Meeting Minutes – May 18, 2022
The Churubusco Town Council met on May 18, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. in the Scout Building. Members present were council members Devin Keener and Nathan Van Horn; and Clerk-Treasurer, Madalyn Sade-Bartl. Others present were members of the Turtle Days Association- Terri & Bruce Johnson, Kathy & Adam Neireiter, David & Brittany Murphy, and Dodie & Tony Hart; Marlin Leininger, Whitley County Council on Aging; Lisa Fensler; Jeff Schenher, Leatherneck Coffee Club; Linda Tincher, Post & Mail; Jeremy Hart, Town Supervisor; and Town Marshal, Dustin Papenbrock.
Council President Devin Keener called the meeting to order, welcomed visitors, and led the Pledge of Allegiance. Roll was called by the Clerk. Council member Mark Pepple was absent.
Approval of Claims and Payroll Vouchers:
Claims Vouchers dated for May 18, 2022 in the amount of $61,936.76 were presented and approved.
Public Comment:
There were no public comments.
Old Business:
1. Jeff Schenher- Contract for Warrior Appreciation Day: Mr. Schenher came to the Council with an update of the Warrior Appreciation Day festivities that was scheduled to occur on Saturday, June 25. He stated he applied for a festival permit and had met with Indiana Department of Homeland Security. He also met with Marshal Papenbrock and Mr. Hart to discuss the layout and traffic flow. President Keener stated the event has grown since he initially spoke with the Council, so he appreciated Mr. Schenher was providing this update. Ms. Bartl stated the town’s attorney, Andy Boxberger, was working on a contract for the event and she would get that to Mr. Schenher as soon as it was done. The Council also approved a $100 sponsorship for trophies.
New Business:
1. Turtle Days Update: Members of the Turtle Days Association were present to discuss an issue they had with being a state licensed entity. Due to the entity report not being filed from 2016 to 2021, the State had administratively dissolved the entity “Turtle Days Association, Inc.” in February 2021 which meant the contract Turtle Days had signed with the Town was not valid or applicable. Kathy Neireiter, president of Turtle Days, stated they had started a new entity, Turtle Days Festival, Inc., and had an updated copy of the previously signed contract with the correct name. Ms. Bartl stated she had just spoken with Mr. Boxberger, and he was working on a contract for both Turtle Days and the Warrior Appreciation Day that was more substantial than the previous contract and he had suggested the new version be signed. She stated he should have the contract done by the end of the week and she would forward it onto the involved parties. David Murphy, vice-president of Turtle Days, stated that while the Town has given donations to Turtle Days in previous years, the group did not want a donation or need a donation this year. President Keener stated he was happy the group had been successful in fundraising and when the discussion of a Turtle Days donation had been put on hold in the previous meeting, it was because the Town needed to know exactly what was going to be funded with that donation as the Town cannot just give a check of that size directly to an organization. He stated there was nothing malicious in tabling the donation discussion and he wanted to maintain a healthy relationship between the two entities.
2. Bond discussion: Ms. Bartl presented a report prepared by Baker Tilly on the tax impact if the town were to move forward with a general obligation (GO) bond. She stated there had been another offer on the PNC building and it may be time to move forward with a cash offer since the donation route looked to be going nowhere. Mr. Van Horn made a motion to start the process to move forward with obtaining a GO bond. President Keener seconded and the motion carried 2-0.
Department Reports:
Jeremy Hart, Town Supervisor:
Mr. Hart presented the attached report. Mr. Van Horn asked for an update on Clingerman. He stated API would be pulling out for a couple days next week to finish another project. President Keener asked if they had found any infiltration during the project. Mr. Hart stated they accidentally found something that could be major, but they wouldn’t know until there was a heavy rain.
Bob Gray, Wastewater Treatment Plant Supervisor
Mr. Gray was not present.
Dustin Papenbrock, Town Marshal:
Marshal Papenbrock commended TJ Emenhiser for his hard work on the police department landscaping. Marshal Papenbrock also stated he and the other officers would be attending a lot of training over the next few weeks.
Rick Krider, Park Supervisor:
Mr. Krider was not present.
Andy Boxberger, Town Attorney:
Mr. Boxberger was not present.
Council Reports:
Mark Pepple:
Mr. Pepple was not present.
Devin Keener:
President Keener had nothing to report.
Nathan Van Horn:
Mr. Van Horn had nothing to report.
Madalyn Sade-Bartl:
Ms. Sade-Bartl presented the attached report. She stated costs for fencing had increased significantly since getting initial dog park fencing estimates. She asked the Council to approve any additional costs for the dog park be paid from EDIT so the project would get done this year. Mr. Van Horn made a motion to approve paying increased dog park costs from EDIT. President Keener seconded and the motion carried 2-0.
Having no other business and after all proper papers were signed, President Keener adjourned the regular meeting.
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Council President, Devin Keener
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Council Member, Mark Pepple
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Council Member, Nathan Van Horn
ATTEST:
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Madalyn Sade-Bartl, Clerk-Treasurer
