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County committee backs Herman Goldner quote to rehabilitate Gracedale cooling tower
Summary
Finance committee reviewed awarding a contract to Herman Goldner Company Inc., under the COSTARS cooperative, for major rehabilitation of the cooling tower at Gracedale including epoxy coating, new motor, gearbox and replacement nozzles.
The Northampton County finance committee reviewed a proposed contract award to Herman Goldner Company Inc. for a major rehabilitation of the cooling tower at Gracedale, with work to proceed under the county’s existing COSTARS cooperative purchasing contract.
Mike (presenter) told the committee the county solicited three quotes and that Herman Goldner provided the lowest quote. “The scope of work would consist of aligning the cooling tower with a two-part epoxy coating to improve the corrosion resistance and extend the durability of the cooling tower,” he said, adding the project would also replace the PVC fill bundles, install a new motor and gearbox and replace the spray nozzles.
The project includes optional contract line items the presenter said the county intends to exercise. “Option A is basically…you’re getting additional durability and corrosion resistance with that option A. And option B…we’d be replacing all of [the] 268 nozzles inside the cooling tower,” Mike said. He described the overall work as “a pretty substantial rehab project.”
Councilmember Milley asked why the county used a negotiated quote process rather than a sealed competitive bid. The presenter said using quotes avoided the added cost of hiring an engineer to prepare detailed bid specifications, which he estimated could add $1.5 million to the project design cost; instead the county prepared a simpler scope and solicited quotes from three contractors already approved through COSTARS.
Committee members confirmed all three contractors were COSTARS-approved. No formal vote was recorded in the transcript; staff indicated they planned to move forward with Herman Goldner based on the quotes and the COSTARS procurement path.
If approved, the project’s work would include epoxy coating of tower interiors, replacement of internal PVC fill bundles, a new motor and gearbox, and replacement of roughly 268 spray nozzles. The committee did not provide a final contract value in the discussion recorded on the transcript.
