By JONATHAN SNYDER
Markle approved a one-year contract for a deal between the Uniondale and Markle Fire Departments during its council meeting Wednesday.
Discussions about the deal have been ongoing for months. Uniondale will transfer control of its equipment, truck and maintenance of the Uniondale Fire Station to the trustees of Wells County and pay $15,000 per year while retaining land ownership of the fire station. In exchange, the other five entities in the deal will provide the equipment and manpower for Uniondale’s fire coverage.
The council and other employees of Markle agreed that this deal will act as a baseline for future negotiations, rather than a permanent mainstay. While Fire Chief Jon Gray expressed his relief that the negotiation process ended, he was clear about the need to take another look.
“To be completely honest the number is low,” Gray said. “But I think in order to make this work and to be good stewards of everyone’s money and do a good job for the communities that we both serve, we need to start somewhere.”
Council member Nicolas Lund further stated that the short-term nature of the deal requires everyone to look toward next year as soon as possible, with all parties having a clearer vision of what should be needed after the current year passes, Council President Matthew Doss also said that he will talk with the trustees about ways they could communicate better throughout the negotiation process, so next year does not take as long.
Additionally, Operations Manager Mike Grant announced a “worst-case scenario” estimated $5,725 expense for TW Excavating to replace 600 feet of six-inch drainage tile for the new Whispering Pines housing addition at Conifer Court. While Grant tried to contact two other contractors for bids over the past six weeks, they were unresponsive to the request. For previous similar projects, TW Excavating came in lower than expected, which gave the council confidence in approving the expense for the drainage tile project.
Grant also noted that a block section between Logan and Scott streets will receive some upgrades as a part of the water main project. In the water main bids, Markle added some asphalt and street work for certain areas in the project space, which qualified them for a $1.5 million Community Crossings grant. Estimates for the asphalt work came in lower than expected, and an extra $246,865 became available for street work. The Logan and Scott street upgrades are estimated to cost $246,750.
The council also adopted an updated Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan from Huntington County. This plan identifies goals and actions to reduce risks if natural disasters hit. Hunting County Emergency Management Director Robert Jeffers stated that the plan qualifies Markle for post-disaster relief funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Police Chief John Markley and Grant stated that community meetings about the plan were very well attended, and their input was taken into account, giving the council confidence to adopt the plan.
The council also retained its current PHP Health Insurance plan. Larry Davis, representing PHP, stated that PHP is asking for an 8% increase in their current benefit plan’s renewal numbers. Davis noted that compared to other carriers, it’s a very good renewal number. Council Member Blake Caley stated that the premium cost in the current plan outclasses other plans presented by Davis. Caley further noted that he wants to make sure that Markle does not do anything to knock themselves out of the grandfathered plan.
Additionally, Caley said that Master’s Pantry, which provides food and clothing to community members in need, is spending over $35,000 a month just on food costs. Richard Shafer, a volunteer for the pantry, came to Caley with a request for help from the council. While the council wished to help, noting potentially available monies in the COVID-19 relief fund and the opioid settlement fund, Lund encouraged Shafer to go to the Markle Chamber of Commerce and see if a long-term partnership could be worked out, to ensure the long-term future of the pantry.
The next council meeting will occur on Aug. 29, due to absences from council members on their regularly scheduled date of Aug. 21.
jonathan@news-banner.com
