By Michael Benavides
Staff Writer
JACKSON – The Township Council has awarded a contract for improvements to the Jackson Senior Center to the Fasolino Contracting Corporation, Sewell.
At their meeting on Dec. 13, council members passed a resolution awarding a $258,100 contract to the firm.
Jackson Business Administrator Helene Schlegel previously said the project will enclose the patio at the Jackson Senior Center on Don Connor Boulevard. She said enclosing the 800-square-foot patio will create more of a permanent area for arts and crafts and for the nutrition program at the senior center.
Funding for the project will be provided through an Ocean County Community Development Block Grant that was awarded to Jackson for 2015 and 2016. The municipality received grants in the amount of $136,000 in 2016 and $139,983 in 2015, according to Schlegel.
The council received 13 bids from firms that were seeking to complete the improvements at the Jackson Senior Center. The bids ranged from a low of $248,537 from the Rocon Construction Group of Brielle to a high of $409,823 from Cypreco Industries, Neptune City.
The Fasolino Contracting Corporation submitted the second lowest bid at $258,100, but was awarded the contract by Jackson officials because, according to the resolution, “Rocon Construction Group, the apparent low bidder, failed to provide a bidder’s certification form from the electric and plumbing subcontractors, the pre-qualification affidavit, the notice of classification, the total amount of uncompleted contracts, the certificate of authority from the electric and plumbing subcontracts, and its Division of Property Management and Construction form attesting to total amount of uncompleted projects; and … failure to provide these documents is a material defect resulting in the rejection of Rocon Construction Group’s bid for this project.”
