Warsaw Police Department Chief Scott D. Whitaker requested the city to enter into an agreement with ordained minister Layne Sumner for $15,000 ($1,000 monthly from Oct. 1, 2022, to Dec. 31, 2023) to serve as the police chaplain. Sumner has served as the police chaplain for the past decade, Whitaker said, providing services to officers through a number of crises.
Whitaker said Sumner has agreed to provide a basic quarterly report, containing summary without a lot of detail, to Whitaker to establish the hours Sumner is working.
At the end of 2023, they will review the agreement.
The Board approved the agreement by a vote of 2-0, with Mayor Joe Thallemer absent.
The Board also approved:
• Pay application No. 31 from Structurepoint for preliminary engineering services for the Anchorage Road project for $8,211.15, as presented by City Planner Justin Taylor on behalf of Community Economic and Development Director Jeremy Skinner. It is an 80/20 Indiana Department of Transportation-funded project. The city will be reimbursed 80% by INDOT for each phase of the project over the next four years. The money will come out of the Economic Development Income Tax fund.
Pay application No. 11 for $2,067.27 from Structurepoint for the same project also was approved. These funds are for right-of-way services and also will come out of the EDIT fund.
• The amended and restated interlocal cooperation agreement between the city of Warsaw and the Tippecanoe and Chapman Regional Sewer District.
City attorney Scott Reust said he was contacted by the legal counsel for the sewer district. The city has an agreement with the district that the city will provide sewer service to them. The U.S. Department of Agriculture wanted additional lines in the original agreement stating the city pledges to treat the District’s sewage.
• A memorandum of understanding between the city and Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory and the county for the new radio system and towers, as presented by Fire Chief Garrett Holderman. The Fire Territory approved it at their meeting Tuesday.
A second MOU between the city and county for the county to put equipment on the city’s tower at Fire Station No. 1 also was approved.
• Public Works and Street Department Superintendent Dustin Dillon’s request to solicit sealed bids for on-road diesel, off-road diesel and ethanol-free gasoline for 2023. He estimated the bids would be opened at the first Board of Works meeting in November.
Dillon later requested to solicit bids for the installation of approved decorative light poles, which was approved. There are 53 of them. Funding for the project has been set aside through the American Rescue Plan Act.
He also sought permission to start the sealed quote process for two pickup trucks, which was granted. The new trucks will replace a 2008 Ford F250 Super Duty pickup truck and a 2009 Chevrolet K2500HD Silverado pickup truck. The trucks to be traded in have 110,000 and 120,000 miles on them.
A contract between the city and INDOT also was presented by Dillon and approved by the Board. The contract is for the city to provide street sweeping services at least twice a year to portions of Ind. 15 and areas of Ind. 25 that are within the city limits. Dillon said the city has done this for years but INDOT just got them the contract, which included 2021. The state will pay $1,440 per year.
Finally, Dillon reported his department participates in the state bid for salt for winter. In March, he turned in a request for 1,800 tons of untreated road salt. The price came in at $69.14 per ton delivered, from Cargill. Last year, Dillon said, they paid $68.10 per ton. No action was required.
• Pay app No. 3 from G & G Hauling & Excavating Inc. for $10,849 for the Center Lake restoration project, as presented by Utility Manager Brian Davison. He said the project was completed and the amount included the release of retainage. There will be a final change order and a final bill, probably at the next Board of Works meeting.
Davison then presented another pay app from G & G for $146,212.43 for the reconstruction of Country Club Lane and Country Club Lane Extension intersection, which was approved. He said this stormwater project also was nearing completion.
Next, he presented a contract between the city and G & G Hauling & Excavating to be signed for the CR 200S sewer expansion and pump station. The project is just over $1.3 million. The Board approved the signing of the contract and the notice to proceed.
• A license agreement with Norfolk Southern Railway for a new sewer/lift station crossing at CR 200S, which isn’t at a public intersection, as presented by Davison for $12,075.
Davison said with the help of Wessler Engineering and city engineer Aaron Ott, they “argued and argued” with the railroad trying to get the fee waived, saying it is a public crossing because the city is a public entity, but that’s not how the railroad views the crossing.
“And at this point, we really don’t see another way to move forward other than paying the fee the railroad wants. So we’re essentially buying an easement with this,” Davison said.
• A $23,000 contract between the city and Lochmueller Group for a combined sewer overflow operational plan, as requested by Davison.
• A $35,500 contract between the city and Wessler Engineering Inc. for a digester gas feasibility study, as requested by Davison.
• A new agreement with Orange Marketing Group for the city’s social media management for $1,000 monthly ($12,000 annually).
The city had worked with 212 Media Studios for several years to manage the city’s social media, but one of the partners of 212 decided to retire and 212 was dissolved, according to Staci Young, assistant to the mayor. The remaining owner formed Orange Marketing Group.
Under the new agreement with Orange Marketing Group, Young said the amounts and the people working on the city’s accounts are the same.
• The new hire/change in payroll report as presented by Human Resource Director Denny Harlan.
He said there was no new hires, but there were three promotions and one position change.
At the street department, two operators were promoted to department supervisors – Keith Arnold and Robert Craig. They each will receive $26.43 per hour. Matthew Trump transferred from equipment operator to sanitation driver at the street department and will be paid $22.43 per hour.
At the airport, Raymond Scott was promoted to line supervisor, replacing the former supervisor who retired, and will receive $25 per hour.
• A request from Kristen Oom, Park Ridge Community Association, to close the cul de sac of Lindenwood Avenue for an annual block party from 4 to 9:30 p.m. Oct. 22. The event is from 4 to 9:30 p.m.
