The storm water improvement project in Hamlet in now substantially complete, according to Territorial Engineering and the Hamlet Town Board. Van Janovic with Territorial Engineering, the firm that handled designing and overseeing the project, requested the Board to consider the project substantially complete and approve a change order. This would allow them to receive some of the final payments for the project.
Tom Dermody, the State Representative for District 20, was present at the Hamlet Town Board meeting Tuesday night. Because of redistricting, Dermody may soon be the representative serving Starke County, Knox, and Hamlet. Dermody has been attending town hall meetings in both the new district and his current district, which covers the majority of LaPorte, Pulaski, and Jasper Counties, along with some of Porter County.
“I will be hopefully having the opportunity to serve Starke County, Knox, the Town of Hamlet, and so I’m spending my summer here once session is over going around not only to the current district that I represent but also the new district to learn about the issues as we prepare for legislation, and seeing what we can do to help the local communities,” said Dermody.
At their meeting Tuesday night, the Hamlet Town Board members learned that the storm water improvement project is almost complete. Paving will be done this week on Starke Street, Pearl Street, and Davis Street and the project should be done. Work has been ongoing to extend storm drains along those roads to alleviate a standing water issue in the old downtown area in Hamlet. The project came in under budget and the Board was able to use the extra funds, plus $15,000, to pave the roads after the drainage equipment was installed.
The Hamlet Town Board met in special session to discuss the downtown sewer improvement project.
The Board learned that $80,000 will be left over from the project. The Board will contribute $10-15,000 to ensure that all streets affected in the sewer improvement project will be repaved curb to curb. Work is currently being done on Pearl Street and Davis Street. The project is expected to last through the summer.
H&G Underground continues to work on the storm water improvement project in the Town of Hamlet. The project is improving storm drainage in the old downtown area of Hamlet.
Work is currently being done on Starke Street and the piping should be finished this week. Work has also started on Pearl and Davis Streets. At their meeting Tuesday night, the Hamlet Town Board expressed their gratitude to the community for being patient during this process. It will alleviate drainage issues in the Town which have been a problem for several years.
The Hamlet Town Board also approved May 21st and 22nd as the Town-wide yard sale dates.
On Tuesday, the Hamlet Town Board members signed a contract with H & G Underground Utility for the storm water improvement project during their recent meeting. The Board members also signed a notice to proceed with the project so work could begin at any time.
The Hamlet Town Board reorganized and made appointments at its recent meeting. Curt Simpkins was retained as the Hamlet Town Board President and as the KIRPC representative, John Goble, Sr. was retained as the Street Superintendent, and the Town Attorney is Martin Bedrock. Frank Lonigro Jr. was named the Street Building Code Enforcement Officer and the Jeremiah Patrick was retained as Town Marshal.
The Town Representative for the Starke Development Foundation is Bob Yung, the Water/Wastewater Operator is John Goble, Sr., and Bobby Goetz is the Hamlet Fire Chief. Mary Stone, John Jeffers, David Fretz and Carol Bracich were named to the Hamlet Park Board.
Here are a few of the stories that made the news in the Kankakee Valley this week:
Megan Smithson, 19, of Illinois, died in an auto accident Sunday afternoon at the intersection of State Road 10 and State Road 35 in Starke County. Police say she pulled out onto US 35 and into the path of a vehicle driven by Tony Wagner of Winamac.
We heard from three of the four Starke County Councilmen who attended their last meeting December 20th. Chuck Estok, Bill Dulin, and Bruce Fingerhut (pictured right) said that they enjoyed working with the people of Starke County.
Gerald L. Broude, Jr. was sentenced in Starke Circuit Court, Tuesday. Judge Kim Hall sentenced him to 50 years in the Indiana Department of Corrections. A jury had found him Guilty on four counts of Child Molestation on December 1st.
The Hamlet Town Board approved a bid of $571,562 from H&G Underground to improve storm drainage generally in the old downtown area of Hamlet.
The Hamlet Town Board members approved next year’s salary ordinance at their meeting Tuesday night. The salary ordinance has not changed in three years. The employees have not been given a raise in three years.
