Claypool Gets Input From Public On Budget, Operation Pull Over
Posted
Maddie Jo Shultz-
CLAYPOOL – Following a notice to taxpayers on the proposed 2022 budget, the Claypool Town Council heard from local residents Wednesday night on a decision to reinstate Operation Pull Over (OPO) hours for Town Marshal Ben Sanders.
The OPO hours were halted after September’s meeting due to a question of liability. Since then, the Council determined OPO is not an insurance issue and the hours would be covered.
“When Ben runs OPO, that’s outside the forty hours he works for Claypool,” said Council President Benny Stage. The town does not get reimbursed for gas or wear-and-tear on the vehicle for those hours. In talks with Sanders, Stage determined the town is paying approximately $700 per year for OPO and that on average, 75 to 80% of those hours are run south of Warsaw along Ind. 15.
Members of the public voiced general approval of reinstating OPO hours. When the council deliberated on the cost for the hours, local residents suggested $700 was well worth the safety of the community since OPO stops so many drunk drivers.
Stage is in communication with Leesburg Town Council member Doug Jones following a halt on a possible contract with the town of Leesburg, where Sanders resides. While an arrangement with Leesburg is still in the works, the council voted 2-1 to reinstate OPO hours, with Council member Gene Warner opposed.
In new business, Tyler Coffel, from Chicago-based Baker Tilly, a public accounting and consulting firm, presented work he had completed with Clerk-Treasurer Pat Warner on the 2022 budget. Next year’s operating fund is estimated at $174,000 with $114,000 coming in from property taxes.
The 2022 budget adoption will be conducted at the October regular meeting.
Brett Roberts from the Michiana Area Council of Governments (MACOG) spoke to the council about the town’s application for Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) funding. The full project proposal for this funding will be presented at the October regular meeting.
The Claypool Police Department reported 114 calls for service and 173 reserve hours this month.
Pending another estimate, the Council is waiting to approve repair costs for the town’s dump truck. The Council is also looking into other options for town employees’ retirement plans. The town currently has Hoosier S.T.A.R.T. but has not been able to contribute for some time.
Stage will hold an executive meeting Tuesday with Sanders to discuss OPO and other concerns.
