Logansport Board awards street bids, approves contracts and personnel moves; accepts fire lieutenant's resignation

The Logansport Board of Public Works and Safety on Wednesday approved a series of routine claims and contracts, awarded bids for street and concrete work, accepted the resignation of a longtime firefighter and promoted a fire department inspector.

The board voted unanimously on a package of claims totaling $97,769.31 and approved contracts and change orders related to the new clubhouse, utility locating work at the future farmers market and street-paving and concrete work. Board members also accepted the resignation of Douglas Kitchell from the Logansport Fire Department and approved the promotion of Gary Chambers to fire inspector effective Jan. 11, 2025.

Why it matters: The actions move forward construction and public-works projects, preserve continuity in the fire department’s inspection function, and impose fines intended to enforce local property maintenance standards.

Board business and public-works contracts The board approved a professional-services contract for a Galentine’s Day craft event with Michelle Sutton. It approved two Schepler Construction change orders for the clubhouse: change order No. 4 to add a gas (LP) line where the existing tank must remain at least 10 feet from the building, and change order No. 5 to install a water line between the clubhouse and the two cart barns to serve a cart-washing station. The board also added and approved a contract with Bloodhound to perform utility-locate work at the farmers-market site; the board was told that the expense had already been budgeted.

Bids for street work and concrete were awarded to Central Paving (street paving) and Lamar Louthan (concrete work). The board treated the paving and concrete contracts as separate, nonoverlapping procurements and voted to award both.

Personnel and department reports The board accepted the resignation of Douglas Kitchell from the Logansport Fire Department, effective Jan. 10, 2025. In his resignation letter read to the board Kitchell wrote, “due to health issues that require me to hang up my turnout gear, I have decided to resign from my position at the Logansport Fire Department.” The board then approved the promotion of Gary Chambers—who has nearly 23 years of service and state certifications including fire officer and fire inspector 1—to the position of fire inspector, to fill the vacancy.

The board approved routine monthly and annual reports presented by department heads: Mount Hope Cemetery (monthly and 2024 annual report), the Logansport Police Department (monthly and annual reports), the Logansport Fire Department monthly report, and the Street Department monthly and 2024 annual reports. Mount Hope Cemetery reported nine interments in December (three full burials and six cremations) and noted an increase in cremation rates; the cemetery reported 149 interments for 2024 (73 traditional, 72 cremation) and 87 graves sold.

Code enforcement and property fines Code enforcement presented weekly activity and requested property-cleanup actions for multiple-violation properties. The board voted to impose fines for the following addresses after staff reported repeated violations and, in some cases, recent cleanup but repeated noncompliance: - 136 West Miami Avenue: $500 fine and property cleanup order - 203 North Siket Street: $250 fine (multiple violations; owner paid but pattern noted) - 829 North Street: $250 fine (multiple violations; paid before the meeting) - 807 High Street: $250 fine (multiple violations)

Curb and street-cut permits The board approved applications for curb/street cuts by DVBC Incorporated (fiber optic bore in the alley south of Miami Avenue, west of North Sixth Street) and two NIPSCO alley cuts at 829 East Market Street and 1505 High Street to install gas lines.

Votes at a glance - Approval of minutes for Jan. 2, 2025 — approved (3–0) - Approval of claims totaling $97,769.31 — approved (3–0) - Contract: Michelle Sutton, Galentine’s Day craft — approved (3–0) - Shepler Construction change order No. 4 (clubhouse, LP/gas line) — approved (3–0) - Shepler Construction change order No. 5 (clubhouse, water line for cart-wash) — approved (3–0) - Contract: Bloodhound utility-locate work (farmers market) — approved (3–0); board noted item was budgeted - Bid awards: Lamar Louthan (concrete) and Central Paving (paving) — approved (3–0) - Mount Hope Cemetery monthly report (Dec. 2024) — approved (3–0) - Mount Hope Cemetery 2024 annual report — approved (3–0) - Police Department monthly (Dec. 2024) report — approved (3–0) - Police Department 2024 annual report — approved (3–0) - Fire Department monthly (Dec. 2024) report — approved (3–0) - Acceptance of resignation: Douglas Kitchell (Logansport Fire Department), effective Jan. 10, 2025 — approved (3–0) - Promotion: Gary Chambers to fire inspector, effective Jan. 11, 2025 — approved (3–0) - Street Department monthly report (Dec. 2024) — approved (3–0) - Street Department 2024 annual report — approved (3–0) - Curb/street cut: DVBC Incorporated (alley, fiber) — approved (3–0) - Curb/street cut: NIPSCO at 829 East Market St. and 1505 High St. — approved (3–0) - Code enforcement weekly report — approved (3–0) - Property fines and cleanup orders: 136 W. Miami Ave. ($500), 203 N. Siket St. ($250), 829 N. St. ($250), 807 High St. ($250) — each approved (3–0)

Context and next steps Board members and department heads emphasized that several contracts are preliminary steps in design and site-preparation; the Bloodhound locate contract was described as an early, design-phase effort while final excavation and contractor responsibilities will follow. Several board members thanked outgoing firefighter Douglas Kitchell for his service and congratulated Gary Chambers on the promotion. No civil-service or outside-agency approvals were recorded as conditions for the personnel actions in the meeting record.

Ending The meeting concluded after miscellaneous board comments and adjournment. The board did not receive public comment during the session.