Ossian council hears updates on this year’s project line up
By GLEN WERLING
Ossian engineer Jim Breckler of Engineering Resources updated members of the Ossian Town Council Monday night on big plans for the south side of town.
Plans are this summer to replace an 8-foot diameter corrugated metal pipe under Woodcreek Drive in the Sandalwood housing addition with a 14-foot by 8-foot concrete box culvert.
Woodcreek Drive will be rehabilitated from its entrance at Jefferson Street just south of the Eight Mile Creek bridge all the way to Greenwood Trail. There the project will tie into a major upgrade of Greenwood Trail.
Both Woodcreek and Greenwood will have the addition of sidewalks that will tie Sandalwood Park to Jefferson Street.
The Greenwood Trail project is already in the works with a bid already awarded to API Construction Corporation of Fort Wayne for the project. API plans to begin construction on the Greenwood Trail project in April.
The Woodcreek Drive project is still in the works. It would include the culvert replacement over the William Smith Drain as well as curbs, storm sewers and gutters.
The entire Woodcreek project was estimated by Breckler to cost $1.2 million.
The council gave Breckler permission to pursue state-issued Community Crossing Grant matching funds to assist in paying for the project. The deadline for grant requests is Jan. 28. The project hinges on approval of the grant request, Breckler observed. If the grant is received, then the town will seek bids from construction companies this summer. The bids will also be awarded this summer.
Breckler also informed the council members that the town received $430,679 in Community Crossing funds from a grant that was awarded in 2021. Those funds will be used for rehabilitation of LaFever, Siebold, Norwalt and Ogden streets, all west of Ind. 1, and Maxine Drive east of Ind. 1 in the Melching addition.
Plans are to advertise for bids on that project Jan. 20 with the projects to be under contract no later than four months from the date of the awarding of a contract. The contracts are anticipated to be awarded by early March.
In the Rose Ann Heights subdivision, Breckler reminded the council that they agreed last summer to proceed with a project that was originally designed and permitted in 2016, but shelved because of cost concerns.
The project is water line replacement on Hickory and Shady lanes. The anticipated costs are $315,000 for Hickory and $210,000 for Shady.
Because of the materials needed to perform the project, Breckler was concerned that supply chain issues may make this not the most favorable bidding climate, so therefore the plans are to make Hickory the priority with Shady listed as an alternate to give the town flexibility in awarding the bids.
Plans are to advertise for bids Jan. 20 with bid opening set for Feb. 10.
Regarding supply chain issues, Ossian Police Chief Dave Rigney informed the council members Monday that the police department has not been able to get quotes for replacing the 2012 patrol vehicle. As soon as supply issues are resolved, he expects to be able get quotes.
The police department had also hoped to institute a pay matrix for officers for 2022, however the council Monday night decided against that request and agreed to give town employees a flat increase of 4 percent in salaries across the board.
The police chief will be paid $29.10 an hour, the sergeant’s position will be paid $26.62, and the patrol officers will be paid $23.71. Part-time officers will be paid $30 an hour but do not qualify for benefits.
The ordinance includes longevity pay increments and a $650 uniform allowance.
The council has asked to continue to modify its matrix request for review by the council members at a later date.
Regarding the new salary ordinance, the clerk-treasurer will be paid $1,822.31 bi-weekly and the town manager will be paid $2,500.14 bi-weekly.
The council also amended Ordinance 22-1-5 transferring authority for utility billing services and for collection of charges and delinquent charges to Town Manager Luann Martin. The council also agreed to retain the financial firm of Baker-Tilly to assemble year-end financial reports and to set up the town’s financial reports for 2022. The town will pay Baker-Tilly $130 an hour for the service.
Both moves by the council are temporary until a clerk-treasurer can be elected by the Wells County Republican Party for the position to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Clerk-Treasurer Erika Allison in December.
The council members Monday night also agreed to create two positions of utility clerk to replace the position of deputy clerk-treasurer. The utility clerks will be under the guidance of Martin, not the clerk-treasurer. The council also approved the job descriptions for the two positions.
Martin asked for the change from deputy clerk-treasurer to utility clerks, observing that it was practically impossible to find anyone who wanted to apply for the deputy clerk-treasurer’s position. That’s because applicants had to be informed that they could be dismissed or replaced by the new clerk-treasurer once that person takes office since the deputy serves at the pleasure of the clerk-treasurer.
By putting the utility clerks under Martin’s supervision, the positions retain more job security, Martin explained.
That allowed her to find people willing to fill the utility clerk position.
The council members then on a 5-0 vote hired Kati Stout and Sarah Moeller to fill the two utility clerk positions. Stout will be paid $19 an hour, based on her degree of experience, skills and knowledge of the job, while Moeller will be paid $16 an hour.
The council also passed resolution 22-1-4, which will allow both women to be eligible for the Public Employee Retirement Fund.
glenw@news-banner.com
