Warsaw Approves Buying $756,832 Aerial Fire Truck

July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.

By TERESA SMITH, Times-Union Staff Writer-

The purchase of a $756,832 aerial fire truck for the Warsaw Fire Department was approved by the Warsaw Board of Works Friday.

The winning bid was submitted by Midwest Fire and Safety Equipment Co. Inc. for a Pierce model and has siderail protection not available from the other bidders, according to fire chief Matt Warren.

Fire Service Inc. submitted a bid of $680,000 for an American LaFrance Model and Donley Safety Inc. submitted three bids ranging from $558,626 to $569,684 and were non-conducive to the bid specifications. Warren and city attorney Mike Valentine said these bidders were unresponsive to questions about their bids.

Approval for the fire truck is contingent upon lease financing.

Warren also received permission to have Engine Two refurbished by Pierce Manufacturing at an approximate cost of $120,000.

The city council approved an additional appropriation of $200,000 to purchase the ladder truck at its Aug. 2 meeting.

New cell phones for the wastewater utility department were approved at a cost of $97.94 per month. Board of works member Jerry Patterson said where he works, everyone uses radios that are good within a 30-mile radius. He said there were no glitches and called the cell phones, several for each department, a big expense.

Public works superintendent Lacy Francis Jr. said there were some things that couldn't be said over a radio.

Patterson said that's when you get to a telephone.

"If a radio is all you've got, you'll make it work," Patterson said. He said he would look into the cost of a radio system.

The board also:

• Approved the purchase of a front-end loader with attachments from Bobcat of Warsaw Inc. for $31,956.85 as requested by the parks department. The item was budgeted this year.

Other quotes were received from Hull Lift Truck Inc., Elkhart, for $36,927 and from Affolder Implement Sales Inc., Berne, for $36,318.

• Approved an offer of $2,500 from Craig Smith to purchase the fire department's 1984 Chevrolet VIP 260 van.

Warren said he would like to purchase an 8- by 20-foot trailer to replace the vehicle, which was approved.

• Approved several contracts for Celebraci-n Latina on Sept. 11 - $225 for advertisements with WRSW/Talking Stick Communications; $130 for Daniel Meza for security; $1,000 for Juan Angel Moreno with Los Paisas De Durango for entertainment; $1,000 for Harvey Luna with Groupo Invenzible for entertainment; and $1,000 for Gilbert Villegas with Group Energia for entertainment.

• Approved a subrecipient agreement with the Kosciusko County Shelter for Abuse doing business as the Beaman Home to route grants through the city to the home.

• Approved a contract with Merrell Bros. Biosolids Management Co. to dispose of biosolids to the Fort Wayne wastewater treatment plant and to Merrell Bros. Regional Biosolids Center from the city's wastewater treatment plant No. 1 for $0.065 per gallon.

The service would be effective if the treatment plant couldn't get the waste into the fields or if adequate acreage was unavailable.

• Approved a change order of $8,700 for additional repairs to the Chinworth Bridge.

Jeff Noffsinger presented the change order, saying painting of the Groninger Bridge was not included in the original specifications. Cost to paint the bridge is $20,300, and 80 percent of that price is included in an Indiana Department of Transportation grant. The city's portion of the costs is $5,800, which was approved.

Work on the bridge is being done by John Camden Construction.

• Approved a bid from Werlor Inc. to grind brush at a cost not to exceed $6,900.

Francis said this is an annual project and the resulting material is added to the city's "mulch" pile, which is available to the public free twice a year - in the spring and in the fall.

Other quotes came from VIM at $7,500 plus $550 and from Northern Indiana Grinding for $10,200.

• Approved application for a $10,000 Law Enforcement Block Grant to purchase three in-car video systems at a cost of $3,764 per unit, according to police department Capt. Perry Hunter.

The city would be required to match 10 percent of the amount awarded.

Board of Works members are Mayor Ernie Wiggins, Jerry Patterson and Charlie Smith. [[In-content Ad]]

The purchase of a $756,832 aerial fire truck for the Warsaw Fire Department was approved by the Warsaw Board of Works Friday.

The winning bid was submitted by Midwest Fire and Safety Equipment Co. Inc. for a Pierce model and has siderail protection not available from the other bidders, according to fire chief Matt Warren.

Fire Service Inc. submitted a bid of $680,000 for an American LaFrance Model and Donley Safety Inc. submitted three bids ranging from $558,626 to $569,684 and were non-conducive to the bid specifications. Warren and city attorney Mike Valentine said these bidders were unresponsive to questions about their bids.

Approval for the fire truck is contingent upon lease financing.

Warren also received permission to have Engine Two refurbished by Pierce Manufacturing at an approximate cost of $120,000.

The city council approved an additional appropriation of $200,000 to purchase the ladder truck at its Aug. 2 meeting.

New cell phones for the wastewater utility department were approved at a cost of $97.94 per month. Board of works member Jerry Patterson said where he works, everyone uses radios that are good within a 30-mile radius. He said there were no glitches and called the cell phones, several for each department, a big expense.

Public works superintendent Lacy Francis Jr. said there were some things that couldn't be said over a radio.

Patterson said that's when you get to a telephone.

"If a radio is all you've got, you'll make it work," Patterson said. He said he would look into the cost of a radio system.

The board also:

• Approved the purchase of a front-end loader with attachments from Bobcat of Warsaw Inc. for $31,956.85 as requested by the parks department. The item was budgeted this year.

Other quotes were received from Hull Lift Truck Inc., Elkhart, for $36,927 and from Affolder Implement Sales Inc., Berne, for $36,318.

• Approved an offer of $2,500 from Craig Smith to purchase the fire department's 1984 Chevrolet VIP 260 van.

Warren said he would like to purchase an 8- by 20-foot trailer to replace the vehicle, which was approved.

• Approved several contracts for Celebraci-n Latina on Sept. 11 - $225 for advertisements with WRSW/Talking Stick Communications; $130 for Daniel Meza for security; $1,000 for Juan Angel Moreno with Los Paisas De Durango for entertainment; $1,000 for Harvey Luna with Groupo Invenzible for entertainment; and $1,000 for Gilbert Villegas with Group Energia for entertainment.

• Approved a subrecipient agreement with the Kosciusko County Shelter for Abuse doing business as the Beaman Home to route grants through the city to the home.

• Approved a contract with Merrell Bros. Biosolids Management Co. to dispose of biosolids to the Fort Wayne wastewater treatment plant and to Merrell Bros. Regional Biosolids Center from the city's wastewater treatment plant No. 1 for $0.065 per gallon.

The service would be effective if the treatment plant couldn't get the waste into the fields or if adequate acreage was unavailable.

• Approved a change order of $8,700 for additional repairs to the Chinworth Bridge.

Jeff Noffsinger presented the change order, saying painting of the Groninger Bridge was not included in the original specifications. Cost to paint the bridge is $20,300, and 80 percent of that price is included in an Indiana Department of Transportation grant. The city's portion of the costs is $5,800, which was approved.

Work on the bridge is being done by John Camden Construction.

• Approved a bid from Werlor Inc. to grind brush at a cost not to exceed $6,900.

Francis said this is an annual project and the resulting material is added to the city's "mulch" pile, which is available to the public free twice a year - in the spring and in the fall.

Other quotes came from VIM at $7,500 plus $550 and from Northern Indiana Grinding for $10,200.

• Approved application for a $10,000 Law Enforcement Block Grant to purchase three in-car video systems at a cost of $3,764 per unit, according to police department Capt. Perry Hunter.

The city would be required to match 10 percent of the amount awarded.

Board of Works members are Mayor Ernie Wiggins, Jerry Patterson and Charlie Smith. [[In-content Ad]]

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