An agreement to finance the Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory’s new Smeal/Spartan 100-foot rear-mount aerial platform ladder truck went before the Board of Public Works and Safety on Friday and was approved.
The cost of the vehicle is $1,812,636, utilizing the NPPGov Financing Co-op program, with the approved vendor of Community Leasing Partners. The approximate build time of the truck is 480 calendar days.
Fire Chief Brian Mayo said, “This is the final financial contract component of the new aerial build purchase program. So the first ... was the actual contract to build the ladder. That was through the Co-op Purchasing Program. This is now the lease purchase portion of the financial piece coming before the board for approval.”
According to a copy of the amortization schedule, the first payment for the truck is due Dec. 15, 2024, in the amount of $200,000, with the interest portion of that being $83,970.31 and the principal portion being $116,029.69.
The last of the 12 payments would be due Dec. 15, 2035, in the amount of $202,068.54, with only $10,885.90 of that being interest.
The grand total of the payments will be $2,422,753.94, with $687,794.37 of that being interest.
On the amortization schedule, Mayo told the Board of Works, “We were fortunate enough that we kind of foresaw, when we were budgeting for this year’s budget, to set aside about $200,000 for new aerial purchasing, whether it was a down payment, payment or whatever. So we actually have the money budgeted this year to make that payment in December. So we’re right on track with where we need to be.”
Board member George Clemens asked if the WWFT Board had already approved the agreement. Mayo said they saw the “spec portion for the buildout” but won’t see the financial contract until their meeting at 4 p.m. Tuesday.
Clemens made a motion to approve the financial contract for the fire truck, Mayor Jeff Grose seconded it and it was approved. Board member Diane Quance was absent.
In other business, the Board of Works approved:
• Pay application 14 to CME Corp. for $226,506.80 for the Zimmer Biomet Center Lake Pavilion renovation project.
City engineer Aaron Ott said this was the second-to-last pay application for the renovation, and it leaves a retainer balance of $59,000.
• An owner-contractor agreement with G & G Hauling & Excavating for the alley improvement construction project. The alley is between Miami and Union streets. The cost of $269,520.70 includes the base bid and the alternative 1 bid, which the board accepted at their last December meeting.
• Two new hires, as presented by Human Resource Director Denny Harlan.
The new hires include Jared Taylor as the full-time facilities technician for City Hall at $19.50 per hour, as of Jan. 29, and Christopher Solorzano as the full-time systems administrator for the Warsaw Police Department at $25 per hour, beginning Feb. 20.
• An agreement between the Warsaw Wastewater Utility and Emans Engineering for on-call professional services, as requested by Utility Superintendent Brian Davison. The hourly rate is $150 and the agreement is not to exceed $15,000.
• Pay application 8 for $54,797 to G & G Hauling & Excavating for work on the CR 200S sewer expansion, as requested by Davison.
“So this project is complete, except for NIPSCO hooking power up there. So we had 5% of the retainage from G & G. Trying to be fair, working with the contractor, they wanted their retainage. We felt like we should hang onto something because once the power is installed, they still have to do generator startups and a couple other things. So we held onto 1% of the retainage, and then this is pretty much paying that contract out,” Davison said.
Ott said, “It’s an unfortunate situation that NIPSCO has left the city and G & G in, and they’ve been sitting there, wanting to finish this in time. They’ll actually get it done next week is my understanding. The power’s finally there. So this just gave us enough to make sure that we’re holding on enough just to make sure. It’s the right thing to do. You can’t pay in full until it’s completed in full. But this was the value that seemed fair and reasonable.”
• A contract between the Warsaw Wastewater Utility and Pro Services, the Elements software provider, for $17,400, as requested by Davison.
The contract is for Pro Services “to start building a system for our operations and lab to use so that we can enter all of our data on that, starting to centralize everything into the Elements program,” he said.
The contract was approved on the condition that the payment term that stated “50% due upon contract execution” be eliminated as the city can only pay after work is completed and receives an invoice.
• Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club’s request to close Center Street from Lake to High streets, Indiana Street from Main to Market streets and Buffalo Street from Main to Market streets on May 26 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for the 14th annual City of Lakes Car Show. The event will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cost per car is $12.
• A memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the city of Warsaw and the town of Winona Lake to clarify the use of the information banner located on East Center Street at the top of what is known as “White’s Hill” in Warsaw, as presented by Staci Young, assistant to the mayor.
The banner is used to promote activities in both communities and the MOU was last approved five years ago. Young said the town and city meet once a year to set the schedule for those events, which need to be city or town sponsored.
• A $250 contract with Derek Tenney to serve as the DJ for the Mommy & Son Dance on May 3, as requested by Warsaw Recreation Director Stephanie Schaefer. The dance will be from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Zimmer Biomet Center Lake Pavilion. Tickets are limited to $100, but Schaefer said in 2023 they sold out of all the tickets.
• A $1,280 contract with Brian Fravel, doing business as Pro Audio Service, to provide production for the annual rock concert at the Glover Pavilion, as presented by Schaefer. This year the concert will be June 21.
• A $1,800 contract with Moonshots to provide entertainment on May 31 for one of the concerts of the Summer Concert Series, as requested by Schaefer. Moonshots plays music from the 1950s to today. Money from an Indiana Arts Commission grant will pay for the contract.
• For Schaefer to apply for a $4,000 IAC grant, which will be used to help pay for some of the Summer Concert Series.
• A contract for the Public Works Department with Ace Pest Control for exterminator services, as requested by Public Works Superintendent Dustin Dillon. The contract is for $70 monthly, as well as spring and fall exterior treatment for $122 each, and includes treating the office, the main shop and mechanic’s garage.