Richmond City Board of Public Works and Safety approves road closure, podcast contract, fire gear purchase and demolition addenda

The Richmond City Board of Public Works and Safety on March 12 approved a series of routine items including a road closure for the Richmond Bridal celebration, renewal of the city podcast contract, purchase of turnout gear for Richmond Fire and two demolition contract addenda.

The board’s actions were largely procedural and passed by voice vote. The presiding officer called for and recorded approvals before adjourning the meeting.

Minutes and claims
The board approved minutes from its March 5, 2026 meeting and accepted claims for payment dated March 13 totaling $202,722.83. Both items were adopted after a motion, a second and a voice vote; the transcript does not record individual roll-call vote counts.

Road closure for Richmond Bridal celebration
Aaron Stevens, administrative resource officer with the Richmond Police Department, asked the board to close Elm Place between North 8th Street and North 10th Street on June 27, 2026, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. for the Richmond Bridal celebration. The board moved, seconded and approved the closure by voice vote.

Podcast contract renewal
Lindsay Darnell, community development coordinator, presented contract 23-2026 with That Drone Guy LLC (d/b/a Global Media Enterprise) to continue producing the city’s official podcast Inside Richmond. Staff solicited three bids and received two; the mayor’s office recommended Global Media Enterprise based on pricing and scope. The contract was approved in an amount not to exceed $10,104.

Turnout gear purchase for Richmond Fire
James Clark, assistant chief of Richmond Fire, requested approval of contract 27-2026 with Hoosier Fire Equipment Incorporated to furnish 20 sets of turnout gear for the 2026–27 rotation. Clark said the department is buying ahead to secure pricing for next year, noting, “Turnout gear is getting pretty pricey.” The board approved the contract in an amount not to exceed $75,240. A board member asked whether purchases had already been made this year; Clark clarified this contract secures next year’s pricing.

Demolition contract addenda and asbestos costs
Sherry Ritchie, a City of Richmond code enforcement inspector, asked the board to approve addenda to contracts with Jarrett Excavating LLC for demolition work originally awarded Dec. 11, 2025. Ritchie listed multiple properties included in the work and said additional asbestos removal costs were identified during demolition: $3,060 at 911 Boyer Street and $380 at 218 North 20th Street. She asked the board to approve addendum 1 to contract 187-2025 (not to exceed $46,649) and addendum 1 to contract 188-2025 (not to exceed $36,345); both were approved by voice vote. (The transcript uses both the spellings "Jarrett Excavating" and "Jared Excavating"; the article uses "Jarrett Excavating LLC" for consistency with the initial spelling and typical local business naming.)

What’s next
All items on the published agenda were approved by voice vote; the transcript does not provide individual roll-call tallies. The presiding officer adjourned the meeting at the close of business.