To pave or not to pave?

DUNKIRK — In a tight economy, plans to repave a one-block alley near the mayor’s home are raising a few eyebrows.
But Mayor Ron Hunt, who had requested the paving work, said this week he doesn’t know what all the fuss is about.
The proposed alley improvement project with an estimated price tag of $4,500 was included with a list of 22 other proposals at last week’s city council meeting.
The proposal drew the attention of several city council members last week when a new street sign near Hunt’s home at 323 N. Meridian St. marking a platted alley between Meridian and Franklin streets as “High Street.”
Late last week, the sign marking “W. High St.” was removed, but the pole and the Meridian Street sign were left in place.
“I don’t know what the big ordeal is. That was a paved alley — street — whatever you want to call it, and it’s going to be repaved,” the mayor said.
Hunt said a portion of the one-block alley/street was damaged during repair of a water main in 2010, and it makes sense to repave it.
It was one of the 22 city projects on a proposed paving list submitted to the council last week by street superintendent Howard Fisher.
Dunkirk Councilman Chuck Rife, noting the city’s limited financial resources, said he doesn’t believe this will be a good use of those funds.
 “Of all the places in town that we should pave — why would we fix an alley?” Rife said during an interview with The Commercial Review.
Fisher said this morning the mayor has agreed to pay for the West High Street sign once an invoice for it is received.
Fisher said the mayor had asked his department to put up the pole and street signs last week, and later asked that the West High Street portion of the sign be taken down.
Many longtime area residents, including former mayor and current councilman Tom Johnson, who grew up in that neighborhood, say as far as they are concerned it has always been considered to be a one-block alley. He said official records at the Jay County Courthouse show an alley with a 17-foot easement.
Johnson said he is not in favor of paving the entire section of the alley/street, and that the issue will be discussed Monday by the council.
Former Mayor Sam Hubbard, who was defeated by Hunt four years ago, said the city’s past policy has been not to pave alleys. He said he believes that should still be the case, as there are many city streets in need of improvement.
Rife said he sent the mayor an email last week questioning the naming of the alley and the proposed paving.
The response from Hunt said: “It is a water cut and it was paved and it will be paved again and it will be paid out of water (department funds) — the same with the other ones.”[[In-content Ad]]