By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

PIERCETON — A dispute arose at Pierceton Town Council’s meeting this week over a recent food truck incident.

Pierceton Chamber of Commerce President Kelsea DeGaetano and Stephanie Campbell, who heads up the town’s Christmas lights decorating committee, voiced their disapproval at a meeting Monday, May 9, about the operator of a food truck being asked to move his vehicle from a town park.

The truck was to help fundraise for the town’s Christmas lights decorating committee during the chamber’s “Destination Pierceton” shopping event last weekend.

Town Council President Mandy Espinoza asked the operator of the truck to move because the ground was saturated from rain and he was concerned about the truck leaving ruts in the park.

The two women had not gotten permission from the Pierceton Park Board and the full town council to have the truck at the park, though they had notified Town Council Vice President Matt Brubaker, who also is part of the Chamber’s leadership.

Brubaker apologized for not notifying the rest of the council. The women also were upset that they weren’t directly contacted by Espinoza when he asked the operator to move his vehicle.

Brubaker also noted the town needed to finish a form they had previously discussed for people to request to utilize the park.

Georgia Tenney, who serves on the town’s park board, said the board needs to be better at advertising their meetings for people to come to request permission to use the parks and such.

The park board meets at 5:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month at the Pierceton Community Building.

The town is working on a list of requirements for organizations to follow when having events on town property. DeGaetano, who’s fairly new to her position, said she would also communicate more with the town.

Unsafe Building Fund

The council also approved an ordinance creating a fund to help take care of unsafe buildings in town. The ordinance allows both government money as well as donations to go into the fund.

Junk cars

Town Police Chief Tim Sammons said during his report to the council that the police department is going to start enforcing the town’s junk vehicle ordinance as the weather has gotten warmer.

He said residents should make sure that their vehicles meet the following conditions so they don’t follow under noncompliance:

Vehicles must be registered per state law, in operation and moved at least every 15 days.

In other business, the council approved having Town Clerk-Treasurer Myra Mast and Deputy Clerk Kelly Engle go to a conference on June 14 and 15. As a result, the town office will be closed on those days. Town bills will be due June 17 instead of June 15.

The council’s next meeting is 6:30 p.m. Monday, June 13, at the community building.