Cindy DiFazio - Staff Writer

All members of the Versailles Town Council were present at their regular meeting on Thursday, January 11. Joining council members, Sue Meisberger, Jim Taul and John Holzer, were Clerk-Treasurer Ted Spurlock and town Attorney Larry Eaton. Minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved.

DeDee Holliday, representing the Ripley County Humane Society, came before the council to request a letter of support. Holliday explained that they plan to apply for grant money to build a new canine facility. The dog rooms in use now are not large enough to house the volume of animals surrendered to the shelter.

Holliday shared that the percentage of animals seen at the Ripley County facility that come from Versailles and Osgood is relatively high. Therefore, the group would like to seek some of its grant funding from the Tyson and Reynolds Foundations.

Two of the innovative things the Ripley County Humane Society is doing are:
* A low-cost spay/neuter clinic.
* A “Canine Express” that transports local homeless dogs to families in New England who want them.
In conclusion, Holliday noted, “This is a service that is provided to the people of this community. We are not an organization that stands out at the stoplights collecting money. We hold fundraisers and have good volunteers. We need to get this building.”

Also, in the public input part of the meeting, Maxine Scott, a resident of High Street in Versailles for 25 years, came before the council with a complaint. She informed the council that due to drainage problems she has had water in her basement since mid-summer of last year.

Scott’s son, Mark, told council members that the problem stems from Mrs. Scott’s home being surrounded by parking lots. The parking lots, according to Mr. Scott, were installed on what used to be naturally draining gently sloped swales. Scott explained that culverts were cut across the road and landlocked the water. He told the council, “This has really gotten severe.”

Scott stated that after a water main broke, he pumped 26,000 gallons of water from under his mother’s foundation. He installed a new sump pump at that time, but the basement is still wet. “What used to be dry and dusty is now mud,” Scott told the council. Town superintendent, Kevin Hensley, concurred, telling the council, “They do have a real bad problem out there.” Hensley said it would take storm drains and catch basins running out to the highway to alleviate the flooding. It was agreed that council members would check out the problem.

Ethan (17) and Kevin (14) Dresselhaus were in attendance with their mother to observe a government meeting. Mrs. Dresselhaus complimented the council on the way the meeting was run. Council member, John Holzer teased the boys, “Give us some advice on that water problem.”