The cold snap earlier this year caused some headaches in Ferdinand.
Town Council members discussed these in-depth during their monthly meeting this week.
Last month’s wintery weather caused four leaks around the town. Two of these were minor and two were major. One leak let out nearly 120,000 gallons of water. Crews were able to quickly repair the leaks without any major issues.
The streets also took a significant beating from the freezing and thawing of ice and snow. Street Department employees have a lot of potholes to patch, areas to dig out, and some milling areas to pave.
The council then switched gears to discuss the Park Department’s update.
Any event or league is still required to submit a COVID-19 response plan for upcoming events. Practices for local sports leagues also begin practicing this month. Property Manager and Street Department Superintendent, Tom Lueken, says they are getting the fields ready and need to work out a watering schedule.
Town Council President, Ken Sicard, then took a moment to recognize two residents who made a lasting impact on the Ferdinand Parks. Marvin “Baldy” Weyer and Clem Lange recently passed away. The two men and their families were extremely committed to the parks and supported many projects. The town and the park board are extremely grateful for their generosity and support over the years.
The next item on the agenda was Old Town Lake. The park board approved the cost of a quotation from Alvey’s Sign to purchase a composite sign for the entrance of the Old Town Lake. This sign will match in size, color, and style of the same signage at 18th Street Park. The sign itself will be an Eagle Scout Project to commence this year. A sign permit will be filed.
Construction on the fishing pier and kayak launch will also begin later this month. The projects have been delayed because of the recent rainfall. The lake has been lowered by five feet. The Park Board hopes to have these two projects completed as soon as possible. The park is expected to remain open during this project.
Ferdinand Town Manager, Chris James was next in line to update the council. Plans for the 2021 Ferdinand Folk Festival are moving forward and the event is scheduled for Saturday, September 18th. James says they are looking at dates in April to hold a Halfway to Fold Fest: line-up announcement. The number of vendors may be limited to allow for better spacing of booths and help keep foot traffic socially distanced.
The 2021 Dubois County Leadership Academy is also going to operate on the same schedule as 2020. Board members met on February 25th to elect leadership and finalize the calendar. The first session is scheduled for July 13th and graduation is set for November 4th.
James also says he has received multiple calls and questions about the summer Park and Recreation Program. The program was canceled last year because of the coronavirus. As of now, the town plans to offer the program, but there will be modifications to the daily schedule.
Council members also set the dates for this year’s yard sale. The Town-Wide Yard Sale takes place from Thursday, April 29th through Saturday, May 1st.
The next Ferdinand Town Council Meeting will take place on Tuesday, April 20th, at 6:30 pm in the Ferdinand Community Center.
