DA Commission approves $148,250 installation contract for stormwater devices, pending state sign-off

The DA Commission voted to award a $148,250 contract to Precise Construction Inc. for installation of manufactured treatment devices tied to a stormwater management grant, approving the award by roll call while staff continue to await formal sign-off from the state agency identified in the meeting as "D."

Peter, who presented the project update, said equipment purchase had already been authorized at a prior meeting and that the commission must meet a grant closing date of July 1 for eligible expenditures. He told the commission that the purchase authorization previously approved for the devices was for $63,460 and that bids for installation came in at $148,250. "It was $148,250 to the same contractor, Precise Construction," Peter said during the discussion.

Nut graf: The commission authorized procurement and a contract award subject to the state's revision of the grant task list and its promise to provide a subsequent funding source to complete installation work that cannot be covered before the July 1 grant closeout. Staff said the state indicated it could cover at least 20% of the original construction amount and asked the commission to approve the award now so purchasing and scheduling can proceed once the agency finalizes its approval.

Commission discussion and vote: Staff described steps taken to keep all grant-related expenditures under the grant total by revising the task list to place procurement and plan preparation under allowable categories while deferring construction work to the alternate funding source the state will supply. Precise Construction — the same contractor awarded the equipment purchase — was the low bidder for installation; Old Castle was identified as the equipment manufacturer and staff said materials may be stored at CVS Square Mall until installation is authorized. Commissioners then moved and seconded to award the installation contract; roll-call votes recorded "yes" for Allenhurst, Asbury Park, Interlac, L Garber, Neptune, Ocean and a commissioner identified as Bill, and the motion carried.

Clarifying details provided in the meeting included that the original equipment purchase previously authorized was $63,460; the installation bid was $148,250; and staff estimated line items for oversight and environmental reporting of about $10,000 and $15,000 respectively. Staff noted the awarded amount is below the project budget submitted to the state.

Next steps and conditions: The contract award was approved "subject to D approval"; staff will circulate the email correspondence with the state and continue to press for a meeting and formal task-list sign-off. The commission did not record a formal timeline for installation beyond the July 1 grant closeout and noted that state responsiveness remains the gating issue.

The commission moved on to other business after the vote; no additional motions were recorded on the project at this meeting.