Evansville City water and sewer board approves contract adjustments, easement offer and rail-flagging agreements

Evansville City Water and Sewer Utility Board of Directors met Feb. 4, 2025, and approved multiple contract and procurement items to advance water and sewer projects in the city.

The board approved a final change order that reduces a construction contract by $33,043.20 and authorized staff to pursue an initial offer for a permanent sewer easement at 6000 Old Boonville Highway. It also approved an amendment to an on-call sanitary main inspection agreement, additional leased vehicles under an existing master lease, and field-service agreements related to railroad flagging for water-main relocations near Stockwell.

The change order. Jennifer Kane, utility project staff, presented change order number 2 for the Lloyd-Four (project U42287) water-main relocation, saying, “This change order number 2 is a total decrease to the current contract price of $33,043.20.” Kane told the board the change order creates eight new pay items and reflects final adjustments of existing items to actual quantities used, with the primary decreases coming from surface-restoration pay items and undistributed pay items. The board approved the final change order to Cobour Steam Contracting Inc.

On-call inspection amendment. The board approved amendment number 1 to the on-call sanitary main installation inspection agreement used for private-development inspections. Staff said the original not-to-exceed amount for one of the on-call contracts had been $30,000 and is being increased to $34,000 to cover inspection work occurring before new agreements are issued in March 2025.

Easement authorization for Eagles lift-station project. The board approved a statement of basis for just compensation (SBJC) that allows staff or an authorized representative to approach the property owner with an initial offer for Parcel 6, a proposed 5,603-square-foot permanent sewer easement at 6000 Old Boonville Highway associated with the Eagles Lift Station replacement and force-main completion (project U1078). Logan Booth, utility staff, said Parcel 6 ‘‘represents a 5,603 square foot permanent sewer easement’’ and noted the board’s waiver-valuation procedure (approved January 2021) set a $5,000 threshold; because this parcel’s valuation exceeds that threshold, the SBJC required board approval to proceed with an offer.

Rail-flagging and field-service agreements. The board authorized field-service agreements to obtain railroad flagging and related services for two water mains involved in a city project near Stockwell. Sean Wright, utility staff, described the item as necessary because the utility is the permit holder for the work under the railroad tracks and said, “We have to be the permit holder because it's our infrastructure even though it's Mike's project where he's relocating the stuff for us.” The field-service agreement items were listed as numbers 1320988 (10-inch) and 1320986 (12-inch) in the board materials.

Consent and other routine approvals. The board approved the consent agenda, which included the Jan. 21, 2024 minutes for the board of directors, payroll for the weeks ending Jan. 17 and Jan. 26, 2025 (reported as $234,792.85 and $528,701.02, respectively), the accounts payable voucher register for Feb. 4, 2025, a pay request recorded as Exhibit A for Feb. 4, 2025, a construction escrow agreement for project U1181, approval statements of basis for just compensation for Parcels 3, 4 and 5 for project U1078, and approval of five additional leased vehicles under the master lease with DJ Leasing LLC, doing business as Sternberg Advanced Leasing.

Votes at a glance - Consent agenda (minutes, payroll, accounts payable register, pay request, construction escrow U1181, SBJCs for Parcels 3–5, five leased vehicles with DJ Leasing LLC dba Sternberg Advanced Leasing): approved by voice vote. - Change order No. 2 (final decrease of $33,043.20) to Cobour Steam Contracting Inc., project U42287 (water-main relocation): approved by voice vote. - Amendment No. 1 to on-call sanitary main inspection agreement for 2024 (increase from $30,000 to $34,000 for active work until new agreements in March): approved by voice vote. - Statement of basis for just compensation for Parcel 6 (Eagles Lift Station replacement and force-main completion, project U1078) — parcel at 6000 Old Boonville Highway; 5,603 sq ft permanent sewer easement — approved by voice vote. - Field-service / rail-flagging agreements (items 1320988 — 10-inch SSFM and 1320986 — 12-inch water main) related to Stockwell project: approved by voice vote.

The board had no further comments and adjourned after confirming the next meeting on Feb. 18 at 3 p.m. at the Sunrise Pump Station.