Warsaw Board of Public Works and Safety Friday approved Warsaw Police Department hiring three replacement officers.
The hirings are effective pending approval of the employees' Public Employee Retirement Fund.
The officers are in the final hiring process, and if PERF is approved, the applicants will be hired in the next two to four weeks, WPD Captain Scott Whitaker informed the board Friday.The officers will replace WPD Sgt. Terry Polston, Sgt. Brad Kellar and Corp. Steve Brown.
Whitaker said the names of the replacement officers will be announced at the board's March 20 meeting.
Polston died Dec. 2 from lung cancer; Kellar was dismissed from his duties Nov. 7 after violating protocol set forth by department policy; and Brown resigned Feb. 20.
Whitaker said once approved, the replacement officers will be on a probationary period for one year. They will undergo a field-training program and attend the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy.
Each applicant has completed their medical and psychological tests and are awaiting approval of their PERF.
In other business, the board approved a change order for the second phase of Lake City Greenway's Beyer Farm Trail.
The board approved the contract June 24 between Warsaw and Niblock Excavating & Asphalt for the second phase of construction of the Beyer Farm Trail. The phase is the asphalt portion of the trail, which connects the completed Beyer Farm Trail to Hodges Subdivision at Lindberg Drive and Harrison Street.
Poor soils were discovered during construction July 22, according to City Planner Jeremy Skinner. He said the soil was replaced with 131 tons of gravel. The cost of the work that was not planned is $4,438.16. There also is a $600 deduction for casting adjustment work that was completed by the city.
In other business, the board approved Warsaw Fire Department applying for the 2008 fire prevention and safety grant.
The grant is in conjunction with the assistance to firefighter grant under the direction of the federal emergency management agency. The grant request is $10,000 and would allow the department to purchase a Sparky the Fire Dog Robot.
The interactive robot is a tool for teaching and retaining fire safety information to children. It would be used during station tours, school classroom presentations and safety fairs
The board also approved renewing a WFD cell phone contract for another year with Verizon Wireless. The agreement is $216 less per month than last year, according to WFD Chief Mike Rice.
