At the Mentone Town Council meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 7, are from left: Council Member Tim Croy, Town Clerk-Treasurer Amanda Yaprak, Council President Jill Gross, Council Member Shelly Krueger and Town Attorney Andrew Grossnickle. InkFreeNews photos by Leah Sander.

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

MENTONE — Mentone has a new ordinance aimed at reducing loitering on the town’s property.

At its meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 7, the Mentone Town Council passed the ordinance, which is focused on rules related to the town’s cemetery and parks.

In part, it details when people are allowed to be at those places. As stated in the ordinance, “All parks and cemeteries shall be open for public use on a year-round basis. All parks and cemeteries shall be open for public use beginning at sunrise and ending at sunset.”

Previously, town leaders had discussed that there had been problems with people staying late on the town’s property. Another issue leaders had discussed was people driving golf carts over parts of Mentzer Park where they shouldn’t and damaging the grass.

That issue is also addressed in the ordinance. It states: “No person shall drive any motorized vehicle on any park or cemetery land, except upon roads or areas which are designated and approved for such purposes. Parking of vehicles shall be permitted in designated parking areas only.”

The ordinance also lays out how penalties for disobeying the rules will work.

It says: “Upon observing any violation of this article, the Mentone Police Department is authorized to evict any violators from any of the public parks in the Town of Mentone for the remainder of the park season. Upon observing any violation of this article, the Mentone Police Department is authorized to evict any violators from any of the cemeteries in the Town of Mentone for a reasonable period of time, not to exceed 90 days.”

It also says: “Any person on the premises of a Town park or cemetery who disregards the orders of a Mentone police officer may be immediately evicted from the park and, upon conviction, shall be guilty of an offense. Any person guilty of an offense may also be fined in an amount not to exceed $100 for each violation.”

Town Marshal Jim Eads mentioned at a previous meeting that obviously the department would give grace in the case of “somebody that’s heartbroken at the cemetery and they’re down there after dark.”

The full ordinance may be viewed by clicking here.

2023 Budget

Mentone is also planning a 2023 budget of $1,115,870, an increase of $267,031 over the 2022 budget of $848,839.

The planned 2023 budget breaks down to: $6,500 in casino/riverboat; $625,270 in the general fund; $17,200 in the local road and street fund; $156,700 in the motor vehicle highway fund; $12,700 in the cemetery fund; $2,500 in the cumulative capital improvement fund from cigarette tax; $20,000 in the cumulative capital development fund; and $275,000 in the economic development fund.

The town plans to vote to adopt the budget at its next regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 5, at Mentone Town Hall.

In other business, the council:

• Heard from Town Council Member Tim Croy, who also serves as vice president of the Mentone Chamber of Commerce, that the chamber’s Chalk the Walk event last month, where people were able to draw on downtown sidewalks, went well. Almost 50 people participated, he said.
• Heard from Croy that trick-or-treating next month will be 5:30-7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 31. Costume judging will be at Mentone Elementary School starting at 7 p.m. that day.
• Heard from Croy that the chamber’s Christmas open house and craft show with will be 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3, at Mentone’s fire station.
• Heard a reminder from Croy that Rotors Over Mentone is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 10, in town.
• Heard from Town Council Member Shelly Krueger that a craft and antique show will be at the town’s farmers market from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 17. People need to fill out a form to sell only if they haven’t filled out one before. To get a form or for more information, people may contact Krueger at [email protected] or reach out via the farmers market Facebook page. Food vendors are also welcome.
• Heard from Krueger that the last day for the farmers market is Saturday, Sept. 24.
• Approved a $46,239.88 quote brought by Eads to purchase a 2023 hybrid Ford Explorer from Rice Ford of Warsaw for the town’s police department. That’s to replace an older vehicle. There will be an additional fee to outfit the new vehicle.

Boy Scouts from Burket Troop 782 led the Pledge of Allegiance at the meeting. From left are: Evan Bolinger, Porter Rich and Ayden Yaprak.