Hearing set for Dunkirk water rates (05/15/07)

DUNKIRK - A hearing will be held May 29 on a proposal to "flip-flop" water and sewer rates here to generate more income for the city's financially troubled water department.

City council members voted 4-1 Monday to proceed with the plan, proposed by Mayor Sam Hubbard, to increase water department revenues by switching the rates charged by the water and sewer departments on customer bills to increase the amount for the water department and decrease the figure for the sewer department.

The hearing on Tuesday, May 29, will begin at 4:30 p.m. in city hall.

Hubbard said the water department budget is struggling to remain afloat, while the wastewater department budget has a surplus. Hubbard has said his bill at his residence shows $12 going to the water department and $18 going to the wastewater department.

Council members requested the Indianapolis accounting firm of H. J. Umbaugh review the idea several weeks ago, and Hubbard said he received a copy of the company's report, favoring the move, on Monday.

At Monday night's council session, Hubbard summarized the Indianapolis accounting firm's report and let other city officials look at the document just prior to the vote.

While the council majority favored the move, councilman James Doughty said he was casting a negative vote because he had not had an opportunity to read and study the full report thoroughly.

Next step in the process calls for city attorney William Hinkle to prepare a formal ordinance and the council members to hold the public hearing.

Hubbard noted that the water department needs the extra income as soon as possible, pointing out that in recent weeks one of the city's three wells had to be temporarily shut down while a pump was replaced and the well shaft was cleaned.

Altogether this work by Peerless Midwest of Westchester will cost approximately $26,000, Hubbard said, adding that the city will have to make payments to cover this unbudgeted expense.

In other business at Monday's meeting, council members:

•Agreed to change the date of the next regular city council meeting from May 28, Memorial Day, to Tuesday, May 29, at 5 p.m. in city hall.

•Approved the promotion of street department laborer Stacy Fisher to assistant street department superintendent on a full-time basis.

•Noted that the tentative date for the opening of the city pool is June 4. City resident Harriett Weekley will once again be serving as pool manager.

•Approved a motion to spend $650 for an archaeological study in connection with a grant application for construction of a combined city fire station and JEMS facility in the Dunkirk Industrial Park. This was recommended by Jay County community developer Amy Huffman.[[In-content Ad]]DUNKIRK - While the future of the depot building remains undecided, city council members here agreed Monday to continue discussing uses for the structure and ways to obtain grant funds.

Following a lengthy review of the issue at Monday's Dunkirk council session, Mayor Sam Hubbard asked councilman Tom Johnson to contact the Jay County Historical Society about how to utilize the former Pennsylvania Railroad depot building on West Lincoln Avenue and see if any grant funds might be available to help with the project.

At this point the city is still not ready to sign a proposed $1 a year lease with the Dunkirk Industrial Development Corporation to take over control of the historic building, Hubbard said.

Monday night's update on the status of the depot building started with Johnson introducing several members of a volunteer committee which he organized to study the issue, and then presenting several recommendations from that committee.

This is the same advisory committee which was a topic of controversy at the last council meeting when city resident Ailesia Franklin read a long statement, criticizing the group for not including herself and other Dunkirk Improvement Committee members.

At the time Johnson said he wanted fresh perspectives on the issue.

On Monday Johnson identified the members of the depot advisory committee as Bob Countryman, Gay Ann Rife, Aloma Whitesell, Kathy Wells, Bill Winks, Jack Robbins, Marion Stineman and Julie DiBattiste. Also present at the committee's single meeting were Johnson, Jay County Community Developer Amy Huffman, DIDC representative Chuck Huffman and Dunkirk Park Board member John Hoover.

Committee suggestions included:

•Having the city approve a two-year lease on the building to allow for time to try for grants to make major repairs.

•Making the building a historical museum and forming a Dunkirk historical society.

•Leaving the building empty with no functions to be conducted there until a definite plan is in place.

•Shutting off all the utilities temporarily to save money.

•Having the city keep the grounds mowed and cleaned.

Rife, Countryman and Whitesell were at Monday's council session.

"I think we had a good committee representing various backgrounds. I think we made a fair assessment and logical solutions," Whitesell said.

Hubbard said he considers the depot "a very valuable asset for the city," while pointing out that from the beginning he thought it would require three to five years to develop workable solutions for the building's future use.

Council members said the city lacks funds to develop the depot building.

"Right now we couldn't buy a refrigerator for that building," councilman Larry Smith said.

Whitesell said the committee was only proposing spending $2 for a two-year lease arrangement to maintain city control over the building until a specific plan could be formulated.

Dunkirk Improvement Committee member Pam Bunch added that this was basically the same idea which she had proposed several weeks ago.

Bunch suggested that the city apply for a Portland Foundation grant to help fund improvements to the building.

Countryman said the committee members were not briefed on all the legal details, but "we're dealing with a lot of imponderables."