Middletown plans phased public‑works yard upgrades; board authorizes bid advertisement for fuel‑tank replacement

Public Works Director Isaac Kessler presented a phased plan on Dec. 6 to modernize the Department of Public Works yard, focusing first on fuel‑system safety and winter‑operations efficiency.

Kessler said the yard has two separate fueling locations with underground tanks (one gasoline, one diesel) and that several permits are expiring. He recommended moving to above‑ground tanks, consolidating fueling to a single secure location with a canopy, and improving monitoring and circulation so emergency‑response and township vehicles can fuel reliably during winter storms. He said the above‑ground design would be placed behind secure fencing and allow easier maintenance and inspection compared with 27‑year‑old buried tanks.

Phase 1A addresses winter operations: the township would replace an aged salt shed that currently requires off‑site unloading and move brine operations adjacent to the new salt facility to centralize winter materials and lower operational time and environmental exposure. Public Works staff emphasized that the work will be phased to avoid disrupting winter readiness.

Public Works staff (Gartmeyer) added that the town plans to upgrade monitoring systems (Fuel Master, Veeder Root) and increase tank capacity to reduce delivery frequency. The board moved to authorize advertisement of bids for the Phase 1 fuel tank replacement; the motion passed by voice vote (announced 5‑0).

Next steps: staff will advertise the bid package for the above‑ground tanks and related controls and return to the board with bid results for award and schedule planning. Kessler said phase staging aims to keep winter operations uninterrupted.