Author Archives: amandaguzman@goshencity.com

4th of July Safety Tips

As the 4th of July holiday approaches, it is important that Goshen residents be aware of fireworks regulations. A local city ordinance was adopted in 2007 at the urging of residents concerned about neighborhood safety and noise. Regulation is controlled by parameters imposed in state legislation.

Fireworks Safety:

Enjoy the local fireworks displays and leave the big ones to the professionals. Consumer fireworks are allowed by state legislation and local ordinance from 5:00 p.m. until two hours after sunset (or until approximately 11:20 p.m.) from June 29 through July 9, except on July 4 when they are allowed from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 midnight. If you decide to light your own, follow all local laws and keep a bucket of water or hose nearby. Remember, safety first! Fines for violations may be up to $500 per incident.

To report a violation of the fireworks ordinance, citizens are welcome to call the non-emergency dispatch phone number—533.4151. The caller must supply an exact address of where the violation is occurring in order for a police officer to respond effectively to the call.

Fireworks not limited to certain dates and times by local ordinance include dipped sticks or wire sparklers, cylindrical or cone fountains, illuminating torches, wheels, ground spinners, flitter sparklers, snakes or glow worms, smoke devices, and trick noisemakers (i.e., party poppers, booby traps, snappers, trick matches, cigarette loads).

Local regulations apply to “consumer fireworks” as defined in state statutes. Such fireworks include certain small ground or aerial devices designed to produce visible and/or audible effects by combustion. They are required to comply with the construction, chemical composition, and labeling regulations of the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission under 16CFR1507. Ground devices (firecrackers, salutes, and chasers) are limited to 50 milligrams of explosive composition. Aerial devices (sky rockets, missile type rockets, helicopters or spinners, roman candles, mines, and shells) are limited to 130 milligrams of explosive composition. Larger devices are not allowed under local ordinance and require state permitting.

Grill Safely:

Keep your grill clean and never leave it unattended. Make sure it’s placed well away from your home, deck railings, and overhanging branches.

Water Safety:

If you’re heading to the pool or beach, always supervise children and ensure everyone knows how to swim. Wear life jackets when boating.

Stay Hydrated:

Drink plenty of water, especially if you’re spending the day outside in the sun. Avoid excessive alcohol consumption.

Protect Your Skin:

Apply sunscreen with at least SPF 30 and reapply every two hours. Wear hats and sunglasses to protect yourself from UV rays.

Be Mindful of Pets:

Fireworks can be scary for pets. Keep them indoors in a safe, quiet area to reduce stress and prevent them from running away.

First Aid:

Keep a first aid kit handy for minor injuries. Know the location of the nearest emergency services in case of a serious accident.

Let’s make this 4th of July memorable for all the right reasons. Have fun, stay safe, and enjoy the celebrations!

NOTIFICATION OF NORFOLK SOUTHERN TRACK CLOSURES 

 The engineering department received notice that Norfolk Southern is planning to close the following crossings between approximately July 8 and July 31, 2024, for installation of new rails. Each crossing is expected to be closed to traffic over one to four days. Engineering staff have been in communication with the railroad’s safety contractor to emphasize the need to avoid simultaneous major crossing closures, limit crossing closure duration, and avoid impacting traffic for the Elkhart County 4H Fair. A more detailed schedule is expected from Norfolk Southern early next week, which will be communicated to Goshen residents and businesses via the City’s website and social media. 

 Railroad Crossing Closures Expected – Mainline Tracks Railroad Crossing Closures Expected – Marion Branch 
Ferndale Road / CR 15 Jefferson St 
Peddlers Village Road / CR 28 Purl St 
Greene Road Reynolds St 
Beaver Lane Plymouth Ave 
Indiana Avenue Jackson St 
1st Street Burdick St 
Main Street New York St 
Cottage Avenue College Ave 
Lincoln Avenue Kercher Rd 
Monroe Street 

Public Notice for Modification of Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW)

Pretreatment Program-City of Goshen Wastewater Treatment Plant

Public Notice on behalf of:              United States Environmental Protection Agency

                                                      Region 5, Water Division, WP-16J

                                                      Permits Branch

                                                      77 W. Jackson Blvd.

                                                      Chicago, IL 60604

                                                      (312) 886-6089

Name and Address of POTW:          City of Goshen Wastewater Treatment Plant

                                                      1000 W. Wilden Ave.

                                                      Goshen, IN 46528

POTW Pretreatment Program

      The City of Goshen Wastewater Treatment Plant has requested approval of a modification to its Industrial Pretreatment Program (IPP). The proposed modification consists of revisions to the pretreatment local limits for the following pollutants:  Removing the daily maximum limit for Hexavalent Chromium (currently 0.25 mg/l); adding a daily maximum limit of 3.10 mg/l for Molybdenum (currently none);  adding a daily maximum limit of 0.50 mg/l for PCBs (currently none); adding a monthly ceiling limit of 800.00 mg/l for BOD5 with excess amounts being subject to a surcharge; adding a daily maximum ceiling limit of 1,600.00 mg/l for BOD5 with excess amounts subject to a surcharge; and changing Phosphates to Phosphorus (P) with a daily maximum limit of 10.00 mg/l with excess amounts subject to a surcharge.  All other current pretreatment local limits amounts exceeding the maximum limits subject to a surcharge remain unchanged.

      The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 5 has proposed to approve the pretreatment program modification. The proposed determination is tentative.

      Interested persons are invited to submit written comments on the proposed program modification. Comments should be submitted in person or mailed no later than 30 days from the date of this Public Notice.  Copies of the relevant POTW documents are available for inspection and copying at EPA and at the POTW at the addresses listed above.

      Any person may request a public hearing within 30 days of the date of the Public Notice by submitting a written request to EPA Region 5. The request shall indicate the interest of the person filing such request and the reasons why a hearing is warranted. A public hearing will be held if there is a significant degree of public interest in the proposed program modification.  Public notice of such a hearing will be circulated in the newspaper and to the parties requesting the hearing.

      All comments or hearing requests should be submitted to the POTW at the address listed above, and to:

                                                      Pretreatment Program

                                                      NPDES Section 2

                                                      US EPA Region 5, WP-16J

                                                      Attn:  Jodie Opie

                                                      77 W. Jackson Blvd.

                                                      Chicago, IL  60604

                                                      or email to R5NPDES@epa.gov

      If no comments to this notice are received, the proposed IPP Modification will be approved as set forth herein without changes and without further public notice. In such event, this notice shall constitute the notice of approval or disapproval required by Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 403.11(e) and no additional notice shall be provided; the approved modification will be incorporated in the POTW’s NPDES permit by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. Anyone who wishes to be sent a notice of the approval of the modifications should send a request for such notice to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.

      Published in the Goshen News June 21, 2024.

Notice of Adoption of Ordinance 5188, Fire Prevention Ordinance of the City of Goshen, Indiana

      Ordinance 5188, Fire Prevention Ordinance of the City of Goshen, Indiana, was passed by the Goshen Common Council on June 10, 2024, and approved and adopted by Mayor Leichty on June 10, 2024. 

      Ordinance 5188 sets forth the fire prevention regulations for the City of Goshen and incorporates all rules of the Indiana Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission set forth in 675 IAC Articles 12, 13, 18, 22, and 25, including any later amendments to the Articles.  The Fire Chief, or the Fire Chief’s designee, shall have the authority to enforce these fire prevention regulations, including enforcement of the provisions of the Indiana General Administrative Rules, Indiana Fire Code, Indiana Building Code, Indiana Mechanical Code, Indiana Fuel Gas Code, Ordinance 5188, or any other rule of the Indiana Fire Prevention Building Safety Commission.  Ordinance 5188 also provides for emergency planning in crowd management; installation and maintenance of fire service features, including fire lane markings, gates or barricades, key boxes, water supply for firefighting purposes, and fire flow requirements; emergency lighting activation testing and recordkeeping requirements; and the planning, approval, installation and maintenance of fire protection systems.

      The City may enforce a violation of Ordinance 5188 in the City’s Ordinance Violations Bureau with a penalty of $175 for a first offense, $225 for a second offense in a 12-month period, and $250 for a third offense in a 12-month period.  The City may also enforce Ordinance 5188 by filing an action in any court of general jurisdiction to recover a fine not exceeding $2500.  Each day of violation may be construed as a separate offense.

      Ordinance 5188 is available for inspection in its entirety during regular business hours at the Goshen Clerk-Treasurer’s Office located at 202 S. Fifth Street, Goshen, Indiana.

City of Goshen’s 2024 Pavement Preservation Program will begin Monday June 10th

Beginning on Monday, June 10th, 2024, RejuvTec Inc., will begin the City of Goshen’s pavement preservation program by treating roads with Reclamite®.  

Reclamite ®is a rejuvenating fog seal that will be applied to the streets listed below. RejuvTec will be working from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., weather permitting. Expect traffic control with some lane restrictions and minimal disruption to traffic in the following areas.

ROAD TREATEDFROMTO
6/10/24 – North and South Eisenhower Dr. Dierdorff Rd.Dierdorff Rd.
6/10/24 – Westwood Rd.Gra-Roy Dr.S. Main St.
6/11/24 – S. 16th St.College Ave.E. Plymouth Ave.
6/11/24 – East. Douglas and East  ReynoldsU.S. 33 (Lincolnway East)U.S. 33 (Lincolnway East)
6/11/24 – S. 16th St.E. Douglas St.E. Reynolds St.
6/11/24 – S. 16th St.E. Reynolds St.Egbert Ave.
6/12/24 – Fescue Ct.Michigan Ave.Cul-de-sac
6/12/24 – Mayfield Dr.Greene Rd.Bashor Rd.
6/12/24 – S. Indiana Ave.W. Plymouth Ave.500 Feet North of Indiana Ave.

This process will help restore the asphalt pavement, eliminate cracking and potholes, reduce road fatigue, and slow the oxidation process. This technology is designed to extend the life of pavement.

Application Process:

  • Traffic and all parked vehicles must be off the scheduled roadway by 8:00 a.m.
  • The contractor will close the road to apply the treatment.
  • Sand will be applied, and the road will then be cleared for traffic.  Do not drive on the road until after the sand has been applied because the road will be slick, and oil can get on vehicles. 
  • Please keep vehicle speed to a minimum for several days following treatment to reduce the chance of residue on vehicles. 
  • In case of inclement weather or water on the roads, work scheduled for that day will be moved to the following day.
  • If residue gets on driveways, you may wash it with water or let it wear off in approximately two to six weeks.  If residue gets on a vehicle, wash it immediately with soap and water or use a mild solvent remover such as Bug and Tar Remover, WD-40, etc. 

For additional questions, please contact the Street Department at 574-534-9711 or streets@goshencity.com.

Invitation for Bids

The City of Goshen Board of Public Works and Safety is soliciting sealed offers for a 2024 or newer street sweeper for use in the City of Goshen’s Street Department. The Board of Public Works and Safety is hereinafter referred to as “City”.

The Specification Documents may be obtained from the City of Goshen’s Clerk-Treasurer’s Office, 202 South Fifth St., Goshen, IN 46528 or the City of Goshen’s current Bidding Opportunities portal at https://goshenindiana.org/bidding-opportunities.  The City shall not be responsible for documents obtained from any other source.

Offers shall be submitted in accordance with the Instructions to Bidders and all contractual terms and conditions that are included in the Specification Documents. In addition to price, offers will be evaluated based on whether the Bidder is responsible, and if the Bidder’s offer is responsive.

Offers shall be filed with the City of Goshen Clerk-Treasurer’s Office, 202 South Fifth Street, Goshen, IN 46528 until 3:45 p.m. June 27, 2024 at which time all offers received will be taken to the Board of Public Works and Safety meeting to be publicly opened and read aloud. The Board meeting will be held in City Court Room/Council Chambers at the Goshen Police & Court Building, 111 East Jefferson Street, Goshen.

The City of Goshen Board of Public Works and Safety reserves the right to reject any and all offers, delete any portions thereof, to waive any informalities or irregularities in any bid received, and to award a contract, consistent with Indiana law, to the lowest responsible and responsive Bidder. Award of contract is contingent on the availability of funds.

Bid-package-2024-street-sweeper-finalDownload

Road Closure at 412 & 414 N. Riverside St. between Division St and Wilkinson St. 

 

The City of Goshen Water and Sewer Department will be installing a sewer tap at 412 & 414 N. Riverside St. between Division St and Wilkinson St. The work will require excavation of the road, with a trench that will be approximately 14 feet in depth. 

For the safety of the work crews and the public, the city will close N. Riverside St. between Division St. and Wilkinson St to traffic starting at 12:00 P.M. on Tuesday, 05/28/2024. The road will reopen for traffic on Friday evening 05/31/2024. 

Expect Closures at Crossings

Norfolk Southern has begun rail replacement ahead of schedule in Goshen. Closures will continue working West to East and North to South. Norfolk-Southern’s crews anticipate re-opening each crossing the same day it is closed. See the table below for an estimated schedule of closures for this week.

Railroad Crossing Currently Closed Railroad Crossing Closed as Early as this Afternoon or Tuesday, 5/7Railroad Crossing Closed as Early as Tuesday, 5/7
Peddlers Village RdPlymouth AveCollege Ave
Greene RdJackson StKercher Rd
Purl StBurdick St 
Reynolds StNew York St 

Work will continue in approxitmately one month for NS crews to finish paving.

Crossings at College Ave., Plymouth Ave., Reynolds Street, Purl Street, Greene Road, and Peddlers Village should be open by the end of the day Monday, May 6. Crossings between College Avenue and Plymouth may be closed until Tuesday, May 7. If possible try to utilize Kercher Road and Lincolnway East / US 33 for travel Monday evening but expect delays on Kercher Road Tuesday. Madison Ave will also be open Monday and Tuesday as an alternative route.

The city will provide ongoing updates as they become available.

Lane closure on Main St. and College Ave.

As part of the Goshen College Westlawn Renovation project, the designated right-hand turn lane on Main Street at College Avenue will be closed starting this Tuesday, April 9th. Vehicles continuing north and those turning east onto College Avenue will both use the same lane. The lane restriction is expected to last approximately two months. Please be mindful of potential traffic delays in this area and plan your commute accordingly.

Poison Hemlock

We want to raise awareness regarding the presence of poison hemlock, a highly invasive and toxic plant species in our area. Poison hemlock not only poses a significant health risk to humans, pets, and livestock if ingested but also presents dangers to skin and respiratory health upon contact or inhalation.

It is crucial to exercise caution when encountering this plant. Despite its aggressive nature and resilience, it can be removed manually with gloves and patience. However, it is imperative to dispose of it properly by placing it in the trash. Do not burn poison hemlock as it releases harmful toxins into the air, posing further health risks.

Poison hemlock is classified a noxious weed. A noxious weed refers to any plant species that is invasive, harmful, or detrimental to ecosystems, agriculture, human health, or the economy. These weeds typically outcompete native vegetation, reducing biodiversity and causing ecological imbalances. They can also cause significant economic losses by reducing crop yields, clogging waterways, and interfering with infrastructure. Control and eradication efforts are often necessary to manage the spread and impact of noxious weeds.

A noxious weed refers to any plant species that is invasive, harmful, or detrimental to ecosystems, agriculture, human health, or the economy. These weeds typically outcompete native vegetation, reducing biodiversity and causing ecological imbalances. They can also cause significant economic losses by reducing crop yields, clogging waterways, and interfering with infrastructure. Control and eradication efforts are often necessary to manage the spread and impact of noxious weeds.

For those interested in learning more about identifying and effectively managing poison hemlock, we recommend referring to the comprehensive guide provided in the 2023 issue of the Purdue University Landscape Report: Purdue University Landscape Report on Poison Hemlock.