Speed limits rising?

Portland City Council members voted unanimously Monday to begin the process of increasing speed limits of three streets in the city.

Portland Police Chief Robert Sours recommended the city increase speed limits to 40 mph from 30 mph on Morton Street, from the entrance to the fairgrounds near the 4-H Building to county road 100 North, and Industrial Park Drive, from Franklin Street to Votaw Street. He also suggested the speed limit on county road 100 North, from Morton Street to Meridian jump to 45 mph from 30 mph.

“The speed limit is 35 mph in front of Dairy Queen but it’s 30 out in the middle of nowhere,” Sours told city council members at Monday’s meeting.

Portland Mayor Bruce Hosier said he believes the speed increases are a good idea because they will add convenience for drivers in Portland.

Sours conducted a speed study for 48 to 72 hours on each of the three roads. He said he came up with the speed limits he recommends, based on the speeds that 85 percent of the drivers drove.

An ordinance will be drawn for the speed limit alterations, then voted on at the Monday May 17 meeting.

In other business, Sours asked the board to approve an ordinance concerning pay for reserve police officer positions.

Sours told council members he is having trouble filling night shift positions, due to various police officers having time off.

He suggested that some of the reserve police officers be used to fill in the night positions, only when needed.

Sours would like to pay reserve officers $9.50 per hour when they are scheduled to work a night shift, instead of the minimum wage that they would normally get paid.

Sours believes this would help save the police department money because he wouldn’t have to pay a regular officer time-and-a-half of overtime, which would be about $21 per hour.

The council agreed with Sours and approved the ordinance.

In other business, council members approved a revised ordinance with Insight Communications.

According to the president of Municipal Service Associates Inc. Stuart Chapman, the updated ordinance will set standards for cable company employees in regards to customer service, repairing property, construction, code compliance and working in public streets. The ordinance will also determine fees and quality of the cable television.

Chapman said that while preparing to make revisions, he worked with the city officials to find out what Insight Communications customers’ concerns were. The ordinance will last for 10 years.

City attorney Bill Hinkle added, “I’m comfortable with the ordinance. It protects the city and should be adopted.”

Chapman said the new franchise agreement with Insight was still being reviewed by the cable company and he hoped to have the agreement ready for the council to vote on within a few weeks.

Council members also agreed to a 10 percent match required for a Weiler Building planning grant. The building is expected to be the new home for the John Jay Center for Learning. The Indiana Department of Commerce Planning Grant being requested for the building is for a total of $53,000. The match by the City of Portland will be $5,300.

Doug Inman, who is executive director of The Portland Foundation and president of the JJCL, said this morning he hopes to have the grant by late July. After receiving this grant, he plans to apply for a $500,000 Indiana Department of Commerce Community Focus Fund grant. Inman said he would like construction on the Weiler building to begin in the spring of 2005.

“When construction will begin, really is dictated by the grant process,” he said.

On Tuesday, May 25 at 6 p.m. a public hearing is set for the planning grant for the Weiler building. It will be held in the meeting room at the Portland Fire Station.

Also Monday, council members:

•Approved a request by a Portland resident restaurant to increase the size of its parking lot.

Bill Davis, the owner of Limestone Products Inc., which will be doing the modification of the lot at Ponderosa Steak house, 1002 N. Meridian St., discussed the request with the council Monday.

Ponderosa would like to increase the lot to the north along Rogers Street, Davis said. He said remodeling plans call for an expansion to the east, eliminating some existing parking

•Accepted a donation of Hy-Line North American LLC property to the city.

The market value of the former hatchery is $340,000 and contains 2.125 acres, located at 509 S. Wayne St. The property is located on along the west side of The Hudson Family Park, which is currently under development.

•Agreed to provide sewer and possibly water utilities to Habitat for Humanity of Jay County for a habitat house set to be built at 517 S. Vine St. President of the organization Jeb Bubp, said this will be the fourth habitat house built in Portland.

•Approved forwarding a request for a five-year tax abatement on equipment made by Qualtech Tool and Engineering to the city’s tax abatement advisory committee.

The company plans to add new equipment valued at $225,000, adding one job, Robert Quadrozzi, executive director of Jay County Development Corporation, said Monday.

•Heard Hosier give dates for upcoming events in Portland including an open house at city hall on Monday, May 17, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 6 p.m. Residents are invited to city hall to see improvements made on the building. A council meeting will follow at 7 p.m., in the meeting room at the Portland Fire Station.

A community cookout will be held behind city hall on Tuesday, May 18, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., in honor of Municipal Government Week. The public is invited to attend, free of charge, to meet elected city officials. The event will be catered by Tom and Rod’s Steak house.

•Heard the mayor encourage residents of Portland to contact him or the city building if they have complaints about junk vehicles on property.[[In-content Ad]]