An improvement project at Baer Memorial Park in Lehighton Borough is moving forward.

Lehighton Borough Council this week awarded the project to E.F. Possinger and Sons Inc. of Bartonsville, who had the low bid of $236,862.

The next lowest bidder was Spotts Brothers Inc., of Schuylkill Haven, at $265,500.

According to Borough Manager Nicole Beckett, the bid covers excavation for the basketball courts and construction of two basketball courts, walkway and fencing.

“We will be working on finalizing the contracts and receiving bonds,” Beckett said. “We are hoping to have construction commence in April and be completed by June.”

Council opted not to add the installation of multiple horseshoe pits to the project, which would have added $12,492.

Organizers of the Carbon County Senior Games requested the pits, as they are used for that event.

Instead, council said it would ask senior games officials if they would be willing to kick in some money toward the pits, which could be installed at a later date by Lehighton’s public works department.

Several council members, including Ryan Saunders and Autumn Abelovsky, said the price tag of over $12,000 was too high to include them in the main contract.

“I certainly don’t want to drive the senior games out, but there has to be a more economical way to do it,” Abelovsky said.

According to borough secretary Brenda Koons, the Special Olympics of Carbon County helped fund boccie ball courts it wanted installed in the park.

In other action Monday night, council approved its 2019 fee schedule and the submission of the 2019 level two Smart Growth Grant application.

Beckett said the updates to the fee schedule include an increase to the pool passes (which was approved in 2018), pavilion rental and annex auditorium rental by $50, and updates to the borough’s billable labor rates for public works and Light and Power.

If successful, the Smart Growth grant will be used for continuing organizational development training and technical assistance to the newly formed Main Street Steering Committee.

“The grant will assist the downtown revitalization movement to evolve into a fully functioning revitalization organization that utilizes the Main Street Four Point Approach in implementing a comprehensive program of work,” Beckett said.

The borough applied for $5,000 in grant money, which comes with a $1,500 match.