Penn Forest awards $732,835.79 road-improvement contract; approves hires and equipment purchases

The Penn Forest Township Board of Supervisors accepted a $732,835.79 bid from H&K Group for the 2026 Road Improvements Project during its June 1 meeting. Supervisor Meckes moved acceptance of the bid and Supervisor Holland seconded; the board recorded a unanimous roll-call vote in favor.

In the same series of motions the board approved or ratified a group of operational purchases and personnel actions: ratification of hiring Philip Vitale as a transfer station employee at $22.70 per hour (start date recorded as May 27, 2026); approval to purchase a Kubota battery for $225.00; approval of inspection, two tires and alignment for the township F350 Crew Cab at a cost up to $1,000.00; ratification of windshield replacement for the F350 at $781.09; authorization for 5Star to repair a John Deere (cost up to $5,000.00); and ratification to hire Rich Matsick as a laborer/road-crew member at $22.70 per hour (start date recorded as June 22, 2026). A purchase request for 14 cubic yards of red mulch appears in the minutes with inconsistent amounts: the vendor quote is recorded as $703.00 while the motion text states a purchase up to $600.00; the minutes do not reconcile that discrepancy.

All of the listed motions passed on unanimous roll-call votes. The minutes record motions, seconds and vote tallies but do not include extended debate, contractor selection criteria, or implementation timelines beyond the recorded start dates for hires.