Jasper Public Works Board Convenes for Meeting

By: Drew Hasselbring, News Reporter

Jasper- This morning, Jasper’s public servants were hard at work as the Board of Public Works and Safety met in Council Chambers at City Hall. 

The Jasper Police Department opened the proceedings with a motion to hire a part time dispatcher, which was approved. An update on code enforcement efforts was provided by the Fire Department, with a particular focus on several unoccupied buildings. The department is working with the property owners to be sure that contractors are hired and necessary maintenance is performed. 

The Street Department provided an update on the status of bids for tree limb processing at their resource recovery site. The company that the city used last year doesn’t want any of the material and charges the city to remove it. Although the city wants to retain some recycled wood for mulch, the Street Department noted that last year it was difficult to remove all of the excess material. The board granted approval for just over $35,000 to use the services of Brewer Farms, which does want some of the material and will provide a discount in order to take it.

Each year, the City of Jasper enters into an agreement with the Heart of Jasper for the preservation and redevelopment of our downtown district. The board has approved the renewal of this agreement for 2024. $60,000 has been allocated to Heart of Jasper for the assisting and planning of redevelopment initiatives, with a focus on the sign grant, a new initiative for 2024 to stimulate retail growth. The program will reimburse applicants for new or updated signs on buildings located in Courthouse Square in order to create unified signage downtown.

For more information on these and other updates, visit jasperindiana.gov.