Scottsburg approves engineering contract for Genpak waterline extension

The Scottsburg City Board of Public Works and Safety approved an engineering contract in March 2025 to design a waterline extension to the Genpak facility on Elm Street.

The board approved a contract with Heritage Engineering to design and provide bidding and construction support for what the consultant described as an approximately 1,800‑foot, 12‑inch water main to serve Genpak and improve pressure for the facility's sprinkler system. The consultant said the route could be shorter than 1,800 feet depending on final alignment.

The contract amount presented at the meeting was $45,900 for the engineering work. Board members noted the final design could reduce the scope — and therefore the engineering fee — if a shorter route is feasible. The board did not specify final funding arrangements at the meeting; a city official said the water department’s payment responsibilities would be discussed later.

A Heritage Engineering representative summarized the proposal: “We’re proposing a water line extension, from 31, to Genpak on Elm Street. It's about a 1,800 linear foot. It's a 12‑inch water main.” The representative also said the work package includes survey, construction drawings, bidding documents, construction support and site inspection.

City officials told the board Genpak expects the expansion to add roughly 48 to 50 jobs with starting wages around $22 an hour and that the company needs the larger main to bring its sprinkler system into compliance.

The motion to approve the engineering contract was made by the meeting’s presiding officer and seconded by Tom Lewis. The board approved the contract by voice vote; all members present responded “aye.”

Next steps discussed were completion of the final route survey and moving ahead with bidding and construction support once the design is finalized. Funding responsibility and the exact construction scope were left for later staff discussions.