Several projects taking shape in town
SHELBY -- While the city of Shelby plans projects such as replacing lead water-service lines and continues forward on the West Main Street Sanitary Sewer Project, smaller ones are taking shape.
One of those that was set to get started this month is along Main Street in the downtown area, John Ensman, Shelby’s municipal utilities director/deputy public service director, told a Shelby City Council committee on July 15.
“Traffic signal poles on Main Street are being painted,” Ensman told the Utilities and Streets Committee.
Pole locations where the work is planned include Main Street and Gamble Street, Main and High School Avenue and Main and Mansfield Avenue, Ensman said in a written report and in comments to the committee.
“Central Sign and Painting is reconditioning the poles,” he said.
“To maintain traffic and safety for the painting crews, the overhead work will be conducted from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m.,” he said. “Those are very busy intersections. To help maintain traffic flow and keep the crews safe, we decided to allow the work in the nighttime hours.”
The work was scheduled to start the week of July 12 and finish up early the following week.
Ensman also brought committee members up to date on the pollinating field being created in the community.
“13 acres of open field at the former No. 1 reservoir site is being repurposed to become a pollinating field to support habitat for bees and butterflies,” Ensman said of the project first announced last year.
As part of the project’s start, a vocationalagricultural
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(Voag) class from Shelby City Schools planted soybeans earlier this year.
The effort provides nitrogen to the soil for better seed-germination rate next year when the seeds are harvested, Ensman said.
“Beans will be harvested in the fall,” Ensman said. “Pollinating seed will be frost-seeded in the winter.”
The project is expected to save the city of Shelby