Authority tables renovation project
CONNELLSVILLE – Connellsville Municipal Authority board members tabled action to replace several windows and a door at one of its buildings when the lone bid was more than had been set aside for the upgrade. Fox’s Glass of Connellsville, the single bidder for the project that entailed the replacement of 17 windows, some measuring upwards of 5 feet in width and 7 feet in length and a single door, submitted a cost of $36,507.
According to plant superintendent Gary Pennington, the specifications requested a thermal- pane glass window with aluminum fixtures, plus installation.
Pennington said the recommendation was to curtail heating costs for the 48-year-old facility.
“There is so much air that comes through there; the windows ice over in the winter,” he said.
Board member Ramona McIntire was opposed to the expenditure, noting that the cost was not in line with the budgeted amount of $25,000.
“Why all of a sudden do they need to be replaced?” she asked.
Authority secretary Kim Petko said that the board was recently notified that its monthly gas bill would be increased by $1,400, raising the amount to $4,700.
The cost is tied to heating several buildings. However, Pennington noted that the usage could be reduced if the windows and door were replaced at the site.
Widmer Engineering Inc. engineer John Tomaro said the cost was also likely tied to the removal and replacement of the large windows.
“You’ve got to be very careful taking them out and putting them in,” he said.
The board authorized Tomaro and Pennington to meet with Fox’s Glass representatives to determine if the cost could be reduced if another brand of fixture were used for the building.
Turning to other matters, the board learned that Scottdale Bank and Trust Co. would require collateral for it to provide a $1 million line of credit for an upcoming infrastructure project.
Authority solicitor Richard Husband said that discussions with the bank indicated that officials recommended the establishment of a mortgage until the authority received its PENNVEST funding for the project.
However, the board agreed to offer a lien against its revenues as collateral for the project.
The board plans to initiate the first phase of a project to eliminate several of the combined sewer overflows (CSOs) that collect and transfer excess water from drains, broken pipes and other sources at a cost of $3.4 million.
In other action, the board also conducted the following business:
– Authorized Pennington to conduct a second round of interviews with employee candidates and hire the most qualified for the open position.
– Purchased two $100,000 certificates of deposits through the Pennsylvania Local Government Investment Trust (PLGIT) for one year at an interest rate of 4.1 percent.
– Learned that Pennsylvania American Water Co. will increase the cost to read meters by approximately two cents beginning in January. The authority now pays 10 cents per meter for the service.
– Discussed the replacement of an 18-year-old front-end loader and the conversion of an unused sand bed for drying sludge to a concrete bed for future use.