Contractors from Peerless Midwest attempted to get an unauthorized head start on the installation of the new well in the Town of North Judson and council members dealt with some concerns about the issue Monday night.
Park Board President John Origer addressed the council and noted that he and board member Rich Akers were quite stunned to find contractors at Norwayne Field without receiving any notice.
He added that park board members have spent the last few decades working to beautify the Town’s focal point and they fear the placement of the 12 by 8 foot, 6-foot-tall, fiberglass well enclosure would be an unflattering addition.
He also said that the proposed placement is right at the bottom of the tobogganing hill so there are safety and liability concerns as well.
Town Superintendent Marshall Horstmann mentioned that the current placement was not his idea or the engineer’s idea. They had a different plan where it would be more out of the way but due to the stringent setback requirements which limit where the well can be installed, project officials took the recommendation of representatives from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.
Project Engineer Rob Bellucci from Commonwealth Engineers noted that the contractors got “eager” about the project and shouldn’t even have been on site yet. He added that they’ve since packed up their equipment and left the area.
While Peerless Midwest was awarded the bid for the project, Bellucci explained that they’re not technically under contract yet since officials are waiting for funding to come through after the first of the year.
Bellucci added that since there is a concern with the present plan that involves an enclosure, he will do some research into placing a “pitless well” there instead.
He said with this design, all the equipment would be installed underground. There would be a minor protrusion, indicating where the well is located but it would be significantly less visible than the above ground option. Horstmann did note that while looking into that option, he discovered it would likely result in an additional cost of approximately $20,000.
The scope of the project is remaining the same, with the ultimate goal of installing a third well off-site
Bellucci said, aside from some additional paperwork and the possibility of needing to have the IDEM construction permit amended, there shouldn’t be a problem with shifting the plan to accommodate this new request.
The project engineer plans to bring in additional information as well as some cost estimates for the council members to consider at their first meeting in the New Year on Monday, January 7th.
