Water contracts awarded (12/19/2008)

REDKEY - It should be a busy 2009 in terms of construction here.

In addition to highway resurfacing and renovation on Ind. 1 from Ind. 67 south, work should also begin on construction of a new water treatment plant, elevated water storage tank and other major improvements to the town's water distribution system.

The town council awarded three contracts totaling about $1.64 million on the water system project.

Following recommendations from their consulting engineering firm, Commonwealth Engineers of Indianapolis, council members awarded contracts to the three low bidders, subject to approval from state and federal agencies which have approved grants and loans for the project.

A total of 20 bids were submitted last month on the three phases of the overall water improvement project, which was estimated at more than $2 million.

Council members Thursday voted unanimously to award the three contracts for the work to low bidders: Mid-States Concrete and General Construction Co., Redkey, for the new water treatment plant; Phoenix Fabricators, Avon, for the new elevated water storage tank; and Brackney Inc., Brookville, for the water main pipeline improvements.

With the engineering firm's recommended alternates, the contracts will total approximately $517,000 for Mid-States portion of the work; $655,340 to Phoenix Fabricators; and $475,000 to Brackney.

These figures are below the engineer's estimates for the work, so there will be some funds remaining for contingencies, Commonwealth Engineers representative Richard Lautz explained to council members Thursday night. The estimated total figure in excess of $2 million includes engineering fees and contingency amounts.

Also representing Commonwealth at the meeting were Vince Sommers, Jeff Wehlring and Wayne Bailey. An employee with 20 years of experience for the firm, Wehlring will be the inspector for the project, Lautz explained.

"We're very pleased with the bids you received," Sommers said.

Lautz said that the contracts could be signed as soon as the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs as well as U.S. Department of Agriculture officials were in agreement.

Funding for the project will come primarily from grants and loans through those two agencies. Last spring Redkey was awarded a $500,000 Community Focus Fund grant through OCRA. Plans call for combining that amount with a $220,000 grant Redkey was awarded from the U.S. Department of Agriculture as well as USDA loans totaling more than $1.2 million.

Redkey town attorney John Brooke agreed with Commonwealth's recommendation to move ahead with the project, noting that USDA and state deadlines regarding the grant and loan funds had to be met.

Redkey council members voted unanimously to grant authority to town council president Doug Stanley to sign any necessary documents related to the project.

Regarding the Ind. 1 resurfacing and renovation project, scheduled to get under way next spring, town council members noted that they are still in the process of working a detour for local traffic with Indiana Department of Transportation officials.

Terri Taylor, council member in charge of the street department, said that a proposal from the state suggested using George Street as part of the detour, but she objected to that plan because George Street was already in need of major repair work.

Taylor added that she had been told about 40 trees along Ind. 1 will need to be removed as a result of this project.

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

•Decided to hold a special meeting to conduct year-end business on Monday, Dec. 29, at 6 p.m. in town hall.

•Agreed with a report from Redkey Park Board member Terri Heston to use remaining funds in the park department budget to purchase some new playground equipment for Morgan Park.

•Approved a resolution, proposed by Stanley, calling for Redkey's share of Jay County Economic Development Income tax funds to be turned over by the Jay County Auditor to the town council, and then transferred by the council to the Redkey Economic Development Corporation.[[In-content Ad]]