Bids for asbestos abatement at the Jomac buildings were opened a second time at Friday’s Warsaw Board of Public Works and Safety meeting. Bids last month were deemed unresponsive and the work had to be rebid. Photo by David Slone, Times-Union.

By David Slone
Times-Union

WARSAW — On the second try Friday, Sept. 5, the city of Warsaw received twice as many bids for the asbestos abatement of the Jomac buildings than the first attempt.

All four bids opened at the Board of Public Works and Safety meeting were taken under advisement for review. City engineer Aaron Ott hopes to have a recommendation for the board at their Sept. 19 meeting.

At the Aug. 1 Board of Works meeting, two bids were received for the asbestos abatement but both were deemed unresponsive at the Aug. 15 Board of Works meeting so the work had to be rebid. At the Aug. 1 meeting, five bids also were received for the demolition of the Jomac buildings, but that was awarded Aug. 15 to G & G Hauling & Excavating, the lowest bidder at $322,896.

Friday’s total bids for the asbestos abatement were Environmental Management Specialists Inc., $75,685; Environmental Assurance Co. Inc., $100,000; SSI Services LLC, $76,400; and ProTechs Inc., $130,083.57.

“Because we want to make sure we have a valid bid in accordance with all the rules and regulations to be responsive and a responsible bidder, I’d like for the board to allow us to take this under consideration and hopefully come back at your next meeting with a recommendation to award,” Ott said.

The board tabled the matter to their next meeting as requested.

The project is related to an Office of Community and Rural Affairs Community Development Block Grant the city is working with Fellowship Missions on.

The physical addresses of the buildings are 1624 and 1600 E. Winona Ave. and Smith Street, Warsaw. They are owned by Fellowship Missions, but the city applied for and received an OCRA CDBG on Fellowship Missions’ behalf in 2024 for the demolition and asbestos abatement.

Fellowship Missions’ plan for the property is to demolish it, make it into greenspace and then eventually build a new shelter there to replace the current shelter. Once the new shelter is built, the old one will be shut down, demolished and become a parking lot for the new shelter.

In another matter, Director of Public Works Dustin Dillon requested the board award the downtown paving project to Brooks Construction Co. Inc., the lowest of three bidders, for $254,909.50, which the board did.

The other two bidders were Phend & Brown Inc. at $257,510 and Milestone Contractors LP for $281,020. Bids were opened at 10 a.m. Aug. 26.

The project consists of milling and resurfacing asphalt, as well as some ADA sidewalk ramp updates, for Center Street from Detroit to Indiana streets, Lake Street from Center to Main streets, Main Street from Lake to Buffalo streets and Fort Wayne Street from Detroit to Buffalo streets.

Warsaw Parks and Recreation Department Superintendent Larry Plummer reported to the board on Aug. 28 sealed bids were opened for the Hire Park bathrooms. Funds for the bathrooms were budgeted for 2025.

He said they solicited four companies, but only Butt and Timmons Construction and Robinson Construction submitted bids. The bid from Butt and Timmons was $63,321.50 and Robinson Construction bid $102,247. Plummer recommended the board approve Butt and Timmons for the project, which they did.

“This is a restroom facility at the Hire Park BMX. We’ve had port-a-johns there forever, and they’ve always wanted restrooms. We’ve tried a couple times in the past and it just fell through,” Plummer explained.

The restrooms will be similar to the ones at Krebs Trailhead, Richardson-Dubois and Beyer Park. Butt and Timmons built those restrooms as well.

“We’re excited about the project. We need a restroom over there for sure. They have a lot of state events and local events. Every Tuesday and Thursday. Race Saturday. And something’s needed,” Plummer stated.

Councilwoman Diane Quance asked if the restrooms would only be open during events, and Plummer said that’s the current plan unless there’s a need for it.

In other business, the board approved:

• Pay application 2 for $96,722.35 to Robinson Construction for the public works facility for work completed through June 30, as requested by Community and Economic Development Director Jeremy Skinner. The Redevelopment Commission will be asked to approve the payment as well at their meeting Monday, and then submitted to the trust to make the payment.

• Pay application 7 for $210,175 for the Belle Augusta subdivision infrastructure loan, as requested by Skinner. He said the bond was issued earlier this year. The pay application will be submitted to the state for disbursement.

• The maintenance agreement between the Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory and Cummins Sales and Service for the annual generator equipment maintenance for the fire territory and the Warsaw Police Department, as requested by Fire Chief Joel Shilling. The WWFT Board approved the agreement Tuesday. The territory’s portion is $2,358.47 for three generators and WPD’s portion is $755.01 for one.

• Granting WWFT Assistant Chief Will Kornrumph the authority to sign claim vouchers in Shilling’s absence. The WWFT Board approved the request Tuesday. He joined the WWFT Aug. 28.

• For the WWFT to sell a 2008 Pierce Arrow XT to the Clay Township (Claypool Fire Department) for $60,000. The WWFT Board approved the sale Tuesday. The fire engine is a surplus vehicle.

• For the WPD to accept the Comprehensive Hoosier Highways Injury Reduction Program grant of $73,000 for fiscal year 2026. No local match is required.

• Final payment application 4 from Michiana Contracting for $24,441.57 for the traffic signal modernization at the intersection of Lake and Main streets, as requested by Dillon.

• Pay application 1 for Pulver Asphalt Paving Inc. for the sidewalk improvements on Kincaide and Union streets for $333,223, as requested by Dillon. Also approved for the sidewalk improvements was a change order for $29,192, increasing the contract price to $364,179 due to concrete overages and ADA transitions improvements; and pay application 2, the final pay application, to Pulver for $30,956 for work related to the change order.

• A change order with a maintenance agreement the stormwater utility had with Stantec Consulting Services for $3,215, as requested by Utility Superintendent Brian Davison. Three new wetland locations are being added to the contract.

• A change order for $12,604.73 from G & G Hauling & Excavating for the Timber Ridge stormwater project, as requested by Davison.

• A $174,800 agreement between the wastewater utility and Sewer AI Corp. for grading and software services, as requested by Davison.

• A $11,900 change order for the Wessler Engineering contract for sanitary sewer and storm rehabilitation, as requested by Davison. He said there were some extra meetings and work needed.