Mentone Adds Street, Peddler Ordinances
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David [email protected]
The first ordinance is concerning cuts into street and sidewalks. It states no person shall cut the surface of any public way without first obtaining a street cut permit. Applications are available at the clerk's office, and a $25 non-refundable fee is required.[[In-content Ad]]The street superintendent will measure the proposed cut and provide to the clerk's office an estimate of the cost of fixing the cut. The clerk will then issue a permit if the applicant pays a security deposit equal to 125 percent of the estimated restoration cost. If the applicant does not restore the cut, the applicant loses the security deposit.
The second ordinance requires any street peddler, hawker or other itinerant dealer in goods, wares and merchandise to pay for a license. Any Kosciusko County resident who pays taxes in the county is exempt. The license is $5 for each day it's to be used.
Councilman Roger Long asked if the Swan Ice Cream man was exempt from the ordinance. Town attorney Larry Beeson, who drew up the ordinances, said he was. The ordinance was approved by both councilmen present.
Beeson brought up the issue of diagonal parking in town on Broadway Street from Monroe up to Maple streets, and if a new ordinance should be formulated to address parking in town. If so, he asked how far north should the ordinance go and what kind of penalty did the council want for violators.
Town Marshall Jim Eads said his concern is parking on Jackson to Maple streets, and whether it's parallel or diagonal parking.
Tim Croy, council president, said they could have a range for parking fines from $1 to $25 based on the number of times a person is fined. Beeson said the town then would have to keep track of the number of offenses.
The police department doesn't issue a lot of parking tickets, Eads said. The biggest problem in town, he said, is renters parking on Main Street during the day.
"I think it would be better to set a flat fee," said Eads. If a person gets fined for 30 days in a row, that's 30 times the flat fee.
Beeson suggested a fine of $5 if a person pays the fine within five days. If the person doesn't pay the fine within 30 days, and they have to be taken to court, it would be $50. The board approved the rate.
In other business:
n May 9 will be spring clean-up day in Mentone.
n Two part-time employees will be hired for mowing of the two cemeteries and the park.
n Eads said it would cost about $2,926 for installation of handicapped buttons on the Mentone Community Emergency Services Building. The board approved for him to go forward with the purchase and installation of the buttons.
Also, Eads said the 911 emergency phone is installed and operational in the front foyer. Any person who needs emergency help can pick up the phone and it will automatically dial 911 to the dispatch center.
Eads also requested to purchase a third Taser for the police department, which was approved.
n The board approved Troy Burgess's request to pay for half of his sidewalk improvement at 307 N. Morgan St. Under the 50-50 sidewalk improvement program, the town will pay $430, Burgess will pay the other $430.
n Heard a presentation from Everett J. Prescott Inc. representatives Brad Smith, marketing, and Brian Reed, division manager, about EPJ's water meters and water meter systems.
Mentone Town Board members are Croy, Long and Jack Simpson, who was absent Monday. Their regular meetings are on the first Monday of every month at 6:30 p.m. in the emergency services building.
The first ordinance is concerning cuts into street and sidewalks. It states no person shall cut the surface of any public way without first obtaining a street cut permit. Applications are available at the clerk's office, and a $25 non-refundable fee is required.[[In-content Ad]]The street superintendent will measure the proposed cut and provide to the clerk's office an estimate of the cost of fixing the cut. The clerk will then issue a permit if the applicant pays a security deposit equal to 125 percent of the estimated restoration cost. If the applicant does not restore the cut, the applicant loses the security deposit.
The second ordinance requires any street peddler, hawker or other itinerant dealer in goods, wares and merchandise to pay for a license. Any Kosciusko County resident who pays taxes in the county is exempt. The license is $5 for each day it's to be used.
Councilman Roger Long asked if the Swan Ice Cream man was exempt from the ordinance. Town attorney Larry Beeson, who drew up the ordinances, said he was. The ordinance was approved by both councilmen present.
Beeson brought up the issue of diagonal parking in town on Broadway Street from Monroe up to Maple streets, and if a new ordinance should be formulated to address parking in town. If so, he asked how far north should the ordinance go and what kind of penalty did the council want for violators.
Town Marshall Jim Eads said his concern is parking on Jackson to Maple streets, and whether it's parallel or diagonal parking.
Tim Croy, council president, said they could have a range for parking fines from $1 to $25 based on the number of times a person is fined. Beeson said the town then would have to keep track of the number of offenses.
The police department doesn't issue a lot of parking tickets, Eads said. The biggest problem in town, he said, is renters parking on Main Street during the day.
"I think it would be better to set a flat fee," said Eads. If a person gets fined for 30 days in a row, that's 30 times the flat fee.
Beeson suggested a fine of $5 if a person pays the fine within five days. If the person doesn't pay the fine within 30 days, and they have to be taken to court, it would be $50. The board approved the rate.
In other business:
n May 9 will be spring clean-up day in Mentone.
n Two part-time employees will be hired for mowing of the two cemeteries and the park.
n Eads said it would cost about $2,926 for installation of handicapped buttons on the Mentone Community Emergency Services Building. The board approved for him to go forward with the purchase and installation of the buttons.
Also, Eads said the 911 emergency phone is installed and operational in the front foyer. Any person who needs emergency help can pick up the phone and it will automatically dial 911 to the dispatch center.
Eads also requested to purchase a third Taser for the police department, which was approved.
n The board approved Troy Burgess's request to pay for half of his sidewalk improvement at 307 N. Morgan St. Under the 50-50 sidewalk improvement program, the town will pay $430, Burgess will pay the other $430.
n Heard a presentation from Everett J. Prescott Inc. representatives Brad Smith, marketing, and Brian Reed, division manager, about EPJ's water meters and water meter systems.
Mentone Town Board members are Croy, Long and Jack Simpson, who was absent Monday. Their regular meetings are on the first Monday of every month at 6:30 p.m. in the emergency services building.
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