By KEVIN NEVERS

Unless the Chesterton Town Council decides to increase its 2007 CEDIT earmark of $125,000 for paving projects this season, the Street Department will be lucky to do even half the amount of paving it did last year.

That’s because asphalt prices have skyrocketed, as Street Commissioner John Schnadenberg discovered at Monday night’s council meeting. Last year he paid Rieth-Riley of Gary $36 per ton for surface, the same amount he paid in 2005, after locking in asphalt prices that year for 2006.

Since then the prices for surface, the most used material by volume in a paving project, have darn near doubled. In bids opened on Monday Rieth-Riley bid $62.07 per ton, an increase of 72 percent over last year’s price. Walsh & Kelly submitted a somewhat lower bid of $54.90 per ton, an increase of 53 percent over last year’s price.

Schnadenberg attributed the spike in the price of asphalt to the increase in the price of petroleum products.

Members voted 5-0 to take the two bids under advisement.

2007 Sidewalk List

In related business, members voted 5-0 to approve Schnadenberg’s recommended 2007 sidewalk replacement program, which provides for a total of 3,636 feet of new sidewalks.

The sidewalks to be replaced:

•The west side of 15th Street from Porter Ave. to Morgan Ave: 945 feet.

•The east side of Third Street from Lincoln Ave. to Morgan Ave.: 319 feet.

•The south side of Morgan Ave. from Second Street to Third Street: 308 feet.

•The east side of Wilson Street from East Morgan Ave. to East Indiana Ave.: 316 feet.

•The south side of East Indiana Ave. from Wilson Street to Landman Street.

•The north side of Park Ave. from South Calumet Road to the alley: 173 feet.

•The west side of Eighth Street from Lincoln Ave. to Morgan Ave.: 436 feet.

•The east side of 10th Street from Broadway to Indiana Ave.: 389 feet.

•The north side of C.R. 1100N between the sidewalk installed by Dogwood Estates and that at Dogwood Park.

•And approximately 150 feet of ramps and approaches.

Is the town more or less on schedule to keep its sidewalks in good repair? asked Member Mike Bannon, R-5th.

“I believe so,” Schnadenberg said. Usually the Street Department tries to do between 1,000 and 1,500 feet of replacement sidewalks every year. Last year it did 3,000 feet and this year 3,600 feet are on tap. Schnadenberg noted that the sidewalks to be replaced this season were mostly poured in the 1920s and 1930s.

Central Services

Meanwhile, members voted 5-0 to approve in principle the idea of creating a “central services” arm, to replace the current “fleet maintenance” program, under which three mechanics, headquartered at the Street Department, would assume responsibility for serving the town’s fleet and equipment. At the moment the Street Department has two mechanics and the Utility one, and under the central services concept all would work together in a centralized location.

As it happens, the Utility’s mechanic is nearing retirement, and Utility Superintendent Steve Yagelski said that the Utility would agree to pay 60 percent of the expense of hiring a new mechanic to work in central services if the other departments would pony up 40 percent. Schnadenberg noted that the town currently has a fleet of 68 vehicles with numerous pieces of equipment.

Spring Cleanup, Frost Law

Residents who’ve been taking advantage of the splendid weather to start policing their property of brush and debris left by the winter may bring the stuff to the Yard Waste Recycling Site at the Street Department at 609 Grant Ave.

But leaf collection will have to wait until Spring Cleanup Week, scheduled for the third week of April, Schnadenberg said. The Street Department is taking no chances with the weather and will not replace the salt spreaders on its trucks with leaf vacs for some time.