Contracts
awarded
for work
at ballfield
By clare MARie celano
Staff Writer
FREEHOLD — Plans to improve the Little League baseball complex on Otterson Road will soon be under way. Contracts for the work were awarded at a special council meeting on Oct. 29.
Borough Council members awarded a contract for $159,194, to Precise Con-struction Inc., Freehold. Precise Construc-tion came in as the lowest bidder among proposals that ranged from $159,194 to $294,116. A previous set of bids was rejected by the council as being too costly.
Precise Construction was hired to make improvements to the Little League fields. Work to be done ranges from installing sod and topsoil, to the construction of sidewalks and curbs, additional landscaping, replacing the existing baseball infield and creating a multipurpose field.
A second resolution was approved that awarded a contract to Gavin General Contractors, Lakewood, for $35,550 to make improvements in the rest rooms at the complex, bringing the facilities up to meet the Americans With Disabilities Act law. The other bid was for $38,800.
A contract for $29,307 was awarded to Marturano Recreation Company Inc., Brick, for the acquisition of playground equipment for the complex.
After initially planning to hire a firm to install the playground equipment, borough officials determined that municipal employees could perform that work at a lower cost.
Mayor Michael Wilson said that is, in fact, how the work will be done.
According to Borough Administrator Joseph Bellina, work on the field improvements should begin within two weeks and hopefully be completed by the end of the year.
Freehold Little League President George Schnurr told the News Transcript that the groundbreaking that will soon take place will be like a dream come true for him. He said improving the borough’s Little League complex and bringing it up to par with neighboring towns has been one of his primary goals since he became president three years ago.
Schnurr said the improvements to the field will make the complex a more comfortable place for families to attend sporting events.
"The mission is almost completed," Schnurr added.