Milan Town Board awards bids for water project
Mary Margaret Moorhead - Staff Writer

Milan Town Board members Paul Hildebrand, Robert Branigan, and Matt Huffman awarded the contract for the Mill Road Water Line Project to C & HM Excavating of Vevay, low bidder among five submitted bids.

During their Monday, January 10, meeting the board members opened the bids, which ranged from $84,026.00 to $42,190.75, the lowest being that of C & HM Excavating. Ethel L. Morgan, HomeTown Engineering, reviewed the five bids and recommended C & HM Excavating.

Concerning the Waste Water Management Project, Morgan told the board, "We are finished." She noted that the few engineering flaws remaining at the new sewer plant can be alleviated by relocating the effluent flow meter in a new manhole downstream and by rebuilding the meter so that it submerges.

She estimated the cost to be $7,500 and the time element, six weeks. Board members agreed unanimously to take that amount from the Rainy Day Fund. "The good news," said Morgan, "is that we've got flow to the plant."

Morgan is also preparing an engineering report for use of the $379,000 remaining in the revolving fund. Board members agreed that the lift station at the elementary school is top priority with replacing pipe and nine manholes also in the mix.

According to Morgan, her report must first go to the state. Then the Milan board can look at the cost of the remaining projects and choose those that are within the budget. President Hildebrand noted that the board would consider and prioritize the projects.

A motion for a resolution for the addendum and a letter to IDEM received a unanimous vote with a motion by Hildebrand and a second by Branigan. The board also agreed to have Morgan list the manhole project for approximately 80 manholes.

Town Manager John Ingram said he would be checking all the town's manholes to see which should be replaced. He also reported on the snow removal during the heavy snowfall the last week of December. Water bills had to be estimated, Ingram noted.

In an update, Ingram said that the Milan Volunteer Fire Department was not eligible for the Community Focus Grant, according to Susan Craig of Southeastern Indiana Regional Planning Commission.

Reporting for the Milan Police Department, Chief Tom Holt said that during the month of December, his department had received 74 calls for service, made 47 traffic stops, assisted 27 other agencies and 15 stranded motorists. Among the 34 other police-related activities were six dog complaints.

Chief Holt said the Milan police are enforcing both the county's ordinance and the state's concerning dogs that are running loose throughout the town.

One family was present to register a complaint about the dog situation. Mrs. Cynthia Pettit said that since moving to Milan a month ago, they have had pit bulls running loose in their yard. This is a concern, she said, because of their young children.

Chief Holt promised to be aggressive about the untied dogs.

In a question from John McKittrick concerning the zoning of the old skating rink, President Hildebrand replied that the board would accept the opinion of the county's planning commission.

The board agreed unanimously to reappoint Marianne Wiggers as Milan's representative on the Regional Planning Commission.

Following the 8:15 p.m. adjournment, board members and Town Manager Ingram remained to discuss plans or the renovation of the new town hall. Others present for the January meeting included Clerk-Treasurer Gladys Moody and Town Attorney Larry Eaton.