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Beach Haven council reviews $6.09M low bid for EOC renovation; budget shortfall means ordinance needed
Summary
Low bid of about $6,086,000 for emergency operations center renovations exceeds available funds; council directed staff to prepare an appropriation ordinance and consider a timeline extension from the low bidder while consultants and counsel said demolish-and-rebuild would likely cost significantly more and take longer.
The Beach Haven Borough Council on Aug. 5 reviewed low bids for the town’s emergency operations center (EOC) renovation and agreed to pursue a funding ordinance after officials said the low bidder’s price exceeds available appropriations.
Frank Little, called to address the council, said the low bid was about $6,086,000 and that a second bid exceeded $6.2 million. Little told council members that the low bidder has posted required bonds and appears qualified but that the borough “doesn’t have enough to award it” without amending the budget. He recommended seeking an extension from the low bidder (standard award window is about 60 days) and pursuing a first and second reading of an ordinance to appropriate the additional funds so the award could occur at an autumn meeting.
Redevelopment counsel Jim Maley told the council the borough’s earlier work with the General Services Administration (GSA) and other federal offices makes outright demolition and new construction a complicated alternative. Maley said the federal position historically has been strict about continued public-safety use of the building and that buying the property or waiting for federal approvals could add years and multimillion-dollar cost increases. “If you demo the building, you have to buy the property at fair market value,” he said, and rebuilding could push costs “more like $8,000,000” or higher.
Councilors and consultants said structural engineers have found the existing structure can be brought up to code and that renovation, not replacement, is currently the most feasible path. Council members emphasized the EOC is needed sooner rather than later and directed the mayor and clerk to work with Treasurer Sherry Bowler to draft an ordinance to appropriate additional funds and request the contractor extension so an award could be considered at an October meeting.
The council did not award the contract at the meeting and did not take a formal vote on procurement; the council’s immediate action was to seek the ordinance and continue the procurement process. Attorney and staff said the borough will continue outreach to clarify federal deed restrictions and secure any required approvals before moving to final award or demolition steps.
