This month’s City Council meeting saw two public hearings regarding infrastructure upgrades and downtown redevelopment.
Public Hearing on Wastewater Treatment Upgrades
Greg Jones from the Southern Indiana Development Commission hosted the first public hearing on potential upgrades to the City’s wastewater treatment system. The upgrades would involve sewer replacement, increasing capacity on lines, and rehabilitating of manhole covers. Treatment capacity would also be improved at the wastewater plant.
The total cost of the project is $5,214,750. The City is applying for a grant for a total of $600,000 which would require a match from the City of $4,614,750. This funding would be obtained through an SRF loan to cover construction, engineering, and other costs of the project.
Jones asked for public comment on the sewage upgrades and local resident Johnny Howell addressed the Council concerning water problems in his basement. He mentioned that his basement, normally free of water, has suffered major water seepage this summer. The seepage was confirmed by documentation from Graves Plumbing. Howell claimed that he had a sample of the water tested by a lab and that it contains E Coli bacteria.
To close the public hearing, a representative from Triad Engineers stated that the components in Linton’s current wastewater system are worn out and it is time for upgrades. If not addressed, the problems could become significantly worse and it was stressed that the City make the upgrades.
Public Hearing on Downtown Redevelopment/Revitalization Plan
A second public hearing was held to introduce a proposed redevelopment/revitalization plan for Downtown Linton.
Jeff and Vicki Doris, owners of Linton Family Pharmacy, have started a major redevelopment project on North Main Street including several pieces of real estate including the former Cine’ building and old City Hall. They just recently completed a restoration of the former Harrah Realty building.
The local business owners have developed a proposed plan for the City to adopt to foster downtown economic development and job creation. The plan serves as a guideline for anyone wishing to enhance or develop their downtown property. The entire document will be made available on The Lintonian later this week. Visit LintonRedevelopment.com. More info on this plan coming soon.
Other Highlights
- The City will be purchasing new lawnmowers from Valley Implement in Newberry. The equipment will be purchased through a plan of 2 payments for $4,180.30 plus trade-in of old mowing equipment.
- Troy Jerrell, Chief of Police, updated the council on the upcoming National Night Out. The event will take place on Tuesday, August 2nd at Humphreys Park.
- Patti Jones noted that cleanup has taken place on the mountain bike trails at the Linton Conservation Club. Unfortunately, the trails are being used by motorized vehicles, which was not the intended use. These vehicles are tearing up the trails and making them impassible for mountain bike riders. A discussion took place regarding signage for the trails discourage use of motorize vehicles.