Talks with contractor drowning Winamac Town Council

The well water project continues to cause concerns for the Winamac Town Council, enough that a special meeting was held in hopes of finding some solutions. 
Since the beginning of the well water project, the town has run into issues with it. The project bid was tentatively awarded to KDM Services on June 11, 2018, but the council waited to formally award the bid pending approval from Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) which the town has a grant through. The approval caused a slight delay.
The contracts were signed on Aug. 21, 2018, and the project was anticipated to begin shortly after that. Instead some questions were asked regarding the project and the first division of it was stalled in October. The questions included the location of the driveway and an engineering error on one of the well houses. At the time, the engineer, Mark Sullivan, of Midwestern Engineers, said those issues should not have stalled the project. 
The second division of the project that included the boring of piping from the water plant to the well field was underway with little disruption. 
A delay on the first division of the project again happened when it was discovered by KDM Services that one of the wells had been drilled incorrectly. The drilling was not because of work that Kevin Madison’s company did but because of another, Peerless Midwest. Because of the bad drill one of the well houses had to be relocated and additional piping was needed. It was also discovered that there was a large amount of ponding and flooding in the field where the well house would be relocated, so it was elevated, which was not part of the plan. 
The project was anticipated to be completed at the end of the 2018 and cost about $1.3 million. 
On March 11, the council met with KDM Services owner Madison and Sullivan to discuss the recent issues that have again stalled the progress of the project. The members gathered to discuss a change order and remind Madison when claims have to be turned in to the engineers to be approved by the town in a timely manner. 
A majority of the change order items were caused because of the moving of the well house, a new well being drilled and elevating the well house. It included additional gravel, removing gravel from the field, additional concrete and other materials. 
During the meeting, the council voiced their concerns that the well houses are not completed and the water lines have not been connected. The second division of the project cannot be completed until water is in the main lines and tested. 
The town would like to hold off on some of the costs that could be done at a later time or possibly be done by Peerless Midwest. 
Madison was also asked to give the council a construction schedule. Madison said one has already been given to Midwestern Engineers. Sullivan said he has not received it. Madison said he will give one to Sullivan. 
After almost two hours of discussion the council approved the change order of $8,650. The work includes backfill for the north well, additional stone for the driveway, additional concrete footing, additional blocks for the foundation of the well house, fill for the driveway and the costs of a tent to heat the north well. 
A change order of $8,850 regarding the removal of the access road, pad for equipment and silt from the drilling of a well was also approved by the council pending approval from Zellers. The council will be asking Peerless to cover these costs due to the relocating of the well house. 
The substantial completion date of the project is April 17. Substantial completion means the project is working and operational with only a few minors things such as seeding the remaining lawn.