The Elkhart City Board of Works on Tuesday approved claims totaling $5,803,891.82 and moved forward on a string of contracts, change orders and project solicitations.

Erin, the interim controller, told the board that the single largest line item in the claims packet was $359,493 to Interstate Sealant and Concrete for runway joint replacement and that an ARP-related payment of $1,272,442.71 was the largest item overall. The board moved, seconded and carried approval of the claims packet.

The board delegated permitting authority to City Engineer Jeff Schafer to review and approve routine permits and assessments, and it confirmed a developer-requested resolution dedicating and accepting water mains and sanitary sewer extensions tied to the old U.S. Highway 20 corridor after staff verified as-built plans and developer agreement compliance.

Several contract closeouts and adjustments were approved: an ADA curb ramp contract was closed out with a $63,519.70 credit (final price $178,680.30); the Lerner Theatre roof replacement finalized with an $11,936 deduction (final price $360,805); and reconstruction work on Stevens/Francis/2nd Street was adjusted upward by $11,425 to a final $1,878,836.30 after crews encountered clay soils that required aggregate and geogrid replacements.

The board also ratified multiple SRF loan–funded partial payments tied to the Oakland Avenue combined-sewer-overflow (CSO) tank work, including a $1,677,912 payment to Selj Construction, and smaller payments for associated water and professional services work. Jason Simnick, project manager, said the new CSO chamber is in place but the system is not yet running and some surface work remains weather-dependent.

Awards and professional engagements approved included a $31,900 contract to CNE Excavating to remove a River District billboard, an $88,000 award to North American Pumping Drilling Inc. to drill a test well at the Northwest Well Field, and professional services for Davis-Bacon wage-compliance paperwork. The board approved specifications and advertising for the Pathwise safety-and-repair pathway project and ratified letters of engagement with Barnes & Thornburg LLP as bond counsel for the city’s waterworks and sewerage revenue bonds series 2025.

On energy projects, the board authorized staff to request quotes for a solar installation at Fire Station 3 under a Department of Energy Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant. Staff estimated a potential system up to 60 kilowatts that could offset roughly 80–85% of the station’s energy use, with estimated savings in the range of $5,000–$7,000 per year depending on final sizing and tariffs.

The board approved the collective bargaining agreement with AFSCME Local 1484 (see separate article), accepted a $4,000 donation from American Electric Power to the Elkhart Environmental Center, and approved BMI audit services and a HIPAA business associate agreement related to the health plan’s spousal carve-out audit.

The meeting closed with routine items and a reminder about upcoming budget hearings.