Council accepts low bid of $611,531.55 for 2025 sanitary sewer manhole rehabilitation; award contingent on solicitor and grant administrator review

Emmaus Borough Council voted May 19 to accept Environmental Service Corp of Pennsylvania as the contractor for the 2025 sanitary sewer manhole rehabilitation program, pending legal review and grant‑administrator confirmation.

Council packet material and the meeting record show the engineer recommended Environmental Service Corp’s low bid of $611,531.55. Councilmember (reading staff recommendation) summarized the engineer’s review and asked for a motion to approve the recommendation "subject to satisfactory review of the bid and supporting information by the borough solicitor and confirmation of no objections by the project funding grant administrator," which the motion maker incorporated.

The motion to approve the award with the stated contingencies was seconded and adopted by voice vote. A council member noted the borough had received a $425,000 grant for the project; the approved bid is within roughly $4,000 of the matching requirement for that grant, and competing bids ranged higher ($628,000; $734,000; $805,000), according to the engineer’s summary.

Council directed staff to complete solicitor review and confirm the grant administrator’s acceptance before final contract signing. No amendments were adopted at the meeting; the award is subject to the two administrative confirmations.

The project is scheduled as part of the borough’s capital and utility work for 2025; staff will return with contract documents after review.