VEEDERSBURG, Ind. — Town water woes are most likely due to the maintenance work on the water tower, town council members learned Tuesday.

Water Superintendent Paul Keeling said that Utility Services of Perry, Ga., who has been cleaning the water tower, has agreed to flush the water tower and refill it, hopefully this Saturday.

Town officials have received several complaints regarding the chlorine smell in the water. Keeling said that chlorine is being used to help break up the iron in the water. The amount of chlorine in the water is harmless to people. Keeling added that there is not a boil order, but that there will be one in effect on Friday when hydrants are flushed.

Town council President Ken Smith said, “People will have to be patient and understand that we are working on the water problem. The water tower is being cleaned inside and out.”

Town council members said the water problem is the town’s top priority.

In other business, town council members:

-- Approved a $2,656 repair to the sewer plant’s return activated sludge pump. Waste Water Superintendent Connie Sichts said that the repair is about $2,000 cheaper than purchasing a new pump and the warranty is the same for the repair by Midwest of Danville.

-- Heard Town Marshal Neil Beck ask council members to consider purchasing new firearms for the police department if money is available. Beck said officers use pistols purchased in 2001 that are now considered obsolete. Beck said he would like to upgrade the department’s four firearms to Glock 40s, which is what other local departments already use. Beck promised to have price quotes and trade-in information available at the next town council meeting.

-- Received the police report for June through August. The Veedersburg police department reported 12 accidents, 38 criminal complaints, 112 citizen assists, 10 ordinance violations, three alarms, 25 civil complaints, 17 assist other agencies, three ambulance runs, three fire calls, five 911 hang-ups, 10 title checks, 20 traffic complaints, one mental subject, one animal destroyed and 92 traffic stops.

-- Heard from Steve Menardo, owner of the house at 202 Jackson St. that was on the town’s demolition list. Menardo said that after he evicted the last tenant of the house, he cleaned up the property, boarded up the house, and did not leave the property in poor condition. He does not want the house demolished.

Smith said neighbors complained about the condition of the property. The town council asked Menardo to have a written proposal available for the town council at the next meeting explaining what will be done to repair the house to good condition.

-- Heard from Steve Beisecker, owner of the house at 203 W. Harrison St., who apologized for the state of the his property. Beisecker explained that his job keeps him away from town a lot of time. He said that he does not want his house demolished and that it is fixable. The council told Beisecker he also should have a written repair proposal available at the next town council meeting on Sept. 22.

-- Received a project proposal for a new peewee baseball diamond at Hub Park from Mike Marshall and Kevin Merryman with the town little league group. Marshall and Merryman presented the board with drawings and an aerial picture of the park of where the new diamond would be located. The new diamond would enable the peewee league to have more than one game a night and would make another baseball diamond available to other local leagues for practices or games. The group would like for the town to pay for materials such as fencing, rock, and lumber for the dugouts. The council told Marshall and Merryman to get price quotes for the redevelopment committee.

-- Received a complaint about speeding on the south side of Main Street due to the new “no parking” signs. The resident said drivers are now flying down the street with no regard for kids or anybody that maybe outside. The council promised to install “slow children at play” signs for now, but will look into creating an ordinance that would change the speed limit on the street to 20 mph.

-- Learned that adoption of the town budget will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 22.