Consultant outlines water-main design, permit plan; council OKs signatures

Dustin Longman, the consultant on the town's water project, told the Fort Branch Town Council on July 23 that design work is progressing and the project team plans to submit permit packages to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. "Just brief update on the water project. We're, moving right along with the design," Longman said.

Longman described three permit-related actions staff will seek: IDEM permit applications for a water-main extension, a consultant consent form so the consultant can submit permits on the town's behalf, and requests to waive municipal bond fees and performance-bond requirements that could otherwise duplicate bonding costs. He said the town could avoid roughly $60,000 in double bonding by requiring the contractor to provide performance and payment bonds rather than the town obtaining both bonds.

Council members asked scheduling and coordination questions and agreed staff should pursue the waivers and sign the consultant consent. The council approved motions authorizing signatures on the consultant-consent form and the notice of intent to construct the water main extension and asked staff to notarize the consultant consent form for submission.

The consultant said some permits take about 30 days to be assigned, while final permit review could continue over a couple of months given coordination with state reviewers. Council members and staff agreed to schedule an in-person coordination meeting in August to review drawings and next steps.

The project remains at the design-and-permit stage; no construction contracts were awarded at the meeting and the council did not take other funding actions. The council directed staff to proceed with permit submissions and to coordinate a meeting date for further review.