Dunkirk OKs flooding study

DUNKIRK — Precautions are being taken to avoid further flooding in the city.
Dunkirk City Council agreed Monday to have Fleis & Vandenbrink Engineering do two flood studies at the recommendation of engineer Mitch Hansel and councilman Jesse Bivens, who oversees the sewage department. A tile project will also be done in the city to reduce flooding.
Also, council approved the purchase of two trucks and snowplows  for the sewer and water departments and the roof replacement on well houses at the water department.  
Council approved spending $4,960 to study water shed areas in the south and southeast parts of the city including Walnut Street, Rick Drive, Second Street and Leisure Lane that experienced flooding last year. Hansel said water builds up in the ditch and a detention pond will give the water another place to go instead of flooding homes.
“It’s just a study to investigate what you can do,” Hansel said. “I want to look and investigate and see what the problem is and then come up with some possible solutions.”
“I would like to see us go through with the study,” Bivens added.
Dunkirk Mayor Dan Watson said he will talk to county surveyor Brad Daniels about possibly paying for part of the study.
Community development director Ami Huffman said if the study is done in time the city can pursue a spring 2016 Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) construction grant to help fund the project. If approved, OCRA would pay 80 percent and the city would pay 20 percent.
Council also approved spending $41,940 to study flooding issues at Layne Addition, located southwest of the city near Delaware County.  Bivens said the city has the money to complete the sewer line project after the study is completed.
Roots are in the system causing separation. Several miles of pipe will be filled with hot water to seal them and make them as strong as concrete. Hansel said the procedure is a 40- to 100-year fix.
Kesler Excavating was chosen to do tile work behind some homes on Moore Avenue to help stop flooding in that area at a cost of $975. The city will pay labor costs and residents of Moore Avenue will pay for parts.
The other quote for the project was from Guy Tressler Excavating at a cost of $1,601.  
A three-quarter ton Dodge truck will be purchased for the sewage department from Fuqua Chrysler Dodge Jeep at a cost of $23,121 with a $5,000 trade-in, unless Dunkirk Park Department decides to purchase the old truck for the trade-in price.
Council also approved purchasing six tires for the one-ton truck for the sewage plant from Shields Garage, including alignment, for $1,115.
A three-quarter ton truck with a diesel engine for the water department will be purchased from Fuqua at a cost of $35,379, minus trade-in value of the previous vehicle. The bed of the old truck will be painted and put on the new truck at a cost of $2,050 from Robinson’s.
A BOSS snowplow for each truck will be purchased from Wright Way Collision Repair in Albany for $6,090 each.
KK Construction was chosen to replace roofs on well houses with metal roofs at a cost of $10,900.
In other business, Tom Johnson, Judy Garr, Lisa Street, Jack Robbins and Bivens:
•Heard that all the blighted homes have been torn down in the city. Dunkirk was awarded an Indiana Hardest Hit Fund Blight Elimination grant of $176,000 in October 2014 to remove nine blighted houses. Adjacent property owners will have the opportunity to purchase those lots.
•Approved paying $1,670.25 to K & L Tractor Sales for a new engine and installation in the Simplicity mower for Dunkirk Park Department.
•Learned mayor-elect Gene Ritter has signed up online to attend Indiana Association of Cities and Townships school for new mayors. The cost is approximately $200.
•Agreed to advertise to solicit for bids for city insurance for 2016.
•Agreed to pay $100 for 20 frozen turkeys for the turkey toss that was held Saturday.
•Learned Dunkirk Police Department drove 3,778 miles and handled 143 complaints in October.    
•Paid claims totaling $311,356.12.