From left are Clerk-Treasurer Barb Ross, President Jill Gross and Board Member Shelly Krueger

MENTONE — The town of Mentone will be on the lookout for a new town attorney and also prepares for a hike in employee insurance prices.

At its regular monthly meeting Monday, Feb. 4, the town’s board of trustees heard presentations from President Jill Gross regarding the retirement of Town Attorney Larry Beeson, as well as the impending price increase for health insurance provided to town employees.

“We’re going to be needing to hire a new attorney,” said Gross. “Larry retired at the end of January,” Gross told the board that Beeson’s retirement was sudden and no reason was given for the decision.

In regard to the town’s employee insurance, Clerk-Treasurer Barb Ross told the board that the current insurance carrier, Anthem, will be raising premium rates.

“Right now, with who’s on it, we pay $4,000 a month, so you’re looking at $5,000 a month and that’s a rough (estimate),” said Ross.

Gross told the board members that the rate hike was about 4.98 percent. The board agreed to stick with the current carrier.

In other news, Board Member Tim Croy told the board that communication had been made with a homeowner in the town, whose house is in a state of disrepair.

“They’re in the process of a buyout,” Croy said of the house on South Walnut Street. “He realizes something needs to be done, but they’re paying more in property taxes there than the place is worth.” Croy told the board he would stay in communication with the homeowner.

Town Marshal Jim Eads told the board he would be restructuring his department’s pricing structure for such things as requests for photographs or body camera videos as well as police reports.