Firm hired for factory assessment (12/15/06)

An Indianapolis consulting firm was hired Thursday to conduct a Phase II Environmental Site Assessment of a former broom-making facility in Portland.

The Portland Board of Works approved hiring BCA Consultants Inc. to conduct the study at a cost of a little over $19,000. The former O'Cedar Vining site at 215 S. Western Ave. cannot be effectively marketed by Jay County Development Corporation without a Phase II assessment, Mayor Bruce Hosier said.

A grant which has been received from the Indiana Brownfields Program will cover the cost of the site assessment.

Hosier noted that Bruce Carter of BCA had done similar work for the city in the past, including the assessment of the former hatchery on South Wayne Street. Its work must also be approved by the Indiana Brownfields Program.

The board also approved hiring Sturtz Public Management Group LLC of Fort Wayne to provide consulting services to the city on a variety of projects in 2007. Sturtz has been working on a future land use map for the city.

The contract is for services at a rate of $60 per hour not to exceed $15,000 for the year without prior approval by the board of works.

In other business, the board rejected a bid from Berne Ready-Mix which had been opened last week because its non-collusion affidavit was not notarized. Berne Ready-Mix had bid on providing gravel and concrete for 2007.[[In-content Ad]]