Council Briefs: Resolutions Approved Concerning Road, Other Improvements

What follows is an account of actions taken on May 2 by the Bridgewater Township Council, which, while not breaking news, are still of note.

Council approves two bond ordinances

The council unanimously approved two bond ordinances for purchases and road improvements.

In the first ordinance, the township appropriated $162,750 for improvements, namely the acquisition of a pick-up truck with plow, dump body for truck frame, playground equipment, installation of an emergency generator and acquisition of video conferencing court equipment.

“This ordinance is for public works equipment,” said township administrator Robert Bogart.

The council then approved a bond ordinance for $2,080,000 to be used for various road improvements, including drainage improvements to Vosseller Road, Commons Way, Foothill Road and others; overlay work on Somerville and Drum Hill roads, among others; and sidewalks on Union Avenue, Garretson Road and other places.

“This deals only with funding for roads, walkways and drainage,” Bogart said.

Funds for both of these ordinances were accounted for in the capital budget.

Change order approved for Bradley Gardens sewer project

Because of a loss of a worker needed to complete the project, the council approved a resolution to accept an increase in costs for the design and construction of the Bradley Gardens Area Sanitary Sewer System.

The project, being completed by Lee T. Purcell Associates, has increased in cost from $196,000 to $234,400.

According to township engineer Tom Forsythe, some of the work was initially going to be done with in-house meter readings, and there was someone working for the township who could complete that work.

“But the person who was able to take care of that had to be laid off because of budget cuts,” he said. “We asked Mr. Purcell to perform the service, and that is the item on the change order.”

Purcell said that with his company picking up the slack, it was an additional 200 hours dedicated to the meter readings.

“And there was backflow in the Old York Road sewer line that caused the back-up of flow into another area,” he said. “There was a total of 320 man hours that were not part of the original hours.”

Purcell said the township should see about $40,000 to $50,000 in savings over the year with this work that was done.

The council approved the resolution, with councilman Matthew Moench voting against it.

Contract awarded for Foothill Road improvements

The council unanimously approved a resolution to award a contract to Stilo Excavation Inc. for the Foothill Road Phase 2 Roadway Improvements from Peterpar Road to Merriwood Road.

The cost of the contract is $170,969.69.

The work will include new pavement and incidental work.

Special counsel hired for reexamination report

The township council unanimously approved a resolution to hire Valerie J. Kimson as special counsel regarding implementation of the township’s reexamination report.

According to the resolution, Kimson is being hired because township attorney William Savo has a conflict of interest with regard to a zoning matter in connection with the master plan’s reexamination report.

Kimson was hired at a cost not to exceed $7,500.

Liquor license amended to allow for outdoor music at

In accordance with the council’s opinion that outdoor music can be allowed on the patio outside the Green Knoll Grille, the council approved a resolution that amends the restaurant’s liquor license to allow for that.

The resolution states that the restaurant can have acoustic guitars with accompanying vocals on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. during the season when the patio is open.

This was made of the council last month.