Committee forwards sidewalk replacement options to council without recommendation after contractor suggests expanded scope

The Finance Administration Committee on Sept. 18 reviewed a proposed modification to the borough's sidewalk replacement project and voted to forward three scope-and-cost options to Borough Council without a recommendation. The committee chose to allow full council discussion rather than endorse a specific option.
Staff told the committee that the project was originally scoped using the borough's standard assessment method and estimated at about $155,000. The low-bid contractor later proposed additional curb and sidewalk segments after a field inspection; that expanded scope could raise the project cost. Staff described three options: the original scope, the contractor's recommended expanded scope, and a compromise middle option. "Based on the per unit cost... it would bring the cost up to about $175,000 with a potential savings with their economies of scale, down to about a $170,000," a staff member said. Staff also said a compromise plan would come in closer to the original budget.
Staff recommended one specific technical change regardless of the chosen scope: increase the concrete depth to 8 inches for the sidewalk area in front of the volunteer firehouse on Conway Avenue because repeated vehicle use there is damaging the sidewalk. Staff estimated that increase would cost one to two thousand dollars.
Committee members asked about ADA ramps and which ramp work was included in each option; staff confirmed that three ADA ramps were part of every scenario and that the contractor's per-unit bid prices mean the project does not need to be rebid to change quantities. After discussion, a committee member moved to forward the item to council without a recommendation; the motion passed.
Action and next steps: the committee forwarded the three options to council for final direction; council will consider which scope to authorize and any budget adjustments. Staff said final engineering estimates were still pending and that outstanding punch-list items are being tracked.