Crown Point board: lead service-line replacement program nears completion of field work; $468,369 payment approved

At the April 15 meeting of the Crown Point Board of Public Works and Safety, city staff reported progress on the lead service-line replacement program and the board approved a contractor payment.

Al, the city utilities presenter, told the board the program has expended roughly $4.2 million of a $5 million grant and that crews have visually confirmed 187 candidate service lines and completed replacements on 142 of those. He said potholing work — field excavation to verify underground conditions — totaled 966 potholes, which confirmed 75 lead or galvanized services, a rate he described as “a little lower than 10%.”

Al asked the board to authorize a partial payment application (pay application / disbursement) to the contractor Gatlin in the amount of $468,369, with retainage of $24,006.51; the board approved the payment by voice vote. “Payment to contractor in the amount of $468,369,” Al said during the request.

Al said indoor inspections are scheduled where needed, and that crews will begin door‑to‑door contact for residents who have not responded. He anticipated the remaining field work will be completed in the coming months and that staff will finalize the project paperwork for the next fiscal year’s grant closeout.

Why this matters: replacing lead service lines reduces residents’ exposure to lead in drinking water and is a major component of the city’s federally supported utility upgrades. The board approved the disbursement and continues project oversight as staff works to expend remaining grant funds and complete inspections.

The board approved the item by voice vote; the meeting transcript did not record a formal roll-call tally for the payment motion.