July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Redkey bike, walking path eyed (5/13/05)
Council hears proposals
By By Robert Banser-
REDKEY — A bicycle and walking path between the downtown area and Redkey Elementary School, complete with trees, benches and picnic tables, may soon replace an area where semi-truck trailers were routinely parked for long periods of time only about a year ago.
Redkey Town Council members heard about plans for this project Thursday night during a presentation by four civil engineering students from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute. At the urging of town officials and Redkey consulting engineer Chad Ducey, a graduate of Rose-Hulman himself, the students undertook the feasibility study for the bicycle path and trail as a class project as part of their freshman engineering design course. The town did not have to pay any fee for the students’ work.
The students began work on the project about two months ago, and plan to present a written report, complete with suggestions for grant opportunities, when their current grading period concludes in about a week.
The area in question was recently acquired by the town from the Norfolk Southern Railway which previously needed it for right-of-way purposes. Town council president Violet Erlenbush said Thursday night that cleaning up that area and creating a safe pathway for children and adults to go from the downtown area to the elementary school has long been one of her goals as a town official.
Rose-Hulman students Sean Jessup, Justin Jent, Erin Locke and Katie Benner presented their report on the Redkey trail improvement project, using a series of slides and other visual aids.
A 15-foot in diameter gazebo as well as a decorative water fountain could also be included in the project, the students said.
Overall cost of the entire project including labor was estimated at about $50,000 by the students. However, if some of the labor was donated by volunteers, that figure could be reduced substantially, possibly to less than $39,000. The students said that their final report would also mention possible grants available for this type of project.
Erlenbush complimented the students, saying she thought this was a good plan and Redkey definitely needed a project like this to help beautify the town. Regarding the cost figure, she said, “Some people pay $38,000 for a pick-up truck,” pointing out that this project would benefit the entire community and future generations.
Ducey also complimented the students, saying: “They have done a great job.
“They really did their homework on this, and it’s something the town can use,” said Ducey of Werks Management LLC, Fishers.
In other business at Thursday night’s meeting, council members:
•Heard reports from Ducey and Indiana Department of Environmental Management representative David Denman about progress being made to implement the town’s agreed order with IDEM to correct combined sewer overflow problems which have plagued the community for many years. The town has approximately 120 days to make some significant progress on correcting this situation, according to the IDEM agreed order.
As part of the IDEM requirements, a citizens advisory group needs to be formed, Denman said.
•Noted that the July 4th fireworks display fund had about $950 left over from last year when bad weather cut the festivities short. Redkey Fire Chief Randy Young said that the approximate cost of this year’s event would be $3,500, so about $2,500 needed to be raised.
•Agreed to take $1,200 from the town’s building fund to put together with a $5,000 grant from the United Way of Jay County Inc. for construction of a new addition to the Redkey Park Cabin.
•Eliminated the summer sprinkling sewer rate discount for Redkey water users as a way to prevent an overall water and sewer rate increase in the community. Erlenbush said she thought this would be a better alternative, as many nearby towns do not have such summer sprinkling discounts.
•Continued discussion of several pending ordinances including ones on abandoned vehicles and the formation of a planning commission for the community. Seven citizens will be needed to serve as members of the planning commission, and no more than four can be from one political party, attorney Leslie Horn, who was filling in for town attorney John Brooke, said. Town officials added that volunteers are being sought to fill these positions.
•Approved the appointment of Bert Quakenbush to serve on the Redkey Economic Development Committee.
•Set the townwide clean-up date for Saturday, June 4. BestWay Disposal Company will be making extra pick ups on that day, clerk-treasurer Brenda Adkins said.
•Discussed the need for hiring a dog catcher for the town. Erlenbush said town officials have been “dancing around” this issue long enough.
“We’re going to have to address this,” she said, adding that the topic of finding a new dog catcher will be on the agenda for the next council session on Monday, June 20. “We’ve got to get a dog catcher,” Erlenbush said.[[In-content Ad]]
Redkey Town Council members heard about plans for this project Thursday night during a presentation by four civil engineering students from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute. At the urging of town officials and Redkey consulting engineer Chad Ducey, a graduate of Rose-Hulman himself, the students undertook the feasibility study for the bicycle path and trail as a class project as part of their freshman engineering design course. The town did not have to pay any fee for the students’ work.
The students began work on the project about two months ago, and plan to present a written report, complete with suggestions for grant opportunities, when their current grading period concludes in about a week.
The area in question was recently acquired by the town from the Norfolk Southern Railway which previously needed it for right-of-way purposes. Town council president Violet Erlenbush said Thursday night that cleaning up that area and creating a safe pathway for children and adults to go from the downtown area to the elementary school has long been one of her goals as a town official.
Rose-Hulman students Sean Jessup, Justin Jent, Erin Locke and Katie Benner presented their report on the Redkey trail improvement project, using a series of slides and other visual aids.
A 15-foot in diameter gazebo as well as a decorative water fountain could also be included in the project, the students said.
Overall cost of the entire project including labor was estimated at about $50,000 by the students. However, if some of the labor was donated by volunteers, that figure could be reduced substantially, possibly to less than $39,000. The students said that their final report would also mention possible grants available for this type of project.
Erlenbush complimented the students, saying she thought this was a good plan and Redkey definitely needed a project like this to help beautify the town. Regarding the cost figure, she said, “Some people pay $38,000 for a pick-up truck,” pointing out that this project would benefit the entire community and future generations.
Ducey also complimented the students, saying: “They have done a great job.
“They really did their homework on this, and it’s something the town can use,” said Ducey of Werks Management LLC, Fishers.
In other business at Thursday night’s meeting, council members:
•Heard reports from Ducey and Indiana Department of Environmental Management representative David Denman about progress being made to implement the town’s agreed order with IDEM to correct combined sewer overflow problems which have plagued the community for many years. The town has approximately 120 days to make some significant progress on correcting this situation, according to the IDEM agreed order.
As part of the IDEM requirements, a citizens advisory group needs to be formed, Denman said.
•Noted that the July 4th fireworks display fund had about $950 left over from last year when bad weather cut the festivities short. Redkey Fire Chief Randy Young said that the approximate cost of this year’s event would be $3,500, so about $2,500 needed to be raised.
•Agreed to take $1,200 from the town’s building fund to put together with a $5,000 grant from the United Way of Jay County Inc. for construction of a new addition to the Redkey Park Cabin.
•Eliminated the summer sprinkling sewer rate discount for Redkey water users as a way to prevent an overall water and sewer rate increase in the community. Erlenbush said she thought this would be a better alternative, as many nearby towns do not have such summer sprinkling discounts.
•Continued discussion of several pending ordinances including ones on abandoned vehicles and the formation of a planning commission for the community. Seven citizens will be needed to serve as members of the planning commission, and no more than four can be from one political party, attorney Leslie Horn, who was filling in for town attorney John Brooke, said. Town officials added that volunteers are being sought to fill these positions.
•Approved the appointment of Bert Quakenbush to serve on the Redkey Economic Development Committee.
•Set the townwide clean-up date for Saturday, June 4. BestWay Disposal Company will be making extra pick ups on that day, clerk-treasurer Brenda Adkins said.
•Discussed the need for hiring a dog catcher for the town. Erlenbush said town officials have been “dancing around” this issue long enough.
“We’re going to have to address this,” she said, adding that the topic of finding a new dog catcher will be on the agenda for the next council session on Monday, June 20. “We’ve got to get a dog catcher,” Erlenbush said.[[In-content Ad]]
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