December 16, 2016 at 6:20 p.m.
Sewer funds OK’d
Loan is finalized for work in Redkey
Sewer funds OK’d
REDKEY — The sewer separation project in Redkey has yet to begin, but council members approved spending for it at Thursday’s meeting.
Redkey Town Council approved spending $611,259.06 toward project expenses, including engineering, lawyer and bond fees.
Members also developed a plan to hire a dogcatcher and approved several purchases for the police department.
Council members Charles “Red” Coons, Ted Friddle, Doug Stanley and Mike Wright, absent Dave Dudelston, approved paying Fleis & Vandenbrink Engineering $543,874.66, Hinkle and Schemenaur law firm $9,384.40, Bingham, Greenbaum & Doll LLP $28,000 for bond counsel and H.J. Umbaugh & Associates $30,000.
Approval of those payments came after a group of local officials met earlier in the day for the bond closing on the town’s $3.8-million United States Department of Agriculture loan that will be used to help pay for the project. Redkey also received a $3.9-million USDA grant for the work, which includes separation and repair of sewer lines and upgrades at the wastewater treatment plant.
The town locked in an interest rate of 1.375 percent, which will result in savings of $1.2 million over the life of the 40-year loan. Ami Huffman, Jay County’s director of community development, noted that the rate was the lowest ever for a USDA loan in Indiana. The original agreement called for the loan to be at a rate of 2.5 percent.
The bond agreement requires that the project be substantially complete in 370 days. Work on the wastewater treatment plant is slated to begin in January, Huffman said, with sewer lines likely to follow in the early spring.
R.E. Crosby of Fort Wayne and Brackney of Brookville are the contractors for the project.
Redkey Town Council approved spending $611,259.06 toward project expenses, including engineering, lawyer and bond fees.
Members also developed a plan to hire a dogcatcher and approved several purchases for the police department.
Council members Charles “Red” Coons, Ted Friddle, Doug Stanley and Mike Wright, absent Dave Dudelston, approved paying Fleis & Vandenbrink Engineering $543,874.66, Hinkle and Schemenaur law firm $9,384.40, Bingham, Greenbaum & Doll LLP $28,000 for bond counsel and H.J. Umbaugh & Associates $30,000.
Approval of those payments came after a group of local officials met earlier in the day for the bond closing on the town’s $3.8-million United States Department of Agriculture loan that will be used to help pay for the project. Redkey also received a $3.9-million USDA grant for the work, which includes separation and repair of sewer lines and upgrades at the wastewater treatment plant.
The town locked in an interest rate of 1.375 percent, which will result in savings of $1.2 million over the life of the 40-year loan. Ami Huffman, Jay County’s director of community development, noted that the rate was the lowest ever for a USDA loan in Indiana. The original agreement called for the loan to be at a rate of 2.5 percent.
The bond agreement requires that the project be substantially complete in 370 days. Work on the wastewater treatment plant is slated to begin in January, Huffman said, with sewer lines likely to follow in the early spring.
R.E. Crosby of Fort Wayne and Brackney of Brookville are the contractors for the project.
Redkey has been under an agreed order with Indiana Department of Environmental Management to develop a long-term plan to eliminate combined sewer overflows since at least 2010, but the project was continually put off because the town had no way to fund the multi-million dollar work. Finally, in June 2014, the town connected on what Huffman called a “Hail Mary pass” as the USDA awarded the grant and loan.
The subject of hiring a dogcatcher for the town was once again discussed after deputy marshal Ryan Miskinis asked resident Jimmy Coons to pick up two stray dogs after receiving a complaint. Coons presented a bill for $120, which council approved.
“Let’s hire a dogcatcher,” town marshal Todd Miller told council.
“It’s a helpless feeling to tell a citizen, ‘There’s nothing we can do for you,’” Miller said.
Council agreed to use the annual allotted budget of $4,000 for a dogcatcher to pay for rounding up stray dogs and delivering them to Jay County animal control officer Bill Fields.
Council plans to discuss the position with Coons to see if he is interested in the part-time job at an approximate cost of $50 per call. Miller will spearhead the project and talk to Bob Brown of Barnum-Brown Insurance concerning liability insurance and Fields about sheltering the animals.
At Miller’s request, council approved several purchases totaling $10,061 for the Redkey Police Department. They include $1,050 for two desktop computers, $918 for two laptop computers, $374 for monitors to write e-tickets and $453 for a printer, $744.95 for three sets of police stop stick tire deflation kits, $3,695 for a camera system in a patrol car and $1,339.71 for additional police equipment.
In other business, council:
•Approved keeping Barnum-Brown Insurance for town employee’s health insurance at a yearly cost of $30,464.
•Heard from fire chief Randy Young that 150 attended the open house for the new fire station Saturday. He hopes to be moved in by the first of the year.
•Approved two water bill adjustments totaling $355.46.
•Will look at a job description for utility workers for the town updated by Coons to approve at the next meeting.
•Heard the town hall will be closed a half-day on Dec. 23 and Dec. 30 and all day on Dec. 26 and Jan. 2.
•Scheduled a year-end meeting for 6 p.m. Dec. 29.
•Paid claims of $117,735.48.
The subject of hiring a dogcatcher for the town was once again discussed after deputy marshal Ryan Miskinis asked resident Jimmy Coons to pick up two stray dogs after receiving a complaint. Coons presented a bill for $120, which council approved.
“Let’s hire a dogcatcher,” town marshal Todd Miller told council.
“It’s a helpless feeling to tell a citizen, ‘There’s nothing we can do for you,’” Miller said.
Council agreed to use the annual allotted budget of $4,000 for a dogcatcher to pay for rounding up stray dogs and delivering them to Jay County animal control officer Bill Fields.
Council plans to discuss the position with Coons to see if he is interested in the part-time job at an approximate cost of $50 per call. Miller will spearhead the project and talk to Bob Brown of Barnum-Brown Insurance concerning liability insurance and Fields about sheltering the animals.
At Miller’s request, council approved several purchases totaling $10,061 for the Redkey Police Department. They include $1,050 for two desktop computers, $918 for two laptop computers, $374 for monitors to write e-tickets and $453 for a printer, $744.95 for three sets of police stop stick tire deflation kits, $3,695 for a camera system in a patrol car and $1,339.71 for additional police equipment.
In other business, council:
•Approved keeping Barnum-Brown Insurance for town employee’s health insurance at a yearly cost of $30,464.
•Heard from fire chief Randy Young that 150 attended the open house for the new fire station Saturday. He hopes to be moved in by the first of the year.
•Approved two water bill adjustments totaling $355.46.
•Will look at a job description for utility workers for the town updated by Coons to approve at the next meeting.
•Heard the town hall will be closed a half-day on Dec. 23 and Dec. 30 and all day on Dec. 26 and Jan. 2.
•Scheduled a year-end meeting for 6 p.m. Dec. 29.
•Paid claims of $117,735.48.
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