Cloverdale plans updates to Stardust Road

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

CLOVERDALE -- Town Manager Wayne Galloway announced that the Cloverdale Redevelopment Commission has been making plans to improve Stardust Road, which experiences a large amount of truck and trailer traffic to and from the C Bar C Expo Center.

Although plans are not final and the council has not officially approved the project, the proposed improvements include widening the road to 24 feet with a shoulder, curb and gutter as well as installing turning lanes for Stardust Hills Housing Development and the C Bar C Expo Center.

Total cost was estimated at $2.5 million.

In response to a question from the audience, Clint Roos of Midwestern Engineers said that his company would like to improve the railroad intersection as well, but it was not currently in the plans.

In addition to designing the improvements, Midwestern Engineers is helping the town apply for the Community Crossings Grant -- a 50-50 match grant made possible by the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) and Hoosier Communities -- for free.

By law, John Craig of Midwestern Engineers said, the matching funds from Cloverdale would have to come from the local wheel tax, local income tax distributed by SEA 67 (Indiana Senate Bill 67) and/or the rainy day fund (the preferred option).

Seeking other funding sources, Clerk-Treasurer Galloway reported that she had received a letter of support from Greencastle Mayor Bill Dory and from the Putnam County Council and would be contacting the Putnam County Commissioners in the future.

Originally, Midwestern Engineers had looked into applying for an 80-20 grant from INDOT, but the road could not qualify as it is a dead-end. But this, Craig said, is in the town's benefit as INDOT will have no part in designing the road, which means less paperwork and a shorter project timeline.

Craig and Roos estimated that construction could begin as soon as the end of the current year and the road be open next year, if the town receives the grant and all else goes well.

"Regional economic significance of the road project is the primary scoring criteria for these 50-50 grants," Craig said. "From all of the communities I have dealt with, I have not seen an application stronger than what you guys have because of what C Bar C is for this community and Putnam County and for the region."

Midwestern Engineers has worked with Cloverdale in the past on installing drainage and remodeling Cloverdale Town Hall.

The council approved granting Clerk-Treasurer Galloway the authority to sign the financial responsibility agreement should the town receive the grant.

In other developments:

-- The council approved Resolution 2016-9, which authorizes the use of $37,482.50 from the food and beverage fund, in a 3-1 vote with Gary Bennington dissenting. The funds will be used to pay for patching a pipe on the Interstate 70 ramp and videotaping wastewater lines along U.S. 231 North, U.S. 231 South, Lincoln Street, Doe Creek Drive, Fulton Street and Market Street. Remaining food and beverage funds total $96,888.71.

-- The council approved paying the yearly fee for Keystone software at a total of $6,075. Among many other uses, the software is key for creating the town's budget.

-- The council approved calibrating the flow meters at the Cloverdale Sewage Plant at a cost of $3,566. The council also approved repairing an old pump, which would be used as a spare, and purchasing a new one at a total cost of $7,997, which will be split over two months.

-- The council again tabled a decision to accept settlement in litigation related to the former Midway Motel. Attorney Allan Yackey said additional information necessary to making a decision would not be available until July 19. The proposed settlement was for $3,000.

--The council again tabled a decision whether to enter a four-year partnership with Putnam County Animal Care and Control after Yackey said it should first see a written version of the partnership agreement. Animal Care has asked for $1 per resident, which comes to about $2,200, but the council is not sure what services Animal Care would provide. This information is expected at the August council meeting.

-- Clerk-Treasurer Galloway said she is still in the process of finding cheaper insurance for the town, but was currently receiving quotes from HBG Insurance and Bonds.

-- Clerk-Treasurer Galloway asked whether the council had any questions about the 2017 Appropriations Report, which details how town funds will be used. She said that the report currrently allows more money for streets. The council had no questions.

-- Interim Town Marshal Charlie Hallam announced that the Cloverdale Police Department plans to add an extension dedicated to anonymous tips to its phone lines and research the benefits of installing an anonymous tip box. Residents who wish to leave a tip can call the CPD at 765-795-6800.

-- Scott Creager of Utility Management and Construction (UMAC) announced that, owing to heavy rains and a UV light in need of replacement, the Cloverdale Sewage Plant had had to dump 200,000 gallons of water -- treated for sewage, but not for E. coli -- into Rabbit Run Creek, which flows into a nearby lake.

Creager said he and Town Manager Wayne Galloway were currently pricing a new light and installation.

"We can't keep sending water with E. coli to the creek," Creager, who mentioned the needed light at the June meeting, said. "If it's not between March and October is doesn't matter, but usually from March to October is when we have all of our rain. And I don't know about you guys, but that creek leads to a lake, and I like to swim in that lake."

Creager later clarified that UMAC is legally required to treat for E. coli from March 1 to October 31 (spring to fall), but not from October 31 to March 1 (fall to spring).

-- Town Manager Galloway announced that Beagle Club Road and an area near the railroad tracks on Robert Weist Avenue would be blacktopped in the near future. In answer to a question from Bennington, Town Manager Galloway said that he would look into addressing a hole near Frost Way on Lazy River Road.

Town Manager Galloway also said that he had received two quotes for paving most of the streets, including the worst ones, in Cloverdale. Wallace Construction quoted $1.4 million, while Wabash Valley Construction came in at $1.1 million.The council has not made a decision on whether to pursue the project.

Town Manager Galloway said that, as the council seeks to vacate grown-over alleys, signs will be placed on each one to announce the public hearing set for a vote on whether to vacate it.

-- Building Inspector Mark Cassida announced that he would be citing the owners of the Wendy's restaurant for clean up. If the owner does not respond, Cassida said, the town might consider demolition.

"I think it's structurally sound, but it is decaying rapidly without any use; no heat, no air conditioning," Cassida said. "Some of the windows have been vandalized."

Cassida also reported that the BP gas station, despite a few setbacks, was in the process of refurbishing its car wash.

In other business:

-- Vice President Don Sublett was absent.

-- The council approved the the July claims at a total of $385,694.96, an increase of $100,000 from the June claims but an increase of just $69,000 from the year's average of $317,665.78. In response to a question from Bennington, Clerk-Treasurer Galloway said that the wastewater claim was so high -- $122,932.08 -- because the town had installed a manhole on Beagle Club Road at a cost of $40,000 and paid the interest on its wastewater bond at $46,771.35.

The next Cloverdale Town Council meeting will be August 9 at 7 p.m. in the Cloverdale Town Hall.

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  • Its nice to see that they finally agree that don gedert is an asset to cloverdale and always has been

    -- Posted by canttakeitanymore on Wed, Jul 20, 2016, at 10:30 AM
  • dirtypolitics what in the world have you been drinking,its some bad stuff

    -- Posted by becker on Wed, Jul 20, 2016, at 3:09 PM
  • So E-Coli draining into the creek "doesn't matter" if it's between October and March since "March to October is when we get all of our rain"? Wow, I hope that guy didn't really mean that!

    -- Posted by Ben Dover on Thu, Jul 21, 2016, at 8:34 AM
  • CLARIFICATION: The Cloverdale Sewage Plant treats for E. coli from March 1 to October 31, as it is legally required to do. However, it does not and is not legally required to treat for E. coli from October 31 to March 1. The above article has been edited to reflect this.

    -- Posted by cmodglin on Fri, Jul 22, 2016, at 3:23 PM
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