Warsaw Police Department will apply for a grant to purchase seven bullet-proof vests. Warsaw Board of Public Works and Safety Friday approved for WPD to apply for the $8,750 grant, of which half will be reimbursed. The grant is through the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance. Also during the meeting, the board approved filling WPD patrolman positions vacated by Jonathan Rice, who now is employed with the Carmel Police Department, and Steve Adang, who retired after 30 years of service with WPD. Josh Lawson and Ryan Coble were approved as replacements to fill the positions vacated by Rice and Adang. The board also approved replacing Lee Ann Roby, who retired after 27-1/2 years of service. WPD is currently conducting a hiring process to select an applicant for the position. The board also approved Warsaw paying for half of the engineering fees, or $28,000, for engineering of a pedestrian path that will accommodate bike and pedestrians. Kosciusko County will pay for the other half of the engineering fees if the county commissioners approve it. Warsaw and Kosciusko County are working to complete the engineering and reconstruction of a bridge at CR 300N east of Madison Elementary School. The city has requested that, as part of the bridge reconstruction and widening, that a pedestrian path be included on the south side of CR 300N to accommodate the growing residential population east of the high school. Warsaw City Planner Jeremy Skinner said there will be 216 residential units that will be constructed this year on the south side of CR 300N. They will be multi-family and single-family units. The board also approved the city applying for a $150,000 grant through the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Recreation Division for a recreation trails program. It is a matching reimbursable grant with the city’s portion being $37,500. The board also approved a $28,950 payment to A & Z Engineering for preliminary engineering services on Husky Trail. The board also approved a $63,928.10 contract between the city and G & G Hauling for emergency sewer line repair at Ind. 15N and Enterprise Drive. Work on the sewer line will begin next week and there will be lane restrictions on Enterprise Drive, but none expected on Ind. 15, according to Brian Davison, Warsaw Wastewater Treatment Utility facility manager. The board approved contracts with Brandon Hurd as a stagehand for the classic rock and country concerts, and Ronnie Geels as a stagehand for the classic rock, blues and barbecue, and country music concerts. Staci Young, Warsaw Parks Department recreation director, said there has not been a band announced for the Classic Rock Concert to replace Blue Oyster Cult, who is not able to perform due to scheduling conflicts. The board approved a $1,942.20 contract service agreement for parking control software. The board approved a $37,269.30 contract with Butt & Timmons for Americans with Disabilities Act compliance work for Beyer Park Restrooms. Park Department employees will take down the existing restroom in July, and the contractor will build a new ADA compliant restrooms in August with 60 days to complete.
