JENNIFER JAQUA
Vincennes Sun-Commercial

BICKNELL - Members of the city council here Monday opted not to have the North Knox Development Corp. represent the city in its effort to bring new businesses to town.

Mayor Jon Flickinger said he had been approached by a member of the newly re-established group.

"They asked me to ask the council if you would support them in representing Bicknell to develop new business in town," Flickinger said, adding that the group dissolved in 2003 because it hadn't maintained its not-for-profit status.

Council member Greg Bourlard said he believed the city and the city council should represent themselves.

Bourlard made a motion to deny the NKDC's request and to stipulate that any and all funds belonging to the city of Bicknell be returned. The council unanimously approved his motion.

"They've never done anything for the city of Bicknell," he said. "I think we need to get some local business owners and members of the council to represent our city."

City Attorney Kerry Currier said years ago when there was only the Vincennes Development Corporation and Bicknell Development Corporation. "The county council would give two-thirds of a donation to Vincennes and one-third to Bicknell," she said.

Council members tabled a change of parking request from resident Steve McNew, who lives at the corner of West 10th and Main streets. McNew told the council that there is no parking on the north side of Main, so for a while he'd park on the south side of the street.

"That backs up traffic all the way to Ind. 67," he said. "Plus my neighbor gets upset with me."

McNew said he had no off-street parking options and asked the board to consider switching the no-parking area to the other side of the street.

"All the homes on the south side, where parking is allowed, they all have off-street parking," he said.

Council members moved to table the issue until next month when Currier has drawn up a parking ordinance with the requested changes. Board of Works addresses bad smell

Board of Works members Monday discussed how to permanently solve a smelly water problem that has led to complaints and added expenses for the sewer department.

Wastewater Supt. Matt Brough said there is a sewer main near the park that they've been treating with powdered chlorine in order to combat the nasty smell produced by bacteria in the pipes.

"When it gets hot like it's been, the bacteria use more oxygen and burn up more sulfide, so it creates hydrogen sulfide gas, which produces a bad odor," Brough said. "We need to buy more in order to treat that pipe."

Brough said the pipe has a bulging portion, a "belly," that always holds water. He said the department used to spend $2,000 a month to treat the pipe with liquid nitrogen.

"The chlorine will kill the bacteria and costs about $249 for 100 pounds, and we use 25 to 30 pounds a month," he said.

Francis Carie asked if the city could find a more permanent solution to the problem, but Brough said he wasn't sure what the solution would be except perhaps replacing the pipe, which would be costly.

"We are supposed to be putting aside $25,000 a year until the end of time to address some of our current problems as part of the agreed order with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management," he said. "That money could be used to fix this."

Brough said a manhole on the line was being replaced next week as part of the new wastewater treatment system, and he would investigate the cost of replacing the pipe as part of that project.

"The manhole always holds water, too," Brough said. "Replacing it may also help address the problem."

Construction on the new $4.75 million plant began in 2007. It is designed to treat .94 million gallons of wastewater daily.

In 2003, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management mandated that the city build a new sewage treatment plant because the current plant was operating at more than 90 percent capacity.