Street effort moves ahead (03/13/07)

DUNKIRK - Plans for major highway improvements along Ind. 167 (Main Street) through this community are continuing to move forward.

At Monday night's council meeting Mayor Sam Hubbard announced that the city will be advertising for bids on a related water main relocation project over the next two weeks.

Opening of bids is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 28, at city hall, Hubbard said. He added that plans and specifications may be examined either at the Dunkirk city hall or the offices of city's consulting engineers on the project, Commonwealth Engineers Inc. of Indianapolis. Estimated cost for this phase of the project is $800,000.

Hubbard said that he had received a letter from the Indiana Department of Transportation, Greenfield District, stating that specifications for the street resurfacing portion of the work should be ready by June 15 of this year, with a bid opening to be scheduled about three months later.

The INDOT letter also stated that those dates "are subject to change in accordance with the availability of funds."

Hubbard said that when the bids are opened March 28, they will be tallied and reviewed by the engineers, but no contracts will be awarded, pending awarding of grant funds by the state to help with the water main relocation project.

"We haven't heard from the state yet on whether they will help with this portion of the project or not," Hubbard said.

Until that happens, there will not be any contracts awarded, the mayor said.

In other business Monday evening city council members:

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•Listened to a report from city water department superintendent Dace Mumbower calling for an increase in revenue for that department. Mumbower said revenue has not been keeping pace with expenditures, and he recommended a study was needed about the possibility of increasing water rates. He also said a water meter replacement project should be initiated, pointing out that the meters are "in effect cash registers for the city."

Hubbard said he wanted to discuss the need for a rate study with city attorney William Hinkle who was not present at Monday night's council meeting. Also the mayor and councilman Larry Smith said that possibly water rates could be raised while wastewater treatment charges were reduced accordingly. Hubbard said the sewer department is running a budget surplus, while the water department needs more revenue.

Smith and Hubbard agreed that this "flip-flopping" of water and sewer rates would result in more revenue for the water department while water users would still pay the same total amount on their combined bills.

•Agreed to delay enforcement of recently approved no-parking regulations along Pearl Street, pending more study and discussions with Jay School Corporation officials about Westlawn Elementary school-related bus and car traffic in the area

•Conducted another in a series of public hearings in connection with the city and Jay County's application for a state grant to help fund construction of a new combined Dunkirk Fire Station and Jay Emergency Medical Services facility in the Dunkirk Industrial Park. Jay County Community Developer Ami Huffman said she planned to file the grant application by Friday. She anticipates that state officials will issue their decision sometime in May.

•Noted that the city had recently been awarded a plaque by the Jay County Soil and Water Conservation District for its efforts in planting 350 young trees in the Dunkirk City Park. In announcing the award, conservation district officials said, "The city of Dunkirk has taken advantage of an opportunity offered by the Jay SWCD and Hoosier ReLeaf to obtain and plant free trees on non-privately owned land."[[In-content Ad]]DUNKIRK - The idea of utilizing an historic railroad depot building here as a new home for the city police department sparked interest and discussion at Monday's city council meeting.

Police Chief Arnold Clevenger proposed the idea, saying utility costs and upkeep could be taken from his department's budget - potentially resolving a debate between the council and Dunkirk Industrial Development Corporation members.

DIDC representatives have proposed a lease agreement whereby the city would rent the structure for $1 a year in addition to paying the costs of utility bills, insurance and property taxes.

Dunkirk clerk-treasurer Jane Kesler once again pointed out that there is no money in the current city budget for such expenditures.

Councilman Tom Johnson said while the logical city budget category for such costs would seem to be the park department, he was not in favor of jeopardizing any funds that would otherwise go toward supporting the city swimming pool.

"My budget this year can't carry it," Johnson said, adding: "I don't want to jeopardize park and pool funds for a building."

That's when Clevenger offered a possible solution, suggesting that the city's police department offices could be moved to the depot building. The expenses could then be taken out of the police department's budget, Clevenger said.

After discussing the idea further, council members agreed to table the issue pending further talks with the DIDC. Also Johnson and Clevenger were directed to look over the depot structure with a view towards relocating the police station into that building while maintaining its historical character and appearance.