PIERCETON - The Pierceton Town Council held a public hearing Monday night for a grant in conjunction with its regular monthly meeting.
After attending to town business, the board suspended the regular meeting and discussed a grant the town recently applied for.
"The town is applying for a grant from disaster recovery funds for drainage repairs," said Town Board President Jerry Hartman. "The amount of the town grant we are requesting is $1 million."
If the town receives the grant, it will be used to take care of drainage issues at residences in town that have water back up and flood parts of their property during storms.
During the regular meeting, town marshal Tim Sammons said his department received a grant of $3,800 from the Kosciusko County Community Foundation. That money will be used to put a video camera in a third squad car.
Sammons said the grant wouldn't cover the whole cost but would take care of most of it.
Also Monday night, Sammons took time to address what he said were concerns by some in the community about officer Matt Owens writing tickets and a perception that Owens left his former job, as an officer in Mentone, on less than good terms.
Sammons said that when he hired Owens he got "nothing but positive feedback" during a background check.
Sammons also brought Mentone Town Marshal Jim Eads to speak on Owens' behalf.
"Matt left in good standing with us," said Eads. "I was losing a good officer. If opportunity arose I'd hire him back in a minute."
Board member Jerry Kreger said he appreciated Owens' job performance.
"I'd rather hear complaints about an officer doing his job than not doing his job," said Kreger. "I ask people would you rather you got preferential treatment? And where does that end?"
Sammons also had Lance Grubbs, a liaison with the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute who represents an area that includes Kosciusko County, speak about the most recent Operation Pullover.
Grubbs said that in 1969 there were more than 1,600 traffic-related deaths and that now there are less than 800 such deaths annually.
Grubbs said the program is an overtime program for officers so they will only concentrate on pulling over drivers who aren't wearing seat belts, driving recklessly and ignoring traffic signals.
Also, Grubbs said that officers are put in high-risk areas so officers from different towns and cities may be outside their town or city limits to patrol.
At Monday night's meeting it was also announced that the Pierceton Fire Department is hosting an all-you-can-eat fish and tenderloin fry Saturday starting at 4 p.m.
The cost is $8 for adults and includes baked beans and cole slaw. There will also be a bake sale Saturday during the fry.
