Etna Green Gains A New Town Hall, Loses Clerk-Treasurer In The Process
Etna Green Gains A New Town Hall, Loses Clerk-Treasurer In The Process
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Dan Spalding-dspalding@timesuniononline.com
Etna Green Gains A New Town Hall, Loses Clerk-Treasurer In The ProcessSome significant changes await the town of Etna Green with the arrival of the new year.
First and foremost, town employees will begin transitioning into a new town hall, moving from their office in the fire station to the former Interra Credit Union building at the corner of Walnut Street and Ind. 19.
The bank building – once known as the Etna Bank – was acquired by the town earlier this month at a town council meeting for $115,000.
The town will close on the sale Monday, according to clerk-treasurer Laura Baker.
Baker was unsure how soon the town will be able to move into building, but she said the only renovations that are needed involve new carpet and installation of two new doors.
The change will provide the town a meeting room, more space for record keeping and a council chambers for town meetings.
But when town employees settle into their building, they’ll be doing it without Baker, who has worked as clerk-treasurer for 23 years.
Baker announced her resignation shortly after the town voted to move forward with its purchase. She said Friday that consternation during the debate was a factor in her decision to leave.
She said she has accepted an offer to work as a school secretary and transportation director for Triton School Corp.
“For the most part, I?absolutely loved the job, but sometimes the comments and things people say or do become very personal and it gets to the point where ... you’re done with that,” Baker said.
“The comments concerning the bank building were hard,” she said. “I’m ready to do something different.”
Those who gathered a petition against the purchase had not been attending council meetings and did not understand some of the circumstances, Baker said.
She said the town will be using Economic Development Income Tax funds and some utility money to cover the purchase cost.
“Our cash basis is good. Purchasing the building is not going to affect the tax rate or utility rate at all. We have the cash to pay for it,” Baker said.
Interra Credit Union closed the bank on Aug. 31, leaving the town without a bank branch.
Baker said she contacted six banks and even lobbied representatives of Interra in hopes of looking at options.
“I?really did my best. I?did my due diligence to keep a bank in Etna Green,” Baker said.
Meanwhile, the process to replace Baker is underway. Kosciusko County Republican Chairman Mike Ragan will soon be seeking a replacement to serve the remaining two years of Baker’s four-year term.
“I’ve heard nothing but great things about her and it’s too bad that it happened this way,” Ragan said.
The normal caucus procedure to fill the vacancy will be a little different because there is only one precinct committee person, Steve Sechrist, who lives within the town limits.
Since there are not two or more precinct committee people to form a caucus and choose a replacement, the decision reverts to the chairman.
Regardless, Ragan said he will confer with Sechrist on the decision.
Ragan said he will seek applicants for the position and then confer with Sechrist.
He said he hopes to fill the position by the end of December.
Ragan said he will issue a press release detailing the process early next week.
Contrary to an earlier article in the Times-Union, Baker said town officials were not caught off guard by her announcement at the Nov. 13 town council meeting. She said she told council members and the town attorney of her plans ahead of time.
She said plans to finish record keeping for the month of December and has offered to assist with new clerk-treasurer.
“Integrity tells me I?need to do my best,” she said.
