Learning that the large street paving initiative in Crothersville was drawing to a close, the council voted unanimously to seek another state funded Community Crossroads Grant for 2019 street resurfacing when they met on Aug. 7.
The town is completing the resurfacing of 14 streets in Crothersville as a result of a $335,428 grant of the state. The grant requires a 25% local match.
“If you take the money you usually spend on paving each year, you have your match,” said town engineer Brad Bender of FPBH. Historically, the town spends around $45,000 annually to repave street. “If you put in $50,000 you could have another project as nearly as big as the one just being completed,” said Bender.
But there is little time to waste. The state opened the application process on Aug. 6 and the deadline to apply is Sept. 15.
Bender recommended putting together a list of additional streets to be paved in 2019 and get the council’s approval to apply at the Sept. 4 monthly meeting.
“It’s really a no-brainer because we can re-surface four times as many streets with the same amount of money,” said councilman Lenvel ‘Butch’ Robinson.
Council President Danieta Foster agreed, “Another $200,000 will go a long way with paving Crothersville streets.”
In another matter, the council continued their work to update a 20+-year-old open burning ban in town.
Enacted originally because some residents burned their trash in barrels and allowed the trash to smolder into the night resulting in offensive odors to their neighbors, the council is seeking to update the local ordinance and increase fines for violations.
The proposed update would still ban the burning of trash in town but lists some specific instances and occurrences where open burning is permitted.
Only wood and wood products would be permitted to be burned in personal outdoor fire pits, fires for celebrating school pep rallies and scouting activities, and those approved by the Crothersville-Vernon Township Fire Chief.
Fires are to be attended at all times until extinguished.
The biggest change is increasing the fines from a written warning for a first offense to a $50 fine for an initial offense. A second offense would increase to $75 and a third to $100.
The council is expected to continue to discuss the updated ordinance at their September meeting.
Salaries for town employees will increase in 2019 after council action.
The council approved a $1 an hour increase for newly appointed chief of police Matt Browning, a $2.50 an hour increase for second deputy Becky Butler, and a 50¢ an hour increase for all other town employees. The council granted themselves a $600 a year salary boost.
