Evansville utility board approves $9.58 million appropriation for Lloyd Expressway water-main replacement; takes force-main bids under advisement

The Evansville Water and Sewer Utility Board approved an additional appropriation of $9,577,055 on April 29 to fund the Lloyd Expressway water-main replacement project; board members were told the project is fully reimbursable under an agreement with the Indiana Department of Transportation (NDOT).

Utility staff presenting the item told the board the utility will front the construction payments and then receive quarterly reimbursements from NDOT under an agreement originally signed Oct. 31, 2023. Staff said reimbursements have arrived quickly in prior quarters and the appropriation is primarily a budgetary accounting step so the utility can pay the contractor while awaiting NDOT reimbursement.

The board also opened bids for a related project, the Burkhart Road and Lloyd Expressway force-main relocation (project U1209), and received four bids: Cobenstein Contracting Inc. at $485,121; BMB Inc. at $489,936.10; Sam Trucking & Excavating Inc. at $575,414; and Blankenberger Brothers Inc. at $705,705. Staff said the force-main relocation is necessary because the current alignment conflicts with NDOT's stormwater and construction work; the utility would relocate about 900 linear feet of force main to newly acquired easement north of the current alignment. The project was designed in-house and the engineer's estimate in the packet was $618,472. Staff noted part of the cost is reimbursable under the NDOT agreement. The board voted to take the bids under advisement and directed staff to return later with a recommendation for award.

The meeting also approved a consent agenda that comprised multiple routine items included in the packet: minutes of the April 15 board meeting, payrolls for the weeks ending April 13 ($210,581.82) and April 20 ($455,324.85), the voucher register for April 29, 2025, a pay request (Appendix A) for April 29, 2025, approvals of several statements of basis for just compensation for partials tied to various projects (Metro Lehi station U1102; Blossom Lane lift station U1258; Oak Hill Road/Saint George water relocation U1189; Valley Downs interceptor S1625), approval of sewer plans and maintenance (Exhibit B), approval of a master services agreement (Exhibit E), release of easements at 212 Southeast Fourth Street and 315 and 421 Chestnut Street parking lot, a PO payment request for the bank building party parking lot improvements (U1106G1) and an actuator retrofit. The consent agenda motion passed by voice vote.

Separately, staff provided a brief March "flash" financial report for water and sewer operations showing a small revenue increase in the first quarter, lower operating expenses (noting a roughly 13% reduction in operating expenses on sewer when depreciation is excluded) and higher net income; staff highlighted cash- and investment-balance movements related to bond-funded construction payouts. No action was required on that report.

Board motions to approve the additional appropriation and to take force-main bids under advisement were moved, seconded and carried by voice vote during the meeting. Staff said they will return with an award recommendation for the force-main relocation at a later meeting and will manage fiscal reimbursements with NDOT.