The City of Lawrence Utility Service Board elected a new chair and co-chair during its regular Feb. 13 meeting and approved several task orders to move forward with projects in the community.
Longtime chair Steven Hall, who has held the seat for eight years, nominated Tracy Boyd to be the new board chair. Boyd was elected unanimously to the position and switched seats with Hall.
Boyd then nominated Hall as co-chair, a motion that also was approved unanimously.
Other Utility Service Board members are Chanita Gillard, Darrin Kirkland and David Parnell.
Also during the meeting, the board unanimously approved three task orders for utility work. Interim Utilities Superintendent Paul Wanner said the first, an order of up to $268,440, hires American Structurepoint to conduct the Indian Creek interceptor flow monitoring project.
“This is to give us a targeted evaluation of the Indian Creek sanitary sewer interceptor and the flow that goes through it to collect data to calibrate the city’s hydraulic and hydrologic model,” he said. “The project will also allow us to evaluate the wet weather flows versus the dry weather flows in the various locations.”
Wanner said all that information will help the utility identify and plan for potential problems.
The second task order was for up to $20,000 for Wessler Engineering to provide GIS support service as needed, and the third was for up to $8,000 for that same company to review the Indiana Department of Transportation plan for rehabilitating Pendleton Pike. Wanner said that state road project could require moving water and wastewater pipes. A review will determine what the city needs to do, and how much it might cost.
The next Utility Service Board meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Feb. 27 at Lawrence Government Center, 9001 E. 59th St.
