Russellville council considers building purchase

RUSSELLVILLE -- The Russellville Town Council addressed a variety of items on its agenda Tuesday evening.

However, one item concerning the purchase of property next to the town hall which was not on the written agenda occupied much of the council members’ attention.

Jason Hartman, former Bainbridge clerk-treasurer and a recently certified grant administrator, related that he had come across documentation that a neglected building downtown would go up for sale. More specifically, the property is scheduled to be sold in a certificate sale, which according to the Indiana Code normally takes place after a county tax sale.

The building’s location, which is at 213 S. Harrison St., is potentially significant. According to context provided by County Attorney Jim Ensley Thursday afternoon, unlike two other buildings at 219 and 215 Harrison St. which are being obtained by the county after a tax sale last fall, it is currently held by CQ Properties out of Indianapolis. To that, Hartman related that he had contacted the company, which consistently denied owning the building.

Both Hartman and the council debated whether the town should demonstrate intent to buy the property, especially given that Clerk-Treasurer Martha Mandleco noted that another entity had declared interest. Both felt that should the town obtain the property, it could easily be demolished to make way for parking or park space.

The council ultimately decided to send a letter to the Putnam County Commissioners and Ensley expressing its interest in the building. The certificate sale is set to take place next Tuesday at 10 a.m. at the Putnam County Courthouse inside the rotunda.

The council also considered how to repair a drainage issue that has recently manifested on Indiana Street. A resident who lives near the site told the council that the pipe currently installed in the roadway to drain rainwater is not large enough. He suggested that the road needs a six-inch pipe, rather than the four-inch pipe which has proven inadequate, as well as a new catch basin.

Both the resident and the council agreed that the repairs would need to be done soon before already planned construction can take place. Mandleco said they would cost around $3,000, similar to other drainage work that has recently been done.

After it opened the second meeting as the Russellville Water Board, the council heard input on a potential grant from the Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA). Hartman, who has been assisting the town in a consulting role, related that Russellville did not currently qualify for a grant addressing various water issues.

Hartman said a stipulation of the grant is that at least 50 percent of residents must earn what is considered a low-to-moderate income based on census data. Russellville’s population is designated below the threshold at about 46 percent. While he acknowledged Russellville’s need for improvements, Hartman recommended that an income study be done to get a more general count. Residents would not be obligated to disclose income information, but Hartman added that only a third of the town would have to be considered.

Given the timeline for conducting a study and submitting a grant, Hartman suggested the income study be done as soon as possible so that the potential application could be submitted by the last deadline in December. The council approved for it to be done.

Mandleco also said that while she was unable to attend a meeting regarding a new designation of the town as the Russellville Historic District last month, she said she had been notified that the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) had recently approved it. Mandleco said she had heard this information from Rose Wernicke, a local historian and historic preservation consultant who has previously worked with the Town of Roachdale on its own proposed designation.

In the other items on the agenda, the council also consented to the notice of bids for an upcoming Community Crossings project to repave roads through the town. They will be advertised on March 1 and 8, after which they will be opened at the next regular meeting on March 19. Mandleco said it was likely the project would be handled by HWC Engineering, which has undertaken prior similar projects in the area.

Mandleco also said there was no update on the removal of an old slide at the Russellville Community Center. Due to its age and perceived instability, the town’s overall insurer, Tokio Marine, sent a notice that the slide would have to be removed, and then taken as equipment surplus and opened to bids, with the winner assuming the hazards of dismantling it. Cary McGaughey said he would talk with the town’s agent, Robb Williamson, specifically about the removal soon.

The next regular meeting of the Russellville Town Council and Russellville Water Board is scheduled for Tuesday, March 19 at 7 p.m. in the Russellville Town Hall.