Dunkirk approves promotion

Dunkirk City Council shifted a city water department employee from part-time to full-time at its meeting Monday night.

Council also set up a payment plan for a city resident who had a costly water leak, tabled a decision on a rate adjustment for another leak and heard updates on city projects and grant proposals.

Council member Lisa Street discussed with council the possibility of adding a new full-time employee at the city water department, something water superintendent Dace Mumbower had asked about. In the past, the department had as many as five full-time employees, and still had open positions in the city payroll ordinance. That meant council didn’t need to create a new position, and promoted Brandon Simmons from his position as part-time employee to full-time for the department. It now has three full-time employees.

Mumbower mentioned that if work is slow in the water department, Simmons would also be available to help out the city’s wastewater department with different tasks.

Albin Branscum, Jr., also requested from council a payment plan to pay off the $1,300 utility bill resulting from a leak in his home. Council was understanding of Branscum’s predicament and agreed to give him three months to pay off as much as he could of the bill, $400 of which he has already paid, and said in December they will revisit the issue and extend his payment plan provided he has made a good faith effort in paying off the bill.

Roy Bunch, a local landlord, asked council about the specifics of its sewer rate adjustment ordinance. Council explained the requirement that city employees confirm a leak occurred in the lines outside of an individual’s home. Bunch discussed a leak at one of his properties, and council decided to table to issue to get more information and have city employees check his meter.

Council also heard from Mitch Hansel of Fleis and Vandenbrink Engineering about the progress on a number of city projects and grant proposals. Hansel said work continues to move forward on the Barbier Street sewer project, which is expected to be done by Sept. 18. He also added that work is expected to start in mid-October on replacing road signs throughout the city, and should be completed by the first week in November. Indiana Department of Transportation had more than 2,500 applications to the Community Crossing grant program, and Hansel said no projects have been awarded funds yet. INDOT only said it would get back with applicants in “early fall.” He also discussed project proposals to add sidewalks and possibly streetlights on Highland Avenue, from West Jay Middle School to Speedcat Drive. The project is being proposed as a part of the Safe Routes to School INDOT program.

In other business, council:

•Heard from Choice One Engineer Ryan Lefeld, who stopped in to say hello and encouraged council to contact him or his office with any questions. Lefeld recently helped Mumbower with water line estimates.

•Heard from Ritter that the weekend’s Zach Hummer Memorial 5K and 3-on-3 basketball tournament went well over the weekend, with more than 41 teams participating in the tournament.

•Approved no rate increases for township fire contracts, except a 2-percent increase to a total of $54.50 for Richland Township at the request of township trustee Dave Champ. Council discussed plans to push hard to win back a contract to cover Knox Township with this year’s contract negotiations.

•Approved a resolution to sell two properties to Dunkirk Industrial Development Corporation for $100 apiece, to be demolished as a part of the blight elimination program.

•Approved a $3,703.70 for chlorine from Spear Corporation for the city pool.

•OK’d $919.76 and $681.47 expenses for maintenance work at the city wastewater department, $676.66 for a a fix to equipment at the city water plant and $1,771.07 for Fleis and Vandenbrink’s work to development a transportation management plan for the city.

•Accepted a proposal to spend $845 on equipment rental to check the fire department’s oxygen tanks, $8,975 for five new sets of turnout gear and $1,350 for three pagers.

•Heard a request from Al Curts that the public be made aware that dumping grass clippings into the street causes backup of the city’s wastewater system. “People need to take a little bit of pride,” Curts said.

•Approved $215,050.33 in claims.