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City's Utility Supt. leaving for Indianapolis post
It wasn't a mumblingly murderous Mafia boss but a rival water company that made the proverbial offer he couldn't refuse to the Greencastle utility superintendent.
And today, the City of Greencastle is looking -- not for a new Godfather -- but for a new head of its water and wastewater departments following the resignation of Richard Hedge at Wednesday afternoon's Board of Public Works and Safety meeting at City Hall.
Hedge, whose last day as Greencastle utility boss will come on April 19, will be taking a position with United Water of Indianapolis.
"They made me an offer I couldn't turn down," Hedge said, indicating company officials called him "out of the blue" for a reference on a previous co-worker and ended up suggesting he'd be perfect for the job.
Hedge, who was hired by the City of Greencastle in August 2008, moved into the role of utility superintendent in June 2010, serving in an "acting superintendent" capacity during George Russell's illness.
Mayor Sue Murray thanked him for his contributions to the city and its utility department.
"We most certainly wish Richard well with his new challenges at United Water," Mayor Murray told the Banner Graphic, "and we are grateful to him for taking on the responsibility of our Utility Operations during a difficult time of transition."
On Hedge's watch, the Greencastle Wastewater Treatment Plant has carried on a tradition of winning the Plant Safety Award from the Indiana Water Environmental Association (IWEA), capturing the honor in both 2011 and 2012 (after previously doing so in 2007, 2008 and 2009).
Hedge himself was awarded the L.L Larson Safety Award in 2011 for being the person responsible for bringing about safety improvements in the operation of a wastewater treatment plant.
In another personnel move, the Board of Works selected Robert Beebe, a member of the Greencastle reserve firefighters, to fill the Greencastle Fire Department vacancy left by the recent promotion of Christy Glass to fire inspector.
Beebe, who was the GFD Board of Captains' recommendation for the position, was chosen from a field of three candidates, all of whom won high praise from Mayor Murray and GFD Chief Bill Newgent.
"We had great candidates, I'm proud of all three of them," Newgent said after the decision was announced.
Mayor Murray agreed.
"If we had had three positions, we probably could have filled all of them today," she said.
Beebe's hiring is contingent upon approval by the Public Employee Retirement Fund (PERF).
In other business, the Board of Works:
-- Approved one-time, one-month sewer rate adjustments due to water leaks for Indian Springs Apartments, at $756.28 on its December billing, and $2,823.10 for Hickory Creek at Sunset on its February billing.
Utility office clerk Melanie Welker told the board the adjustments are in accordance with city policy. "If you have a (water) leak, you can have one (sewer bill) adjustment in a calendar year," she said.
-- Approved the purchase of a new Ford dump truck by the Street Department for $103,965. The two-ton diesel truck, purchased via Motor Vehicle Highway (MVH) funds, will replace a 1994 Kodiak.
The Ford chassis and cab were bid at $41,478, while a Kenworth bid carried a $77,697 figure for cab and chassis. An accompanying Clark Equipment package for plow bed and all necessary hydraulics at $62,487 made the Ford bid a $103,965 total, while the Kenworth bid totaled $119,175.