Sandborn officials look to the future

SANDBORN -- The Sandborn Town Council began the year by discussing future goals Tuesday evening.

Jon McKee, Sr., the new council member from Ward 1, also gave his reasons for wanting to represent the town.

McKee said his first priority was to see the town improve its appearance by tearing down houses that are in disrepair and clean yards that are overgrown.

"When I grew up, this was a clean town," noted McKee. "There are still a lot of good places, but there are also a lot of bad places."

McKee said he would also like to see the town promote and establish better public communication and stated that town information is on the Sandborn Web site at www.Sandborn.org .

With better communication, McKee said people might become more involved in the community.

Another of McKee's goals is to do something in the economic development area.

"I don't mean trying to get Ford Motor Company to come to Sandborn," McKee explained. "I mean to invite entrepreneurs to open small businesses."

Listing her goals for Sandborn, Clerk-Treasurer Linda Hancock said she would like for the town to have senior citizen housing, connections for camping trailers at the park, a generator to run the water pumps, and a town marshal.

Hancock also mentioned looking into wind energy as the electric bill for the street lights amounts to $500 a month.

After seeing the two Cliff Pembertons (father and son) unload sand and salt mix by hand, Councilman Joe Hartsburg said the town should buy something to slide in the bed of a truck to help spread the mixture.

Reporting for the park board, Hancock said inmates will soon be removing Christmas lights.

Water Superintendent Cliff Pemberton, Sr. reported that the town used 957,000 gallons of water during December and used more than 11 million gallons the entire year.

Upon Pemberton's report that the Edwardsport Fire Department helped remove a fallen tree limb in Sandborn, the council voted to give EFD $75 for the help.