Jasper Council: Work on Jasper Riverwalk extension to begin in July

Construction on an extension of the Jasper Riverwalk that will connect to the St. Charles multiuse path should begin in July.

The extension designed to connect the Riverwalk to St. Charles by way of Cathy Lane to 30th Street and Northwood Avenue has been planned for several years, at least 14 according to officials at the Jasper Common Council meeting Thursday evening. However, with the recent acquisition and plans for The Parklands, Council members Kevin Manley, John Bell, Earl Schmitt and Nancy Eckerle suggested the route needed to be adjusted to use 15th Street. The suggestion was made due to the accessibility to residential areas compared to the largely industrial area the original route would have taken.

In June of 2014, the city announced it would receive a $2,056,000 Local Public Agency (LPA) grant through the Indiana Department of Transportation. The grants are to be used for capital improvements which directly affect the quality of life for residents and the ability of cities and towns to attract and retain businesses. It has to have a 20 percent match by the city and according to Mayor Terry Seitz, the city has budgeted for that annually since receiving notice of the grant.

LPA grants are made through gas tax revenue and distributed through the Motor Vehicle Highway Fund and Local Road and Street Fund.

“Due to budgetary constraints from INDOT and overruns on transportation projects, we were pushed back,” City Engineer Chad Hurm said. “However, they did get that funding resolved. Our current project as it stands is funded for INDOT’s fiscal year 2017 which actually means we can start spending money in July of this year.”

Based on this, Hurm explained the Jasper Board of Public Works would consider entering into a design contract with VS Engineering at next Tuesday’s meeting.

Councilman Kevin Manley asked if the city could revisit the original design proposal to revise it based on The Parklands. “I would like to see us using 15th Street,” he said. “That would tie the inner city and downtown into The Parklands. It would tie the north to the Parklands.”

Hurm said they had already considered connecting St. Charles to 15th Street using city funds.

“I have always had a big concern about taking it out on Cathy Lane. It is so industrial. There is so much truck traffic,” Eckerle said. “I don’t think it would be safe to take it on Cathy Lane.”

Manley added that it was important to connect people rather than just complete a large loop around the city.

Hurm didn’t think changing the scope of the path would endanger the grant.

The council also took the following actions:

-Heard from Utilities Manager Bud Hauersperger that at least 35 people showed up Wednesday for a tour of the Jasper Power Plant. He explained that there were seven or eight large contractors that brought other interested parties like environmental contractors. The contractors were required to attend the tour to bid on the demo of the power plant. Bids are due February 23rd.

-Approved a conflict of interest statement for Electric Distribution Manager Jerry Schitter’s membership to the Indiana Municipal Power Agency.

-Repealed the confirmatory resolution for the tax abatement for Cash Waggner Enterprise LLC and Jasper Lofts LLC due to a mistake recorded on the scoring of the project. The score was recorded at 81 rather than 91 for the project which changed the tax abatement schedule. They council then approved Resolution 2016-1 with the correction.

-Heard the Jasper Board of Public Works would likely decide on whether or not to pursue litigation of The Planning Workshop for a breach of contract in completing the city’s new zoning and subdivision control ordinances. The Planning Workshop was unable to complete the work they were contracted for due to a reported illness. Company president K.K. Gerhardt-Fritz had told the city 95 percent of the work was complete, but only about 80 percent was done, according to City Attorney Renee Kabrick. The city would like to recoup between $9,000 and $12,000 paid to The Planning Workshop.

-Heard the city planned on several projects in alignment with the Strategic Stormwater Initiative. After a storm sewer rate study in 2014, the city allocated $425,000 annually to update the aging storm sewer system. In 2016, the city plans on completing Phase II of the Golden Acres project as well as a storm sewer replacement project on University Drive. They may also work on a retention basin at the end of Ashbury Court.

-Councilman Manley inquired about the Beaver Lake Management Committee. Mayor Seitz and Attorney Kabrick explained that after the work was approved on the dam, the residents and landowners around the lake had not shown an interest in taking part in the management plan or committee. Manley said he would check in with Parks Director Ken Buck, who was the point of contact for the lake, to see about the formation of the committee.

-Councilman Bell inquired about the reinvestment of unused funds in the city budget. Clerk-Treasurer Juanita Boehm stated excess funds from each month are invested.

-Mayor Seitz commended the city’s involvement in the avian flu outbreak. He said the street department and fire department had been helping with the response. Most recently, the fire department assisted in applying the foaming agent used to euthanize the birds when the responders ran into issues with their own application systems due to the cold weather.

-Heard that a recent letter to the editor had stated Councilwoman Eckerle had said the Jasper Cultural Center was a done deal. She told the council that she had never said that. “The cultural center has a lot of hoops to jump through, and I would never say that,” she explained.