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Last updated on Tuesday, October 1, 2013
(OOLITIC) - The Oolitic Town Council held a public meeting on the 2014 proposed budget.
No one made any comment on the $358,702 budget.
Town Clerk Jim Staley says the budget reflects potential town employee raises; $15,000 for the repair of the town hall's and small garage next to town hall's roofs and utility increases and gas for the police department.
"We tried not to raise it (the budget) any more than we had to," Staley added.
The budget will be adopted at a special meeting on October 10th at 6:30 p.m.
Oolitic Deputy Marshal Bill Allen requested permission to retire K-9 Shani.
"She is having some problems with allergies and is having to take shots every two weeks and she is having difficulty with her feet," Allen says.
Allen has purchased a new female Belgian malinois/Greman shepard mix as a pup and is currently training now 5-month old Koda to replace Shani.
The town council voted to allow Allen to keep Shani when he retires her and approved Koda taking her place.
In other business:
* Nikirk informed the council that the city received the street department's new 4-wheel drive F-150 Ford truck.
* Staley reported that the state audit is done. Officials will be at town hall Wednesday at 9 a.m. to do an exit conference with Staley and council members Nikirk and Pauline Rowe.
* Staley will be working with the Southern Indiana Development Commission to secure two possible grants. The first is a brownstone grant for approximately $1 million dollars. If awarded the town could possibly use the funds to purchase the old high school, demolish the building and create a green space for the town.
The second grant is a $1 million dollar storm water grant.
* Staley reported that the Indiana Labor Camp has agreed to provide free labor for the repairs of the town hall front steps. The town is working on getting limestone slabs donated for the repairs. Officials hope to make repairs this spring.
* President Nikirk shared that he attended the 40th anniversary SICD celebration held at WestGate@ Crane.
* Retired Department of Natural Resources Forester Charles Sproles addressed the council about the invasive Tree of Heaven, or Ailanthus altissima tree.
The tree is located in several areas of Lawrence County and Sproles' goal is to eradicate the plant, which is toxic and can overrun native vegetation.
The trees also produce toxins that prevent the establishment of other plant species and cause some people to have an allergic reaction from the fumes and the sap of the trees.
Sproles will come to a residence and locate the trees and use a safe foliar spray to kill them.
"Cutting down the tree before it is dead makes the problem 100 times worse," Sproles says. "The roots will just shoot up hundreds of new sprouts."
Sproles does the eradication free of charge.
"Some residents have given me donations to purchase more foliar spray so we can continue the project," he added.
Anyone wishing to contact Sproles can call him at (812) 707-3627.
* The council approved to allow SuperOldies to host Super Treat at the community building October 31.
* The Eagles thanked the council for allowing them to hold a road block to support Camp Riley. The group raised $650.
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