Water, library projects stalled by inflation | news

BLACK LICK – Inflation has driven the prices of two community improvement projects above their grant amounts, and Burrell Township leaders have no idea how or when to move forward.

Contractor bids have exceeded the budget for the new Burrell Township Library and Municipal Building by more than $ 400,000.

Rising pipe costs have swelled the Campbells Mill Road aqueduct expansion project to $ 90,000 above budget.

“We’re in a waiting pattern,” said Larry Henry, chairman of the township supervisor.

The High Ridge Water Authority project has been on hold since June when prices rose too high. You haven’t moderated yet. And the actual supplies of pipes were running out, said Henry.

“The cost of the pipe went from $ 61,000 to $ 147,000. And they can’t get it. “

Supervisor Dan Shacreaw said he would reach out to the district commissioners on High Ridge’s behalf “to see if we could get into the district’s CDBG money or see if there is anything else out there.” But even if we get that … they can’t find the pipe. “

Meanwhile, library supporters had started a community fundraising campaign in the expectation that construction prices for the new library on Main Street would be higher than the $ 429,000 in grants and $ 100,000 the community provided .

A few months ago, the fact that the entire project would grow to a million dollars was not on the radar.

Low bids opened on Friday included:

• CNC Design, Penn Run, General Design, $ 719,900, lowest of five bids.

• Marc Services Inc., Windber, mechanical (heating and ventilation), $ 96,150, the lowest of six bids.

• Sheesley Electric, Indiana, Electrical Engineering, $ 81,561, lowest of six bids.

• Hinkle Plumbing & Heating, Johnstown, Plumbing, $ 47,900, lowest of eight bids.

Engineering fees of $ 73,018 already paid by the community brought the total to $ 1,018,529.

“We haven’t forgiven anything. We have just opened the offers. (Project Engineer) Stiffler McGraw should sit down with the contractors and see if we can trim anything, ”said Henry.

Previously, managers saved $ 60,000 by cutting the landscaping ad from the project.

Shakrew said the obligation to pay applicable wages helped blow up prices.

“Because we’re a government, that’s how we have to bid,” Shacreaw said. “We need to make a few calls and see if we can find more help.”

To add to the discouraging news, Library Director Jen Van Hannak told supervisors about the October 7 death of Library Council member Rick Bozich, a former president “who was a really good man … who really took care of the library,” she said. “He was instrumental in keeping the library running.”

Some board members, she said, are ready to disband the board and have the library disbanded in 2018 after the library building was badly damaged and frozen by a water leak in the middle of winter. The construction was condemned and the library’s belongings were put away for many months before being allowed to temporarily establish services in the public meeting room of the community building.

“There was a time after our first Keystone grant application was rejected. He was the one who worked to keep the Library Council going and he was instrumental in getting us to where we are now, ”said Van Hannak. “This is a great, great loss and it is missed.”

In other businesses the superiors are:

• Designated Halloween celebrations for October 31st, including a parade starting at 1:00 pm on Main Street and allowing trick-of-treating times from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Local residents should turn on the porch lights to welcome costumed teenagers, Shacreaw said.

“It’s the same every year. The last Sunday in October, ”he said.

Shacreaw said parade attendees should report to the staging area between noon and 12:30 p.m.

• According to reports, the community is expected to receive $ 211,983 – perhaps – from a liquid fuel allocation from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Henry said the actual money would likely lag behind PennDOT’s estimate given the local population is a factor in the equation. The 2020 U.S. census found the township lost about 900 residents over the past decade.

Even so, the promised payment of “return” grants – to cover the community’s cost of maintaining certain state-owned roads – is expected to be less than the estimate of $ 17,520.

• Learned from Van Hannak that Jen Shirley’s library’s story hours program resumed at 1:00 PM on Saturday and a fundraising bingo game is scheduled for 2:00 PM on Sunday at the Black Lick Fire Station.

• Household workshops are reportedly scheduled for October 26, 27, and 28, 2022 from 1pm to 3pm at the community office.