The Roanoke Town Council moved forward with a construction project on Commercial Street and discussed downsizing the areas in which the town controls zoning issues at the meeting on Tuesday, July 17.
The council awarded the contract for Commercial Street improvements to Hitzfield Excavating, Inc., coming in with an overall bid of $80,019.00. Hitzfield's bid was lower than those submitted by Iron Clad and Crosby Excavating, Inc.
The Commercial Street improvements will include sanitary sewer and water main replacement from 2nd Street to 4th Street.
Council discussed altering the current limits of its extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ), which allows a town to exercise certain authority in prescribed space outside of town limits.
Bryn Keplinger, assistant director of Huntington County Community Development, recommended shrinking Roanoke's current ETJ, which extends to the borders of Whitley and Allen counties and halfway to Meridian Road. Some county residents have made complaints to the department because some zoning and related decisions must go through Roanoke but seem unrelated to the town.
Roanoke resident Brian Secor warned council against giving up any current ETJ areas to non-Roanoke jurisdictions and cited the Arlington Heights, nearly two miles away from town limits, which receives water and sewer from Roanoke.
"The people here on the Roanoke BZA have a vested interest in the area," he said.
Mark Mussman, executive director of HCCD, commented that the ETJ issue is a matter of moderation.
"A two-mile radius in any of our towns right now is excessive," he said, noting that Andrews' ETJ is also extended.
Council will continue ETJ discussion at a later meeting.
The second annual Cubmobile race will be held in Roanoke on Aug. 11. Council approved the event and street closure request from David Snodgrass, the assistant commissioner for the Boy Scouts' Miami District.
Snodgrass said that the event has been moved to August this year to coincide with straw season. Bales will be placed three-deep around the course as safety barriers.
The course will be the same as last year's, running from St. Joseph Catholic Church to 4th Street. St. Joseph will provide restrooms, and Snodgrass said they expect an attendance of 120 people.
Council also announced that Guy Dumato and Tony Vonesh will join John Stoeckley, Troy Karshner and John Klingenberger on the TIF (tax increment financing) district board.
