The Liberty Town Council (LTC) held a public hearing for its application for a water infrastructure grant from the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) at its Nov. 15 meeting while utility superintendent Matt Reuss reported on recent water main breaks.

Grant administrator Mike Kleinpeter of Kleinpeter Consulting Group explained LTC is applying for a grant for $700,000 and plan to provide $1.4 million in local funding to replace six water mains. The application is due by Dec. 17, at which point OCRA will review and assign a numerical score to each application. Awards will be announced on Feb. 10 with funds going to the highest scoring applicants until the funds are depleted. 

Kleinpeter asked Reuss for information on the recent water main breaks. Reuss explained his crew had been working on a particularly difficult leak all day prior to the meeting, requiring a call to a contractor. The four-inch main is isolated out in the woods off of Harrison Street, as the town does not have the  equipment required to get to the leak. Once digging down to the main, the crews found a split in the pipe too large to repair with a clamp, requiring installation of a valve. 

Additionally, a service main break on Carmack Drive was repaired the day of the meeting and a main break on Fairground Street was repaired two weeks ago. Reuss discussed the recent issues with the contractor called in for the Harrison Street break, who suggested recent weather conditions are likely to blame; drastic swings in temperature and rainfall can cause the ground to shift around the water mains, exacerbating existing weaknesses. 

“I've got all of that documented with Mike [Kleinpeter], it's not part of that project, but it is definitely water main stuff that's still going on,” said Reuss.

Kleinpeter asked about the labor required for the repairs. Reuss replied the Harrison Street break occupied himself and the contractor most of the day while two other crew members were repairing the Carmack Drive leak. The Fairground Street repair required five workers.

LTC vice president Keith Bias expressed his appreciation for the crew of the utility department, having spent time at the Fairground Street repair. “I've been on this board now for seven years and I know what the utility guys do, but I never really knew what the utility guys do. So I took the opportunity, because I saw what was going on, on Saturday, so I went down there. I just have to say those guys will rock to get the stuff done, they don't mess around. They're down there in cold weather, in the mud, in the water, getting blasted in the face by rocks and water spraying and everything, and getting the problem solved. I just was really proud of the guys that were down there working that day.”

LTC member Ross Keasling concurred, noting it can be bad in the summer, but cold weather makes their work much more difficult. 

Also discussed:

-Council approved a transfer of funds from the Liberty Fire Department's township fire training fund to its township fire fuel fund in the amount of $1322. Clerk-treasurer Melissa Shepler explained the fuel fund currently is $113 in the red and expects the transfer to cover fuel costs for the remainder of the year.

-Council received two responses to its request for proposals for the former Liberty Herald building, gifted to the town by the Wedding family. Proposals were submitted by real estate appraiser Michael Sweet and Herald publisher Brian Noah. Council president Matt Barnhizer suggested council take time to review the proposals and ask Sweet and Noah to return to the Dec. 6 meeting to answer questions; council agreed.

-Council reviewed a returned check penalty ordinance. Shepler explained the town has an existing returned check policy and the presented ordinance expands on the policy. Council will vote on the ordinance at its Dec. 6 meeting.

-Council approved a street closure request by the Union County Development Corporation for the annual Christmas In Our Hometown festivities Sunday, Dec. 5 on Union Street.

-Council reviewed a drafted agreement between the Town of Liberty and the Union County township trustees contracting the LFD for services. Shepler explained the Indiana State Board of Accounts has requested municipalities ensure active agreements are in place, hinting at the potential for a state audit. Bias noted the agreement will go into place and be renewed annually; he expressed concern the current contract cost is listed in the agreement, but could potentially increase in the future. A difference between the cost on the front page of the agreement and future contract costs could cause confusion. After some discussion, it was decided to have the front page of the agreement reference an exhibit attached to the back of the agreement which can be more easily updated. The agreement will be voted on in December.