CHURUBUSCO – If at first you don’t succeed …

… the Town of Churubusco will try again this summer to qualify for a state grant to help build a new water filtration plant and install a new water system after being rejected in May.

Region III-A representative Jim Atz was present at the July 2 council meeting to hold the first of two public meetings and to start the grant process all over again. The Town did not get the grant due to a technicality, Atz said, but things look more promising for the Town in the next round of grant applications.

The Town hopes to attain a $500,000 state grant from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development, Office of Rural Affairs, to help offset the cost of the proposed $2.3 million water treatment plant. The remainder of the funding for the project would come from an State Revolving Fund (SRF) loan, cash-on-hand in the water department reserve and revenue generated by recent water rate increases. The proposal is due July 11, Atz said, and the application is due Sept. 12. The Town should find out in mid-November if they will receive the grant, Atz said.

The Town has a good chance of getting the grant this fall because it has moved up the list of cities and towns applying for the grants and is now listed in the top 13, according to council president Viv Sade.

Grants are allocated based on a point system that addresses each community’s quality of life, needs, assets and willingness to assist in the proposed projects.

In other business July 2:

• Ernie Loehr, a resident of Sunny Slope subdivision, presented the Town with a list of costs - $400,000 - as a result of flooding damage that was done to his Windsor Drive home January 8-10, when area flooding caused damage to homes and farms throughout Whitley County. Loehr contends that the flooding to his home was much worse because of poor drainage on the town’s part and a sudden, massive influx of surface water from the Rapp Ditch area, which is under the jurisdiction of the county. Council members Sade, Frank Kessler and John Hart said they will turn the list over to the town attorney, Ron Felger, for review.

• Councilman Hart congratulated the Churubusco Turtle Days Festival committee on a successful event held June 18-21. “We had zero incidents,” said Hart, who is also a full-time officer with the Churubusco Police Department. “Even with the beer tent, people thought there would be some kind of trouble, but there was nothing. Everything went very well. The parade route was great and I think the committee did an excellent job.”

• Clerk-treasurer Gerri Johnson asked that the Town consider a resolution to transfer monies. “Presently the water bond and interest account has $338,005 in it,” Johnson said. “Now that the Town has paid off the (outstanding) water bond, there is no need to continue to deposit money into that account.” Johnson received quotes from two local banks in regard to transferring $300,000 to a CD at the bank that offers the best interest rate. The Town will wait to hear from a third bank and make a decision at the July 16 meeting.

• Bob Hyatt, superintendent of the wastewater treatment plant, said electrical ground work will begin soon on the new lift station at the school.

• Also, at the July 16 meeting: council members will discuss the need for a fireworks ordinance as well as an ordinance regarding new trash removal rates. The Town recently renewed its contract with National Serv-All. The new contract includes a price increase due to the increasing costs of fuel, and Johnson said the new trash removal ordinance should reflect that increase.