Avilla working with NIPSCO to boost natural gas pressure - KPCnews.com
Avilla working with NIPSCO to boost natural gas pressure | News Sun | kpcnews.com
AVILLA — If you want to stoke the furnace of economic development, you need to make sure you have enough fuel for the fire.
The Avilla Redevelopment Commission recognizes that. And so does the Avilla Town Council.
During Wednesday’s regularly scheduled meeting, the town council voted unanimously for Town Manager Tena Woenker to work with natural gas provider NIPSCO to allow the utility to obtain approximately 10,000 square feet of town property to install a regulator station.
The regulator station will allow NIPSCO to increase the natural gas pressure for the town, allowing for potential further expansion at the town’s new industrial park bordered by Lemper Road and S.R. 8.
Currently, NIPSCO is nearing its maximum capacity for maintaining the same level of pressure to all of Avilla’s customers, and the regulator station is required for further growth to occur.
Specifically, the council on Wednesday approved Woenker’s request to have a land survey done on the property in question, located at the intersection of Minor Road and Albion Street.
An electricity substation already sits on another section of that town-owned land.
“It’s already full of utilities,” Woenker said. “We can’t do anything else with it.”
According to Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission guidelines, if the town wants to see the utility upgrade, the town has to pay for it up front.
According to preliminary estimates, the Avilla RDC is looking to invest more than $3500,000 in TIF monies in the project, which will not only see the construction of the regulator station but also to extend a 4-inch natural gas main line 2,700 feet into the industrial park to benefit all of the businesses at that location.
Without the installation of the main, each individual customer would have to pay to have an individual line connected to the main.
Woenker said NIPSCO would be refunding at least a portion of the town’s costs because of the increased revenues NIPSCO will see from the project.
Also at Wednesday’s meeting:
• The town approved two separate quotes to have 33 power poles installed and replaced. The cost of the poles was $13,339.53. The cost of installation was approved at an amount not to exceed $240,000.
According to Woenker, the company doing the installation will be doing it with a “live install” method which will not cause a disruption in service.
“This is stuff that needs to be done,” council President Phil Puckett said.
• The council approved the Avilla Town Marshal’s Office spending up to $12,000 to purchase 10 new sidearms. That cost will be offset by trading in current firearms. Money to pay for the purchase will come from public safety tax dollars.
• Avilla Fire Chief Chad Geiger received approval to train volunteer firefighters who are 19 years old to operate the department’s grass rig pickup. The town’s insurance carrier said the preferred age for operating town vehicles is between 25-70 years old.
Since the pickup is used for emergency medical runs, Councilman Bill Krock said it is important for trained firefighters to get to where help is needed as quickly as possible — regardless of age.
Geiger reported his department had 36 callouts during February.
• Woenker announced that ground would be broken any day now on the Noble Trail project starting on Ley Street and extending to S.R. 3.
“Eventually it will get connected to Kendallville,” Woenker said.
• Avilla Town Marshal Glen Wills reported his department had 359 calls for service in February, including performing 175 security checks and investigating seven reports of suspicious people and seven reports of suspicious vehicle.
Avilla police made 34 traffic stops during the month and investigated two domestic disturbances, one drug complaint and participated in two vehicle pursuits.