Mentone Seeking Planning Grant For Wastewater System Upgrade
Posted
David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
MENTONE - Before their regular meeting Monday, the Mentone Town Council held a sewage improvement hearing.
According to Christi Pappano, project coordinator with Kenna Consulting & Management Group Inc., Indianapolis, the town is applying for a $30,000 planning grant from the Office of Community and Rural Affairs. The town will provide a $3,400 match from its sewer operating fund.
With the grant, the town will have Bonar Group do a study of the town's wastewater utility as a whole. Pappano said the study will describe what needs to be fixed and in what order it needs repaired.
Mentone will apply for the grant at the end of October. She said they should know if they receive the grant by the last business day of November.
During the hearing, the town council approved signing all the forms that go with the application after town attorney Larry Beeson reviews them, a resolution to provide the local match, and for Bonar Group to do the work if the grant is awarded.
During the regular meeting, a flood plain ordinance was approved by the town council.
Beeson said the ordinance still has to go through some hoops at the state before it's final.
Mentone had to accept the state's flood plain ordinance for town residents to qualify for federal flood insurance.
Utilities Superintendent Darrel Miller presented two cost estimates to replace the air conditioning unit at the wastewater treatment plant. The estimate from Alpha Omega was $3,840, with a cost estimate from Elliott's Heating & Air Conditioning at $3,380. Miller said that is a complete replacement.
Miller said the unit is not working at this time even though it was serviced not too long ago. At the lab at the treatment plant, Miller said they need a controlled environment.
Town councilman Roger Long said it's getting into fall. He asked if the town had the money to replace the unit at this time.
Clerk-treasurer Barbara Ross said "not really." The money to pay for it would come out of the sewer money, "which gets tapped out by the end of the year pretty much."
Tim Croy, council president, asked how long the bids were good for.
"My assumption is one month," said Miller. He said they could revisit the cost estimates in the spring.
In 2005, the town agreed to pay a one-time lease payment of $4,950 to use property Norfolk Southern Railroad owned instead of annual payments of $330. The town never heard back from the railroad after sending in a letter agreeing to the one-time payment.
Recently, however, the town received a letter from DMJM Harris, under contract by Norfolk Southern, saying the railroad would accept a one-time payment of $9,000. The town was given 45 days to answer.
Beeson was instructed to contact the railroad about the matter.
Croy said the town board has received complaints from residents about the number of tickets issued by the police department. Croy said the board can't tell the police department who to write tickets to or how many. The police department alone is responsible for tickets.
In other business, the town council:
n Agreed not to sell the town's backhoe to Jerry Singleton. At the September meeting, Singleton said he was interested in purchasing the backhoe.
n Heard leaf pickup begins Oct. 22 and will last through the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, Nov. 21. No leafs are to be piled in the street. Leaves should be raked in the tree lawn area.
n Set trick or treat hours for Halloween as 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 31.
n Heard hydrants will be flushed Oct. 9-10. Residents may want to refrain from doing laundry as the water may be discolored during the flushing.
n Approved for Eric Carlin, utilities department, to purchase six new tires for the 1998 truck.
n Decided not to pay the town's due of $906 for membership in the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns.
"I think it's a waste of money. I really do," said Ross.
n Were provided with the September police report. There were 45 incidents, 22 cases and nine major cases. Five adults and three juveniles were arrested.
Thirteen traffic-related ordinance violations tickets were given out, as well as 17 traffic-related warnings, 11 ordinance violations warnings and two warrants were served. Reserve hours totaled 40.75 hours, and officers attended 3.5 training hours.
Members of the Mentone Town Council are Tim Croy, Roger Long and Jack Simpson. They meet at 6:30 p.m. on the first Monday of every month in the Mentone Community Emergency Services Building.
