PIERCETON – With two new members making it an all-Democrat board, the Pierceton Town Council met for the first time in 2012.
New members Jim Bumbaugh and Ron Hall were introduced to those in attendance by incumbent Mandy Espinoza.
Much of the meeting was the council and residents discussing ways that the town can be better informed on when meetings are.
The discussion came about when resident Oliver Bernstein asked the newly constructed board whether or not they’d work on the town’s drainage issues.
Bernstein, at a previous meeting, has stated that his property has standing water and floods and that he sees more and more areas where the town is experiencing flooding.
Bernstein asked if state representatives could be contacted to help the town get money for a project.
Bernstein was told that one reason the town may have been denied a grant was the lack of public input on the project.
Several residents in the audience then said that the town has to be better informed of when the town board meets.
The town council meets the second Monday of every month at 6:30 p.m.
Bumbaugh suggested that the town ought to create a Facebook page or bring back a town website.
Pierceton police officer Matt Owens said the police Facebook page got more than 200 friends in two weeks.
Owens then said that, as town employees, they weren’t made aware of the town’s annual year-end meeting.
Owens was told that the meeting, while open to the public, isn’t open for public comment and all the town’s resolutions that have passed, like salary ordinances, had already been determined.
The year-end meeting was just to approve those resolutions and ordinances.
Bumbaugh said the town should try to get TV stations to send out alerts of when meetings are as well.
“We will try to do better to notify everyone of what is going on,” said Espinoza.
Joe Tierney, from GRW Engineers out of Indianapolis, gave the board an update on the town’s ongoing water system project.
Currently, upgrades are being made to the town’s treatment plant.
Tierney said another part of the project, a water line extension, has already been completed. The water line extension connected one part of the town’s water system to another.
The board approved a recommendation from Tierney to approve a payment to contractors for $77,839.
The project was funded, in part, by an Office of Community and Rural Affairs grant.
The Chamber of Commerce will host a community carry-in Jan. 17 at 6 p.m.
The event will be downstairs at the Old Depot in Pierceton.
Residents are asked to bring their own dish and silverware.
No reservations are required.
The carry-in will give residents a chance to discuss what residents would like to see happen in Pierceton.
For more information, call Chamber President Jim Townsend at 574-551-2255.
The chamber also will host a jazz and wine tasting Feb. 11 at the Depot.
Pierceton Town Marshal Tim Sammons told the council that the e-ticket system for the town’s police cars is ready to be rolled out but one laptop had to be replaced because of a hard drive issue.
Sammons also told the council that he has received interest from several individuals in becoming reserve officers.
Pierceton Fire Chief Matt Brubaker asked Utilities Superintendent Chip Hill if he could mark hydrants that were out of service.
Hill said he would, and that currently there is only one hydrant that isn’t operational.
Espinoza was voted as Pierceton Town Council president for 2012.
