City of Knox Makes More Than $3000 Selling Old Equipment

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Council
Knox City Council

The city of Knox turned some unused equipment into cash after selling the equipment on eBay, a method that Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston described as a good method of liquidating out-of-use items. Houston said the city sold a GMC van for $1183, which will go into the General Fund, as well as a snow plow blade for $185.66 toward the Motor Vehicle Highway Fund. A mosquito fogger was also sold for $1785.60.

In all, the city made $3154.26, after calculating eBay fees, and Mayor Rick Chambers agreed that it is an easy, inexpensive way of selling spare or old equipment.

Knox City Council Discusses Building Permit Fee

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Council
Knox City Council

The Knox City Council this week discussed building permit fees after a resident left paperwork with Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston explaining he felt he was overcharged when he bought a permit to add an addition to a pole barn. The resident explained he was issued a building permit for a 24-foot-by-40-foot addition to an existing pole barn and was charged $192, though he thought the accessory building permit should have only been $75.

Continue reading →

Two Knox City Officials Apply for Sidewalk Reimbursement

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Council
Knox City Council

Two city officials from Knox have applied for the 50/50 sidewalk reimbursement program, and now the pair must file conflict of interest statements as recommended by the city attorney. Attorney David Matsey told the council that Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston and Councilman Jeff Berg have applied for the program and the council must now approve the statements before filing them with the State Board of Accounts, circuit court clerk, and the Indiana State Ethics Commission.

Continue reading →

Cumulative Capital Fund Ordinance to Undergo Third Reading

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Council
Knox City Council

Following their failure to reach a quorum at their regularly-scheduled meeting on April 23, the Knox City Council last night met in a special meeting to conduct the business they were unable to conduct the week prior – particularly the re-establishment of the cumulative capital development fund for the city. Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston explained that because the fund is rate-driven rather than levy-driven, the percentage of funds going toward the cumulative capital fund decreases over time.

Continue reading →

Knox Board of Public Works Discusses Resident’s Water Bill

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox Board of Public Works
Knox Board of Public Works

The Knox Board of Public Works held discussion with a resident concerning her water and sewer bill.

Janet Black explained to the board members that there was a water leak detected underneath her house and she didn’t know about it. Her son had fixed the leak but she was shocked when she got her water bill and it was $410.47 – a far cry from her regular bill of $61.00.

Continue reading →

Knox Council Fails to Reach Quorum; Special Meeting Scheduled

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Council
Knox City Council

The Knox City Council held a public hearing last night in regards to re-establishing the cumulative capital development fund for the city, but no city taxpayers were present to give their input on the matter. Unfortunately, the council did not have a quorum as three members were absent, preventing them from conducting any official business besides discussion.

Continue reading →

Knox Council to Hold Public Hearing on Cumulative Capital Fund

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Council
Knox City Council

The Knox City Council will be holding a public hearing tonight in regards to re-establishing the cumulative capital development fund for the city. Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston explained that the council would like to re-establish that fund because over time the levy – that is, the amount of money raised from taxes – goes up, while the percentage of funds going toward the cumulative capital fund goes down.

Continue reading →

Knox Council Approves Sewer Project Appropriation

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Council
Knox City Council

The sewer project for the city of Knox is moving along as officials look to put in a new lift station near the South Side Fire Station. Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston explained to the city council this week that the additional appropriation approved for the project last year expired at the start of the new year, and Houston said they would now have to approve the appropriation once again.

Continue reading →

Knox Resident Complains of Sewer Issues; Mayor to Check into It

Posted on Author WKVI

Knox City Council
Knox City Council
The Knox City Council last night heard comments from Brandon Manns of Knox, who informed the council that he is suffering from a major problem with his sewer line. Manns explained his sewer line is backed up underneath Binkley Drive, and after running a camera through the line to check it out, he discovered the issue lies beneath the road, three feet from the other side.

Continue reading →

Knox Council Discusses Laundromat Salvage Progress

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Council

Cleanup efforts at the old Knox laundromat continue as the Knox City Council this week heard an update from Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston who explained the contractor is still hauling out washers, dryers, and scrap from the old building. However, while the cleanup efforts can continue during the winter, Mayor Rick Chambers said the city will have to wait for warmer weather before completing the demolition. He said he’s hopeful that the building can be removed without damaging the nearby trees.

Continue reading →

Knox Council Approves Budget Reductions

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Council

The Knox City Council this week approved two budget reductions in response to cuts from the state. Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston explained that two city budgets suffered from cuts at the state level: the Motor Vehicle Highway Fund, with a balance of $413,131, was cut by $24,536; and the Park Department’s budget was also cut by $11,135 for a total budget amount of $146,358.

Continue reading →

Knox Clerk-Treasurer Says State Audit Came Back OK

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Council

Knox Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston told the city council last week that the city’s audit has been completed by the state, pending official approval by the state supervisor. Houston explained that the audit, overall, went well; though he was unsure as to how city court fared with the audit. He said the only exception that the state took was that the deposits were not corresponding with what the books indicated was being deposited.

Houston explained that this was because some deposits were not listed as to whether they were cash or checks, so they could not be checked back on in the records. So, Houston said he has implemented a new form in his office that will be used to reconcile all cash and checks collected with the amounts deposited.

Continue reading →

Water Line Insurance Not a Scam; Knox Clerk-Treasurer Advises Against It

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston

A number of people in the city of Knox have called the city to report suspected fraudulent calls from companies selling insurance on water lines, but Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston says the offer might not be a scam.

According to Houston, the city is responsible for the main water line, but the lines running to the home and inside is the homeowner’s responsibility. As a result, it is possible to legitimately insure those lines, but he discourages the idea. He says there have only been a few times when that line has actually broken, and he feels it probably wouldn’t be worth insuring.

These insurance companies are typically not affiliated with utility providers, and Houston encourages all residents who are approached with such an offer to do some investigating before making their decision. The city of Knox does not endorse any water line insurance provider.

Knox City Council Creates Special Event Fund

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Council

The Knox City Council this week approved a resolution to establish a Special Event Fund for the city. Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston told the council that he had spoken with the auditor for the State Board of Accounts who will be conducting the audit for Knox, and Houston had asked what to do with donations received for specific events, such as the Fourth of July fireworks.

According to Houston, the State Board of Accounts recommended creating a Special Event Fund to hold donations earmarked for a specific purpose. This fund will be separate from the city’s Donation Fund, which Houston says is used for donations to organizations or departments, such as police.

This new fund will be used to keep track of donations received for special events, but Houston emphasized that all donations going into this fund must be labeled for a specific purpose.

The council approved the resolution creating the Special Event Fund.

City of Knox To Receive Substantial Rebate From Life Insurance

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Council

The city of Knox will be receiving a rebate from their life insurance company to the tune of $34,672.22, according to Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston.

Houston explained that the city had received a letter from Trustmark Life Insurance Company explaining that the city would receive the rebate as required under the Affordable Care Act. The company had spent more than 20 percent of its premiums on administrative costs, salaries, sales, and advertising, and as a result, that extra amount spent must be returned to the city.

Continue reading →

City of Knox To Sell Old Stop, Yield Signs

Posted on Author WKVI

For those that wish to have a traffic sign as a decorative piece but don’t want to risk getting arrested for stealing one from the side of the road, good news – there’s an easier way.

Knox Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston says the city is currently selling stop and yields for $10 a piece. The signs are left over from the city’s recent upgrade of their traffic signs to newer, more reflective signs, and rather than let the older signs gather dust, the city has decided to sell them.

The signs can be requested at city hall.

Roughly 250 stop signs were replaced in the city to meet new regulations from the federal government which required all signs to be replaced with the new signs by 2018. Houston says they still have a number of stop and yield signs for sale.

Residents Have Right To Hearing Before Water Disconnect

Posted on Author WKVI
Jeff Houston

Knox City Attorney David Matsey has made Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston aware that a more formalized process has to be used for water disconnect in the city. As it is now, residents can be up to two months behind on their water bill before a disconnect is performed.

According to a court case from Evansville, due process has to be followed before the disconnect. In other words, a resident would have the right to have a hearing before the disconnect occurs.

Matsey said the hearing could be held before the Board of Public Works to satisfy the court decision. A process will be created by the attorney and Houston on this matter.

Information about the case was sent to the city by the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns.

Knox City Council Discusses Lift Station

Posted on Author WKVI
Back Row: Greg Matt, Mayor Rick Chambers, Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston, Donald Kring, City Attorney David Matsey. Front Row: Linda Berndt, Jeff Berg and Ron Parker

The Knox City Council this week discussed the replacement of a lift station near Clabaugh Drive and U.S. 35. According to Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston, the council is looking into covering 50 percent of the cost using their TIF funds, with the other half to be taken from the Cumulative Sewer Treatment Fund. Houston says the expected cost of the project is $188,301.08.

Continue reading →