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Markle council OKs sale of town hall to library

Members of the Markle Town Council have unanimously approved an agreement to sell the current town hall property at 155 W. Sparks St. to the Huntington City-Township Public Library Board for $15,000.

The agreement was approved during the town council’s meeting Wednesday, Dec. 17.

The purchase will clear the way for the town to demolish the current town hall building, which now sits on the prop-erty. Clerk-Treasurer Shelley Monticue said the library is looking at a closing date in June in order to build a new building on that site. Town Council President Jeff Humbarger says that should give the town enough time to tear down the old structure.

“There is one piece that we wanted to have corrected, which was to state clearly that the library is responsible for back-filling the site, which they are fully aware of because they have to do some things because of it being a library,” Hum-barger said. “It will be nice to have a new building for them.”

Town Assistant Mike Grant, who is on the library building committee, told the council that the committee members have toured some area libraries to look at the buildings and make notes about what they want in the new Markle build-ing.

Humbarger said the next step would be for the council to meet with the library board and discuss the timeline for taking the old building down, backfilling the six to seven-foot hole and constructing the new building.

“We’re going to need some time to get everything out of there before it comes down,” he added.

On another note, Monticue announced that the town is in discussion with the Turnpointe Community Church of the Brethren regarding leasing office space in the church parsonage, located at 520 W. Logan St., on a temporary basis after the current town hall building has been razed.

“The discussion is still continuing as to that being a possible relocation for a town hall,” she said, adding the rent would be $500 per month.

Grant has also looked into renting a mobile office, which would be parked behind the fire station. He said the largest trailer, measuring 12 feet by 60 feet, would cost the town $250 per month, which was the best price of three quotes he obtained.

Monticue said she believes the space in the parsonage is adequate, including storage space, and she hopes to schedule a public hearing at the next council meeting on Jan. 21.

In other business, the council heard from representatives of Leary Construction Co. and Utility Services Group regard-ing maintenance contracts for the town’s two water towers.

The Leary agreement, a 10-year contract, covers maintenance on the towers including the mixer on the older 125,000-gallon tank, cleaning out the tanks every other year, and painting both inside and outside. The total price is $19,570 per year, split between the two tanks, said representative Bill Rodman.

However, Markle Town Superintendent Rick Asher questioned Rodman about extra items in the Leary contract that were priced over and above the original contract price.

“We just want to make sure we’re comparing apples to apples,” Humbarger said. “If we decide to go with your group then our expectation would be that it’s probably going to get painted twice in that 10-year cycle.”

Mark Hansen of Utility Services Group called his updated maintenance agreement an “evergreen contract,” presented on a 15-year schedule and can go up in price up to 5 percent yearly for inflation. Hansen also offered a rebate, but did not specify costs.

Humbarger said a special meeting will need to be called after council members go over the two proposals. Monticue says the meeting will be held after the first of the year.

The council also:

• Approved retaining the services of Huntington County Economic Development and Director Mark Wickersham for 2015 at $3,700.

• Heard an update on the Tracy Street project from Jay Stankiewicz, representing DLZ out of Fort Wayne, the firm designing the project. He said the last parcel of land for an easement is being reappraised and an offer will be made before Christmas.

Stankiewicz also reported that the Indiana Department of Transportation has approved making cuts into the north side of Ind.-116 to reduce costs, since INDOT plans to resurface that roadway in 2017.

He also said the project’s letting date is July 2015, and it will be a two-season job, with the roadway likely to be torn up throughout the winter. INDOT’s project on Ind.-224 has an October letting date.

“One of the things that was suggested is we push off the letting date for Tracy Street until the fall of next year,” Stankiewicz said, adding better prices are available in the fall.

“If it lets in November the contract should be signed in December,” he said. “The project will be started in early spring and completed by 2016.”

The council agreed to the later date by consensus.

• Tabled appointments to various councils and boards until the January meeting.

• Approved the 2014-15 salary ordinance, which includes a 2 percent raise for town employees.

• Approved by consensus for the town code book to be updated and digitized, at a cost of between $1,500 and $2,000. The code book would then be available on the town’s website.

• Approved a resolution to transfer $71,000 from the General Fund to the Rainy Day Fund, and also approved a resolu-tion for end of year balancing and transfers of appropriations.