WASHINGTON — A hearing was held at Monday’s Washington City Council meeting on a petition to vacate a portion of Wilson Street.

The council voted 4-3 not to vacate the street after hearing from each party involved and asking follow-up questions. Garrett Byrer, who owns 801 S.W. First St., and Ron and Tina Roe, who own 715 S.W. First St., petitioned the council to close the section of Wilson Street that runs between their properties. Byrer told the council part of his home’s driveway is on the right of way for Wilson Street, which remains undeveloped. He said the Roes have maintained the “street,” which is not wide enough by city standards to be developed, for more than 30 years.

Tina Roe said the couple doesn’t want the traffic that development would bring and prefers the safety that vacating it would bring. They’re also concerned about a drainage issue.

“There’s no way to develop the street there to the city’s standards,” said city engineer Ed Barnett, explaining the right of way is 40 feet, but for a city street 60 feet is necessary; 50 feet is required if the street ends in a cul-de-sac.

Chuck Schwindt also owns abutting property and wants to develop a subdivision there. He believes vacating Wilson Street will hinder his plans, although there’s access to the property from S.W. Second Street. Barnett said there’s probably only room on Schwindt’s property to build one street with a cul-de-sac. He said there are no utilities in the area, and they would probably come off S.W. Second Street.

Boyd Toler, Schwindt’s attorney, referenced Indiana Code 36-7-3-13 at the meeting. According to the code, there are four reasons a street may not be vacated, and proof of only one is all that’s necessary to  prevent vacation. They are: if vacation would hinder growth or orderly development; make access difficult or inconvenient; hinder public access to church, school or other public building; or would hinder use of a public way by the neighborhood it’s in or adjoining.

Schwindt told council members that vacating Wilson Street not only would hinder his development plans, but it would also make his access inconvenient. Councilmen Eric Bassler, Blake Chambers, Jerry Sidebottom and Mike Singleton voted against vacating the street, while Allen Brown, Joe Fleck and Jim Greene voted for vacating it.  

John Seever of H. J. Umbaugh & Associates explained a water rate study to the council and presented them with a written report. Cash flow for the Washington water utility has decreased since at least 2008, and the report was created to pinpoint problem areas and offer possible solutions.

“The last time water rates increased was 2001,” Seever said. “That’s a big part of it.”

He explained three alternatives the report suggests for the city to get back on track and do more than just get its head above water. All include increasing rates.

“Even with an increase, the rates are still very much in line with other communities,” he said, pointing out a chart showing a comparison of average monthly water bills from several communities of similar size.

The chart shows an average bill of $21.99 for Washington and the three proposed alternatives increasing that to 29.23, $30.80 or $31.22 monthly. To put that in context, the same usage in Jasper would result in a monthly bill of $29.82. Switz City residents would pay $30.68 and Paoli water customers would be charged $30.89. In Loogootee, the monthly bill would be $31.54. In Mitchell, the rate would be $51.48.

“If you don’t increase rates, the water utility will be out of money,” Seever said. “It’s been 12 years since water rates were increased last. The city really needs to get on a program of increasing rates so you don’t get in this situation again.”

He told the council there are not enough ways to cut expenses that would help the utility, and phasing an increase in gradually will not solve the problem.

“To me it’s obvious we need to do something now,” said Mayor Joe Wellman.

 “It needs to be drastic, as much as we hate it. Our rates have not kept pace with the cost of doing business over the last 12 years.”

Washington’s utilities have not had budgets in the past, and Seever advised the council to get budgets set up to prevent similar problems in the future.

At the Board of Public Works meeting following the council meeting, the board approved a request by the Daviess County public health nurse to create a reserved parking spot in front of the office for clients.

Board members also approved a request by the Daviess County Chamber of Commerce to close Main Street from the west side of Third Street to the end of the People’s Bank parking lot and Second Street south and north half a block for the Wine, Cheese & Arts Festival Aug. 31 at Meredith Park.

The festival will be 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., and the streets will be closed from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Bids were awarded for Phase II of the Owner Occupied Housing Grant Project. Anderson Construction was awarded four projects; Just Right Home Improvement and Jeff Shelton Construction were awarded three each; and USA Construction was awarded two.