Council approves two brick-street change orders after debate over timing and budget

Craftton Borough Council voted April 23 to approve two change orders adding targeted repairs to the borough’s 2026 brick-street program.

Engineer Larry Kenan told council that additional brick repair areas — Clear View at 804 and Bar Avenue near 1760 — had been identified during pre-construction and estimated at $3,100 and $14,150 respectively. He said the original bid award was about $115,190 against an original budget of $100,000 and reported that PA American Water work overlapping at North Grand View freed roughly $5,590 in scope savings.

Council members debated whether to include the two small repairs now to avoid remobilization costs or defer them because discretionary funds are limited. Several members said motorists were already scraping vehicle bottoms on the worst stretches and noted recent brick damage as a reason to act sooner.

A motion to add both change orders — $3,100 for Clear View and $14,150 for Bar Avenue — was moved and seconded. The finance committee said the borough could cover the added cost by reallocating previously budgeted road-fund reserves and last year’s unspent allocations if the accounting is tracked carefully. The motion passed with one opposing vote (recorded vote 5–1).

After the vote, staff outlined a contractor schedule that will complete Clear View first, then Bar Avenue, followed by Belvadier and North Grand View after PA American Water finishes its work.

What it means: Council accepted modest additional repairs to prevent further street deterioration and avoid the higher cost of remobilizing crews later. Staff emphasized the need for clerical tracking of prior-year funds being combined with current-year allocations so the finance committee can account for the shift.

Next steps: The contractor will proceed under the adjusted scope and staff will track the funding shift and report back to council.