Dunkirk OKs stormwater study

DUNKIRK — The city is completing the next step in its five-year master utility plan.

Dunkirk City Council on Monday approved a contract with an engineering firm to conduct a study that should help with future flood mitigation projects.

Larry Haag from Beam, Longest and Neff told council that an equivalent dwelling unit study would make the city eligible for federal grants because there will be a better idea of where stormwater is collecting and draining.

“What this study will do is we will look at your pervious and your non-pervious tracts throughout the city like the parking lots, the neighborhoods,” Haag said. “With that we will be able to hydraulically model and calibrate your model to know where that water’s coming in, at what rate it’s coming in, how fast it comes, how fast it goes away, so that helps you to better understand where to start spending dollars.”

The study is part of the stormwater utility rate process that was put into place earlier this year as the city established a $10 per month stormwater fee for all parcels of land within the city limits. The equivalent dwelling unit study will give city officials a better idea of where stormwater is collecting and running into the stormwater system, rather than seeping into the ground.

Dunkirk Mayor Jack Robbins noted that the utility master plan started in 2019, and this is the next step in the process to improve the city.

“I’d like to really get this thing moving, we’ve got some relief money coming in and I’d like to see if we could use some of that for a match,” Robbins said. “That’s what we’re going to do to try to take care of our flooding issues here in town.”

Also on Monday, Christy Curts, the newest council member, was introduced.

She replaces former council member Lisa Street, who had to leave her position when she moved out of her district.

In light of this change, as well as possible redistricting of the city next year as a result of the census, council is considering making every council seat at-large rather than having only one at-large seat and four district seats.

City attorney Wes Schemenaur told council he will look into the change and consult with Jay County Clerk’s Office. Council members expressed interest, as well as concerns about how to ensure a fair representation of the entire city and of both Republicans and Democrats on the ballots.

In other business, council members Tom Johnson, Jesse Bivens, Kevin Hamilton, Bryan Jessup and Curts:

•Agreed to have Brooks Construction pave the alleys behind Dunkirk City Hall near Sculpt Fitness, the laundromat and Glass Capital Grill. The work, which is not to exceed $24,205, will be completed while Brooks Construction is in town doing Community Crossings paving this year.

•Transferred $10,000 from the sand, salt and gravel fund to the sidewalk project fund after it was moved accidentally by the state.

•Paid claims of $192,662.61.

•At Monday’s Dunkirk Board of Works and Public Safety, members Dan Watson, Robbins and Bivens (who replaces Street on the board) approved a series of purchases for the city, including a new garage door for the street department for $6,491.24 from Tri-County Overhead Door & Glass, three street signs with solar blinking lights for stop signs and a school crossing sign for $5,192.50 from Michael Todd & Co., $3,768.39 to Maximum Overdrive Transmission to rebuild the transmission in the Dunkirk Police Department’s Chevrolet Tahoe, $840 to Shields Garage to replace the tornado siren batteries, and $5,192.50 (80% of which will be reimbursed) to Choice One Engineering for survey, design and consultant work on the park trails project.