By GLEN WERLING
Members of the Ossian Town Council are considering granting a 7 percent pay increase for town employees for 2023.
Josh Barkley, Brad Pursley and Dennis Ealing discussed the matter Monday before Ealing reminded them that a vote could not be taken Monday night because he could not vote.
Since Jeff Kemper and Jason House were unable to attend Monday’s meeting and Ealing would have to abstain because his wife is the town’s clerk-treasurer, the council agreed to postpone action until a special meeting planned for later this month.
In other business, the council members:
• Learned from Ossian Fire Chief Ben Fenstermaker that, following an independent review by the Insurance Services Office, Ossian has been upgraded to a 5 for insurance rating, meaning that Ossian and Jefferson Township property owners should be experiencing a decrease in their fire insurance. Fenstermaker said that the fire rating had been a six for as long as he’s been fire chief. The rating will be evaluated again in three years. He credited Town Manager Luann Martin in assisting him with providing ISO the necessary information to perform its ratings study.
• Discussed with Fenstermaker the potential implications of Ossian/Jefferson Township joining either a fire district or a fire territory with Bluffton and Lancaster and Harrison townships. Ealing, who serves as the town council’s liaison to the fire department, agreed to explore the matter further as well as its potential ramifications on property taxes. Fenstermaker observed that it is becoming more and more difficult for any fire department to find volunteer firefighters, not just Ossian/Jefferson Township. Paid full-time firefighters, Barkley observed, may have to be the wave of the future. Barkley added that seeking the public’s input on the matter during a special public hearing needs to be a future consideration by the council.
• Learned from Fenstermaker that the part-time firefighting position has so far worked out well. November saw a substantial increase in service runs by the fire department, he observed. The department had been averaging 13 to 14 runs per month but in November experienced 43. There were a number of calls for mutual aid as well as field fires during the abnormally dry and windy month.
• Passed Resolution 22-12-2 recommending Do-Pass to the Wells County Area Plan Commission on Vision 2035, a revision of the APC’s comprehensive planning ordinance. The council agreed to accept Vision 2035 after it was amended to include language that Ossian officials will be involved in any discussions of a potential four-laning project for Ind. 1.
• Passed Resolution 22-12-3 approving of a resolution adopted by the Ossian Redevelopment Commission just prior to the start of the council meeting that establishes a 66-acre parcel on Ossian’s north side as a residential tax increment financing district.
The move is intended to help pave the way for further growth on the town’s north side.
In particular, the TIF district will cover an area to be developed by Kevan Biggs of Ideal Builders into a housing addition that will include single-family homes and single-family villas.
• Agreed to set 7 p.m. Jan. 9 for a public hearing to receive input from the public regarding the potential annexation of the 66 acres proposed for development into the town.
• Hired Sarah Reed to fill the utility clerk vacancy.
• Accepted the retirement of Ossian Police Chief David Rigney. Rigney was elected to the position of Lancaster Township Trustee in the November election and may not serve as police chief and trustee simultaneously.
• Accepted the resignations of Ossian Police Sgt. Stephanie Tucker and part-time police officer Dennis Fiscus. Tucker was elected to the Ossian Town Council in the November election and cannot serve on the council and remain a police officer.
The council members also granted Tucker’s request for certain pieces of personal equipment — such as her bullet-proof vest, boots and pink handcuffs. She was planning to pay for the items, but the council members agreed to just give them to her as many were tailored to her and they would likely not fit any new officer that would replace her.
The council also recognized Tucker for her years of service to Ossian with a plaque presented by Police Commissioner Bob Miller.
• Approved purchasing six new desktop computers from Stylus Technologies of Bluffton for the Ossian Police Department at a cost of $4,599, and in-car camera systems to replace the department’s obsolete in-car camera systems at a cost of $43,400 Motorola Solutions of Fort Wayne.
The vote was 2 to 1 with Pursley voting against the purchase — primarily the computer tower purchase. Since the town is down to one full-time officer, Pursley questioned the need to replace all of the computer towers now.
Police Commissioner Caleb Chichester said that the town hopes to be able to fill the vacancies in the full-time force before the end of 2023 and it just made sense to replace them all at once.
• Learned from Chichester that the commissioners are working on the solution for an interim police chief and have two applicants they are considering to fill the chief’s position.
• Approved participating — once again — in the Association of Indiana Counties’ Tax Refund Exchange and Compliance System delinquent utility bill collection program. TRECS allows the town, through its attorney, to garnish delinquent bill payers’ income tax refunds.
• Heard a citizen request for a stronger town ordinance dealing with potentially nuisance and/or dangerous animals. A pitbull named Hades in the 300 block of West Mill St., the woman observed, has been attacking other dogs and harassing people in the neighborhood. Barkley explained that the town attorney is working on creating an ordinance that will address potentially dangerous and/or nuisance animals.
• Approved a high bid of $1,100 from Eric Simerman for the town’s surplus police vehicle. The only other bid for the vehicle, which is in need of repairs, was from Ringwood Motors of Ringwood, Ill., for $880.
• Approved a pavement assessment and boring program for 2023, a necessary step in the application process for Indiana Community Crossing Grant funds. The plans are to pave West LaFever Street from Jefferson Street to Ogden Street, all of Hickory Lane and all of Homestead Avenue in 2023 and as much of Davis Road as $1 million will buy in 2024. The cost of performing the borings will be $9,700 for LaFever, Hickory and Homestead and an amount not exceed $3,965 for Davis Road.
• Approved utility adjustments $97.66 and $460 for utility customers who met the town’s criteria for an adjustment in their water bills. The council delayed action on a third request because a final total has not yet been tallied for that customer. The council members also reviewed but took no action on updating the criteria for meriting a utility adjustment.
• Approved retaining the Huntington-based lawfirm of Hartburg, Roth, Garrott, Haverstadt and Garrett as the town’s attorney for 2023.
• Approved retaining Engineering Resources as the town engineer for 2023.
• Appointed for 2023: Gene Donaghy as the Northern Wells Community Schools Board representative on the Ossian Redevelopment Commission; Ealing as the council’s liaison to the Ossian/Jefferson Township Fire Department, Bill Dowty as the town’s representative on the Wells County Board of Zoning Appeals, Ealing as the council’s representative on the Ossian Metropolitan Board of Police Commissioners, Melissa Woodworth as the town’s representative on the Wells County Area Plan Commission, Barkley as the council’s representative on the Wells County Economic Development Council, Town Manager Luann Martin as the town’s representative on the Wells County Chamber of Commerce, Jason House as the council’s representative on the Ossian Stormwater Management Board, and Tucker as the council’s representative on the Ossian-Jefferson Township Park Board.
• Delayed action on replacing the town’s 17-year-old side-by-side utility vehicle in order to review the prices of the three different vehicles as well as the ability to attach blades and brooms to the potential offerings.
glenw@news-banner.com
