Gosport approves bid for wastewater lift station monitors, leaf pickup dates

Additional infrastructure projects in Gosport are moving forward conditionally, dependent on receiving Great Lakes Grant monies.

At the Gosport Town Council’s Sept. 22 meeting, officials approved using grant funds to replace water mains in three locations, projects expected to cost about $198,000, contingent upon the grant being awarded. Building on that momentum, at the Oct. 13 meeting, the council approved the selection of a bid for continuous remote wastewater lift station monitors, another project that will likely only move forward if the grant monies are secured.

One of the key focuses of the Great Lakes Grant program is providing financial assistance to rural and remote areas facing environmental and public health challenges, according to its website.

Adam Hershberger, asset management specialist for Alliance of Indiana Rural Water, presented two bid options to the town council, one through Bynum Fanyo Utilities for $21,000 and one through Indiana Pump Works for $15,739 — both including equipment and labor.

The project includes monitoring equipment for three lift stations and one for the wastewater plant.

“These are continuous monitoring of your wastewater lift stations,” Hershberger said. “If the high-level alarm goes off, it’s going to call someone and let them know instead of it just running out down your ditch. If a pump motor trips out, it’s going to call Bynum Fanyo or someone here at the town, whoever you set up for it to call, it will call.”

Hershberger also reassured the council that both options fulfilled Build America, Buy America Act requirements. This has a few components, including one stating “all iron, steel, manufactured products, and construction materials used in covered infrastructure projects are produced in the United States.”

One of the most notable differences between the two bids was the more advanced AI features the Bynum Fanyo Utilities option included, Hershberger said, which could help predict impact from weather and rain events.

The town council moved to approve the Indiana Pump Works bid, pending final grant approval. Hershberger said considering the time it may take for the company to order parts and have the availability to come to town, the project can be expected to be completed in one to two months.

The council also decided to add a preliminary discussion about forming a fire territory to the agenda for the next meeting. Fire territories are fire service consolidations that bring together two or more contiguous taxing units into one fire protection district.

The council discussed the possibility of forming a territory at a July 10 work session, with the priorities of giving the town fire protection by increasing revenue for fire protection services, and keeping decisions about funding it with tax rates with local leaders.

Town attorney Terry English told the council at the Oct. 13 meeting that for him to start drafting the documents necessary for the council to make a decision, discussions about the territory would need to begin.

“Otherwise, we’re just going to flat run out of time,” English said.

The window to begin collecting money in 2028 requires the town to have finished the paperwork between Jan. 1 and March 31.

Additionally, the town approved a $3,000 purchase of a utility truck and a $1 per page fee for copies of documents requested from Town Hall. The town hopes to soon codify town ordinances, which would make many more easily accessible online.

At the meeting, the council also approved a few dates for the fall season. First, the leaf pickup dates this season are set for Oct. 26 to Nov. 25. The council also approved Halloween hours, from 6-8 p.m. Oct. 31.