Chesterton Street Commissioner John Schnadenberg has released the list of
this season’s sidewalk projects.
This year—time and funds permitting, he told the Town Council at its meeting
Monday night—the following sidewalks will be replaced:
• The south side of East Morgan Ave. from Wilson Street to Landman Street.
• Bowser Ave. in front of 303 and 307.
• The north side of East Morgan Ave. from Popolano’s parking lot east 175
feet.
• The south side of Jefferson Ave. from South Calumet Road to West Street.
• The south side of Westchester Ave. from Second Street to Taft Street. Also
the north side of Westchester Ave. in front of 126.
• The east side of Second Street from just south of West Indiana Ave. south
to Lincoln Ave.
• The west side of Eighth Street from West Indiana Ave. to West Morgan Ave.
• And Broadway from Jackson Blvd. to 18th Street.
Members voted 5-0 to approve the project list.
In related business, Schnadenberg reported on the results of a pilot program
to remedy tripping-hazard sidewalks around Chesterton Middle School and down
Fifth Street. Precision Concrete, over two days, eliminated a total of 180
tripping hazards and brought those sidewalks into compliance with Americans
with Disability Act standards.
The council had previously approved an expenditure of $5,000—of the $33,000
in casino moneys earmarked for sidewalk repair and replacement—to fund the
pilot program. That program Schnadenberg deemed a success. “It was money
well spent,” he said. “I recommend we continue it next year in high traffic
areas and school zones and eventually in the subdivisions.”
Change Order No.
2
Meanwhile, members voted 5-0 at Building Commissioner Dave Novak’s
recommendation to approve the second and final change order for Phase II of
the 15th Street municipal facility.
That order was for an add of $7,318.70, Novak said, but together the change
orders represent a net deduct from the contract price of $175.30.
From the Town
Manager
By votes of 5-0, members acted on two requests from Town Manager Bernie
Doyle: the first to approve an expenditure of $1,300 in CEDIT funds for the
purchase of a new laptop. Doyle’s old laptop will be used as a backup.
The second request: to approve the hiring of a summer intern to assist with
the enhancement of the municipal website, at $10 per hour, five days per
week for six weeks. The intern is a graduate of the Future of Chesterton
Foundation’s annual Honors Economic project.
Duneland Y
Fundraiser
Member also voted 5-0 to authorize the Duneland YMCA to hold a can
fundraiser from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday, July 8, at the intersection of
Broadway and Fourth Street.
Members declined to authorize the Y, however, to hold a similar fundraiser
from 3 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 22, at the intersection of South Calumet
Road and Porter Ave., after Police Chief Dave Cincoski raised safety
concerns about the volume of traffic at the location.
Gratitude from
Hebron
Doye took a moment to pass on to members the gratitude of the Hebron Town
Council for assistance provided by the Chesterton Street Department in the
aftermath of a damaging storm a couple of weeks ago.
“Nobody else helped Hebron,” Doyle said. “The emphasis was on Demotte and
Crown Point. Hebron was sort of left to fend for itself.”
Doyle noted that Schnadenberg dispatched his grapple truck and crew and that
“it was really remarkable what they did.”
“They had one small chipper,” Schnadenberg said. “And that was about it. So
they were happy to see us.”
Member Jim Ton, R-1st, recalled how numerous municipalities rallied to the
help Chesterton in August 2009, after an F-2 tornado buzz-sawed through
town. “Pay it forward,” he said simply.