Gary approved chandeliers for Marquette Park Pavilion

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Updated: March 24, 2012 9:02AM

GARY — The Board of Public Works and Safety approved more professional services contracts and change orders to the Marquette Park Lakefront East project Wednesday.

The money for the change orders will come out of the contingency funds of the $28.4 million rehab project paid for by the Regional Development Authority, according to the city’s planning department.

The biggest chunk of the changes, $243,787, will go to buy custom-made, historically accurate chandeliers and other lighting fixtures for the popular Marquette Park Pavilion, said Dwayne Williams, Gary’s planning director.

“These are one-of-a-kind, custom-fit, custom-designed lights,” he said, adding they should be installed by the end of March.

The problem came late last year when either Great Lakes Electrical Maintenance or its subcontractor could not get enough credit to cover the cost of the special fixtures, explained one city official. That put the project behind schedule and caused delays in that portion of the project.

With Wednesday’s vote, a subcontractor working for Gariup Construction will do the specialized work.

The city also had to direct $19,620 in project money to NIPSCO after the utility company found needed infrastructure improvements related to parking lot improvements at the pavilion.

The project did land some credits in landscaping by Gary Material Supply and hardware costs related to hanging doors at the pavilion adding up to about $63,000.

The board also issued three professional services contracts. None of them were bid out, as state law does not require a bid process for such contracts, city officials maintain.

Whittaker and Co., headed by well connected Curtis Whittaker, will get $40,000 for accounting services, annual financial reporting and, if the city pursues it, excess levy appeals.

“(Whittaker) will actually be involved in budget proposals and the forensic audits the city will perform,” Green said. “It’s not at all the day-to-day accounting.”

The board, on behalf of Controller Celita Green, also awarded a $35,000 contract to J. Gari and Associates, a New Jersey-based accounting firm that includes Bo Kemp, a key strategist and aide to Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson in her campaign last year.

Green said J. Gari will work on some of the tougher financial problems the city faces.

“As you know, the city has some problems with services, and the city is trying to figure out how we can offer the services like the Genesis Center and be sure they can be financially sustainable,” Green said.

In other business, the board swore in nine new reserve police officers and awarded a $5,800 contract to a Griffith firm for fire extinguishers and training and $10,000 in federal emergency shelter grant money to a crisis center for youth.