A summer long discussion on how best to maintain the town of Crothersville’s water tower was settled last Tuesday when the town council agreed to hire SUEZ Advanced Solutions of Westfield, IN to provide exterior and interior tank maintenance.
The 300,000 gallon tower was erected about 20 years ago to provide water pressure for the town’s water utility customers.
SUEZ and Pittsburg Tank of Henderson, Kentucky were the two companies to submit proposals to the council for a perpetual maintenance plan.
SUEZ’s proposal calls for payments of $51,542 annually for 5 years then $20,911 per year after that.
Pittsburg Tank’s proposal was for a first year payment of $185,000 followed by annual payments of $19,000.
Both provided for exterior cleaning and scheduled painting of the tank and legs as well as cleaning, repair and painting the tank’s interior. The difference in the proposals is that SUEZ would install an agitator inside the tank to keep the treated water circulated.
Town Engineer Brad Bender of FPBH and attorney Jeff Lorenzo reviewed the two proposals.
“SUEZ is less expensive and offers a broader scope of work,” said Lorenzo.
Bender agreed. “SUEZ is a better deal because they meet our Request For Proposal and is less costly. And they only have one customer in Indiana where SUEZ has several.
SUEZ representative Marc Hanson noted his company does work nationwide but has offices in Indiana as well as several southern Indiana water utilities as customers.
With the maintenance agreement the town council will not have to deal with periodic bids for tower maintenance work.
“Our contract goes on for as long as you want it to,” said Hanson. “After the initial annual $51,000 payments for five years, the only cost to the town is $20,911 annual fees. The tower will be repaired, painted and cleaned inside and out routinely under a specific schedule.”
Work on the tower is expected to begin later this year.
In other business the town gave first reading to a proposed salary ordinance for 2018.
The town proposes to increase the office manager Michele Teipen’s salary from the current $15.19 to $16.19 per hour. Second deputy Melissa Glenn’s wages would be increased from $11.32 to $13.32.
The sewer superintendent Mason Boicourt’s wages would go from $19.31 to $20.31 and the street/water superintendent Chris Mains’ would go from $16.99 to $18.99 per hour.
Skilled utility workers wages would go from $17.25 per hour to $18.25 and skilled field workers would go from $14.50 to $16.50 per hour.
After an hour-long discussion on police department salaries, no decision was made.
At issue, according to council president Lenvel ‘Butch’ Robinson, is the amount of overtime being paid to police officers under the current system.
“Overtime is eating away at the town’s general fund,” general fund.
Robinson wants the police department to be paid salaries.
Chief of Police Brett Turner proposed annual salaries of $40,000 for the chief, $35,000 for Sgt. J.L. Brewer, and $32,000 annually for Patrolmen Chris Cooper and Matt Browning.
But officers are opposed unless a salary compensates them at the same current level which includes overtime.
An executive session is planned for 6 p.m. Aug. 29 to hammer out an agreement.
