SIDNEY – The newest member of the Sidney town council joined the board during its meeting Tuesday.
Brandon Allen was appointed to the position by Kosciusko Democrat Party Chair Brian Smith Tuesday. The seat was left vacant after Jack Wolfe resigned effective March 15. Allen sat in on Tuesday’s meeting to observe but didn’t participate in any votes as he hadn’t been sworn in.
In an interview before the town council meeting, Smith said the paperwork to appoint Allen had to be notarized, which was done at an area bank. It was accepted at the Kosciusko County Clerk’s Office.
During the council’s meeting, the members discussed how to deal with people who are behind in their sewer bills.
“We’re still going to have to explore that with outstanding legal issues with that,” Council President Sharon Rancourt said.
Rancourt said Timothy S. Woodward, superintendent of Turkey Creek Regional Sewer District, has expressed some concerns as far as legalities for the town to shut down or disconnect a resident who does not pay their sewer bill.
Rancourt said the town does have the right to do that, but said Woodward expressed some safety concerns about going onto people’s property to do so.
Councilman Gavin Parrett said the town would have to notify the Kosciusko County Department of Health first.
Rancourt said she couldn’t confidently say how many people were behind in their sewer bills.
One solution that was brought up by Woodward, Rancourt said, was to change the ordinance so if a resident is so many months behind in their bill, the town can bring equipment in and disconnect the resident at the right-of-way. The town would dig down in the road and disconnect at the right-of-way and no one would go onto private property. Once the resident pays their bill, they would be reconnected at their cost.
Rancourt said it’ll probably be June or July before the town council will be able to make a decision, but the issue will be talked about during May’s meeting.
Office hours for the clerk-treasurer were designated as 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and 9:30 a.m. to noon on Thursdays or by appointment.
Rancourt said she still has to have Frontier go into the office and look at what it would take to get internet in the office.
Rancourt also said she came across ordinance 1982-4, which deals with traffic signage in the town. She said she will go around town and make sure the town is in compliance with every sign.
