The Town of Clayton council on Aug. 12 approved several procurement and contract items, adopted an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) coordinator resolution and a nondiscrimination notice, and reviewed ongoing sewer-system and public-works work while opening the ADA transition plan for a two-week public comment period.

The council approved minutes and the claims docket, accepted a camera-inspection bid for sewer work, authorized a 72-foot privacy fence at the town hall property, approved a twice-year HVAC preventative-maintenance contract, and purchased a wireless lapel-microphone system for meeting audio. The council also accepted the ADA coordinator resolution and signed a 504 nondiscrimination notice; the ADA transition plan and associated grievance procedure were placed on public display for two weeks for comment.

Why it matters: The votes authorize routine maintenance, contracting and small capital purchases that affect town operations (sewer inspection, HVAC, meeting audio, and property fencing). The ADA actions are prerequisite documentation for state and federal grant eligibility, including the Community Crossing Matching Grant program the town expects to apply for in October.

Most important votes and formal actions

Votes at a glance

- Approval of previous meeting minutes and current claims docket — Motion carried (voice vote). (Transcript evidence: motion begins at 630.11 seconds; vote recorded at 639.15–645.31 seconds.)

- Award of sewer camera-inspection work — Council accepted the low/selected bid after comparing two proposals (transcript discussion of EcoSolutions and an FWS bid). Motion to accept bid carried (voice vote). (Topic coverage begins at 661.96 seconds with bid discussion; motion recorded at 1176.27–1194.52 seconds.)

- Acceptance of 72-foot privacy fence through Stockwell Homes — Council approved contractor quote of $4,200 for the vinyl privacy fence; motion carried (voice vote). (Discussion begins ~1823–1868 seconds; motion at 1948.295–1972.145 seconds.)

- HVAC service contract (preventative maintenance twice yearly) — Council approved the option for two visits per year at the lower annual option (identified in the packet as $16.80 per year in the contractor paperwork); motion carried (voice vote). (Discussion of contract options and motion: 2129.03–2376.02 seconds.)

- Purchase of wireless lapel-microphone system for meetings — Council approved purchase of a rechargeable wireless lapel/handheld microphone system (listed price in the discussion: $159 for the kit); motion carried (voice vote). (Microphone presentation and motion: 2457.36–2757.49 seconds.)

- ADA coordinator resolution and grievance procedure; nondiscrimination notice (Form 504) — Council approved the coordinator resolution (designating the named coordinator) and voted to sign the 504 nondiscrimination notice. The ADA transition plan and related documents were placed on display in town hall for two weeks for public comment. (Public comment and votes: transition-plan presentation begins 2771.72–2891.33 seconds; public comment opened 2939.91–2985.47 seconds; ADA coordinator resolution motion at 3497.765–3530.065 seconds; Form 504 signed at 3570.15–3581.585 seconds.)

Other substantive agenda items discussed (no formal vote recorded)

- Sewer plant electrical outage and next steps: Council heard an update that a meter box and wiring at the wastewater plant were damaged by an electrical spike. The plant ran on the generator during the outage (generator fuel capacity cited as a 200-gallon tank lasting about two days). Duke Energy recommended replacing the service with a 500-amp service and providing a CT (current transformer) box; that work requires preliminary engineering and coordination with the town's engineer before Duke will proceed. Council agreed to have Banning (Manning) Engineering begin preliminary work to pursue the upgrade. (Discussion: 1207.00–1488.58 seconds.)

- IDEM inspection of wastewater treatment plant: Town staff reported a recent Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) inspection that resulted in two minor findings. One was resolved by sharing correspondence with IDEM about a pending permit modification; the other concerned recordkeeping for third-party waste haulers dumping into the plant (the town and contractor agreed to institute improved sampling/documentation procedures). No enforcement penalty was reported. (Discussion: 5040.55–5260.62 seconds.)

- Community Crossing Matching Grant (CCMG) program and street inventory: Staff briefed the council on legislative changes reducing statewide fund availability and increasing the local match percentage; the CCMG application window is Oct. 1–31. Staff also noted new state requirements for pavement-condition (“pacer”) ratings and that the town may pursue NDOT certification or pay a consultant. (Discussion: 3609.81–3836.65 seconds.)

- Proposed vacant-property fine/abatement ordinance: Council discussed a draft ordinance intended to address blight and unsafe or vacant properties by assessing fines tied to assessed value. Members raised concerns about scope, potential unintended captures (for example, military deployments or properties in tax-sale redemption), the capped penalty for ordinance violations under state law, procedural safeguards and appeal rights, and whether the measure should be limited to unsafe structures rather than all vacant properties. No final action was taken; the item was left for further review. (Discussion: 4035.94–4592.47 seconds.)

- Park awning and pavilion bids / partnership with Cascade High School: Council reviewed three bids for an awning over the park performance slab and discussed a less-permanent fabric shade or a pergola-style structure. Members proposed contacting Cascade High School to explore a construction-class project where the school provides labor and the town supplies materials. Staff will reach out to the high school. (Discussion: 1575.22–1768.08 seconds.)

- Replacement trees and town beautification: Council discussed replacing removed street trees and reallocating tree/beautification funds; staff reported an existing tree budget balance of approximately $3,600. (Discussion: 4774.48–5014.87 seconds.)

- Town web site, fixed-assets review and State Board of Accounts visit: Staff reported the State Board of Accounts will visit Aug. 26; the town is preparing fixed-asset records and noting the town web site content needs reuploading. (Discussion: 6062.31–6168.96 seconds.)

Personnel and ceremonial

- Promotion: Michael Cochran was promoted and sworn in as sergeant with the Clayton Police Department. Chief (present at the meeting) administered the oath. (Ceremonial: 5274.17–5363.78 seconds.)

Public comment and process notes

The council paused to solicit public comments on the ADA transition plan and grievance procedure; a question from a member of the public asked whether private business owners lose any “grandfathered” status if they sell or renovate — staff replied that private businesses are subject to federal and state ADA obligations independent of the town, and that the town’s permitting process requires compliance when a building permit is requested. Council instructed staff to place the ADA documents on display in town hall for two weeks to accept written comments.

Immediate next steps and follow-ups

- Staff will contact Banning (Manning) Engineering to begin the preliminary engineering required by Duke Energy for a service upgrade at the wastewater plant.

- Staff will keep the ADA packet on public display for two weeks, accept comments, and file the signed nondiscrimination notice with the state after edits (the packet will be corrected to state “town-owned facilities” rather than county facilities where appropriate).

- Staff will obtain bids/quotes or follow up on work items discussed: tree replacements, manhole/jet-cleaning quotes while the sewer inspection contractor is on site, and replacement of an oversized town tree in the York Avenue easement.

- Council will revisit the proposed vacant-property enforcement language in a future meeting after additional review and potential redrafting.

Ending

Council members encouraged residents to review the ADA materials at town hall during the two-week comment period and noted the CCMG application window begins Oct. 1. The meeting adjourned at 8:53 p.m.