Board of Public Works Meeting - July 16, 2026
Board of Public Works Meeting - July 16, 2026
The Board of Public Works convened on July 16, 2026, to approve a consent calendar of routine items, discuss several contracts and agreements, and take action on a variety of infrastructure and affordable housing proposals. All votes were unanimous.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of the July 9, 2026, Board of Public Works minutes.
- Approval of bills and payrolls.
Discussion Items
- City of Evansville Finance – Contract with Lopardo Energy LLC: Director of Purchasing Dashnay Streeter presented a one-year consulting agreement (not to exceed $294,750 annually) to improve procurement operations. The firm projects cost savings of upwards of $300,000 per year, with savings continuing after the contract ends. Streeter emphasized the opportunity to learn from the consultant to build internal capacity. Board members expressed support, noting the long-term value of the savings. Approved unanimously.
- City of Evansville Computer Services – Cisco Cybersecurity Software Renewal: Chief Information Officer Vernon Lutz requested approval of a $963,667.10 total renewal (city share $481,833.55), split 50-50 with the county. Lutz clarified that the city’s portion would be invoiced in annual amounts of about $97,000 over five years. Approved unanimously.
- City of Evansville DMD – Affordable Housing Trust Fund Items:
- Extension of agreement with Hope of Evansville: Extends down payment assistance contract (20 Habitat for Humanity home buyers, $3,000 per household, total $60,000) to September 30, 2026. Approved.
- Title services agreement with Southwestern Indiana Land Title: For mortgage reports on home repair projects. Approved.
- Developer agreement with Hope of Evansville – Phoenix Apartments: Facilitates purchase and rehabilitation of apartments for affordable housing. Approved.
- Home repair agreements for 316 Bell Avenue ($22,574.04), 1209 Parrot Street ($25,000), 705 South Craig Street ($16,670), 2225 Kathleen Avenue ($14,230), 2518 Powell Avenue ($7,600): All include forgivable mortgages (20% forgiveness per year, fully forgiven after five years). Approved.
- Agreement with Memorial Community Development Corporation – Ravenswood Commons: $250,000 for rehab of an eight-unit apartment building (1550-1556 South Kentucky Avenue) for low-to-moderate income rental households. Approved.
- City of Evansville City Engineers – Infrastructure Projects:
- Change Order No. 1 – 2025 Curb Ramp Project: Increase of $30,960.80 (new total $247,955.60) for additional asphalt pavement for ADA compliance. Approved.
- Contract with Dyke Brothers Lumber – Bossey Avenue Embankment Repairs: $53,124 for embankment repair on South Bossey Avenue. Approved.
- Contract with Evansville Paving LLC – 2026 Pavement Crack Sealing: $344,349. Awarded to second lowest bidder because the low bidder lacked proper documentation. Approved.
- Change Order No. 5 – 2025 Mill and Overlay Phase 1: Decrease of $33,746.34 (new total $1,450,496) to close out a completed project. Board noted the project was under budget. Approved.
- Right-of-way permit applications (3056-3059): As recommended. Approved.
- Road closure for Germania Mannerchor event: Lane restrictions on Fulton Avenue and back alley, August 13-15, 2026, for patron safety. Approved.
- City of Evansville Purchasing – RFP Bid Opening for Tire Supply: Purchasing Director Dashnay Streeter opened bids for APA 01-2026 (tire supply and related services). Only one response was received (Best One Tire of Evansville). The board took the proposal under advisement. Approved.
Key Outcomes
- All motions carried unanimously (no dissenting votes recorded).
- The Lopardo Energy consulting contract was approved with the expectation of $300,000+ annual savings and knowledge transfer to the city’s purchasing department.
- The Cisco cybersecurity renewal was approved, ensuring continued network protection through July 2026 and beyond.
- Multiple affordable housing trust fund agreements were approved, providing down payment assistance, home repairs, and apartment rehabilitation to create and preserve affordable housing.
- Several infrastructure contracts and change orders were approved, including curb ramp improvements, embankment repairs, crack sealing, and a mill and overlay project that came in under budget.
- The tire supply RFP was taken under advisement for further review.
Meeting Transcript
We will call this meeting of the Board of Public Works to order. We'll start with the old business. Can I get an approval of the July 9th BPW minutes? Motion to approve. I'll second that. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Moving on to new business. First up, the City of Evansville Finance requests approval of a contract with Lopardo Energy LLC, a consultant to provide municipal procurement consulting services aimed at strengthening purchasing operations, improving vendor management, increasing efficiency, reducing costs, and supporting long-term procurement strategy. Total contract amount is not to exceed 294,750 annually. Dashnay Streeter, Director of Purchasing. What else can you tell us? Good afternoon, members of the board. This is a again, it's a consultant agreement. Um Leopardo is a firm and they've um proposed different ways that we can essentially save money for the city. Um one of their items were a consortium review, um, which is where they'll compare pricing across multiple consortiums to ensure we are receiving the best prices possible. And they will also uh review the incumbent consortium vendors just to ensure that we are receiving those discounted pricing. Um items that they've identified were office supplies, small tools and equipment, and then contractual services. Um they're also looking at uh reverse auctioning, which is a competitive bidding process where vendors compete to offer the lowest price for the product or services being procured. Um instead of buyers bidding up prices, they will essentially be bidding down and trying to compete and give the best price possible for the services that we are requesting. Um we're looking at that for waste removal, chemicals and oil and fuel. Um then last is the RFP and RFQ, which is something we are familiar with. Um these are items that um don't require formal bidding process. However, we could uh benefit from uh cost savings by entering a price agreement for things like polymers, sludge removal operations, uh plant natural gases, and professional services. Outstanding. Are is there a range of cost savings that is seen as as likely or like a goal? Is there a goal of cost savings or a range of a goal? Um yes, and I do not have those figures right in front of me, but it's upwards of $300,000 a year, is what they're saying. And um after the first month of getting this implemented, we should start seeing savings. I have a question. How many years is this? Because it says 294,750 annually. Is this a one-year? Correct. Or is it multiple? So it is a one-year agreement, and there is the ability upon mutual agreement of the parties to extend if needed. Um I don't right now, this is like a trial basis. We would like to see um what we can do with this and what purchasing can learn from them and what we can implement into our processes and create how-to's for um the purchasing department's future use uh independently. So um I can't say that this is an agreement that we intend to long term, however, um right now we have agreed to a single year. Gotcha. And then I heard you say 300,000 annual cost savings. It looks like a wash because the contract is approximately 300,000, but what you're saying is we're it in in the hypothetical that we do one year with them and identify 300,000 annually, then that savings keeps happening year after year, even though this consulting agreement would zero out and go away. That's my understanding. And again, um what one of the things I am excited about this consultancy program is um the things that we can learn from them. And um I have also one of the things that I inquired about is the ability for me to work hand in hand with them so that I can retain and see how they are doing everything and then get get ideas from them and take those on as well for future use at the department level. Super. Any other questions from the board? No. No.
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