Meeting Report · Ellettsville Town Council
Council introduces ordinance to allow Utility Task Vehicles on most town roads.
The proposed rules would require UTVs to be registered and operated by licensed drivers 16 or older.
This summary was built from the meeting video and the official documents.
VideoWatch the meeting videoYouTubePDFView agenda PDFocrHighlights
Key Highlights
- 01Council introduces ordinance to allow Utility Task Vehicles on most town roads.
- 02Council introduces ordinance to prohibit commercial use of public records.
- 03Council promotes Shannon Bunger to Deputy Police Chief.
- 04Town Marshal Jimmie Durnil and Deputy Chief George Robinson will retire in January 2027.
- 05Council approves conditional job offer for Gabby Meacham as police officer.
- 06Special budget meetings scheduled for October 5 and 19.
Written for residents
Summary
The proposed rules would require UTVs to be registered and operated by licensed drivers 16 or older.
The council introduced an ordinance that would allow Utility Task Vehicles (UTVs) on all town roads except State Road 46. The rules would require UTVs to be registered and operated by individuals 16 years of age or older with a valid driver's license. Operators must have financial responsibility, comply with all traffic laws, and not operate UTVs a half hour after sunset or before sunrise unless they have headlights. The ordinance defines UTVs as not including ATVs, three-wheelers, four-wheelers, or golf carts. Penalties would be $25 for a first offense, $50 for a second, and $100 for a third and subsequent offenses.
Council members also introduced an ordinance that would prohibit the use of public records for commercial purposes. Town Attorney Darla Brown explained that the town receives many requests for information that appear to be for commercial use, creating a burden for staff. Under the proposed ordinance, requesters seeking information for commercial purposes would need to sign a certification stating they will not use the records for such purposes. Violations could result in the town declining future record requests or potential perjury charges.
The council addressed police department personnel changes. Town Marshal Jimmie Durnil announced that he and Deputy Chief George Robinson will retire at the end of January 2027. The council unanimously approved a conditional offer of employment for Gabby Meacham as a police officer. Council members then unanimously voted to promote Officer Shannon Bunger to Deputy Chief, effective immediately, to ensure an orderly transition. The council stated its intention for Deputy Chief Bunger to become Chief after the new council takes office.
Town Manager Michael Farmer requested special meetings in October to discuss the budget. The council agreed to hold meetings on October 5 for the first reading and October 19 for a public hearing and approval. Both meetings will be at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall and will focus solely on the budget.
Michael Farmer also reminded residents to prepare for the upcoming Fall Festival, asking them to help make the town look its best for guests.
The council approved paying its bills.
Check the sources
Where the video and the documents differ
The meeting video and the official documents state different things on the points below. The summary uses the documents' figure, except where a point says the documents' figure could not be read.
Dan Swafford's Presence
The documents say: Dan Swafford was absent.
The video says: Dan Swafford (called during roll call, no explicit statement of absence or presence)
Minutes Approval Date
The documents say: August 10, 2026
The video says: May 24th, 2026
The Receipts
Fiscal Decisions
Accounts Payable Vouchers and Payroll
Motion to approve the payment of Accounts Payable Vouchers and Payroll.