The Knox Board of Public Works approved the purchase of a Dodge Avenger SE for the Knox City Police Department.
Three quotes were sought for the car. The lowest bid of $17,894 came from Thomas Dodge in Highland, Indiana. The city has dealt with the company in purchasing squad cars for the police department in previous situations.
The Knox Board of Public Works members received an update on three properties in town that are inhabitable.
Building Administrator Bruce Williams told the board that he inspected three rental properties and found them to be in complete disrepair and unsuitable for living. Two renters have agreed to move out immediately and the other is waiting to leave. In one case, the renter’s children were taken away as the dwelling in which they were living was not safe.
The property owners had 30 days to fix the extreme problems and Williams stated that deadline is soon approaching with no progress cited.
The board may meet in special session to take official action to address these issues.
He said workers are doing roadside tree trimming and crack sealing while the weather is still good. Only 30 dump truck loads of brush were collected this month compared to 54 last month. He added that fall leaf pickup will be starting soon.
The Knox Board of Public Works addressed a permit question that came up in an expansion project at the government building at 1406 S. Heaton St. in Knox.
Donald Carlson is expanding the government building across the street from McDonald’s and was wondering if a storm sewer permit was needed. Since it’s an existing building and the addition is not going to require more than an acre of space, a new permit is not needed. The water already runs off the property and does not affect any surrounding properties.
The planning commission recently approved the project and as long as the current storm water flow is in compliance with the ordinance, a permit should not be needed.
Knox Mayor Rick Chambers opened seven bids for the proposed Starke County Jail water project. The members of the the Board of Public Works heard all of the bids as they were presented Wednesday morning.
Several representatives from a number of the bidding companies were present when the bids were presented as well as Starke County Auditor Kay Chaffins and Starke County Commission President Kathy Norem.
Bids are due this week for the Starke County Jail water project.
The Knox Board of Public Works members will open bids Wednesday morning during their regular meeting that is set to begin at 9:30 a.m. in Knox City Hall.
This project will improve water capacity for the building that will be the site of the Starke County Jail on State Road 8 east of Knox. Larger water lines are needed to increase the width of the pipes from six inches to eight inches. The project is expected to be extended along Henry Drive in Knox. The project should be completed no later than April 1, 2014.
Knox Street Department Superintendent Jeff Borg told the Knox Board of Public Works last week that residents have been utilizing the compost pile and the recycling bin.
Borg stated that 54 truckloads of brush have been hauled from the area that sits across the street from the Knox City Police Department. He doesn’t know what has contributed in the influx of brush other than residents have been out cleaning yards. The rainy spring led to early and healthy growth of grass and brush this year.
Steve Dodge came before the Knox Board of Public Works Wednesday morning to advise the board of an unsafe structure.
The property in question is at 409 and 411 W. Lewis Drive in the Parkview Heights area. The duplex is on two lots with two property owners. One side of the building on the property is up-to-date on taxes and the other side was sold in a tax sale.
The Knox Board of Public Works members discussed a water bill issue concerning Hoosier Custom Plastics during their meeting Wednesday morning.
Knox Mayor Rick Chambers and Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston explained that business owner Gordon Schenk reported an unusually high bill for July and was hoping the City of Knox would reduce the bill.
A proposal by the Knox water department superintendent will soon go to the council, after superintendent Todd Gardner told the Knox Board of Public Works that the water line going down State Road 8 east of the city is providing limited water to the area. With the upcoming construction of the new Starke County Jail facility near the intersection of State Road 8 and County Road 550 East, he said it’s imperative that the line be improved to ensure proper water service for that area.
The Knox Board of Public Works this week approved a request by the DLZ Corporation regarding storm water drainage at the new Starke County Jail site. DLZ representatives and a representative for the Starke County Commissioners made a proposal to expand the existing retention basin and add another basin behind the building. The storm water would not run into the city storm water system, but would make use of the basins and disperse naturally.
After the bid approval process was put on hold on June 26, the Knox Board of Public Works was able to approve the bid for the demolition of the old Knox theater and the former office of the Starke County Economic Development Foundation in the downtown area at their meeting yesterday morning. The process was postponed due to the discovery of asbestos in the two buildings, as the board learned that the federal wage would have to be used by bidders.
The Knox Board of Public Works approved a utility bill credit for Reagent Chemical.
Knox City Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston explained that a coding error occurred and the industry was billed $397.74 more than necessary. A decimal point in the wrong spot was reportedly to blame and was picked up by the staff.
Knox Street Superintendent Jeff Borg reported to the Board of Public Works that they are active in eradicating mosquitoes but conditions have to be right to do so.
Borg explained that calm winds and clear nights are just right for spraying for mosquitoes. Regular spraying times have been hampered due to the weather this season, but crews are making efforts to rid the city of the pesky bugs. They are also applying larvicide to standing ponds, swamps and marsh areas as often as possible.
The Knox Board of Public Works was to approve bids Wednesday morning for the demolition of the old Knox theater and the former office of the Starke County Economic Development Foundation in the downtown area, but that process was put on hold.
A representative of the Office of Community and Rural Affairs was at the meeting Wednesday morning and informed the board members that since asbestos was found in the two buildings, the federal wage will have to be used by bidders. The representative informed Territorial Engineers, who then informed the four bidders that their bids would not be submitted as the wage system will have to reflect the federal Davis-Bacon wage system.
The entire process will be re-advertised with a pre-bid meeting set for July 12 at 9:30 a.m. and bids will be opened during the Board of Public Works’ next meeting on July 24.
The Knox Board of Public Works will be meeting this morning at 9:30 a.m. at Knox City Hall.
The board members will be awarding the bid for the demolition of the old Knox theater and the building that previously housed the Starke County Economic Development Foundation.
The Knox Board of Public Works was notified by Waste Water Treatment Plant Superintendent Kelly Clemons that her staff is having trouble keeping lift stations clear of garbage that some residents choose to dispose of in their waste systems.
Her staff has been to a lift station on Washington Street and they’ve had to clear it of disposable wipes that aren’t meant to be flushed into the sewer system. Clemons asks that residents not flush disposable wipes, diapers, sanitary napkins, prescription medications, plastic, syringes, underwear, kitty litter, grease or oils in the sewer system.
You are asked not to flush those items down the toilet or get rid of them down the sink. The equipment is not meant to process those items and thus goes through unnecessary wear and tear.
If you have questions, contact Clemons at (574) 772-2961.
The Knox Board of Public Works approved the last pay applications for the Phoenix House project.
Van Janovic from Territorial Engineering informed the board that the project has fallen within budget. Approximately $4,800 will be left over from the project.
The Knox Board of Public Works opened street paving bids Wednesday morning for five streets and a small section of pavement at the Waste Water Treatment Plant.
E&B Paving out of Rochester was the low bidder with a total bid of $76,680. In their bid, they noted that they would be using 1,149.44 tons of asphalt at $66.71 per ton. The Board of Works accepted E&B Paving as the lowest conforming bidder and the paperwork and specifications will be reviewed by Street Superintendent Jeff Borg and City Attorney David Matsey.
The Knox Board of Public Works discussed a billing issue with JW Hicks during their meeting last week.
Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston explained that a computer glitch created a problem in recognizing the correct water usage at the factory in the Industrial Park. The company had expanded its business a few months ago and an estimated usage was calculated as it wasn’t known how many gallons would be used. It was later learned that the average amount used was around 27,000 gallons.
