PIERCETON — Pierceton Council President Glenn Hall opened dialogue Monday with the rest of the council by saying his priorities for the 2025 budget were infrastructure, police, fire and utilities.
The council discussed ways to implement a sidewalk repair program that homeowners could apply for. They said they would investigate the cost of concrete before the next town council meeting. The council also noted the importance of evaluating the timing of repairs so that newly-repaired sidewalks wouldn't need torn out for utility repairs.
Hall brought up an opportunity for a facade refurbish of the downtown buildings. The Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce said it would match $5,000 for the town of Pierceton to offer grants to shop owners. The council agreed to investigate how other Kosciusko County towns have implemented these grants.
Town Superintendent Casey Boggs stated that they are looking at a $10,000 budget to purchase a truck for the town. During this discussion, they mentioned at some point wanting to get a police car that would last longer. Hall said they did not receive the grant for an electric vehicle at Pierceton Police Department.
Boggs noted that NIPSCO recommended moving a pole located at the edge of Ind. 13. Boggs heard that it might require a year of planning for NIPSCO to make this change.
Another improvement Boggs said he'd like to save for is asphalt for the municipal parking lot. Hall noted that the cost for a local church to do a rough coat recently was $98,000. The council said they would get quotes, look into intermediate options and consider saving up for this improvement in the future.
Hall discussed the idea of implementing landmark-style signs at both entrances to the town. He recommended holding a contest for Kosciusko County members to create a new motto or slogan for Pierceton. Boggs added that there could be another category of the contest for designing the sign itself. Council Member Chauncey Smith suggested that surrounding high school art students should participate. The council agreed there should be good prizes for winning.
The council also discussed raises for town employees. Clerk-Treasurer Myra Mast said that she put in general raises for everyone, but the November performance reviews will determine exactly what those will be for each person. The council said they would review a spreadsheet that had the last four or five years of raise information to ensure they were fair.
Boggs said the town is also looking to hire a fourth person for the wastewater department.
In other business:
• Mast said that her priority was addressing unsafe buildings.
• Council briefly mentioned park services funds that are in motion to go toward a new pickleball court, among other improvements.
• Council discussed reallocating fire department resources to Washington Township. Council said they would talk to the township to see if it was interested in their fire trucks.
• Town attorney Tammy Keirn shared that Habitat for Humanity's Ben Logan was interested in properties owned by the town that could be set aside for future build sites. The council agreed he could speak at a future council meeting.