$1.8 million bond issue defeated

Dec. 7—GREENSBURG — The Washington Township Trustee Board met this week to decide the fate of a $1.8 million bond proposed earlier this year to help clean up Lake McCoy, maintain cemeteries in Washington Township, and finance a permanent location for the Washington Township Trustee's office.

The meeting was called to order by Washington Township Trustee Board President Jim Stewart and discussion of the proposed bond issue commenced.

Stewart asked for further discussion of the issue from the task force assembled by the group and no one responded.

After a vote to again table the matter, Township Trustee Christian Rust moved for the continuance of the task force in order to tend to issues still remaining at Lake McCoy.

"There are still things that have to be done out at Lake McCoy, whether it be through the township or the Lake McCoy Conservancy district or through the county because of recommendations from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and the Department of Natural Resources," Rust said. "Because the task force has ample representation of all parties involved, they will need to remain together."

From the audience, local resident Rick Nobbe commented that it was his understanding they were "getting rid of" both bonds completely — not just tabling the idea indefinitely.

Legal counsel Chris Stephen clarified a procedural point, saying that, per parliamentary procedure, negative motions were not permitted.

"If the board wants to let the issue of the bonds die, you can call for a motion to approve the bonds as presented and then when no one responds they ... die, which is the same thing," he said.

Nobbe responded, "I don't have a preference, but I believe that some in the community and some here present would like for this issue to go away."

Nobbe also stressed the need for transparency in future efforts.

Stephen clarified that this action effectively killed the bond issue because in order to entertain the idea of another bond issuance everything would have to be redone.

"We'd have to have the meetings again, to which people didn't show up to, and the public hearings again, that most people didn't show up to," he said.

In response to Stephen's comment, Stewart asked for a motion to approve the bonds and there was none. Stephen finished the discussion saying, "Then I move for the records to show that this is what has transpired."

At the end of the meeting, Stewart summed up the Lake McCoy clean-up effort, "We will continue to evaluate the situation out there, testing the water of the lake and seeing what the best solutions are for the Lake McCoy area."

After the meeting adjourned, Township Trustee Christian Rust said available funds would be used to continue with the Lake McCoy clean-up "while making the conscious decision to save the taxpayers' money."

Contact Bill Rethlake at 812-663-3111, ext 217011 or email bill.rethlake@greensburgdailynews.com