(11/9) The Thurmont Town Council awarded several bids at their November 10 meeting, two of which addressed aging park-equipment replacements, and another providing for a waterline replacement.
Chief Administrative Officer James Humerick stated that the first bid up for consideration involved replacing playground equipment at Woodland Park.
Humerick told the board, "This is Phase-One of the complete overall replacement of Woodland Park playground (equipment). As one of our oldest playgrounds, the equipment up there is close to 25 years old. Some is actually a little older than 25 years because it was transferred from another park to that area."
Playground Specialists, Inc., had submitted a bid in the amount of $40,000 for the Phase-One work.
Funding for the work will be provided by Project Open Space (POS) and Thurmont. POS will provide 75-percent ($30,000) … while the town will be contributing $10,000, Humerick stated. Providing the town’s share of the funding will necessitate a budget amendment.
Town staff will remove the playground equipment to be replaced, while Playground Specialists will install the new equipment.
Humerick also briefed the board on the Ice Plant Park playground upgrades, noting that the bid is to replace equipment that was removed last year - after failing a certified playground-safety inspection.
He stated the bid to be considered is to replace that equipment which had been removed with some "newer and better equipment," adding, "That equipment up there was old also. When that was installed, there wasn’t near as many varieties and diverse types of equipment to put in … as there are these days."
Playground Specialists also submitted a bid on this project, in the amount of $13,726 for the Phase-One work. Seventy-five percent of the funding for the work will also be provided by POS - the town will be contributing the remaining 25-percent.
The work at both of the playgrounds should be completed by spring, or if weather permits - during the winter.
Finally, Humerick requested that the board to consider approving a bid for engineering work to be performed in conjunction with replacing the existing waterline along Old Pryor Road, which dead ends, is deteriorating "and becoming problematic." He said the line is also undersized and has water-pressure and water-quality issues,
The proposal entails replacing the line with a new four-inch line, which will then be tied into a line on Hillside Circle. "This is a project which has been on our wish list for many years," he stated.
Arrow Consulting, Inc., has been retained as the engineering firm, and bid $73,900 to complete the engineering work.
The administrative officer stated that the project is to be financed through an approved state Department of the Environment (MDE) water quality $350,000 loan, but the loan does not cover the $73,900 engineering expenses.
The commissioners voted to approve all three bids. Commissioner Marty Burns abstained from the playground votes due to his family-ties to Playground Specialists.
