City will split cost

DUNKIRK — The caretaker’s house in Dunkirk City Park will come down.

Dunkirk City Council on Monday approved spending an estimated $4,500 to help pay to remove the house.

Eva Kreps of Dunkirk Park Board visited council to ask about sharing the cost of the project. She noted the cost to take down the house is $3,000. An additional $2,500 is needed for asbestos remediation. The remainder of the estimated $9,000 total cost will go toward dumpsters to have the debris hauled away.

City council members Jesse Bivens, Christy Curts, Dan Watson and Randy Murphy, absent Donna Revolt, unanimously approved splitting the cost with the park board.

Also Monday, the board OK’d a $1,000 sponsorship for an event on April 8 for the solar eclipse.

Dru Hall, who is helping to organize the event, said plans call for activities from noon to 5 p.m. at Webster Depot Park, with the band Lost in Reality to play beginning at 1 p.m. Local service clubs have been invited to have booths at the event.

Hall will have commemorative shirts and glasses for sale. He said proceeds from the event will go toward the Glass Days festival.

Dunkirk Mayor Jack Robbins noted that use of the park will need to be approved by the park board.

Council members also approved a payment of $8,760 to Culy Construction of Winchester for work to fix a water leak on Commerce Street at the former fire station. Robbins noted that the issue was caused when a fire hydrant was opened and closed too quickly by workers from Miller Pipeline. He said Miller Pipeline will be reimbursing the city for the expense.

Robbins also reported that some of the paving work being paid for via an Indiana Department of Transportation Community Crossings grant will begin soon. That will include adding to the trails in Dunkirk City Park and paving Broad Street between Grand Street and Moore Avenue as well as Washington Street from the railroad tracks west to Indiana Street. (Paving of streets in Quincy Place will wait until after the end of the school year to avoid congestion around nearby West Jay Elementary School.)

In other business, council:

•Agreed to advertise an additional appropriation of $14,000 for equipment to fill new self-contained breathing apparatus. The new air tanks that were purchased are in use and were paid for via an Assistance to Firefighters Grant through the Federal Emergency Management Agency which was a partnership of all of the county’s fire departments.

•Heard from Robbins that he has a contract from engineering firm Jones & Henry of Fort Wayne for a process to fix a phosphorus issue at the city’s wastewater plant. He said he will have city attorney Wes Schemenaur review the contract before bringing it back to council for approval.

•Rescinded approval of $8,536 to purchase chlorine monitors from BL Anderson and approved purchasing the equipment from USABlueBook for $2,728.82.

•Heard from Murphy that new street signs have been ordered for the library/glass museum.

•Tabled an ordinance on policies for making cuts in streets and the subsequent repairs for further review.

•Heard a plug from a representative of Arts Place’s performance committee regarding Friday’s Gabriel Royal concert. The cellist and vocalist will perform at 7 p.m. Friday at Arts Place in Portland.

•Approved paying claims totaling $340,886.99 and spending $60 per month for new email accounts for council members.

•Heard they received thank you notes from Youth Service Bureau and Secret Families Christmas Charity of Jay County for their sponsorships.