Carbon opens bids for grant projects

Carbon County opened bids last week for three Community Development Block Grant projects.

Bids included reconstructing and repaving West Princeton Avenue from Fireline Road to Hillside Avenue in Palmerton, as well as reconstructing and repaving Avenue A from First to Second streets in Palmerton; and work at the Joe Andreuzzi Community Park in Packer Township.

Bids were opened and read during the weekly commissioners’ meeting on Thursday. They were then tabled for two weeks so the proper departments can review the bids. They will either be awarded or rejected at the commissioners’ May 9 meeting.

Four bidders submitted quotes for the West Princeton Avenue project. The lowest bidder was Barker and Barker Paving and Excavating of Bethlehem, who submitted a bid of $126,218.75.

For the Avenue A project, six companies submitted bids. The lowest was Bracalente Construction of Northampton at a bid of $65,945.90.

Only one bid was submitted for the Packer Township project. Stoney Lonesome Excavating of Summit Hill submitted a bid of $68,350.

The CDBG programs provides technical assistance to aid municipalities in community and economic development projects. Federal money then channeled through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and distributed by each of the counties.

To be considered an entitlement community which automatically qualifies for CDBG grants, municipalities must have a population of 4,000, with at least 51 percent of the residents being classified as low-to-moderate income.

Nonentitlement communities must then apply for a portion of the annual funding. These municipalities do not have to have a specific population but their proposed projects must meet the same guidelines as the entitlement communities.

Carbon County’s entitlement communities are Jim Thorpe, Lehighton, Franklin Township and Palmerton.