Pay applications and right of way acquisitions for the Husky Trail and Buffalo Street projects met with approval at the City of Warsaw Board of Public Works and Safety meeting Monday morning.
The city also will begin providing sewer services to Westhaven Estates.
On behalf of the Redevelopment Authority, City Planner Jeremy Skinner presented the Board of Works with a payment application from American Structurepoint for $9,892.88 for engineering services concerning the Buffalo Street redevelopment project.
“As they continue to do the engineering, we hope to bid the project out early this year,” Skinner noted.
The Redevelopment Authority previously gave the BOW authority to approve the pay applications.
“So this is the first of many is what you’re saying,” Mayor Joe Thallemer said.
“Yes,” Skinner responded.
The money for it comes out of the Buffalo Street bond, he said. Because it is a “lease,” Skinner said the bank actually holds the money until payment for the project is requested.
Another pay application approved was for the Husky Trail Project for $12,821.90 for engineering services by A&Z Engineering LLC.
“Obviously, we continue to get a little bit closer to completing the engineering and right of way acquisition for the Husky Trail (project) so you have before you a pay application,” Skinner said. “This is the 80/20 portion of the INDOT grant.”
According to a memo from Skinner to the BOW, “As you are aware this is an 80/20 grant, where the city will pay for 20 percent of the project cost, including right of way services. So we will be reimbursed for 80 percent as we pay out the engineering and right of way contract. You will notice that this specific pay request has the recently approved additional roundabout design cost, and will not be a part of the federal reimbursement program. We are still on pace for a fall of 2016 letting date.”
Another Husky Trail project pay application approved by the board was for $5,335 for right of way acquisition services.
“This is for the appraisal, buying agent fee, and so forth for that project,” Skinner said, noting the contract was again with A&Z Engineering and it’s also part of the 80/20 grant.
After approving costs for the right of way services, the board then approved the offers for the first five parcels necessary for road improvements on Husky Trail.
Skinner said they were the first five of 18 parcels to be acquired. The property owners and the offers accepted included: Steven and Sonya Ashton, $15,395; Prism Properties, $11,590; Bryan Brooks, $15,975; Bowen Apartments, $500; and Warsaw Family Worship Center, $4,270.
“We’ll be in the acquisition phase, I hope, for a very short period, maybe the next couple of months,” Skinner said. “Our goal is still to let that contract (for this project) yet this year, as early this year as we can, but it won’t happen until August at the earliest.”
Thallemer said after the city acquires all 18 parcels, it has to wait six months from that period to make sure “they all clear.” That six-month waiting period is a federal requirement, he noted.
“That’s why it’s important to get these done as quickly as we can – we have to wait six months at a minimum,” Thallemer continued.
Another acquisition, which the board approved separately through a resolution, was for parcels donated from Warsaw Community School Corp. In December the school board approved a resolution donating the land value toward the Husky Trail project.
Skinner said the Husky Trail project will benefit Harrison Elementary School, located on the road, immensely in regards to traffic safety. There will be sidewalks and street lighting also throughout the project.
“We’ve been working with the school to acquire property from them. Part of the process is that we have to have it appraised and so forth,” Skinner said.
After it was appraised, the school corporation and city then “had a conversation” about what will work and the city asked the school corporation to donate the property. The city will pay for any damages like moving the school sign and fencing.
“We were very appreciative of the consideration the school board gave this and they graciously donated this property. That just helps everyone,” Thallemer said.
The last item Skinner brought before the Board of Works was the Westhaven Estates sewage treatment agreement.
The city has been working with Westhaven to provide sanitary sewer service to the mobile home park for the last few years.
“The background of this was that Westhaven was ordered by IDEM to do something with their system out there, The logical thing was to connect to the city’s,” said Thallemer.
Skinner said it was IDEM’s preference that Westhaven connect to the city’s sewage service though it didn’t want to do that. It had a system out there, but wasn’t meeting the requirements.
Westhaven’s rate – based on the city’s current rate – is $4.71 per 1,000 gallons, including a monthly base charge of $277.15.
Westhaven is purchasing a capacity of 35,000 gallons per day, and will pay upfront fees of $231,040.
The initial agreement is for 20 years, but the rates can be adjusted based on future rate studies as completed when needed by Warsaw.
The Board of Works approved the agreement.
(Story By The Times Union)
