A Seymour resident returned to city hall Thursday morning to raise further concerns about speeding motorists around Shields Park during a city Board of Public Works and Safety meeting.
Manny Hunter first made the board aware of the issue during a meeting back in June. At that meeting, Hunter said she had noticed many younger people speeding around the block during baseball games in the evening and that she herself had witnessed two near misses.
On Thursday, Hunter told the board she was concerned about a truck that has been parked in the area in front of a flashing speed sign for a month.
“So, not to beat a dead horse, but that blinking speed limit sign that was put in, there has been a big truck park parked in front of it for about a month now, so it’s not even being used,” Hunter said.
Police Chief Greg O’Brien informed Hunter that the sign’s radar can pick up the speed of vehicles even if it has an obstructed view.
“It still gathers the data for us,” O’Brien said.
Hunter said she was aware the city cannot make the truck move, and suggested moving the sign to a corner where no one can park.
“The problem is there could be gas lines or water lines in that area,” O’Brien said.
“But we don’t know if we don’t check,” Hunter said.
O’Brien told Hunter her suggestion to put up another stop sign up in the area should be proposed to the city council.
Hunter also had concerns on Thursday morning about an unkept and “dangerous” section of a sidewalk in the area. Mayor Matt Nicholson asked Director of Public Works Chad Nixon to survey the sidewalk
The final item of concern brought forth before the board by Hunter was lifeguard training. She said she would like the lifeguards at the city pool to be Red Cross certified.
“They had the swimming lessons kids diving in four and a half feet [deep water],” Hunter said.
Chad Keithley, parks director, said city pool lifeguards go through first-aid CPR AED certification and certified lifeguard training. He also said the state code of Indiana states that you should not dive into water less than 3 and a half feet.
“I mean, if my daughter’s four and a half feet tall and she’s diving into four and a half feet [deep] water, she can knock her head,” Hunter said.
Earlier in the meeting, O’Brien shared his appreciation for Chad Dixon and his team.
“I just want the board to know that on Tuesday evening at about five o’clock, Dixon and his group of guys were out at Second and Community sweeping up out there for school the next morning, so I just want to give a ‘thank you’ to those guys,” O’Brien said. “They busted their butts. It was about 105 degrees out there … They were out there way past their quitting time.”
Also earlier in the meeting, the board approved several special requests.
As a result of board approval, Ramboll Americas Engineering Solutions, Inc. will conduct environmental studies from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Aug. 12 to 21 and from Aug. 26 to 30. Nicholson said Ramboll is working with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to implement a remedial plan of a site at 107 N. Broadway.
The board also approved a community safety fair hosted by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute from 4 to 7 p.m. Sept. 19 in the Robertson Mill parking lot. Multiple vendors and organizations will participate in the fair, which will serve to promote child passenger safety.
Additionally, the board approved the resurrection of AISIN’s 5K run/walk, which was an annual event from 2014 until the COVID-19 pandemic. The 5K will start at AISIN’s North American headquarters, 1665 E. Fourth St., at 9 a.m. Oct. 26.
Other events approved by the board include Trinity United Methodist Church’s Harvest Festival from 3 to 6 p.m. Sept. 21, Redeemer Lutheran Church’s car show from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 17 and Seymour Area Cruiser’s Trunk-or-Treat event in the Walnut St. parking lot on Oct. 26.
The Seymour Board of Public Works and Safety meets every second and fourth Thursday in the council chambers of city hall, 301-309 N. Chestnut St. Meetings are open to the public and the press.