Ordinance approved

DUNKIRK — Anyone seeking to do work in a city right of way will need a permit and will face stricter requirements for making repairs.

Dunkirk City Council on Monday approved a new right-of-way use ordinance in part to address issues with having recently paved streets cut for utility work.

The new ordinance — it will go into effect 10 days after official notice is published in the newspaper — requires permits for construction, altering or removing any of the surface or subsurface material, digging, excavating, installing or repairing of utility facilities (above- or below-ground), private connections to public utility facilities or any other facilities in the right of way, and installation of mailbox approaches, sidewalks or temporary fences. Permit applications will require contact information for both the entity for which the work is being done and the contractor, the reason for the work, a cost estimate, an exact description of the project, a precise location and dimensions, beginning and end dates, and whether any of a street will need to be closed.

Permit fees are $500 for utility work. (Permits for all other work are $25.) Those who do not get a permit face a fine of up to $3,000 for below-ground utility work, up to $750 for above-ground utility work and up to $250 for other issues

The ordinance also sets out requirements for insurance, bonds, indemnifying the city, installation and design. It authorizes the city’s board of works to establish “specifications and procedural instructions” for work and activities within the right-of-way. (That includes determining how a street must be repaired.)

Council members Jesse Bivens, Christy Curts, Dan Watson, Donna Revolt and Randy Murphy approved the ordinance.

Also Monday, the council heard from wastewater superintendent Steven Gillette and water superintendent Brock Farmer regarding pay raises for city employees.

Gillette presented the council with a list of similarly sized cities and their salaries for department superintendents and laborers. Superintendents on his list — it included Upland, Churubusco, French Lick and Monon, among others — range from about $48,000 to nearly $75,000, with laborers between $43,000 and $48,000.

(He quoted averages of $62,156 for superintendents and $45,532 for laborers.)

He proposed a 20% pay increase.

“We still wouldn’t even be close to the $62,000,” Gillette said, estimating it would move the city’s employees to $52,000 for superintendents and $40,144 for laborers.

He said those raises would fit within his department’s 2024 budget.

Farmer added his feeling that all after-hours calls should be paid at time and a half. He also advocated for raises in general.

“Albany’s park splash pad (employees) make $16.15 an hour to start,” he said. “That is more than my lowest guy. That’s not right.”

Dunkirk Mayor Jack Robbins explained that the city council could look at such raises through the budget process, which typically begins in June. Gillette pushed back, asking why such changes would have to wait.

Watson, a former mayor, reiterated the need for the council to look at the proposal rather than making an immediate decision.

“We need to discuss it, and I think the best time for us to discuss it is while we’re doing budgets,” said Watson. “It’s not just your department.

“Obviously you guys need a raise. …

“We need to look at all the departments. … We want to address all the departments at the same time.”

In other business, council:

•Canceled its May 27 meeting, which would have fallen on Memorial Day.

•Repealed its COVID-19 policy.

•Approved up to $300 from the mayor’s promotional fund for attendance at the Jay County Community Awards on May 11. Robbins is nominated for the Dunkirk Community Commitment Award.

•Approved the following: hiring JL Brooks Painting of Indianapolis to paint the interior of the city building, including filling cracks and other fixes, for $7,950 (the city is also getting a quote for a new front door for the city building); payment of $7,102.20 to Best Way for removal of debris from a house that was damaged by fire on Main Street and the former park caretaker’s house; and paying $241,717.65 in claims.

•Heard from Revolt that trail work to finish the loop around Dunkirk City Park is underway. She also said an issue with restroom lights in the park has been repaired and that the park board plans to spruce up landscaping.

•Received a thank you letter from Dunkirk Public Library for sponsoring its summer reading program.

•Heard from Robbins that he is considering a recommendation to add a full-time “float” employee for the city who could assist with mowing, park work and other duties on an as-needed basis.

•Learned from Farmer that the city will be flushing fire hydrants next week. He also cautioned that some residents may see discolored water as the new Ag Best CountryMark is being hooked up to water lines on Thursday and Friday.