Bids Awarded For County Tower Project
December 23, 2020 at 2:04 a.m.
By David [email protected]
All bids for the project were opened Dec. 15 and taken by Terry Burnworth, of Pyramid Consulting, to review before making his recommendation to the commissioners Tuesday. The bids were for excavation, concrete, fencing and electrical work for the sites related to the project.
“After review of the bids, we recommend that you not accept the fencing. It came in too high. Just do your own fencing. We’ll find someone local to do that fencing,” Burnworth said.
The sole bid that came in last week for fencing was from Cobalt Silver, Winchester, for $82,140.
The bids Burnworth recommended the commissioners approve included Ransbottom Excavating, Claypool, excavation, $56,954 with an alternate for $24,456; D & D Electric, Etna Green, for the electric work, $255,429, with an alternate for $30,932; and Cobalt Silver for the concrete work at $155,035.
Commissioner Cary Groninger said he’s served on the committee working through this process. “I know that we rebid this again to try to save the county some additional money. We were able to get some additional monies out of that by doing so. So, we kind of shook the trees as hard as we could shake it. We’re just a pinch over budget, but I don’t know we’ll get any cheaper than we have,” he said, making a motion to approve the recommended bids.
After that motion was unanimously approved, Burnworth made a recommendation that the commissioners approve Watson Consoles, Poulsbo, Wash., for the consoles at $82,760. Watson was the low bidder, he said, with the other bid coming from Dispatch Products, Angola, at $99,912.
“Watson Consoles is probably the premiere product in the nation. I will let you know that,” Burnworth said.
The commissioners unanimously approved Watson.
Later in the meeting, County Administrator Marsha McSherry presented a memorandum of understanding with Mikel Farms at 7610 W. 850N, Etna Green. The MOU is to place a 180-foot tower, as part of the county’s public communications project, at that property. “This is for the broadband part of the project,” she said.
Groninger said this was one of the last pieces of the puzzle to get the locations solidified for the project. The MOU was approved unanimously.
According to a copy of the MOU, the owner of the site will not charge the county for use of the site during the duration of the lease. The county will require the use of the site for 50 years and will maintain the site during the duration of the MOU.
The county will provide the four locations on the tower for the designated broadband company. The tower will be structured to support a 20-foot-tall antenna (four antennas in total). These locations will be between the 100-foot and 150-foot elevation.
At the start of Tuesday’s meeting, Bob Momeyer, county systems administration, told the commissioners, “As you are aware, we just recently completed a project where we put tech into Superior III and IV courtrooms that we did not have before. And that’s been a successful project. We’ve been very happy with how that turned out.”
He recommended the county continue to upgrade the other three courtrooms that have an older version of the tech in them. He said the updates will meet the requirements being put on the courts because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Momeyer said he had a quote for $23,000 per courtroom and requested that Superior I, II and Circuit courtrooms be upgraded with the new tech. He said he has enough money in his 2020 budget to cover one courtroom this year, and the other two will be covered in 2021.
His request was unanimously approved.
The commissioners also approved the 2021 agreement with the Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation, which is the same as the 2020 agreement, and a KEDCo workforce housing memorandum of understanding.
Speaking on the MOU, Suzie Light, representing KEDCo, said, “This is an exciting one-on-one match opportunity. Of the $50,000, it will only be utilized to evaluate sites in the unincorporated areas of the county and it is part of the revolving loan fund. We’re really excited that KEDCo is partnering with the county, with the Community Foundation and the city of Warsaw on this housing effort.”
Groninger said he was involved with it somewhat. “Obviously, workforce housing is something that is a big deal for our community. We’ve got to have places for people to live if we want to continue to have our community grow. I know that this revolving fund is definitely maybe a way to jumpstart a few of these developments happening in the county.”
Commissioner Brad Jackson abstained from voting on Groninger’s motion to approve the MOU and agreement, which was approved 2-0.
In other business, the commissioners approved:
• The appointments to the Turkey Creek Conservancy District Board. They are John L. Earnest, District 1, term expires 2022; James P. Silcox, District 2, 2023; William J. Pipp, District 3, 2024; David Johnson, District 4, 2025; and Carolyn S. Anderson, District 5, term expires 2025.
• Extending the county policy by six months regarding 10 days of paid leave for county employees if they are in quarantine or tested positive for COVID-19. The policy ended Dec. 31 and now will end June 30. “It’s not giving them additional days, but the days that are unused they’ll be able to use them in 2021 since the pandemic is continuing into next year,” Groninger said.
• An MOU with the city of Warsaw for the Bowen Center COVID-19 testing site rent. The county will pay two-thirds, or $40,000, while the city will pay one-third, or $20,000. The testing site is at the Shrine Building at the county fairgrounds. It also encompasses the usage agreement with the Kosciusko County Fair Board. Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer said the city signed the MOU Friday.
• All of the fuel bids for the Kosciusko County Highway Department, which were opened Tuesday at the commissioners meeting. There were three bidders and prices ranged from $1.48 a gallon for off-road diesel to $1.99 gallon for on-road diesel.
• The Area Plan Commission’s recommendation to deny Joseph Bontrager’s petition to rezone 7.28 acres from a residential district to an agricultural district. He is instead seeking a variance from the Board of Zoning Appeals on Jan. 12 so he can have a horse for a horse and buggy and maybe other animals. The property is on the south side of CR 1300N and 500 feet east of Old Ind. 15 in Van Buren Township.
• The APC’s recommendation to rezone about 28 acres from public use, commercial and agricultural districts to residential on the west side of Ind. 13 and 1,116 feet south of CR 1120N in Turkey Creek Township. The petitioner, Polk Equipment and D & P Investments, is developing the former South Shore Golf Course.
The commissioners also approved rezoning about five acres from public use to commercial on the west side of Ind. 13 in Turkey Creek Township as requested by South Shore Ventures. South Shore Ventures is looking to have a restaurant at that location.
• For Bob Conley to serve as president of the commissioners in 2021 and Groninger as vice president.
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All bids for the project were opened Dec. 15 and taken by Terry Burnworth, of Pyramid Consulting, to review before making his recommendation to the commissioners Tuesday. The bids were for excavation, concrete, fencing and electrical work for the sites related to the project.
“After review of the bids, we recommend that you not accept the fencing. It came in too high. Just do your own fencing. We’ll find someone local to do that fencing,” Burnworth said.
The sole bid that came in last week for fencing was from Cobalt Silver, Winchester, for $82,140.
The bids Burnworth recommended the commissioners approve included Ransbottom Excavating, Claypool, excavation, $56,954 with an alternate for $24,456; D & D Electric, Etna Green, for the electric work, $255,429, with an alternate for $30,932; and Cobalt Silver for the concrete work at $155,035.
Commissioner Cary Groninger said he’s served on the committee working through this process. “I know that we rebid this again to try to save the county some additional money. We were able to get some additional monies out of that by doing so. So, we kind of shook the trees as hard as we could shake it. We’re just a pinch over budget, but I don’t know we’ll get any cheaper than we have,” he said, making a motion to approve the recommended bids.
After that motion was unanimously approved, Burnworth made a recommendation that the commissioners approve Watson Consoles, Poulsbo, Wash., for the consoles at $82,760. Watson was the low bidder, he said, with the other bid coming from Dispatch Products, Angola, at $99,912.
“Watson Consoles is probably the premiere product in the nation. I will let you know that,” Burnworth said.
The commissioners unanimously approved Watson.
Later in the meeting, County Administrator Marsha McSherry presented a memorandum of understanding with Mikel Farms at 7610 W. 850N, Etna Green. The MOU is to place a 180-foot tower, as part of the county’s public communications project, at that property. “This is for the broadband part of the project,” she said.
Groninger said this was one of the last pieces of the puzzle to get the locations solidified for the project. The MOU was approved unanimously.
According to a copy of the MOU, the owner of the site will not charge the county for use of the site during the duration of the lease. The county will require the use of the site for 50 years and will maintain the site during the duration of the MOU.
The county will provide the four locations on the tower for the designated broadband company. The tower will be structured to support a 20-foot-tall antenna (four antennas in total). These locations will be between the 100-foot and 150-foot elevation.
At the start of Tuesday’s meeting, Bob Momeyer, county systems administration, told the commissioners, “As you are aware, we just recently completed a project where we put tech into Superior III and IV courtrooms that we did not have before. And that’s been a successful project. We’ve been very happy with how that turned out.”
He recommended the county continue to upgrade the other three courtrooms that have an older version of the tech in them. He said the updates will meet the requirements being put on the courts because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Momeyer said he had a quote for $23,000 per courtroom and requested that Superior I, II and Circuit courtrooms be upgraded with the new tech. He said he has enough money in his 2020 budget to cover one courtroom this year, and the other two will be covered in 2021.
His request was unanimously approved.
The commissioners also approved the 2021 agreement with the Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation, which is the same as the 2020 agreement, and a KEDCo workforce housing memorandum of understanding.
Speaking on the MOU, Suzie Light, representing KEDCo, said, “This is an exciting one-on-one match opportunity. Of the $50,000, it will only be utilized to evaluate sites in the unincorporated areas of the county and it is part of the revolving loan fund. We’re really excited that KEDCo is partnering with the county, with the Community Foundation and the city of Warsaw on this housing effort.”
Groninger said he was involved with it somewhat. “Obviously, workforce housing is something that is a big deal for our community. We’ve got to have places for people to live if we want to continue to have our community grow. I know that this revolving fund is definitely maybe a way to jumpstart a few of these developments happening in the county.”
Commissioner Brad Jackson abstained from voting on Groninger’s motion to approve the MOU and agreement, which was approved 2-0.
In other business, the commissioners approved:
• The appointments to the Turkey Creek Conservancy District Board. They are John L. Earnest, District 1, term expires 2022; James P. Silcox, District 2, 2023; William J. Pipp, District 3, 2024; David Johnson, District 4, 2025; and Carolyn S. Anderson, District 5, term expires 2025.
• Extending the county policy by six months regarding 10 days of paid leave for county employees if they are in quarantine or tested positive for COVID-19. The policy ended Dec. 31 and now will end June 30. “It’s not giving them additional days, but the days that are unused they’ll be able to use them in 2021 since the pandemic is continuing into next year,” Groninger said.
• An MOU with the city of Warsaw for the Bowen Center COVID-19 testing site rent. The county will pay two-thirds, or $40,000, while the city will pay one-third, or $20,000. The testing site is at the Shrine Building at the county fairgrounds. It also encompasses the usage agreement with the Kosciusko County Fair Board. Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer said the city signed the MOU Friday.
• All of the fuel bids for the Kosciusko County Highway Department, which were opened Tuesday at the commissioners meeting. There were three bidders and prices ranged from $1.48 a gallon for off-road diesel to $1.99 gallon for on-road diesel.
• The Area Plan Commission’s recommendation to deny Joseph Bontrager’s petition to rezone 7.28 acres from a residential district to an agricultural district. He is instead seeking a variance from the Board of Zoning Appeals on Jan. 12 so he can have a horse for a horse and buggy and maybe other animals. The property is on the south side of CR 1300N and 500 feet east of Old Ind. 15 in Van Buren Township.
• The APC’s recommendation to rezone about 28 acres from public use, commercial and agricultural districts to residential on the west side of Ind. 13 and 1,116 feet south of CR 1120N in Turkey Creek Township. The petitioner, Polk Equipment and D & P Investments, is developing the former South Shore Golf Course.
The commissioners also approved rezoning about five acres from public use to commercial on the west side of Ind. 13 in Turkey Creek Township as requested by South Shore Ventures. South Shore Ventures is looking to have a restaurant at that location.
• For Bob Conley to serve as president of the commissioners in 2021 and Groninger as vice president.
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