Bloomfield Council to eliminate parking spots because of safety concerns

The council voted 3-0 to designated the spots, located south of the American Legion Post 196's driveway, "no parking" locations.

Town Marshall Ken Tharp said when cars are parked on the east side of the street it is clearly a traffic safety concern because it is too narrow for two large semi-trucks to pass in opposite directions.

"It is a traffic hazard. That is a narrow street," Tharp noted. "The decision is yours."

Council member Joann Carmichael replied, "We know it's a hazard."

The council stopped short of adding about six more spots located along east Spring Street -- near Farmers and Mechanics Federal Savings and Loan -- to the 'no parking' list.

Council member Joann Carmichael suggested the parking spots in question, which are frequently used by courthouse employees, present a traffic hazard in both directions on Spring Street because of the way it narrows the roadway.

The town marshall said there is about 50 to 75 feet that is down to one-lane when cars are parked along the street.

Councilman Roger Doane said he was not in favor of eliminating those parking spots because he feared of the increasing speed of vehicles using that street.

Despite a posted 20 miles per hour speed limit, speed is a problem on this street.

Doane suggested leaving the parking unchanged and possibly putting a stop sign at the intersection with Cold Springs Road and monitoring speed along the street.

Marshall Tharp said his department will increase speed enforcement on the street on all shifts in a effort to slow down motorists.

In other action, the council agreed to hire Southern Indiana Development Commission, of Loogootee, to serve as the town's grant administrator, if the town's application for a $1 million no-match grant through the Disaster II Recovery program is successful.

The town has plans to upgrade its water and sewer treatment plant as well as the delivery system, if the grant is secured.

SIDC's bid for administrative services amounts to 3 percent of the grant amount -- or $30,000. An additional $3,000 will be for an environmental study and $5,000 for the establishment of labor standards for the contracted work done on the project, according to clerk-treasurer Sondra Thompson.

Thompson said she had contacted more than a half dozen agencies to bid on the administrative service, but only SIDC submitted a formal bid.

The council approved SIDC by a 2-0-1 vote. Councilman Roger Doane abstained because he served on the SIDC board.

Brian Bullock, an engineer from Midwestern Engineers, Inc. of Loogootee, reviewed the town's Disaster II Recovery Grant and talked about the scope of the proposed project with the council, if the grant is received.

Bullock estimated $69,000 would be spent on manhole rehabilitation work, $318,000 on sewer rehabilitation, $230,000 on replacement of the Spring Street lift station, $183,000 on miscellaneous improvements at the sewer plant and $200,000 for non-contractual costs.

"We basically tried to do as much as we could with the dollars involved," Bullock told the council.

The engineer said it will help the town's grant application if they are able to provide some 'matching money' in what he called a very competitive process. He projected more than 100 different applications will be submitted for these grant funds to the State Office of Community and Rural Affairs.

"If the town is able to put some money in, it is more appealing," he said."Anything you can do with a local match will help."

Bullock said in all probability a new resident income survey will be required to be conducted or this grant because the town has several utility customers who live outside the town limits.

In other action, the council:

*Tabled action on the naming of swimming pool board until the next meeting.

*Learned from street department employee John Hardesty that there is a lift station pump problem in the new NorthGate Business Park near the Paragon Force building. Hardesty said there has been infiltration of possible run off water into the line. It was suggested that the project engineer and the building owners will be contacted and see what kind of long-term solution can be made.

*Marshall Tharp reported that his officers drove about 2,328 patrol miles last month. They investigated three property damage traffic accidents, made three custodial and nine long term arrests, made 12 traffic arrests and issued three traffic warnings. The department took 16 case reports and seven incident reports in February.

The council's next regular scheduled meeting will be at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 5 at the fire station.