Jackson Twp. awards materials contract bid, approves updated rental rates

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The Jackson Township Board of Supervisors awarded the 2025-26 materials contract bid to Pennsy Supply for $941,179 at the Aug. 4 meeting, contingent on a performance bond for 50% of the contract amount and liability insurance.

Engineer Stephen Sherk said Pennsy Supply was the only bidder, which made sense because of how close they are to the township.

“These are just really rough estimates of the quantities that the township might need — we probably rarely, if ever, draw the quantity that’s estimated,” he said.

Sherk said this year’s contract is “slightly higher” than the previous year’s.

The township’s Free on Board, or FOB, materials have a slightly lower unit price compared to the materials delivered at the job site. The contract has 12,800 tons of FOB materials for $439,125.

Materials delivered at the job site have the same tonnage but a total cost of $502,054.

Supervisors also approved a new township equipment rental rate schedule. Houtz said rates were last updated in 2011.

Fees do not include labor rate or administration cost. New hourly rates are as follows:

• Backhoe with front-end loader: $90
• JCB wheel skid loader: $80
• John Deere 4×4 loader (pay loader): $110
• John Deere diesel grader: $110
• Sweeper 3 cubic yard capacity and truck: $120
• Single axle dump truck, 58,000 GVW: $85
• Tandem dump truck, 65,000 GVW: $110
• John Deere brush cutter and mower: $110
• 3 to 5 ton roller: $85
• Leaf vac truck: $100
• John Deere zero turn mower: $85
• JCB mini track hoe: $85

The schedule states that any other township-owned equipment used by the township but not listed in the schedule will be billed according to the county rental rate.

Also listed are hourly labor rates.

• Township manager or assistant manager: $75
• Clerical: $45
• Maintenance employee: $57
• Maintenance road foreman: $62
• Law and roadside mower: $57

In other business, supervisors: 

• Approved Ordinance 4-2025, amending portions of the junkyard and refuse ordinances. Solicitor Megan Ryland Tanner said it will now include business entities as groups to which the township can issue permits or licenses to, and it alters some language.
• Heard continued public comments from the community regarding proposed warehouses at 50 S. Ramona Road. Township staff rejected the project’s application, and supervisors upheld the rejection on appeal. At the Aug. 4 meeting, supervisors voted to reject the proposed plan, as recommended by the township engineer and solicitor, to ensure there wouldn’t be a “deemed approval.”

The Jackson Township Board of Supervisors will meet next at 60 N. Ramona Road on Aug. 18 at 7:30 p.m.