New Bids on Temporary Space for Hightstown PD, Administration

The Hightstown Borough Council met for their first special meeting on the Borough Hall project on Thursday, March 28 where project manager Dawson Bloom filled the Council and the public in on the progress of the undertaking.

The Borough received new bids on March 22 for the site improvements for the temporary administrative and police facilities project, which will provide Hightstown police and administration with temporary modular facilities while the new Borough Hall is being constructed.

Two bids were received for the site improvements from Tony & Son, Inc. and from Mobilease Modular Space, Inc. Tony & Son, Inc. was the lowest bidder providing a bid of approximately $96,000 which is 50 percent less than that of Mobilease Modular Space’s bid of $203,000. The bid of $96,000 still exceeds the engineer’s cost estimate of the project, Bloom said, but the price is reasonable for the proposed work.

Furthermore, if the Borough does lease the Mercer Street properties for the location, the price can be revised and should see a reduction in site improvement costs. The ordinance to lease this area was tabled at the last Council meeting and will again be on the agenda for a vote at the next meeting.

Only one bid was received for the temporary modular police facilities project, even though six bidders obtained plans and specifications, according to Bloom. The one bidder was supplied by Mobilease Modular Space, Inc. for a total cost of $265,000. This bid includes a two year lease on the facility, the cost to furnish and install the unit, and the cost to break down and return the unit.

Bloom recommended that the Borough award the bids to Tony and Son, Inc. for site improvements and to Mobilease for the modular facility. The Council cannot award these bids until after the bond ordinance funding the new Borough Hall project is approved. Bloom explained that bids cannot be awarded until the funding for the project is available, and the funds do not become available until 25 days after the bond ordinance is approved.

A public hearing on the bond ordinance and final adoption are scheduled for the next Borough Council meeting on Monday, April 1 at 7:30 p.m.

The Council can also choose to reject these bids and then negotiate with the vendors for a lower price, Bloom explained. If the bond ordinance is approved on Monday the Borough has one month to negotiate with the vendors on a different price before the money becomes available through the ordinance.