Resident warns of scattered power outages and urges prompt repair of Tillotson between hospital and university

A resident told the Muncie Board of Public Works and Safety during public comment on Feb. 5 that traffic signals were out along a stretch of the river and asked city officials to prioritize road repairs on Tillotson Avenue.

"We found that some traffic lights were out up and down the river there from the High Street Bridge down to Centennial. We later found power, or power outage was out, but the utility didn't give a reason for it. And it's a matter of public safety that the government that didn't seem to know what was going on needs to be aware of because we've had other scattered power outages in this community over time," said Rick Yenser, who identified himself as a Muncie newsman and author.

Yenser also criticized the condition of Tillotson Street between the hospital and the university, saying the utility’s earlier work left a "horrible mess" and that the stretch is a rough ride with heavy traffic: "When work starts this spring, either to patch streets or to fix streets, they made a horrible mess of Tillotson between the hospital and the university. And I think that should be put at the top of the list because there are thousands of cars and thousands of people that work over there." He added that some segments were not yet completed for winter and anticipated more work in spring and summer.

Yenser closed by reminding listeners of the Muncie Public Library’s 150th anniversary celebration and a gathering Friday at Kennedy.

Board response was limited to acknowledgments: the chair thanked Yenser for raising the issues and said more work on Tillotson is expected in spring and summer. The transcript records no formal referral, investigation assignment or immediate action taken as a result of the comments.