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Centre commissioners award bids for renovations
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
By Terry Whetstone Staff Writer
BELLEFONTE - The bids for the 911 center renovations have finally been accepted by the Centre County Commissioners following yesterday's meeting at the Willowbank Building in Bellefonte.
Two weeks ago the commissioners opened the bids for the 911 center renovations, including relocating the center, expanding it and other items. They were tabled pending review.
The lowest bids were to be accepted last week but were again tabled because those reviewing them were not done checking to make sure everything was in order, and one was not.
Commissioner Chris Exarchos said the contract for the heating, ventilating and air conditioning went to Allied Mechanical and Electrical of State College who had a bid of $257,500. Exarchos said the lowest bid was from Silvertip Inc. of Lewisburg, however, it was not a valid bid and had to be withdrawn.
The bid for the general construction went to Poole Anderson Construction LLC of State College with a bid of $498,000; the bid for the plumbing/fire protection went to Silvertip Inc. with a bid of $118,000 and the final bid for electrical construction went to Allied Mechanical with a bid of $978,000 including an add on for fire alarms and smoke detectors.
"We reviewed them extensively, Dan Tancibok, 911 director said. "These are the lowest qualified bids."
The commissioners said the project will include emergency back-up power to help with keeping the center up and running when and if the power goes out, and Commissioner Steve Dershem said the telephones now need power to operate, so the emergency power will held there as well.
"This was specifically designed for Centre County," Commissioner Michael Pipe said. "It's been in the works for a while now."
Tancibok said he has heard about this upgrade more years than he can count.
In a related matter, Randy Rockey, County Emergency Management Agency Director, said the county was spared during Hurricane Sandy.
He said an emergency shelter was opened in Bellefonte and one in Philipsburg, and only two people visited the one in Bellefonte, while no one was at the Philipsburg shelter.
"The fire companies did an excellent job," Rockey said. "We had some trees and lines down, but nothing like was predicted."
He said of the original 1,500 people without power, as of 10 a.m. yesterday there was still about 900 out in Centre County.
Rockey said a large number of calls were made to the 911 center and the EMA office from residents and business owners asking if the county had generators.
He said the county does not own generators and those who are on oxygen will either have to purchase a small generator or make arrangements with a neighbor that has one when the power goes off.
Exarchos said people should only dial 911 if there is an actual emergency, while there is a non-emergency number for people to call as well if there is no emergency.
Tancibok said people also call ed about flooded basements.
Rockey said the firefighters are volunteer, and while some will assist in pumping basements, property owners should buy their own sump pump to have on hand.
"Remember, these people are volunteering their time and we don't want to wear them out," Rockey said.
Dershem expressed his appreciation to all of the emergency responders and the telecommunicators for a job well done during the storm.
In other business, the commissioners:
• approved the fiscal year 2012 Community Development Block Grant contract with the Department of Community and Economic Development in the amount of $289,830 for various projects throughout the county.
• agreed to provide $50,000 of Act 137 Housing Trust Funds in support of a PA Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement Fund Grant application to support short-term rental assistance program in the county. The total budget would be $199,965.
• approved a Liquid Fuels application for Boggs Township, Centre County, in the amount of $40,000 to be used for resurfacing two township roads and purchasing a dump truck.
• heard there are a total of 112,728 registered voters in the county, a new high with 43,793 being Democrat and 42,940 being Republican.
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