The Slatington borough council approved getting one of the primary clarifier drive units rebuilt for a tank at the sewage facility.

Borough manager Dan Stevens said it is an emergency repair. He explained that the tanks have a large arm in them that stirs the contents. The drive unit for this arm that makes it turn stopped working in late January. Because it is an emergency repair, the part was ordered when it broke, but it takes about six weeks for it to be rebuilt.

Stevens said that a rebuilt part will match exactly, whereas a new part would have to be revamped to fit the unit.

“When you get it, it’s like it is new,” Stevens said.

The broken part in Slatington’s tank, which weighs several tons, will be removed by a crane. Rebuild-it Services Group in Utah will match the serial number on the broken part to one it has in stock, and rebuild it to “as new” condition for $38,995.

After it arrives, Bellview Pump will install it. The cost for the installation and required daily testing is not known yet, Stevens said, but he anticipates it to be upward of $10,000 or more.

Stevens said the borough has used Bellview for other work. “They’re very fair,” he said about their costs.

As for the broken part, Stevens said he hopes the borough can find the money to send it to Utah to be rebuilt, and then stored here as a backup. The borough has another unit like this that is about the same age in another tank.

Stevens said the costs related to this broken unit were not anticipated, so they were not in the budget for this year.

Bids requested

The borough is seeking bids for a Liquid Biosolids Hauling and Disposal contract. The bids will be opened on March 8 and awarded on March 11.

Council approved a professional service agreement with ARRO Consulting for work on the sewer system. Stevens said the borough has been working with ARRO for several years, and this contract is their annual renewal. The contract falls under the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System or MS4. ARRO will be paid $6,500 per year.

Council is seeking bids for road work on North Street and Fifth Street.

The council is putting the project out to bid, but it is contingent on approval from Lehigh County. Once approved, the project would be paid for with money from a Community Development Block Grant.

The council also decided to pursue additional CDBG funds for work on Willow Avenue, Cherry Street, and Hill Street. The roads are listed in the order of priority, Stevens said.

The council also discussed repairs to the stormwater grate on Oakhurst Drive and Maple Spring Drive.

Stevens said that the 56-inch by 56-inch grate opening currently consists of two grates that need repairs. The borough is going to replace it with one grate of the same size. The cost of the grate is $3,135.

In addition to the grate replacement, repairs need to be done on both ends of the opening because it is located at an intersection.

“A lot more cars drive over it, because of where it’s at,” Stevens said.

In other business, the council also approved the purchase of a new heater at the maintenance building. Stevens said the maintenance building has several heaters in the ceiling that run independently of each other. This isn’t a furnace unit.

The heater will cost $5,856.82. The purchase will be made through the use of funds from the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund.