Chesterton Tribune

 

 

Porter approves five year funding plan for tractor and mower

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By JEFF SCHULTZ

The Town of Porter Public Works Department will be adding a Kubota mid-size utility tractor and a Land Pride boom mower to its fleet.

The Town Council voted 3-0 on Tuesday in favor of the tractor purchase. The tractor can be used year-round for a variety of purposes, not just mowing.

Public Works Director Brenda Brueckheimer said she followed the Council’s charge from last month and researched ways to pay for a purchase or lease of the tractor and mower. She looked at three-year and a five-year lease and also three and five-year rates for loans at Verizon Bank.

The five-year loan rate was 2.3 percent and would total $18,484 each year.

Council President Greg Stinson asked Brueckheimer how long she anticipates the tractor will last before it needs replacing. She replied 20 to 30 years.

“It should out service me,” Brueckheimer joked. “A good tractor should last a long time as long as you have a good maintenance plan.”

The funds would come from the Town’s Motor Vehicle Highway fund and Brueckheimer advised that the budget could sustain it.

Stinson voted to go with the five-year rate with Verizon Bank, as did Council members Erik Wagner and Ross LeBleu. Bill Lopez and Tim Conroy were absent.

Meanwhile, the Council tabled until its July 26 meeting a quote received for a 2017 Freightliner dump truck recommended by Brueckheimer from Truck City of Gary in the amount of $165,044.

Stinson said he wasn’t ready to vote on it Tuesday as he wanted to check with Clerk-Treasurer Carol Pomeroy and financial advisor Umbaugh & Associates on the amount of county economic development income tax that could be used, along with other funds.

“We should have money to dedicate moving forward,” he said.

Wagner concurred with Stinson, commenting “it’s a lot of money.”

U.S. 20 improvement project

In other reports, Town Attorney Greg Sobkowski said the Indiana Department of Transportation’s widening project of U.S. 20 includes a parcel the department wishes to acquire from the Town for approximately $10,700.

INDOT is adding turn lanes at the intersection of U.S. 20 and Waverly Rd. and has been purchasing portions of property for their right-of-way.

Sobkowski said the parcel is near Hokanson Dr. and U.S. 20 just west of the intersection. The issue however is INDOT had the parcel belonging to Porter County Parks Department when it should have been Porter Parks Department.

Stinson said the land had been donated years ago and is currently not being used.

A correction is being made, Sobkowski said, and the contract should be ready by the next Council meeting.

The $10,700 would be paid to the Town, Stinson said, but it hasn’t been decided what fund it would go into.

Meanwhile, Pomeroy said she has deposited the special local option income tax distribution from the state, of $125,919, into the appropriate account to be used for road paving. She was also able to purchase the Laserfiche software for documents in her office and the police department, which the Council approved last month, in an amount not to exceed $8,000.

Family 4th Fest kudos

Parks Director Brian Bugajski expressed his gratitude to the police, fire and public works employees for all their helping hands at last week’s Family 4th Festival held in Hawthorne Park.

Stinson echoed the comments saying he was pleased with how the even turned out.

“It kind of makes you proud to be a member of the town and a member of this body to see all the employees working hard on a holiday,” he said.

 

Posted 7/13/2016

 

 
 
 
 

 

 

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