Sewer bid selected, project cut

REDKEY — A contractor was chosen Thursday evening for the town’s long-awaited sewer separation, but had to cut part of the project in order to do so.
Redkey Town Council selected Brookville firm Brackney Inc. for the sewer work at the recommendation of Fleis & Vandenbrink Engineering’s Mitch Hansel, who is overseeing the project. In choosing the company, council members removed about $900,000 of work because bids had come in over budget.
Also Thursday, council hired a new reserve police officer and engaged in a heated debate after member Mike Wright read a letter to his fellow members.
The budget for the sewer separation was $2.85 million, but bids came in between $3.64 and $4.26 million. That left the council with the option of either cutting portions of the project to bring the cost down or going through the bid process again.
As a result, 1.6 miles of sewer line replacement were pulled from the project. That reduction brought the bid from Brackney down to $2,734,844 from its original $3,644,108.
The sewer work that was eliminated could be added back into the project if there is enough money left over in the contingency fund.
Hansel said despite the cuts the sewer project will still replace all of the lines where infiltration was found.
“We tried to make it a whole lot bigger and better,” he said.
Other original bids were $3,839,432 from Culy Contracting and $4,263,978 from Atlas Excavating.
Also Thursday, Bob Armstrong, a former full-time police officer in Portland, was hired as a reserve Redkey officer on the recommendation of Town Marshal Todd Miller. Council members Charles “Red” Coons, Dave Dudelston, Ted Friddle, Doug Stanley and Wright also agreed to let Miller advertise in The Commercial Review for more reserve officers.

Miller also asked council for a town credit card to pay for hotels, food and gas while away at training, but that request was denied. Miller has been using his personal card but isn’t reimbursed for taxes and said he won’t use it anymore.
“The state board frowns on it,” clerk-treasurer Debbie James said.
She added that with more than one police officer using the card, receipts don’t always get turned in.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Coons agreed.
James agreed to use her personal credit card for the police department in the future.
Miller also requested compensation time for the police department that other departments currently receive.
“I thing it’s an injustice to the police department,” Miller said.
Council set a budget meeting for Aug. 4 and Friddle said they will discuss the matter at that time.
Reading his letter, Wright said he was singled out by a fellow council member at the June meeting for having a personal relationship with Miller and other police officers and for riding in the police car. He also reprimanded Coons for letting residents, who are not town employees, drive town vehicles.
“I don’t know where you got your information Mike, but it’s wrong,” Coons responded.
Later in response to Wright's letter, Coons made a motion disallowing anyone other than police officers and their prisoners from riding in police vehicles. It was approved 3-2, with Stanley and Wright dissenting.
Motions were also made to not let anyone other than town employees operate city vehicles and equipment, and to have set hours for the police department. Neither of those were voted on, as council members decided to have town attorney Wes Schemenaur check on the legality of the issues.
In other business, council:
•Signed an updated contract for $3,400 with Jefferson Township to have part of the township covered by Portland Fire Department. Redkey Fire Department covers the other half of the township.
•Approved water bill adjustments for Sandy Guffey for $113.86; Chuck Fullenkamp for $65.62; Joan Smith for $128.95; and Donald McCowan Jr. for $134.78.
•Heard a food give-away will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 17 at Redkey Morgan Park.
•Were told by fire chief Randy Young that a civil engineer is set to look at the parking lot of the fire station being built to see if it needs a perimeter drain.
•Agreed to close streets around the Redkey Morgan Park during baseball and softball tournaments, and heard from Dudelston that the Redkey Park cabin needs a new roof and a new coat of paint.
•Asked Miller to not allow residents to park in alleys.
•Approved claims totaling $77,990.33.