By Matthew Sockol
Staff Writer
FREEHOLD – The Borough Council is moving forward with a plan that could eventually see improvements made to Borough Hall and the Freehold Public Library in Freehold Borough.
On May 22, the council passed two resolutions, both of which authorized architectural services with DMR Architects. One resolution was for a feasibility study of Borough Hall and the other resolution was for a feasibility study of the Freehold Public Library.
The fee for the firm’s services for the feasibility study of Borough Hall, West Main Street, is $24,000 and the fee for the feasibility study of the library, East Main Street, is $21,500, according to the resolutions.
The authorization of architectural services follows the council’s adoption of an ordinance amending a 2015 bond ordinance that generated funds for the purchase of capital equipment and potential improvements to Borough Hall and the library.
That $305,000 bond ordinance from two years ago included a $13,000 allocation for professional services associated with a review of municipal buildings, according to Business Administrator Joseph Bellina.
Officials subsequently determined that $13,000 was insufficient for those services and amended the ordinance to increase the amount to $63,000, according to the amended ordinance.
That change does not increase the aggregate appropriation and the debt authorization of the bond ordinance.
In another business on May 22, the council passed a resolution awarding a $343,414 contract to Seacoast Construction for improvements to Schiverea Avenue.
Other bids, according to the resolution, were received from Lancha Construction, which bid $575,293; the Hesse Companies, which bid $549,573; the Earle Companies, which bid $467,313; A Team Concrete, which bid $444,085; L&L Paving, which bid $441,470; A&A Curbing Inc., which bid $417,963; and S. Batata Construction, which bid $391,482.
Seacoast Construction was awarded the contract as the lowest responsible bidder, according to the resolution.
