The Winamac Town Council members received an update on the time frame concerning the blight elimination project.
Continue readingWinamac Town Council Updated on Blight Elimination Project
Knox Board of Works Members Approve Bid for Pearl Street Blight Elimination
The blighted structure at 202 N Pearl Street in Knox is one step closer to being eliminated. Knox Board of Works members approved a demolition bid from Jackson Trucking and Excavating when they met in special session Monday morning.
Initially, members opened bids in February, but due to some confusion over bid specifications, members voted to re-bid for the project with requirements more clearly specified. This time only one bid was received from Harvey Jackson with Jackson Trucking and Excavating for a total of $10,000 for demolition and asbestos testing. Continue reading
Knox Board of Works Members Consider Bids for Blighted Structure on Pearl Street
Some confusion over bid specifications led to drastically different offers being opened at the Knox Board of Works meeting on Monday.
The bids were for demolition work on the blighted structure at 202 N. Pearl Street.
The first bid that was opened came in from Jackson Truck and Excavating and it was for $33,900. The second bid was from Mark Milo Enterprises for $14,900. The reason for the difference was that Jackson included the price for asbestos removal, while Milo did not. Continue reading
Knox Board of Public Works to Hold Special Meeting Today
Knox Board of Public Works members will be opening bids during a special meeting today at 9 a.m.
The bids are for demolition work on the blighted structure at 202 N Pearl Street. At the last city council meeting, Mayor Dennis Estok mentioned that the house on Pearl Street will be the 13th disheveled structure taken care of through Bligh Elimination Program. Continue reading
Mayor Provides Blight Elimination Update at Knox City Council Meeting
Knox Mayor Dennis Estok provided a brief update about the Blight Elimination Program when Knox City Council members met Tuesday night.
He stated that bids for work on the structure at 202 N Pearl Street will be opened during a special Board of Works meeting on February 5th at 9 a.m. Mayor Estok commented on the process of arranging to have the house taken down and stated that it went much quicker than past projects. Continue reading
City of Knox Blight Elimination Program Resumed
When the Knox City Council met earlier this week, Mayor Dennis Estok alerted members that the blight elimination program is back on track.
He said he recently completed the appropriate paperwork to resume the program. Two houses were included in the approved structures in the last grant that was received by the city.
Mayor Estok said contractors first started working on an eyesore at 420 Maple Street. According to the mayor, the structure previously had a fire and had been up for about a year and half. Continue reading
Knox City Council Meets New Officer, Approves Use of Community Center
The new officer at the Knox City Police Department introduced himself to the Knox City Council members Tuesday night. Eric Vanderhoff said he will be headed to the police academy on March 31 for 15 weeks of training. He’s been on the road for six months and getting to know the area. He will return to the Knox City Police Department when his training is complete. Vanderhoff was hired last spring.
The city council also approved the use of the Nancy J. Dembowski Community Center on April 25 for an event hosted by Women Anchored in Hope. The council approved the use of half of the great room, but if there are more people than anticipated then they could use the entire room.
A contract was approved to have Anne Mannix complete all of the paperwork with the Blight Elimination Program grant. The contract is for $50 an hour, not to exceed $10,000. The city attorney will review the contract.
The city council members also recognized that George Byer was reappointed as the park superintendent. That action was completed this month.
City of Knox Moving Forward with Blight Elimination Program
Knox Mayor Rick Chambers updated the city council last week on the Blight Elimination Program.
The city received a grant for $187,000 that will aid in the cost of removing blighted,vacant and abandoned homes in the city. A majority of the homes on the list are in the Parkview Heights area.
Mayor Chambers explained that the state does not want the purchased properties for demolition under this grant in the name of the city. They want a holding company that is not associated with the city. Starke County Economic Development Foundation Executive Director Charlie Weaver said the city could use the development foundation as a holding company. City Attorney David Matsey will draft a Memorandum of Understanding with the development foundation to hold those properties for three years.
Pulaski County Receives Blight Elimination Grant
Pulaski County is the recipient of a Blight Elimination Program grant from the Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority worth $147,000.
Dave Weber from the Pulaski County Building Administrator’s office said the grant will help rid the county of blighted structures.
“The funds are designed to demolish vacant, blighted or abandoned housing,” Weber explained. “This grant will last for a period of three years. In the grant application, we had to identify an end use. That end use could be anything. It could be the construction of a new home on that same lot or a community garden. At the end of that three year period, we’ll be left with a positive, constructive end use instead of a vacant lot where those abandoned homes once stood.”
Knox City Council Approves Grant Match for Blight Elimination Program Grant
The Knox City Council approved a 10 percent match to attempt to get a grant to rid the city of some unsafe homes.
It’s part of the Blight Elimination Program which would assist the city in purchasing homes that are listed as unsafe and blighted and demolish them. The majority of the homes that would be considered for this grant are in the Parkview Heights area.
Knox City Council to Meet Tonight
The Knox City Council will discuss a 10 percent match from the city to go toward a $180,000 grant in the Blight Elimination Program.
A match and commitment letter will be considered by the council tonight.
The grant will assist the city with identifying unsafe or abandoned properties to be acquired by the city, estimating the costs of any project, and preparation of the application for funding and developing a strategy.
Knox City Council Discusses Property Acquisitions
The Knox City Council agreed to wait on a request to acquire a property in Parkview Heights.
Mayor Rick Chambers got a call from a resident who stated she inherited a trailer from her father’s estate and she moved into it but no longer wants it. She wants to sell the trailer and then Relocate to Miami.
