The Old U.S. 50 rebuild project from East Third Street to State Street will get underway around the first of February with the Washington Board of Works and Safety approving contracts with VS Engineering to oversee the project.
The Board also heard a request from WHS teacher Rita Eblin asking to paint crosswalks across Bedford Road on the north side of the high school. City Street Commissioner Brian Sergesketter said the crosswalks in question were mid-block crosswalks and were not ADA compliant with curbs rather than cut-outs. Mayor Rhoads will investigate what the city can do since the sidewalks in question do not belong to the city. In other business, the Board agreed to a 10-year renewal of the lease contract with RSVP and the Community Building,
Washington’s City Council took preliminary steps to give a ten-year-graduated tax abatement to Indiana Municipal Power Agency for $19.4 million in equipment for the new solar park on Washington’s west side. The 9 megawatt facility will be the largest in the IMPA system. IMPA is also upgrading the existing solar park. All the electricity produced by the two solar parks will be funneled into Washington’s power grid. In other business, the Council passed a resolution officially granting a $1000 bonus to all full-time city employees and heard the first reading of an ordinance raising residential fees for the waste water utility by $1.90 per month. The increase will allow the wastewater utility to sand on its own and not pull funds from other utilities. The Council also heard a request from Jeff Steimel for a tax abatement for planned apartments adjacent to the new Buffalo Trace Subdivision.
Prior to the Council meeting, Mayor Rhoads administered the oath of office to Mitchell Gray, the City’s newest firefighter.
