CLARION, Pa. (EYT) — A bid, which came in a little over $200,000.00 lower than the original estimate, was approved for the Center Place Storm Water Replacement Project by the Clarion Borough Council at the Tuesday, October 2 meeting.
The bid, which was awarded to Bison Construction, Inc. of Fairmount City, Pa., is in the amount of $881,260.00 and includes some contingency items according to Dave Neill of EADS Group, the borough’s engineer on the project.
That is approximately $218,470.00 lower than the original estimate for the project of around $1.1 million.
According to Neill, the borough can now decide if it wants to potentially add to the project or perhaps borough less money for the project. The council will decide what it wants to do at a later date.
Bison Construction bid was the lowest of seven received bids that were opened at 2:00 p.m. on September 25, 2018, at the borough’s administrative offices.
The other six bids were as follows: $1,049,490.00 from Terra Works, Inc., in Clarion, Pa.; $1,084,084.00 from Greenland Construction, Inc., in Clearfield, Pa.; $1,153,019.75 from S.E.T. Inc., in Lowellville, Ohio; $1,384,439.00 from Mealy Excavating & Construction, Inc., in Tionesta, Pa..; $1,434,783.00 from Mortimers Excavating, Inc., in Pulaski, Pa.; and $1,509,630.00 from D.J. Wisor & Sons in Elmora, Pa.
In addition to approving the bid, the council was informed that the next PennVEST (low-interest loan through the commonwealth) call, the second conference call, will take place at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, October 5, 2018, and the targeted closing date of December 18, 2018, is still in place.
BOROUGH IMPLEMENTS POLICY FOR CONNECTING INTO SEWER SYSTEM
The council approved a policy for how property owners will connect in the public sewer system owned by the borough and leased to the Clarion Borough Stormwater Authority.
The gist of the policy is that no connection shall be made to the borough’s storm water system expect though an executed written agreement between the borough, property owner and, as applicable, contractor. It also states that the borough will review and approve the location, type, method(s), procedures, score and materials to be used in constructing a connection to the system.
According to borough council president Carol Lapinto, the borough didn’t have a policy in the past and that led to people connecting to the system without the borough’s knowledge. She acknowledged that might have led to some of the issues now facing the borough at Center Place.
LEAD PICK UP TO HAPPEN FROM OCTOBER 15-NOVEMBER 20
The borough’s annual fall leaf collection program will begin every Monday and Tuesday starting October 15, 2018, and continuing until November 20, 2018.
All leaves must be curbside by 7:00 a.m. on the collection day. This is for leaves only. No limbs, brush or grass will be accepted. Do not put the leaves in the bag. There is no need to contact the Public Works Department.
According to Public Works Committee chairman Earl Zerfoss, collections will most likely continue on Wednesday mornings as well during the collection time period.
PA AMERICAN WATER PROJECT TO CAUSE STREET CLOSURES
A project to repair and replace some sewage pipes by Pennsylvania American Water will cause some street and sidewalk closures on Fifth Avenue, Wood Street and other borough streets in the weeks immediately following this week’s Autumn Leaf Festival.
There will be intermittent sidewalk closures on both the east and west sides of South Fifth Avenue and temporary closures of borough streets, including Wood Street, daily throughout the work.
The sidewalk closures on the east side of South Fifth Avenue will take place between 141 South Fifth Avenue and Main Street and on the west side of South Fifth Avenue between 74 South Fifth Avenue and 15 South Fifth Avenue. Mealy Construction was awarded the contract to perform the work, and Pennsylvania American Water will contact the borough with a more precise schedule as soon as it becomes available to it.
The street closures will encompass several borough streets, and most of the proposed work will require temporary closures of the streets throughout the work. Pennsylvania American Water, in a letter to the council, said that most of the street closures, as defined by borough code, will be less than 14 days expect for Wood Street, which will extend beyond the 14 days. In all cases, the closures will only occur one block at a time and the streets will be opened back up to traffic at the end of each work day.
On Wood Street, Pennsylvania American Water asked for an was granted permission to go beyond the 14 days for water and sewer main replacements between South Second Avenue and South Fifth Avenue.
MAIN STREET IMPROVEMENT PROJECT UPDATE
An update was given to the council on the Main Street Improvement Project.
Lapinto said that she and a few additional council members met with Clarion University and had decided to continue with the style of benches used by the CU and Clarion County. She said some of the benches will be traditional benches with backs and some will be two-sided benches that will allow people to sit facing in either direction.
It was also announced that the borough will not be going with the decorative trash cans.
“They aren’t strong enough,” Lapinto said. “We need heavy cement so they don’t get pushed over.”
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business the council:
