Water work delay

DUNKIRK — Reports on the status of utility improvement projects were major topics at Monday night’s city council meeting.
Concerning the city’s $1.3 million water system improvement project, Jay County Community Development director Ami Huffman said, “Everything is going pretty well,” except for some valve replacement problems discovered once work began and complications from a recent cold snap.
She asked permission from the council to grant an extension to RCM Excavating LLC, Gaston, to complete water main work, which was originally scheduled to be completed Dec. 31.
She asked that the new project completion date be moved back to March 31.
Installing the new water pipes in extremely cold weather is not recommended, she said. Also winter weather conditions will not allow landscaping repair work to be completed until next spring, she added.
Council members unanimously granted the extension as well as approving three change-orders for RCM, totaling $41,000, to cover the cost of installing replacement valves at locations where such work was not originally anticipated to be necessary. Once RCM started digging, it was obvious that certain valves and pipe connections should be replaced, Huffman explained.
She said the city’s consulting engineering firm, The Schneider Corporation, Indianapolis, agrees with the change-order requests.
Also Monday, the council approved payments totaling $194,832 to R.E. Crosby Inc., Fort Wayne, for work completed on the water plant.
In other action the council approved a partial payment of $12,600 to Schneider for engineering work.
On another utility-related issue, Jay County Regional Sewer District Board president Gerald Kirby presented an update on the status of the district’s plans to provide wastewater treatment services to the Skeens Addition, north of Dunkirk, and the Willow Drive area, south of Dunkirk.
Kirby said he would like to have the agreement between the district and city of Dunkirk finalized by the next council session on Dec. 27, and council members agreed to work toward that goal.
Kirby gave council members copies of a proposed agreement between the district that calls for connection fees totaling $750 for three connections the district hopes to make to city sewer lines.
Those connection fees have been an issue in negotiations with Portland for a similar project. Portland is requiring fees of $500 to be paid for each individual user that is part of the district project — for a total of more than $16,000.
As he concluded his presentation, Kirby thanked the council and Mayor Ron Hunt for their cooperation. “Thanks a lot for letting me speak,” Kirby said.
In other action at Monday night’s meeting, council members:
•Approved the purchase of $1,943 in DeWalt power equipment for the water department to aid in the emergency repair of water main breaks. The equipment will be purchased from Fastenal Inc., Portland, which submitted the only quote.
•Authorized the purchase of a $700 submersible pump to replace one at the city’s wastewater treatment plant.
•Heard a presentation from Dunkirk Improvement Committee spokesman Tony Franklin about creating a website for the city. Franklin said he would maintain the website on a volunteer basis, and the council approved paying $14.95 a year from the mayor’s promotion of business fund to cover the annual charge for having the site accessible.
Franklin also said he would like to have a meeting in the future with all city officials to explain the website.
•Heard to a report from the Dunkirk Improvement Committee about plans to landscape and beautify the neglected, vacant lot where the Boston Store once stood in the downtown area on Main Street.
“I’d like to try to do whatever we can with it,” councilman Chuck Rife said. He encouraged other organizations to help with this improvement project, too. “We could get a lot more done if we all pulled together,” Rife said. “I hope we can make it happen.”   
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