TINTON FALLS – A contract has been awarded by the Borough Council following emergency repairs to a storm drain on a road in Tinton Falls.
On Dec. 21, council members authorized the award of an $18,836 contract to Lucas Construction Group Inc. to repair an emergency condition at a storm drain on Devon Court.
Because the repairs were deemed to be an emergency affecting the health, welfare and safety of the public, the governing body was permitted under state statute to award the contract without public bidding.
According to a letter from Borough Engineer Thomas Neff, the repairs occurred in September while the J.F. Kiely Construction Company was milling the asphalt on Devon Court as part of required utility trench restoration work for New Jersey Natural Gas. During the milling operation, large voids were uncovered on either side of the road near existing drainage inlets.
“It appeared the inlet frames were much smaller than the concrete supporting structures,” Neff wrote. “Only a thin layer of asphalt was covering the voids. When the asphalt was milled, the voids were exposed.”
Neff said the storm drain repairs that were required to be made were not part of J.F. Kiely’s contract and he said the company did not have the capacity to make the necessary repairs. As a result, the Tinton Falls Department of Public Works contacted Lucas Construction to repair the storm drain.
In other business, council members passed a resolution authorizing the execution of a deed of open space easement with Monmouth County for the Wardell Park property.
According to the resolution, the county issued a $200,000 grant through an open space grant program for the development of the property. The deed of open space easement is a condition of the grant and requires Tinton Falls officials to preserve the property for public park, recreation and open space uses.
Council members also passed a resolution authorizing acceptance of a grant of easement from the federal government for the borough to continue using land along Hamilton Road for road purposes.
According to the resolution, the U.S. Navy owns the land at the edge of Naval Weapons Station Earle, which is about 200 feet by 500 feet. Tinton Falls officials requested to continue to use the land for road purposes, which was accepted by the Secretary of the Navy.
As part of the grant of easement, Tinton Falls made a one-time payment of $2,650 to the Navy, according to the resolution.