Addressing our water infrastructure issues

Long ago I regularly enjoyed cappuccinos or lattes. Did not care about the caffeine or cost. At some point, my tastes began to change and I shied away from the upscale drink and focused on regular coffee. For some reason a latte sounded good this week, so I had one at the coffee shop. This was a real latte and not the kind you get by pushing a button. Not sure how long it will be before the next one, but I really enjoyed the one I had. Since then have gone back to regular coffee!

There were two approvals at the last council meeting that didn’t make the article in the paper. One was the Masters Services Agreement with the IMPA Service Corp (ISC) and the city of Linton. IMPA stands for Indiana Municipal Power Agency, which is the organization that provides not only our electricity but many other cities in the state as well. The second approval was with Commonwealth Engineering, INC for completing a five-year capital improvement plan for our water infrastructure. These two agreements are significant in providing a service for our utilities.

The Masters Services Agreement’s scope of work calls for providing services related to the municipal electric utility distribution system that is owned by the city. These services consist of rate analysis, maintenance, repair, review, design, engineering and construction as well as other services agreed to by both parties, the ISC and the city. These services will be documented by agree to Statements of Work, or Task Orders. By agreement, the General Manager of Utilities will act as the city’s representative with respect to the services to be provided. This agreement gives the city utility department a resource for obtaining services as needed in a timely manner.

The second council approval was with CommonWealth Engineering, Inc., a company out of Evansville. The master contract was similar in intent and structure to the previously mentioned Masters Services Agreement. This covers a broad scope of understanding between the company and the city. More specific to this agreement was the first company assignment, or Task Order. By title, the project is entitled Water Improvement Project. The service to be provided states: “Engineer to provide a technical memorandum style report that outlines immediate water infrastructure needs with conceptual plans, planning level and cost estimates, and recommended priorities with a five year implementation plan.” We met with several engineering firms to discuss approaches to the process, deliverables and timelines specific to water infrastructure with possible follow-on plans for waste and storm water systems. Also, we considered their approach to the next step beyond the plan, that of obtaining funds for implementation/construction. Companies interviewed were all very capable with dedicated staffs of support. Based on references, the decision was made to go with CommonWealth. We’ve had initial meetings with the engineer dedicated to the project and provided information detailing our current water system. The company has five months in which to present the deliverable, a detailed plan, to the city. This is the first step in addressing our water infrastructure issues. I look forward to seeing not only what they recommend, but the estimated cost of implementation.

John Preble is currently serving his first term as the Mayor of Linton, Indiana. This blog will serve as one way for the Mayor’s office to communicate news and items of interest to readers.