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Markle's 2017 budget sails through hearing without public comment

Larry Jenks (left), commander of the Markle Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6671, presents Markle Town Council President Jeff Humbarger with a reserved parking sign for Purple Heart recipients at the town council meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 17.
Larry Jenks (left), commander of the Markle Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6671, presents Markle Town Council President Jeff Humbarger with a reserved parking sign for Purple Heart recipients at the town council meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 17. Photo by Rebecca Sandlin.

Markle’s 2017 budget sailed through a public hearing, called at the start of the Markle Town Council meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 17, without any comment from the public.

The $1.39 million budget has few changes, with the maximum esti-mated funds to be raised from tax levies increased $6,805 from the 2016 budget. The property tax cap credit estimate is $25,586.

Funds that are in-creased are the general, park and cumulative capital development funds.

Council members will vote to adopt the budget ordinance at the next council meeting, on Sept. 21.

Another ordinance, in its first reading, will give town employees a 2 per-cent raise in pay.

Annual salaries include:
• Council president, $4,500.
• Town council mem-bers, $3,000.
• Clerk-treasurer, $28,000 plus $500 per year longevity.
• Town marshal, $45,539.
• Deputy marshal, $39,025.
• Town supervisor, $50,632.
• General town assistant, $36,720.
• Water supervisor, $43,113.
• Wastewater supervisor, $45,732.
• Appointed park board members, $250.

The administrative co-ordinator will receive $11 to $15.46 hourly, and the utility clerk will be paid $13 an hour. Part-time employees will receive $8 to $14 per hour, and part-time depu-ties will make up to $20 per hour.

That ordinance will be presented for a vote at the Aug. 17 meeting.

In other business before the council:

• Council members agreed by consensus to continue with the same PHP Health Plan for employees. Insurance representative Larry Davis said there will be a 4 percent increase in the premium, which will be $9,074.32.

“We’ve had a run of four years with no in-crease; we’ve had a run of three years in a row with no increase,” he added.

Davis presented two other plan options that might have saved the town more money, but would assess higher pre-miums, out-of-pocket expenses or co-pays to employees. Council President Jeff Humbarger said the savings to the town wasn’t worth over-burdening employees with higher costs.

“I think it is important to keep in mind that we haven’t had an increase for several years, so hav-ing a 4 percent increase is not the end of the world,” he said. “We want to keep the out-of-pockets at the same level.”

• The council also ap-proved a web development agreement with Indiana Technical Instal-lations for $2,625 to revamp the websites of the Town of Markle and the Markle Chamber of Commerce. The sites have become difficult to maintain on software that is no longer supported.

Representative Chris Claghorn said he would use a WordPress format to keep the design similar, but more mobile friendly for viewing on mobile devices and using tab links for easier navi-gation. The websites will also be hosted on a virtual private server.

• Town Clerk-Treasurer Carolyn Hamilton told the council she and Town Superintendent Rick Asher have set up a water depreciation fund and will deposit $5,000 per month into the fund, for the purpose of paying for costs such as water tower painting, repairs and inspections.

“When those water towers need painting you’ll have the funds to do it,” she said. “That’s what we used to do years ago.”

• Hamilton also said Asher will receive the John Hurty Award for 40 years of service, Scott Spahr will receive the award for 30 years of service and Stephen Jeffers will receive the award for 25 years of service from the American Water Works Association at its Northeast District fall meeting on Sept. 15.

• Asher announced that he has been meeting with contractors and DLZ Engineering about the Tracy Street project and crews are expected to begin putting in the storm sewer infrastructure to-day, Monday, Aug. 22. He said Ind.-116 may need to be shut down during the construction.

• The council received a Purple Heart parking sign from Markle Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6671 Commander Larry Jenks. Jenks, who is on the Huntington County Purple Heart Committee, had attended a ceremony in Huntington on Aug. 7, commemorating Purple Heart recipients. He said three veterans from Markle, one of whom re-cently died, were Purple Heart recipients.
Humbarger, who accepted the donated sign, said the council would find a place to display it, reserving a special parking space for the Purple Heart veterans.

• Town Marshal John Markley was appointed to the Huntington County Emergency Advisory Board.