PIERCETON — Pierceton’s town council was pretty cut and dry at the May 8 meeting, that is until a resident asked about a complaint that had been filed.

The resident, who will remain unnamed, had shown up to the council meeting to defend herself incase one of her neighbors followed through with a comment about also making an appearance at the meeting to complain about go karts.

The resident has, on her property, a small go kart track for her grandkids. Occasionally the kids race the go karts on the small track. “It’s not even every weekend,” the resident stated.

Recently a neighbor has called Pierceton Police to file a complaint regarding the noise. “If someone calls and complains then we have to respond,” explained town marshal Tim Sammons.

Sammons continued by saying if another complaint is made the resident can be arrested for disorderly conduct, per the state statute.

But the resident feels she isn’t doing anything wrong. “They’re my grandkids on my property. We don’t let them in the streets. And it’s not like it’s at an ungodly hour – the occurrence when the police came out we started at two in the afternoon.” The resident asked the officers present, Sammons and Bumbaugh, “Then can they no longer ride the go karts?”

There was no straightforward answer given. Sammons’s only explanation was that if the neighbor calls again then officers will be forced to come out which could result in a disorderly conduct charge, a misdemeanor. Bumbaugh stated that, as a resident, he too would take issue with a neighbor riding go karts, advising that if it were him he wouldn’t ride them in town.

When the resident asked if the go karts were too loud then to be used in town, Bumbaugh explained it’s not the noise level but the annoyance. “It was an annoying sound that someone found annoying,” he said, further explaining that if someone finds something annoying or offensive they can call the police. Multiple calls warrant a disorderly conduct charge.

“He’s only been home 44 days out of the whole year. This particular resident has been a terror for the whole neighborhood. Anything anybody does, this guy is offended with it. He’s not a social butterfly, he doesn’t know how to talk to anybody…he’s taking the fun out of it for these kids.”

This isn’t the first beef the resident has had with the complaining neighbor. The two are also in the middle of a property line dispute that the council is refusing to get in the middle of.

“I don’t think this is a resolution, that we just can’t do it anymore,” the resident said.

President Tom Barker’s only advice was to put up “enough fence” to block the noise.

In other business:

• Steve Snyder was again present for Midwest Roll Forming to merge abatements. The merge was approved.
• Pam Kennedy with North Central Indiana Housing was present for the council to sign a release of mortgage.
• The unsafe building resolution read last month was passed as read.
• A new town employee was hired under Town Manager Chip Hill. Initially hired at an unfair wage, the board also approved a pay increase.