MENTONE - Topics ranging from condemnation, speeding and a beer tent all were covered at the Mentone Town Council meeting Monday night.
Council President Tim Croy asked town attorney Larry Beeson how the town can condemn a house that people live in. Beeson said it's the same procedure as any other.
Croy said the house at 412 Broadway St. is not even suitable for pets to live in. "It's getting real bad," he said.
Jack Simpson, councilman, said the porch is just loaded with junk.Even the yard looks like "crap," Croy said. There used to be a front porch, but now it's "just gone."
Town Marshal Jim Eads said he can't get the residents to mow their lawn. He called the health department on the house, too.
Clerk-treasurer Barb Ross said it is one of the worst houses in town with people living in it.
Amy Dickerhoff asked the council about lowering the speed limit on South Ind. 19. She said people come in from the south going at least 50 miles per hour, and that is a concern.
She said she contacted the state highway department, but they told her to talk to the town council about it. "I'm not sure what to do next," Dickerhoff said.
Utilities Superintendent Eric Carlin said he will be at the state highway garage Wednesday. He will ask them about it then.
Croy said they will look into it and will see if anything can be done regarding reducing the speed on Ind. 19.
If Tim Carter, owner of the Bulldog Saloon, has a beer tent at the Mentone Egg Festival Friday and Saturday, it may not be legal.
Beeson said Carter has to get signed permission from Eads and the town board, then the application has to be sent in to the state 15 days before the event. Carter has not done that, Beeson said.
At the May meeting, Croy said, they told Carter the town was staying out of it and were not going to support it.
Beeson said the alcohol permit flatly states the applicant needs approval from the town.
Eads said the matter is in the state excise police's hands. If they gave Carter a permit, then it's their fault.
Croy said he doesn't want to see Carter get in trouble over it.
Carter was not present at Monday night's meeting.
In other business:
n Eads said the new police department reserve is Jerimy Biltz. Coming from Fulton County, Biltz already has attended the reserve academy and is certified in many areas.
An employee of Louis-Dreyfus, Biltz lives in Akron with his wife, who is a teacher's assistant at Akron Elementary School.
n Carlin requested to purchase a snow plow for the 1998 dump truck for $5,047. The bid was from W.A. Jones, and the request was tabled from the May meeting. The council approved the purchase.
n Ross said the council needs to set its budget meeting. Per Ross's request, the budget hearing was set for July 6 after the regular meeting.
n Eads reported he issued about 35 to 40 warnings to residents about their yards. He said they had pretty good success with compliance. However, Eads said, there are four or five properties in town "we just can't do nothing with."
In another matter, Eads said he issued a man an ordinance violation ticket in 2007 that was never paid. The family moved to another Mentone residence, and the same problem is occurring at the new residence. Eads said the man told him to write him another ticket. Eads said he'd like to take the matter to court and bring up the 2007 ticket.
Town attorney Larry Beeson suggested Eads write the man another ticket and if it doesn't get paid, they can take that one to court. Beeson said he'd rather go to court on the new one then the 18-month-old ticket.
Eads said he will issue the man a new one, and if it doesn't get paid, he will contact Beeson.
n Eads said two of the police department's Centennial cell phone contracts expire June 13. He requested to switch to Verizon. While Verizon will be about $6 more per month, Eads said the service and charges will be better. The council approved the switch.
