Residents express concern

DUNKIRK — Concerned citizens approached city council Monday about flooding and thefts in their neighborhood.
Gale and Judy Wright, who live on the east end of Moore Avenue, were joined by other residents from their neighborhood at Monday’s Dunkirk City Council meeting to discuss the issues.
Mayor Gene Ritter and the council also discussed the city failing to make the finalist list for the state’s Stellar Communities designation, plans for blighted homes, received updates about city projects and the A Better Life – Brianna’s Hope program.
The Wrights’ home wasn’t flooded like parts of the city were in August 2014, but they have to clean a catch basin in front of their home during periods of heavy rain and during those times they are not able to flush their toilet, they told council.
Ritter informed them that the ditch that runs by George’s Variety and Tan and Hughes Pic-A-Pac liquor store on Main Street is being cleaned to help with the problem. Mitch Hansel of Fleis and Vandenbrink Engineering said he would like to put a retention pond in the area to alleviate flooding. Hansel handed out his card to residents to contact him to further discuss their flooding problems.
The Wright home was also broken into in October and December, and several neighbors also had break-ins.
“If you see something, say something,” Judy Wright asked of the public.
She would also like updates from the Dunkirk Police Department about the status of the theft investigations and see thefts printed in The News and Sun.
“I would like some feedback,” said Judy Wright, asking if more officers could be added to the force or if more could work nights to patrol the area.
Police Chief Dane Mumbower said his department is understaffed and that efforts to develop a neighborhood watch program in the past had not been supported. He also said he tried to have a citizen’s police academy but was told officers couldn’t be paid overtime.
Ritter asked Mumbower to send him details about the programs.
Mumbower requested that citizens who call in tips leave their name and contact information to help with investigation of problems. He also suggested residents install hidden security cameras.
After Dunkirk fell short of being a finalist for the Stellar Communities designation, which includes a variety of grant funding from the state, Ritter said the city is going to continue on its own to work on the projects that were involved in the application.
Dunkirk was the runner-up to North Liberty for the Stellar designation last year in Division II for municipalities with a population of less than 6,000.
“We have stellar people here in Dunkirk and I think it will help if we look more stellar everywhere,” Ritter said.
Councilman Jack Robbins said eight blighted homes are set to be torn down this summer with about $80,000 leftover from the Indiana Hardest Hit Fund Blight Elimination Program grant of $176,000 that the city was awarded in 2014.
The city will have to pay for title searches, which will cost about $3,200, and pay for mowing the lots. Robbins said the leftover blight money can be used to cover those costs.
Pastor Randy Davis told council that since A Better Life – Brianna’s Hope was founded in November 2014, 133 addicts have received some sort of treatment and groups have been formed in Daleville, Hartford City, Union City and Muncie.
“We truly believe we’re making a difference,” said Davis, who said the group needs money to operate.
Ritter said he will discuss a possible donation with council and get back with Davis.
Council gave Hansel permission to advertise for bids for the Layne Addition sewer project. He said a pre-bid meeting with contractors is scheduled for 8 a.m. May 5 in council chambers and sealed bids will be opened at the May 23 council meeting.
Hansel also said he met with community development director Ami Huffman and they will pursue a Safe Routes to School grant from the Indiana Department of Transportation. The application is due May 16 and the project would begin in 2020.
Also, INDOT will advertise for bids Aug. 17 to replace regulatory and warning signs in the city.
In other business, council members Tom Johnson, Jesse Bivens, Lisa Street, Brian Jessup and Robbins:
•Donated $500 to the 4th of July committee to have free activities at Dunkirk City Park.
•Approved paying $4,200 to Display Craft of Portland to repair a sign at the intersection of Indiana 67 and Indiana 167.
•Donated $50 for the Dunkirk Public Library Summer Reading Program.
•Approved Randy Storie as a park board member.
•Agreed to pay RealTruck $670 for running boards on the new truck for the wastewater treatment plant and XYLEM Water Solutions $1,240 for one year of preventative maintenance at the plant.
•Approved allowing the Dunkirk Fire Department to have a boot drive on April 22 at the traffic light downtown and at the stop sign on Haskell Road.
•Were informed that the police department drove 4,660 miles in March.
•Heard from resident Orrin Franklin that the sidewalk needs to be replaced in front of his house because the road is paved on top of it. Ritter said he and Robbins will check it out.
•Paid claims totalling $87,736.33.