Board votes to encumber up to $200,000 for Township Line Road project; Lower Nazareth to administer bids

The township voted to encumber up to $200,000 toward a jointly funded reconstruction of Township Line Road after engineers and consultants described a narrowed scope that, they said, fits the grant budget.

A presenter said the project scope was trimmed and that, pending successful bids, the work could be completed within the previously discussed budgets. The grant amount was stated as $1.25 million and Lower Nazareth Township was described as the grantee responsible for advertising and administering the bid. "Because Lower Nazareth Township is technically the grantee... the bid has to go out under Lower Nazareth Township," an agency official said.

Board members discussed contingency planning and the likelihood of change orders for soft spots discovered during construction. The board agreed that each participating township would contribute up to $200,000 toward construction costs; engineering and inspection expenses would be handled separately. The board made a motion to encumber up to $200,000; the motion was made by Chris and seconded by Mark. The motion passed on roll call with the recorded votes listed below.

After the vote, staff noted that Lower Nazareth expects to pay invoices in advance and seek reimbursement; the townships will reconcile billing and inspections on site through agreed inspection representatives. Staff said they plan to advertise the project for bid as soon as the signed grant agreement is returned.

Next steps: Lower Nazareth will advertise for bids, the township will review and must concur on any bid awards, and staff will coordinate reimbursement and inspection roles.