Jasper Utility Service Board: Union injunction affects Beaver Lake spillway project
A lawsuit filed by a union trade group has stalled the Beaver Lake spillway project.
The city approved adjusting the spillway to increase the lake depth after a mandated spillway upgrade resulted in the lake’s water level lowering up to nine inches.
According to Utilities Manager Bud Hauersperger, the plan to raise the spillway to increase the water level of the lake has received approval from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
Despite the approval, Hauersperger plans on waiting to move forward with the Beaver Lake spillway work due to the lawsuit filed against the city, stormwater board and wage determination committee by the the Southwest Indiana Building and Construction Trades Council and Jasper residents Matt Leinenbach and Mark Clery.
The plaintiffs filed an injunction on January 23 based on a decision made at the January 7th wage determination hearing. The injunction has stopped a scheduled stormwater repair project along Worrel Drive between 13th and 15th streets.
A story on the lawsuit is here.
The wage determination hearing decision affects all wages for projects that exceed $350,000 in cost for three months after the wage hearing.
The Jasper Utility Service Board met for their regular meeting and took the following actions.
–Approved a bid from Advanced Radio Communications of Jasper for $4004 for new surveillance cameras for the electric substations.
–Approved a petition from property owners Ross and Andrea Hartings for a vacation of the right-of-way on Echo Drive. The utility service board would retain a utility easement for the area. The Hartings asked for the vacation for the construction of their new house.
–Approved the purchase of a new bucket truck for Electric Distribution for $157,207 from Sternberg’s.
–Approved the purchase of a Power Quality Recorder and Analyzer from Power Monitors Incorporated, the only dealer for the equipment, for $12,158.21.
–Heard from Utilities Manager Bud Hauersperger that Phase I of the environmental assessment of the Jasper Power Plant was complete and Phase II had received approval for proceeding. The assessment is being paid though a a state grant.
–Heard from Gas and Water Superintendent Ernie Hinkle that the weather has been too cold to pour concrete for the new UV addition to the water plant. The weather had slowed the work down.
–Heard from Hinkle that the valve at Beaver Lake will be shut to maintain the lake at the level on March 1, pending weather.
–Approved the purchase of a process pump for $34,907 from BL Anderson. The pump is the same as the other two the city already owns and BL Anderson is the single source provider.
–Heard from Hauersperger that he had received a draft for the water rate study from Umbaugh Associates and a water committee meeting would be scheduled to discuss the draft.
–Heard from Hauersperger that the utilities would be switching email providers from PSC to Microsoft. Email addresses will change slightly as the new system is implemented.
