Plymouth Avenue (SR 119) will be closed on Saturday, July 13, from 7 a.m. to noon for the Kids’ and Teens’ Triathlon event.

The closure will be from South 3rd Street to Indiana Avenue.

N. First Street is closed from Oakridge to Wilden avenues this week, and will remain closed until September 9, 2019. This closure is for the second phase of the First Street Reconstruction Project.

The City Water and Sewer Department will be installing a sewer manhole at 412 S. 5th Street and at 505 S. 5th St.

The work will require the excavation of a trench about 8 feet deep. The City will close S. 5th Street from Madison to Monroe streets and from Monroe to Purl streets. Monroe Street will remain open to traffic.

The roads will be closed from Tuesday, July 9 to Thursday, July 11 weather permitting.

Lincoln Avenue will be closed between 3rd Street and Main Street on July 8 for milling and paving. The closure is expected to last a week unless there is a weather delay.

The Indiana Department of Transportation announces that road repair is planned for U.S. 33 in Elkhart County beginning on or after, Monday, July 8, weather permitting.

During the day, drivers are cautioned to watch for lane shifts and possible stopped traffic in the construction zone, between S.R. 15 and U.S. 20.

INDOT reminds drivers to use caution and consider worker safety when driving through any active work zone.

The project was awarded to INDOT contractor Rieth-Riley Construction Company for $534,000 and is expected to be completed in early August, weather permitting. To view this project in INDOT’s online travel system at http://bit.ly/2RSLR8q

Less than a year after creating a comprehensive interactive database for Oakridge Cemetery, the City of Goshen has added information for Violett Cemetery as well.  Anyone can now use a computer or mobile device to locate a burial at Violett Cemetery, which is located at 2818 Violett Road. The link can be accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through the Cemeteries page on the City website: goshenindiana.org/cemeteries.

Cemeteries staff has placed a QR code on the Violett Cemetery shop door that will take users straight to the web application.

The service uses GIS technology. It was created in partnership with the Goshen Engineering Department.

Director of Cemeteries Burt Matteson said, “This is the next step in making burial information more available to the public. People can use the technology they are already carrying to access this information. The Oakridge burial search was a great step forward and we think this resource will be as enthusiastically received as our database of Oakridge Cemetery. We at Cemeteries are grateful for the time Engineering personnel have invested in making this project so functional and beautiful.” 

A timeline is being developed to provide the same service for West Goshen.

Beginning July 22, the deadline for agenda submittals to the Board of Works and Safety and Stormwater will be 10 a.m. on the Friday before the meeting. Agenda items for the July 22 meeting will be due Friday, July 19, at 10 a.m.

The Board of Works is the chief administrative body for the City of Goshen. It oversees the day-to-day business of the City, including bids and quotes, contracts, street closures, and personnel issues. Its meetings are held every Monday at 2 p.m. in the Council Chambers, Police and Courts Building, 111 E. Jefferson St.

Mayor Jeremy Stutsman made the announcement this week after talking with each department head about the change. The change of deadline is meant to get agenda items to the Board of Works members sooner so they have more time to read through the packet and, if needed, drive by projects or properties to have a better idea of what is being requested. This will also give the public more opportunity to know what is going to be at the Board of Works meeting. The agenda is posted on the City website at goshenindiana.org/calendar.

Items that come to the City Friday afternoon or Monday morning may be brought as walk-in items if they are time sensitive. Members of the public are encouraged to bring requests before the 10 a.m. deadline on the Friday before the Board of Works meeting. However, walk-in items during Privilege of the Floor will still be heard.

For questions from the public related to the change of deadline, please contact the Mayor’s office at 533.9322 or mayor@goshencity.com.

If you’re planning to use fireworks on and around this 4^th of July, be aware of your surroundings and keep clear of waterways to help keep our waterways clean. Additionally be sure to sweep up the debris and dispose of fireworks promptly and properly. Fireworks contain a number of heavy metals and other chemicals that can pollute our streams if washed into storm drains. 

Here are some tips for safe disposal of used fireworks:
• Do not place any fireworks or any part of fireworks in your recycling cart. All used fireworks should be treated as garbage and disposed of as follows:
• Put used fireworks in a bucket of water overnight. Remove them from the water and put them in a garbage bag and into your garbage can.

• Dump the water onto grass or dirt or other landscape where it won’t flow into a storm drain and into the river. Do not pour onto pavement, into the street, or down a storm drain.

Tips for disposal of unused fireworks:
• Do not put in your garbage or recycling; they are explosives and can cause serious harm to workers and the environment.
• Do remove the wicks and then submerge them in water for 24-48 hours. Afterwards, wrap them in plastic wrap or plastic bags and then place them in the trash. Pour the water on the grass or dirt and not on the pavement or down a storm drain, as it may contain nitrates and pollutants.

#OnlyRainDownTheDrain #WaterQuality #BeWaterWise #Fireworks #GoshenStormwater #BeSafe