Oolitic residents thank town officials for tackling difficult issues

OOLITIC – Monday night, residents thanked the Oolitic Clerk-Treasurer Anne Norrick and town council members for tackling a variety of difficult issues the town is facing and trying to come up with solutions to solve them.

The residents also thanked the town employees Zac Bell, Wes Tipton, and Tyler Phillips for keeping the town operating. Employees for the town have continued to face water leaks and storm clean-up issues while also maintaining the standard trash pick-up schedule. The employees have been working long hours to complete these jobs for the community. The residents face water, sewer, and trash rate increases to offset the demand of the infrastructure financial burdens.

“Every time we call the town hall to ask questions, they are always pleasant to us,” said Kevin Wagner, a resident.

Town officials asked residents to be patient as they work through the slow process to get things done and good things will come.

Roof repairs at both the old fire station and town hall are being considered.

During a two hour meeting Monday night, the town council addressed the following concerns:

  • The Town of Oolitic is continuing to look at issues with the roofs at the old fire station and town hall. Currently, they are seeking estimates for cost repair for both locations.
  • Residents, once again ,voiced their concern about the water bills. A town employee resigned due to improper readings last year. But residents continue to receive major fluctuations in billing. Residents are seeing fluctuations from a $90 bill one month to a $120 bill the next. Norrick herself went out and looked at some of the meters to find out what the issue was. She stated there were some misreadings of meters at some of the locations. Also, the billing software did not print portion of bills properly, causing some of the raised concerns.
  • The council approved the purchase of stop signs and no parking signs. The council voted to use Hall Signs of Bloomington because it was less expensive than using their current supplier.
  • The City of Bedford has offered their surplus salt and sand to the town at a cost of $5,000. David Holmes, Lawrence County Highway Superintended has offered to provide a dump truck to haul the material to a location on Seiboldt Quarry Road for the town to use as temporary storage for the material. Town officials did not vote on the issue.
  • A compliance hearing will be held next month on improvements completed at the Deford Building located at 5th Street and Lafayette Avenue.
  • Approved Ray Sowders’s request for the Masons to put up new signage on Main Street and Hoosier Avenue.
  • Received a complaint about contractors who are working on private property but damaging the roadway curbs on Meadow Lane in the process.
  • Lawrence County Highway Superintendent David Holmes has agreed to pave the north and south ends of Lafayette Avenue. Holmes will then file the proper paperwork to have those portions of roadway be properly placed within the Town of Oolitic limits.
  • A resident requested permission to convert a garage and empty lot into an apartment building. The resident was advised to file plans on the project at Town Hall.
  • Town Council member Jon Broglin will be working to place 11 parcels on the tax rolls for the town of Oolitic.
  • Approved Tyler Phillips, a street department employee, to have a cell phone which will be paid for with town funds.