WARSAW — An agreement with Wessler Engineering, Indianapolis, was approved, by members of the Warsaw Board of Public Works Friday, Oct. 2, to begin work on the Wastewater Treatment Plant Facilities improvements. Additionally the board awarded the recycling bid to Bordon Waste-Away Service Inc. for street pick-up.

Wessler Engineering, which recently presented options to expand the city’s Wastewater Treatment Plant, will now continue the project by providing engineering services, creating preliminary designs, providing geotechnical services and permitting assistance, all in preparation for bidding. The agreement totals $553,000.

Brian Davison, utility manger, was questioned if the results of the inflow/infiltration reduction program would be blended with the treatment plant project. Davison stated the results of that study would not be completed until late spring and a plan will be developed from there, once it is decided what direction to take with the I/I program.

Switch To Street Pick-Up

The recommendation to award the city’s curbside recycling contract came upon the recommendation of the Citizen’s Curbside Waste Committee. The bids were tabled after opening Sept. 4.

Mayor Joe Thallemer stated the committee, along with Jeff Beeler, public works superintendent, recommended Borden receive the contract for street side pick-up due to the substantial savings to moving both the trash and recycling programs to street side. The yearly cost for street side pick-up would be $108,672 and a savings of 28.1726 percent or $42,624 over alley pick-up.

Beeler added there will be additional unseen savings as the removal of heavy truck traffic on alleyways will save in repairs, referring to it as a “forever” savings. Thallemer and Beeler both stressed street side pick up would not take place immediately.

“We are guessing about six months,” said Thallemer, noting the city wants to coordinate the street side pick up of trash with the recycling in addition to the arrival of the new side loading garbage truck, which is expected in February. “We will continue as is until we implement the new trash truck.” Thallemer additionally stated the 96 gallon totes will not be changing for recycling, but a smaller tote will be offered for the trash. He stated the pick up schedule for recycling will not change — every two weeks.

“For three years we have been working towards this,” Thallemer stated adding he realizes the curbside pick up is “not the way it has been done in the past. It may be difficult to make that adjustment … but we can’t get big trucks through the alleys … It was a decision that was given careful thought to and we have to make the move. We need these efficiencies.”

During other business:

• Approved street closings for: Maple Avenue, between Fort Wayne and Main streets, for a neighborhood block party from 5-9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2; Buffalo Street between Market and Jefferson streets from 3-10 p.m. Oct. 24, for the Glam Street Fashion Show; and Buffalo, Center and Main streets at various times Oct. 24-27 for “The Bachelor” TV show filming. It was noted on the later, sidewalks will be open on Buffalo Street throughout the four days, except 6 p.m. to midnight Monday, Oct. 26. (For a schedule and map of when areas will be closed click here.)
• Approved a 17-month contract renewal with Wildman Uniform for the aviation department.
• Approved the annual trade of a Bobcat Skid-Steer loader with Bobcat of Warsaw, for the wastewater department, a cost of $1,000.
• Signed a renewal with Bowen Center for its Employee Assistance Program, a cost of $4,212.
• Signed an annual maintenance agreement for the elevator in the city hall with American Elevator, a cost of $2,100.
• Tabled a contract with Umbaugh Cash Advisory Services LLC for investment services.
• Approved the hiring of Warren Gruenewald as the new assistant street superintendent, effective Nov. 11.

The next meeting of the BOW will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 16.