City fined for fish kill

Portland City Council unanimously approved payment of claims at Monday night’s meeting, but something smelled fishy to one council member.
Before it was approved, the docket — totaling $1,744,376.02 — raised concerns with council member Mark Hedges because a fine for sewage overflow from Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Fish and Wildlife. Hedges wanted to know the conditions of the overflow and ways to prevent future problems.
Portland Mayor Randy Geesaman informed council members Bill Gibson, Kip Robinette, Kent McClung, Judy Aker, Michael Brewster, Don Gillespie and Hedges that the fine was levied because the city water department was flushing water hydrants that overflowed one of the combined sewers. When the sewer water flushed into the Salamonie River, dead minnows were discovered in the water.
The state DNR was contacted, and it fined the city $2,500 for “wild animal killed.”
Geesaman said the fine will be compensated out of the city’s sewage fund and must be paid immediately.
“So it was basically a fluke issue, not a water plant issue,” said Hedges.
Geesaman agreed with that assessment
In other business, council:
•Heard from owner Jim Heister of W & M Manufacturing that the company has invested $2.15 million in an ongoing project. He also noted the company has hired 40 of the 60 employees it planned to hire and is about 85 percent finished with the expansion and installing new equipment.
•Approved transferring funds from several accounts for city projects. Council transferred $24,500 into the park capital outlays fund to build a new restroom at Portland Memorial Park, $10,000 into public safety salaries and $13,000 into contractual services for the Safe Routes to School project.
•Heard Gibson ask property owners with catch basins in front of their homes to keep them cleaned out to prevent flooding in spring.
•Learned area merchants will have another shopping event — “Moonlight Shopping Spree” — from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday.
•Heard from Geesaman that two manholes and 10 catch basins have been installed on North and Race streets between Pleasant and Middle streets. Geesaman said the contractor had found tree roots within the lines. Culy Contracting will clean the roots out with a high-powered water jet.
•Heard Geesaman thank Portland Police Department for its Shop with a Cop program on Saturday, which helped 20 families with Christmas shopping.