Dunkirk changes its trash contract

DUNKIRK — The city’s trash pickup will transfer from Waste Management to Best Way.

City council approved a new three-year contract with the company after it submitted the low bid of $407,520.

Council didn’t vote on a proposed water-rate increase after a delay in receiving rate calculations from Umbaugh & Associates, tabled a vote on the second reading of the city’s 2018 budget, heard an update on city projects and set this year’s trick-or-treating hours.

Two bids were submitted at council’s Sept. 11 meeting for a new three-year trash contract. One was from Waste Management, which currently handles the city’s trash pickup, at $419,280 for three years, and the other was a $407,520 bid from Best Way. Council approved going with the low bid from Best Way, and members said they don’t expect there to be many issues with the transfer between the companies.

Council also discussed a delay in voting on the proposed 50-percent increase to the city’s water rates after officials didn’t receive rate calculations from the accounting firm Umbaugh & Associates. The rate increase was proposed in order to pay for planned capital improvements.

City attorney Wes Schemenaur said he hopes to have the calculations from Umbaugh in time for council’s Oct. 9 meeting and public hearing on the increases.

The city’s 2018 budget, after previously being passed on first reading and forwarded to the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance, was returned with approval from the IDLGF. Council considered the budget’s second reading, but opted to table a decision. Council member Tom Johnson mentioned that the parks department equipment amount wasn’t listed with the other department line items, and council decided to hold off on a decision on the second reading in order to check the entirety of the funds and ensure the budget didn’t contain any mistakes.

Mitch Hansel of Fleis and Vandenbrink Engineering updated council on the progress of the Barbier Street sewer lining and discussed missing out on this year’s Community Crossing grant money.

Hansel said the lining of the main sewer lines under Barbier Street is complete, and lateral lining should be finished by Friday. Regarding the city not receiving Community Crossing grant funding — Redkey was the only applicant in Jay County to receive any — Hansel said he would try and find out what to improve in next year’s application. Mayor Gene Ritter said he hoped to learn more about why the application was not chosen so the city can be more competitive in next year’s round of grants.

Council also set the city’s trick-or-treat hours, after clerk-treasurer Tina Elliott said she had received a number of calls inquiring about this year’s schedule. Council opted to keep the same schedule as last year, setting the hours from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Oct. 31.

In other business, council:

•Approved a $71.30 water rate adjustment for Jim Phillips after his property sustained an underground leak.

•Heard concerns from Scott Clevenger about how city police handled an incident involving a dog loose on his property, and that Clevenger had not received a response to his letter sent two weeks ago to Chief Dane Mumbower. Ritter said he would find out more information and work to determine what happened.

•Approved the purchase of a pump for the city’s lift station at a cost not to exceed $4,440.

•Purchased 25 new Christmas lights at a cost of $8,440 from Bronner’s. Council member Tom Johnson said the current lights are more than 20 years old.

•OK’d an additional appropriation of $35,000 for Dunkirk Industrial Development Corporation, which Elliott said hadn’t been receiving the proper amount from the city’s general fund for the last three years. She said the appropriation rectified the problem.

•Heard from Ritter that work is moving forward on the former Todd Opera House building, including floor joists being set, sub floors placed and plumbing installed.

•Learned that park board will not meet on Wednesday for lack of a quorum. It will instead meet Oct. 4 at 7 p.m.

•Was notified by Ritter that the city’s board of zoning appeals will convene at 6 p.m. Friday to discuss a zoning exception request to add a mobile home to a property.

•Approved claims totaling $169,632.84.