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Schuylkill Township board approves gable roof, narrows meeting‑room expansion and seeks security, wiring options
Summary
The Schuylkill Township Board of Supervisors voted June 8, 2026, to include a gable roof in the municipal complex base bid and directed staff to refine a bid alternate that would omit a meeting room while preserving wiring, a secure vestibule and ballistic window options; one supervisor objected to eliminating safety and functional features.
Schuylkill Township supervisors voted June 8 to proceed with a gable roof in the municipal complex base bid and asked staff and the project architect to refine a bid alternate that would exclude an expansion of the meeting room but preserve key security and infrastructure options.
Township Manager Laurie Getz and the project architect presented the status of the Municipal Complex Renovation Project and reviewed a bid alternate developed in response to prior board direction to eliminate the proposed meeting room expansion. Getz said removing the meeting room from the bid alternate would also remove several features included in the base bid, including a private caucus room, a township emergency operations center (EOC), a second public restroom, a secure vestibule, ballistic windows, police department flex/training space, reduced storage and office sizes, and several planned security and technology upgrades.
The motion to proceed with a gable roof in the base bid was made by Chair Bob Cooney and seconded by Supervisor John Kiernan; the motion carried unanimously.
Supervisor Danielle Jouenne objected to the bid alternate that would omit the meeting room, saying it would result in the loss of safety and functional features the township previously identified as needs. "Removing those elements would reduce the building's utility and the security features the township requested," Jouenne said, expressing her opposition. Chair Bob Cooney asked staff and the architect to explore alternatives to the bid alternate, including use of ballistic film on the meeting room windows and ensuring the alternate provides the wiring and infrastructure necessary for future technology upgrades. The board also expressed support for including a secure vestibule in the bid alternate.
Why it matters: the board's decision keeps the base architectural design intact while attempting to reduce immediate construction scope and cost; at the same time, the board sought to preserve options for later security and technology improvements so the complex can support police functions, public meetings and emergency operations.
Next steps: staff and the architect will refine the bid alternate plans to reflect the board's directions — including ballistic film options, wiring/infrastructure provisions and a secure vestibule — before finalizing documents for bidding.
