July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Testing set for sewers (08/05/2008)
Portland City Council
By By RACHELLE HAUGHN-
For at least the next two weeks, city residents will be seeing smoke.
A city official announced Monday night that smoke testing will be done on some of the city's sewer lines as part of the Boundary Pike/Wayne Street project.
Bruce Hosier, mayor of Portland, told Portland City Council members that the smoke is non-toxic, safe and will not stain. During the next two or three weeks, city residents may see smoke coming from eve spouts, the ground or drains in homes. Water will squelch any smoke coming from the drains.
The smoke testing is being done on the new sanitary sewer lines and any existing lines connected to the new lines. The purpose of the testing is to look for leaks and potential problem areas and to check the integrity of the new and old lines, Hosier said.
A wastewater treatment plant official said this morning that it is illegal for downspouts from homes and businesses to drain into the city's sewer lines.
The smoke testing likely will show which homes are violating the law, but that is not the purpose of the testing, Hosier said.
In other business Monday, council members voted to close city offices Christmas and the day after, instead of on Christmas eve.
With the change, city employees will not work on Friday, Dec. 26. Christmas falls on a Thursday this year.
All city offices will be open on Christmas eve.
Before the council voted, council member Judy Aker asked how city employees felt about the proposed change.
"All my employees are for it," said Jeff Harker, street and park department superintendent. He said the schedule change would work out nicely in terms of trash collection.
"If you want to commit to Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, we'll take it," he said, jokingly.
The council responded with laughter.
Councilman Todd Nichols, who works for the street department, said he also was in favor of the change.
Also Monday, council members:
•Approved increases to some of the city's zoning fees.
The changes increase the fees for a subdivision development plan application, communication towers and antennas and certified mailings.
The subdivision application fee increases to $500 from $250, the tower permit increases to $200 from $100, and the cost for mailings will jump to $7 from $6.75. The Jay/Portland Building and Planning Board met on July 24 and discussed the changes.
Bill Milligan Jay/Portland Building and Planning director told council members that the fees for subdivisions and towers should increase because his work on such projects is so extensive. The cost for mailings increased because of postal rate hikes, he said.
As part of the changes, if more than one petition for a zoning change is filed by one applicant for the same property, and if the Portland Board of Zoning Appeals must review the petitions on the same date, a $100 filing fee will be assessed for each additional petition.
•Voted to give the Jay County Chamber of Commerce $10,000 in Portland Economic Development Income Tax funds to have Ball State University students conduct surveys.
The students will survey those who live in the community, visit here and shop here, to determine what people like to shop for and what is lacking.
Before council members Aker, Nichols, Kip Robinette, Bill Gibson, Don Gillespie, Kent McClung and Mike Brewster voted in favor of the request, Vicki Tague, executive director of the Jay County Chamber of Commerce, spoke.
She said the surveys will be available online and likely will be sent to business owners and others in the community. Brewster asked where the surveys will be posted online.
Tague said the surveys likely will be on the chamber's web site and maybe the city's. Some surveys also will be conducted at the Tri-State Gas Engine and Tractor Show this month and in parking lots around the community.
•Heard Dave Frasher report that the second annual Welcome Home to Portland Festival will be held Aug. 17.
The parade through downtown will begin at 4:30 p.m., and the festival will be from 5 to 7 p.m., near the Jay County Courthouse.
Frasher said two trolleys will be in the parade and he would like council members to ride on one of the trolleys. The event is held as part of a kick-off for the tractor and engine show, which will be held Aug. 20-24.[[In-content Ad]]
A city official announced Monday night that smoke testing will be done on some of the city's sewer lines as part of the Boundary Pike/Wayne Street project.
Bruce Hosier, mayor of Portland, told Portland City Council members that the smoke is non-toxic, safe and will not stain. During the next two or three weeks, city residents may see smoke coming from eve spouts, the ground or drains in homes. Water will squelch any smoke coming from the drains.
The smoke testing is being done on the new sanitary sewer lines and any existing lines connected to the new lines. The purpose of the testing is to look for leaks and potential problem areas and to check the integrity of the new and old lines, Hosier said.
A wastewater treatment plant official said this morning that it is illegal for downspouts from homes and businesses to drain into the city's sewer lines.
The smoke testing likely will show which homes are violating the law, but that is not the purpose of the testing, Hosier said.
In other business Monday, council members voted to close city offices Christmas and the day after, instead of on Christmas eve.
With the change, city employees will not work on Friday, Dec. 26. Christmas falls on a Thursday this year.
All city offices will be open on Christmas eve.
Before the council voted, council member Judy Aker asked how city employees felt about the proposed change.
"All my employees are for it," said Jeff Harker, street and park department superintendent. He said the schedule change would work out nicely in terms of trash collection.
"If you want to commit to Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, we'll take it," he said, jokingly.
The council responded with laughter.
Councilman Todd Nichols, who works for the street department, said he also was in favor of the change.
Also Monday, council members:
•Approved increases to some of the city's zoning fees.
The changes increase the fees for a subdivision development plan application, communication towers and antennas and certified mailings.
The subdivision application fee increases to $500 from $250, the tower permit increases to $200 from $100, and the cost for mailings will jump to $7 from $6.75. The Jay/Portland Building and Planning Board met on July 24 and discussed the changes.
Bill Milligan Jay/Portland Building and Planning director told council members that the fees for subdivisions and towers should increase because his work on such projects is so extensive. The cost for mailings increased because of postal rate hikes, he said.
As part of the changes, if more than one petition for a zoning change is filed by one applicant for the same property, and if the Portland Board of Zoning Appeals must review the petitions on the same date, a $100 filing fee will be assessed for each additional petition.
•Voted to give the Jay County Chamber of Commerce $10,000 in Portland Economic Development Income Tax funds to have Ball State University students conduct surveys.
The students will survey those who live in the community, visit here and shop here, to determine what people like to shop for and what is lacking.
Before council members Aker, Nichols, Kip Robinette, Bill Gibson, Don Gillespie, Kent McClung and Mike Brewster voted in favor of the request, Vicki Tague, executive director of the Jay County Chamber of Commerce, spoke.
She said the surveys will be available online and likely will be sent to business owners and others in the community. Brewster asked where the surveys will be posted online.
Tague said the surveys likely will be on the chamber's web site and maybe the city's. Some surveys also will be conducted at the Tri-State Gas Engine and Tractor Show this month and in parking lots around the community.
•Heard Dave Frasher report that the second annual Welcome Home to Portland Festival will be held Aug. 17.
The parade through downtown will begin at 4:30 p.m., and the festival will be from 5 to 7 p.m., near the Jay County Courthouse.
Frasher said two trolleys will be in the parade and he would like council members to ride on one of the trolleys. The event is held as part of a kick-off for the tractor and engine show, which will be held Aug. 20-24.[[In-content Ad]]
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