Evansville Board of Public Works approves vehicle purchases, cemetery contract extension, $150,000 museum matching grant and multiple street closures

The Evansville Board of Public Works on Feb. 26, 2025, approved a package of routine procurement and permitting items including an open-market purchase of two hybrid SUVs for Metro Transit (METS), a one-year extension for cemetery landscaping contracts totaling $300,600, a 1-to-1 matching grant of up to $150,000 for the Evansville African American Museum Inc., and multiple street closures for spring and summer events.

The actions were taken during a brief meeting that also authorized staff to solicit a city-county pricing agreement for copy paper and approved right-of-way permit applications with required maintenance-of-traffic procedures under the Indiana Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.

Jonathan with MetzTrans told the board that, because no bids were received on RFQ No. 010-12-2025, the agency was asking for approval to seek quotes on the open market for a two-vehicle hybrid SUV purchase for administrative use. "Since there were no bids, we're asking board approval to go out to the open market and seek a quote for the hybrid SUV project," he said. The board approved a motion to buy two vehicles on the open market.

Purchasing staff asked the board to authorize solicitation of quotes for an annual copy-paper pricing agreement (APA-01-25). Purchasing staff said the city has spent about $23,000 a year on copy paper over the past three years and that the procurement is a joint city–county agreement; staff said the solicitation will be used to assemble a vendor list and bring the total four-year agreement to just under $150,000.

The board approved an extension of the City Cemetery landscape maintenance agreement with CVS Groundskeeping LLC (RFP-01-006-2024). The meeting record states the total for both cemetery facilities under the annual contract is $300,600. Mr. Robertson asked the board for approval to continue the annual agreement, and the board voted to extend the contract at the same price as last year.

Lisa Foster, contracts manager for the Department of Metropolitan Development, presented a matching-grant agreement with the Evansville African American Museum Inc. Foster said the agreement is a 1-to-1 match up to $150,000 for funds the museum raises through fundraising or membership and that the match agreement would expire Dec. 31, 2026. "We will match whatever Evansville African American Museum raises up to a total of $150,000 between now and this expires 12/31/2026," Foster said. The board approved the matching-grant agreement; Foster said the matching funds will come from a combination of the general fund and a grants fund.

The board also approved Appendix A right-of-way permit applications (Nos. 2087–2089) and directed that site-specific maintenance-of-traffic procedures required by the Indiana MUTCD be implemented as required.

Event permits signed off by the board included the University of Evansville’s Purple Palooza (closing Walnut Street and adjacent blocks April 25), the university’s annual bike race (road closures April 26), River City Pride Festival and Parade (June 6–8), Granite Inc.’s Over the Edge fundraising event (April 26), a Pacemakers Car Club Hot Rod show (July 19), and the Westside Net Club Fall Festival (Oct. 3–12). Staff said paperwork for three additional events needed updates and those three items were tabled for a later date.

The board approved bills and payroll and adjourned at about 1:41 p.m.

Votes at a glance

- Approval of Feb. 20, 2025, BPW minutes — approved (voice vote). - Open bids for METS RFQ No. 010-12-2025 — approved (voice vote); no bids received. - Authorization to seek open-market quotes and purchase two hybrid SUVs (administrative/METS use) — approved (voice vote). - Authorization to solicit quotes for copy-paper annual pricing agreement (APA-01-25) — approved (voice vote). - Extension of cemetery landscape maintenance agreement with CVS Groundskeeping LLC (RFP-01-006-2024), total $300,600 — approved (voice vote). - Matching grant agreement with Evansville African American Museum Inc., 1:1 match up to $150,000, expires Dec. 31, 2026 — approved (voice vote). - Approval of right-of-way permit applications Nos. 2087–2089 with Indiana MUTCD traffic controls required — approved (voice vote). - Event street-closure permits for multiple events (see body) — approved (voice votes); three items tabled for updated paperwork. - Approval of bills and payrolls — approved (voice vote).

No recorded roll-call tallies were provided in the meeting record; the board approved items by voice vote.