The Delaware County Board of Commissioners voted to award a contract for the Norris Run Watershed Drainage Improvement Project to B & K Lerner Excavating LLC, an 18-month project that county engineers say will improve surface and subsurface drainage around the Ratner Road area.

Lee Bodnar of the county engineer's office told commissioners the project covers locations in Marlborough, Troy and Radnor townships and that four bids were received. "B & K Lerner was the best and lowest," Bodnar said, recommending the board approve the contract.

Brett Bacon, deputy administrator at the Soil and Water Conservation District, said the engineer's estimate "was in the $1,400,000 range" and that one bid came in "just under $1.2 million." Commissioners discussed the estimate and the multiple bidders before moving to approve the award.

The project is scheduled to start soon, contingent on the signed contract, and engineers expect completion by 2027. County staff said the work will include both surface drainage improvements and installation of subsurface drainage.

No objections or alternate motions were recorded during the meeting; commissioners recessed into executive session later in the agenda to consider personnel and litigation matters.

The board's next procedural step on the project is contract execution and construction scheduling; no construction start date was provided at the meeting.