City getting geared up for winter plowing

It may only be the first week of fall but the City of Greencastle is gearing up for the annual winter snow and ice battle.

The Board of Works unanimously approved a new snowplow-equipped dump truck for the Department of Public Works at its recent September meeting. The 2025 Ford F-650 Super was purchased from Brad Howell Ford of Kokomo in accordance with all state bid requirements in an amount not to exceed $171,919.

The truck is actually priced at $80,665 with the dump bed and snowplow provided by Clark Truck Equipment, Crawfordsville, at $91,239. The total price includes a $15 title fee.

With one Street Department dump truck “in very bad shape,” according to Mayor Lynda Dunbar, it was time for a new truck, especially with the ability to get one very quickly with the arrival of bad weather looming on the horizon.

The truck purchase was approved on a motion by Thom Morris and an affirmative vote by Dunbar. The third member of the Board of Works, Trudy Selvia, was absent.

The board also approved the abandonment of well No. 7 and test drilling for a new well for the Water Department.

The abandonment procedure is a $28,500 expense and will be done by National Water Services. Test drilling will cost $7,500.

Well No. 7, Mayor Dunbar said, is “falling in, caving in and kind of dangerous.”

“It’s just one of those things,” the mayor added. “Things go bad. We work hard to keep them clean and working but it wore out.”

Although rain over the last few days has abated drought issues, the mayor also told the Board of Works that Greencastle “has plenty of water.”

Ed Phillips of the Water Department “has seen the wells much, much worse,” she said, adding that no restrictions would be placed on water use.

In other business, the Board of Works:

• Authorized emergency repairs at 1125 Avenue D, which the mayor said “could have potentially washed out the road,” and at 806 Crown St. Mayor Dunbar reiterated that “the price for emergency repairs is getting astronomical.” Dunbar indicated that she will be having discussions about such repairs, saying city workers can handle some of the smaller jobs themselves, and those occurring overnight, unless a huge problem, can wait until the next morning for repairs because of the cost of late-night work “being so much.”

• Approved Water Department monthly claims at $798,705 and Wastewater Department claims at $58,559. The Water Department claims were skewed by installation a new generator at the water plant, which had been ordered more than two years ago but jut recently arrived. City Council President Stacie Langdon, a member of the audience at City Hall, asked what happens to the old generator. “It’s still out there hooked up,” Mayor Dunbar said. Meanwhile, Morris noted that some of its parts may be usable for repairs in the future.

• Approved a sewer leak adjustment for Sharon Johnson at 1033 Avenue E, presented by Deputy Clerk Melanie Welker, in the amount of $2,158 after a dateline line burst under Johnson’s trailer. She was still responsible for the water lost, but not the sewage portion of the bill.

• Approved a $43,000 engineering contract with Curry & Associates, Danville, on the Sherwood lift station. The project was approved July 29, 2023 but the paperwork was never brought back in front of the board. City Attorney Laurie Hardwick noted that the project was discussed at several meetings.

The Board of Works will next meet in regular session at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 16 at City Hall.