Warsaw Public Works Superintendent Dustin Dillon displays a blown-up graphic of what the reconstruction of Hodges Addition phase 3, Lincoln Street, project will look like once it’s completed, to the Board of Public Works and Safety on Friday, June 7. Photo by David Slone, Times-Union.

By David Slone
Times-Union

WARSAW — New restroom facilities will be built at the Warsaw Police Department training center after the Board of Public Works and Safety accepted the quote of $142,989 from Robinson Construction on Friday, June 7.

The WPD worked with SRKM Architecture on the design of the new restroom facilities. SRKM solicited sealed quotes from three local contractors, which were received March 25, according to documents provided. Robinson Construction was the lowest bidder.

The other two bids were $228,400 from Brown and Brown Construction and $204,400 from Milestone Construction.

Police Chief Scott Whitaker told the board, “So this is obviously a budgeted project. We moved money. (City) Council approved to move money into the appropriate appropriation. We solicited bids. Robinson Construction was selected, and now this is the contract in the amount of $142,989. Once approved, I believe we are close to getting started.”

He explained the training facility was one of the multi-bay garages. A new roof was put on and other improvements were made.

“This is located right next to the reconditioned/remodeled area. So it’s just right now an open garage with a garage door, but it’s already insulated and some things are already in place that will remain. So the construction will be within the walls … but the training room will have access to restrooms,” Whitaker said.

There also will a janitor’s closet and water access, with some storage area as well. The restrooms have to be ADA compliant so they will be “rather large,” Whitaker said.

City engineer Aaron Ott said it will include a temperature-control system for the space, a new sewer line to connect out to the main sewer and all new plumbing.

“It’s pretty extensive work to be done and it’s going to be fantastic,” Ott said, adding that he thought Robinson Construction’s quote was a very competitive and a good price.

City attorney Scott Reust had one concern about the agreement as it says the date of commencement will be May 16, 2024, and the contractor has 12 weeks (84 days) to substantially complete the project. Friday was already June 7.

Ott said Robinson Construction had expected the board to take action on the bid at its last meeting three weeks ago, but they hadn’t expressed any concern with the timeline to him.

The Board of Works approved the contract, amended to say the work start date is June 7.

Whitaker then requested permission to pursue sealed quotes to enter into a contractual purchase agreement for a security/surveillance camera system.

“Our current system is outdated. Technology has advanced to the point where we need to go with a completely new system. The amount of purchase is going to be greater than $50,000,” he said, adding that it is a line item in the WPD budget.

Quotes are to be received in the clerk-treasurer’s office by 10:30 a.m. July 19, with the bids to be opened at that time at the Board of Works meeting.

Whitaker said not only will they be replacing the security cameras and system they had, but also adding to it.

“We currently do not have anything in the training center and around that area, and we need to get all that covered and make sure the entire campus is covered,” he stated.

The board approved Whitaker’s request.

Public Works and Street Superintendent Dustin Dillon presented three requests to the board.

The first was a memorandum of understanding between the city and the county for the city to store 900 tons of the county’s road salt overage in the city’s salt barn storage facility at 794 W. Center St. The board gave their permission.

The second request from Dillon was to approve the owner-contractor agreement with Niblock Excavating for $1,137,695.60  for the reconstruction of Hodges Addition phase 3, Lincoln Street. The final phase of the Hodges Addition project.

Sealed bids were received May 3 and the bid was awarded to Niblock on May 17, Dillon reminded the board.

It is a Community Crossings 50/50 Matching Grant project, meaning the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) will pay 50% of the project costs.

Dillon showed the board a blown-up photo of what the project will look like once it’s completed. Grose and Dillon agreed that it’ll look very nice once it’s completed.

After that contract was approved, Dillon presented another one with Phend & Brown Inc. for reconstruction of Frontage Road at $193,353.16 and Lake Village Lane at $166,308.08. The work on Frontage Road is another Community Crossings 50/50 Matching Grant project, but work on Lake Village Lane will be only locally funded.

Sealed bids for the roads were received and opened at the May 3 Board of Works meeting, with the bid being awarded to Phend & Brown on May 17.

That contract also was approved by the board.

In a final note from Dillon, he told the board Airmarking will continue doing pavement markings and latex paint striping into next week. Some of it already has been completed on Parker Street, North Lincoln Street and Husky Trail.

On Monday, June 10, milling will be done on South Bronson Street between Center and Jefferson streets, South Harrison Street from Center Street down to Hendricks Street, and Durbin Street from Argonne Road back to Hendricks, he said.

“So there will be some temporary delays, some temporary road closures. But weather permitting, and weather looks pretty good right now, we’ll try to get those knocked out and paved back in subsequent days as efficiently as possible,” Dillon said.