Greensburg — Greensburg Mayor Gary Herbert plans to start his second term with a variety of construction and improvement projects throughout the city.

During a recent conversation with the Daily News, Mayor Herbert outlined his plans for the various projects, noting that he hopes to see all of them reach completion by the end of the summer.

Chief among the Mayor's plans is the imminent finish of the ongoing Gas Creek project.

"It needs to be finalized this year," said Mayor Herbert of the lengthy process.

The project is mostly funded via a $2 million grant given to the city, for which notification arrived Tuesday. Other revenue for the project stems from matching funds from the city as well as a "Rainy Day" fund and a gambling fund. Some monetary needs may also be met by virtue of using what is left of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) funds the city received due to flooding in 2008. The mayor stated that if the city is to receive the entirety of the $2 million grant from the Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA), Greensburg must match $293,000.

The Gas Creek project has been underway for more than a year, but with funding now released, it should reach substantial completion within 150 days of the signing of a contract with Poindexter Excavating. The end result calls for a better drainage system to relieve flooding in the southern portion of Lincoln Street.

The mayor further stated that the city has purchased rights of way and properties from GECOM for a 15-acre retention pond that will assist in this process.

Mayor Herbert mentioned that he also hopes to see a construction project soon begin on Vandalia Road.

"The west side of the road, near Enneking's Auto Body, will be radiused off into Vandalia Road," the mayor said.

Mayor Herbert stated that the bridge on Vandalia will also be widened.

"The whole reason is for safety," he said, noting the anticipated increase in traffic on the roadway.

A smaller project the mayor hopes to see finished in 2012 involves the S-curves on Barachel Lane between Lincoln and Broadway Streets. The mayor said the curves will be straightened into more of a "jog" when the project is finished.

Storm drainage improvements south of Decatur County Memorial Hospital (DCMH) on Lincoln Street have been in the planning stages for some time, mentioned Mayor Herbert, but the city wanted to wait until the Lincoln Street construction project was finished. The mayor said that Greensburg, as a whole, is behind where it should be in matters of having proper storm drainage. He noted that, in the past, the budget for such projects has been too small. This project is part of what Mayor Herbert referred to as "a full agenda" for 2012.

Another task Mayor Herbert hopes to see accomplished in the new year is the completion of a Wastewater Management administration building. The planned location is behind The Corner Store, off of South Broadway.

Via funds the city has accrued through a Tax Increment Finance (TIF) from Honda Manufacturing of Indiana, Mayor Herbert said that a 7,000-foot extension to a 14-inch water line located on the east side of Westridge Edition will be constructed this year.

The mayor said a 14-inch water pipe is much wider than the one currently in place and allows for "more volume and better water flow," and is also better at maintaining pressure.

Mayor Herbert went on to explain that another water line, this one located near Mainstreet Market and The Buggy Bath on Main Street will be replaced or striplined. This line supplies water to several businesses on Main Street.

In addition to these projects, the mayor has plans to upgrade a couple of noted eyesores in the Greensburg area.

The Mayor said the grassy area at the corner of Main and Lincoln could potentially be turned into a "mini-park." Mayor Herbert said that cleaning up the area by eliminating the many signs that populate it, eventually replacing them with shrubbery and possibly picnic tables is an initiative he'd like to see come to pass in 2012.

"We want it to look neat and clean," he said.

Another clean-up project is located near the intersection of Lincoln Street and Montgomery Road. In a fashion similar to anticipated project at Main and Lincoln Streets, the mayor hopes to add shrubs or other greenery to the area for aesthetic improvements. This area,too, was previously overpopulated with a variety of political campaign signs.

The Daily News plans to follow each of these projects as they get underway, particularly as governmental bodies and agencies make decisions relating to it. More stories relating to each are planned for future editions of the Daily News.



Contact: Brent Brown 812-663-3111, x7056