The Washington City Council had an agenda requiring action on nine ordinances dealing with funding for the completion of the Old US 50 project between S.E. Third Street and the State Street Intersection. At the beginning of the meeting, James Derrick Clarke reported on his efforts to make the SR 257/US 50 Bypass intersection safe. Clarke reported that after several fatalities at the intersection, it has now been ten years without a fatality. After the death of 2-year-old Noah Briggeman, Clarke organized a campaign to have rumble strips and “signal ahead” warning signs placed at the intersection. Clarke thanked the City Council and the County Commissioners for their support of his efforts. However, after ten years, Clarke noted the rumble strips need to be renewed and that flashing lights on one of the warning signs no longer work. Clarke says he can no longer take the lead in keeping track of the safety measures but hopes the community will work together to be sure that INDOT keeps the safety measures at the dangerous intersection up-to-date. Mayor David Rhoads told Washington’s City Council that INDOT will open bids on the road project on Wednesday. The third section of the overall rebuild of old U.S. 50 through the heart of Washington was originally put out for bids in February, but the bids came in several million dollars over projections, and INDOT elected to rebid the project. Due to the federal and state funding of the project, INDOT is the lead entity on the project. In anticipation of moving forward this time, Mayor Rhoads and the Council heard the introduction of several ordinances transferring and reappropriating City funds. Mayor Rhoads explains:
While the city is still uncertain about details, the council had to take action to have the findings in place to meet the requirements for state and federal grants.
Two ordinances dealing with bond issues for sewer and electric improvements in the project area had to be amended within a short time frame, causing the council to suspend the rules so that the required legal advertising could meet the legal deadlines. In another unique situation, a proposed bond issue for public improvement projects was revisited. The ordinance received a 3-2 favorable vote at the October 23rd Council meeting. But since it did not receive the necessary four votes to pass, it was tabled and reconsidered at last night’s meeting. This time, the bond ordinance passed 5-2. The funds are not obligated to a specific project but can be used for the US 50 project, the Commons project, and a projected east-side sewage plant, among other needed city improvements. After the Council meeting, Mayor Rhoads told WAMW that US 50 project engineers have told him it is possible that work on the last section of the project could begin by the end of the year if everything works out.
The only non-highway-related action taken by the Council Monday night was the appropriation of $145,000 from the city’s ARPA funds to buy new breathing apparatus for the Washington Fire Department.
