North Judson Changes Due Dates for Town Service Bills

  
 
The North Judson Town board recently approved a change in the monthly due date for the bills for water, waste, sanitation, hydrant, and trash services. Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry explained that beginning in July, these monthly bills will be due on the 12th day of each month.

The current due date is the 15th day of each month, and Henry explained that the change in the due date is to allow the town to adjust the scheduling dates involved in the monthly billing cycle.

The board also approved the purchase of a steel walkway over the oxidation ditch, allowing town employees to safely walk around or over the ditch rather than walk along it. Henry said the board received information on the matter from Town Superintendent Marshall Horstmann, and approved the purchase order to Kankakee Valley Steel for $12,870.

North Judson Town Board Approves Quote for Highland Cemetery Signs

  
 
Highland Cemetery in North Judson will soon be sporting some new signs, as the town board this week signed off on a quote of $860 for two new signs, one of which will be posted at the main entrance while a smaller sign will be posted at the secondary entrance. Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry explained the larger sign will highlight the recently amended cemetery rules and regulations; the smaller sign, she said, will direct visitors to the main entrance sign.

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North Judson Reimbursed Part of Allegedly Embezzled Funds

  
 
The town of North Judson recently received a check from their insurance company for the alleged embezzlement of cemetery lot sales, utility receipts, and other deposits and payments from the town by former clerk-treasurer Connie Miller. Current Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry explained that the insurance company issued a check in the amount of $51,791.13, and Henry said that she has since sent a detailed list to the State Board of Accounts of which departments will be credited with portions of that money, and, following their approval, issued those credits to the department.

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North Judson Town Board Soon to Place New Rules Sign at Cemetery

  The rules and regulations that have been in place at the cemetery in North Judson will now be enforced – this after the town board this week reviewed the draft of the rules that will be typed up on a sign and posted at the main entrance. Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry explained that the sign will detail each rule, regulation, and requirement, ensuring that everyone who enters the cemetery knows the town’s policies.

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North Judson Town Board Seeking Cemetery Mowing Bids

 The North Judson Town Board last week received an update on the bids for town cemetery mowing services, and Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry explained the board approved a motion to advertise for bids in local papers with a deadline of Feb. 18.

Henry said the bids must be sealed and submitted as per the specs in the advertisement. The board will review bids at their meeting on Feb. 18, but she said the board may not award the bid that night; rather, the board may want to review the contracts further before making a decision.

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North Judson Residents Encouraged to Run Water Taps During Cold Temperatures

With the bitter cold temperatures in the Kankakee Valley, North Judson residents are strongly encouraged to leave their water taps running just a little bit. North Judson Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry explained that Town Superintendent Marshall Horstmann told the board at their meeting this week that because of the very cold temperatures and the lack of snow on the ground, the pipes are particularly vulnerable to freezing.

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North Judson Town Board Approves Several Purchases

The North Judson Town Board approved a number of purchase orders for new equipment for the utility department. Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry explained the board approved purchases to replace worn-out tools and other equipment, and they approved the purchase of a set of heavy-duty backhoe forks. Henry said the forks can be mounted on the front bucket of the backhoe to allow it to lift items, making it easy to unload pipes, fire hydrants, or other heavy items that may need hauled.

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Candidates Reviewed For Two New Seats on North Judson Town Board

During an executive session held earlier this week by the North Judson Town Board, the board members reviewed eight qualified candidates for the two soon-to-be-open seats on the board. Since the public question on the General Election ballot as to whether or not the town board should expand to five members passed overwhelmingly, Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry said the board must now choose two candidates to fill the two new seats on the board.

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North Judson Finalizes ADA Plan

The town of North Judson has met the ever-nearing deadline for the drafting of an ADA compliance plan. Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry explained that ADA Coordinator Doug Vessely presented the final draft of the ADA plan that he had developed, with details about what improvements have been made and what work must still be done.

Henry explained that the plan is basically finalized, and just in time – the deadline of Dec. 31 was getting a little too close for comfort.

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North Judson Town Council Reviewing Districts

The North Judson Town Council is reviewing their redistricting ordinance. Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry said they are required to review their voting districts after each 10-year census, and if the census indicates that the town’s population changed by a significant percent, they are required to perform redistricting of district boundaries.

Fortunately, Henry said their population changed only minimally, so they weren’t required to do the actual redistricting. However, the council still has to enact an ordinance stating that they are not performing the redistricting, so that ordinance has been passed to Town Attorney Cassandra Hine for review.

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North Judson Hires New Part-Time Clerical Employee

After sifting through 40 applications and narrowing it down step by step, North Judson Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry said the town board has filled the vacant part-time clerical position.

Henry explained that Cheryl Tellman will split her time between the two offices, but will spend the majority of her time in the clerk-treasurer’s office. The employee will be trained in both departments, and will be cross-trained on the billing side to allow the Tellman to substitute for the billing clerk during vacations. Henry says this employee will be similar to a floating employee between the two departments, but will concentrate on the clerk-treasurer’s side.

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North Judson Town Board to Review Several Ordinances

The town of North Judson will soon be reading a number of new ordinances, including those regulating the town’s cemeteries and animals.

Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry explained that they will be performing the third reading of the cemetery rules and regulations ordinance, which had previously been passed along to Town Attorney Cassandra Hine for review. Henry said that Hine will make a number of minor revisions to the language and return it at the next meeting, when it will be read for the third and likely put into place.

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Golf Cart Ordinance Almost Official in North Judson

The town of North Judson’s golf cart ordinance is nearly solidified after the town council this week approved its first and second readings. Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry said two people in the audience expressed their objections to a part of the ordinance requiring child restraints.

Henry said the ordinance will require a safety restraint be used by any golf cart passengers that weigh less than 48 pounds, and two people objected to that requirement. The council noted their objections but proceeded to approve the first of two readings of the ordinance.

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North Judson Town Board Approves Addition Of Part-Time Position

North Judson Town Board

A new position has opened up for the town of North Judson. Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry explained that they held the third reading of an amendment to the town’s salary ordinance, authorizing the addition of a part-time clerical employee for the clerk’s and billing offices. The board adopted the amendment, and Henry said they will soon be taking applications.

Henry explained that the part-time employee would split his or her time between the two offices, but will spend the majority of his or her time in the clerk-treasurer’s office. The employee will be trained in both departments, and will be cross-trained on the billing side to allow the employee to substitute for the billing clerk during vacations. Henry says this employee will be similar to a floating employee between the two departments, but will concentrate on the clerk-treasurer’s side.

North Judson Earns IPEP Safety Award

North Judson Town Board

The town of North Judson has once again earned a safety award from the Indiana Public Employers’ Plan. The award is achieved by having less than a 50 percent loss ratio plus an acceptable claim incident rate as compared to municipalities statewide. The town earned the award for its excellent worker safety recorded in the 2011 calendar year.

The award not only rewards the prevention of accidents among employees, but also emphasizes the cost savings to governmental agencies by keeping workers safe and on the job.

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