The first round of Marshall County Community Foundation grants was announced this week.
Twenty-two organizations in Marshall County received $122,588 in unrestricted funds through the Marshall County Community Foundation. Unrestricted funds are the most flexible and responsible of the Foundation’s 347 funds in addressing current and emergent needs. These funds support the arts, education, health and human services, recreation and the environment.
A retiring police officer will leave the Plymouth Police Department with his service weapon.
The Plymouth Board of Public Works this week approved a resolution to deem the officer’s handgun as surplus property to the police department. With that unanimous approval, the weapon can be released from the department’s inventory to the officer when he is prepared to leave office.
The convenience fee to pay for items through the Town of Culver has been slashed.
Clerk-Treasurer Karen Heim told the Culver Town Council members this week that she met with a representative from PayGOV to make the changes to the convenience fee. The previous agreement included a $2.50 convenience fee on a minimum charge and anything over $25 customers were charged a three percent fee.
Five bids were received for the paving project at Plymouth High School and one was approved this week to complete the job.
Four sections of the parking lot were specified for bids in the advertisement for contractors. Five bids were received for those four areas. The lowest bid was submitted by Niblock at $310,700. All of the required base quotes and alternate bids, bid bonds and supplementary forms were included in the bid packet. The highest bid received was over $400,000.
The Marshall County Council approved action to return money to the county’s General Fund.
Auditor Julie Fox presented an ordinance to the council members Monday morning after a fund was deemed dormant. According to Fox, no transactions have taken place within the Homestead Credit Rebate fund since May of 2008.
The Culver Town Council discussed an issue concerning a participant with last year’s sidewalk replacement program.
Clerk-Treasurer Karen Heim explained to the council members that a resident applied for the sidewalk program last year. As the season wore on, the applicant found that the project could not be completed in 2016 and asked if the same request could be considered in the 2017 application process. Utility Superintendent Bob Porter confirmed that all of the specifications were complete for the cement to be poured, but another construction project at that location delayed the sidewalk installation.
The Plymouth Board of Public Works and Safety members approved a bid to get a traffic signal project started.
City Engineer Rick Gaul asked for the approval of a contract submitted by Michiana Contracting as they produced the low bid for the installation of a traffic signal at the intersection of Oakhill, Soice and Michigan Streets near Webster Elementary School. He reminded the board that another bid received from another company did not provide all of the required information needed in the bid packet.
911 Dispatchers are the first in a line of personnel to talk to a person in distress about an emergency. These unsung heroes are being recognized this week as part of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.
Dispatchers alert police, fire and EMS when residents call in times of an emergency. They gather as much information as possible when a call comes in to relay to emergency personnel to best assist the caller with their situation.
Bremen residents are invited to take part in an event to rid the town of unwanted items.
Bremen Director of Operations Trend Weldy said Trash Days is set for Friday, May 12 and Saturday, May 13. It’s an opportunity for residents to do some spring cleaning. Throw away any property that is simply taking up space.
The Plymouth Community School Board approved a resolution to move forward with the purchase of an artificial turf surface for the high school football field.
The school will enter into a lease with PNC Bank to fund the project. The cost of the project including the product, installation, 10 year warranty, and maintenance agreement totals $797,600. The payments will come out of the Capital Projects Fund for the next five years.
The Culver Stellar Communities Committee recently chose a lighter, quicker and cheaper project for this year’s Stellar Community application and the project is gaining support of community entities.
As a lighter, quicker and cheaper project, the committee chose the installation of recycled plastic benches and a story walk featuring Culver history along a proposed new bike trail in the Culver Town Park. It is the hope of the committee to build partnerships as part of the application process.
The Bremen Town Council now has control of the property that formally contained the Clark gas station at the corner of State Roads 331 and 106.
Bremen Director of Operations Trend Weldy says the county recently turned over the property to the town.
While other school corporations are seeing a slight increase in cafeteria prices for the next school year, the Triton School Corporation will not follow the current trend.
Superintendent Donna Burroughs said she feels parents and students will appreciate the efforts made by the food services staff in keeping the prices at the same level.
The probationary period of pay for the newly installed Assistant Director of the Marshall County Museum was discussed by the Marshall County Council this week.
Museum Director Linda Rippy presented the request.
“The assistant director who’s working there now, Sue Irwin, has been there over three years,” explained Rippy. “In the last year, at least, she’s been doing the same duties that an assistant director would have been doing. So, we’re asking to waive that probationary period.”
The purchase of a combination sewer cleaner was discussed by the Plymouth Board of Public Works and Safety this week.
Utility Superintendent Donnie Davidson told the board that the department has held off on purchasing the equipment for about five years to collect the funds for the expenditure. Davidson said $400,000 is budgeted for the purchase this year.
The Triton Community School Board discussed proposed building projects for this coming year.
Superintendent Donna Burroughs said a facility study was conducted in the fall that identified the corporation’s needs.
“It was identified that we need a new heating and cooling system at the elementary school, we need a new roof at the high school and we should look at a new gym. We’ve been using the old Bourbon gym and it’s in need of a lot of repair,” said Burroughs.
The Plymouth City Council heard a proposal for a restoration rebate program application for work to be done on the Rees Theater.
Brent Martin from the Wythougan Valley Preservation Council said the council members have received proposals from C&S Masonry, Schoberg and Schoberg Painting and Vanadco Signs to do a wide range of exterior work to the building.
The Culver-Union Township Library will soon be getting some American Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant renovations to the exterior of the building along with other improvements.
Library Board member Bill Clevenger explained to the Culver Town Council Tuesday night that the board recently hired an architect to do an envelope study of the library. That study entails an analysis of potential facility modifications to bring codes up to standards or to improve operations.
The Bremen Town Council received an update on the renovation of the building at 1237 Plymouth Street that now houses the food pantry and the city’s ambulance service.
Bremen Director of Operations Trend Weldy said that work inside the EMS portion of the building is almost complete.
Food Services Director Gloria Burnam informed the Plymouth Community School Board Monday night that meal prices will increase for the next school year.
She said that lunch prices have not increased in two years.
“Lunch prices for kindergarten to sixth grade will be $1.95 which is a $.10 increase. Lunch for seventh through 12th grades will be $2.05 which is a $.10 increase. We will increase breakfast as well to $1.20. It’s been at $1.10 for at least 15 years,” explained Burnam.
