Highland Township Supervisors approve contracts at meeting

KANE The Highland Township Supervisors approved two contracts at the supervisors meeting on Wednesday night.

Supervisor chairman Jim Wolfe said the township received only one bid to repave Pennsylvania Avenue in James City. The bid came from IA Construction of Franklin for $113,282.90.

The supervisors announced at the May meeting the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation estimate for the project was 128,560, which would include widening the thoroughfare. IA Construction was also recently awarded the contract for repaving several streets in Kane.

Supervisor Paul Burton wanted the bid rejected and to open the bidding again for the project. However, Supervisor Joe Milstead said that times wasting on the project and suggested they accept the bid.

Damion Bevacqua, an attorney with the office of township solicitor David Pontzer, pointed out that multiple bids were not necessary for the bid to be accepted. The bid was awarded to IA Construction by a vote of 2 to 1, with Burton casting the loan vote to reject the bid.

The township also received only one bid to replace the carpet at the municipal building with non-slip tile, repair a gutter, and install a sign-in desk inside the front door of the building for visitors. The bid came from K&B Construction of James City, and included the removal of 980-square-feet of carpet and the installation of industrial vinyl flooring, the gutter repair and the desk for $4,300. Again, the bid was accepted by a 2 to 1 vote, with Burton casting the only vote to reject the bid.

Meanwhile, Burton said that new township road crew employee Frank Gillespie refused to take a mandatory drug test for the township.

Township roadmaster Kim Kuhn said Gillespie took the test on Wednesday morning. Wolfe said that Gillespie took his urinalysis on Tuesday but it was immediately rejected for not being the correct temperature. He said Gillespie then drank water, waited 15 minutes, and left, claiming he had no time. While Burton wanted Gillespie terminated, Kuhn described Gillespie as a good worker, and opted to wait until the results came back before making a determination on his future.

Township secretary Christy Reigel said that results of the urinalysis should be available in approximately one week.

Wolfe said a caveat with Gillespies urinalysis is that the township has no enforceable drug policy. He said that since employment was not advertised as contingent upon passing the drug screening, there may not be much the township could do if Gillespie tested positive.

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Highland Township Supervisors approve contracts at meeting