City to remove trees along Washington Avenue

The first, he said, was from Bruceville’s Kerns Excavating for just over $73,500, while a second, from Wabash Utilities, was only slightly less at $67,150.

Two, however, were significantly lower, one from Jeremy McCarter for $22,700 and a fourth — and cheapest — from 1-2-Tree for an even $20,000.

Having reviewed the quotes, Sprague said it was his recommendation to award the contract for the tree removal to 1-2-Tree; they will be working alongside McCarter, he added, to get the job done “more quickly.”

Sprague said, with contract in hand, he will issue a notice to proceed today, and he expects removal to begin yet this week, weather permitting.

Washington Avenue Phase I — the first step in a multi-million dollar effort to give Washington Avenue a total reconstruction — will likely be let out to bid in March, Sprague told the board earlier this month.

City officials first announced three years ago that such an overhaul would begin. They’d been successful in securing the initial $5.7 million federal grant to pay for Phase I.

Combined with a 20% match from the city itself, Phase I, which begins just south of Gregg Park and extends north to Belle Crossing, will result in a nearly $7 million improvement.

City officials then announced in March that they would look to repave even more of Washington Avenue as they had received yet another federal grant to continue construction in the year 2027.

INDOT awarded the City of Vincennes $3.07 million in Federal Highway Administration funds for the reconstruction of Washington Avenue, this time from Emison Avenue south to St. Clair Street.

The city, years ago, in eyeing the reconstruction of Washington Avenue had wanted to pursue funding for the entire project, but that became cost prohibitive.

So they broke it into two projects, eventually securing grants for both.

Both phases will include a totally new road bed as well as curbs and gutters, bike lanes, new lighting, sidewalks, better storm water drainage and sanitary sewers.

To cover the city’s estimated $1.3 million match for Phase I — as well as the slightly lesser match for Phase II later — Mayor Joe Yochum has said he plans to set aside a little from the city’s share of Economic Development Income Tax dollars each year.

The project has been welcomed by residents, especially those living in the historic neighborhood known as the Heights above Gregg Park. They’ve said the area is unsafe, especially as pedestrians look to cross over into the park.

In other business Monday, the board also awarded a contract to Regal Construction Inc., Vincennes, for the installation of some electrical meters to the city’s inventory of traffic signals.

Sprague told board members that Duke Energy previously allowed municipalities to be billed a “blanket rate” for traffic signals, but they are now mandating that meters be installed to monitor the service to each one.

But, in the “long run,” Sprague said, he expects it will actually save the city money, largely because Vincennes has been slowly converting traffic signals to more efficient and less costly LED bulbs.

The city is, however, required to hire a contractor to do the work, hence the $32,500 contract with Regal.

The money to pay for it, the mayor explained, has been appropriated in the 2023 budget.