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2026 02 05

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Old Town of Broad Ripple Meeting Minutes #248

posted: Feb. 05, 2026

This historic serial has run on and off in the last 21 years of the Broad Ripple Gazette. The intention is to share the history of Broad Ripple, help people find their ancestors in the text, and to complete the transcriptions of these important early documents.

The Town of Broad Ripple was incorporated in 1894, and started holding regular meetings at that time. In each issue, I will print my transcription of the old Town of Broad Ripple meeting minutes. These are taken from the original, hand-written minutes that contain many spelling errors. I have transcribed all the records as they were entered, including errors. I will make some corrections to the text in brackets [ ]. I will try to include street name changes, such as: Shelby Street became 63rd, then Broad Ripple Avenue, Morgan Street is now Guilford, North is now 64th, Hancock is now Westfield, Light Ave is College. See more of our street name research at BroadRippleHistory.org - Alan

The original minutes books are at the Indiana State Archives at 6440 E. 30th St.

Here is the two-hundred-forty-eighth installment

Broad Ripple Town Minutes - Book 2 - Pages 83, 85 and 87

new Rules and Regulations

[margin] Rules and Regulations of Board

Broad Ripple, Indiana

The Board of Trustee of the Town of Broad Ripple elected at the general election in Nov. 1908 met in regular session at their first meeting at 7 o'clock P.M. January 4th - 1910.

A motion made by William Rodocker to elect Dr. Hesler president of the board was made by the clerk and vote was as follows

W.E Rodocker - 1st ward - Yes.

Dr. Hesler 2 " " No.

C.F. Kiser 3rd " Yes.

Election being confirmed.

Dr. Hesler presiding the question of Rules + Regulations was taken up and the following were adopted and approved as suitable for governing the Board of Trustees of the Incorporated Town of Broad Ripple, Marion County, Indiana.

Meetings

The regular meetings of the Board of Trustees shall be held at the hour of 7 P.M. at the hour fixed the clerk shall call the roll of all members by words. If the president be absent at the hour of the first roll call, any member of the board my on motion be called to the chair and such chairman shall act as presiding officer until the arrival of the duly elected presiding officer. Special meetings of the board may be held upon a call made by the president of the board or by any two members thereof. I case of a call for a special meeting, in whatever manner made, it shall be the duty of the person or persons authorizing the same to duly notify the town clerk thereof and it shall be the duty of that officer to cause notice if such meeting to be immediately served upon each member in person or by notice at his place of residence.

Special Meetings

At special meetings of the Board and ordinances or resolutions or other matters of business may be acted upon as at any regular meeting.

[margin] Duties of Officers

Duties of Officers

The presiding officer shall present order and decorum. He shall decide all questions or order, subject to an appeal to the board. He shall approve all committees, subject to the approval of the Board. He shall sign all ordinances or other papers passed by the Board.

Duties of Clerk

It shall be the duty of the Clerk to keep an account journal of all the proceedings of the Board. He shall keep a proper file of all papers and documents of every kind and character and shall hold them subject to the orders of the Board. He shall be the custodian of all ordinances, resolutions, petitions, memorials or other papers pertaining to the business of the Board, except when otherwise ordered by the Board.

Duties of the Marshall

The Town Marshall shall act as messenger for the Board and shall at all times be subject to the orders of the Board or of the President thereof.

Rules

Rule I. (a) Ordinary parliamentary rules shall be law of procedure of the Board.

(b) A quorum shall consist of a majority of all members elected, but no ordinance, order or resolution shall be passed which shall not receive the majority vote of all members constituting the Board.]

Rule II. (a) By-Laws, Ordinances, Regulations, Contracts and other papers presented shall be read on at least two separate nights, and a notice of the pendency of the cause shall be posted for two days in three public places. One in each ward of the town, unless the Board by a majority vote declare an emergency, when the ordinance, rule, regulation, contract or other paper may be passed up on the same night in which it is presented.

(b) All ordinances shall be open to amendment at any time.

(c) All votes upon the passage of ordinances and resolutions upon motion to suspend rules or motions to reconsider shall be By Roll Call.

Rule III. Motions

(a) When any motion is made and seconded it shall be stated by the presiding officer

(b) Any matter laid upon the table may be taken up by a vote of the Board at any time

(c) When any question has once been decided in the affirmative or negative any member voting with the majority may move a reconsideration thereof of the same or the next regular meeting, unless the Board has declared an emergency.

Rule IV. The following order of business shall be observed by the Board at its meetings.

1st

Calling of the roll

2nd

Reading and correcting the minutes of the preceding regular or special meeting

3rd

Reports of Town Officers or committees

4th

Introduction of general or special Ordinances

5th

~~Introduction of miscellaneous business~~

Allowing bills and other miscellaneous business

6th

Ordinances on second reading

7th

Unfinished Business

8th

Reading of the journal may be dispensed with at any time by order of the Board

9th

The Board may order a return to any order of business after the call of the regular order of business.

Rule V. These rules may be amended or annulled by a majority vote of all the members of the Board of trustees at any regular or special meeting without any previous notice.

A motion was made to adopt the rules as read and was passed by unanimous vote, after which the Board proceeded to the regular order of business.

Calling the Roll

W.E Rodocker - 1st ward - Present.

Dr. Hesler 2nd ward - Present.

C.F. Kiser 3rd ward - Present.

Minutes of the previous meeting of the retiring Board of Trustees was read and approved

The following bills were allowed

Harry Byrkett-

For cleaning streets of snow - - - - - - - - - $3.00

A.B. Meyer + Co

For sewer tile - - - - - - - - - - 16.53

T.F. Metsker