Town Council

Rocky Ripple Town Council Meeting July 9, 2024 Rocky Ripple Town Board member, Randy Sanders, called the meeting to order at 7:31 pm. Town board members Rachel Hunter, Randy Sanders and Megan Hulland were present. Julie Smith, clerk treasurer, Mike Kiefer, town marshal and Sarah Guffey, town attorney, were present. Welcome Community! Town board member, Randy Sanders, welcomed and thanked those who were present at town hall as well as those who are joining us for tonight’s meeting via Zoom. Clerk Treasurer Reports 2025 Budget Planning – The Board met for the first 2025 budget meeting this evening. Julie meets with her contact at State Board of Accounts (SBOA) in mid-July to learn about budget targets for next year, so planning is preliminary until then. The next budget meeting is planned for 6:30pm on August 13th at town hall. Miscellaneous – Randy asked Julie to help coordinate mowing in the park on 7/18 or 7/19 to help prepare for a wedding on 7/20. Julie received a message asking if the volleyball court was considered “reserved” as part of park pavilion reservation. The Board had not received this question before but determined that the courts were not included as part of the rental and that they should be treated as first come, first served instead. Minutes – June minutes were presented with no changes. Rachel made a motion to accept the minutes as written, Megan seconded. All were in favor, motion unanimously passed. Treasurer Report for June 2024 – No non-routine expenses for the month; June installment of property taxes were paid. Julie confirmed that 2015 Directive allocation of $1800 had not yet been moved to General Fund but would be done before the next meeting. Randy asked about the status of Tae Kwon Do repayments; outstanding are still unpaid. Randy will follow-up with Master Mike this month to work out a formal resolution. Steady rental revenue from town hall and the pavilion this month. Ending bank balance for 6/30/2024 was $108,118.80. Megan motioned to accept the Treasurer’s report and Rachel seconded the motion. All were in favor, motion unanimously passed. Search for Clerk-Treasurer – The town continues to search for a new Clerk-Treasurer; two individuals remain interested. Randy suggested that the Board meet with each person before the end of July to determine best fit. The Board reminded residents to continue to spread the word about Clerk-Treasurer vacancy in case anyone else is interested. Old Business Rocky Ripple Flood Protection: DPW Updates, ILA – Megan shared consolidated town-wide questions with DPW in late June. DPW confirmed that the CLOMR has not yet been submitted to FEMA but was slated to be submitted soon. A resident asked why we couldn’t simply survey the town and determine if majority of residents remain in favor of the floodwall project. Rachel explained that the Board is waiting for additional information, including resolution and clarity on the internal drainage plans. The Board acknowledged that this is a frustrating position for riverfront residents, especially those who are slated to have their homes torn down, as they have been living in limbo for years at this point. The Board is working hard to make the best decision with as much information as possible and continue to work with DPW to track down answers. CEG STEP Program Update – Citizens Energy Group (CEG) continues to complete restoration in the neighborhood. Several residents have reached out to determine when their homes will have restoration completed and the Board has been coordinating with CEG to track down answers. A resident commented that there is a sewer gas smell coming up their pipes; Randy reminded residents to run their water to make sure traps don’t dry out. A resident also expressed that they were able to insure their grinder pump for $15 via their homeowner’s insurance. Speeding Cars in Rocky Ripple/Related Safety Concerns – No update for this month; Board will address during lunch with Michael Lofton of Butler University on 7/19. INDOT ADA and Title 6 Compliance Plan – Rachel reformatted ordinances for future ease of editing; Megan and Randy will review. Megan will also bring forward Title 6 ordinance investigation for the Board to review. Town Manager/Marshal’s Report – No police reports for the month. Baumgartner was notified that they were selected for the paving project but no start date has been shared. Julie should expect to see Community Crossings Grant (CCG) matching money in the bank account soon. Marshal Mike confirmed that Rocky Ripple’s portion of the 5100 block of Lester totals $6,750.00; the Board mentioned they would discuss cost sharing with Butler at lunch with Michael Lofton. There is a pothole on Annette Street; the town will investigate whether MVH Restricted funds can be used for patching. Community Association Updates –Indianapolis Neighborhood Resource Center (INRC) grant was received totaling $14,975.00 Town garage sale will take place on Saturday, July 13 th from 8:00am-1:00pm. New mulch will be purchased for the playground equipment in the park and should be delivered within the month. Randy and Sarah Guffey have updated the vendor forms for the festival and are working on updating artist forms next. Update to Rental Forms – Updated rental forms are now available on the website. These new forms specify that payment must be received within a certain timeframe in order to hold the reservation. Randy has figured out a way to automate reminders and has had good responses so far. Randy found links to old facility rental forms online and was able to delete them to avoid confusion. New Business Frank’s Livery Update – Megan attended the June Frank’s Livery Steering Committee meeting. Some updates related to delays to 30th St. bridge renovations and an update on Emrichsville Dam removal. Not much news related to Rocky Ripple. Marshal Mike commented that there has been a fair amount of Frank’s traffic in town so far this summer. Community Concerns A resident asked about the status of CERT/RREM; Marshal Mike clarified that the committee is not currently active. Randy mentioned that he would like to run a test of the emergency alert system using the Town Web site and the air horn attached to town hall. Meeting adjourned at 8:48 pm. Respectfully submitted, Megan Hulland