Moscatelli reveals complex nature of bids, contracts, work and resolutions intended to improve borough roadways
One main topic at a lengthy Feb. 12 board of commissioners meeting was the passage of a Capital Bond Ordinance in the amount of $570,000 intended for stormwater and drainage upgrades to borough roads in 2019.
With Mayor Neal Rochford absent due to health concerns, the two commissioners in attendance, Jeff Kasko and John Moscatelli, gave their stamp of approval upon the ordinance’s first reading.
Parallel to the approved bond ordinance were six additional resolutions that dealt directly with financing the various projects, advertising for bids to undertake the work necessary, and adjusting costs relating to their completion.
Chief among them was the authorization to approve a Temporary Capital Budget of $600,000 so whomever the borough selects to perform the work can be paid for their services.
“We needed to have something specific, and we did this somewhat outside the normal cycle because we want to get it moving. We need to get the bids out in order to get the contractors lined up so we can get the work done. If we wait too late in the year, then we’re going to miss the construction season and we’re constructing all this a year from now,” Moscatelli said.
According to the meeting agenda, the estimated cost of stormwater outfall and drainage improvements is $285,950, CIPP (cured-in-place pipe) stormwater improvements are estimated to be $194,750 and stormwater improvements included in those roads within the borough’s Roads Program are estimated to cost $89,300. The total capital adds up to the $570,000 in the bond ordinance.
When $30,000 is factored in from the borough’s Capital Improvements Fund, the total amount of the project expected to be financed is $600,000.
“We had the engineers give us the estimates for all (the work that needs to be done). And then, Sharon (Borough Administrator McCullough) went in and looked at the amount of money we had left, because the cost of the projects totaled more than that,” Moscatelli offered.
“So she took out what we already had in bond ordinance, figured out what we need. In my understanding … we can’t go out to bid on these projects unless we have the money. At least we can’t award them until we have the money. At some point, we actually have to have the money in an account somewhere. We can’t award a contract on something and say ‘oh yeah, we’ll pass a budget in the future.’”
Among the projects on the docket for this year are stormwater outfall drainage improvements to Euclid Avenue, Homestead Avenue from Barberry Lane to Hinchman Avenue, Maple Avenue and Narberth Drive along with South Edge Park Drive.
“Each one of these projects has its own specifics, but the outfall and drainage improvements, like Maple and Narberth, is a big one. We need to put in a whole series of inlets and underground pipes and chambers to get this water into the ravine and get it in at an acceptable velocity. So we have these inspections and they tell us what’s good and what’s bad. And some things are smaller fixes and some are bigger fixes,” said Moscatelli.
Stormwater pipe improvements using a method called “cure-in-place” are scheduled for Euclid, South Edge Park, and Knoll Top Lane. Pipes along the latter roadway require a bit more intensive work: isolated root grinding, joint repair and chemical grouting.
“Cured-in-place is where we’ve got pipes which are degraded, but haven’t completely lost their integrity. So if they have cracks and things inside them, we can actually slip a plastic lining in. And then inflate it and cure it, where it makes a plastic pipe inside the old concrete or metal pipe. That allows us to get more life out of it, and is a lot cheaper,” Moscatelli explained.
As part of the 2019 Roads Program, drainage improvements are expected to occur at the intersections of East Park Avenue and Walnut Street, Redman and Estaugh avenues, as well as on individual sections of Estaugh, Knolltop, Jefferson and Mountwell avenues, and Chestnut Street.
“And then, on the drainage for the roads program, these are things we are going to have the roads contractor do specifically. Replacing some inlets and things that exist outside the slip line. Slip-lining is a specialty. You get someone who comes in and it’s easier to bid it as a separate contract, because, otherwise a separate contractor’s just going to hire the specialty subcontractor and mark it up on you. So, what we do is, taking things like setting the inlets, and a regular paving, a contractor can do that,” added Moscatelli.
A comprehensive list of projects can be found on the borough’s website, www.haddonfieldnj.org, under the headings “Road Program,” “Capital Projects and Road Work,” and “Drainage Projects.”
