Politics & Government

Newtown Recognizes Engineers Week, Hires New Engineer

Newtown Township supervisors recognized Feb. 19-25 as Engineer's Week and appointed a new township engineer.

NEWTOWN SQUARE– Board of Supervisors recognized Feb. 19-25 as National Engineers Week at a supervisors meeting on Monday night. This year, the theme is "7 billion people; 7 billion dreams; 7 billion chances for engineers to turn dreams into reality."

The supervisors congratulated the Delaware County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Society of Professional Engineers for 78 years of "excellence," announced Supervisor John Nawn. The supervisors approved the recognition resolution unanimously.

In addition recognizing Engineers Week, the supervisors also appointed a new engineering firm to Stantec in West Chester. The previous township engineer was David Pennoni of Pennoni Associates in Philadelphia.

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No contract was drawn up between Newtown and Pennoni Associates, according to Nawn. Pennoni Associates were charged on a time and material basis on an approved fee schedule. Moving forward, Nawn said a contract will be made with their new engineer.

"In late 2011 to early 2012, the township issued a request for proposals to seven different engineering firms, including our current engineering firm, requesting their proposals to provide engineering services for the year 2012," explained Nawn.

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Nawn stated that the township received several proposals back in which a committee consisting of Township Manager Mike Trio and a few supervisors met to "short-list" those proposals to "identify the three highest-ranked proposals."

"The proposals were evaluated primarily on technical merit and services to the township with cost somewhat of a factor but with cost not the only factor," explained Nawn.

The township then conducted interviews with those top three firms.

"The Board at tonight's work session was able to narrow the choices down to a singular firm to serve as our township engineer for 2012 starting at an appropriate date," said Nawn at Monday night's meeting.

The proposal drums up a flat rate of about $5,940 a year as a retainer regardless of the amount of supervisors meetings they attend. In addition, according to Supervisors Chairman Joe Catania, the hourly rate is $120 per hour for use of their engineer.

However, Nawn explained that the type of work that will be handled by the new engineer will be done in a "scope of work, lump sump type of basis."

"In other words, if we develop a scope of work or whatever taks that we assign to them then we will come to an agreement on a scope and price rather than having them simply bill us hourly," explained Nawn.

Any minor items would be billed at their hourly rate, said Catania. And any escrow project that is done by Stantec will be billed through the township and paid to the developers at no cost to the township.

Township Manager Mike Trio addressed the concern of the impact of having a new township engineer taking over old and current projects.

"I guess there's a concern about whether or not the change might delay certain projects and that certain activities might be interrupted in some way," said Trio. "In consideration of a possible change, I've already contracted short-term engineering work through...our sewer project work with [James] MacCombie. That's the only interruption that could occur. Everything else we have lead time on."

Trio believed the new engineer would be able to handle the new land development project that are likely to come in, such as the . Trio also assured that the new engineer is already part of the 2012 budget.

Nawn moved the motion to appoint Stantec as Newtown's new engineer which was seconded by Catania. The motion passed 4-1 with Supervisor George Wood holding the lone nay.


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