Bala Cynwyd Library Contracts Narrowly Approved

The Lower Merion Board of Commissioners on Wednesday night voted 7-6 to approve $4.4 million worth of construction contracts for the Renovation Project, and in a separate vote, authorized the township manager to direct staff to begin purchasing furnishings for the Bala Cynwyd Library.

Commissioners Daniel Bernheim, Jenny Brown, Cheryl Gelber, Brian Gordon, Lewis Gould and Scott Zelov voted against the contracts.  Commissioner Philip Rosenzweig, who was absent, voted against the proposal last week, where it was recommended to the full board by a 7-6 vote. 

Gelber, who was not present for the Finance Committee meeting, said on Wednesday night that the township should finish renovating the Ludington Library before it starts the Bala Cynwyd Library.

The board agreed to award the construction contracts to: Perrotto Builders Ltd. of Reading for general construction, total bid $2,424,800; Electri-Tech, Inc. of Dorothy, NJ for electrical construction, total bid $743,800; Dual Temp Co., Inc. of Allentown for plumbing construction, total bid $162,500; Myco Mechanical Inc. of Telford for mechanical construction, total bid $878,000; and Affordable Fire Protection Inc. for fire suppression construction, total bid $192,000.

Several library officials and residents asked the board to approve the contracts.

“The timing, the rates, the contracting for doing this right now couldn’t be better,” Lower Merion Library Foundation President Charlie Bloom said.

Michael Golden Jr. chairman of the Lower Merion Library System, said he is repeatedly asked by residents “how can they take their children and grandchildren to the Bala Cynwyd Library and feel safe.”

Golden urged the board to approve the contracts so that repairs can be made to the library.

Kyle Blodget, vice president of the board of trustees for the Penn Wynne Library, said he wanted the board to approve the bids so that he could successfully fundraise to renovate the Penn Wynne Library.

“If you move this backwards, you make it very difficult for me to raise money,” Blodget said.

Furnishings

In another vote, the Board of Commissioners voted 8-5 to authorize the township manager to direct staff to begin purchasing furnishings for the Bala Cynwyd Library in an amount not to exceed $800,902.77.

Library furnishings will be purchased through the State Contract Piggyback program at discounts from state vendors ranging from 30 to 60 percent.

A total of $802,000 in funding for the furnishings and signage purchases have been allocated in the 2012 Proposed Capital Budget.