Dunkirk approves ARPA spending

DUNKIRK — The city had more than $270,000 in federal coronavirus relief funding remaining.

It cut that total by more than half Monday.

Dunkirk City Council approved various purchases and contracts to be paid for with American Rescue Plan Act funds during its regular meeting.

Council members began discussions last month about how to spend the remaining funds from the 2021 coronavirus relief bill. (All American Rescue Plan Act funds must be under contract by the end of the year and spent by the end of 2026.)

They approved a series of expenditures Monday, the largest of which was for the city’s water department. It was approved to buy six new fire hydrants from EJP, a Maine company with four offices in Indiana, at a cost of $23,620.02. Culy Contracting of Winchester will install the new hydrants at a cost of $67,215. Also approved were the purchase of 13 meters from EJP for $24,213.50 and lab equipment from Hach of Loveland, Colorado, for $5,777.57.

Council members Jesse Bivens, Christy Curts, Dan Watson, Donna Revolt and Randy Murphy also unanimously approved spending related to electrical work and heating, ventilating and cooling upgrades for the wastewater treatment plant. It will get new light fixtures and additional equipment as it converts to LED lights at a cost of $16,660 from 4TC of Portland. It will also have a new heating unit installed ($2,626) and repairs made to an air-handling unit ($3,300).

Other American Rescue Plan Act expenditures approved at the meeting include $8,000 for new tables and chairs for the city building and $3,145.95 for signs and posts for the street department.

At its previous meeting, the council approved just over $21,400 for a new mower and the installation of playground equipment at Dunkirk City Park.

Following those expenditures, the city has just under $117,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds remaining.

Dunkirk Mayor Jack Robbins asked about the status of a countywide effort to purchase new communications radios for emergency responders. County attorney Wes Schemenaur said a study is ongoing but that it seems unlikely a firm amount for purchase of those radios will be available by the end of the year.

There was a brief discussion about possible ways to allocate American Rescue Plan Act funds toward such a purchase.

In other business, council:

•Recognized veterans for their service. (Veterans Day was Saturday, with the holiday being observed Monday.)

•Learned from Revolt that new playground equipment will be installed at Dunkirk City Park in December.

•Acknowledged the death of longtime Dunkirk resident, business owner and community leader Leo Glogas, who died Thursday. “He was a great friend, a great neighbor,” said Bivens. “There was nobody like Leo Glogas.”

•Heard from Robbins that he plans to apply for Community Crossings grant funding through Indiana Department of Transportation in the second half of 2025. He said he is working on finalizing the list of streets for the grant request to help cover the cost of paving.

•Learned from Murphy that lights have been installed on truck route signs in an effort to make them stand out more to drivers.

•Heard Robbins ask that council consider enacting an ordinance regarding rules and procedures for recording and live-streaming meetings, which will be required by state law beginning July 1. He also asked council to look at other ordinances relating to the conduct of council meetings in order to suggest potential changes.

•Approved payment of claims totaling $317,229.03.

•Acknowledged receipt of a thank you letter from Youth Service Bureau.