New Freedom council approves treatment-plant equipment purchase and contract change order to avoid additional mobilization costs
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Summary
Council approved purchasing replacement parts for a failing decanter system and a contract change order for PSI to perform installation while the contractor is on-site, citing long lead times and cost risks if the work is deferred.
New Freedom Borough Council voted to move forward with replacement equipment and related contract change orders at the borough’s wastewater treatment plant after staff described failing decanter components and long lead times for parts.
Speaker 11 (manager/finance staff) summarized the technical problem and the purchase path: the municipality would acquire the SVR system equipment from the manufacturer (Abbot Robotics) through the CoStar purchasing platform and authorize PSI, the on-site contractor, to perform installation and related labor as a contract change order. Staff said lead time for parts is roughly 32–36 business weeks and that delaying repairs could require a separate mobilization and higher costs.
Plant staff and contractors provided cost estimates and installation notes; Speaker 13 (David McGuire, plant director) joined the presentation and described site conditions and on-site rigging that make a timely installation advantageous. Speaker 2 moved to approve proceeding with the project scope addition and purchase; the council voted in favor and approved moving forward. Councilors asked that final change orders and a contract amendment be brought to council for subsequent approval as specific line items and costs are finalized.
Speaker 11 emphasized that the borough would present any required contract change orders to council for formal approval, and that the immediate step is to authorize purchase and permit PSI to prepare the installation work while on-site to avoid a second mobilization.