Frequently Asked Questions

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A Shelbyville firefighter starts his/her day at 6:30. They then move their gear to their assigned apparatus. They begin truck checks and clean all vehicles. The shift then prepares and eats breakfast together. Each firefighter has assigned station duties that include sweeping and mopping floors, vacuuming, taking out the trash, cleaning bathrooms, washing windows, and laundry. They also are responsible for mowing the grass, trimming the shrubs, cleaning gutters, shoveling snow, and cleaning the parking lots. After cleaning, the firemen have daily training. This is followed by lunch which is normally prepared and eaten as a group. While firefighters typically respond to multiple emergency calls during the day, during their down-time they spend time studying, exercising, and relaxing, as they could be up throughout the night on emergency calls. Around 22, the firefighters go to sleep. They will then wake up the next day and put away dishes, prepare coffee, put their gear away, and give their report to the next shift. All of their meals, cleaning, training, and sleeping are many times halted by any emergencies that may come in during that time. Shelbyville firefighters work 24 hours followed by 48 hours off.

Yes! Tours of your local fire station are available upon request and include viewing the fire station, our apparatuses, and firefighting equipment, as well as talking to the firefighters about their job. Please contact the Public Education Officer Scott Robbins to set up your tour.

A copy of a fire report can be obtained from the Administrative Assistant during business hours of 8 am to 4 pm. The fee is $5 for a fire report.

Why does a fire truck respond when I wanted an ambulance? Because firefighters can and do get there first, and time is critical in a medical emergency. Each fire truck is A.L.S. (advance life support) certified. This means each fire truck has the same capabilities as an ambulance except they cannot transport patients. Every Shelbyville Firefighter is cross-trained in Emergency Medical Services. In the early days, fire stations were strategically located so the crews could quickly get to burning buildings. Obviously, time is an important aspect of firefighting, because flames can rapidly spread through a building. The ability to quickly respond to a fire provides more time to rescue people inside, and save property by suppressing the blaze in the early stages. It soon became apparent that the firefighter's ability to "get there fast" could be used for other types of emergency response, such as heart attacks, strokes and trauma. Four minutes is a critical time frame for someone who has experienced a heart attack, injury, or other illness that makes them stop breathing. The heart and brain have a better chance of full recovery they receive oxygen in four minutes or less. After that, a person can suffer brain damage or worse. Our firefighters, many of them educated to the level of paramedic, can use life saving techniques including defibrillation and medications to help prevent death or permanent injury. These life saving techniques are much more effective if they can get to a patient within the first four minutes. Each Shelbyville Fire Station is part of a much larger, intricate dispatch system. The system is designed to provide adequate emergency coverage for the citizens who live here, by carefully managing response resources. Fire stations are not isolated or randomly located. They are strategically positioned to provide the best coverage with the least expenditure of resources. When you dial 911 for a medical emergency, expect a Shelbyville fire truck. The expertise that they bring is truly lifesaving.

While there are many advantages to having a landlord registry, there were two main drivers that lead to the development and eventual adoption of the Shelbyville Landlord Registration Program (SLRP).

1. Throughout the years, as planning efforts have been undertaken, policy development has occurred, and general government administration has taken place, a single question comes up repeatedly, "How many rental properties exist in our community?" As this question has been asked, City staff have researched to find an accurate and reliable answer, with no luck. Many organizations have modeled the community and can provide estimates, but no definitive accounting has ever occurred. One of the main things the SLRP will accomplish is that it will lead to the development and continual maintenance of an accurate count of the number of residential rental properties in our community. As this directory is developed and maintained over the coming years, it will serve as a tool for policymaking, as it can serve as another indicator about the City's residential real estate market.
2. The other main driving force in developing and implementing the SLRP is the City's need for accurate contact information for residential rental properties. When the City's Code Enforcement Department attempts to address code violations at these rental properties, they must properly "serve" both the tenant and property owner with the necessary paperwork. Far too often, the City has issues contacting the property owner, because they are out-of-state and can't be reached easily. This requires the City to use additional time and resources to properly contact the property owner, leaving the nuisance violation unaddressed for numerous days or even weeks. The SLRP will require current contact information for a person that lives within the state of Indiana that can be served with this necessary paperwork, allowing City staff to address these violations in a faster more efficient manner.

All landlords of rental units shall register their units with the Planning and Building Department via the application provided on this page. This includes all rental units where any of the following apply:

• The unit is currently occupied
• The unit is currently vacant
• The unit is currently being offered for rent
• The unit is currently being advertised for rent
• The unit is being offered for sale through seller-financed agreements without recorded title transfer (Commonly known as "rent-to-own")

Note: The term "Rental Unit" is defined in IC 32-31-3-8

The following items are required to be provided on each Shelbyville Landlord Registration Program (SLRP) application for each property:

• Contact information (Name, Phone Number, and Address) of the property owner
• Contact information of an individual who resides in Indiana who actively manages the subject property (This can be the property owner)
• Contact information for an agent that may be served with any legal notices or demands in relation to the subject property (This may be the property owner)
• The number of rental units at the subject property

The following information may be provided, but is not required:

• Contact information for the tenant(s) of the subject property
• The amount of the monthly rent for the units at the subject property
• Whether the utilities for the subject property are included in the cost of rent

The registration cost per unit is $5, but if multiple units are applied for at once, they can all be included in one single $5 fee.

For example: If you own 10 rental units, and you submit all 10 applications at one time, the total registration fee is only $5, but if you submit 5 applications, then a few weeks later submit the next 5 applications, the total registration fee would be $10.

Annual Renewals

Annually, the registration must be renewed no later than January 1st. The renewal window will begin on November 1st, allowing a two-month period to submit all necessary applications to complete the renewal.

Newly Acquired Rental Units

If a new unit is acquired or ownership of a unit changes during the year, the new property owner is required to register that unit within 30 days.

Change in Registration Information: If any portion of the required registration information changes, the property owner is required to update that information within 30 days.

ETJ stands for Extra-territorial Planning Jurisdiction. This would apply City zoning rules for properties/existing developments that are located near the City's corporate limits.

This flyer is being sent to property owners in the proposed ETJ area. You are not required to do anything and don't need to appear at any meetings unless you want to attend where you may ask any questions you have regarding the ETJ proposal.

The City of Shelbyville is looking at future growth in and around current corporate limits to ensure zoning matches the vision identified in the comprehensive plan for those areas. This ETJ proposal is not connected to any specific project but requires all future developments to meet the same standards.

The proposed ETJ zoning map is introduced at a public hearing during a City Plan Commission meeting. The Plan Commission can take up to 2 months to discuss the proposed changes. Once the final zoning map is agreed upon, it is presented at a City Council meeting to adopts the map through an ordinance.

There is little to no impact to your property, as the existing use of your property is grandfathered. In most cases, a City of Shelbyville zoning district. Future Development will have to follow the zoning requirements for the zoning district it was assigned.

This proposal is not an annexation; therefore, there are no impacts on your tax rate.

This proposal is not an Annexation. An annexation would bring a property and its owner into the city limits, while an ETJ only adds City zoning requirements to a property with no other impacts to it.

On this page, under Maps & Other Documents, you can see all of the proposed ETJ Areas and the exact zoning classifications being proposed for each.

The office is located:

First Floor of Shelbyville City Hall
44 West Washington Street
Shelbyville Indiana, 46176

Yes, you may pull a permit and complete most work yourself. You must both own and live in your home to qualify for any homeowner exemptions that exist in state and local law, otherwise a licensed contractor will need to complete the work.

Current and future owners of the building are entitled to knowing that the work completed in the home was done correctly and inspected for their safety. A permit is a way of providing reasonable controls for the design, construction, use, occupancy, and maintenance of buildings, their facilities, and various components. When these proper precautions are taken, property values in the surrounding area are positively affected. The permit document shows that a building project is being constructed under processes for ensuring code compliance and public safety. Communities like Shelbyville that have adopted the Indiana State Building code, and therefore the need for permitting and inspections, have lower costs for renters and homeowners insurance due to the fact that a larger percentage of the structures in the community are compliant with building codes designed for public safety.

Building, Improvement Location, and Right-Of-Way permits typically take 3 to 5 days, while most other permits are issued immediately. Those permits that take longer to review are typically more complex projects that require more time to properly review the submitted documents against building and zoning codes. Find permit applications and information about contractor registrations.

No, but the City has adopted standards with which the fence must be built. These standards are outlines in the Unified Development Ordinance; access the section of the code that pertains to fences (PDF).

Fences constructed in residential zoned areas must meet the following development standards:

• Fences cannot exceed eight feet in height in rear and side yards, and three feet in height in front yards 
• Fences must be built with the "non-structural" side facing outward
• Fences do not have a required setback from property lines, but it is required that both sides of the fence must be able to be maintained
• Fences built near intersections cannot be built within the Vision Clearance Triangle (PDF)
• Corner Lots and Through Lots have a "Front Yard" on each side of the property that abuts a public road, and therefore have to maintain a three feet maximum height in these Front Yards

Find all other zoning districts, and see the exact language in the Unified Development Ordinance (PDF).

Front Yard Illustrations

Grass can be 10 inches tall before it is required to be cut. Overgrown lawns attract animals such as snakes, rodents, deer, and mosquitoes. These animals are, unfortunately, a nuisance when found in the City. Overgrown lawns are also unsightly and can negatively affect property values of the entire neighborhood.

Yes, any structure over 200 square feet needs both a building permit and an Improvement Location Permit., any structure under 200 square feet only requires a location improvement permit. Permit applications and information regarding who can submit for a permit can be found on the Permits & Contractors page.

Yes. A swimming pool requires an Improvement Location Permit as well as a Building Permit. Permitting allows the City to inspect for compliance with local and state laws. A homeowner may pull the permits to install an above-ground pool but will be required to sign a "Homeowner Above-Ground Pool Affidavit". If the homeowner is not the person physically installing the pool, whomever is doing the work needs to be registered with the City as a building contractor prior to the issuance of an Improvement Location and Building Permit.

Yes, but as a protection for your neighbors, the City has adopted general standards that a home-based business (Home Occupation) must follow. Those standards are part of the Unified Development Ordinance (PDF).

Each property in the City's Planning Jurisdiction is given a zoning district classification, and those classifications are represented on the Official Zoning Map of the City of Shelbyville. This map is also available on the Shelby County GIS Portal, as an interactive map.

1. Contact a licensed electrical contractor to pull a reconnect permit.
2. After the contractor has pulled a permit, they will perform the work to ensure the meter base is properly installed and connected according to current codes.
3. The contractor will then call a City Inspector to inspect the work and report to Duke that a meter can be placed on the building again.

Contact your electric company directly; they will be able to start a new account and schedule to get your electric service turned back on.