Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
BURKET – Burket Town Council talked Thursday about several projects.
The first item they discussed was livestreaming of town council meetings.
In 2023, the Indiana General Assembly adopted HEA 1167-2023, which created a new statutory section within the Open Door Law. The statute requires certain local and state entities to live broadcast all public meetings, keep a copy of the recording and archive those recordings on their website for not less than 90 days. That statute was subsequently amended and went into effect July 1.
The council did not livestream their July 10 meeting. During a special meeting July 31, the council approved purchasing equipment to record their meetings.
During Thursday’s meeting, Street Superintendent Brad Bibler said the town got a webcam and the free downloaded software to make the camera work. They were also livestreaming to YouTube channel townofburket.
Bibler also updated the council on some other projects.
Work on the railroad crossing on Walnut Street has been completed. The railroad company has put in new rails and redid the crossings.
During July 10’s meeting, Bibler said he contacted the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office about possibly getting a moveable speed limit sign and putting it up on Center Street. Thursday, he said the moveable speed limit sign was put up on CR 700 instead of Center Street.
“So he lets it run for two weeks, the battery goes dead then they go retrieve it. I will get back with him to make sure it does get put out on Center Street,” he said.
Council President Bill Rayburn said he heard from several people there is an officer sitting and watching speeds.
Bibler said all stop signs and posts that were missing have been put up. He did see one stop sign was broken off in town that wasn’t on his list to take care of, so “it’s kind of an emergency thing, but all the others have been replaced and put up.” He is currently out of signs and posts. Rayburn told Bibler to let the council know what he needed.
Rayburn suggested Bibler think about putting a 25 mph speed limit sign by Burket Educational Center and then putting a 30 mph sign outside of the school zone.
Bibler also has talked to Michiana Area Council of Governments and MACOG is getting Burket in line to look at their Pavement Surface Evaluation and Rating report “and that should be taken care of shortly.”
Rayburn said once the town gets that back, they have to send Purdue University the town’s five-year road plan.
Bibler said he called Phend & Brown about them fixing some cracks on the roads about three weeks ago and has not heard back from them. Resident Marvin McClone said the council has been talking about the cracks for several months. Rayburn said they are working on it.
McClone said with the cracks, that’s where a town attorney would do the town a lot of good. Rayburn said he wanted the town to make contact with Phend & Brown and “if they want to do something voluntarily, that’s what I would want to see.” If the town doesn’t get contact, and if an attorney needs to get involved, then they will do that. “But I want to at least make contact on a friendly basis first,” Rayburn said, noting he’s sorry McClone thinks it’s been too long to get it taken care of, but “everybody’s been getting some things done.”
McClone said it was a lot of money to get the streets done and it’ll be winter soon and had concerns the work wouldn’t get done.
Rayburn said the council will work on it.
In other business, the council:
• Heard from a resident who recently had her yard cleaned up. Complaints were discussed about wood from a shed on her property. She said she planned on cleaning up her yard because she wanted to make her yard look nice. She said she cleaned it up for herself, not for the town or the council. She said her neighbor kept bringing up the wood from the shed in her yard but didn’t come talk to her about it.
• Heard from Bibler that a resident approached him about some trees that had overgrown into an alley into some NIPSCO lines. Bibler called NIPSCO and they’re going to send someone out and follow up with the trimming of the trees.
• Heard from Clerk-Treasurer Katina Webb she will be asking for help from some area clerk-treasurers to help put together Burket’s 2026 budget.
• Heard Webb received a call about an ordinance violation regarding cars at a property without license plates.
Webb said she called the person back several times and left a voicemail message. She told the property owner to call her back and gave them Rayburn’s number if they wanted to talk directly with him. Webb also informed them of Thursday’s meeting in the voicemail. She said she never received anything indicating they accepted the certified violation letter.
