Geneva drainage project nearing completion (11/02/05)

GENEVA — Residents along Winchester Street here can sigh a bit of relief as a major drainage project draws to a close.

Council members here Tuesday night heard project manager, Mark Sullivan, of Commonwealth Edison, say paving of the fourth-month project should begin today and “weather permitting, should be completed next week. Everything looks real good.”

Work on the project began in early July and was possible with the help of a $485,000 Community Focus Fund Grant through the state of Indiana.

The town’s financial share of the project was $136,000.

The council also approved a 10-day extension to Crosby Excavating of Fort Wayne on the project after a recommendation by Sullivan.

Noting “factors beyond our control,” including discovering abandoned gas tanks along the street, Sullivan said Tuesday evening that work would not be done by the end of the day, as called for in the contract.

The council also approved paying a claim of $168,688.86 to Crosby, which “leaves $102,532.60 yet to be paid,” Sullivan said.

The sidewalks are complete, Sullivan added, and seeding of the grassy areas will be completed in the spring.

With the street’s completion, residents are concerned about the speed limits on the street, located on the west side of town.

Councilmen Jim Timmons, Mike Schwartz, and Lew Wingler agreed to look at the situation and see what should be done.

The speed limit is currently set at 30 mph and some residents think it should be lowered.

Also Tuesday night council members talked about the town’s cable franchise renewal with Tom Shevlot, district vice president of Insight Communications.

The town has not yet renewed its 10-year contract with Insight, which was due Oct. 9, because of several questions the council has with Insight’s payment to the town of five percent of the gross revenue. The contract has been mutually extended to April 9 to address the council’s questions.

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“Your question is ‘what is gross revenue’,” Shevlot said, “and how do we structure this to capture the next 10 years? We need input from you on where we need to look at it. I need some guidance on what you would like me to go back and look at.”

“We want five percent of everything,” Schwartz told Shevlot, “now, you tell us what we can have.”

In other matters Tuesday night the council heard other street concerns from residents, including making Harrison Street a one-way street westbound from U.S. 27. Harrison Street is located just north of South Adams Middle School.

“It’s like a race track down there,” resident Fred Davidson said.

The council agreed to take the suggestion under advisement as well as another about limiting parking along Short Street to one side.

Town clerk-treasurer Doug Milligan told the council that a rate study on water rates is nearly complete and work on the storm sewer utility rate is still in progress.

“I should have a recommendation at the Dec. 6 (council) meeting,” he said, “and after the legal ad and a public hearing, we should have something ready by Jan. 3. We should be able to raise rates effective with the Feb. 10 billing or as late as the March 10 billing.”

In other business Tuesday night:

•Town marshal Rob Johnson issued a warning to residents with junk cars.

Johnson said violators would be sent a letter indicating they have two weeks to remove the vehicle. If that does not happen it will be tagged and residents will have 72 hours to dispose of it. After that the vehicle will be towed.

“This is considered a warning,” he said, adding “there are two dozen, easy” abandoned vehicles that need removed.

•Residents were reminded that fire hydrants will be flushed Nov. 14 through 18, and a discoloration of the water may be noticed.[[In-content Ad]]