By Sherry conohan
Staff Writer
LITTLE SILVER — Hostess Helpers of Monmouth Beach, headed by Francine Schults, was the winning bidder for the concession at the Little Silver railroad station.
The Borough Council awarded the contract for the concession to Schults at a special meeting Aug. 6 held for that purpose only, thereby moving the station one step closer to reopening.
The station has been closed for months for renovations and to repair leakage from an underground oil tank.
Hostess Helpers was the highest of three bidders seeking the contract at $25,760. The next highest bid was $25,501 from Not Your Ordinary Joe of Red Bank. The other bid was for $24,000, the minimum that had been set by the borough, from Grieco’s, LLC, of Tinton Falls.
Schults said that she expected to be open by mid-September, according to Borough Administrator Michael D. Biehl. He said she has to contact suppliers and arrange for delivery of the items she will be offering for sale to train passengers.
NJ Transit is still working on the installation of its equipment inside the station, Biehl said.
The borough plans to open the station as soon as either the NJ Transit ticket agent or the concessionaire moves into it so as to have a presence on the premises.
"The mayor and council are anxious to open up," Biehl said.