NORTH WALES — A big fix could be coming soon to the North Wales Area Library.
Council voted this week to award a contract for a roof replacement project at the library.
“Our engineering company has made a recommendation that we have an approval to Pro Com Construction Services of Warrington, for a total of $178,864,” said council Vice President Mark Tarlecki.
Last fall during the borough’s budget talks, library Director Jayne Blackledge made the case to council to increase the amount of funding that goes to the library from the town’s tax millage each year. The library has been located since 2010 in a former factory building on Swartley Street, and Blackledge cited a growing number of library users, along with infrastructure fixes needed including the roof repair, repainting, carpet cleaning, plumbing and electrical issues, plus a need to offer expanded services for students on summer break.
After that funding increase was approved last December, in March Blackledge reported that the library had been awarded a $90,000 grant from the state Department of Education’s Bureau of Library Development for the roof repair, and that the library would start raising its portion of the match needed. At that time, state Rep. Liz Hanbidge, D-61st, said the “grant dollars will go toward ensuring residents in the 61st Legislative District continue to have an avenue to obtain the vital services offered by our public libraries here in Montgomery County,” in announcing the grant award.
During their Aug. 23 meeting, Borough Manager Christine Hart outlined for council what’s happened since: borough engineering consultants McMahon Associates developed bid specifications and received bids from a total of 11 contractors on August 18, then reviewed and vetted the results. Details of that bidding process were included in council’s meeting materials packet for that night, and show that Pro Com produced the lowest price, with five of the bids topping $200,000, one more just over $300,000 and one bid proposing a price of $441,000 for the same project.
“The review has been done, this was a procurement project through PennBID, it went through all the necessary state requirements,” Hart said.
“It’s a $90,000 grant, with a 100 percent match from the library, so their fees in total that they have are $180,000,” she said.
Staff have been in contact with the library director and board, who agreed with the engineer’s recommendation that the one contract be awarded to cover all three sections proposed in the bid documents, one base section and two alternates, due to recent rises in construction costs.
“Construction is not getting any cheaper, and eventually the entire library will be in need of the roofing, in all three areas,” Hart said.
Each section is listed in the bid documents as having two components, one calling for removal and replacement of flat roof sections and the other calling for “deck repair, if and where needed,” a provision Hart said the library staff and board are also on board with.
“Part of the bid was if they find rotted wood, it would be replaced at a (rate) per piece of plywood, and labor, We’re hoping that will be limited,” she said.
Council then voted unanimously to award the contract including the base bid and the two alternate sections, after a motion from councilwoman Wendy McClure and a second from councilwoman Anji Fazio. Upcoming programs at the library include a presentation on Indian Dance from the Silambam Dance School of Malvern and Kalaananda of Wilmington scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 26, a Henna Art Design presentation by the Swedesford Garden Club at 6:45 p.m. on Sept. 12, and the library’s second annual Holiday Marketplace from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 19.
For more on the library and its various programs visit northwaleslibrary.org or search for “North Wales Area Library” on Facebook.