Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
SIDNEY - At the Sidney Town Council meeting on Monday, May 11, Sharon Rancourt asked her fellow council members “Do we earn our salary?”
This question came after Clerk-Treasurer Lisa Parrett shared she did not have an update on the town sewer system.
Rancourt told the council, “I can’t do this anymore … I have asked for the sewer information since August of last year.”
Rancourt asked Parrett, “The town pays you a salary. How are you earning that salary?”
Parrett said she does grants and “all kinds of stuff.”
Community member Rick Bradley asked if the town needed to add more board members or additional employees to ensure town functions were being completed. Rancourt responded Indiana has a code that states board salaries can never be less than they were the previous year. Because of this code, their salaries are currently locked in at $1,600 annually. All of their salaries together make a sizable portion of the Sidney town budget and the town cannot afford to hire more people.
“Do we earn our salary?” Rancourt asked her fellow board members. She broke down how most of them only attend monthly board meetings, make occasional phone calls and periodically attend additional meetings.
Councilwoman Rebecca Adams offered to assist Parrett in the afternoons on days when she only has radiation appointments in the morning moving forward. Bradley asked why she had not been helping before if she had the free time to do so. Adams was unable to respond, so Rancourt replied, “You know she’s going through cancer, right?”
Rancourt asked attendees to have a bit of empathy for Adams and her situation.
Bradley questioned why Gavin Parrett was not assisting, “You have a president sitting here, and he should be backing everybody up.”
“In theory, it is your responsibility to make sure that all (town functions) are happening,” Rancourt told Gavin Parrett.
Ordinance Review
Gavin Parrett suggested adding a new ordinance either banning golf carts or preventing them from crossing Ind. 13.
“Who is going to enforce that?” asked Rancourt. She stated that she refused to spend her time out of work policing other residents’ use of their golf carts.
Rancourt disagreed with Gavin Parrett’s points about the potential dangers of golf carts crossing the highway. Then Rancourt said, “Our job is to, as board members, be the voice of the townspeople. It’s not for personal agendas … So, in being the voice of the town, how many people in our community are older and ride around town (in their golf carts) to get out ..?”
Rancourt continued and said, “You’re a board member to be forward thinking and think about the community as a whole and what is best for the community. Not what’s best to protect you or to go against and do tit for tat.”
Harold Lent, town resident, said to Adams, who made a comment supporting Lisa Parrett, “The real issue is that you and your husband don’t like me driving past your house and saying that it looks like a junkyard.”
Adams brought up a safety concern about golf carts not having headlights and driving at night.
The council voted unanimously to adopt the state of Indiana’s definition for golf cart and to edit the ordinance to require all golf carts driving after dusk to have headlights.
Community members attending town council meetings had repeatedly brought up concerns about “junk” vehicles on properties in town. Despite an argument from Eric Adams, the council voted to edit the ordinance to state vehicles are required to be insured, in addition to having a valid license plate and registration. Town Councilwoman Rebecca Adams voted against the change to the ordinance.
The council also discussed the definition of “rubbish” and “garbage.” They were looking to define these terms because, as stated, the ordinance was too vague. They looked at the definitions given by Kosciusko County, Pierceton and Silver Lake. No final decision was made on this issue.
Other Business
• Rancourt suggested moving forward so the town provides a single sheet explaining key ordinances, how to pay the sewer bill, contact information for the clerk-treasurer and council members, etc. to new residents. This idea is based on the Pierceton “New Resident Checklist.”
• Rancourt contacted the Kosciusko County Health Department regarding the camper behind Lent’s house that was discussed at the last Sidney Town Council meeting. The health department gave Rancourt the wording necessary to send to the property owner who is allowing the family to live in her camper. The letter is going out as soon as possible.
• Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation (KEDCO) presented a smaller version of the 2025 Community of the Year Award granted to Kosciusko County by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. This was the first time that an entire county has won the award. To celebrate KEDCO has been presenting smaller copies of the award countywide at town council meetings.
• Zach Dripps, from Michiana Area Council of Governments, discussed upcoming grant deadlines for the Dekko Foundation, K21 Health Foundation and Norfolk Southern. There was a special meeting last week to discuss the plans for the park, but the plans are not finalized. The town council voted to submit all grants as needed moving forward.
As part of the parks project, the sidewalks/walking paths in the town will be replaced. This includes where town sidewalks are on town plans but have been overgrown and become part of people’s yards.
