By John Estridge
The pandemic has caused all governmental entities to modify how and where they meet.
Maybe the greatest changes in meeting place and seating arrangements in the Whitewater Valley is Liberty Town Council.
Prior to the pandemic and after LTC started meeting again after the 2020 shutdown, LTC met in the Union County Commissioners room in the courthouse. It is a relatively small room, but it usually held any type crowd that council drew as well as engineers and other consultants appearing before council due to ongoing projects. Seating was sometimes tight and sometimes people had to wait out in the hallway until their part of the night’s agenda came up, but council always worked things out.
With social distancing, that has greatly changed, meaning the room could not be used for meetings.
The next site for meetings was at the Liberty Volunteer Fire Department’s firehouse on South Fairground Street. With the fire trucks parked across the street in the vacant lot, there was plenty of room for social distancing. Town council members were spread out at different tables through the large bay and the crowd members sometimes had to turn different directions to hear and see the current person speaking, but again it was workable. During summer days, the large doors were open allowing a pleasant breeze.
In the fall, the doors were closed, and the temperature inside was temperate enough for all involved. However, with winter, the ambient temperature was less than comfortable. That necessitated another move. This time it was back to the Union County Courthouse, but the meeting room is the Union Circuit Court courtroom.
With this venue, LTC President Matt Barnhizer sits alone at a table where attorneys sit during court proceedings. Clerk Melissa Shepler sits at another table usually used by attorneys on the other side of the jury seating. The four other council members and the town attorney are spread throughout the courtroom. This is the same for any consultants, taxpayers and media present at the meeting.
The courtroom will apparently be the meeting room for the current period until the temperatures modify enough to move it back to the firehouse or social distancing rules are modified or ended and council can move back to the commissioners meeting room.
At the Monday, February 1, meeting, council members acted on a variety of issues.
Town attorney Walt Chidester is retiring. He said his final day at his law office in Richmond should be in March. However, he could delay retiring from being the town attorney for a short period of time if he is needed.
Council unanimously agreed to name former resident and former Union Circuit Court Judge Jim Williams as the town attorney. LTC President Matt Barnhizer said he believed Williams’ appointment was a positive for the area as he is already the county attorney. This should endear a continued good relationship between the two entities and with Williams being the attorney for both entities it should be able to help both entities out.
In other business, council members and Liberty Police Department Chief Andrew Jordan ironed out another area in the proposed arrangement where police officers may keep their respective vehicles at their houses.
Barnhizer asked Jordan how reserve officers will use vehicles if the other officers have them at their respective homes.
Arnold said they could borrow a car from one of the other officers. And as vehicles are replaced, keeping the older vehicles for the reserves should occur as the vehicles will not be as worn out.
Quotes on a new vehicle included Bloomington Ford $32,225, Kenny Vice Ford 32,994 and Larkin Greenewood Ford $34,723. Arnold asked for council to approve the quote from Vice Ford because it has a better delivery policy.
They also talked about approving a new animal ordinance for the town that was taken from another community. However, the one in question allowed chickens within the town limits. Council members said there are questions about sanitation, and they did not want any farm-related animals to be kept in town. Thus, that ordinance will be revised to state that.
https://www.riversidecandleandco.com/
