Bids for the new wastewater treatment facility were opened Friday during the Warsaw Board of Works regular meeting. Two bids were submitted from Bowen Engineering Corp., Crown Point, in the amount of $12.2 million; and from Reynolds Construction, Orleans, in the amount of $10.283 million. Bonds for the work are expected to be finalized Thursday, according to Mayor Ernie Wiggins, with bid recommendations coming at the Jan. 18 Board of Works meeting.

A $47,250 financial advisory services agreement with H.J. Umbaugh and Associates, Plymouth, was approved along with the bond counsel services agreement in the amount of about $40,000 from Baker & Daniels, South Bend.

City planner Jeff Noffsinger said a $24,000 check from the Kosciusko County Historical Society's Build Indiana grant had been received. The funds will help pay Herceg and Associates Engineers for the final design and engineering plans on the west end of the city's Greenway Project.

The item was approved subject to verification of the donation account for the Greenway. The engineering bill is $48,000 and the account balance was given as $46,000. Noffsinger said there should be $51,000 in the account.

Several street supply bids were approved: to Rock industries for limestone; to Kuert Concrete for ready mix concrete and flowable back material; to NiBlock for asphalt and curb concrete; and to Phend and Brown for flatwork concrete.

In other business the board:

• Approved a service contract with Wildman Uniforms for rugs at the park office, Center Lake Pavilion and Pete Thorn Youth Center.

• Approved a contract with TruGreen-ChemLawn for lawn care services and tree and shrub care in the amount of $12,648.18 in Central, Kiddieland and McKinley parks. Parks superintendent Jon Garber also requested that the goose control applications be extended to include Municipal, Nye, Kiddieland, Bixler, Beyer and Pike Lake parks in the amount of $7,720. Garber said the system worked very well in keeping geese out of parks areas last summer.

• Approved a contract of $7,500 with Greg Burgher for janitorial services at the Warsaw Sewage Collection Office and Engineering Building.

• Approved an increase for services from $125 per hour to $135 per hour with Valentine and Miner. This is the first increase since March 1, 1997, for the law firm.

• Approved a service contract with Pro-Air for two fire department compressors in the amount of $1,220, the same a last year.

• Approved an "as needed" contract for network and PC support with On-Site Consulting, Mentone, for the planning and building department at the rate of $65 per hour.

• Received notice of an irrevocable letter of credit for Lakeland Properties LLC, developers of Lakeland Apartments, corner of Union and Kincaid streets.

• Approved Glenn Miller and Danny Amish as new hires.

• Approved travel for Wiggins and Smith to attend the Orthopedic Academy in Dallas, Texas, Feb. 14-16.

• Authorized the following personnel to have take-home vehicles: Ernie Wiggins, Lacy Francis Jr., David Tackett, Jim Martin, Garney Blankenship, David Shaw, Jon Garber, Larry Plummer Jr. and Jim Craig.

Board of works members are Mayor Ernie Wiggins, Jerry Patterson and Charlie Smith. The board meets the first and third Fridays of each month at 10:30 a.m. in council chambers at city hall. [[In-content Ad]]