MENTONE – A deal so good, the Mentone Town Council told Town Marshal Jim Eads not to pass it up.
During the council meeting Monday night, Eads reminded the council that they’ve been talking about trading his 2005 vehicle off.
After shopping around, Rice Ford offered a $11,000 trade in for Eads’ truck. That would bring the cost of a new truck down to $18,835, he said.
“I want to proceed with getting a different truck ordered,” Eads said. “It will be about a twin of the vehicle I have now.”
“Eleven thousand dollars?” Councilwoman Jill Gross asked. “Give it to them now. Don’t let them renege.”
“Rice Ford stepped up and did good for us,” Eads responded.
Council President Tim Croy made the motion to allow Eads to proceed with the trade in of the 2005 and purchase of a new vehicle.
Gross asked Eads if it would be the same color as his current police truck.
“Yes,” he said. “It will be pretty much the same.” However, it won’t include the “topper.” That will have to be added on.
He said there is money left in this year’s budget so the town won’t have to take any money in next year’s budget to pay for the new vehicle.
Eads then introduced the police department’s new and fourth reserve. Will Deniston was with the Akron Police Department as a reserve for two years and full time for nine years. After a cop grant expired, Akron did not keep Deniston on. Eads said Deniston has been through the police academy.
Eads also reported deputy Terry Engstrand completed the Taser® instructors class. “We are now self-sufficient on that again,” Eads said. The Mentone Police Department can now offer a class to other departments.
Engstrand said the training was in Tipton. “It was a very good course,” he said.
Utilities Superintendent Josh Shepherd reported he got a price on fencing at the cemetery. He said they can do half of it now for $3,700 and maybe half next year.
The fencing will start at the brick pillar and go to the creek. It will be a total of 620 feet.
Shepherd said they looked at different options. The fencing will be a nice boundary for the edge of the cemetery, he said.
Then he said James Emmans wants to be the town’s engineer. Emmans would provide the town with 60 hours of his service a year for about $4,300.
This year, Shepherd reported, Emmans figures he’s spent 26 hours with Shepherd and not charged the town for his time.
Shepherd told the council to think about it, and no decision had to be made right away.
“He’s got a proposal I’ll let the rest of you look at,” Shepherd said. Croy already has seen it. “It’s something to think about. I would like to see him be our engineer.”
Shepherd reported there has still been flooding this year on North Franklin Street. Working with the county, Shepherd said the county agreed to do the work if the town paid for the design work. The cost was $3,500.
“It would have been foolish for us not to do that,” Shepherd said.
Leaf pick up should be completed by Nov. 21, Shepherd estimated.
The Economic Development Income Tax fund has about $41,730 in it for storm water. Shepherd said he will spend about $31,000 of that on redoing about 14 or 15 catch basins.
For the last order of business, Clerk-Treasurer Barb Ross told the council they had to sign nepotism papers for the state.
“This will be an obligation you will have every year,” she said.
