Water bids are ready (11/21/2008)

REDKEY - Bids for major water system improvements, estimated to total more than $2 million, will be opened at a special town council meeting next week.

The bids will cover replacement of Redkey's 100-year-old water tower and reservoir tank, construction of a new water plant, and replacement and upgrading of water mains at various locations throughout the community.

Town council president Doug Stanley said the bid-opening is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 28, in town hall, 20 S. Ash St., Redkey.

A pre-construction meeting for potential bidders was held Thursday night just prior to the regular Redkey town council session, with consulting engineer Patrick Zaharako present to go over the bid specifications and answer questions.

Zaharako, representing Commonwealth Engineers of Indianapolis, conducted the session that attracted about a dozen contractors.

"We were pleased that there were that many interested," Stanley said.

The overall project will be bid in three phases: construction of the new water treatment plant; removal of the present water tower from the downtown area and replacing it with a new 200,000-gallon capacity elevated water storage tank in the vicinity of Morgan Park; and water main improvements in different sections of the community.

Funding for the projects will come primarily from grants and loans. Last spring Redkey was awarded a $500,000 Community Focus Fund grant through the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs. Plans call for combining those funds with a $220,000 grant the town has been awarded from the U.S Department of Agriculture as well as USDA loans totaling about $1.2 million.

In other business at Thursday night's meeting, town council members:

•Discussed alternative ways for measuring and billing water and wastewater usage for the Bell Aquaculture plant, currently under construction along Ind. 67 in the Redkey Industrial Park. Stanley explained this matter will be reviewed further so a decision can be reached before the facility is ready to start operations.

•Were informed that the town's new police car would be put into service soon.

•Listened as two letters of commendation about the police department were read by councilman Phil Philebaum, who supervises that department.

•Approved the purchase of a new hot water heater for the fire station.

•Agreed to reimburse the Redkey Volunteer Fire Department for Christmas lights that need to be replaced.[[In-content Ad]]