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Lower Community Crossings bid could pave way to savings
It wasn’t that long ago that paving bids before the Putnam County Commissioners were almost always over their estimate.
In 2019 and 2020, the lone bid for work performed under the Community Crossings grant was submitted by Wabash Valley Asphalt, with the bids averaging more than a quarter-million dollars over their original estimate.
A couple of things have changed since then. One is that the highway department has an engineer on staff, who this year put together the estimate for work on the $2 million project.
Additionally, there are now multiple bids each year, with the competition helping the county out in terms of cost.
On Monday, the Putnam County Commissioners opened a pair of bids to resurface 14.4 miles of road — $1,988,374.15 from Milestone Contractors and $2,343,854.94 from Howard Companies.
Both bids were taken under advisement, with Engineer Jim Peck set to review both to ensure they meet the proper specifications. He will be back before the commissioners for their Monday, June 3 meeting with a recommendation.
The Milestone bid is more than $11,000 below the original estimate, a development that was all but unheard of five years ago.
Under the terms of Community Crossings, the county is set to receive $1.5 million — technically $1,499,999.94 — from the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) to fund 75 percent of the project, with the county providing the approximately $500,000 that represents 25 percent of the estimated cost.
The project will pave three stretches of road.
The first of these is county roads 1000 North, 100 East and 800 North in Franklin Township. Specifically, this means five miles of 1000 North from U.S. 231 at Fincastle to Bainbridge-Roachdale Road at Carpentersville, as well as 100 East from 1000 North two miles south to 800 North as well as one mile of 800 North from 100 East to the bend of Bainbridge-Roachdale Road a mile north of Bainbridge.
The second area in the application is County Road 725 East in Franklin Township, stretching 1.74 miles from U.S. 36 at Groveland to Valley Forge Drive at Heritage Lake.
The final area is in Washington Township, roughly described as County Road 300 West, but actually encompassing several roads as it stretches 4.4 miles from U.S. 40 at Manhattan on the north end to the intersection of County Road 1050 South on the south end, including 450 West, 400 West, 800 South, 375 West, 350 West, 875 South, 375 West, 950 South, 325 West and 300 West.
Peck also gave a brief update on some paving operations that highway department crews are already performing in house. He said they are finishing up County Road 100 East between 1000 North and 1100 North and are set to move on to Old U.S. 36 in the Baker’s Camp area next.
During the meeting, Peck also received confirmation from INDOT that Cornstalk Covered Bridge in Franklin Township was cleared to reopen.
The bridge has been closed all spring as crews worked to install a reinforcing steel plate as well as a wooden beam for structural reasons.
“Our guys did a great job on that. That was a significant amount of restoration,” Peck said.
Peck also discussed the need to go before the Putnam County Council for an additional appropriation request for $35,000 worth of engineering on three other covered bridges — Houck, Rolling Stone and Edna Collings.
While there is no disputing that the aging timber bridges need work done, there was pushback from commissioners Rick Woodall and David Berry regarding the cost of engineering when Peck is on staff.
“It’s about having the time,” Peck said. “I’m already putting in 55-60 hours a week.”
Ultimately, Peck will go before the council with the request.
Peck also expressed his desire to begin planning for future funding requests for both future federal aid projects as well as the 2025 Community Crossings program.
Applications for the federal aid projects (which won’t be performed until 2030) are due in November of this year, while 2025 Community Crossings applications are due in January 2025.
“Our goal is to submit for federal funding and state funding every year so we can start catching up,” Peck said.
With the county’s inventory of bridges and roads both strained, the county is currently working toward three federal aid projects — restoration and bypass of Dunbar Bridge, a curve correction project on Manhattan Road in the area of County Road 550 South and County Road 575 South and a countywide sign inventory.
In other business, the commissioners:
• Approved a petition to rezone 21 properties on the periphery of Heritage Lake from residential to agriculture.
The need for a rezone came about when these parcels were incorrectly zoned as residential during the changeover to the current unified development ordinance from the county’s former zoning laws.
Woodall asked Planning and Zoning Director Lisa Zeiner if there had been any request to build homes on the properties, and she said it had been quite the opposite. One owner wanted to put cattle on one, and could not due to the improper zoning. That is what led to the current move.
The request was approved unanimously by Berry, Woodall and Tom Helmer.
• Learned from Zeiner that the department will purchase a Chevrolet Trailblazer for $35,355 to replace an aging Chevrolet Tahoe.
Zeiner noted that this cost is well below the $50,000 figure the commissioners recently approved.
• Appointed Emily Knuth to the Putnam County Convention and Visitors Bureau Board.
Knuth, who was recommended by CVB Director Eric Freeman, replaces Laura Monnett, who is moving out of the county.
• Approved the annual partnership agreement between Putnam County and the Humane Society of Putnam County.
• Appointed Wendell Underwood to the Putnam County Hospital Board to replace Denny O’Hair.
• Announced that the county is planning to hire an owner’s representative for the upcoming Putnam County Courthouse Annex project.
Woodall said interested companies have until June 14 to submit a bid.