By David Slone
Times-Union

WARSAW — The City-County Athletic Complex and The Salvation Army will receive American Rescue Plan Act funds from the city of Warsaw, but only after the common council approves a new purchasing agent ordinance in February.

At Tuesday’s, Jan. 16, council meeting, city attorney Scott Reust said he’s been working on an ordinance with Council President Jack Wilhite and Clerk-Treasurer Lynne Christiansen for the council’s consideration.

“The state government has recognized that many projects require the ability to pay for goods and materials upfront. That there’s a need for that before the project gets done. And so, they’ve codified that they would like cities and municipalities to pass an ordinance that allows up to 50% of an award that the city might make or an expense that the city might make to a purchasing agent to spend up to 50% of that award to pre-purchase goods, services, those kind of things,” Reust explained.

He said Wilhite forwarded to the council members a draft copy of the ordinance.

“The way that would work is, our purchasing agency is the Board of Works. So the Board of Works can then approve a purchasing agent,” Reust said.

As an example, he said the Board of Works might approve Salvation Army Envoy Ken Locke to be a purchasing agent to purchase things for The Salvation Army if it were awarded some money for a project. The Board of Works can also approve for up to 50% of the award to be spent upfront on goods and services.

The city’s purchasing agent ordinance in place was passed some time ago and it first requires the purchasing agent to try to buy American.

“Before the money can get granted to these ARPA recipients, we’re going to ask that the council consider passing an ordinance, probably brought to you in the February meetings, … to allow the Board of Works to approve a purchasing agent to spend up to 50% of the project’s award to purchase goods or services,” Reust said.

He said no checks for the ARPA grants would probably be written until the ordinance was passed so the grant recipients probably wouldn’t see funds until March. If the council members have any questions, Reust encouraged them to contact him.
Councilwoman Cindy Dobbins presented two ARPA grant requests to the council. The first was for the CCAC to purchase scoreboards for a total of $58,645, with the request from the city being $46,916. Dobbins said the CCAC has had the same scoreboards for 29 years and some are not functional at all.

CCAC Executive Director Mike Hagy and CCAC Board President Mark Skibowski spoke in favor of the funding. Hagy will be the purchasing agent for the CCAC.

“We are about a 30-year facility and it looks like it. It’s tough,” Skibowski said.

Councilwoman Diane Quance made the motion to approve up to $46,916 for the scoreboards, with Councilman Juergen Voss seconded the motion. It passed unanimously.

The second request was from the Salvation Army for the roofing over the pantry and service center “where people come to pick up food, come for help with utilities and so forth,” Dobbins said.

Locke said the building at 622 N. Ellsworth is the building where people come in for services. In 2023, he said they saw a 30% increase in services.

The roof is about 25 years old and starting to show wear. They are working with a local company – Professional Roofing Solutions — to put the 50-year shingle roof on.

Councilman Mike Klondaris asked if the quote was locked in. Locke said he didn’t know for sure, but he thought it will be OK.
Mayor Jeff Grose said it looked like The Salvation Army’s 20% commitment will be $4,891.36, with the city’s 80% ARPA commitment at $19,565.46.

Councilman Jerry Frush suggested a metal roof instead of a shingle roof. Locke said the metal roof would be more expensive, and anyway in about 25 years the whole building might need replaced.

Wilhite made a motion to approve up to $19,565.46, with Councilman Josh Finch seconding the motion, which passed.
Locke said he will be the purchasing agent for The Salvation Army.

Later in the meeting, local attorney Travis McConnell asked about oversight for the 50% of the ARPA grants provided upfront.

Reust said the second half of the grant money is provided after the project is completed, and everything is public so if a grant recipient doesn’t do what they said they will do, the public will probably know about it and report it. Reust said the agencies applying for the grants are also trusted in the community.

Locke said when The Salvation Army receives a grant, many times the organization that provided the grant will assign someone to oversee the grant, including a final inspection, which is something the city might consider.

“I think Travis brings up a really good point, that way everything is above board then,” Locke said.

In other business, the council approved:

• A 10-year tax abatement for Danco Medical on real and personal property being put into place at 905 Executive Drive.

Warsaw Community and Economic Development Director Jeremy Skinner said the project includes roughly a $2 million remodel of the existing building and around $4 million in new manufacturing equipment, with 20 new jobs expected to be created over the next few years.

• On second reading, the ordinance for the bond issue for the Gatke development project, as requested by Skinner.

The ordinance was approved on first reading at the council’s Jan. 2 meeting, after the public hearing was held on it.

Skinner also presented, and the council approved, a resolution regarding the city’s contribution toward Rebar Development’s development of the Gatke property in the form of a loan from the city’s economic development revolving fund. The exact numbers are not known yet, but Skinner said the city’s contribution and agreement with Rebar is for $3.3 million, with some of that funding from the bond issue and some from the Economic Development Income Tax revolving loan fund. Skinner said it will be a forgiveable loan much like other projects the city has done.

The development project includes approximately 12,000 square feet of eight flex units (residential or commercial), and approximately 4,300 square feet of commercial space, along with the construction of the new RW Lofts at 2321 E. Winona Ave., Warsaw, comprised of 75 market-rate apartments.

• The installation of new streetlights on Clinic Court for the Eastgate apartments, as requested by City Assistant Planner Jackson Longenbaugh. NIPSCO is installing three poles with a total of four LED lights to light the property. Two of the lights will be on one pole. The cost to the city is about $60 a month for the electrical bill.

• On first reading, an ordinance modifying the pollutant limits that are allowed to be sent to the city’s wastewater utility plant from industry. The change increases the daily maximum limit in milligrams per liter (mg/l) for copper from 0.30 to 1.69.

Utility Superintendent Brian Davison said that will allow for “industries that can or will, they can send a little more copper to the plant and we can still meet that limit going out of the plant that we have.”

The second reading will take place at the council’s next meeting.