In This Issue:     

  

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Town Manager's Report

 

The various Town Department Annual Reports are posted on the Town website this month. Please take the opportunity to view the activities of your local government. We encourage comments from the public, so please give us your opinions.

Typically, we use January and February to coordinate and finalize our objectives for the next year. We actually start the process during the budgeting session of the previous fall, but finalizing our objectives occurs after the Council President and Committee assignments are done in January.

Some of the larger scale projects the Town is going to see in 2007 are:

1)  The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) will be letting the Broadway Reconstruction project in February/March of this year and we expect roadway construction to begin in April. We are already getting some phone calls about the pipe located along Broadway at the old Y&W site and other locations. The pipe is part of the utility work being performed by Indiana American Water Company to replace their water main from Turkey Creek South to the American Legion Hall. Other utility work that will commence soon is the changes to the electric lines by NIPSCO. The road construction will cause most of the anticipated traffic delays and issues. Both north bound lanes will be closed during the first phase of the construction and the south bound lanes will be converted to two way traffic. We expect a change in the routing of the 2007 Fourth of July Parade because of the lanes closures. We are currently investigating if the 2007 July Fourth Parade can be along 61st Avenue west of Broadway.

2)  The Town and INDOT will hopefully be letting the reconstruction project of 61st Avenue in 2007. 61st Avenue will be reconstructed into a five lane road with drainage and sidewalks between Broadway and I-65. The final plans are being prepared now, but since this project uses State, Federal and local monies the review process is rather lengthy. A full length middle turning lane is the largest addition to this route.

3)  INDOT is going to be repaved US 30 from the Illinois State Line to Taft Street in Merrillville during most of the summer of 2007. There are some changes being made to lessen the accidents in the immediate area of Taft Street. Changes to the crossovers at Marshall and Independence Streets are to be expected. We believe at this time that both crossovers are to be eliminated; INDOT has not provided a written confirmation of these changes.
4)Other projects are paving of selected roads throughout the Town as has been normally done most years.

Continuing Projects:

1)  The 2006 Waterline project is continuing into 2007 with major worked needed on site restoration activities. The single area that has not seen new waterline installation is the 73rd Avenue section from Catherine Street to I-65. We expect this construction to commence in March/April of 2007.

2)  Mississippi Street is in the preliminary design phase of the roadway reconstruction project. Currently the design includes reworking the 83rd Avenue intersection, providing a new signal at 89th Avenue, and a four lane road with turning center lanes as needed from 83rd Avenue south to 101st Avenue. This project is also using Federal funds and therefore requires the extended review processes. We expect property acquisition to commence late this year and into 2008 with a letting of late 2008, if all goes well.

3)  101st Avenue Reconstruction, Phase One, has been let to Robinson Engineers. This first phase project is a three or four lane road from Broadway east to the new Georgia Street going into the Ameriplex Project. Additional phases include a new bridge over I-65 and a connection to Mississippi Street. There is no set construction date at this time and the design of either a three or four lane road has not yet been determined.

4)  US 30 and Rhode Island Street, entrances to the Radisson Star Theatre and Century Plaza sites. Alternative designs are being discussed currently; we are narrowing the engineering scope of the project prior to starting Preliminary design work. The intersection requires extensive work and re-construction. There is no letting or construction deadline at this time. We hope that in late 2007 we can announce more accurate timelines.

5)  US 30 Reconstruction Broadway west to Taft Street. Preliminary design work is commencing. Right-of-way needs are also being researched. This project concentrates on improving safety in this area. There have been 12 fatalities in this stretch of road since 2001. The project consists of closing crossovers, installing new connecting frontage roads, adding one more signal to US 30 between Taft and Grant streets, and closing some access drives onto US 30. There have been too many fatalities in this area and it needs addressed. Hopefully, letting can commence by the end of 2007, however, this project uses two separate INDOT and Federal Transit offices and funding sources and coordinating efforts and design approvals takes longer than we would prefer.

Future Projects:

1)  Waterlines to West Mill and Old Mill Estates Subdivisions using Randolph and US 30. This area for waterlines was dropped from the 2005 Redevelopment Bond Issue due to the high cost. We immediately proceeded with another avenue in 2006 and filed for Federal Funds. While the 109th Congress approved the funding due to the efforts of Congressman Visclosky, the Republican administration did not perform the appropriate paperwork at the close of the session and the funding was lost. We have again filed this month for Federal Fiscal Year 2008 for Federal Funding of $450,000.00. Indiana American Water Company has since 2005 graciously agreed to fund the remainder of the project or another $460,000.00 for a total of $910,000.00.

2)  93rd Avenue, Mississippi to Colorado has been discussed for many years as the next or Fourth Phase of the project. The Town has not proceeded with any engineering and at this time the earliest that this project would proceed forward would be late 2008 or in 2009.

3)  Colorado Street, We are trying to develop this area as the next large Industrial Park for the Town. Provided ours efforts are successful this area will see roadway improvements. In 2007 we expect the developer of the River’s Bend Subdivision, Precision Builders, to repave Colorado from Deep River south to 101st and 101st from Colorado west to almost Mississippi Street.

4)  At the February Town Council Work Session last night the Council approved the filing of numerous Transportation Enhancement (TE) Projects. The TE program is administered through the Northwest Indiana Regional Planning Commission (NIRPC) and the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT). The Town is going to submit seven (7) applications. TE funds are broken down into three primary categories of Bike Trails, Historic Preservation, and Beautification, and our applications are going to try and tap each of these sources. The C & O Rails to Trails is the first application. We have applied the last two years in a row and have slowly proceeded up the rankings list. This project is a bike trail from Broadway Northwest to the Griffith Town line. The second project is the use of Historic Preservation for 73rd Avenue from Catherine Street west to Madison Street. This project follows the design work done by the Historic District Committee and Mr. Taghi Arshami, our Preservation District Architect. The other five projects are intersection beautification project for Broadway. We are submitting applications for 53rd, 57th, 61st, 68th and 80th street intersections. All intersections include pedestrian walks, crossover areas, benches, plantings, etc.

I hope this gives everyone a slight idea of some of the project activities your local government is attempting to develop to continue to improve the quality of life aspects of our Town. Please feel free to comment on any one or all of the topics above, as always I like to hear resident opinions and comments.

 

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Parks & Recreation Department

 

Don’t Miss Out!

Registration is required one week before the class begins:

 

Tumblebears Gymnastics  Ages:  Tot and Parent  Time:  5:50 p.m. - 6:25 p.m. Wednesday, March 7 – March 28, 2007, Session:  4 weeks Fee:  Resident  $35   Non-resident $40   Ages:  3 - 5 Time:  5:15 p.m. - 5:50 p.m. Wednesday, March 7 – March 28, 2007, Session:  4 weeks Fee:  Resident $35   Non-resident $40   Ages:  6 & Up Time:  4:30 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. Wednesday, March 7 – March 28, 2007, Session:  4 weeks Fee: Resident $35  Non-resident $40                Yoga  Time:  9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Thursday, March 22 – April 19, 2007, Session:  5 weeks Fee:  Resident over 50 - FREE            Resident 49 and under -  $20          Non-resident any age - $25    Ballroom Dancing Time:  7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 28 – May 2, 2007, Session:  6 weeksFee:  $50 per person   Chicago Style Steppin’  Time:  6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Monday, March 19 – April 23, 2007, Session:  6 weeks Fee:  Resident $45 per person            Non-resident $50 per person Leather sole shoes are required		Needlecrafts  Time:  10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Monday, March 12 – April 16, 2007, Session:  6 weeks Fee:  Resident $5   Non-resident $10 Walkers In Motion  Time:  9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Wednesdays & Fridays, March 14 – April 20, 2007, Session:  6 weeks Class meets two days a week – Wednesday and Friday Fee:  Resident $20   Non-resident $25     ALL CLASSES REQUIRE REGISTRATION ONE WEEK BEFORE START DATE!  REGISTER EARLY!!! Up and Coming Events   Blood Pressure Checks: 2nd Tuesday of each month Sponsored by Adarna   What is Congestive Heart Failure? Thursday, March 29, 2007 at 9:00 a.m. Sponsored by Internal Medicine   Compounded Medications Tuesday, April 10, 2007 at 9:00 a.m. Sponsored by Vyto’s Pharmacy Osteoporosis Thursday, April 26, 2007 at 9:00 a.m. Sponsored by Internal Medicine
HEALTHY YOU      Benefits of healthy fruit consumption:   Apples Protects your heart prevents constipation Blocks diarrhea Improves lung capacity Cushions joints Bananas Protects your heart Quiets a cough Strengthens bones Controls blood pressure Blocks diarrhea Blueberries Combats cancer Protects your heart Stabilizes blood sugar Boosts memory Prevents constipation Cantaloupe Saves eyesight Controls blood pressure Lowers cholesterol Combats cancer Supports immune system Cherries Protects your heart Combats Cancer Ends insomnia Slows aging process Shields against Alzheimer's Grapefruit Protects against heart attacks Promotes Weight loss Helps stops strokes Combats Prostate Cancer Lowers cholesterol Grapes Saves eyesight Conquers kidney stones Combats cancer Enhances blood flow Protects your heart Lemons Combats cancer Protects your heart Controls blood pressure Smoothes skin Stops scurvy Limes Combats cancer Protects your heart Controls blood pressure Smoothes skin Stops scurvy Mangoes Combats cancer Boosts memory Regulates thyroid Aids digestion Shields against Alzheimer's Oranges Supports immune systems Combats cancer Protects your heart Straightens respiration   Peaches Prevents constipation Combats cancer Helps stops strokes Aids digestion Helps hemorrhoids Prunes Slows aging process Prevents constipation Boosts memory Lowers cholesterol Protects against heart disease Strawberries Combats cancer Protects your heart Boosts memory Calms stress   Watermelon Protects prostate Promotes Weight loss Lowers cholesterol Helps stops strokes Controls blood pressure

 

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Town Council     view					Know the Law
					Sec. 8-10  Use by residents of town-maintained dumpster; conditions; fee. (a) The Town of Merrillville maintains a dumpster on its premises at 13 West 73rd Avenue, Merrillville, Indiana, in a location at the public works facility; the Town of Merrillville will make the dumpster available to residents of the Town of Merrillville for the disposal of trash on the following basis: (1) Only large items of trash are acceptable; no household garbage is to be placed in the dumpster; (2) Any individual wishing to deposit trash in the dumpster must show proof of residency in the Town of Merrillville; (3) Pay a fee of ten dollars ($10.00) per car or pick-up truck load. Larger loads are prohibited unless fee agreement reached and paid to the public works department; (4) Deposit said trash in the dumpster in an appropriate manner and clean up any debris which may have fallen to the ground in the process of the disposal. (b) The use of the dumpster is limited to residents and does not include any use by commercial entities.
Ward 1	Terrell Taylor
Ward 2	Richard Hardaway
Ward 3	D. Lance Huish
Ward 4	David Uzelac
Ward 5	Joe Shudick Jr.
Ward 6	Shawn Pettit
Ward 7	Ron Widing
Town Government Telephone numbers
Town Manager		769-5711
Clerk-Treasurer		769-3501
Planning & Building		769-3631
Town Engineer		769-5711
Public Works		769-6784
Emergency Medical Service		769-0400
Parks & Recreation		980-5911
Ross Township Fire Service		769-0004
Police Non-Emergency		769-3531
Police Administration		769-3722
Police Sub-Station		884-3841
Code Enforcement		769-3631
Town Court		756-6185

 

Meeting Schedules	events calendar
The Town Council	2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at 6:30p.m.
The Plan Commission	3rd Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m.
The Police Commission	1st Friday of the month at 8:00 a.m.
The Board of Zoning Appeals	4th Wednesday of the month at 6:30 p.m.
The Town Hall is open Monday	Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.