Town opens bids

BROWNSTOWN - Council members opened bids for projects to improve the town park and access to a new industry during a meeting at Town Hall on Monday.

Two companies bid on the park project, which could include a new concession stand, restroom and storage building as well as a new shelter house and additional parking spaces, depending upon available money.

A $346,359 bid from Mitchell & Stark Construction Co. Inc. of Medora was nearly $90,000 lower than a bid from Harmon Construction Inc. That North Vernon company's bid was $433,250.

Consulting engineer Richard Farmer of Morley & Associates, Jasper, and town attorney John Rothring will review the bids and a recommendation will be presented to the council at a special meeting at 5:30 p.m. Monday.

The project will be financed with a federal Community Focus Fund grant of $298,000, $85,000 in local matching funds and $15,000 in in-kind services.

Four companies bid on two separate projects to improve infrastructure at the Brownstown Industrial Park in conjunction with Indiana Tube & Steel's new coiled steel manufacturing plant.

The projects include improving Indiana 135 at the entrance to the park and the second involves improving Sweet Street and drainage in the park.

The companies and their bids for the Indiana 135 work were Dave O'Mara Construction Inc., North Vernon, $98,695; Lawyer Excavating Inc., Seymour, $108,020; Temple & Temple Excavating and Paving Inc., Salem, $122,730; and King's Trucking & Excavation, Seymour, $141,000.

The companies and their bids for the Sweet Street and drainage improvements were Dave O'Mara Construction, $50,655; Lawyer Excavating, $78,316; Temple & Temple, $64,748; and King's Trucking & Excavation, $61,000.

Jonathan Isaacs with Foresight Land Surveying Inc., Brownstown, said the engineer's estimate for the Indiana 135 project was $185,000 while the estimate for the Sweet Street project was $75,000.

The projects will be funded with a $65,000 grant from the Indiana Economic Development Corp., a $380,000 grant from the city of Lawrenceburg and a $75,000 grant from the Indiana Department of Transportation.

Isaacs and Rothring will review the bids for those projects and are expected to present recommendations at Monday's council meeting.