Geneva buys equipment (3/3/04)

GENEVA — The purchase of two vehicles with a total cost of more than $65,000 was approved Tuesday by members of the town council here.

Councilmen Mike Schwartz, Jim Timmons and Lew Wingler approved the purchase of a used street sweeper at a cost of $35,000 from Brown Equipment of Fort Wayne and a one-ton pick-up truck for $30,450 from Ken Kunkle Chevrolet of Portland.

The 1996 street sweeper will replace the town’s current 1986 model sweeper, town manager Steve Hampshire said.

The bid for the 2004 Chevrolet truck with a snow plow from Ken Kunkle was the low bid submitted to the town. This truck will replace an older vehicle used by the town’s street department.

Bids also were submitted by Courtesy Motors of Decatur, which submitted two bids, and Moser Ford of Berne.

Town clerk-treasurer Doug Milligan said that funds were budgeted for the purchases.

Also Tuesday, council members voted to create an eighth reserve police officer position for a former police reserve officer who recently returned to Geneva after his military service in Iraq.

Milligan said this morning that no change to the town’s ordinance will be required after town officials found that the ordinance already allowed eight reserve positions.

Seven of the eight reserve positions are currently filled.

In other business, the council approved the purchase and installation of a server to network the clerk-treasurer, deputy clerk-treasurer, town manager and police department’s computers.

“It has been my hope since I came here to get a server so our computers can be networked,” Milligan said.

The cost of the server and installation from Only Internet of Bluffton totaled $2,683.

Also Tuesday, council members:

•Continued discussions with Geneva town marshal Rob Johnson on the town’s police officers being prohibited from using their shooting range, located at the town’s waste water treatment plant.

Timmons said that he plans to contact the town’s insurance carrier, Downey Insurance in Kokomo, which, according to Johnson drafted a letter prohibiting use of the range.

•Approved the purchase of a $2,000 copier for the town from Progressive Office Products of Portland.

The copier previously used in the town hall will be given to the Geneva Fire Department.

•Voted that the town will pay 75 percent of the monthly utility bills for the G.W. Pyle Building and Geneva Proud will pay the remaining 25 percent. The town uses the entire first floor of the building, and Geneva Proud uses and maintains the second floor community room and kitchen areas.

Geneva Proud also will re-pay the town for utility costs in January and February.

•Heard Johnson report that officials from both the Jay County Sheriff’s Department and Decatur Police Department’s K-9 programs will be at the town hall this morning to receive their $200 donations from the Geneva Police Department and reserves.

Jay County is currently raising funds to purchase a $695 stab- and bullet-proof vest for its the department’s K-9, Billy.

•Approved a request to hold the town’s clean-up day on Saturday, May 22, from 8 a.m. to noon. Dumpsters will be set up on the south end of Hale Street so that residents can dispose of some unwanted items.

•Invited town residents to attend a public hearing on Tuesday, March 16, at 6:30 p.m. on the second floor of the Pyle Building.

As part of the application process for an Indiana Department of Commerce grant, a public hearing is required on the $600,000 reconstruction project, which is designed to alleviate drainage problems for residents living on Winchester Road.[[In-content Ad]]