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Markle council to ban wrong-side parking

The Town of Markle is set to become the latest community in Huntington County to ban opposite-facing parking on its streets.

At its meeting Wednesday, May 20, councilmen voted unanimously to approve Ordinance 2015-3 on its first reading.

Town Marshal John Markley said officers will begin putting orange tags on vehicles parked facing the wrong direction to let them know that parking against the flow of traffic will be illegal in Markle beginning July 1.

“This will give people a month and a half notice of what’s going to start costing them money,” Markley said.
Information about the new ordinance will be advertised in various locations, including newspaper ads and a notice in the post office.

“It isn’t just our problem,” Markley said. “The Town of Warren just passed an ordinance.”

Markley said officials in Warren, along with the town attorney, helped him formulate Markle’s ordinance. The ordinance will prohibit parking in a direction facing opposite the flow of traffic on both streets and alleys.

Fines for violations begin at $25 for the first offense; $50 for a second offense within a one-year period; and $100 for subsequent offenses within a one-year period.

The council will vote on the ordinance’s second reading at its meeting in June.

In other business:

• The council approved by consensus making repairs on several streets at an estimated cost of $87,000. Repairs will be made on the Novae Road, as well as in front of Dayton Freight, County Line Road by the lift station, Scott Street, Hoover Lane and Windridge Drive.

“A lot of these county roads have deteriorated real bad,” said Town Superintendent Rick Asher. “There are places all over the county — both counties — not just here, that have broken up.”

Clerk-Treasurer Shelley Monticue said funding could come from money the town’s Rainy Day Fund that has not been earmarked for the Tracy Street renovations.

• The council approved the memorandum of understanding with the Markle Area Historical Society regarding storage and use of historical items now housed in the current town hall on Sparks Street, after the society provided an attachment to the memorandum listing the items it owns.

• The council agreed to extend the closing date of the land purchase by the Huntington City-Township Public Library to Sept. 30, or 60 days after the demolition of the current building.

• The council agreed to the library’s request to have the town backfill the demolition site and the library would reimburse the town, in order to save money.

• The council tabled a decision on whether to have L&T clean, paint and install a mixer in the old water tower at 140 W. Logan St. until its June meeting. The quote submitted by L&T for the cleaning and painting was $70,000.

• The council voted to donate $1,600 to the Markle Wildcat Festival, which will cover the cost of the tent and tables. Monticue said the money would come from the Riverboat Fund.

• Monticue also informed the council that the office is in the middle of transitioning from the old town hall to its temporary location at 520 W. Logan St., which is the parsonage of Turnpointe Community Church. She said she hopes to have Internet installed and a fax machine number working by the end of the week.

Information about how to contact the clerk-treasurer’s office and other contact numbers are available at the town’s website, www.markleindiana.com.

Monticue also said after the move is complete she would like the council to consider a part-time employee to replace Lara Ludlow, who vacated the assistant’s position. She advised the council to hold an executive session to discuss the next steps in hiring a new employee.