The West Windsor Township Council held off on approving a professional services agreement with an engineering firm that has worked with the township for years.
No one on the council initiated a motion on May 16 to approve a $32,870 contract with Van Cleef Engineering Associates, which has offices in Hamilton and Hillsborough, for work to oversee the South Post Road Wastewater Pumping Station Rehabilitation. The lack of a motion meant the agreement was not approved.
Councilwoman Linda Geevers raised concern with the agreement, saying she saw that another engineering firm, Van Note-Harvey Associates, of Alexander Road, had offered to do the same work for $2,200 less, yet the administration recommended awarding the contract to Van Cleef.
Business Administrator Robert Hary said Van Cleef Engineering has worked with the township on this project in the past and even designed it. He said officials are concerned that approving a contract with a firm not familiar with the plans would end up generating unexpected costs to bring that firm up-to-date on the plans.
Geevers asked whether Hary could bring Van Note-Harvey’s price to Van Cleef and ask them to match the price. Hary said it would be a “bad idea” and set a negative precedent. “We need to have them come in and give their best price first,” he said.
Councilwoman Diane Ciccone asked whether the price given by Van Cleef reflected the 5 percent reduction in fees that all township professionals agreed to do, and Hary said it did.
Still, no one made a motion to approve the agreement, and the administration will have to look at an alternative and come back to council at a future meeting.
Other Business. The council did approve a $30,650 professional services agreement with Van Note-Harvey for a separate project — parking lot expansion at Community Park.
It also approved a contract with George Dapper Inc. for school bus transportation services from June through August through the Division of Recreation and Parks. That agreement was for $24,892.86.
