Gosport to accept town marshal applications, addresses recent water tower vandalism

The town of Gosport hasn’t had a town marshal in about six years.

When one of the town ordinances needs enforced, residents seek help from the Owen County Sheriff Department (OCSD), but it can’t always help. Town council member Michael Miller said the ordinances are written to designate the marshal to administer the rules, and the OCSD won’t try to overrule the ordinances.

Owen County Sheriff Ryan White confirmed this in an email, saying the department can only uphold county ordinances, and can’t enforce Spencer or Gosport ordinances.

“It’s just starting to pile up,” Miller said.

To address the issue, the town is accepting applications for the full-time town marshal position, which can be picked up at the Gosport Town Hall at 3 E. Main St., Gosport. At the July 14 town council meeting, the council members passed a motion to begin holding interviews and begin the hiring process.

According to Indiana Code 36-5-7-4, the town marshal acts as the “chief police officer of the town and has the powers of other law enforcement officers in executing the orders of the legislative body and enforcing laws.”

The marshal can also make arrests, execute search and arrest warrants and can pursue and jail those who commit offenses.

At the meeting, the council members also approved a motion for the town to begin discussing establishing a fire territory. On July 10, the town council hosted a work session to discuss what it would mean for Gosport to join a fire territory with at least one other contiguous taxing unit.

The motion, made by council president Marian McGee, tasked town attorney Terry English with contacting the trustees for Wayne, Harrison and Montgomery townships to “determine their interest in the formation of a territory.”

Fire territories are often formed in order to pool local resources to more effectively allocate firefighting resources. Currently, the area in question is served by a volunteer fire department.

Due to an upcoming absence, the town approved a motion for town employee and laborer Troy Stallsmith to hire someone to fill in for his duties as needed during and after he undergoes surgery in four months.

Stallsmith also attended the meeting and gave an update regarding a vandalism incident that occurred around 3 a.m. July 3. He said a town resident saw water running down the street and notified the town utilities department.

A now-identified man, who McGee said was drunk, had opened the fire hydrants near the water tower, draining an estimated 70,000 gallons. Town Clerk-Treasurer Don Hall said 90,000 gallons were pumped to fill the tower back up.

The town was placed under a 48 hour boil water advisory due to the incident.

“I hope the prosecutor can do their job and serve justice,” Stallsmith said.

At the meeting, English said the town-owned property at 122 W. North St. was sold at public auction for $6,300, the opening bid set to reimburse the town for the amount spent in attorney fees and site restoration to bring the property to marketable standards.

English said only one bidder attended the auction and within the next 14 to 21 days, the town should be able to convey the property and recoup the renovation costs.

The town council also scheduled a work session to discuss how the town will execute the Community Crossings Matching Grant (CCMG) program funds and which streets to focus on. At the same meeting, which will be held at 9 a.m. July 24 at the Gosport Town Hall, the council will also hold its budget work session.