Time: 6:30 p.m.
Place: Remington Town Hall/ 13 E. South Railroad Street/Remington, IN 47977
Members Present
Susan Flickner, President; Dana Pampel, Vice President; James Stewart, Robert Braaksma, Alan Schambach,
Others Present
Mark Jones, Dale Budde, John Schuetzenhofer, Joshua Longest, Don Schuh, Eric Walsh/Baker Tilly, Bill Recupido, Peggy Kintner, Jonathan Cripe, Rebecca Goddard, and Terri Budde.
The meeting was opened at 6:30 p.m. with the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance.
Minutes of the April 1, 2024 Council Meeting reviewed. Council Member Braaksma made a motion to approve the minutes of April 1, 2024. Council Member Stewart seconded the motion. Motion to approve minutes passed with 5 ayes and 0 nays.
WATER/WASTEWATER STUDY – Eric Walsh/Baker Tilly presented information from the completion of a water rate study and wastewater rate study. The wastewater fund is in good standing and does not need to have a rate increase/decrease at this time. The water study revealed there will need to be a rate increase phased in. Discussion heard. Council Member Stewart moved to start the process to go forward with a water rate increase. Vice President Pampel seconded the motion. Motion passed with 5 ayes and 0 nays.
EDP RENEWABLES REZONING REQUEST Town Manager Cripe explained that the rezoning request is for ten (10) acres currently owned by Quentin Overbeck that will become a hub for EDP Renewables. The Plan Commission recommended approval of the rezoning request from A-1 to B-1. Discussion heard. Council Member Braaksma moved to approve the zoning request by EDP Renewables for ten (10) acres of property from A-1 to B-1. Vice President Pampel seconded the motion. Motion passed with 3 ayes (Braaksma, Pampel and Flickner) and 2 nays (Schambach and Stewart).
CITIZEN COMMENTS –
•A citizen appeared to request the Town of Remington modify its ordinance to allow the use of off-road vehicles and UTVs on Town streets. Discussion heard. Council informed the citizen they are not willing to modify the ordinance that is currently in place.
DEPARTMENT REPORTS:
FIRE DEPARTMENT: None
POLICE DEPARTMENT: Marshal Schuetzenhofer reported:
•Police Activity Report filed. A copy is on file in the Office of the Clerk-Treasurer.
•Regarding Ordinance Violations, how is the payment and enforcement of the violation handled. The ordinance violation fine would be paid to the Clerk-Treasurer at Town Hall. As far as enforcement of the violation, Attorney Goddard stated she would discuss that with Marshal Schuetzenhofer after the meeting.
UTILITIES: Mark Jones/Joshua Longest
Mark Jones reported:
•Last month was a busy month with all of the rain. The wastewater plant handled the large amounts of rain really well.
•A 12” pump was pulled and fixed at the lift station.
•Motors have been greased at the lift station.
•The pump at the wastewater plant is undergoing maintenance.
Joshua Longest reported:
•He is working on getting parts to the old fire station to change meters.
•Informed Council water meters/parts are very difficult to obtain. The Town is looking to find another Sensus dealer or buying a different meter brand.
•SOCs testing will take place this month.
•The water plant had a water line leak in the wall recently.
•The splash pad will be open the last weekend in May.
•Hydrants will be flushed starting tomorrow.
•We will do lead and copper testing this month.
PARK: Dale Budde reported:
•Each of the 3 park shelters are up and running and have already had a few rentals.
•He painted lines in front of the Food Pantry building, removing the handicapped lines and painting them white.
•A wooden bench at the part was destroyed and has been repaired.
•The no golf carts allowed signs have been installed at the park trail.
•He helped Don Schuh drill holes for the planting of trees at the cemetery.
•Lots of spraying for weeds and mowing is being completed right now.
STREETS: Don Schuh
•He’s been chipping sticks and mowing, spraying when it’s dry enough.
•Next week he will get some hot patch asphalt to fix potholes.
TOWN MANAGER – Jonathan Cripe reported:
•Presented 116 pages of requests for right-of-way permits from Surf Internet. Discussion heard. Council Member Braaksma moved to approve the request for right-of-way permits from Surf Internet. Council Member Schambach seconded the motion. Motion passed with 5 ayes and 0 nays.
•Update on the sewer extension project – the IDEM permit should be released soon. The project will get started after the release of that permit.
•Sections 10 and 11 at the cemetery were sprayed with Round-Up. He has talked with the mowing company and this will not happen again.
•Regarding the exterior sign at Town Hall – he is working with Revel Studio RD so the sign will be more visible. They are going to hand paint a few letters different paint colors to see which color stands out better. After that, each letter will be hand painted.
•Main Street will be holding a harvest dinner on South Railroad Street on August 24, 2024. They are requesting access to the Depot and that South Railroad Street be closed. Discussion heard. Council Member Schambach moved to approve the use of the Depot and the closing of South Railroad Street on August 24, 2024 for the purpose of holding a harvest dinner for approximately 100 people. Vice President Pampel seconded the motion. Motion passed with 5 ayes and 0 nays.
•Requested a minor change on the utility billing cycle – instead of utility bills being due on the 30th of the month before a penalty is assessed, utility payments will be due on the last day of each month. Council was in agreement with that minor change.
•He recently attended an IFA meeting in Valparaiso.
•Appraisals have been ordered on 3 properties.
•Presented a proposal from Wessler Engineering regarding the Carpenter Creek water main replacement. Said proposal is in the amount of Twenty-four Thousand Nine Hundred Dollars ($24,900.00) to relocate the water main with a new main installed in an easement parallel to the sanitary sewer on the east side of Carpenter Creek. Council Member Stewart moved to approve the proposal from Wessler Engineering regarding the Carpenter Creek water main replacement. Council Member Braaksma seconded the motion. Motion passed with 5 ayes and 0 nays.
•Presented a Professional Service Agreement from FBi Buildings for the design work on a new Streets barn in the amount of Seven Thousand Eight Hundred Fifty-three Dollars ($7,853.00). Discussion heard. Vice President Pampel moved to approve the Professional Service Agreement from FBi Buildings for the design work on a new Streets barn in the amount of Seven Thousand Eight Hundred Fifty-three Dollars ($7,853.00). Council Member Stewart seconded the motion. Motion passed with 4 ayes and 1 abstention (Schambach).
•Presented an estimate from Eyedart Creative Studio for fundraising for the park playground project in the amount of Seven Thousand Seven Hundred Thirty-two Dollars Fifty Cents ($7,732.50). Discussion heard. Council Member Braaksma moved to approve the estimate from Eyedart Creative Studio for fundraising for the park playground project in the amount of Seven Thousand Seven Hundred Thirty-two Dollars Fifty Cents ($7,732.50). Council Member Stewart seconded the motion. Motion passed with 5 ayes and 0 nays.
TOWN ATTORNEY – Rebecca Goddard (No report)
NEW BUSINESS
•Presented a quote from Town and Country Paving for crack sealing in the sum of Eight Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($8,500.00). No discussion heard. Council Member Braaksma moved to approve the quote from Town and Country Paving for crack sealing in the sum of Eight Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($8,500.00). Council Member Stewart seconded the motion. Motion passed with 5 ayes and 0 nays.
•Presented a quote from Brown Equipment for the purchase of a new dump truck with accessories in the sum of Two Hundred Seventy-eight Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($278.500.00). No discussion heard. Council Member Schambach moved to approve the quote from Brown Equipment for the purchase of a new dump truck with accessories in the sum of Two Hundred Seventy-eight Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($278.500.00). Vice President Pampel seconded the motion. Motion passed with 5 ayes and 0 nays.
•Clerk-Treasurer Budde informed Council that financing for the lease purchase of the new dump truck was requested through the Indiana Bond Bank HELP program. The lowest and best offer to finance was from Crossroads Bank, financing One Hundred Eighty-eight Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($188,500.00) at an interest rate of 5.258%. Council Member Stewart moved to approve the lowest and best offer to finance with Crossroads Bank, financing One Hundred Eighty-eight Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($188,500.00) at an interest rate of 5.258%. Council Member Braaksma seconded the motion. Motion passed with 5 ayes and 0 nays.
OLD BUSINESS –
•Town Manager Cripe requested Council approve the paving bid from Town and Country Paving in the sum of One Hundred Fifty-eight Thousand Eight Hundred Thirty-eight Dollars ($158,838.00) for the Community Crossing Grant. No discussion heard. Vice President Pampel moved to approve the paving bid from Town and Country Paving in the sum of One Hundred Fifty-eight Thousand Eight Hundred Thirty-eight Dollars ($158,838.00) for the Community Crossing Grant. Council Member Schambach seconded the motion. Motion passed with 5 ayes and 0 nays.
CLERK-TREASURER
•March 2024 Financial Analysis and Reconcilement and April 2024 Financial Analysis and Reconcilement presented. No discussion heard. Vice President Pampel moved to approve the March 2024 and April 2024 Financial Analysis and Reconcilement. Council Member Stewart seconded the motion. Motion passed with 5 ayes and 0 nays.
•March 2024 and April 2024 Combined Appropriation/Revenue Detail History by Fund presented and reviewed. Council Member Stewart moved to approve the March 2024 and April 2024 Combined Appropriation/Revenue Detail History by Fund. Council Member Braaksma seconded the motion. Motion passed with 5 ayes and 0 nays.
•March 2024 and April 2024 Employee Distribution Summaries presented and reviewed. Vice President Pampel moved to approve the March 2024 and April 2024 Employee Distribution Summaries. Council Member Schambach seconded the motion. Motion passed with 5 ayes and 0 ayes.
•Presented an update to the positive pay programs the Town has enrolled in for both major checking accounts.
•The monthly claims were presented. Council Member Stewart moved to approve the claims as presented. Council Member Braaksma seconded the motion. Motion passed with 5 ayes and 0 nays.
ADDITIONAL BUSINESS - None
There being no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at 8:15 p.m.
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