Bradford City Water Authority accepted bids for the sale of timber on two authority properties.
A portion of timber sales goes to Bradford City.
The authority also listened at Wednesday’s meeting to a report from forester Ken Kane on an upcoming timber inventory to be completed on the 12,000-acre watershed in 2019.
A bid opening was conducted at 10 a.m. Nov. 15 for timber in the Interstate Parkway area. The Collins Companies — Kane Hardwood submitted the highest of four bids, $61,763.
At 10 a.m. Wednesday, the authority held a bid opening for timber in the Willow Creek area, with Gutchess Lumber Co. of Freedom, N.Y., submitting the highest of five bids with $282,367.
Bids for both sales were accepted on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Kane, who is the president of Generations Forestry and consulting forester for the authority, talked about the timber inventory project. Annual timber harvesting decisions will be based on factual data from the new inventory.
“The goal of the authority and Generations Forestry is to have a viable, healthy watershed forest that can sustain annual harvests to provide capital revenue but still maintain a healthy forest for generations to come,” the authority reported.
Bradford City Council passed a resolution on Tuesday to extend the expiration date of its current timber and mineral agreement with the authority for one year to Dec. 31, 2020, while the authority completes the inventory.
Also at Wednesday’s meeting, the water authority announced two upcoming bridge projects that will require work on water mains near the bridges.
The authority approved “an extensive water main modification” as part of a bridge replacement on Forman Street, Bradford City, by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
Bankson Engineers will perform design and engineering work for the water main portion of the project. The existing water mains and gate valves will be modified and customer water connections by the bridge will be relocated. Before PennDOT begins demolition in May, the authority will temporarily remove the existing 8-inch water main, and a new main will attached to the new bridge once it’s installed.
The cost of the water main modification project is estimated to be $179,300, and the authority anticipates being reimbursed for 75 percent of the cost.
Also, before PennDOT replaces a bridge over Toad Hollow Creek in Bradford Township, the authority will have to relocate an 8-inch water main there. The authority awarded an engineering contract to E&M Engineers for an amount not to exceed $24,000.
The authority anticipates a 75-percent reimbursement from PennDOT for this project, too.
Executive Director Steve Disney provided an update on proposal to install an new 20-inch transmission main and rehabilitate the existing 24-inch transmission main.
Bankson Engineers, which has completed a field survey for the proposed project, is reviewing survey and engineering data and developing final drawings and specifications. The authority anticipates drawings and specifications to be ready in six to eight weeks.
Disney reported that the authority plans to put out to a bid in 2019 construction of a bridge on the Gilbert Reservoir spillway. The authority is waiting for a response from the state Department of Dam Safety about the final review of a permit package from GAI Construction.
He also reported that Custom Ag Services of Marietta has completed removal and disposal of accumulated residual sludge from the water treatment plant’s upper lagoon. Due to poor weather conditions, the balance of the project will be put on hold until spring. A second settling lagoon needs to be cleaned of residual sludge.
The next meeting of the Bradford City Water Authority is set for noon on Dec. 12.
