LAPEL — A hole in a wastewater treatment sleeve, which separates solids at the wastewater plant, is creating problems for pumps and creating a need for quick repairs.
Lapel Utility Superintendent Mary Armacost told the town council at a recent meeting about problems that needed to be fixed, as well as estimated costs related to the problem.
“(The hole in the sleeve) is allowing things to get through it and it’s clogging pumps and burning up the pumps,” she said.
She recommended, along with replacing the sleeve, to buy a new pump, as well as make repairs to an existing pump.
Armacost said she received a verbal estimated cost for a new sleeve at $19,400. A new pump and repairs for a current pump will likely cost another $20,000.
The town council approved $20,000 for the sleeve repair and up to $20,000 for the pumps. Council president Chad Blake said that, if the cost exceeds those amounts an emergency declaration would come into effect to pay the remaining amount.
Fireworks ordinance barely passes
A fireworks ordinance that goes into effect July 23 passed by a vote of 3-2.
According to the ordinance, fireworks can be set off from 5 p.m. to two hours after sunset on June 29-30, July 1-3 and July 5-9, and from 10 a.m. to midnight on July 4th, as well as from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.
Fireworks can be launched from private, but not public property. Fireworks cannot be set off in town parks or streets.
Blake and council members Teresa Retherford and Jason Kleinbub approved the ordinance. Vice-president Tom Marvel and council member Lindsay Washmuth voted against it.
The ordinance was approved at the June 17 meeting, but is not effective until the adoption and signature of the town council and publication required by law.
INDOT reimbursement
Engineering firm Kimley-Horn is negotiating, on behalf of the town, for reimbursement from Indiana Department of
Transportation for road repair work.
During a closure of State Road 32 for INDOT repairs, there was damage to Vine Street and County Road 200 South, which were not official detours during the construction period.
Repairs for the damage, which included resurfacing and repaving, cost $388,000.
Kimley-Horn informed the town at its June meeting that INDOT would not pay the full amount, because was just a six-week detour.
According to Kimley-Horn, INDOT seemed OK with the patch work that was done but not the resurfacing.
The patching portion cost an estimated $125,000.
The council agreed, instead of settling for the $125,000, to have Kimley-Horn continue the negotiations with the state.
Sidewalk replacement fund
The council voted to transfer money from the Olevia Cascadden Fund to the Sidewalk Repair account.
The Cascadden Fund, a multi-million dollar trust left by the former resident who passed away in 2015, gives funding in alternating years to the town and the school system.
For the town, funds were to be used for the beautification purposes.
The sidewalk repair project is a 50-50 match program for adjacent property owners and the town.
For the town portion, $7,000 was transferred to the sidewalk account.
