July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.

City employee is back at work

Portland Board of Works

By Rachelle [email protected]

A city employee on suspension the past 15 days returned to work Tuesday.

Bob Brelsford, who is no longer superintendent of Portland's wastewater treatment plant, is still an employee of the plant, a city official said after Thursday morning's Portland Board of Works meeting.

Brelsford has served as superintendent since Jan. 1, 2004, and has worked at the plant since 1995.

City officials declined to say why Brelsford was suspended and whether or not he was paid during his time off.

Dave McGraw currently is serving as interim superintendent, said city clerk-treasurer Randy Geesaman.

During Thursday's meeting, board members announced that Brelsford has withdrawn his request for a hearing on his suspension.

In other business Thursday, board members opened 12 bids to extend city sewer service to several homes along Blaine Pike.

The bids ranged from $21,000 to $43,000, with the apparent low bid coming from Watson Excavating, Redkey, at $21,592. The board took the bids under advisement and will have engineer Gene Amlin, who works for the city on a contract basis, review them. Bruce Hosier, mayor of Portland, said a contract likely will be awarded at the Oct. 29 board meeting.

Four homes along Blaine Pike between Bittersweet Lane and county road 150 South currently are on septic systems. The sewer line extension should be installed before the end of the year.

"These are really good bids - really competitive," Amlin said after the bids were opened.

The following other bids were submitted:

•Tumbusch Construction, St. Henry, Ohio, $25,005.42.

•TJ's Concrete Work, Portland, $28,125.68.

•RCM Excavating, Gaston, $29,983.

•A. Landon Excavating, Portland, $31,500.

•Star Excavating, Bippus, $32,326.

•Culy Construction and Excavating, Winchester, $33,388.

•Fleming Excavating, Decatur, $33,677.

•Keith Sullivan Excavating, Marion, $34,263.

•Yardberry Landscaping and Excavating, Anderson, $37,980.

•York Construction and Excavating, Muncie, $38,000.

•Lica Construction, Berne, $43,881.26.

Also Thursday, board members:

•Approved two leak adjustment requests.

The requests were submitted by Don Sutton, the landlord of a property at 808 E. Race St., and by Hamilton Ferguson, 210 W. 12th St. The leaks occurred between the houses and the meters.

The sewage portion of their water and sewer bills will be adjusted down to a three-month average prior to the leaks.

•Learned that city employee Jackie Baughman is on medical leave. He is expected to be off work for four to six weeks or more, Geesaman said.

Baughman works for the water department.[[In-content Ad]]
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