LEESBURG - Residents of Leesburg who want to have a fire on their property should check the town's new burn ordinance.
Monday night at its regular meeting, the Leesburg Town Council approved the first reading of an ordinance regarding burning inside the town's limits.
According to the ordinance, all open burning is prohibited within the city limits. However, the occasional use of charcoal, gas or other forms of cooking are not prohibited or limited by the ban. Recreational fires, such as campfires, are not prohibited except between the hours of 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Those who violate the ordinance can be fined up to $25 for the first offense and up to $25 for additional violations. The fine is not to exceed a total of $150.
After the burn ordinance was approved, board member Larry Richey asked if the town should have a code enforcement officer.
Town attorney Vern Landis said he would look into the town's provision for a code enforcement officer and make sure it is up to the Indiana code. The issue will be revisited at the next meeting.
In other business, the council:
n Heard concerns from town resident Steve Wood. Wood said he received a sewer bill for an apartment above the post office that has never been billed before. Wood also said when the sewer bills were proposed, he was told that the apartment would not receive a separate sewer bill.
When Wood received the first bill, it was for two months. He asked who decided to start billing the apartment and why the statement had charges for two billings.
"I made the decision based on information from Umbaugh (and Associates, the company that determined the billing for the sewer system)," said Jan Carter, clerk-treasurer.
Board member Tom Moore said the billing rules are the same as when the sewer started.
Then Wood asked why the statement had charges for two months on it when it was the first one he received.
"Maybe yours got lost. This is your second bill," Carter said.
Then Wood asked about the truck purchased by the town with money from the sewer and why it was being used for all town business.
"It was set up for a sewer superintendent, which we do not have," Wood said.
"And there never will be," Moore said, adding that the town can use the truck as it sees fit.
Wood also said the truck is now set up in a way that is "abusing the equipment" and voiced his concern with the way the truck is being used.
n Tonya Wood asked when the minutes from town meetings would be on the town's website. Council member Doug Jones told her that he didn't want to bother Carter while she was working on the budget, so he did not ask her for copies of the minutes.
Jones said the minutes were not a priority like the budget was, and minutes will be on the website eventually.
n Heard that the "grease," which is made up of toilet paper, soap scum and other residue, needs to be removed from the lift station. According to Derek Tenney, of Tenney and Sons, the grease should be removed every three to four months.
n Heard the storm water project is moving along and is on or ahead of schedule. Some street paving has started and pipes are being installed. One change to the original plans had to be made at the intersection of Harrison and Van Buren streets because of a change in soils in that area.
n Decided to sell two unused vehicles that belong to the town. Sealed bids for a 1995 red GMC pickup and a 1989 GMC C3500 street sweeper will be accepted in the clerk-treasurer's office until 4 p.m. Nov. 1. Bids will be opened at the Nov. 8 meeting.
n Set trick-or-treat hours for Oct. 30 from 6 to 8 p.m.
