Ferdinand Town Council Meeting
The Ferdinand Town Council met Tuesday night and it was clear that the warm weather is having an effect on various departments in the Town.
Property and Street Department manager Tom Lueken reports water has been turned on at the parks due to so many residents visiting the parks because of the warm weather. He also told the board, trash cans have been placed at the parks in lieu of the increased usage.
Town manager Marc Steczyk reported that INDOT has approved the environment report for the new pedestrian/bicycle trail project and now the Town can pursue easements to move the project along.
The council made a decision on the configuration of two pedestrian bridges that need to be constructed along the trail. One bridge is about 75 feet in length and the other will be around 35 feet. A three-sided concrete bridge configuration was passed by the board which has exceptional aesthetic qualities and comes in at a lower cost than the steel beam bridge design. The total cost will be $324,253.00. The grant that the town is working to achieve will pick up 80% of that price tag.
In other departmental reports, Utility Manager Henry Haake says that he has found a Leak Tuner that “listens” for leaks underground in water mains that traverse the town, especially those that pass under paved streets. The equipment pinpoints difficult to locate leaks so they can be fixed to avoid loss of water in the system. The cost for the Leak Tuner is $4,370.00 and the council passed a motion to authorize its purchase.
Wastewater manager Roger Schaefer says that his department is finishing up a sewer extension for the new McDonald’s restaurant on the south side of town.
Council member Debbie Johnson reports that she and Street Department manager Tom Lueken have been in touch with the owner of the new Dollar General store about washout of ground by excessive storm water flow on the buildings’ north side. She says that while the owner is very congenial, nothing is getting done to fix the issue. Town Attorney Bill Shaneyfelt was not in attendance, but his partner, Sharon Bohnenkemper, was asked to write a letter on behalf of the town to help get a sense of urgency instilled in the process of resolving the issue.
Finally, Town Clerk-Treasurer Bev Schulthise told the council that the appropriation of $55,000 from the 2011 budget to go to 2012 for the 18th Street Park Restrooms would need to be set for a public hearing to legally move the money. The Council set a public hearing for the next council meeting at 8:00 p.m. on April 10th.
[fbshare type=”button”] [twitter style=”horizontal” source=”dcfreep” hashtag=”#FerdinandIN” float=”left”] [pinterest count=”horizontal”]
Good for Ferdinand! I am impressed that someone there has the insight to open up the restrooms and place trash cans out due to the warm weather and increased public use of the parks. Hats off to you! Would anyone there be willing to attend the Huntingburg Park Board meeting on Monday night at 5:45 p.m. at City Hall and please tell those folks how you were able to make that happen, as they can't seem to figure that out on their own? It's 82 degrees, the Huntingburg Park is full of people, and this evening they are all using a port a potty for some reason. So much for Huntingburg's new Mayor's promises of "Pride, Progress, and Positiveness." I see none of the above in the Huntingburg Park Department. What a shame.
The bathrooms were open near the girls' softball field yesterday. We are unaware of the condition of the rest of the park.