Bids for two separate projects were opened Friday at the Warsaw Board of Public Works and Safety.
The Lake and Main streets traffic signal modernization project received three bids. Hawk Enterprises, Crown Point, bid $426,189; Midwestern Electric LLC, East Chicago, $397,422; and Michiana Contracting Inc., Plymouth, bid $360,642.
Public Works Superintendent Dustin Dillon asked the board for the bids to be taken advisement. He, city engineer Aaron Ott and the engineering team from USI will review all three bids and make a potential recommendation for an award at the board’s next meeting. The board tabled the bids for review.
According to the notice to bidders, the proposed construction is a traffic signal modernization project at the Main and Lake streets intersection that will include removal of existing traffic signal equipment and removal of existing concrete curb ramps and surrounding sidewalk, installation of new traffic signal equipment and supports, installation of new concrete curb ramps and sidewalk and all incidental work required.
Two bids were received for the CR 200N turn lane. The first was for a base bid of $112,370 from G & G Hauling, with the second bid of $107,473 coming from Phend & Brown Inc.
Ott said this was for east of U.S. 30 where the Parkview Health development is occurring and improvements to the roadway needed to be made to prepare for the traffic. According to the notice to bidders, the work generally comprises sidewalk improvements, curb ramps, asphalt turn lane, asphalt curb cut and pavement striping work along East CR 200N.
Ott said it’s a Redevelopment Commission project so Warsaw Community and Economic Development Director Jeremy Skinner will take it before them. The Board of Works just acknowledged that the bids were opened.
Ott said it’s work they want to get done in the spring, but it’ll be up to Skinner on how quickly he wants to get it through the process. Skinner said the intent is to pay for the East CR 200N work with 2024 funds.
Ott and Stormwater Utility Superintendent Brian Davison presented information on awarding the construction contract for the 2024 shoreline restoration at Kiwanis Park and Pike Lake to G & G Hauling & Excavating. G & G was the sole bidder at the board’s last meeting for a total of $121,020.10, which was less than the engineer’s estimate at $131,031.
Davison reported The Watershed Foundation has received some grant funds and they are willing to reimburse the city 75% of the costs of the shoreline restorations.
The board approved awarding the shoreline restoration contract to G & G for $121,020.10.
At the end of the board meeting, Davison recommended the board award the Prairie and Lake streets stormwater improvements to G & G Hauling for $387,404.35. G & G was the only bidder on the project at the board’s last meeting.
“The engineer’s estimate was $333,000 - round numbers - and they came in at $387,000, so they were competitive with what the engineer estimated,” Davison stated. “This area, there’s some broken-down pipe, but then also, if you go out there, there are many structures that kind of go around the whole intersection and then goes back to where it just came from, so we’re just cleaning up that whole area.”
He also noted they did have pre-bid meetings on the project and had several contractors come to it. Several had planned designs. “It was an open bid and luckily we got a good, competitive bid out of that process,” Davison said.
In other business, the board approved:
• Warsaw Police Department Chief Scott Whitaker’s request to enter into two separate 60-month agreements with Axon Enterprises Inc. for the purchase, maintenance and cloud storage for in-car and body-worn cameras.
“We’re looking to do a full transition, and in doing so we’re receiving a total savings of $135,639.86,” Whitaker said.
The first agreement is for the purchase of 43 in-car camera systems for $424,539 ($84,907.80 annually), with the second for 39 body-worn cameras for $239,718.64 ($47,943.73 annually).
• A $14,246 pay application to Robinson Construction Inc. for the WPD training facility restroom project, as requested by Ott.
He said it’s a good project and the restrooms are useful, but they are still working through some punch list items and the city is holding a “nice” retainage that will ensure the city gets everything it needs satisfied before full payment is made to Robinson.
• A memorandum of understanding with Kosciusko County for the county to provide $500,000 in Economic Development Income Tax funds to the airport for three projects, as requested by Airport Manager Nick King. The county commissioners already approved the MOU.
Of the $500,000, a total of $400,000 will go toward the runway 9/27 obstruction mitigation project, commonly known as the power line lowering project. A contribution of $50,000 will go toward the establishment of the Airport Overlay District, and the remaining $50,000 will go toward the creation of a self-serve fuel farm.
• A payment of $312,500 to Rebar Warsaw LLC for the Gatke demolition, as requested by Skinner, as part of the city’s agreement with Rebar Development. The buildings are down. Skinner said the cost was budgeted to come out of the city’s River Boat Fund.
Skinner said they’re moving rapidly on the Gatke housing project. The intent is to close on the bonds mid-November, with Rebar closing on their financing next week.
“So the project is moving quickly, and hopefully we can get some footers in the ground yet this year,” he stated.
• A pay application of $120 to American Structurepoint for ongoing Anchorage Road project engineering, as requested by Skinner. It is an 80/20 project with the Indiana Department of Transportation so the city will be reimbursed 80%.
Skinner said the project is in the utility relocation phase. The intent is to bid out the road reconstruction part of the project in fall 2025.
• A change order for $3,865 from G & G Hauling for the addition of safety fencing at the Kelly Park pond improvements, as requested by Davison. The change order makes the new contract amount $500,930.70.
• A memorandum of understanding between the street department and Warsaw Community Schools for the joint purchasing of ice-melting materials and the city storing the materials, as requested by Street Superintendent Dustin Dillon. The city has had similar MOUs with the school corporation for years.
• Accepting the fiscal year 2025 Railroad Grace Crossing Fund grant for $46,000 for the street department, as requested by Dillon. The funds will be for thermoplastic pavement warning markings at 23 railroad crossings within the city limits.
• Pay application 2 from Niblock Excavating for $392,493.42 for the reconstruction of Lincoln Street, Hodges Addition, phase 3, as requested by Dillon. He said it is a 50/50 matching grant project, with INDOT paying half of the costs of the project.
• Davison’s request to pay $680 to Aquatic Weed Control to stock Kelly Park pond with 240 bluegills, 60 largemouth bass, 30 channel catfish and 2,000, or 8 pounds, of fathead minnows. Another $2,225 was approved to Aquatic Weed Control for the care of Kelly Park pond.
• Davison’s request to pay $2,400 to Graycraft Signs for 12 pedestal signs along shoreline trails. Four signs will be placed along the shoreline trail adjacent to Center Lake, while eight will be placed along various locations between the street and Pike Lake, with three of those across the lake at Lucerne Park.
• Davison’s request to pay $47,000 to Wessler Engineering to put together the stormwater utility’s next package of sanitary sewer and stormwater lining and maintenance so it can be bid out.