Christmas comes early for city Sewage Department

Unfolding Wednesday afternoon at City Hall, it was either the “Oscar King Jr. Show with Special Guests the Greencastle Board of Works” or -- as board member Thom Morris most aptly assessed it -- “like a Wastewater Christmas.”

In separate actions, the Greencastle Sewage Department, led by King, was granted permission to purchase a new $132,957 camera system to monitor sewerlines, was funded for a $397,735 sanitary sewer replacement project involving Shadowlawn Avenue, Moore Court and Draper Street and finally was authorized for the $21,687 purchase of a Kubota UTV to help gain access to some of the more remote sewage line locations.

The new camera system is the city’s third purchase of such a unit in 15 years. The first lasted 10 years with the second being viable for only five years, as King noted newer, better options and fast-changing technology modifications have made an upgrade necessary.

“We had a lot of trouble with the last one,” King told the board, adding that he vetted the new unit through the Town of Danville, which has been using it.

The new system will fit in the back of the old truck the department has used for the camera purposes.

Clerk-Treasurer Lynda Dunbar assured the board there is money in the sewer budget for the purchase through Best Equipment, Indianapolis.

Meanwhile, the sanitary sewer replacement bids ranged from $492,617 to $688,265 with Conexco Inc., Brazil, the low bidder. After eliminating work on Primrose Lane as part of the project, the Conexco cost was listed as $437,275. That figure includes a $39,500 change order for an additional manhole on Shadowlawn to help with the flow through the area where it has always backed up near the Tin Man house, King noted. The new manhole will allow the city to abandon a 10-inch sanitary sewer there.

Mayor Bill Dory noted that Primrose Lane will get a sewer relining project instead of a full replacement.

As for the Kubota UTV, King received permission to accept the bid from Humphrey’s Outdoor Power at $21,687 for a diesel four-wheel-drive model outfitted with heavy-duty work tires.

“A lot of sewerlines are off the road where we can’t get to them with our truck,” King explained, adding that when work is in the middle of the street, parking a big, eight-foot-wide vehicle there is hazardous to other drivers. “It takes up a lot of space when we park it on the road,” he added.

In other business, the board:

-- Approved a final change order on the Albin Pond Road waterline project for Miller Pipeline at a $52,256 credit, which lowers the final contract amount to $2,105,163. The project “is all done,” Mayor Dory reported. “We still have some retainage ($21,891) if anything shows up. The waterline is in service and servicing our customers.”

Calling it “a significant project for our community,” Dory noted Albin Pond Road has been milled in preparation for repaving.

Board member Trudy Selvia, who joined Morris and Dory for the 30-minute meeting, said in response to the waterline upgrade, “I hope we don’t have any more breaks now.”

-- Approved a $690.90 sewer leak adjustment for Julie Smith, 130 Martinsville St., where a “water issue” in her basement resulted in $1,200 work and a leak that spanned two utility bills. Smith is still responsible for the water use but not the sewage portion of the bill.

Also attending the meeting were Clerk-Treasurer Dunbar, City Attorney Laurie Hardwick, City Councilor Stacie Langdon and Water Dept. official Ed Phillips.

The Board of Works will next convene at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec.16 at City Hall.