Water project final bills paid

REDKEY - Final payments to contractors were approved for the town's approximately $2 million water system improvement project Thursday by council members here, despite some reservations.

For the last few weeks, the council has delayed final payments while city officials and consulting engineers went over a checklist of concerns.

Council members continued to raise concerns about some of the things on the checklist Thursday, but council president Doug Stanley said the contractors have responded to the town's concerns, addressing problem areas and making corrections.

"They've done what we've asked them to do," Stanley said, noting that he thought the final payments should be made.

Stanley and other council members also pointed out that a one-year warranty agreement was in effect with the three contractors involved, and after that there was still a nine-year warranty from the manufacturer of the new water plant equipment.

Redkey's consulting engineer Patrick Zaharako of Commonwealth Engineering, Indianapolis, agreed that the project had been completed successfully.

However, town council members agreed to issue the final payments to each contractor and to plan on dealing with any future problems through the warranty agreements.

The main points of concern involved the possibility that additional waterproofing might be needed at the new plant and an underground drain tile might have been damaged in the vicinity of Central Avenue and the new water reservoir tank, causing a standing water issue.

At Thursday's meeting Redkey council members approved payment of $27,673 to Mid States Concrete and General Construction Company, Redkey, on the water plant construction; $27,173 to Brackney, Inc., Brookville, on water pipeline improvements; $30,503 to Phoenix Fabricators and Erectors for the water tower project; and $7,960 to Commonwealth Engineering.

In other business Thursday night, council members:

•Approved a change in hours for the clerk-treasurer's office at town hall during the remaining winter months. Hours will be 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

•Approved annual contracts for fire protection with area townships. The 2010 amounts are $1,627 for Jefferson Township, $209 for Greene Township, $1,144 for Knox Township and $4,603 for Richland Township, all in Jay County; and $2,109 for Green Township in Randolph County. The Richland Township figure reflects a two percent increase, and the Randolph County Green Township figure reflects an increase of $1,000 because the coverage area was increased. None of the other amounts were increased.

•Listened to a presentation from Jay County Development Corporation executive director William Bradley about recommended record-keeping procedures for the deposit of economic development income tax (EDIT) funds.

The procedure calls for EDIT funds to be sent to the town of Redkey by the Jay County auditor's office and then transferred by the town to the Redkey Economic Development Corporation.

•Approved the purchase of new water meter reading computer software and hand-held wand devices for reading water meters without needing to open meter pits for visual inspection. The council voted to purchase the computer software from Keystone of Daleville for $2,500 with a yearly maintenance fee of $405. Purchase of three water meter reading wands was approved at a cost of $375 each from Midwest Meters.

•Gave Dottie Quakenbush a round of applause, as she concluded her last regular meeting as a council member. After serving six years on the town council Quakenbush recently announced that she planned to resign at the end of this month. Redkey Democratic Party leaders will need to select a replacement for her.

"I want to thank Dottie for all her service over the years," Stanley said.

•Noted that Stanley will serve as the council member in charge of supervising the fire department until a replacement is appointed for Quakenbush.[[In-content Ad]]