Residents press council on town‑vehicle decals, grocery‑store recruitment and oversized trucks

At the March 23 Sellersburg council meeting multiple residents used the public‑comment period to press the council about town‑vehicle markings, redevelopment transparency and road‑safety signage.

Charlie Pierce asked the council to place a town decal and a municipal license tag on the town manager’s vehicle and offered a simple vehicle log for use by town drivers. "I prepared a little Town of Sellersburg vehicle log," Pierce said, and urged the council to consider municipal tagging and mileage tracking for town vehicles. Chair replied, "At this moment in time, based upon the council's decision, no, sir. We're not," noting the decision reflected council practice to date.

Pierce also criticized perceived opacity around redevelopment work and urged the town to prioritize attracting a full‑service grocery store. He requested redevelopment commission minutes be made available and suggested more public communication on business recruitment efforts. Council members and staff said they have reached out to multiple grocers, including national chains, and that recruitment is constrained by available land and utilities; staff described ongoing efforts to bring sites with sewer and infrastructure online.

Several speakers urged better measures to prevent oversized trucks from becoming stuck on narrow stretches of local road. A CDL driver recommended adding signage near a cemetery corner stating that oversized loads are not permitted beyond that point: "some kind of signage ... that says no oversized loads over 12 foot or whatever the the width is," he said, noting GPS or state routing sometimes directs oversized units down inappropriate local streets. Staff said the state issues wide‑load permits and that the town is coordinating with INDOT inspectors to review permit routing and improve communications.

The public also suggested procedural changes for meetings: residents asked for clearer instructions about how to request to speak or have items placed on a future agenda; staff reiterated the option to email council members or the town manager ahead of meetings and offered to follow up by email when contact information is provided.

The council did not alter policy at the meeting but asked staff to consider the suggestions and to report back when appropriate.