Dunkirk discusses upcoming projects (02/13/07)

DUNKIRK - Despite the impending snowstorm, council members here were thinking about spring and highway-related construction work Monday night.

Mayor Sam Hubbard reported that preparations are under way to relocate city utility lines along the length of the Ind. 167 project in anticipation of roadway construction work which is scheduled for 2008.

The utility line relocation work is scheduled for this year with the contract slated to be awarded this spring.

This project will consist of replacement of approximately 8,000 feet of water mains along Ind. 167 (Main Street) in Dunkirk.

Estimated project cost is $740,000, and the city is applying for a state grant to help cover its share of the project cost.

Hubbard added that on Thursday, Indiana Department of Labor officials conducted a Common Construction Wage meeting in Dunkirk City Hall to determine wage rates for the project.

The committee, comprised of Hubbard, councilman Tom Johnson and Jay County Engineer Dan Watson, agreed to adopt the AFL-CIO wage scale.

Also in response to a question from Dunkirk Improvement Committee member Pam Bunch, Hubbard said that there was still a possibility that some decorative street lights could be incorporated into the project design.

Hubbard said city officials still have time to review this matter, as the new street lighting will not be installed until 2008.

In other business at Monday night's session, city council members:

•Learned that the mayor and Johnson, the councilman in charge of the city parks, had been invited to attend the annual Jay County Soil and Water Conservation District dinner meeting on Feb. 28 where the city would be recognized for its tree planting efforts at Dunkirk City Park.

The city has planted approximately 350 new trees at the park.

•Heard a report from Hubbard that Dunkirk police officer Robert Johnson started work as part-time public health and safety officer on Feb. 1, only to resign from that position on Feb. 6. Hubbard said that the city is continuing to look for a new health and safety officer.

•Approved several appointments to the Dunkirk Foundation Board of Directors, including Brenda Brumfield to a five-year term, Oma Scruggs to a four-year term, and Aloma Whitesell to a two-year term.

•Noted that the Dunkirk Park Board had re-elected John Hoover as its president. Other officers include Tony Franklin, vice president; and Teresa Paquette, secretary.

•Approved a payment of $4,865 to Bill Tressler Backhoe and Trenching of Redkey for a sewer and water line repair project in the area between city hall and Second Chance Bar and Grill. The bar also paid for a portion of the work which among other things corrected a long-standing sewer line problem. Hubbard explained that Tressler was hired because he had the necessary equipment including a smaller than normal backhoe which provided access to the limited amount of space where the work needed to be done.[[In-content Ad]]