Apr 27, 2011 By Rebekah Sungala 2 min read

?MASONTOWN — Borough council voted to continue Tuesday’s meeting to 7?p.m. May 4 in hopes of acquiring a funding source for the proposed municipal complex.

Bids for renovations to the municipal complex were opened in February but have yet to be awarded. The borough has 120 days from the time bids were opened to award a contract and are more than halfway through that time period.

Council previously said a contract can be awarded once funding is secured.

The proposed municipal complex is to be located in the former Gabler Drug building at 2 N. Main St.

Council intends to revamp the building and turn it into a complex that will house borough offices and the police department. The office of Magisterial District Judge Randy Abraham is also supposed to be located in the complex.

This is the second time the project was put out for bid. The proposed municipal complex, designed by Dwain Lee of Dwain Lee Architects of Blacklick, Ohio, was redesigned and scaled back after original bids received in July came in higher than expected.

Council voted 6-0 to continue the meeting, with council President Harry Lee and council members Kim Essig, Frank McLaughlin, Kay Rendina, Joseph Stillwagon and Mike Washko voting in favor of the motion. Councilman Edward Gulino was absent from Tuesday’s meeting.

Council also unanimously voted to move forward with the alternate bid for the project, which involves additional work to the proposed municipal complex’s entrance way.

The borough asked for both base bids and an alternate bid for the additional work.

The motion to move forward with the alternate bid is contingent upon funding and approval from the state Department of Community and Economic Development, council said.

In November 2009, council borrowed $122,500 from Community Bank of Carmichaels to purchase the 12,000-square-foot building. The 40-year loan offered an interest rate of around 3.65 percent. The borough is still paying on that loan.

In other business, council said fire hydrants will be flushed this week.

Council also reminded residents that water will be shut off May 3 to any residences that are two months or more behind on their water bill.