Borough commissioners unveiled the 2018 Partnership for Haddonfield budget and approved a resolution to reject and re-advertise for bids for the road program at the Tuesday, March 27, meeting.
Borough commissioners unveiled the 2018 Partnership for Haddonfield budget and approved a resolution to reject and re-advertise for bids for the road program at the Tuesday, March 27, meeting.
“After about five years of getting pretty good pricing for the roads, we went out this time and we were stunned to see the rates that we are getting,” Commissioner John Moscatelli said.
Commissioners said the rates they received were “well over” what the borough has budgeted and paid for the last five years on average. To find a more cost-efficient solution that fits close to what the borough has budgeted, the borough is rejecting all of the bids and seeking new ones.
“We are rejecting all of the bids and we are going to go back out for bid, for a reduced number of roads,” Moscatelli said. “Once we know exactly what that scope is, we will update the website and advertise that.”
Moscatelli said that unfortunately, some residents who had planned to get their road done this year may have to wait until 2019 or longer. The borough plans to tend to the roads in the order of how bad they are.
Residents are encouraged to visit the borough website and explore the roads program, which provides a list of what the borough hoped to repair for 2018 as well as a five-year plan of the roads that are expected to be done.
Roads are placed in priority through a process. Remington & Vernick Engineers go out every five years to survey every block of borough road and assess it. After the roads are evaluated, they are given a numerical rating, with anything at a 65 considered “the end of useful life.” By having this process, it allows the borough to rate the roads without bias, according to Moscatelli.
“In an ideal world, we wouldn’t have anything below a 65,” Moscatelli said. “We have a lot of roads that are a lot worse than 65 … if you are in the 50s, it is going to be awhile, and if you are in the 30s, we are probably getting to you either this year or next year.”
The borough is looking into why the rates have increased but has not heard anything from the engineers explaining the higher costs, according to Moscatelli. The borough is aiming to spend $1.8 million a year on roads.
Roads were not the only topic of discussion at the commissioners’ meeting. Commissioners introduced the 2018 Partnership for Haddonfield budget. The Partnership for Haddonfield, the district management corporation for the borough’s Business Improvement District, has a goal to create and promote businesses in Haddonfield through marketing, advertising and promotional events in town.
As outlined in the budget, 2018 revenues total $352,881, as do expenses.
PFH’s 2017 revenues show a decrease compared to last year’s amount of $356,700.
The borough has not introduced the municipal budget, but will next month.
The next commissioners meeting will take place on April 10 at 7:30 p.m.
