People complained about the recent removal of stop signs on a stretch of Ninth Street and members of the New Castle City Council listened. Council members voted Monday night to replace the stops for north and southbound traffic at Church, Vine and Spring streets. A stop sign for the east approach at Church and Ninth Street will remain, making it a three-way stop in the future.
"The residents who live in that area spoke and we need to listen to them," Council President Mark Koger said. "They have to deal with the traffic on a day to day basis. We just want to make the best decisions for our citizens."
The vote on Ordinance 3738, which repeals Ordinance 3724, the measure that removed the stop signs in question, passed unanimously on first reading. The original idea was to remove the stops to facilitate the city's bike/pedestrian plan. Koger said the council still fully supports that plan, but that a route other than Ninth Street may need to be looked at.
Tony Laird, who lives near Ninth and Spring streets, thanked the council for voting to return the stop signs and said their removal created "a very dangerous situation."
Also passed on first reading were ordinances 3735, 3736 and 3737.
Ordinance 3735 removes two stops signs at N. 15th and Thornburg streets and the stop signs controlling east/west traffic on Indiana Avenue at 22nd Street. It also calls for placing a stop sign for northbound traffic on 22nd Street where it intersects Indiana Avenue.
Ordinance 3736 eliminates the bike/pedestrian lane and adds parking spaces on the east side of Bundy Avenue between Webster and Southern Avenue.
Ordinance 3737 calls for the removal of the traffic light at Church and Main streets and placing stop signs for east/west traffic on Church Street.
A public hearing on the city's proposed budget for 2016 was conducted with no members of the public speaking for or against it. The proposed budget has a bottom line of $22,737,404. The city's 2015 budget totaled $22,580,178 in expenditures. The vote on second reading was 5-2 in favor with council members Jimmy Kidd and Vaughn Reid III voting against.
Also passed on second reading was the Elected Officials Salary Ordinance, No. 3728, which includes no pay increases for local officials compared to 2015. It passed by a vote of 6-1 with council member Rex Peckinpaugh voting against.
The Management Salary Ordinance, No. 3729, which includes no pay increases but does include pay for a part-time code enforcement position and reduces the pay for a couple management positions at the Baker Park Aquatics Center, passed on second reading by a vote of 5-2 with Kidd and Reid voting against.
The Department of Finance Salary Ordinance, No. 3730, includes no changes when compared to 2015 and passed on second reading by a vote of 7-0.
The Police Salary Ordinance, Fire Salary Ordinance, EMS Salary Ordinance and Hourly Salary Ordinance, Nos. 3731, 3732, 3733 and 3734 respectively, also included no pay increases and all passed on second reading by a vote of 7-0.
The council also voted in favor of a $375,000 lease-purchase agreement for a 2014 piece of equipment designed to clean blockages and debris from city sewer lines. Mayor Greg York said the city currently owns two similar units, but they are aging and one of them is dangerous and should be replaced as soon as possible, he said.
In a final matter, the council passed Ordinance 3727 on third reading. This measure amends the zoning for Bailey's Payne Village Dry Cleaners & Laundromat, 3015 S. 14th St., from R1 (residential) to C1 (commercial).
