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Cearbaugh now in charge of city streets |
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Friday, May 16 2008 |
By TJ HEMLINGER
Staff writer
Columbia City has a new street department head.
Mayor Jim Fleck swore in Kelly Cearbaugh as the new head Tuesday night at the city council meeting. Cearbaugh has worked for the city for years, spending the last seven years as a supervisor.
He replaces Steve Brown, who retired.
The council also passed on first reading a city ordinance requiring trash pickup at the street rather than in alleys. New equipment by Serv-All cannot negotiate the city’s alleys.
The Solid Waste Board is planning on offering educational publications and programs on how to “become green” and have less impact on the environment.
Park department head Mark Green told the council there are 350 children in T-ball and lob-ball. He said his crews are preparing three to six diamonds daily.
There will be a bike race through Morsches Park on Sunday over a seven-mile trail. Some riders will traverse the course four times.
Workers will start laying out the site of the new splash pad in Morsches Park next week, he added.
Electric department head Larry Whetstone said his crew has started automatic meter reading. The program is to be expanded to cover the entire city eventually.
There was a power outage at Parkview Whitley Hospital that occurred at 4:30 a.m., and the department had it back in service by 12:20 p.m. Fleck said normally it would have taken 12 hours.
Water department head Mike Dear reported that workers had laid 2,100 feet of six-inch water main in Morsches Park and had about 180 feet to go.
He also reported that his department had hooked up 11 new houses, running the total for the year to about 30.
Police chief Mike Petersen said the city’s sign that detects motorists’ speed is now on country Road 100S. He said it is “highly requested and very successful.”
He also urged residents to keep their cars locked because of a rash of recent break-ins.
Councilman Don Sexton reported that because of rules laid down by the EPA the city will only be spraying 25 times for mosquitoes this year, about once a week, down from the normal schedule of three times a week.
People who wish to complain about grass that is too high may call the clerk-treasurer’s office or the mayor’s office. From there it will be handled by the appropriate people.
Complaints about mobile signs too close to the street may be directed to the police department or the mayor’s office.
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Last Updated ( Monday, May 19 2008 )
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