Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Improvements to the Warsaw City Hall plaza deck are completed and paid for.
City engineer Aaron Ott presented to the Board of Public Works and Safety on Wednesday the second and final pay application for the improvements from Garland/DBS Inc., including the release of the retainer. The payment is for $65,173.12.
“As the project has been completed for a few weeks now, it’s been reviewed and they’ve done punchlist requests and those have all been satisfactorily released, so it would be my recommendation that we go ahead and pay their final payment and close that contract,” Ott told the Board.
Mayor Jeff Grose said he appreciated Ott’s efforts, as well as everyone else’s.
“A lot of hands on this and rather expensive, but no more leaks, number one. The deck is actually done correctly. There are actually picnic tables up there that the original design back in 2010-12, whenever they did it, that’s how it’s supposed to be,” Grose said. “And, also, a great deal of thanks, (Warsaw Parks Department Superintendent) Larry (Plummer), your carpenters, coming in and saving the day, holding the steps up, and just taking care of that internally.”
Ott said they’ll be able to appreciate it come spring.
“It’s unfortunate that we didn’t get to enjoy it too much this year, but it’s supposed to last many years,” he said, adding the leaks should be a thing of the past.
Councilwoman Diane Quance said, “I just want to add that hopefully that we can see some more public programming take place up there.”
She made a motion to approve the payment, and the motion passed 2-0. Board member George Clemens was absent. Total cost of the contract was $156,754.
In other business, the Board approved:
• Payment application no. 4 for the Build Operate Transfer project with Robinson Construction for the new Warsaw Public Works facility along West Center Street. The invoice is for $448,780.95 for work that was completed in September.
Ott said a lot of that amount is for some materials that Robinson Construction purchased and stored. The other significant work done during that time was for demolition of housing and foundations.
“These pay apps will trickle about a month behind of where the work actually is out there, but it is to the point where you can see the project coming together well,” Ott said.
• Plummer’s request to apply for a K21 Health Foundation grant to assist with funding for the proposed skate park project at Richardson Dubois Park. Mantis Skate Park is currently in the Boggs Industrial Park on the west side of town.
Total estimated cost of the project is $500,000, and Plummer said he’s going to apply for 50% of that cost.
Plummer also requested, and the board approved, to apply for an Anthony Wayne Foundation Grant to assist with funding the proposed skate park project. That grant application will request $50,000 toward the project.
• The yearly contract for Thomas Earhart to serve as the administrative law judge for the city’s code hearing meetings, as requested by City Planner Justin Taylor.
He pointed out the contract for 2026 has a couple changes from the past few years. One of the major changes would be going to a quarterly meeting instead of a monthly meeting for 10 out of the 12 months.
“So thanks to the tremendous efforts of the Building Department, they have eliminated the need for about four or five of those meetings each year, just working with people on the front end before they get to the code hearing point,” Taylor stated.
The contract does represent about a 50% savings compared to past contracts, even though the fee for the administrative law judge increased from $900 to $1,000 per meeting, Taylor said.
The quarterly sessions will be held in April, June, September and December, with dates and times to be determined by the members of the Warsaw Code Enforcement and the hearing officer. If needed, the hearing officer will be available for up to an additional four hearings as needed, with times and dates to be determined. The hearing officer will be paid $1,000 for each additional hearing scheduled.
• Taylor’s request to apply for a grant this year and one next year from the Kosciusko County Convention Recreation and Visitor Commission (KCCRVC) on behalf of the Warsaw Public Arts Commission (WPAC) to commission temporary and permanent public art for the America 250 celebration in June 2026.
He said the KCCRVC did award $4,500 toward the WPAC’s request for 2025 as that was the limitation of their budget this year. Taylor will request additional grant funds from the KCCRVC in January.
• The change in payroll report, as presented by Human Resource Director Denny Harlan.
It included the promotion of Brian Zehring from captain to battalion chief with the Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory, as of Oct. 26. His full-time biweekly pay will be $3,402.86. Fire Chief Joel Shilling is being tasked as the pension secretary for the WWFT, and he will receive a annual stipend of $828.
There were several merit increases for city employees who have been with the city for a little over a year and worked all summer increasing their skills, mostly in the street department, with one in the police department, Harlan said.
• For the Warsaw Police Department to enter into an agreement with ordained minister Layne Sumner for $12,000 ($1,000 per month) to provide the WPD and WWFT spiritual guidance and counseling, as requested by WPD Chief Scott Whitaker. As chaplain, Sumner will also render aid and support in times of emergency or loss in the community. The agreement is for Jan. 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2026.
• The interlocal agreement between Kosciusko County and the city of Warsaw for $34,728.75 for maintenance fees and access to records management server, as requested by Whitaker. The amount is a “slight increase,” he said.
• A contract with Pro Air Midwest LLC for 2026 for both police ($1,540) and fire ($3,240) for maintenance on air tanks for both the dive team and the fire department, as requested by Whitaker.
