Warsaw Board of Works members Jeff Grose and George Clemens conducted Friday’s meeting, with Mayor Joe Thallemer absent.
Brian Davison, utility manager, talked about the Kokosing Industrial change order items for the wastewater treatment plant expansion project approved at the Sept. 4 meeting because he did not attend that meeting.
The work included adding a digester overflow pump station check valve to prevent backflow if the system is shutdown; a 1-foot extension to the grit tank weir wall; a modification to the 24-inch influent line at clarifier 2; adding an air pipe expansion joint; a modification to the boiler piping so it doesn’t conflict with the control panel; and the rewiring of the LobePro cooling fans.
“We just wanted to give you an opportunity to speak,” Gross said.
Paula Bowman, Warsaw First Friday co-coordinator, requested street closures in writing for the First Friday events on Oct. 2, Nov. 6 and Dec. 4.
Buffalo Street will be closed from Market and Main streets and Center Street will be closed from Indiana to Lake streets from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Also presented was the county health department’s approval of the events with COVID-19 procedures and plans such as encouraging mask-wearing and social distancing.
Sheila Wieringa, Parks Department recreation director, presented a contract with Heather Widner to design and teach a live painting class for $150 per live video, not to exceed $600, on Sept. 18, Oct. 9, Nov. 13 and Dec. 4, which was approved.
Wieringa also asked for permission to apply for two grants: A $5,000 grant from Kosciusko County Community Foundation to support the summer concert series and a $1,500 grant from Kosciusko REMC Operation Round-Up to support the Family Carnival event.
The grant applications were approved.
Justin Taylor, senior assistant city planner, requested a grant application of up to 90% of the costs to install an electric vehicle charging station, or up to $9,000 offered by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. The stations generally cost around $15,000 each and the parks department is seeking other sponsorships to help cover the cost of the stations. Michiana Area Council Of Governments will administer the grant.
City Planner Jeremy Skinner presented several payment requests:
• Buffalo Street Plaza pay application No. 5 for $147,757.73, which will come from the regional?Cities Grant account. The initial contract price is $2,196,480.80.
• Airport Industrial Park sewer project pay application No. 15 for $640,072.80, which will come from a tax increment finance account. The work has been completed by HRP Construction and approved by Wessler Engineering. A final pay request is expected when the project is finalized.
• Airport Industrial Park sewer project change order No. 5, as approved by the Redevelopment Commission, various items resulting in a contract decrease of $39,868.79. The pay applications were approved.
Street Superintendent Dustin Dillon requested permission to buy a 2020 Case loader from RPM Machinery for $116,054.73 with a trade-in allowances for the department’s 2004 New Holland and 1983 John Deere loaders for $34,500. The cost for the loader is in the street department’s budget for this year and the purchase order was approved.
Davison also presented several pay applications:
• Kokosing Industrial’s pay application No. 18 for the wastewater treatment plant expansion project for $409,525. Funds come from a state revolving fund disbursement.
• Wessler Engineering invoice for $19,541 for the wastewater treatment plant expansion project for an asset management and an invoice for $66,465 for training and construction oversight.
• NV Grant Services invoice for $1,170 as payroll auditing, a monthly charge, for the wastewater treatment plant expansion project.
• A Wessler Engineering pay application No. 62 for $1,498 for July services for the pipe lining project.
The pay applications were approved.
The board also approved probationary police officer Megan Dortner’s pay as corrected to $1,782.69 biweekly and back pay of $986.42, as presented by Police Chief Scott Whitaker.
