Amount increased

As the cost of construction increased, the bond amount did as well.

Portland City Council on Monday approved an amended bond ordinance, increasing the amount of the bond that will cover the cost of a new equalization basin and wet weather pump station to $30 million.

The equalization basin and wet weather pump station are required as part of the city's agreed order with IDEM. They must be installed at the same time because they work together.

"It takes both parts … to meet the statutory requirements of the long-term control plan," Jeff Hersha of Fort Wayne's Jones and Henry Engineers explained at a meeting in December.

The city’s board of works opened bids for the project at that Dec. 21 meeting, with proposals for the equalization basin coming in between $4.57 million and $5.73 million. (All were significantly higher than the most recent engineer’s estimate of $2.9 million in March.)

There were no bids for the wet weather pump station. It was speculated at that time that the lack of bids was because of projected increased costs from the engineer’s estimate of $9.3 million.

The increase in the cost of the equalization basin and the projected increase for the wet weather pump station — it has been put back out for bid — required the city to increase its bond amount for the overall project, clerk-treasurer Lori Phillips explained after the meeting. Portland City Council had previously approved the bond at $23.8 million.

Council members Kent McClung, Michele Brewster, Matt Goldsworthy, Dave Golden and Ashley Hilfiker approved the amended bond. Mike Aker and Ron May were absent from the meeting.

The amended bond ordinance will now head to the State Revolving Fund loan program to continue the process, with a closing expected in March.

The deadline for bids for the wet weather pump station is 10 a.m. Feb. 29. Bids will be opened at 4 p.m. the same day during a board of works meeting in council chambers at Portland Fire Station.

In other business, council:

•Approved a five-year tax abatement for FR Holdings on $1.05 million in renovations to allow space for growth for Priority Plastics to the city's tax abatement advisory committee. The abatement is projected to save FR Holdings $90,000. The expansion is expected to generate $225,000 in property taxes over 10 years.

•Heard Golden praise Jay County Development Corporation executive director Travis Richards for his efforts and those of JCDC to help the city in a variety of areas. (Richards presented the abatement request during the meeting.)

•Agreed to an additional appropriation of $183,820.98 for the purchase of a new trash truck from Best Equipment of Indianapolis. Portland Board of Works approved the purchase last week. The additional appropriation will need to be formally approved again after it has been advertised.

•OK'd the closure Morton Street between the Tri-State Gas Engine and Tractor Association Grounds and Jay County Fairgrounds from noon Aug. 16 through noon Aug. 25 for Tri-State’s annual show. Also approved was a golf cart permit waiver, effective from Aug. 10 through Aug. 25, for those who receive a permit through Tri-State.

•Appointed the following: Audrey Muhlenkamp to The Portland Foundation board of trustees; Josh Atkinson to The Portland Foundation board of directors; Kyle Cook and Larry Petro to Portland Board of Zoning Appeals; McClung, Goldsworthy and Hilfiker to Portland Plan Commission; McClung, Goldsworthy and Aker to Portland Economic Development Income Tax Advisory Committee; and Goldsworthy to Portland Economic Development Corporation.

•Acknowledged Mayor Jeff Westlake's appointments as follows: Jerry Leonhard and Steve McIntosh to continue to serve on Portland Board of Works; Faron Parr, Clyde Bray, John Ferguson and Caleb Lutes to continue serving on Portland Board of Aviation; Rusty Inman, Hannah Long and Hilfiker to Portland Historic Preservation Commission; Golden to Jay County Solid Waste Management District; Aker to Jay/Portland Building and Planning Interlocal Join Board; Butch Micheau to Jay County Alcohol Board; Brad Clayton to Jay County Regional Sewer District; McIntosh to Portland Plan Commission; Josh Atkinson and Parr to the Portland Economic Development Corporation; and Tish Gierhart to the Housing Authority Board.

•The mayor and council combined to re-appoint Rusty Inman, Mike Simons, Dave Teeter, Joe Johnston and Reda Theurer-Miller to Portland Redevelopment Commission.

•Heard McClung compliment the work of Jay County Public Library Board. His comments came in response to Indiana Senate Bill 30, authored by Sens. James Tomes (R-Wadesville) and Gary Bryne (R-Byrneville), which called for public libraries to submit an annual budget to county or municipal government. McClung expressed the opinion that the library board is effective and no such changes are needed. (The bill died without a hearing in the Senate Tax and Fiscal Policy Committee. Sen. Travis Holdman (R-Markle), who represents Jay County, is the committee's chair.)