A project to upgrade Church Street in Palmerton through American Rescue Plan Act funds remains on the table.

Borough council on a 6-0 vote Thursday agreed to reapply the ARP funds if the second bid is also considered excessive and denied.

Borough Manager Autumn Canfield explained to borough council on Thursday that the borough received a request from the Palmerton Municipal Authority regarding ARP fund allocations.

Canfield said the ARP funds in the amount of $150,000 were originally approved by council for the use in the Municipal Authority project for Church Street to install a 6-inch water main and eliminate a dead end in the system.

She said the Municipal Authority bid the project but rejected the bid due to the cost, as only one bid was received that came in just under $461,000, which exceeded the engineer’s original estimate of $205,000.

Canfield said the Authority would like to add a provision that if the second bid was denied, to use that money to allow for a down payment (roughly $150,000) toward a radio read system.

As a result, she said the Municipal Authority is now requesting to have a contingency plan approved should the rebid of Church Street still be cost prohibitive.

Canfield said they are reviewing the potential of a radio read system. The funds the borough received are required to be allocated by the end of the year.