By DAVE SCHULTZ
A proposal to split the costs of a missed deadline among the city, the contractor of the new water treatment plant, and the engineering company that designed the plant received a chilly reception from one member of the Bluffton Board of Public Works and Safety Tuesday.
The proposal, hammered out between Crosby Construction of Fort Wayne and Midwestern Engineers of Loogootee, Ind., the contractor for the water plant and the engineering company that designed it, suggested that the three entities involved — bringing the city into the equation — would each pay one third of the $76,061.79 being discussed. That was the amount of money Midwestern had to pay an inspector to stay at the jobsite in Bluffton while Crosby finished up the project.
“Without accepting liability or contractural wrongdoing, we are proposing to equally split the cost for the engineering services” with Midwestern, Crosby, and the city each paying a third, a letter from Russell Jacobs, vice president of Crosby, to Bluffton Mayor John Whicker said.
Only two of the three Board of Works members were present Tuesday, and board member Roger Thornton wasn’t too happy with the proposal. At one point, he called it “absurd.”
Thornton noted that the key factor in the original contract was time because the city’s former water treatment facility was in danger of ceasing operations and the simple fact was that Crosby — specificially, one of its subcontractors — missed the deadline. However, the argument has been made that the city did not suffer any damages because the old water treatment plant held up while the new one was coming online.
Thornton asked City Attorney Tony Crowell, who was present for the meeting, to take a look at the contract and the proposal and make a counterproposal. Crowell, for clarification, asked Thornton and Whicker if they wanted Midwestern and Crosby to work out the costs for the inspector and the city would waive any liquidated damages. Thornton and Whicker agreed, and Crowell indicated he would bring back a proposal.
In other business Tuesday:
• Karen Nash of the city’s Building Department noted that two properties — at 520 S. Bennett St. and 917 W. Washington St. — had been cited for junk complaints, but both properties are being cleaned up and no further city action was warranted.
• The city will consider allowing the Wells County Emergency Management agency to locate a communications antenna on top of the watersphere near Lancaster Elementary School west of Ind. 1 north of the city. The EMA will be asked to draft an agreement for the antenna.
• A contract of $93,400 to put new roof on the Water Department site at the intersection of Wayne and Spring streets was approved. That includes a proposal to add a “Firestone Red Shield” 20-year manufacturer’s labor and material warranty.
The city will soon be able to sign up new utility users without making them come to the office and sign up in person. Details are being worked out and the new way of registering users could be in place next week.
Thornton and Whicker were the only two Board of Works members present. Scott Mentzer was absent.
daves@news-banner.com
