Ferdinand Town Council Advances Utility, Safety and Accessibility Projects

At the Ferdinand Town Council meeting on Tuesday night, officials reported major progress on utility, street and safety projects as long-term improvements move forward.

An update was provided on the Community Crossings Utility Project being completed by the Wastewater and Water Department. The crew is 880 feet in on the project, out of a total of 1,600 feet. Once they reach Michigan Street, the town can move the current houses from the old main to the new main and decommission the old line. A boil order will be required between 3rd Street and 5th Street on Alabama when the transition occurs.

A brief discussion was held on the progress of Community Crossings Matching Grant 2026-02, which was awarded to Knies Construction. The town is meeting with the contractor in about two weeks to review traffic flow and phasing.

The new mower was received last week by the Property and Street Department. Staff are working with the sales team to help resolve a few outstanding issues. It has already been used successfully on the bypass and is also being used by the Wastewater and Water Department.

Progress was reviewed on the Safe Streets and Roads for All planning grant, which was received by the Town of Ferdinand to develop a Comprehensive Safety Action Plan in partnership with HWC Engineering. Final meetings have been held and the audit was completed. HWC will make a presentation of the final Safety Action Plan to the Council at the June 16 th meeting. The plan will be sent to departments for review before final approvals.

Council President Ken Sicard said he recently received an email from one of INDOT’s traffic planning engineers about a recently developed sidewalk planning program. They want to come in and discuss sidewalk improvements and how Ferdinand might fit into their plan. This would be a long-range goal, as the program would not be available until 2032. He said that he responded to the inquiry and will meet with them to discuss next steps and ways that this might align with Ferdinand’s future city planning goals.

Universal Design Associates is working on the preliminary engineering for a sidewalk/trail from the High School property to the Old Town Lake. Potential grant funds to help finance the project are expected to be awarded by the end of May.

Sicard told the Council that the property tax reform update municipal group recently held a meeting. The overall message was that changes are coming, although exact details about what this might look like have not yet been provided.

The Council approved the updated ADA Transition Plan and four other projects. The completion of the proposed projects will be dependent on bids received. Members commended the addition of ADA ramps at the parks, noting the importance of creating accessible spaces for all residents.

In other business, the elm tree that was planted for the America 250 commemoration will be dedicated by the Sons of the American Revolution on Flag Day, June 14 on 2 pm. This will be at the courthouse just west of the entrance. In a separate ceremony at 9 am, the Veterans Council will honor Roman Steltenpohl. The Ferdinand native was killed just after D-Day during World War II. Details will be provided closer to the event. This year, Ferdinand’s Heimatfest will also include Fireworks as part of America's 250th Anniversary Celebration, presented by Ferdinand Farmers Mutual Insurance.

For more information on these and other updates, visit www.ferdinandindiana.org

- Drew Hasselbring