RUSHVILLE —

City leaders heard more bad news about the need for even deeper cuts in the 2011 budget Tuesday evening during the meeting of the Rushville Common Council. Clerk-Treasurer Ann Copley announced that projections for next year’s revenues are approximately $170,000 less coming into the city’s general fund and $41,500 is expected to be lost from the Economic Development Income Tax next year as compared to 2010. “We really need to make more cuts and I have no idea where to cut,” said Copley. “As tight as we are, we are going to have to go ahead and make more cuts.” Council President Bill Goins suggested that the city’s department leaders now join the Council in tackling the next round of cuts during a work session in coming weeks. The city’s budget began at $6,434,000 with cuts of $161,325 already being made. Copley had already identified another $31,000 in cuts presented at the last Council meeting, but now those need to get deeper to cover the more than $211,500 newly projected revenue gap. The 2011 budget before cuts was $6,595,882.00 and after cuts made July 21 stood at $6,434,557. This does not reflect the $31,000 in cuts identified earlier this month. The 2010 ending budget was $6,361,693. Council Chambers was uncommonly packed with local citizens waiting to voice concerns with the Council. Topping this list were a proposed ordinance that would prohibit the use of bows and arrows within the city limits. Councilman McGowan brought up the issue after receiving a complaint about a young person shooting a bow and arrow in his back yard at a target. The complaint was filed by a neighbor who was separated from the target by a privacy fence but had safety concerns. Councilman McGowan withdrew the proposed ordinance from Council consideration after testimony by George Yazel as a private citizen and Mark Fields with Fields Outdoor Ventures LLP. Yazel told the Council that in a national survey, archery ranked 19th in popularity in recreational sports. “There are a lot of things that go on in the city that cause injury … more so than people shooting their bow,” he said. Fields opposed the ordinance suggesting that state law already covers knowingly, recklessly and intentionally causing harm to someone with a deadly weapon. Fields Outdoor Ventures is a new business in Rushville and felt that their business would be adversely affected if the ordinance was passed. The matter is not expected to come before the Council in the future following McGowan’s removal of the ordinance from consideration, saying he was satisfied that Indiana state law provided the protection needed for concerned citizens. Several members of the audience helping to pack the room also came to hear the Council’s discussion of garage sale regulations being considered by a committee of the Council. Council members Al Shelton and Cindy Humphrey have been working with Joann Mull on prior recommendations by Bill Todd of the Area Plan Commission to come up with a recommendation on citizen concerns about on-going yard sales, trash and debris left after sales and parking issues around what many agree are becoming “perpetual” sales. “Obviously you’re talking about a bad apple spoiling the barrel,” said city attorney Wilson of the few sales not in compliance with current city code. While many were in attendance to hear the discussion, no citizens spoke before the Council other than Todd who said, “Whatever you decide is fine with me, but what you have now is unenforceable.” Humphrey suggested rather than require sales to be permitted, that if a sale is reported as a problem then enforcement officers could investigate and effectively tag the sale and give two days for clean-up. She compared the approach to how the city handles abandoned vehicles. Humphrey is also concerned about sales that are run as a business in areas that are residential and will continue to look into this issue. Who or what agency would enforce the limitations on sales is a concern to members in addition to the recommendation that any ordinance require citizens holding a sale to register or file a notice of the date and location of the sale with the city. Humphrey and Mike Buckley both verbally spoke against having any type of permit requirement. A motion was made by Shelton to pass the ordinance requiring no more than four sales per year and requiring a notice being filed with the city but was met with silence by fellow Council members when Mayor Bostic called for a second. The motion failed. Goins suggested that the committee again revisit the issue and report back to Council. The issue was tabled for later discussion. Mayor Bostic reported that two bids had been received for construction of a water tower south of Rushville on property on Hwy. 52 in what was once a trailer court area. He also announced that there are plans for a new Mediterranean/Italian restaurant to open in the Walmart shopping center. President Goins thanked the Street Department and Street Commissioner Jemmy Miller for work done to clean out Hodges’ Branch. Goins made a repeated point that the work “had nothing to do with the Park Restaurant,” saying he had received several questions from citizens about the possibility and that health concerns were what initiated the project. Numerous truckloads of debris and top soil and mud were removed by the city. “This was last done in 1971,” said Goins. He also shared stories from local citizens of rats in the waterway, saying the size of the rodents grew like fish stories spreading his arms wide to share the descriptions he had been given. It is hoped that the clean-up will again help with the flow in the branch and drainage from parking lots in the area. Police Chief Ron Cameron reported that they are working on installing a computer program that will help monitor Rushville’s levy system and activate phone lines that will link to the Army Corps of Engineers, who must be able to access the data. Phone lines are being activated next week to create the reconnection. The city has received numerous calls from the Army Corps as they await Rushville’s compliance. Chief Cameron said they expected to have the phone lines activated and computer software installation completed next week. Animal Warden Mark Nickel announced an open house at their Smiley Avenue facility from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 25. Plans to assist local residents with obedience training are underway and a technician will be on-hand to help trim dog’s nails during the event. “Everybody can come on down and get a new friend and take them home with them,” said Nickel. John Gott with Air Evac briefly addressed the Council and shared plans to hire new program and membership staff for the Rushville area. He will be working with local organizations and clubs to schedule times to share membership information on the Air Evan resources. Fire Chief Chuck Jenkins received approval from the Board of Works and reported to the Council that work will begin on the two-week project to replace the lighting in the fire station with high-efficiency lighting. The work is being done with more than $11,000 in grant dollars from the Indiana Office of Energy Development. Unlimited Electrical, Inc., will install a timer in the front restroom, remove old lighting fixtures and install new fixtures with sensors to help reduce energy consumption at the station.