INGALLS — The Ingalls town council tentatively approved a contract to use MS Consultants Inc. to help run the town as the council seeks a new town manager.
MS Consultants is a regional engineering, architecture, planning and environmental consulting firm. The contract, which is subject to review by town attorney Gregg Morelock, runs from July 1 to Dec. 31.
The council agreed to the hiring at the June 22 meeting at town hall.
At a special town council meeting June 15, council President Scot Lawyer recommended hiring the firm for six months.
Ingalls has been without a town manager since the resignation of Frank Owens in August 2019.
Lawyer said the contract for the consulting firm will cost almost $4,000 per month.
Dax Norton, a municipal administration and management specialist for the consultant company, who would be the firm’s lead contact for the town, spoke to the council at the special meeting and at the June 22 meeting.
Town audit
Therber Brock and Associates LLC is conducting audits of Ingalls’ finances from Jan. 1, 2016, to Dec. 31, 2019.
Morelock read a proposed resolution during the June 22 meeting that said so far audits have found 16 violations of state law or rules and regulations of the Indiana state board of accounts, including the failure to bill commercial developers for inspections.
The town is owed more than $40,000 for the inspections.
Lawyer suggested tabling the resolution until all inspections are completed. He said he believed the town would be able to recoup some of the money.
Lawyer also said there are still audits that need to be completed, including assessments for the Public Safety Fund and Water Capacity Fees.
Councilman Tim Green, who helped spearhead the resolution’s formation, later motioned to table the resolution until all information is in from the audits.
Ingalls Clerk-Treasurer Kip Golden declined to comment pending completion of the audits.
Car Show
Randy Bower asked the town council about playing host to a car show at Interurban Park.
He mentioned his father had just had a successful show in Anderson the previous weekend and wanted to see about coming to Ingalls later this year.
Bower said he would get some dates together as possibilities, but wanted to check with council first to get an OK to pursue the event.
Councilman Green suggested Bower come up with some guidelines related to the government’s COVID-19 social distancing regulations.
08 Dodge Charger
The council rejected a bid to purchase a 2008 Dodge Charger, formerly a police vehicle for the Ingalls police department.
The bid came from Amber Hall for $309. The council voted to re-list the vehicle.
Next Meeting
The next scheduled Ingalls Town Council meeting is slated for 7 p.m. Monday, July 13.