ETNA GREEN – Town council heard a proposal for a fire protection surcharge Tuesday, which Umbaugh and Assoc. representatives said will save $40,000 from the general fund. John Julien and Pooja Shrestha with Umbaugh outlined the surcharge, which they said could be phased in over three years to start covering half the yearly hydrant rental and eventually cost the average utility customer $12.41 per month. Etna Green currently pays $763 a year for each of its 52 fire hydrants to cover water used by the Etna Township Volunteer Fire Department. Since the money is transfered from the general fund, hydrants are effectively paid for through property taxes. Julien said a surcharge would free up that tax money for other uses. He also noted that state law allows but does not require the surcharge, which he has presented to many towns in recent months. “It’s driven by how much strain you want to be under in the general fund,” he told council. “The majority of communities are doing this, they’re probably going with a user fee because of the strain on the general fund. If you’re not feeling that yet here, you could revisit this.” It’s up to Etna Green how much they might want to spread out phasing in a surcharge, and he said they could go back and change or eliminate the charge after implementation. Council member Jim Robbins expresses reservation at the $12.41 fee. “I don’t have a problem with $6 a month, but I initially thought it would be less (than $12),” he said. He also asked Clerk-Treasurer Laura Baker if she has any indication from the state of future increases or decreases in revenue. “Not anything specific, but I know it’s going backwards, not forwards,” she responded. “It’s gone down 15 percent each year. We’ve always had good cashflow (but) it’s nibbled away at it over the years.” Robbins later moved to proceed on the surcharge proposal, which will mean a vote on an amendment to the town rate ordinance and a public hearing before it would be enacted. Council also approved two ordinances Tuesday, one splitting the weed and garbage ordinance into two rules and one barring residents from owning roosters within town limits. The new weed law allows the town street superintendent to have the town remove nuisance weeds 10 days after issuing a warning and bill the property owner for the cleanup cost through the tax roll. The law gives the street super discretion to give an extension for yard cleanup or present the issue to council for further action. The rooster law bars residents within town limits from owning roosters as part of their six-chicken allotment, a change town officials noted was spurred by noise complaints and the high chance of mixed rooster and hen ownership resulting in going over the limit. Existing roosters will be grandfathered in under the rule change, Baker noted, but they can’t be replaced once they die. Also during the meeting, council members: • Passed the 2014 budget of $338,774, and heard that a salary ordinance and additional appropriations of $12,000 for the Economic Development Income Tax Fund will be presented next month. • Decided to put the town’s old dump truck with snow plow up for auction and will open bids at the next meeting. • Heard that hydrant flushing will be next week on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and large trash pickup will be Tuesday and Oct. 22. Residents can call the town hall at 574-858-9321 with questions. • Heard that trick-or-treat hours are Oct. 31 from 5:30 to 7 p.m., so kids can participate in Bourbon events as well.
