Water Meter Replacement Contract Award Delayed

STONE HARBOR – The agenda for the Nov. 17 Stone Harbor Borough Council meeting listed a resolution in which the borough would award a $1.2 million contract for the replacement of residential water meters. A similar resolution was pulled from a meeting agenda earlier in the month. 

Again, the awarding of the contract did not happen. Another bidder for the project, during public comment, claimed the borough inappropriately rejected his company’s bid as too high. The higher bid price, he claimed, was caused by meeting specific borough requirements that the potential winning bidder did not meet. 

Borough Council Marcus Karavan advised the governing body not to engage in discussion on the subject, saying that the matter was part of active litigation. Karavan advised that the council meet in a closed session and only act on the resolution after hearing the legal issues. 

Mayor Judith Davies-Dunhour recessed the meeting rather than adjourning it and set Nov. 24 at 4:30 p.m. for reopening the meeting, having a closed session with the solicitor, and taking final action in public following that session.