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Auburn Board of Public Works and Safety approves contracts, easements and abatements; swears in new firefighter
Summary
At its Feb. 17 meeting the Auburn Board of Public Works and Safety swore in firefighter Dylan Tegmire, presented employee service awards and approved multiple routine contracts and public‑works actions, including an HVAC maintenance contract ($11,474), a mowing agreement and a $64,974 storm‑sewer award to Pyramid Excavating.
The Auburn Board of Public Works and Safety on Feb. 17 swore in a new firefighter, honored long‑service employees and approved a series of contracts, easements and sewer abatements affecting city operations and local infrastructure.
At the start of the meeting the board administered the oath to Dylan Tegmire, who repeated the oath to "support the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution of the state of Indiana, and the ordinances of the city of Auburn," before being congratulated by officials. The board also presented five‑ and 20‑year service awards to Jericho Shoaf and Steve Graver of the Street Department; a third recipient, Quentin (surname in transcript), will receive his award at a future meeting.
The board approved a 2026 HVAC maintenance contract for City Hall with TJW Industrial for $11,474 a year after Building and Planning staff presented the item; a board member moved the motion and the chair seconded. "I believe they've done a fantastic job with their PMs, going above and beyond," the chair said in support of the contract.
On code enforcement, Building and Planning staff sought further action on an order of enforcement issued to Kevin E. Hensley for a detached garage at 714 Phillips Street, citing Indiana Code IC 36-7-9 and the City of Auburn Code (chapter 159). Staff said a prior 60‑day extension produced limited progress and asked the board to grant a 30‑day extension limited to completion of final garage repairs due to winter weather; the board approved the extension, moving the compliance deadline to March 17, 2026.
Technology and vendor items included approval of a two‑year contract extension for DeKalb County Central United School District with a monthly recurring charge of $5,564 and approval of a conflict‑of‑interest disclosure form for police department employee Christy Myers.
The board approved a 2026 services agreement with the DeKalb County Council on Aging for $11,500 and a continuing mowing contract with Holbrook Landscape for the I‑69 corridor at $1,865 per mow, with weekly mowing planned in April–May and a shift toward biweekly service as conditions allow.
Police and events items approved by the board included street closures for the Eckhart Public Library's June 4 event (van Buren, Jackson and adjacent blocks), an annual range contract with Lakewood Park Police for training, and a street closure on June 25 for Team Quality Services' employee summit.
Electric department actions included approval of the second‑quarter tracker (0.030840¢, effective on April usage/May billing) — the chair noted this change smooths swings in customer bills and keeps Auburn's rates below nearby investor‑owned utilities — and approval of a $29,344.63 property‑damage settlement to cover replacement equipment after a vehicle struck a three‑phase sectionalizing cabinet.
Electric staff also read and the board approved six separate utility deeds of easement for properties on Morningstar Road (430, 580, 720, 880, 1050 and 1120 Morningstar Road).
Water Pollution staff presented four sewage‑abatement requests (104 Maxwell Place; 1815 North Indiana Street; 352 West 11th Street; 904 East 1st Street). Each investigation concluded the leak did not enter the sanitary sewer system; the board approved all four abatements. Staff also reported receiving five price quotes for a storm‑sewer replacement at Portage Pass (Lash Park); Pyramid Excavating submitted the low bid at $64,974 and the board approved issuing a notice of award to Pyramid.
The chair closed with scheduling announcements: the State of the City was rescheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 10 a.m. in council chambers, the Citizen of the Year award will proceed at the council meeting that evening, and the next regular Board of Works meeting is set for March 3, 2026 at 9 a.m.
Votes and formal approvals were recorded by voice vote and the board indicated "motion carried" on each motion. Where staff described compliance deadlines, legal citations or bid amounts, those specifics are reported as given by staff to the board.
