LAPEL — The town council and residents in attendance welcomed Lapel’s newest police officer at the Oct. 3 board meeting.
Police chief Kelly Naselroad read the certificate of appointment, and town councilman Tom Marvel swore in officer Spencer Dulaney.
Naselroad said Dulaney was hired a few months ago, and the latest full-time officer has completed his pre-basic training courses and is finishing up his field training work.
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Dulaney is a resident of Chesterfield, where he grew up. He was accompanied at the swearing in by his wife, Victoria, and parents Emmett and Karen Dulaney.
“I’m excited to be in Lapel and work in Lapel and eventually move closer toward Lapel,” Dulaney told the town council.
Money for the park
The town voted to use $25,000 from the Cascadden Fund to get the park out of debt.
Initially to be a loan from the town the park would pay back, the council later voted the park would not have to pay the money back.
The park board was $21,092.77 in the red.
Town council member Jason Kleinbub suggested the $25,000 not be a loan.
“I would rather give them the $25,000 and not make it a temporary loan, since they did not get a draw (from the budget) in 2019,” Kleinbub recommended.
“I know we don’t have a lot of money, but I am with Jason on this. I feel like it’s going to be a never-ending revolving hole,” Marvel said. “We’re going to lend them money to get out of a hole, make them pay it back and put them in a hole again.”
Former resident Olevia Cascadden passed away in 2015. She bestowed a trust that is given in alternating years to the town and the Frankton-Lapel school system. Last year, the town was awarded $315,000 from the inheritance to be used for town improvements.
The council first voted to amend the loan language in the ordinance, then approved the $25,000 to go to the park.
Backflow ordinance approved
In other business, the council approved on first reading — waivingd second and third readings — a cross contamination ordinance, to help protect the public water system due to backflow of contaminants, primarily from businesses, through the water service connection into the public water system.
“It was supposed to be done before, but IDEM (Indiana Department of Environment Management) had not enforced it. Now they are enforcing it,” council president Deb Wainscott said. “That’s something that we are going to have to start checking on with anybody that has backflow, irrigation or anything where it could get stuff back into the water system.”
Watson’s to work on bridge
Lapel awarded Watson’s Excavating Inc. of Anderson the job of repairing the bridge on County Road 200 South based on the company’s $4,170 bid.
The council solicited bids from Dorsey Excavating Inc. of Noblesville and J.E. Powell Excavating of New Castle, but neither company returned a bid for the project.
What’s up Lapel?
Pending recommendation from the town’s IT consultant, Daniel Paull, the council made a motion to approve working with John Dockrey of WhatsUp247.com to promote town events, such as meetings, festivals and live music on his web site.
Trick or Treat hours
Official trick-or-treating hours for Lapel will be 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31.
