The Pilot News - Council tackles annexation debate, trash service specifics

Property owners Wade McGee and Tim and Casey Howard are in favor of the annexation, but the third owner within the land, Glenn Roberts, sent a letter to the Council objecting to the annexation, said town attorney Jim Clevenger, who added Roberts could remonstrate against annexation at a later date if the Council proceeds with the move. Council members said they expected a representative of Roberts to be present at the hearing, but no one spoke on his behalf.
Council president Sally Ricciardi said Roberts expressed concern in the letter that his property taxes would increase should the land be annexed. Town clerk Casey Howard, one of the property owners, said Roberts had suggested his taxes would increase by a third. However, Howard said taxes on her own land will only increase marginally. She said she also contacted McGee and his taxes “are hardly going up.”
Culver building inspector Russ Mason, in the audience, noted the properties should be considered for rezoning from their present status as S1, or suburban. Audience member Kathy Clark noted Roberts’ land could still be farmed regardless of rezoning, since five acres or more of land with no commercial or other major use can still be farmed, even in town.
Council member Ginny Munroe added Roberts letter, she said, she felt was “holding us responsible for not developing his property (for commercial or other use)…I don’t feel we can control who has approached him (for future development).”
Town Manager Michael Doss added most developers first ask what utilities are available at a given site, and annexing Roberts’ property would actually be adding infrastructure for potential development.
The public hearing was followed by the second reading of ordinance 2010-002, annexing the the Howards, McGee, and Roberts properties into Culver. The Council voted in favor of the move, which must pass a third reading, though Council member Ralph Winters voted against it. The McGee property was offered as available last year for development into a Garden Court senior living center.
In other actions, the Council passed – with Winters and Council member Ed Pinder opposed – on first reading ordinance 2010-003 to govern the collection of trash and charges associated. The move was the first formal step in establishing much-discussed town-wide trash service, in which the town would contract with the lowest bidding trash hauler to handle waste collection for all residents in town, who would be billed monthly on their water bill for the service. If enacted, the service would likely reduce many residents’ trash bills by half.
Doss noted specifics such as the establishment of an administration fee and the exact monthly cost can be injected into the ordinance before its third and final reading.
Doss also asked for direction from the Council on issues raised by some Council members regarding length of the waste hauling contract, which Council members suggested be kept at the previously-discussed three years.
Also discussed was an alteration of bid specifications regarding day and time of weekly trash pickup, which Council had previously requested take place each Monday. However, it was agreed alternate days such as Tuesday or Wednesday could be offered if trash haulers would charge a higher rate for Monday pickup. It was also agreed to limit trash pickup hours to 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., as some Council members expressed concern about trash vehicles in town during after-school hours or evening hours typically busier during Culver’s spring and summer months.
Bids will be opened up for town-wide trash service March 9, added Doss.
The Council also voted to fill three vacancies on Culver’s Redevelopment Commission. Pinder suggested nominating a Council member to act as a liaison between the CRC and Council, though Ricciardi objected an almost-unprecedented number of non-Council members have expressed interest in serving and should be accommodated. Munroe added Council members should attend meetings of area boards and committees such as CRC and the park board regardless of the presence of official Council liaisons.
The Council appointed Culver residents Pamela Christiansen, an attorney with a background in law and public management and Andrea Cook, coordinator of last year’s Tri Kappa Chairs for Charity event and president of the Midas Center in Plymouth with a background in public relations. Ricciardi, as Council President, appointed Culver Academies employee Jack Kelley, noting he comes “highly recommended.”
Brandon Cooper of Culver was appointed by Council to fill a two-year vacancy on Culver’s Plan Commission left when Park Superintendent Kelly Young resigned her position there. The vacancy is required to be filled by a town employee, noted Ricciardi.
The town’s efforts towards developing a comprehensive plan for its streets, sidewalks, and drainage was lauded by Lori Johnson and Qasim Asghar of engineering firm DLZ, who went over Culver’s streets and developed a set of recommendations towards improvement as well as obtaining grant funding. After some discussion by Johnson and Asghar, Doss said he and Culver Street Department head Bob Porter have looked over DLZ’s report and deemed it “pretty comprehensive.” Munroe praised the effort and its documentation as an improvement over detailed information about Culver’s infrastructure being “just in the head of the Street Department supervisor, town clerk, and town manager.”
The Council approved, at Doss’ request, two service agreements with grant writer Shannon McLeod at $800 each, towards her work on grants for storm water improvement and Safe Routes to School sidewalk-related funds. McLeod had discussed grant possibilities at the Council’s previous meeting.
Also approved was first reading of an ordinance establishing a fund for use by the Clerk Treasurer in collecting monies for Culver’s storm water utilities (the actual collection was established by ordinance last year) as well as a resolution adopting Marshall County’s Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan, which was passed on first, second, and third readings.
Audience member David Bigley presented photos of vandalism to a rental property he owns on the south end of Culver along with receipts for repair costs. He said the damage, as well as misbehavior directed at his renter, has been turned over to various area police agencies and the county prosecuting attorney. Ricciardi said she will discuss the matter with Culver Police Chief Wayne Bean.
Culver-Union Township EMS Director Chuck Dilts reported on ambulance run totals for 2009, explaining the department had 391 runs total, with 121 runs in the town of Culver proper, 101 in Union Township, 27 in the Monterey area, and 60 to Culver Academies, with a total of 348 patients. He said the numbers are similar to 2008 figures and that the department sees an average of one or two ambulance runs per day.
Clerk Casey Howard gave her end-of-year report of 2009 figures, noting the town ended the year with a higher balance — a bit over $2 million — than the previous year. She shared sheets with Council members explaining the town’s income and expenses, as well as debts owed and years remaining to pay those off. She said a great deal of the $2 million is tied up in reserve accounts, loans, and elsewhere, and does not represent monies available for spending.
Doss, during his report, told the Council the town is advertising to sell a small piece of property at the east end of Jefferson Street. The land barely touches the lake and is cut off on all sides from land access. Sealed bids will be accepted with a March 9 deadline.
Attorney Clevenger replied to a query from Winters about Culver’s long-awaited sewer plant rerating that the Indiana Department of Environmental Management has received new rules from the federal government and has been delayed by efforts to decide how best to react to those. Clevenger said the expectation was to have an answer on the rerating in the very near future. The town, as well as the Southwest Conservancy District on Lake Maxinkuckee, has been anxiously awaiting a reply in order to move forward with plans for the District to tie into Culver’s sewer system.
Ricciardi, the Council’s representative to the Census Bureau, said census questionnaires will be sent out by mail – with in-person follow-ups for those not responding – starting February 22. She said each household filling out the surveys is “very important.”