ALLENTOWN – In a unanimous vote, the Allentown Borough Council has declined to make an additional payment to the company that completed a project at the municipal waste water treatment plant.
During a meeting on July 10, council President Thomas Fritts, Councilman John A. Elder III, Councilman Rob Schmitt, Councilwoman Angela Anthony and Councilwoman Johnna Stinemire voted “no” on a motion to pass a resolution authorizing additional payment to AWT Environmental Services Inc., Sayreville, for the waste water treatment plant berm removal and disposal. The company is requesting an additional payment of $19,686.
Council members said Allentown’s contract with the firm was for an amount not to exceed $30,000. They said the firm has been paid $27,000 for work performed.
Council members said AWT Environmental Services underestimated the amount of material to be removed from the waste water treatment plant site on Breza Road. They said paying the additional $19,686 would result in compensation in excess of the total amount that was authorized.
AWT Environmental Services “underestimated what the job would be,” Elder said. “They are playing the victim here. They did not calculate the job properly. They claim there is confusion on this matter. I thought we could work with them … but they are unbending.”
Municipal officials indicated the initial estimate was for the removal of about 600 tons of material and the amount of material removed from the waste water treatment plant site was about 900 tons.
“I think we should go back to (AWT Environmental Services) and tell them the (extra charges) were not approved,” Schmitt said.
Council members then voted to deny the payment of the $19,686 voucher.
In other business, Borough Clerk Laurie Gavin announced that liquor licenses held by DiMattia’s and by Allentown Wine and Liquors have been renewed. She said the businesses can continue to sell liquor into 2019.
Based on the enthusiastic reaction from the governing body and residents in attendance at the meeting to Gavin’s announcement, the news about the liquor license renewals was deemed to be a positive development in the community.