Residents of the town of Mentone will soon have a new way to pay their utility bills.
The town council unanimously voted Wednesday for Clerk-Treasurer Nikki Norris to have an online method for residents to pay their bills.
Along with the online pay method, the council also voted to set up a card reader at town hall for people to go into town hall and pay for their bill there with a credit or debit card.
Council President Jill Gross said that when Norris gets everything up and running, Norris should notify the council so they can let people know.
Norris also suggested putting information about the new method of online bill pay on people’s bills.
The council also discussed an issue brought to them by Councilman Tim Croy.
He said he was contacted by a Mr. Herendeen about Croy writing a letter to the county health department saying there’s no water or sewage on a property he is looking to buy, which is south on Ind. 19, right outside the town borders. The property Herendeen is looking at borders the town line, Croy said. Croy, saying he did not get Herendeen’s first name, said Herendeen would have to set up an actual address if he buys the property as one is not set up yet.
“We’ve never been asked this before that I know,” Croy said.
Croy said water and sewage hookup is within 10 feet of Herendeen’s property line, directly to the east.
Croy said the county health department said if the property is within 300 feet of the town, the owner can hook up to the town’s water and sewer, but would have to be annexed into the town to do so. Croy said the health department advised him the town can decide if they want the property as clients as well. If the town doesn’t want the property as clients, or the property owner doesn’t want to hook up to the town’s sewer and water, the property owner would have to get permits to set up a well and septic tank.
Town attorney Andrew Grossnickle said the town ordinance says if the property is within 200 feet, the town would have to annex the property if the owner wants to hook up to the town’s utilities. Grossnickle said he would have to see what exactly the county health department is looking at as far as ordinances goes.
Grossnickle said the health department may have given Croy the information they did, assuming the property was within the town.
Croy said he hasn’t spoken to Herendeen as to what exactly he wants as far as hooking up to the town’s utilities or not. Croy doesn’t even know if Herendeen knows about the hookup being so close to the property.
The council voted to table the issue until April’s meeting so Croy can make contact with Herendeen to get more information.
Grossnickle updated the council the issue with a local mobile park the town received complaints about in December. During February’s meeting, Grossnickle said he forwarded information to the county health department so they could possibly send out a inspection notice to the owner. He has not heard anything from the health department if they’re willing to do anything about the mobile park, but requested if they’re not, to let him know so the town council can do something about it.
Also, Boy Scout Troop 3777, out of Burket, was at the meeting. Boy Scout Colton White asked the council permission to plant trees in Mentone. His reasoning behind it was trees reduce air pollution, look pretty, reduce soil erosion and create more shade.
Scoutmaster Chris White said they’d probably be looking at planting maple trees.
Croy suggested some sort of flowering tree, such as dogwood or tulip trees.
Gross suggested the Troop get with Utilities Superintendent Josh Shepherd to figure the details out.
Town Marshal Jim Eads said that with the weather getting better, the town will be enforcing town ordinances more in regards to keeping up properties.
Shepherd said April 1 will be Cemetery Clean Up Day. Any Christmas decorations have to be cleaned up. If any remain on April 1, they will be discarded.
