Hampton Township Council approves police station renovation funding, community center sidewalk and multiple contracts

Hampton Township Council on Wednesday approved a set of capital and contracting actions, including a $70,000 release from the capital improvement budget for police station renovations and a $117,180 contract to replace deteriorated sidewalks at the community center.

The council voted to authorize Facilities Director (staff member) to proceed with interior lighting upgrades and conversion to LED, and to convert a small garage into an EMS day room for a not-to-exceed total of $70,000. The Facilities Director told the council the lighting portion is estimated at about $31,008, the EMS day room about $32,004 and a roughly 10 percent contingency of about $5,007 to reach the $70,000 total. The motion passed on roll call with Miss Blackburn, Miss Fritch, Mr. Midgley, Mr. Scholey and Dr. Johnson voting in favor.

Council also awarded the low bid for concrete repairs at the community center to Shields Paving in an amount not to exceed $117,180. The public works project will replace the ring of cement sidewalk around the community center, including the flagpole area and curbing; the motion to award the contract carried unanimously.

Other actions approved included: - Awarding the 2025 construction equipment rental program to EZ Excavating and DRB Construction and awarding the construction tradesman program contracts to Diltz Enterprises and Joseph Shearer Electrical Contractor. Council approved the motion on roll call with the same affirmative vote. - Approving $25,000 from the capital improvement budget for an architectural design and facilities assessment for the Public Works building to Architectural Innovations, with H.F. Lenz as the subcontracted engineering firm; that motion passed by roll call. - Approving the consolidation of 12 township-owned parcels along Duncan Avenue and Mount Royal Boulevard as part of upgrades to the Lisonbee Park Water Pollution Control Plant; the motion passed with conditions outlined by the land use administrator. - Enacting Ordinance No. 874 to take over the sanitary sewer extension on Wagner Road, following receipt of as-builts and easement documentation; the ordinance was enacted by unanimous roll call vote.

Council members who participated in roll-call votes and were recorded as voting in favor on the motions above are Miss Blackburn, Miss Fritch, Mr. Midgley, Mr. Scholey and Dr. Johnson. Where a motion and second were recorded, the minutes show the votes were taken immediately by roll call.

The council discussion on the sidewalk project noted the bids were higher than earlier budget estimates; the lowest bid was $117,180. The facilities and public works staff said the work should address tripping hazards and areas where underground rock has caused previous buckling. Shields Paving indicated it expects to complete the work before summer camps begin on June 9 if the schedule holds.

The Facilities Director said savings on other municipal projects would offset some of the overages on the police station and that contingency is primarily allocated to lighting/electrical unknowns. The council did not amend the requested funding amounts during the meeting.

Votes at a glance: police station renovations — approved, not-to-exceed $70,000; public works architectural design — approved, $25,000; equipment rental and trades contracts — approved to EZ Excavating, DRB Construction, Diltz Enterprises, Joseph Shearer Electrical Contractor; community center concrete repairs to Shields Paving — approved, $117,180; Lisonbee Park parcel consolidation — approved subject to conditions; Ordinance No. 874 (Wagner Road sanitary sewer takeover) — enacted.

Council did not record any no votes on the listed motions in the meeting transcript.

Looking ahead, the council and staff said they will manage scheduling to avoid disrupting community center operations and will coordinate contractors to complete sidewalk repairs before June programs begin.