Knox City Council to Discuss Jail Water Project
A necessary infrastructure improvement to keep the Starke County Jail project on schedule will be discussed during a special-called Knox City Council meeting this evening. The pressure from the water pipe that feeds the facility on State Road 8 east of Knox is not adequate to provide fire protection to the building, based on the results of a recent hydrant test. City and county officials are studying options to remedy that problem and have decided that running a loop from Henry Drive to Edgewood to the highway is the best option in terms of cost and the time frame necessary to finish the project. Dennis and Chuck Estok have agreed to donate an easement through their property in order to accommodate the upgrade. The work needs to be done by April 1, 2014 in order to keep the jail project on schedule. Other options include building an underground tank to hold water or constructing a temporary tank above ground until the water lines can be upgraded. However, both options are considerably more expensive than running a loop to join with the existing pipe. The county commissioners agreed to spend up to $50,000 for the upgrade, with the work to be done by the city. The city council will consider that offer during a meeting this evening at 7 p.m.
Inspections Results Awaited Regarding Bass Lake Beach and Campground
Starke County Commissioners Discuss Pay Deductions for Delinquent Taxes
Employees of Starke County that are behind on their property taxes may soon find themselves getting a smaller check, after the county commissioners this week discussed the possibility of deducting pay from employees who have delinquent taxes. Treasurer Kasey Clark told the commissioners that some employees are behind on their taxes and they need to pay up.
Starke County May Soon Switch Cell Phone Providers
Starke County Highway Dept. Staying Busy, Says Superintendent
The Starke County Highway Department has been staying busy, as the department recently finished their third cycle of mowing and are well into the fourth, according to Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler. Ritzler told the commissioners that they’ve also finished their chip seal operations, which ended on July 25, thanks in a large part to one highway department employee who stepped up to the plate in a big way, helping to chip seal 30 miles in less than two weeks.
Starke Commissioners Receive Bass Lake Beach Update
Starke County Officials Host Open House at New Jail Facility
“When inmates are brought to the facility, they will enter through the sallyport area. The doors go up, the car goes in, the door goes down again. They’ve got them secured, and then they take them through the sallyport to inmate booking,” said Norem.
Commissioners Staff Veterans Service Office With Volunteer
Commissioners Vote Against Holiday Pay for Lawson
Starke County Commissioners Discuss Golf Cart Ordinance
Open House to Be Hosted at New Starke County Jail Facility
Starke County Commissioners Weigh Insurance Options
Starke County Commissioners have chosen the less expensive premium option for insurance to ensure the county has coverage, but they intend to keep shopping for lower cost alternatives. They finally got rate quotes Monday morning and did not have time to explore other options prior to their meeting that night. Doing nothing wasn’t an option, as the county’s existing policy expires this week. After quite a bit of discussion they chose the policy with a $153,000 annual premium and a $50,000 deductible on all claims, including vehicles. The premium for the other policy is $225,000 per year, and the deductible is $10,000. The premium spike is due to the high number of insurance claims filed by the county over the last five years. It’s unclear whether the county will have to pay a penalty if they find a less expensive policy and cancel this one.
Commissioner Asks Beach Manager to Step Aside, No Action Taken
“The hot water doesn’t work, there’s feces in the toilet, there’s sewage leaking here and there, no safety and security equipment, toilets don’t flush…every year, and frankly, sometime you’ve got to say, ‘hello, there’s a problem here,’” said Norem.
Starke Commissioners Receive Highway Department Update
The Starke County Commissioners this week approved permits presented by Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler to allow CenturyLink to upgrade fiber optics in the area, requiring the company to perform work near the intersection of Toto Road and County Road 250 South.
Ritzler also presented the commissioners with his department’s monthly report and said mowing is progressing as planned, with the second cycle having been completed in most of the county. The third cycle in some areas has also been completed, though the chip-seal work has been hampered by inclement weather. He said the highway department is still working on that and has begun work in Washington Township.
Starke Commissioners Approve Scope of Work, Bid Documents for Jail Project
Scott Cherry told the commissioners that the schematic estimate that had been presented a month prior came out to roughly $11 million, which was a bit high; he said the ideal range was within $10.2 million to $10.3 million. Now, however, after they tightened some of the expenses, they’ve brought the estimated cost down to roughly $10.3 million.
Highway Superintendent Gets Blessing to Hire Part-Time Mowing Help
Starke County Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler can use funds in his budget to hire up to three part-time seasonal employees to keep up with right-of-way mowing. They will only work as needed and will not exceed the 130 hours per month limit the county has placed on part-time help in order to comply with the federal Affordable Care Act. The council also granted final approval to purchase of three additional trucks for the county highway department based on Ritzler’s recommendations. He presented detailed quotes from four vendors for five different chassis as well as two bed and body prices. Former county highway employee Richard Budka questioned the process, specifically the legality of obtaining quotes instead of sealed bids for the work. After the meeting county attorney Marty Lucas explained that sealed bids are only necessary for public infrastructure projects such as roads and other types of construction. He said in the case of vehicle purchases, quotes are standard as long as each vendor is given the same set of specifications on which to base his price. Copies of the quotes are available for review at the auditor’s office during business hours.
Vertical Borings to Be Installed in Starke County Landfill
ISBH Inspector to Visit Bass Lake Campground
An inspector from the Indiana State Board of Health will soon be visiting the Bass Lake Beach and Campground, according to Starke County Sanitarian Chris Dalton. Dalton told the county commissioners this week that he had inspected the beach not too long ago and noticed a few minor problems, such as weeds growing near the beach, bathrooms suffering from structural issues, rusty water, and other issues. He said he had been out to the business in the past to deal with complaints of garbage laying around and unsanitary bathrooms, but the owners have been good at fixing up what Dalton points out.
U.S. 35 Construction to Begin June 20
The winning construction bid for the replacement came in at more than $4.2 million. Superior Construction from Gary will replace the bridge at an exact cost of $4,258,856, and Ritzler said the construction will begin on June 20, to be wrapped up by Nov. 1.
Ritzler said the state detour will direct traffic from U.S. 35 to State Road 8, to State Road 39, to U.S. 30. A local detour, however, was also cleared with the state. The local detour will direct traffic from U.S. 35 to County Road 500 North, to 300 East, then to U.S. 30.
