WPD Receives 2 Grants For Rescue Dive Equipment
January 20, 2023 at 10:40 p.m.
WPD Receives 2 Grants For Rescue Dive Equipment
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Police Chief Scott Whitaker reminded the Board of Public Works and Safety on Friday that on Oct. 21 the WPD requested permission from the board to apply for two grants, one from the K21 Health Foundation and the other from the Kosciusko County Community Foundation.
K21 has since awarded a grant for $51,579 to the WPD, while the Community Foundation awarded a grant for $15,000, both for rescue dive equipment. The Board of Works accepted both grants Friday.
Officer Paige Wood explained, “So, (Det. Sgt.) Ryan Coble and I applied for the grants. What this is going to allow us to do is streamline the equipment that we’re using between the police department, the fire department and now the county as well. The gear that the divers were using, specifically from the police department, was extremely outdated. We were running into a lot of maintenance issues, unable to get parts to fix gear. We were running into issues happening when divers were under water and gear malfunctioning.”
The grants, she said, will allow them to update all of their gear. “Kind of start fresh, and then we can get on a plan to start replacing some of that more frequently. This also allows us then to utilize gear between the different departments when we’re on a scene together,” Wood said.
Coble said that not only will the gear be used citywide, but countywide.
“The Warsaw Dive Team recently entered into a mutual aid agreement with the (Kosciusko County) Sheriff’s Department. So what that means is, not only are we going to be training together every month, but we’re also going to be deploying together as one team for call-outs. So this is going to give us that equipment we need to really make us one of the best dive teams in the state,” Coble said.
Board member George Clemens said it was really great to hear about the cooperation between departments. Mayor Joe Thallemer said he really appreciated K21 and the Community Foundation.
Whitaker thanked Wood and Coble for their efforts on getting the grants, which was “above and beyond” their regular duties. He thanked Fire Chief Garrett Holderman for the work he did with the dive team behind the scenes and helped run the dive team collectively together.
“We’re excited to be able to work with the Sheriff’s Department. They’re growing their team as well as we continue to grow ours. It’s great that we have this mutual aid agreement as well,” Whitaker said.
Thallemer said there was a lot of discussion about it, and they worked to try to incorporate all the dive teams.
In other business:
• City Planner Justin Taylor presented a proposal from JPR (Jones Petrie Rafinski) for streetscape improvements on Buffalo Street from Center to Market streets and along Center Street from Buffalo to Indiana streets for $35,000.
“This is part of the refresh that we did of our streetscape to kind of solve some of the issues we’re seeing with our aging streetscape downtown. With this agreement, they’ll be able to kind of piggyback on some of the surveying work that we’re doing on our downtown, so there’s a little bit of a cost-savings there to get them started on this as well,” Taylor said.
Thallemer said they’ve been meeting a lot to get this done.
“This is kind of the final step before we actually can go to construction,” he said. “As Justin’s indicated, these streetscapes were put in back in the early 2000s as part of that Hyatt-Palmer study.”
Over time, Thallemer said they discovered they needed modifications to make it easier for people to use the sidewalks.
The board approved the proposal for survey and engineering services.
• The board approved a $561,564.65 pay application from Phend & Brown for reconstruction of Lindberg Drive, as awarded during the Aug. 5 Board of Works meeting, for work done from October through the end of November.
Public Works Superintendent Dustin Dillon said the project was awarded a Community Crossings grant from the state and it’s still going on. It should be finished up in the spring, and there will be more pay applications to come.
City engineer Aaron Ott said it looks like the project will come in under the contracted amount.
• City attorney Scott Reust gave Warsaw Redevelopment Commission members Brad Johnson and Michael Klondaris the oath of office. Johnson represents the Warsaw Community School Corporation on the Redevelopment Commission, replacing Jeremy Mullins.
• The board approved a $13,635 pay request from Lynn Douglas Inc. for cleanup efforts at Warsaw Chemical.
Thallemer reminded the board that the wastewater bonds were refinanced to assist with the environmental cleanup. The pay application was for that.
• Parks and Recreation Department Superintendent Larry Plummer presented a contract between the city and Anderson Property Management for Anderson to maintain the beds and urns at Central Park. The cost is $1,888.88 per month for nine months, a total of $16,999.92. The board approved the contract. Plummer said they’ve had Anderson do that maintenance since 2012 and it goes from March to November.
• The board approved the annual license agreement between the city and Kosciusko County Farmers and Artisan Market LLC for the city to provide space, close a portion of Center Street, provide a parking lot and restrooms for the group to have its weekly market from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays from May 1 to Oct. 30.
Thallemer said he’s been meeting with the group and they’re excited to get started this year. They’re planning to have more vendors this year and are interested in having a Wednesday market in the City Hall parking lot.
• Clerk-Treasurer Lynne Christiansen said with Holderman’s resignation as fire chief effective Feb. 7, there will be a need for someone at the fire department to sign claims and payroll until a new chief is named. The board approved for the assistant chief to fulfill those duties as needed.
• WPD Deputy Chief Bryan Sherwin recommended the board approve a fourth taxicab permit for L & L Taxi, which the board did. There are four drivers for the vehicle and all four have valid licenses. He said the vehicle passed inspection, insurance is current and the registration is valid.
• The board approved the new hire and change in payroll report as presented by Human Resource Director Denny Harlan.
The report includes $50 per meeting for new Plan Commission member Renea Salyer; $21.84 per hour for new hire Eric Graham, maintenance tech, at the wastewater treatment utility; $21.63 per hour for new hire Mike Apeland as the custodian/groundskeeper at WPD; $24.84 per hour for new hire Randy VanProoyen, maintenance tech, at the wastewater treatment utility; $21 per hour for new hire Jeffery Smith, equipment operator, at the street department; $21.49 per hour for new hire Montana Gardner, administrative assistant, in human resources; and $26.37 per hour for Robert Craig, equipment operator, at the street department who voluntarily resigned from a supervisor role.
Police Chief Scott Whitaker reminded the Board of Public Works and Safety on Friday that on Oct. 21 the WPD requested permission from the board to apply for two grants, one from the K21 Health Foundation and the other from the Kosciusko County Community Foundation.
K21 has since awarded a grant for $51,579 to the WPD, while the Community Foundation awarded a grant for $15,000, both for rescue dive equipment. The Board of Works accepted both grants Friday.
Officer Paige Wood explained, “So, (Det. Sgt.) Ryan Coble and I applied for the grants. What this is going to allow us to do is streamline the equipment that we’re using between the police department, the fire department and now the county as well. The gear that the divers were using, specifically from the police department, was extremely outdated. We were running into a lot of maintenance issues, unable to get parts to fix gear. We were running into issues happening when divers were under water and gear malfunctioning.”
The grants, she said, will allow them to update all of their gear. “Kind of start fresh, and then we can get on a plan to start replacing some of that more frequently. This also allows us then to utilize gear between the different departments when we’re on a scene together,” Wood said.
Coble said that not only will the gear be used citywide, but countywide.
“The Warsaw Dive Team recently entered into a mutual aid agreement with the (Kosciusko County) Sheriff’s Department. So what that means is, not only are we going to be training together every month, but we’re also going to be deploying together as one team for call-outs. So this is going to give us that equipment we need to really make us one of the best dive teams in the state,” Coble said.
Board member George Clemens said it was really great to hear about the cooperation between departments. Mayor Joe Thallemer said he really appreciated K21 and the Community Foundation.
Whitaker thanked Wood and Coble for their efforts on getting the grants, which was “above and beyond” their regular duties. He thanked Fire Chief Garrett Holderman for the work he did with the dive team behind the scenes and helped run the dive team collectively together.
“We’re excited to be able to work with the Sheriff’s Department. They’re growing their team as well as we continue to grow ours. It’s great that we have this mutual aid agreement as well,” Whitaker said.
Thallemer said there was a lot of discussion about it, and they worked to try to incorporate all the dive teams.
In other business:
• City Planner Justin Taylor presented a proposal from JPR (Jones Petrie Rafinski) for streetscape improvements on Buffalo Street from Center to Market streets and along Center Street from Buffalo to Indiana streets for $35,000.
“This is part of the refresh that we did of our streetscape to kind of solve some of the issues we’re seeing with our aging streetscape downtown. With this agreement, they’ll be able to kind of piggyback on some of the surveying work that we’re doing on our downtown, so there’s a little bit of a cost-savings there to get them started on this as well,” Taylor said.
Thallemer said they’ve been meeting a lot to get this done.
“This is kind of the final step before we actually can go to construction,” he said. “As Justin’s indicated, these streetscapes were put in back in the early 2000s as part of that Hyatt-Palmer study.”
Over time, Thallemer said they discovered they needed modifications to make it easier for people to use the sidewalks.
The board approved the proposal for survey and engineering services.
• The board approved a $561,564.65 pay application from Phend & Brown for reconstruction of Lindberg Drive, as awarded during the Aug. 5 Board of Works meeting, for work done from October through the end of November.
Public Works Superintendent Dustin Dillon said the project was awarded a Community Crossings grant from the state and it’s still going on. It should be finished up in the spring, and there will be more pay applications to come.
City engineer Aaron Ott said it looks like the project will come in under the contracted amount.
• City attorney Scott Reust gave Warsaw Redevelopment Commission members Brad Johnson and Michael Klondaris the oath of office. Johnson represents the Warsaw Community School Corporation on the Redevelopment Commission, replacing Jeremy Mullins.
• The board approved a $13,635 pay request from Lynn Douglas Inc. for cleanup efforts at Warsaw Chemical.
Thallemer reminded the board that the wastewater bonds were refinanced to assist with the environmental cleanup. The pay application was for that.
• Parks and Recreation Department Superintendent Larry Plummer presented a contract between the city and Anderson Property Management for Anderson to maintain the beds and urns at Central Park. The cost is $1,888.88 per month for nine months, a total of $16,999.92. The board approved the contract. Plummer said they’ve had Anderson do that maintenance since 2012 and it goes from March to November.
• The board approved the annual license agreement between the city and Kosciusko County Farmers and Artisan Market LLC for the city to provide space, close a portion of Center Street, provide a parking lot and restrooms for the group to have its weekly market from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays from May 1 to Oct. 30.
Thallemer said he’s been meeting with the group and they’re excited to get started this year. They’re planning to have more vendors this year and are interested in having a Wednesday market in the City Hall parking lot.
• Clerk-Treasurer Lynne Christiansen said with Holderman’s resignation as fire chief effective Feb. 7, there will be a need for someone at the fire department to sign claims and payroll until a new chief is named. The board approved for the assistant chief to fulfill those duties as needed.
• WPD Deputy Chief Bryan Sherwin recommended the board approve a fourth taxicab permit for L & L Taxi, which the board did. There are four drivers for the vehicle and all four have valid licenses. He said the vehicle passed inspection, insurance is current and the registration is valid.
• The board approved the new hire and change in payroll report as presented by Human Resource Director Denny Harlan.
The report includes $50 per meeting for new Plan Commission member Renea Salyer; $21.84 per hour for new hire Eric Graham, maintenance tech, at the wastewater treatment utility; $21.63 per hour for new hire Mike Apeland as the custodian/groundskeeper at WPD; $24.84 per hour for new hire Randy VanProoyen, maintenance tech, at the wastewater treatment utility; $21 per hour for new hire Jeffery Smith, equipment operator, at the street department; $21.49 per hour for new hire Montana Gardner, administrative assistant, in human resources; and $26.37 per hour for Robert Craig, equipment operator, at the street department who voluntarily resigned from a supervisor role.
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