(BEDFORD) – Jeff Dewitt of the Lochuller Group opened the Board of Works meeting Monday evening updating the Board on the city’s stormwater, wastewater, and drinking water projects.
Dewitt told the board three drinking water projects – 16th Street Water Main Project, UV Project Carbon Feed Project,
and Hypochlorite Project – have been completed.
With numerous water main breaks, the 16th Street project replaced the water main and sewer lines along 16th Street. The project improved water delivery and without any significant service disruptions.
The UV detection Carbon Feed Project was a recommendation of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to keep certain viruses and bacteria more prevalent in rivers from entering drinking water. The City of Bedford went beyond what was required and started using a Hypochlorite process now to disinfect water. This process is a lot safer than using Chlorine gas which is both dangerous to the city employees as well as the neighborhood around the treatment plant should an accidental release occur.
Other projects included the Spider Creek Phase 1 and 2 projects.
Oolitic was not being compliant with disinfection processes. Therefore the City of Bedford added a disinfection unit, to the booster on Oolitic Road to aid in that process.
The city is in the 5th year of a 15th year plan to start addressing issues with water lines, water/sewer, and stormwater plans. Currently, the city is addressing issues in the Edgewood Addition, in preparation for the Community Crossings Grant Process. They are using cameras to identify problems in the lines and correct them.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management is well pleased with the progress of addressing these problems and getting them fixed.
In other business, the Board of Works approved rebidding for the sale of the Former Shane Ahmed Park located at 415 J Street. No one bid on the minimum bid of $9,750 – the average of two appraisals. The Board of Works now approved a minimum bid of $6,000.
The Board approved the final payment of $106,362.50 following the completion of the façade project at the Atrium Building. Trena Carter of ARA was in attendance and provided details on the project. Each facade completed will be under warranty for one year. The final cost of the project is $102,348.50 with some administrative fees that will be included in the total costs.
The Board of Works also approved the feasibility study for a Splash Pad. The feasibility study will look into the costs, scope, and feasibility of building a Splash Pad. This type of configuration will not require a lifeguard. The Bedford Recreation Board, Bedford Parks Department, and the city wants to move ahead to find funding and complete the
project. The City and the Bedford Recreation Board will pay $75,000 each toward the cost of the project. Tom and Joey Elliott told the Board that the project is something that children ages 4 to 11 could enjoy and it will provide youth with another outdoor activity.
In conclusion of the meeting, the Second Mural Project Memorandum of Agreement was approved for the Thompsom-Voorhies Building Located at 1531 J Street in Bedford. The first mural project was completed on the Times-Mail building.
