PENDLETON — Pendleton took steps to protect a few roads from damage caused by heavy trucks as well as to prepare for a significant infusion of money coming the town’s way that could be used for, among other things, infrastructure improvements, including roadwork.
The town council approved at its April 8 meeting an ordinance setting weight restrictions for trucks driving on County Roads 650 West, 675 West and 700 South, within town limits.
The ordinance established a 20,000-pound limit for triaxle trailers and other commercial vehicles and carries a fine of between $1,000 and $2,500.
“The construction that’s going on out on that end of town — Ingalls has got a problem. Madison County has got a problem, and Pendleton’s got a problem with the heavy trucks tearing the roads up,” council President Chet Babb said.
The town made an emergency declaration, placing a weight limit on trucks, “because there’s just too much big trucks, heavy trucks, concrete trucks,” Babb said.
But, “the emergency declaration is only good for seven days, and we extended it after seven days. Now we’ll make an ordinance along with it … along with what Madison County has done about in that area, because our roads are in-between theirs.
“Everybody’s trying to get together on this and use the same language,” Babb said. “And believe me, it’s working, with some of the weight limits that we put on. I actually seen a truck back up, make the turn and stop when he seen the big sign ‘No trucks.’ They don’t want to pay any big fines. He actually stopped, backed up and went back out on the highway. They know they’re not supposed to be here now.”
In response to a question from the public, town attorney Jeff Graham said agricultural traffic is exempt, as are school buses and utility service vehicles.
Graham also said ordinances that have fines usually require 30 days to take effect, but that in this case, because it was determined to be urgent necessity, it could take effect much sooner — after the night’s two readings and the posting of the ordinance at three spots in town.
“This was one that doesn’t come up very often, but communication with town manager Reske and a couple of other people around, that there is an urgent necessity,” Graham said. “These roads are falling apart rather quickly when these vehicles travel on them.”
The council passed the measure by suspending the regular rules and voting twice, 5-0.
The council used the same speedy approval process in creating the ARP Coronavirus Local Recovery Grant Fund, which is required to hold whatever money the town receives from the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act passed by Congress in March.
“It’s like setting up a checking account just for this money,” Clerk-
Treasurer Willie Boles said.
Pendleton received $250,000 last week out of a total expected amount of about $900,000.
“We don’t have any rules of how we’re going to spend it yet,” Babb said. “We’re just doing the legal stuff with this ordinance.”
Graham said the $250,000 came to Pendleton about a month sooner than expected, making it necessary get the account set up quickly.
“We also have to draft a plan to spend the money in order to eventually appropriate it in May,” Graham said. “We will be communicating with you over the next month on plans to spend the money. The State Board of Accounts has put out a memorandum the past couple of days — it talked about things you can spend this on. This will be the type of things you have to put in the plan.
“One of the things is money to essential workers; the other is for necessary investments in water, sewer and broadband infrastructure; to make up for loss and reduction of revenue for cities. … There are four or five categories that are fairly broad. The only prohibition is you can’t put it in pension funds, things of that nature. You can improve the infrastructure of your town.
“There will be some decisions to make very shortly and not a lot of time to make them.”
Town manager Scott Reske said previously that the biggest factor will be how much time the town will have to spend the money.
If there’s a short timeframe, he said, money probably would be used for infrastructure projects that don’t require engineering, such as road resurfacing and sidewalks, as well as projects where the engineering work is already done.
“Now, if I have long-term, it’ll change what we use the money for.”
Boles added the town will have until the end of 2024 to spend the money.
The council also approved:
A revised salary ordinance with the main substantive change being that the planning director and planning and zoning coordinator positions are now exempt, meaning they are salaried positions not eligible for overtime, Graham said. There are other minor changes involving dates, but the ordinance reflects the previous council decision to keep town pay levels the same this year as in 2020, he said.
Extending a moratorium on residential plat petitions by 180 days. Babb said the ordinance, which was due to expire this month, was passed at the plan commission the previous night, and that he had spoken with Reske and people in the planning department, and all agreed it was needed.
It’s necessary “because we got right at 900 homes … they’re building. We only got so many people,” Babb said. “The town is growing.”
An Economic Development Rider ordinance, which was developed in consultation with Indiana Municipal Power Agency and allows the town to offer incentives to a large business that might be considering coming into town.
“It’s for very large users, so it’s a volume discount, basically, is the layman’s way of putting it,” Reske said during last month’s first reading. “It’s an incentive to get them to move here.”
An existing business could qualify for the discount through an expansion, town attorney Jeff Graham said in March.
Kayla Hassett becoming town planning director, after Babb’s nomination of her. The move formalizes Hassett’s promotion to a position she started on March 29.
A resolution requiring that changes to agendas for regular town council meetings be done at least three days prior to the meeting. That makes the deadline for changes 6 p.m. Mondays prior to the meetings, normally conducted on the second Thursday of the month.