Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
SOUTH WHITLEY - They say possession is nine-tenths of the law and the law, in this case, has possession.
Deputy Chief Brad Nestel knew a deal when he saw it and thought he was solving a problem at the same time, when he traded in the town's Ruger machine gun for another machine gun at a cost to the town of $45.
Keistler Supply Co. offered a trade-in of $600 for the used Ruger in exchange for a another machine gun, valued at $645, which fits into the town-owned limited access carrier.
Keistler Supply now maintains the Ruger is unusable and untradeable and wants to make a new deal - offering a $200 trade-in, leaving the town owing $445 for the weapon.
"They still have the Ruger," town attorney Greg Hockemeyer said, "and we have the new gun, which fits into our case."
Hockemeyer said Chief Dave McKeever indicated Keistler obviously made a mistake offering such a high trade-in; however, they knew the model number and how many times it was fired when they made the proposal.
Board members Glee Eberly, Tom Rudd and Tony Starkey said they would not have authorized the trade if a $400 expenditure was involved.
Town clerk Mitch Winger said he has a signed invoice with all the identification numbers and documentation showing the $600 trade-in.
A decision on the matter was tabled.
The board also tabled an addition to the stop sign ordinance after a report from McKeever was reviewed. The chief wrote a four-way stop at the Line and Columbia street intersection was unnecessary; no traffic accidents were ever reported there and sign placement would have to be 12 to 15 feet off the roadway, making visibility difficult.
The board agreed to pay a refigured Van Contracting charge of $2,494 (original charges were $3,604) for water heater and boiler installation at the Bryan Hilligoss residence on Randolph Street.
The appliances quit operating when a water main break flooded Hilligoss' basement in January.
Winger said this payment would not set a precedent for the future.
Wesley Calhoun was hired as a summer employee.
Starkey said he would meet Thursday with Indiana Department of Transportation representatives regarding their share of funding on the sanitary sewer installation project set to begin this summer.
Eberly said work crews to install the drinking fountain in the town park are in place and the memorial should be replaced within six weeks.
