Contract awarded for drainage work

A $93,093 bid for a drainage improvement project in southeast Portland was accepted Friday by the Portland Board of Works.

This low bid for the project in the Steen Addition, located between Floral Avenue and the city limits west of Boundary Pike, was submitted by Jutte Excavating of Fort Recovery.

This project is in conjunction with the planned Boundary Pike/Wayne Street project, which will rebuild water lines and separate storm drains from sewer drains in the area south of Floral Avenue to the city limits and west of Boundary Pike. Streets affected by the renovation will be paved, and sidewalks will be added. This project also will eliminate two of the city’s 17 combined sewer overflows, provide better drainage for those areas affected and create new infrastructure including gas, sewer and water lines.

Bids also were submitted by Hoosier Excavating, Portland; Limestone Products Inc., Portland; Keith Sullivan Excavating, Marion; Culy Construction and Excavating, Winchester; and Fleming Excavating of Decatur.

Following Friday’s meeting, Mark Jesse of Bonar Group of Fort Wayne said Jutte has 120 days from the date that the contract is signed to complete the drainage improvement project.

Jesse also told the board that he met with Jay County community developer Wayne Bailey Friday morning about beginning preparations to apply for an Indiana Department of Commerce grant to help fund part of the estimated $940,000 sanitary sewer replacement project in the Steen Addition.

He added that the application deadline is September, and the maximum amount available from DOC is $500,000.

Also Friday, board members Bob McCreery, Portland Mayor Bruce Hosier and Councilwoman Linda Kennedy accepted a $22,014 quote from Minnich Architecture and Construction, Portland, for remodeling work on several city offices on the first floor of Portland City Hall.

This quote will cover plans to paint several areas in the mayor and water department offices, enlarge city clerk-treasure Barbara Blackford’s office and put new carpeting in the mayor and police chief offices.

“City hall is going to be our home for quite awhile, (Blackford and I) believe it needs some improvements,” Hosier said Friday.

In other business, board members accepted three bids submitted for petroleum products and materials for city streets and alleys repair. Bids from G & G Oil Company of Indiana, Muncie, Jackson Oil & Solvents Inc. of Indianapolis and Meshberger Brothers and LICA Construction Corporation, Portland, were all accepted.

The city has the option to purchase oil and solvents from G & G Oil Company or Jackson Oil & Solvents Inc. and materials to re-pave streets and alleys from Meshberger Brothers and LICA Construction.

The board accepts bids yearly for these supplies.

Also, board members accepted a $12,051.50 quote from Hoosier Fire Equipment of Indianapolis for 10 new sets of protective gear for firefighters and five new safety helmets.

Portland Fire Chief Mike Thomas told board members that the department recently took inventory of the full- and part-time firefighters’ gear and found that 10 of the 41 sets of protective gear were in poor condition.

Other quotes were submitted by: Nowak Supply Company of Fort Wayne, $14,480; Five Alarm Fire and Safety Equipment, Fort Atkinson, Wis., $12,460.65; and Donley and Associates, Indianapolis, $14,886.25.[[In-content Ad]]