While media coverage about Tyrone borough government has been dominated in recent days by the dismissal of now former borough manager Nathan George, council held two meetings last week and conducted routine business.
At Friday’s special meeting, the council approved bids for a number of items including chemical, fuel, stone and patch paving bids and others.
Current two-year contracts for most of the products run until June 30, 2004, according to information released at the meeting by Mayor Patricia Stoner. The new contracts are expected to run for a similar two-year period until June 30, 2006.
The bids were reviewed by department heads, and in one case, no bids were received. Unleaded fuel and diesel fuel will be rebid in the near future. The current vendor for unleaded fuel is Sheetz and diesel fuel is Kwik-Fill.
A determination of the low bidder for polyelectrolyte for use at the wastewater treatment plant was based upon the lowest net cost to the borough, per ton of sludge produced, considering polyelectrolyte usage and sludge dryness (density). The sewer superintendent Tim Nulton completed an analysis of trial runs of all the bidders and the lowest net cost came from the bid submitted by Custom Environmental Technology. Its polyelectrolyte bid was actually second lowest at $1.27 a pound. However, the net cost determined from the trial runs came to $8.39 per dry ton.
It was recommended, council approve Custom’s bid as the lowest bidder considering total net cost. Council approved the bid unanimously.
Council also approved a low bid on the 2004 street and alley improvement project. Two bids were accepted on June 3. The bid from New Enterprise Stone and Lime Company was approved by council in the amount of $98,360.
The borough also received request for proposals for the lead base paint services for the continuation of Tyrone’s housing rehabilitation program under the 2003 HOME program on June 7.
Quotes were received from the EADS Group, NORAC Labs and LBP Evaluation Services. NORAC Labs proposal also included a reimbursement of mileage due to an increase in gas prices.
It was recommended by Phyllis Garhart, borough finance director, to use the service of NORAC Labs which was the low bidder. The bid includes lead-based paint inspection, risk assessment and clearance testing services. Council approved the awarding of the work to NORAC Labs.
The council also approved an exception to the $20,000 maximum limit for a HOME program applicant. The borough received information from the County of Blair Rehabilitation Housing Authority that a bid received for an applicant exceeded the limit. Garhart reported to council, the individual was unable to arrange financing for the excess amount. After a review of the bids and lead reports for the property, Garhart recommended an exception be made to the $20,000 limit. The bid was approved in the amount of $23,765.
Council also agreed to waive all permit fees regarding renovations to the Citizen’s Firehall. Non-profit Joshua House purchased the building and is about to begin renovations. The organization asked that a fee of $465 be waived either partially or in full. Council agreed to waive the entire amount.
Council also approved council person Sharon Dannaway as a signatory for borough accounts and council person J.R. Watson was approved to sign various borough documents.
Mayor Stoner also asked that a resolution be prepared by Solicitor Larry Clapper indicated the borough’s support for the Growing Greener program. Clapper was directed by council to prepare the resolution.
Also last week at the regular June 7 meeting, council approved Innovative Consulting Group, Inc. of Altoona as a third-party inspector to assist borough code enforcement officer Thomas Lang in the enforcement of the Uniform Construction Code. The new code is going into effect in most municipalities later this summer. Tyrone’s ordinance adopting the code has set a July 1 effective date.
Lang has also recommended council consider joining a regional appeals board concerning the new code due to a lack of response from those in the borough expressing interest in being appointed to such a board. The appeals board is required as part of the new code.
Council concurred with Lang the borough should continue to work with other municipalities to form such an appeals board.
In another code enforcement matter, Lang proposed a new property maintenance code, council directed solicitor Clapper to prepare an ordinance which would update borough building and maintenance codes to the same “family of codes” (International Building Codes) when the new Uniform Construction Code goes into effect on July 1.
The ordinance was not brought up at the June 11 special meeting and the borough canceled its regular meetings of June 14 and July 6. The next regular Tyrone borough council meeting is set for July 12.
