Purchasing vac, sweeper

DUNKIRK — The city will be getting some new equipment.

Dunkirk City Council approved the purchase of a street sweeper and a new vacuum truck during its meeting on Monday.

Council president Jesse Bivens presented the proposal to purchase the new equipment. He said the new vacuum truck has about three times the capacity of the city’s current pull-behind model.

He proposed the purchase of a used vacuum truck from Best Equipment for $19,500 after trade-in.

He added that the city’s existing street sweeper is old and needs repairs for which parts are no longer available. He proposed the purchase of a used street sweeper, also from Best Equipment, for $40,900 after trade-in. (He said the city has looked into purchasing a new truck, with estimates coming in between $350,000 and $400,000.)

With discounts for buying both pieces of equipment at the same time, the total came out to $58,900. The water and wastewater departments will split the cost of the vacuum truck, and the street department will purchase the street sweeper.

Council members Christy Curts, Dan Watson, Donna Revolt, Randy Muprhy and Bivens unanimously approved the purchases.

Watson also reported on damage at the wastewater treatment plant that was caused either by a lightning strike or power surge during a storm last week. The “call-out box” was damaged during the event, leading to no one being notified of the issue until employees arrived for work the next day.

Since then, one pump is now being operated manually. Watson said early estimates indicate there could be about $25,000 in repairs to bring the facility back to regular working conditions. He added that the city is waiting on information from its insurance company before repairs can begin.

Council members also approved the payment of a $27,026.25 invoice from Team EJP of Indianapolis for equipment related to new water meters. The cost will be split evenly between the water and wastewater departments.

Dunkirk Mayor Jack Robbins updated the council on Indiana Senate Bill 1, which addresses property taxes as well as various other tax-related issues. He presented the council with data that shows Jay County taxing entities would lose $1.1 million in tax revenue under the bill in 2026, followed by $1.42 million in 2027 and up to $1.52 million in 2028. A further breakdown shows a $76,800 loss in tax revenue for Dunkirk in 2026, with that number climbing to about $85,000 in 2027 and up to $96,800 in 2028.

Robbins noted that legislators representing Jay County visited John Jay Center for Learning on Saturday and said there are changes coming to the bill. (It was set for a committee hearing on Tuesday.)

He also issued a reminder that legislators will hold another update in Jay County at 9 a.m. Saturday, March 15, at West Jay Community Center.

In other business, the council:

•Approved the following: a $100 sponsorship for Jay County 4-H.; payment of claims totaling $317,975.31.

•Heard from Bivens that a first draft of the city’s wellhead protection plan is complete and is being reviewed.

•Received a thank you letter from Secret Families of Jay County Christmas Charity for the city’s sponsorship.