Spiceland's Christmas on Main Street is Dec. 7
Christmas on Main Street, presented by Spiceland Freedom Days, will take place from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Dec. 7 at Hoover Hall, 103 E. Main St., Spiceland.
Santa will arrive on a firetruck at 4:30 p.m. Photos with Santa, by Simmons Photography, will be available for $10. A chicken noodle dinner can be purchased for $5 per person. The movie “The Grinch” will be shown at 5 p.m. The Christmas tree lighting will take place at 5:45 p.m.
Fire contract tabled
The Spiceland Town Council met Nov. 12.
Council president Darrin Jacobs, along with council members Jack Garner and Robert Blake, were present. One main topic of discussion was the two-year fire contract for 2025 and 2026.
Spiceland Township Trustee Donna Tauber presented the proposed 2025 and 2026 fire service contract at the council’s October meeting. The 2024 contract expires Dec. 31.
The proposed $10,000 contract covers fuel, fire barn rental and insurance for Spiceland Corporation, Spiceland Township and the Spiceland Fire Department. Under the proposed contract, the township would maintain fire equipment. The council voted in October to table the contract and took the same action at the Nov. 12 meeting.
According to Tauber, there is currently a $3,500 funding difference between Dunreith and Spiceland.
Jacobs asked Tauber what prompted some changes to the contract.
“I intend to do things equally with the Town of Dunreith,” Tauber said. “That way, the township can say we treat Spiceland the same way we do Dunreith ... It would balance things out.”
Garner asked Tauber what Spiceland is being compensated for that Dunreith isn’t, and Tauber cited the turnout gear that was just purchased from the cumulative fire fund. Tauber said the Town of Dunreith owns 100 percent of its fire equipment. Spiceland does not.
Garner asked why there has been an ongoing funding discrepancy and Tauber said she didn’t know.
“I want to see it kind of ‘even Steven,’” Tauber said of the proposed changes.
Jacobs said Tauber could distribute the money as she saw fit, but he didn’t understand why the contract had to change.
“It makes it simpler,” Tauber said. “We’re the only department, town, in all of Henry County that does it the way that we do it. The only one. All the other townships contract with the town and the department.”
Tauber said Spiceland officials could go back to the previous contract, but the town would lose about $3,500 per year.
“To me, if we’re going to work on changing a contract, it makes more sense to have this conversation in January about the next year ...,” Jacobs said. “I think we need more time to look at those numbers.”
Other business
Spiceland Superintendent Jeff Lane informed the council some roads have been crack sealed, the sidewalk project near the park has started and the tornado siren project remains ongoing.
Roads that were crack sealed included: from west Richard Ratcliff Drive to West Street; Broad Street starting at Ind. 3 all the way to West Street; and Academy Street.
Also during the Nov. 12 meeting, town council members voted 3-0 to restore power at the gazebo. New wire and PVC will be ran.
Several topics will be discussed, and action could be taken, during the council’s Dec. 10 meeting regarding a salary ordinance and an ordinance to repeal a previous interconnection ordinance that deals with solar panels on a house or business. The revised ordinance could adopt a new set of interconnection standards presented by the Indiana Municipal Power Agency (IMPA).
Discussion is also expected at the Dec. 10 meeting about allocating the town’s remaining $38,983 of American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds. Funds must to be allocated by Dec. 31.
So far, Spiceland has spent $41,000 of ARP money on tornado siren replacements/upgrades, $9,000 to IMPA for setting poles relating to the new tornado sirens and $68,980 on sidewalk repairs.
The next Spiceland Town Council meeting will take place at 6 p.m. Dec. 10 at town hall, 130 E. Main St., Spiceland.
