for the sewer plant and water, and that should be paid off, if nothing happens, in 2027. We've never been this out of debt."

However, William Fowler, a Cloverdale resident for 11 years, came forward to ask why his water bill has gone up 70 percent in a month and why there is a charge for a fire hydrant in his bill when the closest one is a mile away.

"It's very expensive to live here compared to other areas," he said. "I think we all need to be concentrating on growth, but also on having realistic fees."

Town Manager Wayne Galloway explained that the hydrant charge was to eventually put a fire hydrant near Fowler's property. President Patton also said that it was either raise the rates or the state would take over Cloverdale's utilities, and that these cost structures help pay for the town's bonds. Clerk-Treasurer Galloway later said that they were actually able to lower rates as soon as the budget was positive, but that those rates won't go down further until the bonds are paid and more residents move in.

"It has taken us four years to get the solid foundation," Patton said. "People don't see the work that we're doing down at the (wastewater) plant, so they don't think we're doing anything. But those are the foundations we've got to make solid before we can start seeing the roads and sidewalks."

Clerk-Treasurer Galloway jumped in.

"So we need to clean up our homes, our streets; we need to put in sidewalks, or people aren't going to live here. That's why we're so excited about staying in our budget because now we can put in sidewalks. We need more townspeople to get involved. If it's over my dead body this town is going to shine."

More progress on improving the inflow and infiltration systems is expected for 2016, Clerk-Treasurer Galloway said, as the council was able to save $300,000 from their budget. She also noted that the waste water treatment plant has seen improvements that will allow Cloverdale to do for themselves what they have been paying Baker's Septic Services Inc. to do.

In other developments:

*Don Sublett was sworn in as Vice President, while Larry Fidler and Gary Bennington were sworn in as members.

* The council discussed their goals for the coming year, naming re-paving the streets from Market St. to the bridge and, if there's money left over, sidewalks going outward from the school at least to Logan St. The council would like to put in sidewalks along Lafayette St. as well, but says it will go door-to-door for residents' approval first.

* Council Member Gary Bennington said that he would like to see advertisements designed to draw in new residents to the available homes in the area. Clerk-Treasurer Galloway reported that Laura Hatten, a contractor for the town, is currently posting pictures of the homes and business buildings on Facebook for that purpose.

* President Patton brought up the issue of kids turning off the recording feature on cameras at local parks. "It's such a shame," she said. "We have such a nice park and then kids go in there and tear it up."

* Town Manager Galloway reported that 42 signs were vandalized over Christmas. Galloway suggested offering a reward for information regarding who might have done it. He and Chief of Police Mike Clark also called for the public's help in alerting the Cloverdale Police Department letting them know when these things are going on, even using cell phones to record perpetrators in the act. Each sign costs $300.

* Clerk-Treasurer Galloway said that Hatten would like to broadcast the Council Redevelopment and Park Meeting for the general public. The council tabled the idea, asking about costs and potential providers.

* The council unanimously passed Resolution 2015-11: Resolution for Special Utility Service Call, which will permit residents two downloads and two leak checks a year before charging a $50 fee thereafter. This comes after Town Manager Galloway reported that there are too many services rendered for residents who don't need them.