From left, Leesburg Councilman Tom Moore, Council President Mitch Rader and Vice President Christina Archer. InkFreeNews photo by Lasca Randels

By Lasca Randels
InkFreeNews

LEESBURG —  Issues with a company that performs locates for Leesburg was the main topic of conversation at the town council meeting Monday, April 8. 

Leesburg Councilman Tom Moore said there was a recent issue in which USIC Locating Services failed to mark utilities at a property on Old State Road 15. 

“USIC marks our sewer line and the electrical line that is part of our sewer line,” Moore said. “This is where the problem started. The first call went in on the 20th of March. As of this date, April 8, USIC has not marked it.” 

This is not the first time the town has had issues with USIC. In July 2018, Derek Tenney of Tenney & Sons, Inc., told council members that two sewer lines and power lines were cut accidentally due to not being properly located and marked. There were additional incidents with electric lines, despite council members reaching out to USIC in an attempt to address the problem.

In September 2018, Tenney informed the town council that electric locates were not done at two residences.

In November of 2020, the Northern Indiana district manager from USIC Locating Services attended a Leesburg Town Council meeting to discuss the town’s continuing issues with electric locates.

Moore said he has placed three calls over the past week and left three messages for the district manager but has not received a response. 

The contractor working at the property on Old State Road 15 was held up due to this delay, Moore said, so Moore and Street Commissioner Craig Charlton made the decision to mark the utilities themselves using town equipment. 

Moore eventually found a phone number for USIC’s corporate office and was able to speak with someone there and explained the ongoing issues.

Moore said he has left word with the corporate office at GridHawk, who marks gas and electric lines for NIPSCO. Moore said he is interested in knowing if GridHawk would like to have the town’s business and if so, he recommends the town make the switch from USIC to GridHawk. 

In other news:

• Leesburg Clerk Treasurer Michael Searfoss informed council that KC Recycling in Warsaw is offering free recycling of electronics and other items during April, May and June. Accepted items include: TVs and monitors of all sizes, electronics, medical sharps, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, paint, chemicals and aerosols. 
• Leesburg resident Sue Charlton asked for and received approval to hold a Memorial Day parade in town on May 27.
• Reminders: no parking on any street between 3-5 a.m. every day; no burning anything, any time; please be mindful of what you flush; street department cell number is (574) 527-2884.
• The next meeting will be May 13.