An ordinance proposed in December to make town speed limits in Crothersville more uniform was delayed at last Monday’s Crothersville Town Council meeting until March.
“If we’re going to address some areas, we’re going to address all areas,” council President Ardell Mitchell said after presenting an updated list of street speed limits he put together.
The current ordinance shows some streets have no posted speed limit, and others have multiple limits.
Mitchell proposed around 10 streets with 30 mph limits and the rest at 15 mph.
“I think 30 miles per hour is too fast for any street in town,” Councilman Bill Nagle said.
Mitchell left a copy of his draft of street changes in Town Hall and is asking for public input about whether street limits are too high or low.
A second reading of an ordinance that would add two 15-minute parking spaces in front of 402 E. Main St. was tabled for further discussion after more concerns came from citizens and council members about school buses traveling the morning congested street.
Parking would be in front of Children’s Time Daycare owned by Kelly Schmelzle, who expressed her desire for traffic to move along quicker in front of the business to eliminate safety problems.
Schmelzle and Crothersville Police Chief Vurlin McIntosh said parents dropping off children currently block both the alley and East Main Street. Schmelzle last month suggested either a drop-off zone or parking spots on one of the streets.
“We want to support local business, but we don’t want to create a dangerous situation,” Mitchell said.
Parking is currently available across from the business, but Schmelzle said she has parents with multiple children crossing the street in the dark. She said it was a potentially dangerous situation.
McIntosh said he would monitor the streets if parents wanted to use the alley as a drop-off zone, but Mitchell said the council would not make alley parking an ordinance.
“The council is not going to enact an ordinance that will block the alley,” Mitchell said.
In other matters, the council approved another six-month lease for the town hall building. Re-newing the lease was a result of a delay in getting a second appraisal of the former Methodist Annex on Howard Street.
The council is awaiting appraisals from two realtors on the property so they can give further consideration to purchasing it for a new town hall.
Without the appraisals, the council cannot move forward with the decision about whether to buy the building being offered for $55,000. An appraisal last month from Paul Nay came in at $47,500.
•The council appointed Matt Redfern to a four-year term starting immediately to replace Jimmy Shirley, whose term expired this year. The council is still in need of a replacement for Chris Mains, who resigned from the parks board.
Community residents wanting volunteer are encouraged to contact town council members.
