WEST LAFAYETTE Ind. − A project shifting from radio to fiber optic communication will receive additional funding, after an amendment to a West Lafayette West Lafayette Board of Public Works contract was approved this week.
Expansions to ongoing projects in West Lafayette and the parks department receiving a new apprentice were topics of discussion at Tuesday morning's Board of Public Works and Safety meeting.
The second amendment to be added to the original 2017 agreement with Donohue & Associates, Inc was approved at this week's meeting. The City of West Lafayette and the Sheboygan-based company have worked together for an ongoing number of years at this point, according to Dave Henderson, utility director for West Lafayette.
Donohue & Associates provides the cross-section of IT and waste-water help that the department has needed throughout the years, as Henderson states.
"Donohue & Associates have been working with us for the past several years," Henderson said, "on making changes to our (communication) system, which is that computer system that monitors equipment and lift stations around the city. It can be as simple as some tweaks to the programming or adding a lift station or processing a piece of equipment to the system.
"...We work with a programmer...He's the rare person that has both that IT knowledge and he has a lot of waste water knowledge, too. And it's hard to find someone like that."
What was approved on Tuesday was the addition of $20,000 – resulting in a total contract amount of $40,000 – for expanded services that will be provided by Donohue & Associates.
"(The amendment today) was just adding further dollars, another $20,000," Henderson said. "Over the course of the agreement, we've expanded most of that with services from Donohue. And we're looking at some more equipment to be brought online, some changes. Moving from radio communications on our lift stations to moving more of them towards fiber optic."
This change from radio to fiber optic communication will allow for clearer and more precise communication between lift stations, according to Henderson.
An agreement between the Parks and Recreation Department and Public Allies, LLC was approved for the department to host a Public Allies Apprentice.
According to a memo from Bryce Patz, community forestry and greenspace manager, "...where the purpose of (the program) is to recruit and select individuals for training and placement to a Partner Organization, such as government agencies and other organizations working for community impact."
The Parks and Recreation's part in the program development will be to support the Happy Hollow Park through the apprentice's 10-month placement.
More: West Lafayette Board of WorksWest Lafayette Fire Department earns a top-tier rating, what does that mean for local safety?
As part of the Hartwood Village Swale project, an agreement between West Lafayette's Engineering Department and Schneider Geomatics was approved Tuesday morning in an amount not-to-exceed $5,200.00.
This project includes renovations to a drainage swale that is currently not functioning properly.
"(The approved agreement) includes professional services for pre-mobilization calculations, one-time construction staking of storm structures with offsets and rim elevations," Jeff Kuhn, project engineer, wrote in a memo to the Board. "These services were not included in the original agreement’s scope of services and was not included in their base fee."
Margaret Christopherson is a reporter for the Journal & Courier. Email her at mchristopherson@jconline.com and follow her on Twitter @MargaretJC2.