By Becky Killian, Staff Writer

Any drivers who navigate trucks weighing more than 7,000 pounds on a portion of West Market Street could face a traffic stop. The ordinance was passed during the Tuesday, Nov. 12, meeting of the Salem Common Council.

The weight limit pertains to the portion of Market Street between Tarr Avenue and Public Square.

Mayor Justin Green explained that city officials had passed a weight limit for that stretch of road around the early 2000s, and weight limit signs were posted; however, those signs were removed when Market Street became the detour while roadwork was completed along State Road 56.

New weight limit signs will be installed along the street.

Other business included:

Green announced that the city will receive a $356,000 Community Crossings Matching Grant from the state. It will be used to fix storm and sewer infrastructure along West Poplar Street between South Main and North Water streets. Bids will likely be accepted in January and the work could begin in the spring.

The council approved the rezoning of a property along South Martinsburg Road. The tract had two different types of zoning, one for single family residential and another for multiple family dwellings. It is now zoned for multiple family dwellings.

During its Monday, Oct. 28, meeting, the Salem Plan Commission voted unanimously to recommend the rezoning to the Common Council with the stipulation that no mobile home park or mobile home subdivision is constructed on the property. Jason Temple told the Plan Commission it was likely multiple family duplexes would be built; however, those plans aren’t firm.

Any development plans for the property would have to be submitted to the city for review and approval.

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita announced today that his office has filed a lawsuit against the owner of Hubbard Gardens Apartments in Indianapolis, alleging they failed to protect tenants against open sewer conditions and to properly maintain other essential systems. 

During an inspection by Attorney General Rokita’s Homeowner Protection Unit on Sept. 27, his investigators found open sewer conditions, which were reported to the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Response Center. Residents said that the plumbing and sewage issues impacted them for months without a permanent remedy from the ownership. 

“Hardworking Hoosiers don’t deserve to live in these types of conditions and are being treated horribly by the owner of this complex,” Attorney General Rokita said. “Our office will continue standing up for tenants’ rights and working to hold this bad actor accountable.” 

The lawsuit alleges that Hubbard Gardens Apartments was enveloped in at least 89 litigation cases with violations of local health and housing code brought by the Marion County Public Health Department from Jan. 1, 2023, to Oct. 4, 2024. The violations state a failure to ensure basic occupancy standards due to severe plumbing issues, including flooding of tenant apartments and common areas with raw sewage. The lawsuit demands a jury trial, costs of prosecution, and other damages against the defendant for multiple violations of the Deceptive Consumer Sales Act. 

The Indiana Department of Revenue's "Tax Bulletin" offers the following useful information to taxpayers:

Indiana's individual income taxes' due date for the extension of time to file is coming up on Nov.

15. If a taxpayer was granted a federal extension of time to file, they were also granted an extension to file with Indiana.

It is important to file by the due date to avoid late filing penalties. 

Do Your Research Before Donating to Charities

Are your customers interested in donating to charities assisting communities affected by crises and natural disasters? As tax season approaches, various scams start emerging like fake charity promoters will use emails, websites, and alter their caller ID to appear as a real charity.

The IRS offers the following tips to help protect your clients against these scams: 

• Ask the caller for the exact name, website and mailing address to confirm the charity validation. The Tax Exempt Organization Search (TEOS) tool is useful to verify legitimacy.
• Remember: do not feel pressured into making a payment at that exact moment, charities are happy to receive donations at ANY time.
• Avoid providing gift cards or wire transfers when giving donations. Credit cards and checks are the safest ways to donate. Review the FBI’s resources on Charity and Disaster Fraud if you encounter a fake or suspicious charity before you donate.

Information Bulletins & Departmental Notices

Gasoline Use Tax: Departmental Notice #2

All Information Bulletins & Departmental Notices

By Becky Killian, Staff Writer

Officials are reviewing a proposed ordinance that details the requirements for private and commercial septic systems in the county.

Chris Boling, the environmentalist for the Washington County Health Department, explained the ordinance during the Wednesday, Nov. 6, meeting of the Washington County Board of Commissioners.

The county had a septic system ordinance previously, but a state law that became effective as of July 2023 voided all local ordinances passed before that date that pertain to septic systems. That law also formed a nine-member state level technical review panel.

Boling said the new state law was prompted by a couple counties that passed “draconian” requirements for septic systems. Now the state has taken control of such ordinances and removed some requirements, such as a minimum acreage requirement for septic systems.

Boling told commissioners that the proposed ordinance has been reviewed at the state-level and has been approved by the county’s health board. He said it will restore some of the local enforcement powers that were lost when the county’s original septic system ordinance was voided.

“It’s a little less involved and a little less effective than what [the ordinance] we had before,” Boling said.

If passed, the local ordinance will require installers to register with the health department. The registration will be reviewed annually. Unless the installer is registered to install septic systems in another county, the installer will have to pass a certification examination.

Soil testing will still be required prior to the installation of a new septic system or before any changes are made to an existing system.

The ordinance does allow sewage holding tanks; however, Boling cautioned that the legal requirements for such systems can make them more costly than a septic system. State law lists several requirements for holding tanks including a contract with a septic system pumper to routinely empty the holding tank as well as alarms that will indicate when the tank is more than 75 percent full. Applications for these systems must be submitted to the county health department as well as construction plans.

Any violations of the proposed ordinance or state law concerning septic systems could result in a notice of violation being sent to the property owner, who will have a set amount of time to remediate the violation. The local health department could also issue a stop work order.

If the violation isn’t remedied within the allotted time frame, violators could face a fine of $2,500 each day the violation occurs.

The ordinance details the appeals process the property owner can follow to dispute any permit denials, revocations, stop work orders, and penalties.

The proposed ordinance is currently being reviewed by the Commissioners’ attorney.