Lafayette City approves park and water project changes, accepts bids and OKs multiple special events

Lafayette City officials approved multiple contract change orders, accepted bids for city supplies and projects, declared two older packer trucks surplus and approved several special-event permits during a regular meeting.

The most significant approvals included a parks construction change order for Macaw Park Phase 2 and two water-system contract adjustments that alter ongoing capital work while the board also took numerous procurement bids under advisement.

Claudia Laughlin, parks superintendent, recommended approval of change order number 2 for JR Kelly Company on the Macaw Park Phase 2 multiuse-trails and pickleball-courts contract, saying the change order had been reviewed by the city attorney and “I recommend it for your approval.” The change order adds $14,940 to the existing contract, increasing the amended total to $2,924,950.

Steve Moore, superintendent for Lafayette Waterworks, presented change order number 4 for the Glick Wellfield Improvements project. Moore said the work will add new piping and fittings to reduce future leaks and remove an unused chlorine-injection manhole. The change order increases the Reynolds Construction contract by a not-to-exceed $80,974.28; the board approved the change order by voice vote.

The city also approved change order number 1 for the water service-line potholing project, which finalizes quantities for investigative work completed in 2024. That change order increases the National Industrial Maintenance contract by $86,126 for a final contract amount of $504,451. City staff told the board the investigative work reduced the number of service-line replacements previously anticipated.

Officials approved a contract with NV Grama Services LLC to provide monitoring and compliance for federal labor-standard provisions on the state-revolving-fund–supported lead service-line replacement project. The contract was presented as the compliance oversight for that project and approved by the board.

Procurement: The board opened and read multiple bids for annual chemical purchases used by Lafayette and West Lafayette utilities, then moved to take those bids under advisement. Among the bids read aloud were a PVS Technologies Inc. bid for ferric chloride at $2.27 per gallon and several vendors offering sodium hypochlorite bids in the neighborhood of $1.62–$1.95 per gallon. The board also opened two bids for the Heath Street Concrete Project: Dixon Construction submitted a bid of $131,518, and Case Construction submitted $150,700. The Heath Street bids were placed under advisement pending further review; the demolition-related item also remains under advisement.

Surplus property and claims: Jeremy Deal, city controller, asked the board to declare two rear packer trucks (model years 2000 and 2001) as surplus to allow a trade-in toward two replacement packers; Deal said the older vehicles had “well over 20,000 hours” and requested the surplus declaration. The board approved the surplus declaration. The board also approved claims totaling $357,259.98.

Special events and banners: The board approved several special-event permits and a downtown banner request. Requests approved included Central Catholic’s Bring Change to Mind 5K and street closure on Beck Lane (requested for Sunday, April 27, 5:00–6:30 p.m.); the Greater Lafayette Walk to End Alzheimer’s (Riehle Plaza and John T. Myers Pedestrian Bridge, Saturday, Sept. 27); Franciscan’s annual kids’ 5K race on June 7 benefitting neonatal and pediatric services; and a Columbia Street banner request from the Union Club Hotel and Boiler House Prime. Jackson Kane, vice president of Central Catholic’s Bring Change to Mind club, told the board the 5K route had been approved by traffic-safety staff and police.

Votes at a glance: - Take chemical procurement bids under advisement — approved (voice vote). - Take Heath Street Concrete Project bids under advisement — approved (voice vote); Dixon Construction: $131,518; Case Construction: $150,700. - Approve Change Order No. 2, JR Kelly Company, Macaw Park Phase 2 — approved; added $14,940; new contract total $2,924,950. - Approve Change Order No. 4, Reynolds Construction, Glick Wellfield Improvements — approved; added not-to-exceed $80,974.28. - Approve Change Order No. 1, National Industrial Maintenance, Water Service Line Potholing Project — approved; added $86,126; final contract $504,451. - Approve contract with NV Grama Services LLC for SRF labor-standard monitoring — approved. - Declare two rear packer trucks (2000, 2001) surplus — approved. - Approve claims totaling $357,259.98 — approved. - Approve special-event permits (Central Catholic 5K; Walk to End Alzheimer’s; Franciscan kids’ 5K) and Columbia Street banner request — approved.

Several items drew brief questions from board members about contract limits and the extent of investigative work on lead-service lines; staff clarified that the potholing investigation reduced the number of full service-line replacements anticipated and that the professional-services contract limits did not apply the same way as construction-change-order limits. No item was tabled for further study. The meeting concluded after routine motions and adjournment.