Perkasie will restore streets and sidewalks

Perkasie Borough Council voted 8-0 to spend as much as $371,000 to fix three roads at a regular business meeting Monday night.

Council President Jim Ryder was absent from the meeting.

Roads approved for restoration this year include Seventh, Eighth and Buttonwood streets. In addition to road work will be concrete sidewalks and curbing, borough officials said.

Harris Blacktopping in Washington Crossing took the macadam award at an estimated cost of about $313,000.

Ettore Vetresca and Sons Inc. of Warrington won the concrete bid award at an estimated $149,700.

Perkasie Borough Manager Andrea Coaxum said a “massive amount” of concrete work was needed on Seventh Street.

She also noted the bids were conservative for material and labor prices, and the finished costs could come in less than expected.

Concrete sidewalks and curbing cost is shared between property owners and the borough, officials said.

The borough would pay about $58,000 toward the cost for concrete. The remaining expense is divided among property owners impacted by the road construction, according to Joe Berardi, Perkasie finance director.

He said residents affected by the road work and related sidewalk and curbing costs would be sent notices in the coming weeks.

“We give them a choice to go with our contractor or to hire their own contractor,” for sidewalks and curbing, Berardi explained.

He noted financing terms would also be made available to residents through the borough to pay for sidewalks and curbing.

Borough officials said because the roads are contiguous and it made sense to do them altogether.

Erik Garton, vice president of municipal services manager at Gilmore & Associates Inc. in New Britain, said prices would probably escalate in coming years.

“You’re not going to get it any cheaper and there were a lot more bidders” for this round of work,” Garton said.

Council will be able to use roughly $40,000 toward this year’s road work, left over from last year’s road program.