After years of discussion, a builder has been chosen for an addition to the Winamac ambulance garage. The Pulaski County Commissioners Monday chose the lowest of three bidders, TM Construction of Winamac, at a cost of just under $77,000.
The company isn’t expected to start construction until March of 2020, though. Garner Construction of Hanna would have been able to start immediately, but its bid was almost $25,000 higher.
EMS Director Brandon DeLorenzo told the commissioners he’d be willing to wait, in order to save that money. “I mean, the only thing that really affects us is having that truck sit outside through the winter,” he said. “We can pull all the equipment off of it.”
But waiting until next year will likely mean that the EMS Department won’t be able to cover the entire cost out of the 2019 budget. Auditor Laura Wheeler explained that in order to encumber money from this year’s budget, an invoice would need to be received by the end of the year. Since the county council cut funding for the garage expansion out of the 2020 budget, an additional appropriation will probably be needed at some point. “It’s not in the budget, so it has to be an additional, but it’s still money pegged for this project,” Wheeler said. “Either way, it’s coming out of the same fund.”
County Attorney Kevin Tankersley said he’ll work with DeLorenzo on writing up a contract with TM Construction, based on the bid.
