Council hears about quarry proposal

US Aggregates made its first pitch to Portland City Council on Monday.

At its meeting, council heard from US Aggregates about the company’s plan to expand its stone quarry to a parcel of land between county road 100 South and Tyson Road, east of county road 200 West.

Council members also heard a request for support for a trail project and approved a couple of street closure requests.

Sharing much of the same information he and others provided to Portland Plan Commission at its Feb. 18 meeting, US Aggregates area operations manager Eric Reynolds explained his company’s goal of expanding its stone quarry operation to the north of its current site (2228 W. 125 South). The project would require rezoning from plan commission, approval from council and a special exception for mining from the city’s board of zoning appeals.

Reynolds spent the bulk of his time addressing concerns raised at the plan commission meeting next month. (US Aggregates will also hold an informational event for the public at 6 p.m. Monday at The Rock Church.)

Regarding blasting, Reynolds again explained that it is done two to three times a month, typically around noon and that the company is required to meet state and federal guidelines for vibrations. He added that the company takes steps to mitigate dust and must meet Miner Safety Health Association requirements for crystalline silica, a mineral that can cause health problems. He added that the company is regulated by the Federal Clean Water Act and that any potential issues with wells would be evaluated and ruled upon by Indiana Department of Natural Resources. He said truck volume is not expected to increase. He also shared a study that indicated that such operations do not decrease home values.

Answering questions from council members Janet Powers and Dave Golden, Reynolds said US Aggregates typically works 10 hours a day, five days a week, and that he plans to meet with officials from Tyson Mexican Original, which sits to the east of the proposed quarry site with a wooded area in between. (Tyson plant manager Joe Acker raised concerns at the plan commission meeting.)

Reynolds also clarified that the possibility of a future request to vacate a section of county road 100 South is no longer on the table. That issue had drawn significant pushback from plan commission at its meeting last month.

Council members Kent McClung, Don Gillespie, Michele Brewster, Matt Goldsworthy, Mike Aker, Powers and Golden also heard from Jay County Trails Club representatives John Moore and Kevin Wentz, who advocated for construction of a new trail. The trail, which has been in the works for years, would run from the north side of the bridge over the Salamonie River that connects Hudson Family Park and Weiler-Wilson Park east behind East Elementary to Jay-Randolph Developmental Services. Moore pointed out that the trail was part of the Portland Park Plan for 2017 through 2021. (The park board is currently working on its next five-year plan.)

The city initially received a $20,000 planning grant from Indiana Department of Health for the project and in July 2018 was awarded a $168,000 grant from Indiana Department of Natural Resources to go toward construction.

The board also approved two street closures:

•Main Street between Commerce and Pleasant streets from noon to 9 p.m. May 22 for the Arch Bridge Kroozers car show.

•Morton Street between Votaw Street and the Tri-State Gas Engine and Tractor Association grounds for the Antique Tractor and Engine Show on Aug. 20 through 29.

In other business:

•Boggs, fielding a question from Aker, acknowledged that he is in the process of getting appraisals for the city’s water and wastewater treatment plans. He said after the meeting that it’s a preliminary step toward considering whether it would make sense to sell the city utilities to Indiana American Water, a company that provides water and wastewater service to about 1.3 million customers in Indiana. He added that the company provides services in both Muncie and Winchester.

•The board approved an amendment to the city’s 2021 payroll ordinance to include the code enforcement officer at a rate of $10 to $16 per hour, the same as that of a part-time police officer. Funding for the position was included in this year’s budget but the job had not been added to the payroll ordinance.

•Powers asked about the process toward a potential property tax increase as opposed to a stormwater fee. Boggs said the city is waiting for additional information from Indianapolis legal firm Ice Miller.

•Boggs thanked Wes Schemenaur for filling in for city attorney Bill Hinkle while he was on vacation.