Water, communication latest issues for U.S. 231

First the U.S. 231 reconstruction project became a detour issue and a traffic headache this spring.

Then the whole length of Washington Street through downtown Greencastle was completely shut down, creating even greater local angst as spring turned to summer.

And now as the Dog Days arrive, the latest conundrum has been the result of a water issue and a communications problem.

That was the word from the Greencastle City Council’s July meeting when downtown business representatives, including Main Street Greencastle Executive Director Russell Harvey, criticized how water service shutoffs for construction were handled and how communications by the city failed them during an unexpectedly stressful day last Thursday.

Mayor Lynda Dunbar and the City Hall staff were contacting 72 businesses and individuals whose water service was expected to be interrupted by the construction work.

“It was supposed to be quick,” Dunbar added, noting that phone calls and door hangers were made but then ancient city water valves threw a monkey wrench into those efforts.

“People don’t realize that some of our valves are over 100 years old,” Dunbar said, noting that when workers started turning off valves, several of them wouldn’t turn off.

That just pushed the affected service area farther and farther out, ending up with water being shut off for some who were not on the original list as the service disruption extended as far east as Wood Street.

Mayor Dunbar acknowledged that the water issue was a problem but that is likely over now with the progress made by the contractor, Rieth-Riley Construction, on the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) project since Friday.

With the city water valves as old as the waterlines being replaced in the massive project that has dominated the Greencastle landscape since April, Dunbar advised the valves are not relieving the pressure on other lines and replacing them will cost thousands of dollars.

“It will be a big expense and probably one that our utility customers will have to pay for,” the mayor noted. “It’s like putting a new roof on your house, you think you’re only going to replace the shingles and you end up replacing the gutters and fixing the chimney and all.”

Saying he understands mechanical issues can occur, Harvey said he is more concerned with the lack of communication about the situation.

“There are a lot of businesses, especially today, that were not expecting to be without water that were without water. If we knew that ahead of time, can we can connect with those businesses and let them know and get it out to the public?,” he asked.

City Attorney Laurie Hardwick responded by noting, “We can’t give you details we (city officials) don’t have.”

Mayor Dunbar explained that she had been in contact with the INDOT representative on the project daily, if not two or three times a day until his wife had a baby recently and the city’s go-to guy disappeared.

Meanwhile, a new texting device is being put in place at City Hall, Clerk-Treasurer Mikayla Johnson said, noting that businesses and residents that want to be notified via text are asked to sign up at 231construction@cityofgreencastle.com.

“As quickly as possible, we have to fill those gaps (in communication),” Main Street’s Harvey responded. “Some of these businesses are already struggling.”

David Neeley, who manages Eli’s Books and Starbucks at the corner of Washington and Indiana streets, agreed, saying that “from a business manager’s perspective,” it has all been “very frustrating,” noting businesses are “already taking a hit with the road being closed” and calling the lack of communication “astounding.”

“We lived through the Bloomington Street debacle (in 2023),” Neeley added. “I thought with a new administration and City Council there would be better communication.”

Mayor Dunbar said as soon as she learned there was a problem, she left City Hall “to track down some construction workers and my (Water Department) staff to start finding out what was going on. We got Facebook posts out there. The texts and emails are only good if we have the information.”

With the water lines done, the next step in the U.S. 231 project will be paving with sidewalks and curbs to follow.

“I’ve been begging with them to open up Jackson Street as soon as we can,” the mayor added.

Mixed signals have been sent out on the project, Neeley suggested.

“When it came to the construction project, we were all told July and then we were told we needed to shut both sides down and it would be November. Then we see on Facebook it’s back to July and everyone with eyes can see this isn’t going to be done in a few weeks,” he said.

Councilman Darrel Thomas suggested it was not the City Council’s job to know all the aspects of the project with the job of communicating the issues instead falling to those doing the work.

Harvey, who served on the City Council in First Ward for part of one term before losing in the last election to David Masten, fired back with, “It is 100 percent your job to know that.”

“It becomes the job of the city to relay that information to the businesses,” Neeley added. “To say ‘that’s not my job,’ that’s what you were elected for and relaying that information is vital.”

Councilman Masten admitted the first he heard about the water shutoff issue was during the Council meeting.

That even Masten did not know “emphasizes” the lack of communication, Neeley noted.

Harvey termed that unacceptable, saying if anyone should know about the water being off it should be the representative of the First Ward, where most of the work is being done.

“I was a downtown business owner, too,” Mayor Dunbar said. “I know how important it is.”