Community Corner

Council Considers Rejecting Bids for Boonton Avenue Firehouse

Several Kinnelon councilmembers said the bids came in too high for the project.

After receiving 13 bids for construction of a new , the is considering rejecting all bids, as not one of them came in below the $900,000 the borough had bonded for the project.

The existing facility, originally built in 1952, can barely fit the engines in its bays. The project will include tearing down the existing structure and building a new one several feet away. The new firehouse will be 80 by 50 square feet and will be two stories high.

Former Mayor Glenn Sisco presented the bids to the council Thursday, explaining that the lowest bid came in at $1,091,875. The borough's options are to accept one of the bids, despite the higher cost, or reject all bids, modify plans for the building and bid specifications and go out to bid again. If the council accepts one of the bids, the borough will be forced to make up the difference in costs.

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Sisco said the borough is also eligible for an $80,000 grant from Morris County toward the demolition and engineering of the project if the borough moves forward quickly.

"If we go with the project now, we'll still get $80,000 from Morris County. If we don't go with the project soon, that will be eliminated," Sisco said.

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The plans that were included in the original bid specifications included a mezzanine on the second floor. The mezzanine, Sisco said, could be eliminated from the plans should the council decide to alter the specifications, as he said it is not an immediate need and should come second to other elements of the project.

"What we need is a building to put the equipment in because the building we have now should be condemned," he said.

Borough Attorney Mark Madaio said whatever the council decides, they should move relatively promptly.

Mayor Bob Collins said he would like the Kinnelon Volunteer Fire Co. members to have the opportunity to speak to the council and provide their input. He also said the full governing body should take the time to consider whether to reject the bids or for the borough to make up the difference in costs of the project.

"We established a hard cap here and if we're going to modify this, that's something the governing body is going to have to come back on," Collins said.

Madaio said the council should decide quickly so that the borough can respond to the bidders. He also reminded the council that included in the bonded amount, the borough needs to account for control-testing and engineering outside the grant money.

Additionally, Sisco said the borough needs to obtain a land disturbance permit.

Councilman Ron Mondello suggested that the council put a resolution on the council's next agenda to reject all bids.

Later in the meeting, Councilman Dan O'Dougherty brought up the idea of sharing fire services with Butler.

"I think those are things we really should cosider," he said, adding that it would help cut costs to the borough.

But Collins said that he feels adding even two minutes to response time could negatively affect safety in the borough.

The council is expected to continue discussions on the topic at its regular meeting next Thursday at 8 p.m. at the Kinnelon Municipal Building on Kinnelon Road.


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