Terms of Dunkirk grant met (11/28/06)

DUNKIRK - "A good, early Christmas present" was how councilman Tom Johnson described the news Monday that the Quincy Place subdivision now has 56 residents, enough to meet state grant requirements.

This means the city could soon be eligible to apply for state Community Focus Fund grants, Dunkirk Mayor Sam Hubbard told council members Monday night.

For about a year, state officials have not allowed Dunkirk to apply for any new CFF grants, pending the satisfactory completion of the Quincy Place subdivision project.

Hubbard said that he has been in contact with Ami (Davidson) Huffman, Jay County Community Developer, about the situation and she is in the process of filing the necessary paperwork with state officials.

The mayor said he expects to receive a favorable ruling on the matter from the state in the next few weeks.

Hubbard said that the state had established a requirement of 42 residents living in the subdivision to meet the minimum grant guidelines, and several new homes were built and sold there last summer.

In other news Monday, council members tabled a request to extend its annual payment agreement with Jay County Development Corporation for another three years.

Currently the council has set a pledge amount of $6,500 a year to the agency.

Hubbard said the agreement could be extended for three years or one year at a time. After further discussion council members decided to table the issue pending further review. Also the mayor said that he would invite a JCDC representative to make a presentation about the request at the next council session.

In other business Monday night council members:

•Unanimously approved an amendment to the recently passed trash collection fee ordinance, changing how apartment buildings will be billed from $8 a month per water meter to $8 a month per the number of units in the apartment building.

Some apartment buildings only have one water meter for the entire structure. Two of the city council members, Craig Faulkner and Jim Doughty, own such apartment buildings. They both voted with the council majority.

•Heard a complaint from a Dunkirk woman that city police were not moving fast enough in connection with a theft complaint which she had filed. The mayor said that he would check into the situation and meet with Dunkirk Police Chief Arnold Clevenger and Investigator Dane Mumbower about the matter.

•Listened to Walt Rodgers, representing Dunkirk American Legion Post 227 as well as the local Veterans of Foreign Wars Post, discuss a recent proposal to plant a tree in memory of a deceased veteran in Dunkirk City Park near the Veterans Memorial flag display.

At the Nov. 13 council meeting, local resident Danny Monroe said his employer, Brumond Smith Nursery, Inc., Muncie, had agreed to donate a 10-foot tall tree to the city in memory of a specific veteran who had also worked for the firm.

At Monday night's meeting Rodgers said if this was done for one veteran, a tree for every other deceased veteran from the local area should also be planted. "That's a lot of trees," Rodgers said. He added that he could personally supply the council with a verified list of more than 200 names. However, there are probably many more men and women who could qualify.

Also the Legion and VFW representative noted that a plaque near the display of flags reads in part: "to honor all who served their country." Rodgers said he thought that phrase covered everybody nicely.

Mayor Hubbard said the council would take Rodgers' comments under advisement, noting thatno decision has been made.

•Approved a supplemental appropriation to cover $403 worth of extra concession stand expenses last summer at the Dunkirk City Pool.

•Heard a report from councilman Johnson about several recent thefts from the Dunkirk City Park garage. He said the value of the stolen items totaled $662, but the city's insurance policy had a deductible of $500. Johnson said city workers were taking precautions designed to prevent such crimes in the future.

•Received another report from Doughty, who is the council representative to the street department, asking that portable basketball goals be removed from city streets to avoid problems when city crews plow snow.[[In-content Ad]]