Chesterton Police Commission Member Steve Brickner has unexpectedly resigned.

That news from the Town Council’s meeting Monday night.

Brickner’s letter of resignation was not read on Monday but may be at the Police Commission’s own meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

The council agreed to accept letters of application for Brickner’s seat through 4:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 25. Applicants may be either Republicans or Independents. They may not be Democrats.

Brickner’s resignation means that the three-member Police Commission will begin the New Year with a substantially new composition. In December the council declined to re-appoint Mark Acevedo, opting to replace him with Craig Stafford. Only Nick Walters continues to serve.

In other business, members voted 4-0 to write-off a total of $1,032.37 in uncollected—and uncollectable—refuse and recycling fees owed by residents. Member Sharon Darnell, D-4th, was not in attendance.

Clerk-Treasurer Gayle Polakowski told the council that most of the 22 residents on the list either died or left town and are now unreachable.

Town Attorney Chuck Lukmann emphasized that none of those 22 is “part of the group against whom we’re proceeding with liens and lawsuits,” after Street Commissioner John Schnadenberg reported last fall that some residents have simply—and unaccountably—stopped paying their bimonthly refuse and recycling fee, to the tune of around $6,000.

Meanwhile, members voted 4-0 to table a resolution which would have authorized department heads to use funds from their budgets to pay membership dues to their respective professional organizations.

Traditionally the council’s first order of business in the New Year has been adoption of this resolution but on Monday Member Jeff Trout, R-2nd, asked department heads to review their memberships. “It might not be a bad idea to review the list and get the dollar amount,” he said. “Let’s get a little more information and see if there is value in all of these.”

Members also voted 4-0 to compensate the following department heads for unused vacation time from 2009: Police Chief George Nelson, 68 hours; Polakowski, 40 hours; Town Engineer Mark O’Dell, 40 hours; Fire Chief Mike Orlich, 80 hours; and Schnadenberg, 80 hours.

Under the Personnel Policy, department heads may be compensated for up to 80 hours of unused vacation time remaining from the previous year.

In addition, members voted 4-0 to approve a five-year contract with the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission, at an annual cost of $5,122, under which NIRPC will provide for the town the public education and outreach components of the MS4 program.

The Stormwater Management Board unanimously endorsed that contract at its last meeting.

At any time in the fourth quarter of any year of that contract the town has the option of canceling the contract.

Posted 1/12/2010