Council approves multiple contracts for municipal construction project, adds construction manager

On Feb. 18, 2025, the council approved awards and related agreements to move forward with a municipal construction project, including a construction management contract and separate trade contracts for HVAC and electrical work.

Council members voted by voice to accept multiple recommendations after staff described that several bids arrived close to one another and recommended proceeding so contractors could begin mobilization. The council approved a motion to accept the Feb. 3, 2025 meeting minutes before taking the contract items.

Staff told the council the recommended general construction vendor is Wharton (company name in packet). The transcript does not specify a clear dollar amount for the recommended general-construction award in the meeting record provided; staff described the competitive nature of the returns and asked the council to approve so contractors could begin bond paperwork and immediate coordination with subcontractors.

Council also approved trade contracts discussed during the same agenda sequence. The transcript contains the following dollar figures discussed by staff: a mechanical/HVAC bid of $260,146; an electrical recommendation to Northland Electric for $724,000; and a construction-management fee proposal described as roughly $106,000. Staff described an overall “all-in” estimated project cost of about $10,000,000.

Staff told the council the bids were relatively close in many divisions, which staff said is “good news” because there was no single outlier. Council members asked staff and engineers to review the bid results closely and to finalize award documents while the contracts were being locked down; staff said some bidding documents are firm for a limited time and that some contracts will be “voice contracts” once the documents are locked.

On timeline and funding, staff said a four-month construction duration was in the schedule used to estimate the timeline, and that some project costs may be reimbursable. Staff said engineers had worked with a reimbursement or partner program (referred in the transcript as “PenPass”) and that the borough should be able to recover a large portion of certain costs through that process.

Motions were moved and seconded from the dais (movers identified in the transcript). Votes on the listed items were taken by voice; the record shows unanimous “ayes” called during the meeting but does not list a roll-call tally of names in the transcript segment provided.

Clarifying details discussed during the meeting included the need to lock bidding documents, engineer review of price differences, a projected four-month construction schedule, an overall project budget described as about $10 million, and staff expectation of partial reimbursement for large eligible costs.

The council also considered related routine business during the same meeting, including volunteer appointment applications and a public-works update. Staff said they would return with final contract paperwork and continued oversight through the project’s active construction period.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to accept Feb. 3, 2025 minutes: moved by Mister Leonard; outcome: approved by voice vote (recorded as ayes in transcript). - Motion to approve general-construction award (recommended vendor Wharton): mover: Mister Whitaker; second: Mister Crane; outcome: approved by voice vote (tally not specified in transcript). - Motion(s) to approve trade contracts including HVAC and electrical: outcomes approved by voice vote; HVAC bid amount discussed $260,146; electrical recommendation to Northland Electric discussed as $724,000. - Motion to approve construction management contract (fee described in discussion as about $106,000): outcome approved by voice vote.

Sources and meeting record: staff presentation and the council’s voice votes during the Feb. 18, 2025 meeting.