The City of New Castle, Indiana

COMMON COUNCIL 

MAY 2, 2011         7:00 P.M.

THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE WAS GIVEN BY EVERYONE IN ATTENDANCE. PRAYER WAS GIVEN BY PASTOR BOBBY SLAGEL, CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH.

MAYOR SMALL OPENED THE MEETING OF THE COMMON COUNCIL.

ROLL CALL:

SANDY YORK                                PRESENT                 

ANGIE GOODMAN                         PRESENT

JAMES KIDD                                  PRESENT

MARY MALONE                             PRESENT

MARK KOGER                                PRESENT

VAUGHN REID                               PRESENT

RICHARD HAHN                             PRESENT

MINUTES WERE APPROVED AS PRESENTED.

COUNCIL REPORTS:

PRESIDENT YORK%u2026%u2026%u2026%u2026%u2026%u2026%u2026%u2026.GOOD LUCK TO ALL CANDIDATES IN THE PRIMARY ELECTION, MAY 3, 2011.

COUNCILMAN KIDD%u2026%u2026%u2026%u2026%u2026%u2026%u2026..WISHED GOOD LUCK TOMORROW.

COUNCILADY MALONE%u2026%u2026%u2026%u2026%u2026%u2026DITTO

TRISHA SLED, CO RD 100 SOUTH, APPEARED BEFORE THE COUNCIL ASKING EVERYONE TO PARTICIPANT IN THE NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER.  SHE SAID

THERE WOULD BE FASTING FROM  6 P.M. MAY 4^TH TO 6 P.M. MAY 5^TH.  SHE SAID PRAYER TIME WILL BE AT 7 A.M. AT THE COURTHOUSE, AT NOON IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS AND AT 6:30 P.M. AT THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH.

DAVID NANTZ, 202 S. 14^TH STREET, APPEARED BEFORE THE COUNCIL TO DISCUSS AN ORDINANCE THAT WILL BE FORTH COMING TO RECONSIDER THE PROPERTY OF THE OLD HIGH SCHOOL ON 14^TH STREET.  HE ASKED THAT IT MIGHT BE PUT BACK INTO THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.  BRUCE AARON, REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CHURCH OF GOD WHO WILL BE TAKING OVER THE BUILDING.  HE PRESENTED A COPY OF  AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE NEW CASTLE COMMUNITY SCHOOL CORPORATION AND THE NEW CASTLE-THE HOUSE CHURCH OF GOD.  AN AGREEMENT TO TRANSFER REAL PROPERTY AND CONSENT TO HISTORIC PRESERVATION DESIGNATION.

       COUNCILMAN REID ASKED IF THEY WERE PURCHASING THE BUILDING.

       MR. AARON SAID YES.  HE SAID THERE WASN'T A CONTRACT YET.  IT WAS STILL IN THE MAKING.

       MAYOR SMALL SAID THERE WAS A STIPULATION FROM THE SCHOOL CORP.  THE BUILDING CAN NOT BE USED FOR A SCHOOL.  HE SAID THEY HAVE MET WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT OF AN ACADAMEY FROM ANDERSON WHO IS VERY INTERESTED IN THE BUILDING FOR A MILITARY STYLE, NOT A SCHOOL THAT WOULD TAKE THE CREAM OF THE CROP FROM THE NEW CASTLE HIGH SCHOOL BUT IT WOULD ATTRACT STUDENTS WHO NEED GUIDANCE IN THEIR LIFE OR DIRECTION IN THEIR LIFE.  HE THOUGHT THAT NEW CASTLE NEEDED THIS.  HE SAID HE WAS VERY CONCERNED THAT THIS LIMITATION HAS BEEN PUT ON A FINE BUILDING FOR A FINE ACADAMEY FOR HIGH AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS.   HE SAID HE WAS CONCERNED THAT IT WAS NOT GOING TO BE USED FOR A SCHOOL. 

       JOE JOPLIN, PASTOR OF THE CHURCH OF GOD, SAID THEY DIDN'T HAVE IMMEDIATE PLANS FOR THE WHOLE BUILDING RIGHT NOW.  RIGHT NOW, THE CAFETERIA AND GYM.  HE SAID THEY WERE EAGER TO PARTNER WITH ANYONE WHO WAS ABLE TO USE THE BUILDING.  HE SAID MAINLY THE GOAL WAS TO PUT SERVICES IN THE BUILDING THAT BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY AND GIVE US

A PLACE TO WORSHIP.  WE WILL BE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO UTILIZE PART OF THE BUILDING SO IT DOESN'T SET EMPTY.

       PRESIDENT YORK SAID LEGALLY, THE CITY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS.  IT IS BETWEEN THE TWO PARTIES.

PUBLIC:

DAVID WALL, 1324 THORNBURG STREET, SAID HE PUT HIS TRASH OUT YESTERDAY AND IT WASN'T PICKED UP.  EVERYONE AROUND HIM WAS.  HE KNEW THE TRASH WOULD BE PICKED UP ON MONDAY DUE TO ELECTION DAY.  HE CALLED THE TRASH DEPARTMENT AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD HAVE SOMEONE COME AND GET IT.    AT 3:45 P.M., I CALLED AGAIN AND GOT ONLY THE ANSWERING SERVICE. 

       MAYOR SMALL SAID NOT MANY PEOPLE GOT THE WORD THAT TRASH WOULD BE PICKED UP ON MONDAY.  HE SAID THERE WOULD BE A TRUCK OUT THERE TOMORROW TO GET HIS TRASH.

KELLY McCASLIN, 2924 BROAD ST., ASKED ABOUT A FENCE HE WANTS TO PUT UP.  HE SAID HE WAS TOLD THAT IT COULD NOT BE ANY HIGHER THAN 3 FOOT.

       ATTORNEY COPENHAVER SUGGESTED THAT MR. McCASLIN DO A DRAWING OF HIS YARD AND WHERE THE FENCE WAS TO BE PLACED AND GO BACK TO THE BUILDING INSPECTOR.

       MR. McCASLIN SAID HE HAS DRIVEN ALL OVER NEW CASTLE AND MOST ALL FENCES ARE 31/2 TO 4 FOOT TALL.

       ATTORNEY COPENHAVER SAID THEY MAY HAVE A VARIANCE OR THE FENCE MAY HAVE BEEN PUT UP BEFORE WE HAD A ZONING CODE.  WE HAVE A ZONING CODE THAT SAYS IT CAN BE OVER 4 FOOT IN YOUR BACKYARD.  YOU WILL HAVE TO TALK TO THE BUILDING INSPECTOR.  WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THE ZONING CODE.

       MR. McCASLIN ASKED ABOUT THE NEW FENCING PUT UP BY THE STATE OF INDIANA, THEY ARE OVER 3 FEET TALL.  THEY HAVE TO FOLLOW THE SAME ZONING IN THE CITY OF NEW CASTLE.

PRESIDENT YORK MOVED TO ADJOURN.

COUNCILMAN REID: SECOND