Avon council awards CCMG paving contract, adopts insurance reserve fund and revises FMLA policy

Avon Town Council on Feb. 26 voted to award the 2026 CCMG paving contract to Howard Company, adopted an ordinance creating a formal insurance reserve fund and approved amendments to the town's family and medical leave (FMLA) policy that remove a pandemic-era emergency paid leave provision.

The actions were taken during a regularly scheduled council meeting that included presentations from public works staff, legal counsel and routine council reports; no members of the public offered comment. The measures are intended to formalize financial planning and clarify personnel policy as the town updates fees and code provisions.

Betsy Porter, public works project coordinator, told the council the town received five bids for the CCMG paving project and recommended accepting the low bidder. "We had our bid opening today for the 2026 CCMG paving project. We had five biders. We are looking for you to approve the lowest bidder listed," Porter said. The council moved and approved awarding the contract to Howard Company by roll call.

On Ordinance 2026-02, the town attorney explained the code change will establish section 2-293 as a non-reverting insurance reserve fund for property, casualty, liability, workers' compensation and health insurance costs, with the town council retaining appropriation authority. "This ordinance merely codifies the existence of that fund, provides for the sources of uses of the fund, and also provides that it's a non-reverting fund," the town attorney said. Council members confirmed prior discussion of setting aside "150 to rainy day and 150 to insurance reserve." The council adopted the ordinance on final reading.

The council also adopted Ordinance 2026-03 to amend section 6.046 of the personnel code, clarifying FMLA language and deleting section 6.049, the emergency paid family and medical leave benefit that had been required during the pandemic and is no longer mandated under Indiana law. The town attorney summarized that the change removes an expired emergency benefit and aligns the policy with current state requirements.

Council members introduced two additional code updates for later consideration. Ordinance 2026-04 would add section 8-76 to prohibit obstructing another person's mailbox; staff indicated they will propose penalty amounts aligned with other parking and code fines, with an initial recommendation of $100 for a first offense and $250 for repeat offenses. Ordinance 2026-05 would create a buy-money fund (section 2-295) to hold funds used for undercover law-enforcement operations in a separate, non-reverting account to meet State Board of Accounts and U.S. Department of Justice requirements. The town attorney described buy money as "generally money that's used for undercover operations" and said the fund structure provides transparency and compliance.

Council members asked whether the proposed $10,000 starting balance for the buy-money fund was necessary given historical spending. One council member noted prior expenditures over several years had been roughly $2,500; the town attorney said $10,000 is a common starting figure for similarly sized jurisdictions but that the council can set a different appropriation when funds are actually approved. Both 2026-04 and 2026-05 were introduced and will return for final reading at a later meeting.

The meeting packet also included the town's annual financial report and the RDA annual financial report; Julie said both reports have been published in the Republican as required by law and will be submitted for formal acknowledgment. The council set its next work session for March 12 at 5:30 p.m., with the regular meeting to follow at 7:00 p.m., and adjourned without public comment.