Sewer deal approved by Dunkirk

DUNKIRK — Council members unanimously approved an agreement with the Jay County Regional Sewer District Monday night, starting the process of hooking up the Skeens Addition and Willow Drive areas to the city’s wastewater treatment plant.
The 24-page agreement was signed following the meeting, as requested by regional sewer district board president Gerald Kirby at a Dec. 13 city council session.
The project will eliminate the need for individual septic fields in the areas, linking the Skeens Addition, north of Dunkirk, and the Willow Drive area, south of Dunkirk, to the city’s wastewater treatment plant facilities.
The agreement calls for connection fees, totaling $750, for three connections to city sewer lines. Affected residents will be billed for wastewater treatment costs through the regional sewer district, which will then pay a monthly fee to the city for sewage treatment.
The agreements with Dunkirk are two-thirds of those needed for construction to begin. An agreement with Portland for a project southwest of that city has been held up by a demand that each individual home or business included in the project pay $500 or more in tap fees to the city.
After agreement is reached on that issue, final details on financing must be approved by United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development office before the project can proceed.
In other business at Monday night’s meeting, council members:
•Set a special session for year-end business and fund transfers for Thursday at 3:30 p.m. in city hall.
Dunkirk clerk-treasurer Jane Kesler said that also on the agenda for that meeting will be discussion about the status of the Dunkirk City Park caretaker’s house currently occupied by the family of Charles “Butch” Parfitt.
Mayor Ron Hunt authorized the Parfitt family to move into that house after an early morning fire forced them to leave their former home at 1005 S. Main St., Dunkirk. The park caretaker’s position, a post formerly held by Parfitt, is currently vacant and has been since late summer.
•Appointed Dunkirk resident Doug Miskinis to serve on the West Jay Community Center board of directors.
•Listened to a presentation from city water and street department superintendent Howard Fisher about the possibility of purchasing some used radio-read water meters from Utility Supply Company for $75 each with a minimum purchase of 100. The normal cost for a new unit is $190, Kesler said. With these devices, water meters buried under as much as one foot of snow could be read, Kesler explained. At Monday’s meeting, council members said they wanted to study the matter further, and no action was taken, Kesler said.
•Considered the idea of purchasing a small tractor to clear sidewalks along Main Street in order for Westlawn and West Jay Middle School students to be able to walk to school. Kesler said the machine could also be utilized to clear other streets in the downtown area. Following a long discussion, this matter was eventually tabled for further review, Kesler said.
•Set Jan. 10 as the next date to start reading water meters in the city. 
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