The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/102523
The Press-Dispatch Wednesday, January 9, 2013 A-5 Trash problems, zoning changes, saloon highlight city council meeting By Mike Johansen Several appointments, a trash problem on Cedar Street, a zoning change and information about the Silver Dollar Saloon were among the items before the three Petersburg Boards as Mayor Jon Craig chaired his next-to-last meeting this past Monday evening. The big news was announced at the end of the meetings by Mayor Craig as he presented his letter of his resignation (see separate story on page A-1 for details), effective on Jan. 25. He will begin serving as Deputy Director for the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs with the state government in Indianapolis on Jan. 28. The resignation ends nine years of service to the City of Petersburg. The Republican Party Committee will name a replacement for Craig, a Republican, to serve until the next city election. Council President Pro Tem Fran Lewis will take over for Craig at meetings until his successor is named. Craig said he has enjoyed his nine years as mayor and loves Petersburg, but felt this was the right move for not only himself, but also for his family. "I want to say it is with heavy heart that I make this change. It is not something I entered into lightly," said Craig. "I want to thank you all for making these last nine years such a pleasurable and memorable experience. I really feel this is the right move for myself and my family right now." John Melhiser, in comments echoed by other Council members, said that he wanted to thank Craig for his service to the city and noted someone will have some pretty large shoes to fill. "I would like to thank you for your service. You have done an excellent job," said Melhiser. Gary McCandless also issued his thanks for everything Craig has done for the city and his department. Craig will chair the next meeting of the three boards on Tuesday, Jan. 22, before leaving office. Cit y Inspector R .C. Klipsch announced that he thinks the city will have a resolution to the mess at the trash dumping site on the corner of the Onyett property at Ninth and Cedar Streets. Trash has been piling up there over the past couple of weeks. Trash bags have piled up from the trash bins on the site into a high pile that stretches out onto Cedar Street. Klipsch has been working with the owner and feels they have a resolution to the problem. Cleaning up the mess of was set to begin yesterday. The next step, if no resolution is forthcoming in the next couple of days, would be to issue a citation and take further steps to make sure the site is cleaned up. Klipsch presented the council with a photo of the piles of trash. The City Council did approve an ordinance changing the zoning in the 900 block of Vincennes Avenue from a residential zone to a business zone. The Planning Commission held a hearing on the change and approved the switch to a commercial zone. The area has several businesses already in operation and it has been a business area for several years. A car dealership and greenhouse, the Edward Jones building, Benner and Company and a laundromat and apartment complex have been in that area for quite some time. The zoning change was made to more fit the use for the area. The City Council and Mayor Craig also made several appointments to city boards. They include Gary Leavitt to the Solid Waste Board and Redevelopment Commission; Fran Lewis to the Redevelopment Commission and the Economic Growth and Development Board; Ryne Biesterveld to the Planning Commission; John Melhiser to the Fire Territory Board of Directors; and David Holmes to the Redevelopment Loan Fund Board. The demolition of the Silver Dollar Saloon came up again as progress is slowly being made to have it and two adjoining buildings torn down. Mayor Craig said they may assign ownership to the Downtown Development Commis sion with the city having a mortgage on the property to make transfer of ownership easier. Mayor Craig said it again has become more complicated, but that progress is also being made toward tearing down the three buildings. Klipsch said the company clearing the buildings of asbestos began work on Monday and has 30 days to complete their portion of the work of clearing asbestos flooring and a few other items from the buildings at 601-605 Main Street. The Board of Public Works and Safety gave the nod to spending up to $1,000 for an inspector to make sure the asbestos and demolition work is done correctly. The demotion work, if all other items are completed, could come in February, but no firm date can be established until the loan paperwork to cover the costs of the demolition of the buildings and a few other small items are complete. Mayor Craig and the Board gave their thanks to Gary McCandless and his crew for the good work on clearing the streets after the two recent snow storms. They noted the crews had worked hard and did a good job in getting the streets open for traffic. Mayor Craig said they had a few complaints about driveways being blocked in, but noted they do not have the staff to do anything but clear the streets and they cannot stop at every drive to clear what has been plowed, which is the case with each snow storm. Mayor Craig said that Petersburg has been approved for a Purdue Landscaping Design Project from I-69 into the city. The Purdue Timeless Classics Winter Event to feature auction, photo car show By Mike Johansen There are a few old things, a few new, along with a chain saw carving and a stoplight up for auction at the Timeless Classics of Pike County 12th Annual Cabin Fever Cruise-In and Auction on the last weekend in January. Timeless Classics invites all classic vehicle enthusiasts to "cruise-in" with a small photo of their vehicle to be included in the CruiseIn and Auction on Jan. 26 with registration from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. The auction begins at 1:15 p.m. Pike County time. It will be at the 4-H building on the Pike County Fairgrounds at Hornady Park. This is a special show to bring, bid and/or buy to raise funds for the car club's charitable activities. The auction will feature many items, some new, many used. Some of the featured items include a Phillips 66 Gas Pump; Phillips 66 lube oil pump and tank; a chain saw carving of an old classic car by a local artist; stop lights; a walk and wait light; a homemade car pedal by a local artist; and many other specialty items, old and new. There will be hundreds of items up for auction including many old automobile memorabilia items. They are also having a raffle and half-pot drawing. The entry fee for the Cruise-In and Auction is one or more auction items of new or used things. To enter the "car show," car enthusiasts do not need to have their vehicle, only a small photo of their vehicle to be judged while enjoying food, an auction and fun inside the 4-H Building. All funds raised go for the charitable projects and scholarships sponsored by the Timeless Classics Car Club. There are dash plaques for the first 50 entries in the car show and trophies awarded for the top 10 photographs of classic vehicles of any type and shape. You don't have to enter the car show or be a member of a car club to come out and enjoy the event. There will be free soup and hotdogs (there is a slight charge for bowls and buns). For additional information, contact Jack Pipes at 354-6239 or Gene Keepes at 354-9552. Architecture and Design students will be looking into what to do between I-69 and Petersburg and coming up with a plan. Mayor Craig had submitted an application to have the students do a project in Petersburg after being notified the university was seeking possible projects for its students and that program. The planning process will be at no cost to the city. City Clerk Tammy Selby reported to the Water Board that there were problems when the storm hit and city water meters could not be read. She said they have a program to estimate water usage and that bills were prepared and sent out on time. She noted they might be a little high for actual usage. She said that when the meters are read in January that any over charges for the December bills would be taken off the January bill. Those bills could be lower than normal. City Services Manager McCandless said they had trouble with a pump at the water plant and found it to be an electrical problem. A part has been ordered and the system should be back in full operation very soon. The Board of Public Works and Safety approved a contract with Midwestern Engineers for engineering services and inspection for work to be done with the $1 million Storm Water Re- This trash site at the corner of Ninth Street (Highway 61) and Cedar Streets on the Onyett property in Petersburg is scheduled to be cleaned up this week, starting on Tuesday. Trash bags have been piling up outside the containers for the past month as people were leaving trash and no work was being done to compact them and put them in the big containers. It has created quite a mess. pair grant. The engineering, which is the same as estimated in the 2010 grant, would cost $80,000 and the inspection and other services $60,000. The grant is a 100 percent grant with no city share for the costs. The City Council approved a transfer of $60,000 to the Rainy Day fund making the total in the fund a little more than $300,000. Mayor Craig said they try to keep about six months of back-up funding in the account. Mayor Craig said that Home Building Savings Bank will be putting in temporary sidewalks until the city sidewalks can be put in later this year at no cost to the city. They plan to open their new building on Thursday and change from service at the old building on that day. . The Water Board also learned that phosphates are being put in the water system to help with lead and other problems identified about two years ago. Mayor Craig said they are monitoring the water system to see if they can reduce the amount of phosphates in the near future because of their cost to the city. The water system has not tested high for lead since that one bad testing result.