Council approves bridge grant, siren maintenance and a package of local appropriations

The Tippecanoe County Council approved a package of routine appropriations at its April 14 meeting, including a GRAMA grant for two bridges, funding for emergency siren maintenance, park capital dollars and a storage shed for the animal shelter.

On transportation, Stu explained the GRAMA bridge request of $685,697.50 is a 50% match toward two small-structure replacements (Bridge 122 and Bridge 149) totaling roughly $1.4 million. "We want to replace them before they catch fire," Stu said, describing both as old timber structures in low-volume locations.

The council approved a $40,000 annual appropriation for maintenance and repair of 78 county sirens. Jeff said the county is moving repeaters and transmitters from Hawkins Grad House at Purdue to Murdoch Tower because higher West Side high-rises had been obstructing signals; technicians from Raycom will update each siren to a new FCC-assigned frequency.

Other approvals included $143,000 from the parks non-reverting fund for shelter-house and parking-lot improvements and ADA upgrades, an $11,000 shed to provide bulk-food and bedding storage for the animal shelter (16-by-26 on a stone pad), a $6,000 community corrections appropriation for supplies and fleet costs, and a $9,051 grant to supply canine vehicle inserts following a fleet transition.

Several motions passed by voice vote; where the transcript recorded mover/second, council records showed motions were brought by council members and approved without roll-call tallies recorded in the meeting transcript.