Russellville Council discusses drainage issue, roadwork

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

RUSSELLVILLE -- After a meeting highlighted by both discussion and some confusion, Russellville town officials are hoping to make headway as they face two important issues.

While there was no new business at its regular meeting Monday evening, the Russellville Town Council addressed those items as old business and came away with little resolution.

The first concerned a complaint brought forth by resident Del Ferrier regarding drainage at First and Fordice streets. At the council’s August meeting, Ferrier said water had been pooling on the roadway, suggesting it was because the recently repaved roads were not level.

On Monday, Ferrier again provided that the roadway was four inches higher on the west side, meaning the water had been standing on the east side. He also said nearby land was starting to develop a sinkhole, because the ground under the road was becoming saturated.

In an exchange with council members, Ferrier said the road would have to be redone, but was serious about the town not having to pay for the reconstruction.

Town Council President Cary McGaughey said the roadwork had a one-year warranty, but that drainage was also not a factor in the repaving project. Even then, both the council and Ferrier agreed that the roads needed to be looked at before the winter season brings freezing temperatures.

The next item the council tackled was the invoice approval for the recently completed Community Crossings project. The bill came in at a total cost of $224,519.25 to the town. Clerk-Treasurer Martha Mandleco added that the bid for the work by Wabash Valley Asphalt was projected at $298,000, meaning that the town was paying its fair share in the matching grant.

However, as council members looked through the numbers, they felt that the town might have been charged for more work than was done, though it was unclear at the meeting where specific discrepancies lay.

Council members Cathy Jones and Jim Davis both agreed that more time would be needed to compare the bill with the grant. The council voted to table the invoice approval until its next meeting.

The last item under new business was the presentation of the 2019 budget to the council. The council will vote to approve the budget at the next regular meeting.

Before the whole meeting was adjourned, no water complaints were reported to the Russellville Water Board.

The next regular meeting of the Russellville Town Council and the Russellville Water Board is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 15 in the Russellville Town Hall.

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