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LEESBURG - After reviewing a construction update, the Plain Township trustees decided to pay Hapner Construction only $50,000 down on the $76,000 balance.
Still to be completed is work on the men's restrooms, the assessor's office carpeting, rain spouts among many other projects. Trustee Don Boggs also said the building is 2 feet below the original ground level, but acknowledged the building is stuck at that height.
"I don't feel like writing them a check for $76,000 with all these things," Boggs said.
"It's not $26,000 worth of stuff, but we need to hold enough off to get (the repairs) fixed," board member Jerry Kammerer said.
The board did approve a projected $11,100 for eight new air packs for the fire station. The cost includes an approximate $1,000 for trade-in of four old tanks at $250 each and four regulators traded in at $125 each.
The new packs include one tank, one harness, one mask and a regulator hookup with each new pack. The deal is part of a Scott Breathing Apparatus promotion.
"If we could go along with it, I'd go for an air mask for every fireman," Boggs said.
The board approved the lease agreement with the county commissioners. The contract is retroactive to July 1.
The board also discussed transferring or selling the old Plain Township fire station to the town of Leesburg. The transfer or exchange would be allowed under Indiana code.
The preliminary discussion included handing over the old building to Leesburg for $10,000 cash and 10 years of snow plowing and perhaps garbage collection for the new Plain Township building. The board also wants ownership to be transferred at the beginning and not the end of the deal to avoid added liability.
One estimate of the value of the building was for $43,000. Boggs will contact Leesburg town councilman Bob Cleveland about the preliminary offer.
The next board of trustees meeting will be Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. in the trustee's office.
