Glass Days gets loan from Dunkirk

DUNKIRK — A loan has been approved for the Glass Days committee.

Dunkirk City Council agreed to a $3,000 loan Monday at the request of committee member Cindy Shepherd.

It also approved Title VI assurances, made a change to the Barbier Street project and heard an update from a representative from Waste Management.

The money loaned to the Glass Days committee will be used to purchase a storage shed, which had been planned to be placed on a concrete slab on Indiana Street. At the suggestion of council member Tom Johnson, fellow council members Jesse Bivens, Bryan Jessup and Jack Robbins, absent Lisa Street, agreed a better place for the shed would be at Dunkirk City Park because it will be better lighted.

Council also agreed the committee should have insurance on the shed and its contents.

The five-year loan will be set at 4 percent interest and the first annual payment will be June 1, 2018.

Council approved Title VI assurances after hearing from Mitch Hansel of Fleis & Vandenbrink Engineering. Hansel said the assurances are required by Indiana Department of Transportation to protect against discrimination when purchasing properties with federal money.

Hansel also said the Barbier Street sewer project will be divided into two parts — main lines and lateral lines — at the suggestion of the contractor. There will be an initial extra cost of $7,160 for engineering costs, but Hansel said $15,000 will be saved from the project’s estimated total cost of $237,000.

Melinda Antell of Waste Management, which provides trash collection in the city, told council the company is focused on safety because trash collection is one of the 10 most dangerous jobs in the United States. More than 95 percent of their trucks have incident monitoring devices on them and a "Mission to Zero" project has brought a 66 percent improvement in vehicle accident rates, she said.

In other business, council:

•Were informed that two liners were nicked with cutting tools during the Layne Addition sewer separation project and Insituform will make repairs to them Thursday.

•Heard from Bivens that a camera will be used to see if there is a broken pipe at Quincy Place because a yard is sinking at a property. City attorney Wes Schemenaur will check to see if the city or the contractor for the addition of homes is liable for the repairs.

•Created a police donation fund.

•Were told by Johnson that vandals turned over two 300-pound planters at Dunkirk City Pool and spread dirt on the building.

•Approved paying $204.75 to Shields Garage to diagnose a problem with the lift pump on the dump truck for the sewer department and $347.08 to correct the problem; $1,392.55 to Greens Fork Alignment for tires for the backhoe; $1,925.50 to Culy Contracting to have a pipe augured near Hughes Pic-A-Pac; and not to exceed $1,484.15 to Wilson Electric for heater work.

•Were told by water department supervisor Dace Mumbower that emergency work was done at a cost of more than $850 and Mayor Gene Ritter gave post approval for the work. Council reiterated city policy that the mayor should be contacted for prior approval for any work that costs more than $500.

•Heard from Ritter that the black and white patrol car for the police department is out of commission and that he is researching the cost of a new one.

•Approved a fire clothing allowance for 2017 for full-time firefighters at a cost of $3,000 and that the fire department may share the cost of a radio service contract with the county.

•Approved paying DBS Design $382.50 from the mayor’s promotional fund for the city website.

•Heard trees in rights-of-way will be cut down and potholes are being looked at for repairs.