Golf cart ordinance OK'ed in Dunkirk

DUNKIRK - An ordinance to allow golf carts on city streets received a unanimous okay from council members here Monday night.

Dunkirk city attorney Bill Hinkle explained that since the last meeting he had revised the original proposal to eliminate reference to all city streets including designated truck routes. However, according to the revised ordinance, golf carts will still not be allowed to be driven on Ind. 167, Main Street, which is a state highway. However the ordinance does allow golf carts to cross Ind. 167 at intersections.

The ordinance also specifies that operators must be 16 years of age or older and have a valid driver's license.

Council members had previously been considering a golf cart ordinance proposal which would have made it illegal to drive the carts on Ind. 167 (Main Street) as well as several heavily traveled city streets such as West Pleasant Street, South Angle Street, Highland Avenue and Haskell Road. These are all streets used by semi-trucks - especially Haskell Road near the Saint-Gobain Containers plant. However, those latter restrictions have been eliminated.

The ordinance does require that city and state traffic laws be obeyed, and a slow moving vehicle sign displayed on the back of each cart.

A lengthy discussion on the issue was held at the previous council meeting, but only a few brief comments were made at Monday night's session.

On another topic, councilman Chuck Rife raised several questions and concerns about the police department's plans to have a canine unit. He questioned if the city could afford such a service in light of other needs and limited resources.

Rife explained that after reviewing a summary of excerpts from a Feb. 5 special council session before he had been appointed to serve on the council, he wanted to ask Mayor Ron Hunt several questions about the issue. City clerk-treasurer Jane Kesler had prepared the summary at the request of council members. She distributed it earlier in the day on Monday, but Rife was the only council member who was prepared to discuss it on Monday night.

Acknowledging that there was an illegal drug problem in the city, Rife questioned if having a trained dog was the most cost-effective way to deal with it.

Also Rife asked the mayor if the city had received any assurances that annual donations would continue to support the dog once the canine unit was formed. Hunt said that as far as he knew this would be the case.

Responding to other questions from Rife, Hunt said that the dog would be used to investigate suspicious persons and cars following traffic stops.

Rife questioned if the canine officer would receive extra salary compensation for his services, and whether the assignment had been offered to all city police officers and not just Patrolman Bobby Johnson, the mayor's son-in-law.

"Bobby was the only one that stepped up," Hunt responded.

"I can't see why we'd take on a new financial burden at this time," Rife said.

In other business Monday night, council members:

•Listened to Dunkirk resident Pam Bunch question the need to hire an outsider to be the city's new water department superintendent. She said that instead of advertising for a new person, the city should save money and promote from within the department, possibly re-instating Dace Mumbower as department superintendent.

She added, "If you don't want Dace Mumbower in there, then train another employee." She questioned if the city could afford hiring a new employee for the post. Currently, street department superintendent Howard Fisher is serving as temporary water department superintendent.

•Approved the lower of two quotes for improvements at the city dog pound and kennel. Council members unanimously agreed to hire Virgil Taylor Construction to make the improvements which will include window replacements at a cost of $3,500.

•Heard a report from councilman Eric Bowler that he will soon be starting the process of interviewing applicants for the positions of animal control officer and health and safety officer.

•Listened to a report from Bowler about pigeon problems in the downtown area. Bowler said that he had contacted a private company and received a quote for pigeon removal of $10 per bird or $400 a week. Bowler said the number of pigeons in the downtown area represented a health hazard.

•Learned that some major repair work was needed for the city wastewater treatment plant. Rife said that some of the major pieces of equipment were not operating properly and he would try to get some cost estimates for repairing or replacing them.

•Heard a report from Jay County community development director Ami Huffman about the need to work closely with U.S. Census Bureau officials and get as accurate a count as possible about how many residents were living in the area. The next census is scheduled for 2010, she said.

•Listened to councilman Eric Bowler ask that trash containers be placed back in the downtown area, now that the Ind. 167 street and sidewalk renovations have been completed.

•Noted that the next Dunkirk Park Board meeting was scheduled for the evening before Thanksgiving, and consequently it would be moved ahead one week to 5:45 p.m. next Wednesday, Nov. 18, in city hall.

•Heard a request from Pearl Street resident Bob Willoughby that parking restrictions along his street should be re-evaluated. Mayor Hunt said he and the police department would look into the situation.[[In-content Ad]]