Cloverdale opting into new comprehensive plan

CLOVERDALE — With the county continuing work on revamping its comprehensive plan, Cloverdale is to be included in the effort moving forward.

Hearing from County Planning Director Lisa Zeiner about the town’s options as a municipality with its own planning and zoning standards, the Cloverdale Town Council consented to opt into the new plan at its regular meeting Tuesday evening.

Interest in the plan being signaled by the council previously, the move entails Cloverdale having its own dedicated section included in the plan at a cost of $12,000. Meanwhile, there would be no additional fee in terms of setting out zoning.

Opting into the plan with a specific section is one of three options available. The others include opting in without a specific section at no cost, as well as not opting into the plan at all.

Included with the opting in is establishing a unified development ordinance (UDO), through which the county would administer a town’s planning and zoning and enforce building codes. This said, Cloverdale would keep its existing boards, and they and the council would make final decisions.

“You would keep your planning commission and your BZA (board of zoning appeals),” Zeiner said, “but all the paperwork, all the legwork and documentation would come through our office.”

The Putnam County Commissioners signed a contract with HWC Engineering earlier this year for the firm to oversee the new plan. Each participating town’s $12,000 for its specific section would go toward the cost of HWC’s services.

Town Manager Jason Hartman noted that HWC reviewed the town’s zoning ordinance about a year-and-a-half ago, in which extensively updating that code was to cost $50,000.

Zeiner said the county’s administering of the town’s zoning would not begin until the comprehensive plan and UDO would be adopted sometime next year. She has expressed hope that the process will be completed next spring.

The comprehensive plan was last updated in 2008, while a new zoning ordinance is to replace the county’s current one which was adopted in 1992.

In other business:

• The council approved for former K-9 Argo to go to Cloverdale K-9 Officer Sam Fogle as the dog’s handler. Argo was retired recently due to complications from allergic pneumonitis.

It was agreed that this was preferable to selling the dog elsewhere for protection or specific police work, as this could raise liability issues. Meanwhile, Fogle is handling K-9 Baz as Argo’s replacement.

• Hartman said he had recently met with engineers from HWC and the Indiana Department of Transportation about the planned widening project on U.S. 231 at County Road 800 South. He said they came to a verbal agreement for INDOT to assist with the cost of relocating sewer and water mains currently there.

Hartman noted that the project to move the mains has come to $1.06 million, in which the town is determining if funds through the Indiana Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI) can be used.

• The council approved an agreement with the Clear Creek Conservancy District (Heritage Lake) to “trade” the town’s allocated $331,796 through READI for the former’s allotment of $518,000 through the American Rescue Plan Act. The move is related to repairs for Bennington Way, the former private drive next to the Cloverdale McDonald’s.

Hartman explained that the state did not recognize READI funding as eligible for the town’s 25-percent local match through Community Crossings, which recently awarded $968,410.50 for the project.

Otherwise, Hartman said the final design for the road should be approved next month, after which the project would go to bid.

• The council agreed to sign an agreed order with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) with regard to wastewater overflow issues between 2018 and 2019. It was noted that the concerns listed in the order are to be fixed with the town’s wider wastewater improvement project.

The order came with a penalty of $2,900, both of which Hartman and Town Attorney Richard Shagley provided was generous, given the timing and compared to previous issuances from IDEM.

• Council President Larry Fidler made three reappointments between two town boards. Scott Bailey and David Fish will remain on the redevelopment authority board, while Bailey will renew another term on the redevelopment commission. These terms are for one year.

• The council conducted its second readings of and passed ordinances 2022-14 and 2022-15 for unrestricted and restricted funds, respectively, to hold money from settlements the town opted into concerning opioids.

• The council held its second reading and passed Ordinance 2022-17 noting the salaries and wages for town employees for 2023.

• The council passed Resolution 2022-12 outlining additional paid time off for some Cloverdale police officers. Clerk-Treasurer Kelly Maners noted that this was in lieu of giving them a “substantial” raise this year.

• The council approved an updated version of the town’s flood hazard ordinance. The only change was noting the county’s planning and zoning office as the floodplain administrator, rather than a building inspector as it was previously.

Town Marshal Steve Hibler joined Fidler, Hartman, Shagley, Maners and the rest of the council for the meeting.

The next regular meeting of the Cloverdale Town Council is set for Tuesday, Jan. 10 at 7 p.m. at the Cloverdale Town Hall.