Council approves stormwater payments, contract changes and PennDOT winter maintenance renewal

New Freedom Borough Council approved multiple routine infrastructure actions, including payment applications for stormwater projects, a contract change reducing a stormwater contract and renewal of the borough’s winter maintenance agreement with PennDOT.

Council approved application for payment No. 1 for the Bailey Avenue stormwater project in the amount of $69,187.50; borough staff said the project is on schedule and likely to finish within a month and is funded entirely by a hazard-mitigation grant. The council also approved payment application No. 1 to Clearview Excavation for the Deep Creek pump station / Orbrook Road stormwater project in the amount of $131,005 and approved change order No. 2 that reduces that contract by $14,500.

Council discussed renewal of the winter maintenance agreement with PennDOT, which covers 10.4 snow lane miles by the agreement’s definition (one-way lane, 12 feet wide). Staff reported the first-year allocation to the borough under the agreement is $12,266.90, and after breaking out salt, labor, fuel, equipment maintenance and depreciation, the borough’s cost exposure (with a 15% contingency) is a little over $3,000 per year. Council noted an additional allocation of roughly $5,000 was received previously following a severe-weather adjustment.

All motions related to the payment applications, the change order and the PennDOT winter maintenance renewal were approved by voice vote.

Outcome: Council approved the payment applications for the Bailey Avenue and Deep Creek/Orbrook stormwater projects, approved contract change order No. 2 reducing a contract by $14,500, and renewed the PennDOT winter maintenance agreement covering 10.4 snow lane miles; staff reported those projects are grant-funded or cost-effective under the agreement terms.