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Fort Wayne City Council members will consider adopting an ordinance Tuesday that requires the city’s purchasing department to give preference to Indiana companies. The proposed ordinance, sponsored by council members Karen Goldner, D-2nd, and Tom Didier, R-3rd, gives companies that are certified by the state a slight advantage when seeking city contracts.
The ordinance is a weakened version of legislation Goldner previously proposed that would have also included professional service contracts. That version didn’t have the votes to pass and was opposed by Mayor Tom Henry.
The compromise is a good first step that will help keep more of residents’ tax dollars in the community.
The council should pass it.
The Allen County Election Board will discuss its policy for posting campaign finance reports on the county Web site and review a report about converting to vote centers.
Vote centers would allow registered voters to vote at any polling location on Election Day rather then requiring voters to cast their ballots at their assigned precinct. The theory behind the initiative is that allowing voters to vote wherever they choose, such as close to work or school, will make voting more convenient.
Pilot studies in three Indiana counties tested the concept and found that having vote centers did not affect Election Day voter turnout. A more significant question for Allen County officials, considering the county’s large geographical size, is whether vote centers will save taxpayers money. The report from election department staff will likely include information about the number of voting centers needed, locations and costs.
The report should help educate local voters about how the centers will work in Allen County. The election board will seek public comment on the issue in the near future.
New Haven borrowed $11.6 million to separate its stormwater and sanitary sewer systems. The separation is complete, but now city officials need to correct problems with residential downspouts, yard tiles and sump pumps throughout the city that are still sending rainwater into the newly separated sewer system
Officials threatened to force residents to disconnect the illegal hookups to city sewer mains but discovered many residents were unaware of the problem. In an attempt to identify illegal or unintended sewer main hookups, New Haven officials are expected to begin smoke-testing sewer pipes today.
New Haven sends its wastewater to Fort Wayne for treatment. Allowing stormwater runoff to also flow to the wastewater treatment plant increases the volume and the expense of treating the waste.
On Saturday, the 41st annual Fort Wayne Newspapers Three Rivers Festival kicks off with one of the festival’s most popular events – the parade.
Lloy Ball, 2008 summer Olympic gold medalist in volleyball, will serve as the grand marshal.
The parade will begin at 10 a.m. in the historic West Central neighborhood and involve 140 groups marching through downtown. Festival events continue throughout the week, ending with the finale fireworks on July 19.
Area residents who want to show support for passenger rail service for northeast Indiana will have another opportunity this week. Michael Reed, commissioner of the Indiana Department of Transportation, and members of the rail section of INDOT will attend a meeting Thursday sponsored by the Northeast Indiana Passenger Rail Association and state Sen. Tom Wyss, chairman of the Senate Transportation and Homeland Security Committee. The committee’s goal is to secure Fort Wayne-to-Chicago passenger train service.
About 800 people attended an April meeting to rally for rail. INDOT is working on a plan to connect Indiana cities to Chicago with passenger rail service.
