Jasper Utility Service Board Approves 2026 Capital Expenditure Plans

At Monday night's meeting of the Jasper Utility Service Board, year-end financials were at the top of the agenda.

Gas and Water Manager Tim Doersam presented the results of chemical quote openings from November. The department will not be accepting the low bid for flocculant and will approve the higher bid. The supplier for the low bid was used this year, but the product has had a history of clogging up the lines. Consequently, the amount of waste is much higher. The alternative product has been tested and has shown 60% savings so far. For the remaining chemicals, low bids were accepted.

In an update on the 13th & Dorbett Street water main replacement project, Doersam said that everything is underground and connected. The department is waiting for some patching to be completed, which should be done this week, weather permitting.

Electric Utility Manager Stan Seifert provided an update on Northwest Substation project.

The board approved the recommended quote from Hubill Power Systems for $14,805 for the Substation’s DC battery system. The board approved the 2026 Capital Expenditure plans as presented by the Electric, Gas, and Water, and Wastewater Committees. Major expenditures for the departments were reviewed by quarter and included some notable inventory additions and improvement projects. The Gas Committee Report included the purchase of a hydro excavator in 2026, which will be shared with the Water Department. Both departments will also share half of the cost. The Water Committee Report for 2026 expenses included the replacement of the lines on East 15 th , among other major city infrastructure projects. The Wastewater Department will make a significant investment as well with the purchase of a semi tractor next year.

Business office manager Ashley Kiefer gave the board an update on collection activities for 2025. The annual bad debt write-off for 2025 was $4,259.66 (.009% of sales for the year), which is almost the same as last year. The use of the TRECS state tax refund intercept process collected $4,484.32 in 2025. The office is using the small claims process less because it is very labor intensive and because the tax intercept program has been so effective. The board approved a request to continue using the TRECS Clearinghouse letter service for $3.00 per letter for collections notification.

In other business, the board approved the Wastewater Department’s purchase of a mini excavator for $62,702.76 (with trade-in) with Sourcewell pricing. General manager Rob Young said that the electric GIS data migration will be complete this month. The board also approved a claim for a claim of $17,918.37 by R Hopf Farms for crop damage. The next meeting for the Jasper USB will be rescheduled for Tuesday, January 20 th .

For more information on these and other updates, visit jasperindiana.gov or JasperGov-Indiana on Facebook.

- By Drew Hasselbring