BOW OKs Cemetery Truck Purchase, Holds Off On Dump Trucks
Posted
Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
Warsaw Board of Public Works and Safety Friday unanimously approved a request to purchase a truck for the cemetery.
The board also unanimously approved holding off on a request from the street department to purchase two one-ton dump trucks.Board members Ernie Wiggins, Joe Thallemer and Charlie Smith approved a request from Oakwood Cemetery Sexton Hal Heagy to purchase a 2010 Ford Ranger from Kerlin Motors for $14,786, using money appropriated out of the cemetery equipment fund.
The board also discussed a request from Street Superintendent Lacy Francis for the street department to purchase the two dump trucks.
Francis said the department currently has 14 dump trucks, and there would be 16 trucks if the purchases are allowed.
Francis said the two trucks needing to be replaced are currently not running because they are not safe to drive and it is hard to find a brake system with how old the trucks are.
Wiggins made a motion to hold off on the purchases for now, and asked Francis to get quotes for the dump trucks in 2010, with the possibility of purchasing the trucks in 2011.
Francis said the department's 2010 budget sheet did not have the dump truck purchase proposals listed on it.
Francis said in September he e-mailed council members the department's 2010 equipment expenses and projected expenses. The e-mail had the proposed two-ton dump truck purchases, but the requests were not on the 2010 budget explanatory sheets the city council reviewed.
Thallemer said he had concerns with the board approving the two dump trucks without the city council approving the requests that were not on the 2010 budget explanatory sheet.
He suggested the department get quotes to possibly purchase the dump trucks in 2011.
"I understand that there may be a need, but I am having difficulty with this because this is not what the council approved," Thallemer said. "I don't feel like I can support this, but I don't feel it is too late to change around items for the 2011 budget for the truck purchases."
Thallemer said when the council scrutinizes the budget they need more detail on its budget explanatory sheets.
"Unless this is a dire emergency I would not support purchasing the trucks with this year's budget," Thallemer said.
In other business, the board approved a $16,400 contract for SiteScapes Inc., to conduct a five-year master plan for Warsaw Parks Department.
The public will be allowed to provide input on the master plan.
The board also reviewed several bids for 2011 supplies and recycling and will take them under advisement and approve them at the next meeting.
The board also approved opening bids for the first phase of closing Warsaw Wastewater Treatment Utility plant number one.
Brian Davison, plant manager, said the plant at 794 W. Center St. was put online in 1941.
Davison said it is too costly to upgrade plant one, and the building is beginning to deteriorate and would need major renovations to remain open.
A new wastewater treatment plant was built in 2003 off CR 150W behind G&G Hauling, and there will be a pump station that will pump wastewater to the new plant.
