INGALLS — Ingalls’ new town hall is nearing completion just in time for spring.
Town leaders have been making some finishing touches before a projected move-in by the time of the town council’s next regular meeting, slated for Thursday, March 22.
The building update and water utility projects were the topics of a recent Ingalls water board meeting.
Town manager Tim Millikan gave a report on the more than $575,000 remodel of the former interurban building at 308 N. Meridian St.
In addition to a meeting room, the building will house offices for the town’s water utility and other elected officials and employees, including the clerk-treasurer and town manager.
Equipment for recording town meetings was installed with electricity hook-up to soon follow, Millikan said.
Among the final tasks in preparing the building for business are installing telephone lines and computer technology.
The board also approved spending $11,390 to have Smith Projects install metal awning and $3,604 to have Sign-age install signs for the new building.
Millikan said he will meet with Triad and Associates engineers to finalize plans for exterior sign lighting and must verify the adequacy of drainage around the building.
The water board accepted a bid from Ann’s Cleaning Service to clean the new building and the former town hall meeting room, which will be used for a workout room for the police department and other town employees.
New smoke alarms also will be installed in the new building. The town approved a bid from Indiana Alarm for $3,516.
The board also discussed adding a cornerstone plaque for the new building and decided to buy an 18-by-20-inch cast aluminum plaque for $864.
In other water board business, town leaders agreed to spend $2,010 for their annual agreement for computer software with Keystone Software for a program called Computrain to record water department business.
On the financial front, the board approved the payment of claims to Triad and Associates. The claims involve work with Ortman Drilling for the new well field and improvements for the new town building.
The first claim was for $14,599. The second claim was for Smith Projects, building improvements, in the amount of $36,604.
There were also a couple of change orders associated with both projects.
Ortman Drilling had one in the amount of $4,222, while Smith Projects had an order change in the amount of $12,825.
There was discussion of painting the town water tower but nothing was finalized.
Water Superintendent Randy McVay said he wanted to start planing for a plant expansion. He is going to speak with Triad officials to see what the next steps might be.