Council OKs $$ for flood project

DUNKIRK — Flood mitigation work is going to cost the city more than projected.

Dunkirk City Council on Monday approved an additional $125,647 in funding to cover the cost of a project to add two detention ponds and make other storm sewer upgrades.

Mayor Jack Robbins explained to council that the low bid for the flood mitigation project was $835,647 from VFT Excavating of Celina, Ohio. That was more than $125,000 over the engineer’s estimate of $710,000. (The only other bid from Watson Excavating of Redkey came in at more than $1.4 million.)

While frustrated by the cost, Robbins noted that the city already has about $100,000 in engineering and other fees spent on the project and recommended moving forward.

Council members Jesse Bivens, Bryan Jessup, Christy Curts, Tom Johnson and Kevin Hamilton agreed, voting unanimously to cover the overage with the remaining $60,000 the city has left in federal coronavirus relief funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) with the remaining dollars to come from its stormwater fund.

Dunkirk received a $600,000 Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) grant for the work that was initially estimated at $1 million for construction, engineering and other costs. The remainder was to be paid with $400,000 of the city’s ARPA funds.

The project calls for creating detention basins east of Broad Street near Moore Avenue and west of 3rd Street near the southern city limits. They will remain dry most of the time and will be used to detain water during heavy rain events. That water will then be released at a controlled rate in order to take pressure off of the city’s storm sewers. Also included are some upgrades to current storm sewer infrastructure.

No start date has been set for the work, but Robbins said the project is expected to take about three months once construction begins.

Council also approved, with Jessup abstaining, a roofing project at the city’s fire station, which also houses Jay Emergency Medical Service. The low bidder for the work was Five Star Commercial Roofing of Hartford City at a cost of $17,858.50. (The cost of the work is split between the city and Jay County, with commissioners having approved the work earlier in the day.)

Also approved Monday was the city’s 20% match of $40,460.80 for a project to add sidewalks from West Jay Elementary School to Dunkirk City Park. The other 80% of the project — calls for installing a sidewalk along Highland Avenue beginning at West Jay Elementary and eventually connecting with Speedcat Alley, which runs through the park — is being paid via federal funds passed through Indiana Department of Transportation.

Work is expected to be complete by the end of July.

“Thank goodness the sidewalks are going in,” said Curts of the project, for which federal funding was awarded in 2016.

Also Monday, council members approved closing Commerce Street between Main and Indiana streets on Sept. 30 for the rebirth of the Glass Days festival.

Dru Hall, one of the organizers for the festival that has been dormant since 2019, explained that plans call for several bands, including Cook and Belle, the Cinderella Queen of Glass pageant, a glass blower, a 5K race, refreshments from several local businesses and other attractions.

He noted that the new Glass Days, Inc., has been unable to secure an amusement company for this year but hopes to be able to do so in the future.

The group’s board is also working toward gaining ownership of the former Indiana Glass property at 717 E. St. on the west side of the facility to be developed as Glass Capital Community and Nature Park.

In other business, council:

•Approved the following: the appointment of Tim Hummel to the West Jay Community Center board; a $350 sponsorship for the city’s adult co-ed softball league; a $300 sponsorship for Dunkirk Public Library’s summer reading program; payment of claims totaling $195,043.83.

•Discussed Indiana House Bill 1167, which would require governing bodies to provide a live stream of public meetings and archive recordings along with links to meeting agendas, minutes and other items.

•Was reminded that Dunkirk’s chapter of Delta Theta Tau sorority will host a Swayzee Tenderloins frozen breaded tenderloin pop-up sale from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Dunkirk City Park. Glad Tidings Church will also host an Easter carnival from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday at West Jay Community Center.