City Hall To Get Generator, Connection Box
May 4, 2019 at 12:34 a.m.
By David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
Staci Young, assistant to Mayor Joe Thallemer, on Friday asked the Board of Public Works and Safety to grant permission to apply for a $50,000 grant from the Department of Homeland Security. The board unanimously approved the request.
The $50,000 is the maximum the city can apply for, she said. The money will be used toward a 100 kW towable generator and corresponding connection box.
“The first priority for that would be to use it for city hall to keep our server network up and running in the event of a power outage,” she said.
Having a towable generator would allow the city to establish city hall as an emergency operations center, she said. It also would give the city flexibility to use the generator off site, “which not only leverages us having this piece of equipment, but it gives us the flexibility to respond around the community to needs and emergencies that arise.”
Young said the cost of the generator will be around $85,000, with the Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory covering the cost the grant doesn’t. The Fire Territory’s expenditures will come from its emergency equipment fund in its budget.
Thallemer reminded everyone that the board recently approved rewiring costs at city hall to accept this type of generator.
“This would be specifically for city hall or an emergency operations center off site, so that’s why Homeland Security is good with this,” he said.
Young thanked Fire Territory Chief Mike Wilson for his “huge” help in navigating the federally funded grant.
Later in the meeting, the board approved a payment of $885,538 to Kokosing Construction Co. for the wastewater treatment plant expansion.
Utilities Superintendent Brian Davison said it was for work and materials for the construction project.
Thallemer asked Davison to give an update on the project, noting that “they’ve been hitting it pretty hard.”
Davison said the rain didn’t help, but the construction company worked through it pretty well.
“The scale of this project is just incredible. They have some really deep holes and they’re pouring concrete and it’s moving along pretty good,” Davison said.
He said the work is verified by Wessler Engineering and a member of his staff.
The next payment the board approved was $58,369 for Wessler’s work and administration on the project.
On a final note, Davison said there’s been a lot of rain recently. On dry days, if residents see inlets with debris on top of them, he asked them to clean the inlets off.
“The street sweepers are out running, trying to do that also. But if you do have stormwater that’s standing, and the inlet’s open, please let us know. We can come out and make sure that stormline is open and doing everything it can,” he said.
The next two weeks’ forecast doesn’t “look too good for the rain,” Davison said.
In other business, the Board of Works approved:
• The purchase of an F-550 4x4 truck for the wastewater utility department for $140,165.
• For the street department to have Rejuvtec Inc. furnish and apply Reclamite Preservative Seal to various city streets that were paved in 2018. Cost is $87,395.40. Superintendent Jeff Beeler said about 4 miles of road will be serviced.
• A contract between the city’s stormwater utility and the Lilly Center for Lakes & Streams for education and outreach. Cost is $12,600.
Davison said it includes four basic things: a classroom lake experience, a lake adventure day with about 1,000 students, an art contest and the Northern Indiana Lakes Festival, which is Memorial Day weekend.
“This helps us meet our requirements in our stormwater permit for public outreach and education,” he said, adding that partnering with Lakes & Streams is a “very cost-effective way to do that.”
He said Lakes & Streams Executive Director Dr. Nate Bosch “and his group do an excellent job.”
• Giving permission to the Warsaw Police Department to apply for the Norfolk Southern Local Discretion Charitable Contributions grant. The maximum of $5,000 will be sought.
• A contract between the stormwater utility and Heartland Restoration Services Inc. for a native plantings public education workshop. Cost is $375.
• An easement agreement at the Airport Industrial Park with Jerry D. and Marilyn J. Irvine, as presented by City Planner Jeremy Skinner.
Skinner said there were a handful of easements the city needs to obtain for the Airport Industrial Park sewer project, and this was one of them. The sewer line will cut across the Irvines’ property.
City attorney Scott Reust and the Irvines’ attorney have reviewed the agreement.
The Irvines will be paid $10. Skinner said he thought that amount was just to “substantiate” the contract.
Staci Young, assistant to Mayor Joe Thallemer, on Friday asked the Board of Public Works and Safety to grant permission to apply for a $50,000 grant from the Department of Homeland Security. The board unanimously approved the request.
The $50,000 is the maximum the city can apply for, she said. The money will be used toward a 100 kW towable generator and corresponding connection box.
“The first priority for that would be to use it for city hall to keep our server network up and running in the event of a power outage,” she said.
Having a towable generator would allow the city to establish city hall as an emergency operations center, she said. It also would give the city flexibility to use the generator off site, “which not only leverages us having this piece of equipment, but it gives us the flexibility to respond around the community to needs and emergencies that arise.”
Young said the cost of the generator will be around $85,000, with the Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory covering the cost the grant doesn’t. The Fire Territory’s expenditures will come from its emergency equipment fund in its budget.
Thallemer reminded everyone that the board recently approved rewiring costs at city hall to accept this type of generator.
“This would be specifically for city hall or an emergency operations center off site, so that’s why Homeland Security is good with this,” he said.
Young thanked Fire Territory Chief Mike Wilson for his “huge” help in navigating the federally funded grant.
Later in the meeting, the board approved a payment of $885,538 to Kokosing Construction Co. for the wastewater treatment plant expansion.
Utilities Superintendent Brian Davison said it was for work and materials for the construction project.
Thallemer asked Davison to give an update on the project, noting that “they’ve been hitting it pretty hard.”
Davison said the rain didn’t help, but the construction company worked through it pretty well.
“The scale of this project is just incredible. They have some really deep holes and they’re pouring concrete and it’s moving along pretty good,” Davison said.
He said the work is verified by Wessler Engineering and a member of his staff.
The next payment the board approved was $58,369 for Wessler’s work and administration on the project.
On a final note, Davison said there’s been a lot of rain recently. On dry days, if residents see inlets with debris on top of them, he asked them to clean the inlets off.
“The street sweepers are out running, trying to do that also. But if you do have stormwater that’s standing, and the inlet’s open, please let us know. We can come out and make sure that stormline is open and doing everything it can,” he said.
The next two weeks’ forecast doesn’t “look too good for the rain,” Davison said.
In other business, the Board of Works approved:
• The purchase of an F-550 4x4 truck for the wastewater utility department for $140,165.
• For the street department to have Rejuvtec Inc. furnish and apply Reclamite Preservative Seal to various city streets that were paved in 2018. Cost is $87,395.40. Superintendent Jeff Beeler said about 4 miles of road will be serviced.
• A contract between the city’s stormwater utility and the Lilly Center for Lakes & Streams for education and outreach. Cost is $12,600.
Davison said it includes four basic things: a classroom lake experience, a lake adventure day with about 1,000 students, an art contest and the Northern Indiana Lakes Festival, which is Memorial Day weekend.
“This helps us meet our requirements in our stormwater permit for public outreach and education,” he said, adding that partnering with Lakes & Streams is a “very cost-effective way to do that.”
He said Lakes & Streams Executive Director Dr. Nate Bosch “and his group do an excellent job.”
• Giving permission to the Warsaw Police Department to apply for the Norfolk Southern Local Discretion Charitable Contributions grant. The maximum of $5,000 will be sought.
• A contract between the stormwater utility and Heartland Restoration Services Inc. for a native plantings public education workshop. Cost is $375.
• An easement agreement at the Airport Industrial Park with Jerry D. and Marilyn J. Irvine, as presented by City Planner Jeremy Skinner.
Skinner said there were a handful of easements the city needs to obtain for the Airport Industrial Park sewer project, and this was one of them. The sewer line will cut across the Irvines’ property.
City attorney Scott Reust and the Irvines’ attorney have reviewed the agreement.
The Irvines will be paid $10. Skinner said he thought that amount was just to “substantiate” the contract.
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