Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Warsaw's summer construction plans include two major projects to bury sanitary sewer interceptor lines.
Interceptors are large pipes used to collect sewage. These necessarily will not be used as residential hookups.
Brian Houghton, principal engineer for Jones and Henry Engineers, explained the scope of construction before the Warsaw Board of Works Friday. The work will run the length of Colfax Street and extend north, turn east and go past the hospital to Harrison Street and link up with an existing force main.
This line will carry waste water from the north and east sides of the city and from Winona Lake to the second wastewater treatment plant.
Residents can expect to be advised of the work schedule and any street closings and the work nears their property. The job, awarded to Woodruff and Sons, Michigan City, is expected to take 140 days. Woodruff contracts and notice to proceed were signed during the meeting.
The company also is running another interceptor line along Frontage Road. This pipe will have commercial hookups. It will extend south of U.S. 30, to Walter Way, between Brookview and DuBois drives to a pump station south of Kosciusko Community Hospital.
The contract includes closing 10 of 42 pump stations and installing two new stations.
Houghton said the new sewage plant will be operational the first part of August. It wasn't expected to be ready until February.
Mayor Ernie Wiggins said David Van Dyke tendered his resignation from the sewage works Monday. Van Dyke, a Class IV operator, is under grand jury indictment for incidents related to a sewage spill into Walnut Creek this summer.
The board approved Van Dyke be compensated for 20 personal days as well as for vacation and accumulated sick time. Personal time is automatically granted to employees over the age of 55. Van Dyke is 53. He was the plant's chief chemist for 27 years.
The board also approved Jones & Henry Operating Services, Toledo, Ohio, to hire employees for the old and new wastewater treatment plants, beginning with a new Class IV operator.
Board of works member Charlie Smith asked why payroll costs were doubled and Houghton said it paid for J & H overhead and employee benefits.
Eventually, the positions filled by J & H will be advertised and those people can apply for jobs with the city, after about a year.
"Jones and Henry will act as our human resources consultants. This is the way I'm most comfortable doing [the hiring]," said Wiggins, "in view of all that's happened."
In other business the board:
• Approved a temporary local truck traffic route along Jefferson Street, between Argonne Road and Harrison Street. The change is due to the McKinley Street extension project, which will close the current truck route along Durbin Street. The re-routing is expected to last about two months.
• Approved easement agreements with Charles and June Bertsch, William and Barbara Chinworth and Assisted Living Concepts for the interceptor project and with Tim and Sally Kolar for the Lake City Greenway project.
• Approved an in-lieu of annexation contract with Miller's Merry Manor, 1630 S. County Farm Road. Miller's receives sanitary sewer service and will be taxed by the city an amount equal to 50 percent of the taxes it would pay if it were annexed. The agreement has a four-year duration. At the end of four years, voluntary annexation is expected.
• Approved entertainment contracts for Friday evening performances as requested by parks activity director Janelle Wilson.
Contracts were: Darryl Worley will perform as the headliner July 25 at a cost of $7,500; Change of Pace to perform July 11 at a cost of $750; Nostalgia's concert is Aug. 8 at a cost of $650; and Stacy Mitchhart as headlining act for the Blues and BBQs concert July 12, at a cost of $1,500. Kevin Roberts Entertainment request for a 10 percent commission on the Worley and Mitchhart concerts also were approved for a total of $1,800.
• Approved a payment of $517,960.20 to Indiana Construction Corp./Corporate Construction Inc. for work at the second wastewater treatment plant and a $57,551.13 escrow account payment.
• Approved a request by the Oakwood Cemetery sexton David Shaw to construct a retaining wall in the cremation garden at a cost of $1,765. The work will be done by Schue's Landscaping.
• Approved travel requests by Dave Morales, Scott Quillen, Al Dials, Mike Cox and Bob Barker and new hires of Josh Denlinger for the park department and Loretta Malcolm as a temporary worker for the street department.
Board of works members are Mayor Ernie Wiggins, Jerry Patterson and Charlie Smith.
