Williamsport awards contract to rid barn of bats

August 14, 2008|By HEATHER KEELS

WILLIAMSPORT -- The Williamsport Town Council voted Tuesday to contract Gladhill Property Services Inc. to address the bat problem in the Springfield Farm barn, Mayor James G. McCleaf II said.

Gladhill submitted the lowest bid of six companies that applied, offering to remove the bats, close off their access points, and clean and sanitize the entire barn for $17,632. The company will get rid of the bats by temporarily installing one-way escape vents that allow the bats to leave but not to return, according to the company's proposal.

"This is the first step in the rehabilitation of the barn to where it's going to be able to be used for events," McCleaf said.

Work is scheduled to begin early next week and should be completed in plenty of time for a USO dance scheduled to be held in the barn Sept. 13, he said.

Tuesday's meeting was called after councilmembers said Monday that they felt they needed more time to study the proposals. The vote to award the contract to Gladhill was 5-1, with Councilwoman Gloria Bitner opposed, McCleaf said.

The other bids for the job ranged from $22,500 to $54,811.30. Because of the nature of the job, the council was not obligated to accept the lowest bid, but McCleaf said the council chose Gladhill because they offered to do everything the other bidders were going to do.

Most of the funding for the project will come from a $100,000 bond bill sponsored by the Washington County delegation to the Maryland Legislature, McCleaf said.

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