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Three sealed quotes for the repair of the Buffalo and Jefferson streets parking lot were opened at the Warsaw Board of Public Works and Safety meeting on Friday, with the lowest bid awarded.
Public Works Director Dustin Dillon explained, “We sent out invitations for some sealed quotes to mill, full-depth patch and repave and restripe the city parking lot over here at Buffalo and Jefferson Street.”
The approximate area, including the public parking lot and northern driveway of the lot, is approximately 43,500 square feet, according to a copy of the request for sealed quotes.
Bids received included $107,730 from R & R Asphalt; $111,925 from Brooks Construction; and $88,300 from Phend & Brown.
After reviewing the quotes during the meeting, Dillon requested the Board of Works award the bid to Phend & Brown for $88,300, which they did by a vote of 2-0 with Mayor Jeff Grose absent.
9/11 Ceremony & Parade
9/11 Memorial Remembrance Committee member Mike Cox requested a road closure for the 25th annual 9/11 Memorial Remembrance ceremony and parade on Sept. 11.
“This is our 25th annual 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony, and this year we’re having a parade. The parade will start in Boggs Park about 6:30 on Friday, the 11th, and come down Center Street to Indiana, Indiana Street to Central Park, to the memorial,” Cox explained. “We would like to have Canal Street, the loop, from Indiana Street over to Buffalo and all of Canal Street there to take care of the parade vehicles, and we’ll have access to the parking lots for people that attend.”
The road closure start time is 6 p.m. and reopen time is 9:30 p.m.
People will be down at Central Park to direct traffic and make sure they have access to the parking lots, he stated.
Board member George Clemens said, “Thank you, Mike, for your service all these years. I can’t believe it’s been 25 years.”
Cox said they’ve done a ceremony every year. “It’s sad to remember it, but it’s good that anyone is still here,” he said.
“It’s important,” Clemens agreed, making the motion to approve the road closure. The motion passed.
Maplewood Trail
Attorney Steve Snyder presented to the Board of Works a deed of dedication for the cul-de-sac known as Maplewood Trail, which transfers the ownership and maintenance responsibilities to the city.
Snyder, on behalf of the owners of the platted drive known as Maplewood Trail, in the plat of Maple Hill Manor subdivision, asked the city to “accept our proposal and accept our deed of dedication to make this private way a public way.” He said all the appropriate city personnel have looked at it and the road was brought up to city standards.
“It is appropriate to dedicate it. We’re just asking you to accept our deed of dedication,” he said.
A copy of the deed, signed by Paul S. and Susan M. Scheuer, was provided to the board. Snyder also provided an acceptance of the dedication. Snyder said he will attach the acceptance to the deed.
City attorney Scott Reust commented, “Well, I know there’s a bit of controversy about this deed of dedication, but I don’t know that this forum or board is where that controversy is solved. I think, when a deed of dedication comes before the Board of Works, I think it’s acceptable to accept the deed of dedication if it’s been brought up to the standard required by the Street Department ... and then if there’s a dispute about that, then that’s kind of outside” of the city’s purview and between the party presenting the deed and the party who objects to it.
Snyder said the convenance of the plat, which was recorded, does state that if and when Maplewood Trail is to be dedicated to the city of Warsaw for public use and maintenance, the property owner or developer is going to be required to bring the road up to city standards. “So it was anticipated at the time it was platted that there was the potential for future dedication,” he said.
With the advice of the city attorney, the Board of Works approved the deed of dedication by a vote of 2-0.
Service Anniversaries
Human Resource Director Denny Harlan recognized city employees with milestone service anniversaries. With five years of service were Alvaro Aguillon Beltran, Warsaw Police Department, and Brandon Newcomer, wastewater treatment utility. City Planner Justin Taylor was recognized for his 10 years, while Brian Zehring, Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory, and Derrick Leake, wastewater treatment utility, were both recognized for their 15 years of service.
In other business, the Board of Works approved:
• Pay application 14 for $382,660.03 to Robinson Construction for the Warsaw Street Department facility, as requested by Community and Economic Development Director Jeremy Skinner on behalf of the Redevelopment Authority.
“If you haven’t been out there, there’s been a lot of work completed. A lot of the concrete is done. There’s a lot of plumbing and HVAC work going on now, as well as some of the big doors are up, and a lot of mechanical work is being done,” he said.
• A $4,500 contract with Anderson Property Management Solutions for the 2026 Autumn Olive tree removal project at the detention basin the city owns at 1037 Mariners Drive, Warsaw, as requested by Brandon Cordell, Warsaw stormwater coordinator.
“The trees need to be removed because they can alter the chemistry of the soil and decrease the ability for that detention basin to drain, and, also, how it competes with the plants we want in the basin. But there are multiple trees in there, some larger caliber, so it’s going to take a lot of chipping and probably chain saws and different applications to remove them,” Cordell explained.
Quance said the Autumn Olive Tree is an invasive species and very difficult to get rid of. “You can’t just go out and cut it down, so you do need experts. And if you don’t take care of it, they take over,” she said, and Cordell agreed.
• Fourteen travel requests, as presented by Harlan. Eight of the 14 were for wastewater treatment utility employees, along with city engineer Kyle Alger, to go to the Water Environment Association conference in Indianapolis and four were for wastewater treatment utility employees, along with City Planner Justin Taylor, to go to the stormwater conference in Muncie. Harlan is traveling to Muncie to the IMPACT annual meeting.
• The new hire and change in payroll report, as presented by Harlan.
Among the 22 items, firefighter Miles Waters has reached the end of his probationary period. He is estimated to start as a full-time firefighter on Aug. 30 with a biweekly pay of $2,775.
Seventeen items were merit increases, mostly for the wastewater treatment utility.
