Huntington Township declines low-volume grant to speed Meisterstown Road culvert repair, accepts JBI extension

Huntington Township supervisors voted to decline applying for low-volume dirt-and-gravel grant funds for the Meisterstown Road culvert project and to accept an extension request from contractor JBI.

The township’s engineer reported that participation in the dirt-and-gravel program would typically add about a year to the schedule and could increase total project costs by roughly 50% because of program-specific design criteria. The chair moved that the township not apply for that funding so repairs can be expedited; the motion was seconded and carried by voice vote. The board also voted to accept a project-extension request from JBI.

Board members debated trade-offs: several members said accepting the grant can reduce township out-of-pocket costs through larger external funding, while others argued the longer time frame and stricter standards were unacceptable because of road safety concerns. The engineer noted the program could reduce the township’s share of the total cost, even if the overall project price increased under program rules. One resident argued that delays contributed to a hazardous washout; board members disagreed about responsibility for the washout versus storm impacts.

The board gave staff and the engineer direction to proceed with an expedited timeline under township-led procurement and to return with any required documentation and cost updates. The accepted JBI extension will be used to adjust project scheduling.