Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer, left, swears in Fellowship Missions Executive Director Eric Lane as a member of the Warsaw Housing Authority Board during a July 15 Board of Public Works and Safety meeting. InkFreeNews photo by Liz Shepherd.

By Liz Shepherd
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — The Warsaw Board of Public Works and Safety opened two bids for the upcoming renovation project at Center Lake Pavilion during a July 15 meeting.

R. Yoder Construction, Nappanee, presented a bid of $2,239,417.93. A bid from CME Corporation, Fort Wayne, totaled $2,468,000.

City Engineer Aaron Ott recommended the bids be taken under advisement.

“We’ll have our architect review the documents and we’ll verify that this fits within the budget,” said Ott.

The board approved Ott’s suggestion. Ott said an award recommendation for the project will be presented at the board’s Aug. 5 meeting.

The board also awarded the Airport Road lift station project to HRP Construction Inc., South Bend, during the meeting.

Two bids for the project, the second being from G&G Hauling & Excavating Inc., Warsaw, were received on July 12. G&G’s total bid was $2,109,166; HRP’s bid was $1,727,803.

Community and Economic Development Director Jeremy Skinner recommended the board award the project to HRP.

The project will now go in front of Warsaw’s Redevelopment Commission for contracts on Aug. 1.

Also during the meeting, City Planner Justin Taylor presented the board with a real estate agreement for the acquisition of parcels to the east of Richardson Dubois Park on East Market Street. The agreement is between the City of Warsaw and Trinity United Methodist Church.

Through the acquisition, the Warsaw Parks Department is seeking to enhance accessibility to the park by creating a paved parking area. The procurement of the lots will cost the city $46,250.

“We really wanted to improve the situation over there for visitors to the park,” said Taylor.

The board approved the city entering the agreement.

In other business:

• Eric Lane, executive director and founder of Fellowship Missions, was sworn in as a member of the Warsaw Housing Authority Board by Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer.
• Scott Wiley, representing Main Street Warsaw, requested an additional road closure for the Aug. 5 First Friday event. Main Street, between Buffalo and Lake Streets, will be closed. The Buffalo and Main Street intersection will remain open. The board approved the closure.
• Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory EMS Chief Chris Fancil asked for permission to accept a $20,000 grant from the K21 Health Foundation for WWFT’s C.A.R.E.S. program. The board granted permission to accept the grant.
• Larry Plummer, Warsaw Parks and Recreation superintendent, requested permission to pay a $1,000 claim to blues band “Treated and Released,” who extended their performance time at the 2022 Lakes Festival by an extra hour to cover a time slot for a performer who had to cancel due to a family emergency. The board approved the claim.

The next Warsaw Board of Public Works and Safety meeting is at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 5.