By Kevin Boneske
Staff Writer

HOBART – The village board voted Tuesday, Jan. 5, to approve the low bid of $547,226 from Superior Sewer & Water of Luxemburg for the North Overland Road sanitary sewer project.

Public Works Director Jerry Lancelle said he was happy to get five bidders for the project, ranging from $547,226 to $670,435, even though they came in above the village’s estimate of $399,025.

“Some of that (increased cost) had to do with the casing pipe that we had to put under the high-pressure gas line that we did not know about,” he said.

Lancelle said Superior Sewer & Water has previously done projects along the scale of the North Overland Road sanitary sewer work.

“We have no reason to believe they can’t handle this,” he said. “We have no reason to deny the bid here. Their crews are experienced in this type of work, and they do have the equipment.”

The village is in the process of extending North Overland Road from the existing roundabout at Centennial Centre Boulevard through the future Centerline Drive roundabout.

The project includes a temporary road for existing traffic, deep sanitary sewer along with all other utilities and road construction, with the majority of the work being done this year.

Village Administrator Aaron Kramer said the entire project was estimated at around $2.3 million, with the village having about $750,000 in a fund it could use, while bonding would also be necessary.

Closed session items

Kramer said the board approved three motions after meeting in closed session, which included:

• Approving a six-month offer to purchase with Hobart Family Dentistry LLC, for the development of a 1.878-acre, village-owned parcel at 565 Larsen Orchard Parkway and a portion to be determined of an adjacent .39-acre lot, into a dental clinic

• Approving the amended development agreement with New Wall Street Properties LLC, for the development of a 7-acre, village-owned lot on Centerline Drive for the development of a condominium project, following a review and approval of the financial condition of the investment group by the village attorney.

• Approving an extension to Dec. 31 on the offer to purchase with HCD Investments, LLC, for the development of Lots 2, 3 and 4 with more than 5 acres for the Hobart Marketplace (556 Larsen Orchard Parkway, 582 Larsen Orchard Parkway, and 608 Larsen Orchard Parkway.)

Police staffing study

After several minutes of discussion, the board recommended not spending tens of thousands of dollars on a police staffing study with the Town of Lawrence, which has a joint police department with Hobart.

Board members instead requested the Lawrence town board to direct Police Chief Randy Bani to update a previous study related to staffing.

Village President Rich Heidel said spending tens of thousands of dollars for a firm to do a study on police department staffing in the end wouldn’t be worth anything.

“We can do a study on our own, as we have done before, and then discuss the results of that study with its recommendations and findings, and move on,” he said.