LPI chosen for work on Gerber sewer line (03/03/06)

A project which could ease the burden on a lift station located on Portland’s west side is ready to flow.

Members of the Portland Board of Works awarded a contract to LPI Paving, Excavating and Concrete of Portland Thursday afternoon for the Gerber gravity sewer project.

The $620,879 LPI bid was chosen because it was the lowest. J.G. Case Construction Inc. of Muncie, Jutte Excavating of Fort Recovery, Culy Construction and Excavating of Winchester and Yardberry Landscaping Excavating of Anderson also submitted bids.

At the Feb. 16 meeting, board members voted to table awarding the contract until Bob Brelsford, superintendent of the city’s wastewater treatment plant, could clarify what type of pipe is included in the Portland company’s bid.

Brelsford said Thursday the type of pipe in the bid is acceptable for the project, which involves running a sewer line south down Park Street between Votaw and Water streets, then east to an alley, between Middle and Pleasant streets.

The project is designed to reduce the amount of sewage handled by the north lift station. Currently, the north lift, located along Industrial Park Drive, is doing more work than it can handle, causing it to sometimes overflow during heavy rain.

Work is expected to begin in about a month, Brelsford said. Funds have been allocated in this year’s budget for the project, he said.

TRIAD Associates of Indianapolis is being paid $72,000 to do the engineering work for the project.

In other business Thursday, the board opened bids for a new heavy-duty truck for the city’s street department.

After opening the bids, board members Bob McCreery and Dolphus Stephens voted to table action so the bids could be reviewed by Jeff Harker, street and park department superintendent.

The board will vote at a future meeting on the matter. Bruce Hosier, mayor of Portland, was unable to attend Thursday’s meeting.

The lowest bid was submitted by General Truck Sales of Muncie. This company submitted a bid of $40,284 for a 2006 GMC 6500. This bid reflects an $8,000 trade-in value for the street department’s 1990 Ford F-650.

Les Wenning Ford of Fort Recovery also submitted a $46,799 bid for a 2007 Ford F-650. This price reflects a trade-in value of $1,061.

Wabash Ford Truck Sales Inc. of Indianapolis submitted a bid of $48,365 for a 2006 or 2007 Ford F-650, and Moser Motors of Berne bid $48,500 for a 2007 Ford F-650. The bids made by each of these companies reflected a trade-in value of $1,000.

Harker said after the meeting, the bed of the city’s current truck is starting to rust and is in need of repair.

“The everyday wear and tear is taking a toll on the truck,” he said. Street department employees use the truck to haul limbs, trash and other items, Harker said.

Also Thursday, the board:

•Hired a rural Portland man to replace a street department employee who is now working for the city’s wastewater treatment plant.

Brad Dues was hired to replace Sam Smith, who began his new duties on Monday.

Smith, who worked for the street department for 10 years, is now working as a general operator at the wastewater plant.

Dues, who is expected to begin working for the street department on March 13, will do a variety of tasks including street maintenance and snow removal, Harker said.[[In-content Ad]]