June 6, 2019 at 8:23 p.m.
Four properties sold
Four properties sold
Four properties are heading back onto the tax rolls.
Portland Board of Works on Thursday approved the sale of four properties after taking a couple of weeks to review bids.
The board also approved the hiring of two full-time firefighters, agreed to fund construction of a new storage building for the city’s wastewater treatment plant and heard from a local business owner about the sale of the Sheller-Globe south building.
Matt Billington with Evergreen Real Estate was awarded three of the properties — all of which are vacant lots — as he bid $2,000 apiece for land at 910 E. North St. and 961 S. Bridge St. He also was awarded a lot at 815 E. North St. for $1,000.
Bill Childers was awarded the other property — 130 E. High St. — for his bid of $500.
The city did not receive any bids for a fifth property located at 509 W. High St.
All five properties were available as the result of the city tearing down blighted houses.
Board members Jerry Leonhard, Bill Gibson and Portland Mayor Randy Geesaman also approved the hiring of Travis Theurer and Zach Hudson as full-time firefighters. They were chosen from a group of seven applicants who were interviewed.
Theurer, who has worked part-time for the department for eight years, will start immediately after his approval by the state pension board. He will replace Ron Sommers, who is retiring.
Zach Hudson is slated to start about Jan. 1 to replace the retiring Mike Thomas. The official retirement date for Thomas is June 2, 2020, but his shifts during the first half of 2020 will be limited because of vacation and comp time he has built up.
Also approved Thursday was the construction of a storage building for the wastewater treatment plant. The facility currently has equipment, including two dump trucks and various attachments, left outdoors because of its lack of storage space.
Low bidders for work on the project were TJ’s Concrete & Excavation at $33,920 for concrete work, Habegger’s ACE Lumber of Berne for the building itself at $49,500 and Franklin’s Electrical Service for the electrical work at $19,040. The department’s staff plans on handling the heating and driveway work.
Geesaman also reported that the city is working toward cleaning up the Kelly Baggs Nature Trail at Hudson Family Park. It has been closed since the fall because of downed trees.
The city initially received a quote of $20,250 from Myron Terrain Management of New Albany from the work, but that quote has expired. The company will reevaluate the state of the trails and provide an updated quote.
Geesaman said he intends to find funding for the project and has reached out to some local businesses about the possibility of making financial contributions toward the work.
Tom Leonhard of the street and parks department said Myron would not be available for the project until the fall.
The board also heard from Tim Miller of TJ’s Bicycle and Moped Sales about the recent sale of the former Sheller-Globe south building on Bridge Street. He said he had been working with the city on a project for that building for seven years and feels thrown under the bus.
“This is just not right,” he said. “This isn’t fair to me or anyone else.”
He also asked if a contract laying out requirements for improvements to the building and other factors was in place for the buyer, Goodhew Roofing Services of Ridgeville. Geesaman responded that such a contract is being worked out now that Goodhew has been officially approved as the buyer after a process that has stretched across the first half of 2019.
In other business, the board:
•Agreed to purchase a new Chevrolet Silverado truck for Portland Fire Department chief Mike Weitzel after his current fire department vehicle, a 2010 Ford Explorer, was damaged in a traffic collision May 20. The Silverado from Kelley Chevrolet of Fort Wayne will cost $33,350. The other quote for a Ford F150 from Moser Motors of Portland came in at $31,317.40 but did not offer options including a trailer package and differential rear-end lock that Weitzel said he preferred. Insurance will cover about $7,500 for the Explorer, which has about 86,000 miles.
•Approved a $140.12 water leak adjustment.
Portland Board of Works on Thursday approved the sale of four properties after taking a couple of weeks to review bids.
The board also approved the hiring of two full-time firefighters, agreed to fund construction of a new storage building for the city’s wastewater treatment plant and heard from a local business owner about the sale of the Sheller-Globe south building.
Matt Billington with Evergreen Real Estate was awarded three of the properties — all of which are vacant lots — as he bid $2,000 apiece for land at 910 E. North St. and 961 S. Bridge St. He also was awarded a lot at 815 E. North St. for $1,000.
Bill Childers was awarded the other property — 130 E. High St. — for his bid of $500.
The city did not receive any bids for a fifth property located at 509 W. High St.
All five properties were available as the result of the city tearing down blighted houses.
Board members Jerry Leonhard, Bill Gibson and Portland Mayor Randy Geesaman also approved the hiring of Travis Theurer and Zach Hudson as full-time firefighters. They were chosen from a group of seven applicants who were interviewed.
Theurer, who has worked part-time for the department for eight years, will start immediately after his approval by the state pension board. He will replace Ron Sommers, who is retiring.
Zach Hudson is slated to start about Jan. 1 to replace the retiring Mike Thomas. The official retirement date for Thomas is June 2, 2020, but his shifts during the first half of 2020 will be limited because of vacation and comp time he has built up.
Also approved Thursday was the construction of a storage building for the wastewater treatment plant. The facility currently has equipment, including two dump trucks and various attachments, left outdoors because of its lack of storage space.
Low bidders for work on the project were TJ’s Concrete & Excavation at $33,920 for concrete work, Habegger’s ACE Lumber of Berne for the building itself at $49,500 and Franklin’s Electrical Service for the electrical work at $19,040. The department’s staff plans on handling the heating and driveway work.
Geesaman also reported that the city is working toward cleaning up the Kelly Baggs Nature Trail at Hudson Family Park. It has been closed since the fall because of downed trees.
The city initially received a quote of $20,250 from Myron Terrain Management of New Albany from the work, but that quote has expired. The company will reevaluate the state of the trails and provide an updated quote.
Geesaman said he intends to find funding for the project and has reached out to some local businesses about the possibility of making financial contributions toward the work.
Tom Leonhard of the street and parks department said Myron would not be available for the project until the fall.
The board also heard from Tim Miller of TJ’s Bicycle and Moped Sales about the recent sale of the former Sheller-Globe south building on Bridge Street. He said he had been working with the city on a project for that building for seven years and feels thrown under the bus.
“This is just not right,” he said. “This isn’t fair to me or anyone else.”
He also asked if a contract laying out requirements for improvements to the building and other factors was in place for the buyer, Goodhew Roofing Services of Ridgeville. Geesaman responded that such a contract is being worked out now that Goodhew has been officially approved as the buyer after a process that has stretched across the first half of 2019.
In other business, the board:
•Agreed to purchase a new Chevrolet Silverado truck for Portland Fire Department chief Mike Weitzel after his current fire department vehicle, a 2010 Ford Explorer, was damaged in a traffic collision May 20. The Silverado from Kelley Chevrolet of Fort Wayne will cost $33,350. The other quote for a Ford F150 from Moser Motors of Portland came in at $31,317.40 but did not offer options including a trailer package and differential rear-end lock that Weitzel said he preferred. Insurance will cover about $7,500 for the Explorer, which has about 86,000 miles.
•Approved a $140.12 water leak adjustment.
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