City Oks Dubois Drive One-Way Ordinance On Second Reading
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Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
On second reading Monday, the Warsaw City Council approved an ordinance to make Dubois Drive a one-way street westbound between Parker Street and Provident Drive.
The ordinance also closes Brookview Drive at Parker Street.
Public hearings and neighborhood meetings were previously held.
The purpose of making Dubois Drive one way is to avoid conflicts at the intersection of Dubois Drive and Parker Street.
Eastbound Dubois Drive traffic or traffic coming from Harrison Street will be forced to turn left at Provident Drive while yielding to westbound Dubois Drive traffic.
The council previously approved the ordinance on first reading at its June 7 meeting. The ordinance was recommended by Warsaw Traffic Safety Commission.
Monday, councilman and traffic member Dan Hampton made the motion to approve the ordinance and councilman Charlie Smith seconded the motion. Councilmen Joe Thallemer, Jeff Grose and Kyle Babcock also approved the ordinance on second reading. Councilmen George Clemens and Jerry Patterson were absent during Monday's meeting.
Steve Miller, Kosciusko Community Hospital CEO, attended Monday's meeting and said he was opposed to making Dubois Drive one way because he said it would create additional traffic going through the hospital parking lot.
He shared traffic safety concerns with making Dubois Drive one way.
He said there has been a lot of traffic crossing through the hospital property that is not hospital traffic, and speed bumps were previously installed to slow down traffic, but patients have tripped over the speed bumps.
"I understand these are tough decisions to make, but I wanted to express our concerns about the traffic patterns," Miller said.
City Planner Jeremy Skinner said the city has had conversations with hospital officials prior to public hearings and neighborhood meetings to inform them about the road changes.
Skinner said there could be a sign posted at the KCH entrance that states hospital traffic only, and that it is not a thoroughfare road.
Councilman Kyle Babcock said he supported the hospital's concerns.
"I think we have an obligation to help KCH if we are going to change the dynamics of the road. Things change and I don't like the argument that we talked to the hospital before," he said. "We are going to change the intersection forever and I think we need to come up with some solutions to help the hospital."
Mayor Ernie Wiggins said whatever the city can do to partner with the hospital as the project progresses they will do.
Councilman Charlie Smith said there are a lot of accidents at the intersection and something needs to be done, but it is a tough decision.
"We could have had a second reading at the last meeting, but we wanted to know objections and problems," Smith said.
Approximately four Brookview Drive residents attended the meeting and expressed their concerns that closing off eastbound Dubois Drive would cause eastbound Brookview Drive to Parker Street be used as an alternative route.
Councilman Jeff Grose said his concern is that Brookview Drive and Sally Street are not thoroughfares, and Harrison and Parker streets are designed for more traffic.
"As your representative to save the residential neighborhood from the beehive that I cannot control, closing Brookview Drive is the best way to keep excess traffic from going in the neighborhood," Grose said.
The council also approved a yield sign for eastbound Dubois Drive traffic to reinforce that traffic yield the right of way to westbound traffic as they turn.
In other business the council approved the placement of stop signs at intersections within Paths of Deerfield and a no parking sign on either side of JaLynn Street that passes between Wal-Mart and Lowe's.
The council approved an ordinance amending the personnel policy handbook.
For firearms, the section states the city respects each individual's right to bear arms, but does not believe firearms are appropriate in the workplace.
The ordinance states any employee carrying a firearm during working time unless authorized for law enforcement purposes, in city vehicles or on city property not generally accessible to the public will be discharged.
Except that as provided by Indiana Code 34-28-7 an employee may have a legally possessed firearm or legally-possessed ammunition in his or her vehicle on city property but only if the firearm or ammunition is stored in the vehicle's trunk, glove box or out of plain sight within the vehicle and the vehicle is kept locked.
Any employee who violates these rules also will be subject to immediate termination.
The council approved a resolution for additional appropriations for the motor vehicle highway fund of $41,146.81; street repairs and maintenance, $44,253.86; and Cumulative Capital Development Fund, $7,045.03.
The council reviewed a Warsaw Fire Department activity report for May with 121 responses.
