Crothersville residents may be mowing more often than they currently are if an ordinance change proposed by the Crothersville Town Council is approved.
Presently the town’s weed ordinance calls for violation letters being set out if grass and weeds exceed 12 inches tall. Councilman Derrick Minton wants to see that height lowered.
“By the time grass gets 12 inches tall, and we begin the notification process, by the time the homeowner is notified the weeds can be 15-18 inches tall,” said Minton. ” I want to see (the maximum height) lowered so that the town looks tidier and if our workers have to mow it, it isn’t as difficult a job.”
Minton first proposed cutting the grass and weed height in half to six inches, but councilmen Ardell Mitchell and Lenvel ‘Butch’ Robinson said they thought that height was too low particularly during the spring when lawns grow so fast.
“I would be more comfortable with an 8″ height before a violation,” said council president Ardell Mitchell.
As an incentive to encourage property owners to not be in violation and having town workers cut the violating property, Minton suggested an extra $75 penalty should town workers damage the municiple mowing equipment.
“When the grass gets too high, our mowing crew can’t see all debris and obstacles and sometime tear up our mowers,” said Minton. “The property owner ought to pay for that damage.”
The council agreed in principal to the changes and instructed town attorney John Rothring to draft the ordinance change for possible first reading at the council’s June meeting.
And that June meeting should be held in the new town hall-the nearly renovated former Methodist Church Annex on East Howard Street.
“The renovation is complete except for electrical which can’t be completed until furniture is moved in,” said Mitchell.
Clerk-Treasurer Michele Teipen said plans are to close the town office on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 22-23, to complete the move and electrical work.
“We have made arrangements to have the desks dismantled, moved across to the new town hall and reassembled on Tuesday, May 22,” she told the council.
She noted at a curbside drop box is to be installed along Howard Street to allow residents the convenience of paying utility bills from their vehicle.
A major section of Seymour Road will get a smoother driving surface after the council approved milling and resurfacing Seymour Road from Walnut Street to Howard Street. All Star Paving of Seymour said the grinding and resurfacing could be done for $28,139. The paving company was previously awarded the contract to grind and re-surface Howard Street from the stoplight to the school.
“We have gone through four years with no street improvements at all. We need to play catch-up,” said councilman Mitchell.
But one street that will not see updates will be Marshall Drive. Kevin Hopper, a resident of Marshall Drive, presented a petition of residents along the street seeking re-installing the worn down speed bumps.
Marshall Drive is used as a shortcut from Moore Street to US 31 by some motorists and residents claim vehicles move too fast on the narrow, curbless street.
In previous years, the town installed asphalt speed bumps in an effort to slow down traffic.
“They are worn down to near nothing and cars are speeding with children around,” said Hopper. “We’d like to see the speed bumps rebuilt.
But his request was met with resistance from all three council members.
“I’m against speed bumps on streets,” said Robinson.
“I’m not a fan of speed bumps,” said Mitchell.
Minton said he was not sure raising the speed bumps would slow down traffic. “They drive faster and the speed bump isn’t all that bad than (if taken) at lower speeds,” he said.
In other business the council re-stated to members of the Crothersville Cultural Arts and Historical Association that they will consider vacating a short section on Vine Street between Hamacher Hall and Barbara Hall’s Property on Howard Street. By vacating the street, half would got to the adjoining property owners. Hall recently filed a quiet title suit to obtain the street,
The council approved holding a surplus equipment and real estate auction sometime in July and instructed department heads to compile a list of surplus town equipment.
