With the Warsaw Board of Public Works and Safety on Friday approving an engineering agreement with MartinRiley Architects-Engineers, the next step of the fire station 3 project can proceed.
The Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory approved the cost estimate, design and agreement at its Sept. 6 meeting.
Fire Chief Mike Wilson presented to the Board of Works the same information that was presented to the Territory board. The next step in the process of getting fire station 3 built – on CR 200S by Warsaw Community Church – is getting the set of plans done, getting it ready for contract and out for bid, he said. The agreement with MartinRiley for the engineering work on station 3 is not to exceed $290,000.
The cost estimate of the new fire station presented was lower than projected earlier this year. The original Jan. 20 estimate for construction, building, soft goods, professional services, permits and other costs was $4,470,160. The new estimate as of August is $3,623,852.
Mayor Joe Thallemer said he asked Wilson to go back and pare down the original $4.4 million estimate, saving about $800,000.
Board of Works member George Clemens asked for a re-explanation of why a third fire station was needed. Thallemer said, “Certainly, the fire territory, when it was formed, went from 10 square miles to almost 50 square miles, so times five the original cover area, which now includes the township. That south station, station 3, will improve response times to primarily the southern part of Warsaw and Wayne Township. And that’s been pretty much an agenda item from the beginning of the fire territory formation with Wayne Township.”
Clemens then asked about insurance rates, and Wilson said adding a third fire station in the city will lower the Insurance Services Office rating.
“This station was originally looked at at three locations across the southern portion of the territory, and the location we were able to purchase from Warsaw Community Church was a prime location for a response area and the best piece of property we could find at that point in time,” Wilson said. Improvements to the ground had to be done to get it prepared, with MartinRiley helping with that. The city engineer also has helped with it, Wilson continued.
Originally designed as a three-bay station, he said it’s now going to be a two-bay fire station.
“With the growth to the south, hopefully the bypass to the west, it’s time to be able to give those citizens and the citizens of the south side of Warsaw that better response time,” Wilson said.
Thallemer said Wayne Township taxpayers have been funding the fire territory since its inception. He said every square inch of that station will be used for not only firefighting, but also first responders and emergency medical services for the southern part of the city and Wayne Township.
Clemens made a motion to approve the engineering agreement with MartinRiley, and it was unanimously approved.
Firefighter Miles Waters also was given the oath of office Friday. He has successfully completed his first year with the Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory as a probationary firefighter. His official date from probationary firefighter was Tuesday. He had his son, Zander, and wife, Elizabeth, with him, and they pinned his badge onto his shirt.
In other business, the board approved:
• For the fire territory to receive a $75,000 grant from the state fire marshal, Indiana Department of Homeland Security, for infrastructure maintenance. The purpose of the grant is to reimburse the fire territory and city in funds used to update and maintain the training facility located at the Warsaw Wastewater Treatment Plant. The facility is a joint training center for the use of firefighters throughout Kosciusko County and IDHS District 2.
The projected projects primarily include: painting the live fire training tower, additional surface gravel, repairs and/or replacement of the dumpster fire/automotive fire training props and repairs and/or replacement of the residential search and rescue prop.
The funds from the state are to be used for these projects by June 30. The fire territory approved the grant award at its Sept. 6 meeting.
• The fire territory’s book of standards, policies and best practices. The purpose of the book is to establish a set of guides and policies relevant to the standards of firefighting.
The fire territory board approved the book Sept. 6.
• A temporary road closing request of the southernmost part of Laurelwood Drive for the Park Ridge Community Association tailgate neighborhood event from 3 to 9 p.m. Oct. 15. The rain date is Oct. 22. The semi-private event is open to residents/members of the Park Ridge Community Association only.
• An additional $2,800 to complete additional survey work for the Buffalo Street Redevelopment Project sanitary sewer design. The additional services will be conducted by American Structurepoint Inc.
• The annual maintenance agreement with Ricoh USA Inc. for the Ricoh copy machine in the clerk’s office as requested by Clerk-Treasurer Lynne Christiansen.
