Russellville returning to town hall?

RUSSELLVILLE -- After months of confusion and back-and-forth with insurance, the offices of the clerk-treasurer and the town marshal could soon move back into the Russellville Town Hall.

During the Russellville Town Council’s regular meeting Tuesday evening, Clerk-Treasurer Martha Mandleco said the town hall had been ruled as safe by an independent structural engineer.

Mandleco related that the structural engineer, based out of Terre Haute, visited the site at the beginning of this month. It was specifically asked whether the town hall had been built separate from the buildings next to it.

According to Mandleco, the structural engineer found an anchor on the south side of the town hall, meaning that it was separate and not compromised by damage sustained by adjacent properties on the east side of Harrison Street.

As such, the structural engineer pronounced the town hall as being safe.

Mandleco said she was told by the structural engineer that a letter to be submitted soon could override the determination made by Don Hatfield of Putnam County Planning and Zoning in March regarding the building’s safety.

The town hall was condemned after the roof of an adjacent property fell in due to high winds late last February. Hatfield stated in a letter to the Putnam County Commissioners that “the town hall is structurally impaired and no longer fit for human occupancy.”

“The trusses are rotted, the floor joists are rotted and the bricks are popping,” Hatfield told the Banner Graphic. “It’s been unsafe for a long time, and it was only a matter of time before it had to be condemned.”

Since the condemnation, the town’s insurance has said damages to the town hall could not be covered. This is because it did not suffer a “direct hit” by the high winds which caused the nearby collapse, as well as the collapse of facades along Main Street in Cloverdale.

Mandleco and the council have previously expressed frustration with the provider due to a lack of communication and clarity concerning the extent of any damage.

The council also briefly discussed its contract with the stewards of the Russellville Community Center. After considerable conversation about unclear verbiage and requirements during last month’s session, the council affirmed the body’s review of its board of directors Tuesday.

Acknowledging that the confusion and miscommunication surrounding the initial draft was essentially cleared up, the council expressed eagerness to have the contract finally signed. Town Attorney Stu Weliever said he would finalize the document and circulate it to both parties soon.

Without any further discussion or comments from the public, the council passed an ordinance approving the town’s budget for 2020 after waiving its second reading.

The council also approved an ordinance to set trick-or-treat hours from 6-8 p.m. for this upcoming Halloween.

Lastly, Mandleco related that Jason Hartman, who has been working with the town on administering a stormwater planning grant through the Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA), told her the grant application was almost complete.

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