Purchases approved

Portland Board of Works approved the purchase of equipment for the city’s street/parks and water department, OK’d a contract, increased fees and approved a payment during a brief meeting Thursday afternoon.

The board heard requests from department superintendents Matt Shauver and Doug Jackson, with the former asking that a van be purchased to be used as the parks vehicle. He explained at Monday’s city council meeting that most of the parks’ equipment and tools are housed at Hudson Family Park and staff is frequently traveling between Hudson and other parks while working. The van would allow tools and equipment to be permanently stored inside, making the workflow more efficient.

Board of works members Jerry Leonhard, Steve McIntosh and Mayor Jeff Westlake approved the purchase of a 2021 Ford Transit van from Moser Motors of Berne for $41,808 with a three-year warranty. The vehicle has less than 5,000 miles on it. (The city council approved an additional appropriation to fund the purchase Monday.)

Jackson requested the purchase of a new well pump for his department from peerless Midwest at a cost of $24,300. He explained that the current pump is about 15 years old and is showing signs of reduction in efficiency.

The board unanimously approved that purchase as well.

Shauver also asked the board to modify the city’s fees for cleaning up properties to add rates for large-scale equipment. He noted that the department expects to take on its largest clean-up project in about a decade soon.

New per-hour fees include $100 each for a long-bed truck, loader and skid loader. Also included are landfill fees of $103 for a packer and $185 for a long-bed truck.

Existing fees for mowing, weed trimming and other services were not changed.

In other business, the board:

•Approved a $314,000 pay request from James S. Jackson company of Bluffton. The firm is constructing a wet weather pump station at the city’s wastewater treatment plant as part of an upgrade project that will also include the addition of an equalization basin.

•OK’d a $6,500 contract with Choice One Engineering of Sidney, Ohio, to prepare bid documents for the city to apply for the next round of funding through Indiana Department of Transportation’s Community Crossings grant program. The application seeks funding for paving sections of Williams, Maple/Mangold, Shank, Ship, Franklin, 7th, North, 1st, Garfield, Munson, Hayes and Charles streets, Silvers Lane, Tyson Road, Wayside Place, Jaqua Avenue and Western Avenue. Clerk-treasurer Lori Phillips explained that the process has changed and requires that projects had been bid and awarded before they are considered by INDOT for funding.

•Agreed to a request from rural Portland resident Kyle Love for a six-month waiver of his wastewater fee. Love’s house was severely damaged in the Sept. 22 tornado and is currently unlivable. Earlier this month, city council amended the city’s ordinance to allow such waivers at the board of works’ discretion for up to six months for such natural disasters.