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MILFORD - Milford Town Council members dealt with several utility matters at their regular meeting Monday, as well as giving assistance and guidance to Milford Fest committee members on their upcoming townwide festival Memorial weekend.
Ryan LaReau, from Commonwealth Engineers, brought a couple of requests to the council, including a couple of pay applications and a change order. Pay application 9 for Division A, the water treatment plant, for $307,175.11 for “building out the interior with plumbing, electrical, etc.” was presented and the council approved paying the bill.
They also approved pay application 8 for the water main project for $253,916.48 for restoration work on places where the work is completed and also some work on James Street from the change order that was approved last month.
The change order he brought was for painting the outside of the water treatment plant, which he said was mainly aesthetics, but he said it would provide weather proofing as well at a cost of $20,580. He said if approved, the subcontractor could do the work at the same time as the interior painting.
LaReau advised the council that there was still $140,000 left in the contingency fund and the only outstanding items are the roof access and adding more services if funds are available. Council members wanted to know what the cost of the roof access was, but LaReau said he didn’t have that information from the contractor. However, he said he was “not worried about exceeding” the contingency funds.
Councilmen Ken Long and Jim Smiley said they’d feel better making that decision knowing what the cost of the roof access will be because they felt that was more critical. LaReau said he understood their position but cautioned that contractor R Yoder Construction might say if their subcontractor has to come back, it might cost more. The council said they understood that but tabled the decision on the change order until their next meeting where they hoped to have that information.
Resident Jay Urbin questioned LaReau as to why the paint wasn’t included from the start and LaReau explained to keep costs down they left out some items and if there are funds left near the end of the project, they can add those items back in.
Utility & Streets
Under the utility department report, the council approved rebuilding two RAS (Return Activated Sludge) pumps by Xylem for $9,194.80. Utility Superintendent Steven Marquart explained one pump was already in for repairs and another one needed to be repaired.
There was discussion and confusion about quotes for needed repairs at the main lift station that include rehabilitating the structure with polyurea spray foam, two check valves and pipes. Ultimately, the council approved having Advanced Rehab Technologies refurbish the lift station with the polyurea for $50,980 and Selge do the piping and valves for $44,000.
In water, Marquart got the council’s approval to have Commonwealth Engineer to do a water loss audit for $5,000, which is required by Indiana Department of Environmental Management. Marquart thought he could do the validation himself.
In the street department, Marquart received approval to seal coat the paved parking lot areas in town. He obtained quotes from two companies for five areas and Super Seal was the lowest quote on all but one area. The council approved having Super Seal to do the Wee Warrior Academy lot including paint for $3,383.00, sewer plant for $4,163., utility shop for $3,378 and town hall, EMS and community building lot for $3,960.
The council approved having Just Seal It do the water tower parking area at a cost of $254.10.
They also approved having Super Seal repair a driveway at 604 Turkey Creek that a contractor didn’t complete for $5,672.
Milford Fest
Nick Jamiel, Lions Milford Fest Committee member, made several requests for Milford Fest, which is May 23. Jamiel asked if the council would pay for the portable toilets, which the council approved.
He also asked if they could have the streets closed at 4 p.m. Friday instead of the usual 5 p.m. There was a lot of discussion around that because they hadn’t received any closing requests. Smiley, who is also on the Milford Fest committee, said they have almost a whole new committee and they’re trying to figure things out.
The requested closings are all the same as last year with the exception of having the closings starting at 4 p.m. Friday to get in and set up and they don’t need as much of Main Street closed. They were told it was up to the committee to post the signs and inform businesses and residents about the no parking and closings.
Jamiel also asked about access to 220-volt electricity for an ice cream machine they plan to use as a fundraiser. After much discussion, Council President Doug Ruch said he’d investigate it, make sure it’d be done safely and they’d have electricity to run their ice cream machine.
Also in Milford Fest news, the fire department will again sell rib eyes for a donation and will start selling at 11 a.m. “Get there early, they sell out quickly,” Fire Chief Todd Haines said.
Town garage sales also happen that weekend, May 21-25, and no permits are needed, but if you want to be on the map there’s a $3 charge. Contact the clerk-treasurer’s office.
Public Comments
Public Comments created a heated exchange between Urbin and Long. Urbin wanted to know why leaves were being bagged in the spring “when we paid so much money for the leaf vacuum.”
Marquart said they didn’t have time to do leaf pickup in the spring because they had other duties. Ruch explained it was an unusual leaf season and they couldn’t get them all sucked up before it snowed and after sitting all winter, they get hard and are unable to be picked up by the leaf vacuum.
Urbin argued that point and said the staff isn’t too busy that they can’t use the machine one day a week.
Long said, “You’re making assumptions that you know better than we do about how things work in town. You assume you know better than people who’ve been doing this for years — it impacts the departments to do things off schedule. We don’t have unending funds, and the state is making it worse.”
Urbin continued to argue and it escalated into a near shouting match before Ruch gaveled for order. Later, Long apologized to everyone and to Urbin for raising his voice saying, “I get impassioned about this town.”
Also, in public comments Ron Baumgartner asked to have stop signs put back in by the railroad to slow traffic down by his buildings. He said even with the railroad crossing people fly down that road. The railroad reportedly removed the stop signs. Ruch said they’d investigate the town code and replace the stop signs as long as not in the railroad’s right of way.
In other business, the council:
• Approved tax abatement compliance forms for Chore Time Brock. Ryan De Smith, from Chore Time, was there and explained they were way ahead on jobs, $13.5 million more in wages and over in investments in year four of 10-year abatement for real and personal property.
• Approved closing Main Street from the fire station to the doctor’s office on May 30 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. for hose testing.
• Approved paying the invoice for Cloud storage for police body cams at a cost of $4,320.
• Approved the clerk-treasurer’s memo of understanding to collect delinquencies through state tax refunds versus collection agencies through the Tax Refund Exchange & Compliance Systems.
• Approved having Long join Clerk-Treasurer Tricia Gall on the committee for the collaborative park project.
• Approved paying a Commonwealth invoice for $45,105.06.
• Heard the clerk’s office and town hall will be closed May 25 for Memorial Day.
• Heard the spring cleanup was successful with 154 visitors, filled nine 30-yard dumpsters and KC Recycling collected 480 pounds of cardboard and 1,532 pounds of electronics.
