Project gets a few tweaks (07/26/2008)

The Boundary Pike/Wayne Street project in Portland is going through some changes.

Several changes to the project - including cost and schedule - were approved Thursday morning.

Portland Board of Works members voted to allow two phases of the four-phase project to be done at the same time and approved three change orders.

The most costly change order was in the amount of $35,175. The city will pay roughly $8,000 for this change, which is about 20 percent of the cost, with the Indiana Department of Transportation paying the rest. INDOT is funding 80 percent of the project, which is expected to cost more than $5.5 million.

The change order was needed because concrete was unexpectedly found underneath Boundary Pike. The concrete had to be removed, said Herb Berg, site coordinator for Bonar Group. Bonar is doing the engineering work for the project, which will improve drainage and aesthetics along the streets.

The next change order was needed because one of the county's clay drainage tiles was damaged during construction. The line ran under the railroad tracks and went to the Salamonie River. After the tile was damaged, the line had to be intercepted to prevent flooding. The cost was $2,671.61, with the city's portion being $534.32.

Bruce Hosier, mayor of Portland, said the county might help foot some of the bill, since the tile belonged to the county.

"It's a county tile out of the city's pocket, and they've got a real nice system now," Berg said.

The final change order was for additional storm water inlets to be installed.

In the original plans for the project, storm water inlets would not be installed past the end of Wayne Street. City officials later decided more inlets should be installed so new lines could be connected to the inlets in the future, without disturbing the new asphalt. The cost is $720. The city will have to pay this entire bill.

In a related matter, the board approved changes to the project schedule.

Originally, phase I, which is Wayne Street from the Salamonie River to Seventh Street, was supposed to be done before phase II began. Phase II is on Boundary Pike, between Seventh Street and about Massachusetts Avenue. An official with Brooks Construction told the board that he wanted to work on both phases at once so some parts of the project could be wrapped up before winter.

The project is about two weeks behind schedule because of the extra work done as part of the change orders, said Adam Hertel, project manager for Brooks.

Also Thursday, board members:

•Voted to keep the amount the city charges residents for curbside recycling collection at $3 per month.

Linda Kennedy, the city's clerk-treasurer, told the board that the Jay County Solid Waste District will set aside $12,000 in its budget to help the city with recycling collection costs. Rumpke recently raised its rates, charging $3.64 per month per unit for about 2,400 units. The company charged $3.25 per unit in 2007.

Kennedy also told the board that during April, May and June, the city collected $23,853.30 in recycling fees from city residents, and Rumpke charged the city $26,261.34. Rumpke's fees increased in April.

As of June 30, the city's recycling fund has a balance of $64,973.

•Voted to approve the purchase of a grinder for the wastewater treatment plant at a cost of $20,000, minus $3,000 for the trade-in of one of the city's old pumps.

Bob Brelsford, superintendent of the wastewater plant, said one of the two grinders used to grind sewage has quit working. It is about 11 years old.

•Voted to make the city's review process on sewer tap-in applications more thorough.

With the new policy, Brelsford, the board of works and possibly the county drainage board will have to review the applications. Those applying for tap-ins also will have to indicate if the line will be in or outside of the city limits. Previously, just Brelsford reviewed the applications.[[In-content Ad]]