Pierceton Town Council member Mandy Espinoza talks with Town Manager Chip Hill about fuel usage at the council meeting Monday, Oct. 8.

PIERCETON — Business at the Pierceton Town Council meeting held Monday, Oct. 8, focused on several topics, including the town’s fuel usage and potential for more lighting at the US 30 and SR 13 intersection.

The council addressed Town Manager Chip Hill about properly tracking mileage for the town’s street vehicles. Recently, the council has focused on the past four years of fuel usage and town credit card activity.

“Employers have to look at the ‘why’ with fuel usage and question why mileage on a vehicle is going up or down,” said council member Tom Barker.

Hill said that the issue of tracking mileage had never been brought up to him until now.

“We all as a whole just need to be doing better with keeping track of the mileage to justify gallon usage,” said council member Mandy Espinoza.

Town Marshal Tim Sammons was also present at the meeting and discussed the need for more lighting at the US 30 and SR 13 intersection. Sammons informed the council that at night numerous vehicles, including cars and semis, are turning west in the eastbound lane of the intersection while exiting the Speedway gas station.

The council said it was unsure if a TIF fund would finance lights for the intersection.

“We’re already trying to scale back on electricity,” said Clerk-Treasurer Jerry Kreger. “Right now, we just need to see what INDOT recommends.”

The council agreed to hold the topic to a future meeting until it learns more about INDOT’s recommendation for the intersection. Council member Tom Barker said that the intersection had more lights approximately 20 years ago.

During the meeting, the council also discussed an ordinance that establishes a rate scale for body cam footage, incident and accident reports and color photos from accidents. The ordinance establishes the rates at $15 each for reports, $55 for photos, and $150 for body cam footage from law enforcement.

Citizens and attorneys who want to request these types of footage and documents must provide a written request form from the town marshal’s office. Sammons requested that the form be uploaded to the town’s website.

The council agreed to set up a separate fund for monies collected from the sale of footage and documents. The town will keep sales from gun permits in a separate account from the crash reports financial account.

The council voted to adopt the rate scale ordinance.

Sammons also gave the council an update on the Axon body camera system for the Pierceton Police Department. The department’s current camera system is 10 years old. Sammons discussed quotes on the potential new system with the council and mentioned that after the fifth year with Axon, the council can choose to either upgrade to newer technology or continue paying for storage for current units.

In other business:

• The council discussed joining the MACOG coalition.
• The council approved a phosphorus removal upgrade for the town. The project is expected to be complete by 2020. The council approved a project bid from Crosby Construction for $219,850.
• Leaf pick-up day is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 22.
• Trick-or-treat hours for the town of Pierceton are 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 31.
• Town Marshal Tim Sammons announced that Nick Scott is no longer a reserve officer for the town. Applications for a new reserve officer are set to open soon.
• The Pierceton Fire Department will hold an open house from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20.
• The council’s next meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 12.

Pictured, from left, are Clerk-Treasurer Jerry Kreger, Council President Matt Brubaker, and Council Member Tom Barker.