By BOB SHRALUKA
WZBD.com
Three bids to resurface Decatur’s streets next year have been received by the city and all three are under the amount set aside for the work.
The three bids, opened at the latest meeting of the city’s board of works and safety, were as follows:
Brooks Construction, $886,747.00
Wayne Asphalt, $903,291.25.
E&B Paving, $910,559.75.
All bids were taken under advisement for study.
Brooks and Wayne are Fort Wayne firms while E&B has offices in Muncie and Anderson.
The latest state Community Crossing grant of $810,508.10, along with a city match of some $253,300, will boost the funds available for the work to over $1 million: $1,013,135.12.
Brooks milled (removed top layer) and paved stretches of 11 city streets last summer via another CC grant and city match, plus two other streets and six alleys through additional city funding.
Beth Johnson of USI consultants in Indianapolis and city Operations Manager Jeremy Gilbert (together in photo) prepared the grant application. “She has really helped a lot,” Gilbert informed the board.
“This is huge … a big shot in the arm for our city; it’s been a blessing,” Councilman Craig Coshow told the two. “I know it’s been a lot of hard work and I just want to say thanks.”
It is believed that this latest CC grant is the sixth to be received by Decatur in the last seven or eight years. Gilbert estimated that each grant was worth between approximately $600,000 to $800,000.
Berne was awarded $579,883 from the same program this year while Monroe will get about $264,000.