North Webster Town Council passed its second ordinance of 2013 at its meeting Tuesday evening. This one making it unlawful to sell synthetic drugs.

Ordinance 2013-2 “prohibits the use, sale, delivery, manufacturing, marketing or possession of synthetic drugs and synthetic drug look alike substances in the town of North Webster.” It establishes a subject in violation shall be fined $250 per day for such person or entity that is in violation. With the second offense the fine increases to $500 per day. It will go into effect 30 days after the ordinance is published in local media.

Requested at last month’s meeting by North Webster Police Chief Greg Church, the ordinance was drawn up by town attorney Jack Birch based on state guidelines. This action comes in the wake of the arrest of long time local business owner Samuel Scott Stimmel. He was charged with two D felony counts of dealing in a synthetic drug/look alike substance after an arrest in October of this year. (See related)

Under the umbrella of Night Shift, Stimmel operates Stimmelators Gentleman’s Club, 114 E. Washington St., and California Dreamin’, 108 E. Washington St., both in North Webster, among other businesses. Other alleged charges include C felony corrupt business influence and C felony promoting prostitution. Undercover officers bought 8 grams of synthetic drugs from California Dreamin’ July 1.

In other matters, local citizen Ben Ashpole presented an ideal to the council about building a prototype of an overhead garden above a town sidewalk. Ashpole’s goal is to encourage the town to add more sidewalks and this would be a way for them to pay for themselves. Sidewalks were the number one priority of North Webster citizens in the study done by Ball State University for the town about 15 years ago.

The vegetables and herbs grown on top in raised beds would be sold to local restaurants and consumers wanting locally grown produce generating income. The gardens would become an attraction in themselves. Ashpole was instructed to get an estimate on the cost of an study to see about the feasibility of a trial project and return to the council with the information for consideration.

A workshop with London Witte for the sewer rate study was set for 1 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 16, at the North Webster Community Center while the town council’s end of the year meeting will be 8:15 a.m. Friday, Dec. 27, at town hall.

The next regular meeting of the town council will be 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 21, party room, North Webster Community Center.

(For a more in-depth account of the meeting, see today’s issue of The Mail-Journal.)