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Gary board approves multiple procurement and service contracts including temporary fencing and streetlight repairs
Summary
The Board approved a range of procurement actions — temporary fencing from Sonco Safety Marketplace, a Midwestern Electric contract for streetlight repairs, a legal-services contract, landscaping work, and rescission of an underperforming vendor contract — and tabled an auction advertising request for further discussion.
The City of Gary Board of Public Works and Safety approved several procurement and contract actions on June 3, including purchases and new or ratified contracts across public works, engineering and legal services.
Key approvals included: a quote/award to Sonco Safety Marketplace for temporary fencing and windproof netting (primary use: demolition projects; motion approved by roll call), a construction contract with Midwestern Electric for streetlight repairs on Virginia Street with a 'not to exceed' amount read in the meeting, and a ratified contract for professional legal services with Tolbert & Tolbert LLC for up to $120,000 for 2026 (rates noted at $195/hour for attorneys and $100/hour for paralegals). The board also rescinded the contract with Express Lawn Care and Snow Removal (to free up an approximate remaining balance read in the transcript) and approved awarding additional mowing and lot clearing to Rough Hands Landscaping under a not-to-exceed amount stated in the meeting.
Public works explained Sonco’s selection: Kamisha Bell, project manager, said faster delivery and the vendor’s provision of windproof netting were decisive factors compared with lower bids that lacked the needed screening. On the Express Lawn Care rescission, staff said the vendor lacked capacity to perform and reassigned lots to an existing, higher-performing contractor.
The board also reviewed a proposed auction of roughly 150 abandoned vehicles and chose to table that item for internal discussion about shifting to an online auction format and logistical concerns with private tow yards.
Why it matters: These procurement decisions affect demolition safety, streetlight repairs on a city corridor, seasonal lot maintenance, legal-services capacity, and how the city handles surplus and abandoned-vehicle disposition.
Next steps: Staff will finalize contracts, produce QC-40 documentation where required, and return to the board with further details on the auction process and any timing updates.
