Finance committee approves bills, clarifies bridge pass-through and reimbursement process

The Narberth Borough Finance & Administration Committee on Dec. 18 approved scheduled bills totaling $1,199,117.76, received explanations of bridge-related payments, and approved a budget amendment that adjusts year-end accounting and a few new line items.

Chair Jim Spear moved to approve the schedule of bills. Staff explained that a $349,512 payment to the bridge contractor (transcript spells the contractor as "Rocon" or variations thereof) and an $18,000 payment to Traffic Planning & Design (TPD) are part of the bridge project's cash flow. Staff said many bridge-related invoices are paid to the state first (contractors submit invoices to the state, the state pays the borough, and the borough then issues payment), while other bridge costs (Amtrak, Pinone) were paid directly and later submitted for reimbursement.

Treasurer reported the borough has about $150,000 remaining in a bridge loan bank account earmarked for the project and is managing reimbursements so capital funds are restored to the general fund when state reimbursements arrive. The committee approved the scheduled bills 3–0.

The committee also recommended approval of Resolution 2025-22 setting the 2026 tax rates with no change from the prior year (real estate millage 9.865 mills) and approved Budget Amendment No. 2, which reallocates some line items (including separating contractor registration fees from building permit revenues and adding a parking-lot license fee for a Haverford Avenue lot payable to Tim Rubin) to reflect year-end actuals. The budget amendment passed 3–0.

What happens next: staff will continue to submit reimbursements to the state and monitor cash flow for the bridge loan account; council will act on advertised tax and budget items per the standard schedule.