Hubbard gets early start (12/9/03)

DUNKIRK — Mayor-elect Sam Hubbard will not officially take office until Jan. 1, but Monday evening he received an unofficial tour of city hall, including the moisture-plagued basement, from Mayor Tom Johnson.

Johnson and city clerk-treasurer Jane Kesler reported that work started recently to correct the high humidity problems at city hall which have resulted in the growth of mold and mildew downstairs as well as peeling paint and cracks in the plaster upstairs.

Last month, the council unanimously approved a contract for $12,420 with Everdry Waterproofing of Fort Wayne to install a ventilation system and perform other work, which is designed to waterproof the basement.

Also at Monday’s city council meeting, Hubbard asked about the timetable for demolishing the two dilapidated buildings at 105 and 107 Lincoln Ave. These are the structures to the west of the site where the old police station collapsed last summer.

Johnson and other city officials responded that a contract for the demolition work had been awarded last month to LPI Paving, Excavating and Concrete of Portland. Kesler said LPI is currently working on the construction of a new Pak-A-Sak convenience store in Redkey. She said that she would call the company about starting on the city’s project as soon as possible.

Also Kesler reported that a previously approved estimate for back taxes on the two structures, which had been owned by Pennville resident William Landers, was too low. She said the correct amount was $416. Council members unanimously approved paying that amount to cover the cost of acquiring the land.

In other action at Monday’s meeting, council members:

•Approved a contract with Virgil Taylor Construction of Dunkirk to build a 40-foot by 40-foot garage-pole barn at the wastewater treatment plant. This building will be used to store city equipment. Taylor submitted a low bid of $39,524. The council received one other bid, which totaled $48,400, on the project.

•Noted that the Dunkirk Park Board meeting had been changed to 5:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 16 at city hall.

•Agreed to contribute $6,500 a year for the next three years to Jay County Development Corporation.

•Approved a request by city employees to have the Friday after Christmas as a day off, rather than Christmas Eve this year. Normally they would have Wednesday, Dec. 24, and Christmas Day, Dec. 25, as holidays. However, city employees said they would rather have Dec. 26 as their holiday this year, since it fell on a Friday. City council members approved the request.[[In-content Ad]]