Chesterton Tribune

 

 

New snow removal rules in Porter win public support

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By JEFF SCHULTZ

The Town of Porter is ready for winter with the Town Council unanimously adopting revisions to the town code’s regulations on snow removal.

The changes were also welcomed by a few residents from Hunter’s Glen subdivision who commended the Council for taking action after experiencing issues for a number of years.

According to the ordinance, residents in the subdivisions of Baillytown, Dune Meadows, Hunter’s Glen, Indian Trails, Marquette Point, Porter Beach, Porter Cove, Summer Tree, Wagner Hills, Woodlake Springs and Woodlawn Acres will be required to move their vehicles off of the streets in order for plows and emergency vehicles to get through. Those who don’t could face fines of $50 each time there is a violation.

Resident Carol Buehler said she is “one thousand percent” in favor of the measure so emergency vehicles can reach the residences they need to get to.

Ginger Potter who sits on the board for the Hunter’s Glen Property Owners’ Association further mentioned ongoing issues of residents who argue “they can’t get up the street” and feels this will improve the situation. She thanked the public works department for its support in the past.

“It will help eliminate the complaints I get and you get,” Potter told the Council.

Council President Greg Stinson read a letter from Bruce Snider, also of Hunter’s Glen, who wrote in favor of the ordinance for its intentions of improving safety.

Police Chief Jamie Spanier commented that the new rules are “going to be a learning experience for a while” for his department which is in charge of enforcement and issuing the citations.

Stinson pointed out that the parking ban is for only for those subdivisions mentioned and not on the Town’s public roads, although cars typically aren’t parked on public roads during a snowstorm.

The ordinance also states that residents and businesses within the Town limits will be required by the ordinance to remove snow and ice from their sidewalks within 24 hours of snow fall, or face a fine of $50. It shall be prohibited for property owners or private contractors to push or blow snow into any public street, sidewalk or alleyway.

Council member Elka Nelson said that if someone has a neighbor who is not physically able to clear their walkways, such as if they are sick in the hospital, to let the Town know.

“If we can communicate well, we can avoid problems,” she said.

Council member Jeannine Virtue asked how information about the snow removal rules can get to subdivision residents. Clerk-Treasurer Carol Pomeroy said she can include the information on the next sewer bill and the ordinance will be printed as a legal notice.

Leaf collection meets

football helmet

It amazes Town Public Work Director Brenda Brueckheimer what people will rake into their leaf piles without even knowing.

Brueckheimer showed the Council remnants of things that have been swallowed up by the Town’s leaf vacuums including a mangled Chesterton High School Football helmet.

“It took 16 hours of down time to fix that. Four employees in four hours. That was a $2,000 repair ,” said Brueckheimer, who added should like to hear from whomever is missing their football helmet.

The vacuum also suffered damage when a piece of rebar was picked up near Hunter’s Glen causing an 18-inch rip. Another time, a whole cement brick went through the system and some residents’ even throw animal waste in with their leaves, which makes the job unpleasant for workers.

Brueckheimer asked residents to be more considerate of what’s in their leaf piles. “It’s important. It is a safety issue for us,” she said.

Hawthorne Park ball field

The Council supported 5-0 a request from Parks Director Brian Bugajski to use no more than $800 in the Town’s share of County Economic Development Income Tax to purchase 22 tons of surface material for the Hawthorne baseball field for next season.

The parks department will be contributing $500 from its donation fund and $250 out of its operating budget but that would leave a gap of about $700 for the purchase, Bugajski said, which CEDIT will now fill.

Bugajski added that members of the Girl Scout Brownie Troop 30352 is undertaking the initiative to get a new bench for Hawthorne Park. To do that however, they will first need to collect 400 pounds of bottle caps, which according to Bugajski “is a lot” and encouraged residents to save their bottle caps for the troop.

The bench is planned to have a rainbow design and if the bottle cap drive is a success, the bench should arrive early next year, he said.

Also, the department will be having an ice cream social on Sunday, Nov. 22 from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Community Center to thank its volunteers for the year.

Bugajski reminded that on Sunday, Nov. 29, starting at 9 a.m., the inaugural Turkey Recovery 4 Mile run will start at Hawthorne Park, put on by Crazy Legs Race Series. Signups are $20 for pre-registering at http://www.crazylegsraceseries.info or $25 for registering on race day. A portion of the proceeds will go to the parks department’s playground equipment fund.

Salary Ordinance

In other business, the Council voted unanimously in favor of the 2016 town employee salary ordinance, which includes a 3 percent increase in salaries.

Stinson said that Pomeroy has asked not to be included in the raises but rather be paid $1,500 for longevity. “I do appreciate that. To make that sacrifice is commendable,” Stinson said.

More praise was given to resident and former police chief John Lane by Spanier and Pomeroy for helping the town get its server back online during a weather-related incident on Sept. 18. A lightning strike caused the equipment to fail but with Lane’s help, things were back to normal two hours later.

“He is MacGyver,” Pomeroy said.

 

 

Posted 11/11/2015

 

 

 
 
 
 

 

 

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