LAPEL — The town council approved two members to join the Lapel Plan Commission.

Jeff Keith and Angie Callaway were approved as new members at the Aug. 14 board meeting.

A new state statute requires commissions to include seven members. With only five members on the Lapel Plan Commission, the town asked at its July 2 council meeting for volunteers.

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Two volunteers were denied because they were registered Republicans; the statute requires more than one political party be represented on the commission. The five existing members on the board were Republicans.

Also, town council President Deb Wainscott appointed Dan Paddock to replace Gary Shuck, who recently resigned from the planning commission.

Money going to high school

After tabling a discussion at the last meeting about how to distribute $1,062 received from the South Madison Community Foundation, the board voted to distribute the money evenly between the band and football team at Lapel High School.

“It’s something the people of Lapel enjoy, the band and the football team,” council Vice Pesident Tony Pearson said.

K-9 resolution approved

The council approved a resolution to sell the Lapel Police Department’s K-9, Taiko, a four-year old Belgian Malinois, to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Drug Task Force for $4,500.

The sale had been delayed because the dog was purchased from Ultimate K-9, which was not among the approved vendors by the IMPD.

Lapel police chief Kelly Naselroad said paperwork was being completed to get Ultimate K-9 on the IMPD’s list.

Lapel officers who had been qualified handlers for the dog are no longer with the department, so Naselroad had been searching for another department to purchase the dog.

“I think the key point, as I have stated before, is to get the dog working,” Naselroad said.

New internet coming

The council approved a proposal to go with OnRamp Indiana as the internet provider at town hall, the police department, utility building and water treatment plant.

The proposal included a monthly cost of $300 with a $300 installation fee.

Employees in the town buildings had expressed a desire to find a new provider. It’s current provided is Swayzee Communications.