*Bluffton City
Bluffton elects a mayor and five-member city council, in addition to the city
clerk-treasurer and City Court judge. The mayor heads the executive branch, and
the city council is the legislative branch and makes all appropriations. However,
the mayor appoints two persons to serve with him on the Bluffton Board of Public
Works & Safety, which manages the city utilities, authorizes and contracts
for purchases and approves payment of bills. The clerk-treasurer is the city’s
financial officer, issues checks and serves as secretary for the city council
and board of works. The City Court judge operates the court, which has jurisdiction
on city ordinances and on traffic cases. The mayor and clerk-treasurer are fulltime
positions.
CITY ELECTED OFFICIALS
Ted Ellis (D), Mayor, City Hall, 128 East Market St., Bluffton, 824-1520. Home
address: 427 West Wiley Ave., Bluffton, phone 824-3839. E-mail: mayor@ci.bluffton.in.us
or mayorsoffice@ci.bluffton.in.us (Brenda Jackson)
Nancy Hewitt (R) Clerk-Treasurer, City Hall, 128 East Market St., Bluffton, 824-0612.
Home address: 218 West South St., Bluffton, 824-3496. E-mail: cityclerk@ci.bluffton.in.us
Lyle Cotton (R) City Court Judge, Police-Fire Building, 200 East Market St., Bluffton,
824-3392. Home address: 327 East Central Ave., Bluffton, 824-0916. E-mail: court@ci.bluffton.in.us
Bob Bate (R) 1st District City Council. Home address: 1622 Sutton Circle, Bluffton,
824-1759. E-mail: council1@ci.bluffton.in.us
Carl W. Perry (R) 2nd District City Council. Home address: 42 Hi-Lo Drive, Bluffton,
824-2822. E-mail: council2@ci.bluffton.in.us
Michael Morrissey (D) District 3 City Council. Home address: 426 West Spring St.,
Bluffton, 824-4067. E-mail: council3@ci.bluffton.in.us
James Phillabaum (D) District 4 City Council and City Council President. Home
address: 1125 Summit Ave., Bluffton, Indiana, 824-4244. E-mail: council4@ci.bluffton.in.us
Melanie Durr (D) At-Large City Council, 421 East Central Ave., Bluffton, 824-4047.
E-mail: council5@ci.bluffton.in.us
All eight Bluffton elected officials are elected for four-year terms at the same
time. The last election was in 2003 for terms which expire at the end of 2007.
The next election is in 2007. Each district council member must reside in that
district and is elected by only the voters in that district. The at-large council
member and the mayor, clerk-treasurer and City Court judge are elected citywide.
Bluffton City Council meets at 7:30 p.m. every other Tuesday in council chambers
on the second floor of City Hall, 128 East Market St. The Bluffton Board of Public
Works & Safety, composed of Mayor Ted Ellis and City Councilmen James Phillabaum
and Melanie Durr, meets at 1 p.m. each Tuesday in the board room at City Hall,
128 East Market St.
The Mayor’s Assistant and Secretary is Brenda Jackson.
The City Attorney is Andrew Carnall.
BLUFFTON UTILITIES
The city of Bluffton operates three utilities -- electric, water and sewage. Working
hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.They also bill for trash and recycling pick up.
Regular office hours at the Utility Office are 8:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. Emergencies
during after hours and weekends should be reported to the Bluffton Police Department
by calling 824-3320.
R.D. “Skip” Esmond is the Business Manager of Bluffton Utilities in
City Hall, 128 East Market Street, phone 824-2500. E-mail:
utilities@ci.bluffton.in.us
For residential new service deposit of $150 is required. If you have a reference
from previous utility service or a good credit report, the deposit is only $25.
The deposit is refundable when leaving Bluffton Utilities.
Electric Utility -- temporary connection $50
Water --- Taps 5/8” to 3/4” $500. Others are according to material and
costs.
Sewage -- Permit fee $5. Connection fees: Residential $400, Business $600 and
Housing Developments, Trailer Parks, Apartments Houses etc. $600 plus $75 per
unit.
Edward Davis, phone 824-6067, is the Electric and Water Superintendent. E-mail:
electric@ci.bluffton.in.us
Robert Mohler, phone 824-6057, is the Sewage (Bluffton Wastewater Treatment) Superintendent.
E-mail: wastewater@ci.bluffton.in.us
CITY DEPARTMENTS
The Street Department is at 630 East Spring St., phone 824-0714. Working hours
are 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Emergencies during after hours and weekends should
be reported to the Bluffton Police Department by calling 824-3320. E-mail:
street@ci.bluffton.in.us
Bill Ball is the Street Commissioner.
Brush and Limbs Pickup: These are collected by the Street Department the first
10 days of each month as conditions allow. Brush -limbs should be place out on
the first day of each month. Items are collected as weather and volume permits.
Leaves will be collected in 2004 according to your Trash Pickup days.
Monday Trash Day: Curbside leaf pickup the weeks of Oct. 11, Nov. 1 and Nov. 22.
Tuesday Trash Day: Curbside leaf pickup the weeks of Oct. 18, Nov. 8 and Nov.
29.
Wednesday Trash Day: Curbside leaf pickup the weeks of Oct. 25, Nov. 15 and Dec.
6.
Trash (Garbage) and Recycling services are weekly services by National Serv-All,
phone (toll-free) 1-800-876-9001. The garbage and recycling fee is $$7.50 per
month per residence, with that amount covering both garbage and recycling.
The Wells County (Drop-Off) Recycling Center, 702 West Wabash St., phone 824-4828.
Trash and Recyclables Collection:
Monday: Homes north of the river.
Tuesday: Homes south of the river, west of Wayne Street and north of Wiley Avenue.
Wednesday: Homes south of Wiley Avenue and west of Wayne Street. Also, homes east
of Wayne Street.
Holidays: If a pickup day falls on or follows a holiday, your trash and recyclables
are to be collected on the following day.
Bluffton’s NATURAL GAS SERVICE is by the Northern Indiana Public Service
Company (NIPSCO), 24-hour customer service, dial toll-free 1-800-422-6199 on regular
business. For gas leak emergencies ONLY, dial 1-800-634-3524.
Bluffton has PHONE SERVICE from Ameritech, 556-3560.
OFFICE OF PUBLIC SAFETY: Robert Plummer, Director. 200 East Market St., phone
824-6084. Jody Caylor, Secretary. Plummer’s E-mail: pubsafedirector@ci.bluffton.in.us
POLICE DEPARTMENT: Police-Fire Building, 200 East Market, NON-EMERGENCY phone
824-3320. The members of the Police Department are Tammy Schaffer, Chief, chief’s
e-mail: pdchief@ci.bluffton.in.us; Roger Miller, Assistant Chief; Terri Bricker,
Captain; Steve Cale, Detective Sergeant; Kyle Randall, Detective; Roger Nathan
Huss, Robert Frantz, Jim Mettler, Sergeants. Officers Brent Archbold, Dennis Fiscus,
Chip Swindell, Robert Morgan, Andy Ellis, Scott Nash, Brent Garrett, Greg Steele,
Mike Miller, Bruce Holland, Jason Baker, Geoff Gilbert.
PUBLIC SAFETY DISPATCHERS: Max Dawson, Pat Wall, Ron Bowman, Ryan Eisenhut, Bev
Lobsiger, Dennis Lowe and Tina Fenstermaker. Parking enforcement is by Joyce Hoover.
Secretary/Clerk is Jody Caylor. Clerk/Typist is Kim Smith. E-mail: pubsafedirector@ci.bluffton.in.us
FIRE DEPARTMENT: Police-Fire Building, 200 East Market, NON-EMERGENCY phone 824-6050.
The members of the Fire Department are David L. Brinneman, Chief; Kenneth L. Baker
(Captain Eng.)/Fire Inspector), Captains: Kent Emshwiller, Bruce A. Lovell, Matthew
L. Markley and Scott Boone. Fulltime Engineers: Edward M. Mason, Tom E. Paxson,
Tim Franklin, Kurt O. Beer. Ed Osborn, Kelly Engineer. Firefighters: Adam Anderson,
Randy Brickey, Ben Powers, Kelly Thompson, Brandon Mechling, Jim Stiles, Cameron
Fry, Kevin Osborn, Eric Kiefer, James Uptgraft (LT.), Gary Markley, Philip Ramos,
Jay Adams, Todd Ormsby, Michael Hiester, Jeff Hewitt, James Wolf, Jim Curran,
Ernie Smiley, Eric Funk, Tim McNamara, Jeremy Reed, Brandon Shadle, Mike Mann,
Justin King, Richard Tessmer. Chief Brinneman’s E-Mail: fdchief@ci.bluffton.in.us
BLUFFTON PARKS & RECREATION
The Bluffton Parks and Recreation Board is in charge of operating and maintaining
the Bluffton city parks and the Wells Community Swimming Pool.
The Bluffton Parks & Recreation Board members are Susan Campbell, Rick McEvoy,
John Gerber and Chuck King. The board meets the first Tuesday of every month at
6:30 p.m. at City Hall, 128 East Market Street.
Bluffton parks are:
Rotary Park -- River Road and Orchard Drive.
Kehoe Park -- 400 South Main Street.
Veterans Park -- Corner of Main and Arnold Streets.
Washington Park -- 310 East Ohio St.
Jefferson Park -- 315 East Horton St.
Lions Park -- 228 Midway.
Roush Park -- 925 West Silver St.
Triangle Park -- Wayne and Washington Streets.
Wells Community Swimming Pool -- 203 West Spring Street.
Wabash River Park -- 225 East Wabash Street.
The Bluffton Parks-Wells Community Pool Superintendent is Pam Vanderkolk. E-mail:
parks@ci.bluffton.in.us
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