Fillmore Town Council selects Kristy Jerrell for grant work

Friday, May 3, 2019

FILLMORE -- With road improvements waiting in the wings, the Fillmore Town Council took another step in efforts to address water issues and business development Thursday evening.

One item on a varied agenda considered during its May monthly meeting, the council selected Kristy Jerrell of Jerrell Consulting to administer grants through the Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) and the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.

Based in Terre Haute, Jerrell has worked with the town on previous projects, including a disaster recovery grant in 2012 that looked at water issues such as flooding. She has assisted the towns of Bainbridge, Cloverdale, Roachdale and Reelsville on similar initiatives.

Council members agreed Jerrell understood Fillmore’s needs, and approved her as its grant administrator on account of her familiarity with the town and her previous work.

The town plans to apply for planning grants through OCRA and CDBG, which could include a master utility study that would allow for a comprehensive survey of Fillmore’s water and sewage systems.

In his monthly report, Town Marshal Darrel Bunten said the dash lights had gone out in his Dodge Charger patrol car, and would need to be fixed as soon as possible. He also said its winter tires would eventually need to be replaced this summer with road ones, and could be purchased and swapped at state bid prices through Hendershot’s Service Center.

Town Maintenance Director Joe Cash said in his report that a “no parking” sign had been put up near the fire hydrant in front of Fillmore Elementary School, but that it needed to be painted. The council also approved a request to purchase 40 new water meters at a cost of $4,000. Cash provided that he could install 10 meters a month in order to sync them with regular water readings.

In other business, Clerk-Treasurer Jayna Haldeman requested that an adjustment be made to a customer’s next water bill due to a significant water leak. She related that the resident had been gone from home for three months due to medical issues, only to then discover the leak underneath a sink.

Haldeman said the leak had exceeded 20,000 gallons, putting the billing for the wasted water over a threshold of $200. Council member Robin Duncan provided that a specific adjustment could be made given that the resident is handicapped, but was unsure of any particular guidelines. The council agreed that an adjustment needed to be made, but tabled Haldeman’s request to investigate the issue further.

The next regular meeting of the Fillmore Town Council is scheduled for Thursday, June 6 at 7 p.m. in the Fillmore Town Hall.

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