Dredging Contractors Attend Pre-Bid Session in Avalon

AVALON – Borough officials held a pre-bid meeting Oct. 8 at the council meeting for potential contractors for the dredging project. Four potential bidders were present to hear the borough’s expectations first hand and to ask questions related to the project and the bid process.
All potential bidders were made aware of the borough’s expectation that the winner will negotiate fairly with private boat slip owners while a given area is being dredged.
The borough is requiring bids by Oct. 17 with the intent that the contract can be awarded by Oct. 22. Officials plan to issue a notice to proceed within four days of the award of a contract.
A three-week mobilization period following the award will probably mean that actual dredging would begin in the latter part of November.
Phase one of the project includes Princeton Harbor in Avalon and Sterbeck Harbor in Middle Township.
Since state regulations do not permit dredging during the winter flounder season from Jan. 1 through June 30, the speedy award of the contract is necessary to meet the goal of completing Princeton Harbor by Dec. 31. The borough has not ruled out making a request for an extension of a couple of weeks into the flounder season if that goal is not met but is within reach.
State restrictions on dredging from March 15 through Sept. 15 for nesting birds will further complicate the project. A notice on the borough website warns that the “short window of time to dredge in New Jersey” may extend the project into 2016.
A Successful Audit
Council took time to praise the work of borough Chief Financial Officer James Craft and his staff with regard to the successful completion of the annual financial audit. Council, as the borough’s governing body, is in a position to pass a resolution concerning its compliance with state finance regulations. “It has been a pleasure to work with you,” said Council President Charles Covington when addressing Craft.
The 39th Street Park
Covington specifically asked Business Administrator Scott Wahl for an update on the 39th Street Park project. Wahl described a recent meeting of “all the stakeholders” in which commitments were gained from various attendees for support with the project. Those in attendance included the Army Corps of Engineers, Department of Environmental Protection and its Division of Fish and Wildlife.
The project, as Wahl described it, was one with two distinct phases. Phase one deals with the east or “dry” side of the park. Phase two deals with the west or “wet” side. It is the wet side that presents the most challenges in the project. At the Sept. 10 meeting, Wahl announced that the bidding process for the project had been “very competitive” with the lowest bid just 1 percent over the engineer’s estimate. The council expedited the resolution awarding the job to the successful bidder.
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.