Connellsville mayor signs contract for salt storage building
CONNELLSVILLE – Despite another evening of disagreement on the project, a signed contract is expected to be in the hands of a Hopwood company today for the construction of a city salt storage building. In spite of her disapproval of the facility and its related cost, Mayor Judy Reed did sign the paperwork following council’s Tuesday meeting, according to Councilman Bruce Jaynes.
“She told me again it was a waste of taxpayers’ dollars, but she did sign the contract,” said Jaynes. “We can now move on.”
The contract, approved by a 3-to-2 majority vote margin in October, had sat in the municipal office awaiting Reed’s required signature.
The action contracted Rich J. Frantz Masonry and Cement Construction to build a 30-foot by 50-foot concrete and steel-paneled building at a cost of $79,645.
Throughout the lengthy discussion during Tuesday’s council meeting, Reed maintained that the building was too large for the city’s needs and too overpriced for the city budget.
Pointing to a photograph of a storage structure built in Westmoreland County, Reed said the 20-foot by 60-foot building was more in line with what would better serve Connellsville and the $30,000 price tag was a more reasonable cost.
“People have told me that (the city building) is large enough to service the entire county,” said Reed.
Additionally, said Reed, questions remained about the zoning of the property where the building is to be constructed and its historic value as the site of the first coke oven.
Despite instruction from solicitor Joseph Ferens sign the contracts, Reed continued to decline Jaynes’ requests.
“Are you going to sign these tonight?” he asked.
Reed did acquiesce after Jaynes presented an invoice from Frantz to recover $1,991 in costs he had incurred with the purchase of a bond in connection with the contract.
Dick Widmer, vice president of Widmer Engineering Inc., said in most cases the performance bond costs are returned to contractors with their first construction payment, but because no signed contract had been forwarded to the firm in this case, Frantz was seeking immediate reimbursement.
“This is just an attempt to put pressure on me to have the contract signed,” said Reed. “I will sign it; democracy does rule, but I see nothing positive in this. It’s a total waste of taxpayers’ dollars.”
Widmer, meanwhile, said Wednesday that he expects to meet with Frantz to discuss how the project will proceed.
“He hasn’t ordered any materials, so we won’t being seeing any equipment down there right away,” Widmer said.
In other unrelated matters, council also:
Extended the no-fee parking in city-owned lots to March 2004.
Authorized the redevelopment authority to submit a funding application for the city’s annual state Community Development Block Grant allocation.
Postponed a scheduled April 5 city auction to an unspecified date.
Authorized the use of City Hall Plaza for National Day of Prayer activities on May 1.
Awarded a contract to Charles Kantorik of Mount Pleasant to complete an audit of the 2002 city finances and submit a financial report to the state Department of Community and Economic Development. Kantorik submitted the lowest bid for the work at $7,900.