Palmerton search for engineer continues

Palmerton Area School District officials estimate it could be at least two more school board meetings before the district has proposals in front of them for a new engineer of record.

The board requested proposals last month, citing frustration with the firm it currently uses, Barry Isett and Associates.

“We created the request for proposals that we sent to the solicitor, and when that comes back it will go out to engineering firms,” Palmerton business administrator Ryan Kish said last week. “The firms will have so many days to ask questions and 30 days to submit a proposal. We’ll open the bids up when we get them back.”

Kish said the board will have the option to interview representatives from the firms after proposals come back.

At May’s board meeting, Palmerton approved nearly $144,000 in change orders related to its junior high school addition. While the money was budgeted for contingency funds, several directors weren’t happy with how Barry Isett’s representative, Tim Sisock, handled the process.

“I thought he was condescending and not very polite in explaining the change orders,” Director Kathy Fallow said at the time. “I don’t think it will hurt to go out for proposals.”

Fallow suggested the district get proposals “every couple of years” to see what other firms are out there and make sure it is getting the best price.

“It may well be that Barry Isett has the best prices and has the most experience,” she said. “That is something we’ll find out.”

The board said it will review references, the type of work the firms have done for other districts and rate schedules, among other criteria.

“You can’t go strictly on pricing,” board member Barry Scherer said. “A firm may only charge you $90/hour but take ten times as long to draw up a set of specifications. There is a lot of research that goes into it.”

In the meantime, the district is looking into the urgency of replacing a more than 30-year-old underground fuel oil tank at Towamensing Elementary School.

Joe Faenza, Palmerton’s director of facilities, recommended installing a new aboveground, double-walled tank with spill containment. The estimate for the replacement tank and removal of the old one is between $200,000 and $250,000.

The board said it would check whether specifications had already been drafted for a new oil tank and proceed from there.