COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS

CITY OF ATTICA

JULY 8, 2002

The Common Council for the City of Attica met on the 8^th day of July 2002 at the hour of 7 p.m. at city hall. Those present: Mr. Larry Grant, Mr. Bill Craft, Mrs. Valarie Maus, Mrs. Kay Gustus, Mr. Curt Phelps, Mr. Tom O’Connor, and Mr. Deon Swift.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM PREVIOUS MEETING

Mrs. Maus made a motion to approve the minutes of the June 10, 2002 council meeting, seconded by Mrs. Gustus. All ayes.

CITIZENS PETITIONS

Mayor Swift stated the city had a request from several citizens for lighting on the west side of town, coming across the river and also on the east side of town, going toward Lafayette. The survey he requested from Cinergy is a free survey and he will inform the council when this is going to occur.

DEPARTMENT HEADS

Mr. Robert Smith, Director of Public Works, informed the council the park had received new teeter-totters and he is waiting for other items to arrive.

Mr. Smith told council that his department was swamped with the brush pick-up done on Mondays. It is such a monumental amount (of which a great deal is large bushes and tree trimmings) that it is taking a day and a half to pick it all up. This means using two people for the job and using a city dump truck to complete it. Mayor Swift said the original decision was to pick up only bagged grass clippings, garden products and small tree trimmings. Mr. Smith said he understood that but when the citizens put out a lot more than the bags it makes the city look bad if his department doesn’t pick it up. Councilman Curt Phelps suggested he give the addresses to the clerk’s office for City Attorney O’Connor to inform them of their error. Mr. Smith said he gives them letters when they do the pick-up. Mr. Phelps suggested city workers not to pick it up and the city should start writing tickets for violating the weed and trash ordinance; he said there is no need for citizens to take advantage of the situation. If they need that type of service, they need to pay for it. Mayor Swift stated that this is going to be an ongoing problem and the council needs to address the issue because tree trimmings cannot be burned due to the no-burn ordinance. Mr. Phelps said he was adamant of the fact we need to train the citizens to do what they are supposed to do. He said he didn’t know how to do it without making Chief Snoeberger’s job a little more difficult and a little more tedious. He suggested Attica On-Line do a survey and let the citizens decide if they want to pay for that type of service. If this is the service they want, then we can raise taxes to pay for it; we can do things to make the money available to pay for Mr. Smith’s department. Mr. Phelps said he doesn’t think that’s what the citizens want. He thinks they would be happier if we just said, “no, we’re not going to do it”; make the homeowners responsible for that type of service. We can make it distasteful. Mrs. Maus reminded the council that the ordinance stated everything was to be bagged in biodegradable bags and suggested the city workers stand by it—do not pick it up if not bagged. Mrs. Gustus agreed and asked about the possibility of using the heavier biodegradable paper bags sold in stores. Mayor Swift agreed this type of bag would be acceptable, but the clerk’s office will continue to sell only the original bags. After discussion, the council informed Mr. Smith that “if it is not bagged do not pick it up”. Mayor Swift and the council instructed Chief Snoeberger to have his officers issue tickets to citizens putting out unbagged brush. If the brush is not cleaned up in five days, ordinance violation citations are to be issued with fines of $129. Mr. Grant asked Mr. Phelps if, during the spring cleanup, a list could be compiled in the clerk’s office of people who would be willing to pay for brush pick up in order to get it done—a one time only deal. Mr. Phelps said if enough people called in and said they have brush to be picked up and it cost $25 to get the brush picked up— that

would be a possibility. He told the council currently the rate to dump that type of material at the Brickyard Facility in Danville, Illinois, which is a composting segment of Danville, is at $11 a yard. Wabash Valley offers this type of service to the town of Fowler. At the end of every month they set a thirty-yard roll off at a set location and nothing but yard waste goes into the box and they pay the price of $365 or $385. Some other municipalities utilize a central location and Wabash Valley sets an open top box and uses a compactor truck for stuff they can compact—there are options; they also set out a box for metal and a box for wood products.

Police Chief Gene Snoeberger reported to the council that he had spoken briefly to the Board of Works about creating a position within the police department for a part-time records clerk. He proposes fifteen hours a week at a salary of $8.75 per hour with no benefits, vacation, or paid holidays. That person would be paid clerical pay of $8.75 as a maximum, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that person would make that much. Chief Snoeberger figured fifteen hours a week, fifty-two weeks a year would be 780 hours a year times a rate of $8.75 an hour equals $6,800 as a maximum salary rate. This would allow him at least two to three hours a day and/or fifteen hours a week to do other duties. He said this position is not going to be a department secretary. This position will be specific duties such as statistical record keeping, data entry, making and sending copies of accident and other requests from attorneys and insurance companies. He feels he could be more productive in other law enforcement and administrative areas. Chief Snoeberger said he is presenting this information to the council as a consideration for the proposed budget. He had asked the Board of Works to create this position effective next calendar year.

Chief Snoeberger also spoke with the council about the ten-year average of capital outlays. The only capital outlay in the police budget is the police car. He had spoken with the Covington Police Chief who informed him they acquire a new police car every year. They trade in a car that is two years old and has approximately 50,000 miles on it; therefore, they are getting a decent trade-in. The Attica Police Department is driving their cars until they are falling apart, up to 125,000 miles, are five or six years old and receive nothing on trade-in. Those cars are put up for sealed bid and we receive anywhere from $600 to $1,200. He said we are never going to get rid of our basic maintenance costs. Chief Snoeberger is proposing that over a time frame we appropriate money so that every year we get a new car. The first two years we will take a loss on it; but two years later appreciation for the car will go from $24,000 to about $14,000. A positive point is that the maintenance costs will go down. If the council would consider this when they do the budget, he would appreciate it.

Chief Snoeberger told the council that during the month of June he attended a training session on Active Shooter Response. During the training session they used “simunitions rounds”, non-lethal training ammunition for law enforcement; he would like to purchase this plus other items for his department. Special guns are used for “simunitions” and they’re very similar to the duty weapons his department already has. There are two options available. Conversion kits may be purchased to convert a weapon to shoot these rounds only. Once they are converted, the gun will not shoot a real round—a real bullet won’t feed and won’t work in it; or we can purchase a dedicated training gun. The downside of a conversion kit is the caliber gun we have and a conversion kit is not made for it. A conversion kit is about $300 per weapon. The dedicated training cost runs from about $475 to $500 each. He would prefer, from a law enforcement and safety standpoint, to have the dedicated training gun. Between the four pistols, five safety helmets, five neck protectors, and ammunition a rough estimate of cost is $3,000. Money is available in the Deferral Fund. Chief Snoeberger asked the council to appropriate the money to be used for training. The Warren County Sheriff’s department is purchasing this same type of equipment; therefore, the two departments can train and use the equipment together. Mr. Grant made a motion for Mr. O’Connor to prepare a resolution transferring $3,000 from the Deferral Fund for the purchase, seconded by Mrs. Gustus. All ayes.

A discussion was held among council members regarding an Ice Cream Wagon driving around the city. It was acknowledged that a permit was necessary; cost is $100, plus a $500 bond.

Members of the council expressed concern regarding the gathering of people in the downtown area at all hours of the night. Mayor Swift instructed Chief Snoeberger to do “whatever is necessary” to take care of the matter.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

Mrs. Gustus made a motion to bring Ordinance #9 from the table and read it full, seconded by Mr. Phelps. Mr. O’Connor read in full: This is Ordinance #9, 2002 AN ORDINANCE OF THE COMMON COUNCIL FOR THE CITY OF ATTICA, REINSTATING COUNCILMATIC DISTRICTS. Mrs. Gustus made a motion to adopt Ordinance #9 seconded by Mr. Phelps. Roll was called with five (5) ayes, zero nays.

Mr. Phelps made a motion to bring Ordinance #8 from the table and read in full, seconded by Mrs. Gustus. Mr. O’Connor read in full: This is Ordinance #8, 2002 AN ORDINANCE OF THE COMMON COUNCIL FOR THE CITY OF ATTICA AMENDING CHAPTER 8, DIVISION V, SECTION 8-164 (B) BY THE INCLUSION OF SECTION 8-164(B)(3). Mrs. Gustus made a motion to adopt Ordinance #8, seconded by Mr. Craft. The roll was called with five (5) ayes, zero nays.

Mayor Swift informed the council an ordinance needed to be adopted by the council for the Cumulative Capital Development Fund. Mr. O’Connor explained that in 1984 the legislature passed a law recommending the CCD Fund be readopted every three years. During this past legislative session, the legislative body changed the law to say once we adopt it this year, it will remain in perpetual unless it’s rescinded so we won’t have to do this every three years. Mr. Phelps made a motion to read Ordinance #10 for the first time in full, seconded time by title only, table and publish two times, hold a public meeting on Monday, July 29, 7 p.m., seconded by Mr. Grant. Mr. O’Connor read in full: This is Ordinance #10 AN ORDINANCE OF THE COMMON COUNCIL FOR THE CITY OF ATTICA, INDIANA AN ORDINANCE REESTABLISHING A CUMULATIVE CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT FUND. Mr. O’Connor then read by title only: ORDINANCE #10, 2002 AN ORDINANCE OF THE COMMON COUNCIL FOR THE CITY OF ATTICA, INDIANA AN ORDINANCE REESTABLISHING A CUMULATIVE CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT FUND.

MISCELLANEOUS

Mayor Swift reported to the council that city workers would be delivering the Grease Trap Ordinance to all city businesses this week. Mr. O’Connor prepared a letter to accompany the ordinance.

NEW BUSINESS

Mayor Swift distributed the proposed 2003 Budget and a budget calendar to the council for their perusal.

ADJOURNMENT

There being no further business to come before the council, Mrs. Gustus made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Mrs. Maus. All ayes.

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Deon H. Swift, II, Mayor

ATTEST:

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Nancy Jo Mitchell, Clerk/Treasurer