A question about the town of North Judson’s policy on buying back grave plots was raised during this week’s town council meeting.
Tuesday night, Clerk-Treasurer Andrew Rowe alerted members that an individual recently came into the Clerk’s Office and inquired about selling back two graves that he purchased for $350 each since his plans have changed and he no longer intends to be buried in town. Continue reading
An amended Owner-Engineer Agreement was presented at Monday night’s North Judson Town Council meeting.
CommonWealth Engineers Vice President of Business Development Vince Sommers gave members a few updates over the town’s Water Treatment Plant and Combined Sewage Overflow (CSO) Improvement projects. He also submitted an amended owner-engineer agreement for their consideration. Continue reading
T&J Lawn Care, out of Walkerton, will be handling the mowing services for Pioneer and Highland Cemeteries following a decision made by North Judson Town Council members Monday night.
The cemetery mowing contract was initially advertised back in March and individuals had a month to submit bids. The Town Council received and opened two bids last night.
The bid submitted by Tim Rhodes, the owner of T&J Lawn Care Services, was for a total of $12,000. The second bid, submitted by Mike Fanelli came in at $20,995. Continue reading
North Judson Town Council members will save some money on their railroad insurance payments after approving a recommendation made by Clerk-Treasurer Andrew Rowe at their meeting last week.
Rowe first brought this idea up when the payments began but he did some additional research on the payment methods and coordinated with President Wendy Hoppe about the matter prior to bringing the suggestion before the council. Continue reading
North Judson-Clerk Treasurer Andrew Rowe informed town council members this week that a few different roofing companies recently inspected the Town Hall building and they all provided vastly different responses. Continue reading
With this weekend’s pleasant weather, you may have noticed ice cream trucks making their first rounds of the season. A citizen of North Judson submitted a question to town council members Monday night, about a truck he saw driving around town over the weekend.
He asked what kind of permit is required for those drivers to sell their wares. Town Council President Wendy Hoppe responded that they need a peddler’s permit to legally sell the treats within the town limits. Continue reading
North Judson Police Officer Rico Simpson and his K9 partner Jimy are heading into their fourth week of training at Vohne Liche Kennels today. Town Marshal Kelly Fisher will provide the latest K9 update, as well as any additional police business, during her report at tonight’s town council meeting.
Members will also revisit the topic of cemetery mowing bids. Continue reading
North Judson Town Council members considered the advertisement for cemetery mowing when they met Monday night.
Individuals applying for this job would be bidding on lawn care, leaf clean up and debris removal for both Highland and Pioneer Cemeteries. They would be expected to provide all labor, equipment and fuel.
Members noted that the proposed advertisement was the same as last year’s. However, since they experienced some problems with last year’s service, they wanted to avoid any potential confusion by clearly stating what is expected of the bidder. Continue reading
The amphitheater for Norwayne Field in North Judson has been delivered and its size called for alternative storage options to be utilized.
Initially, the plan was to temporarily store it in the park garage, but at Monday’s town council meeting, Clerk-Treasurer Andrew Rowe stated that it was a bit too big for that. Town Superintendent Marshall Horstmann said they were able to store part of it where they originally planned and another portion is being stored in a building out on Railroad Street. Continue reading
North Judson Town Council members took care of some final financial business from 2017 when they met in a special session earlier this week.
Monday night, members approved a resolution to transfer appropriated funds from various motor vehicle highway accounts. Clerk-Treasurer Andrew Rowe explained that while meeting with Umbaugh representatives, he was alerted there were a few adjustments that needed to be made to keep everything in the black. Continue reading
A proposed House Bill was brought to the attention of North Judson Town Council members during a special meeting Monday night.
Council President Wendy Hoppe informed council members that House Bill 1313 is currently being considered by the House of Representatives. She explained that if enacted, it would affect the bidding process.
Hoppe said, “What the state is trying to say is the bidder can bid it and we have no way that we can check their background; who they are, what they are, what their work is. Where now we do have that [capability] and that in a nutshell is what that bill is about.” Continue reading
The North Judson Town Council members met for a special session to discuss the town salary ordinance prior to their regular meeting last week.
Members approved three percent raises across the board for the council, clerk-treasurer and department heads. The only position that remained unchanged was the park caretaker position.
Town Marshal Kelly Fisher requested forgoing her raise and giving it to her full-time officers. Continue reading
North Judson Town Council members will be looking into alternative holiday decoration options after there was collective council dissatisfaction and a few citizen complaints about how lights and decorations were handled in 2017.
As a portion of his report, Clerk-Treasurer Andrew Rowe presented a purchase order from HAP Industries for $5,796 for their decoration assistance last year. Though the members voted to pay the P.O., Councilman John Rowe suggested revisiting the deal with HAP and potentially purchasing decorations rather than renting them. Continue reading
The North Judson Town Council members renewed the town’s contract with Umbaugh and Associates when they met Monday evening.
Council President Wendy Hoppe mentioned that Umbaugh really helped save the town money last year. The council members noted that the contract appeared to be identical to last years and Town Attorney Justin Schramm said he felt comfortable moving forward with it.
The contract secures Umbaugh for consulting services related to the 2019 Budget and any other financial matters. There’s a $7,000 maximum for budget consultation, but if all the time is not used then the town will not be charged the full amount.
Though no changes were made to the agreement itself, Clerk-Treasurer Andrew Rowe mentioned that there has been a switch in who serves as the town’s point of contact. Continue reading
At the North Judson Town Council meeting Monday night, Clerk-Treasurer Andrew Rowe alerted members that there are several un-cashed checks on the books that go back several years.
Rowe mentioned that on all checks dispersed by the town, it states that they can be receipted back if they haven’t deposited after 2-years. Clerk-Treasurer Rowe said after speaking to the State Board of Accounts about the matter, the plan is to receipt all checks back into the town.
However, there was one check for Fire Captain Eric Wappel from 2015 that was apparently lost. Rowe was seeking to reimburse Wappel for the fire pay he never deposited. Continue reading
Before their regular meeting tonight, the North Judson Town Council members will meet in a special session to discuss the town’s 2018 salary ordinance.
Another topic up for discussion during the special session will be the approval of a bond counsel engagement letter. The special session will start at 6 p.m. tonight.
There is a light agenda for the regular session which is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. Time will be allotted for public presentations, department head reports and council items. Continue reading
North Judson Town Marshal Kelly Fisher announced that the NJ Police Department will be selling t-shirts and hoodies as a part of their K9 fundraiser from 8 a.m. until noon on Monday, January 8th.
The t-shirts cost $10 and the hoodies will be sold for $20. Fisher stated they consciously set the prices in order to allow all community members a chance to obtain the North Judson Police Department K9 Supporter apparel. The police station is located at 206 Keller Avenue. Continue reading
When the North Judson Town Council met Tuesday evening, Clerk-Treasurer Andrew Rowe alerted town council members that the town’s insurance policy premium increased from $56,000 in 2017 to about $62,000 for this year.
Rowe said he has recently been working with Christin Romine, an insurance accountant executive with 1st Source Bank in order to familiarize himself with the town’s history and current policy. He explained that after talking with her, he found that a large factor for the increase is the amount of claims that the town filed over the last few years.
Council President Wendy Hoppe recalled that in 2015, within the span of a few months they lost three police vehicles, including a Dodge Charger and two Ford Crown Victoria patrol cars. Continue reading
North Judson Town Council members encumbered funds for repairs to the wall at Norwayne Field when they met Tuesday night. Clerk-Treasurer Andrew Rowe explained that the wall that runs along Highway 10 is missing stones in some spots and there are places where it is crumbling.
A total of $4,400 that was left over from building improvements was encumbered to pay Schamber Masonry for work on the Norwayne Field wall. Continue reading
North Judson Town Council members refrained from encumbering funds for a new tractor for the utility department when they met Tuesday night. Council members conferred that they were under the impression they were waiting until springtime to take any action on that purchase.
Councilman Josh Brown stated he’d like to know what the intended purpose for the tractor would be before they establish a specific amount intended for the purchase. Brown said he wasn’t aware of any reasons the tractor would be a necessary piece of equipment. Continue reading
