July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Geneva puts off purchase (11/15/06)
Geneva Town Council
By By MARY ANN LEWIS-
GENEVA - After discussing the purchase of a monitoring system for the town's wastewater lift stations for more than an hour Tuesday night, council members decided they still needed more information.
The proposed purchase of such a system was first taken to the council in October by sewage plant superintendent Jason Wilkie, and during Tuesday night's meeting, Kevin Stock, president of SCADATA of Fort Wayne, explained to the council how the system worked.
Wilkie had earlier asked the council about purchasing the system for the town's 15 lift stations that would allow the equipment to be monitored for problems.
"With a monitor ... we can fix it before it fails," he said. "We get advanced warning of potential problems."
Additionally, he said, it would save man hours and fuel as each station has to be checked daily by a department worker.
The $45,000 purchase price, not including installation, concerned council members after town manager Steve Hampshire explained that a recent inspection by Indiana Department of Environmental Management found several minor violations in the town's sewage system that would soon need attention.
"I don't know how much it will cost to fix those problems," Hampshire explained to council members Lew Wingler, Mike Schwartz, and Jim Timmons.
The purchase of the monitoring system would take up a major portion of the sewage treatment plant's budget, town clerk treasurer, Doug Milligan, pointed out.
"I'd like to see us buy it. I think it would be a good thing," Hampshire said about the purchase. "I just want to make sure we have the money to do what we have to do. IDEM has mandated some stuff so I'd like to look at the overall picture of what we need."
Hampshire said he hoped to have some figures from IDEM in 45 days and council members decided to wait until they saw those figures before approving the purchase of the monitoring system.
Council told Wilkie and Stock they would make a decision at the Dec. 5 meeting.
Additionally Tuesday night the council entered into a contract with Julie Myers to rent a town-owned annex building on High Street next to the Geneva Public Library.
Myers is owner/president of Advanced Collection Services, Inc., courthouse research specialists, and had approached the council in August about using the building as she was moving her office from Bluffton to Geneva.
Milligan explained Tuesday night that the lease process had been properly advertised and there were no other responses.
"It's great to have another business in town," he told Myers.
Additionally Milligan told the council that an application for a Community Development Block Grant planning grant for the remodeling of the fire department has not yet been submitted to the state.
The project is proposed to enlarge and update the facilities on Line Street.
Milligan said there had been "some hang-ups," but that he expected those to be corrected and the application submitted by the Dec. 1 deadline.
"We should know if we get the grant within 30 days," he said.
He also said a recent power surge at the town hall caused several pieces of computer equipment to be damaged and is expected to cost $3,026 to repair or replace that equipment. Of that amount, he said, insurance has paid $2,700 so far, and council approved his request to send that check to Only Internet for their service.
Council also approved a resolution supporting efforts to designate U.S. 27 as a historical highway.
Milligan explained he had attended a meeting recently and those seeking the designation are asking communities along the highway, that extends from northern Michigan to south Florida, to support those efforts.
"They don't want any money," he said, "just our support."
Also council approved an ordinance authorizing four-way stops at Winchester Road and Harrison Street and at Harrison and Clark streets.
Marshal Rob Johnson informed council in October that although the signs were in place, the council had never adopted an ordinance to enforce the statute and if he made stops there, they could be contested.[[In-content Ad]]
The proposed purchase of such a system was first taken to the council in October by sewage plant superintendent Jason Wilkie, and during Tuesday night's meeting, Kevin Stock, president of SCADATA of Fort Wayne, explained to the council how the system worked.
Wilkie had earlier asked the council about purchasing the system for the town's 15 lift stations that would allow the equipment to be monitored for problems.
"With a monitor ... we can fix it before it fails," he said. "We get advanced warning of potential problems."
Additionally, he said, it would save man hours and fuel as each station has to be checked daily by a department worker.
The $45,000 purchase price, not including installation, concerned council members after town manager Steve Hampshire explained that a recent inspection by Indiana Department of Environmental Management found several minor violations in the town's sewage system that would soon need attention.
"I don't know how much it will cost to fix those problems," Hampshire explained to council members Lew Wingler, Mike Schwartz, and Jim Timmons.
The purchase of the monitoring system would take up a major portion of the sewage treatment plant's budget, town clerk treasurer, Doug Milligan, pointed out.
"I'd like to see us buy it. I think it would be a good thing," Hampshire said about the purchase. "I just want to make sure we have the money to do what we have to do. IDEM has mandated some stuff so I'd like to look at the overall picture of what we need."
Hampshire said he hoped to have some figures from IDEM in 45 days and council members decided to wait until they saw those figures before approving the purchase of the monitoring system.
Council told Wilkie and Stock they would make a decision at the Dec. 5 meeting.
Additionally Tuesday night the council entered into a contract with Julie Myers to rent a town-owned annex building on High Street next to the Geneva Public Library.
Myers is owner/president of Advanced Collection Services, Inc., courthouse research specialists, and had approached the council in August about using the building as she was moving her office from Bluffton to Geneva.
Milligan explained Tuesday night that the lease process had been properly advertised and there were no other responses.
"It's great to have another business in town," he told Myers.
Additionally Milligan told the council that an application for a Community Development Block Grant planning grant for the remodeling of the fire department has not yet been submitted to the state.
The project is proposed to enlarge and update the facilities on Line Street.
Milligan said there had been "some hang-ups," but that he expected those to be corrected and the application submitted by the Dec. 1 deadline.
"We should know if we get the grant within 30 days," he said.
He also said a recent power surge at the town hall caused several pieces of computer equipment to be damaged and is expected to cost $3,026 to repair or replace that equipment. Of that amount, he said, insurance has paid $2,700 so far, and council approved his request to send that check to Only Internet for their service.
Council also approved a resolution supporting efforts to designate U.S. 27 as a historical highway.
Milligan explained he had attended a meeting recently and those seeking the designation are asking communities along the highway, that extends from northern Michigan to south Florida, to support those efforts.
"They don't want any money," he said, "just our support."
Also council approved an ordinance authorizing four-way stops at Winchester Road and Harrison Street and at Harrison and Clark streets.
Marshal Rob Johnson informed council in October that although the signs were in place, the council had never adopted an ordinance to enforce the statute and if he made stops there, they could be contested.[[In-content Ad]]
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