Mentone Trying To Reduce Loitering In Park, Cemetery
By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews
MENTONE — Mentone is continuing to work on ways to preventing people from loitering in the town’s park and cemetery.
At its meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 3, the Mentone Town Council looked at a draft of an ordinance that in part restricts being in the park and the cemetery at night.
During discussion, Town Marshal Jim Eads said he wished to see more general descriptions of sunrise and sunset as the parameters for allowing when people may be at the park and cemetery.
According to a draft by Town Attorney Andrew Grossnickle, “all park grounds, cemeteries and facilities now owned or later owned by the Town of Mentone will not be accessible to the public between the hours of 8 p.m. and 7 a.m.” from Oct. 1 through April 30 and “between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.” from May 1 through Sept. 30.
“Then there again, I think there’s some flexibility in that too like for me to give warnings and … if we have somebody that’s heartbroken at the cemetery and they’re down there after dark, we’re going to take that (into consideration),” added Eads.
The ordinance also notes that people may only drive motorized vehicles in the park and cemetery “upon roads and areas which are designated and approved for such purposes.”
Town Utilities Superintendent Josh Shepherd said there’s been a problem with people driving golf carts on grass at the park and damaging the grass.
Grossnickle said he could add further clarification in the ordinance addressing that issue. He said he would make some changes to the draft, so that the council could take a vote on it at its next meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 7.
Comprehensive plan
The council also approved adopting a comprehensive plan for Mentone.
It will be used to help the town implement new programs if needed. The plan was developed for Mentone as part of a larger effort in the county called Forward Kosciusko.
Taylor Siefker Williams Design Group of Indianapolis in connection with local leaders worked on developing comprehensive plans for the county and smaller communities within it. Those behind the effort gathered information from the general public to develop the final comprehensive plans.
People may find all the information on the county’s and Mentone’s plans by visiting forwardkosciusko.com.
Mentone’s plan specifically may be found by clicking here.
In other business, the council:
- Heard from Council Member and Mentone Chamber of Commerce Vice President Tim Croy that the Chamber’s Chalk the Walk event is set for 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 27. People are welcome to sketch on downtown sidewalks then.
- Heard from Croy that he’s working on chatting with a few people on making sure that their vehicles at their homes aren’t blocking their red carts used for trash pickup by Apex Waste, the town’s trash pickup provider. Also heard from Croy that people should make sure all their trash for pickup is contained to the red carts. If people need an additional cart, they need to contain Apex.
The council’s next meeting is 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 7, at Mentone Town Hall.