County OKs contract to relocate monuments

NORRISTOWN » A $520,000 contract for services related to relocating monuments during the construction of the new Montgomery County Justice Center was narrowly approved Thursday.

The agreement, not exceeding $520,660, with Barnhart Northeast Inc. dba Hake Rigging Company, of Lester, Pa., passed in a 2-1 vote with Commissioner Joe Gale as the dissenter.

“I’m concerned about the removal of these monuments and their safety,” Gale said. “These are monuments dedicated to police memorials and veteran memorials, and it’s considered sacred to many.”

Gale has expressed his opposition to the monument relocation and the entire construction project on a number of occasions.

“I’d like to remind everyone

that the campus project is the most expensive capital improvement project in the history of Montgomery County,” Gale said. “I’ve been a ... critic of the design and excessive costs related to this project and I’m often asked why is this so expensive? Why does it cost over $400 million?”

Gale took issue with another set of contracts that came before the elected officials during Thursday’s meeting.

Two agreements between the county’s Information and Technology Solutions department and Visual Sound Inc., of Broomall, totaling nearly $150,000, cover audio and visual upgrades. The department sought to “use a

Pennsylvania Costars contract to purchase [the] audio visual equipment” for the space located on the eighth floor of One Montgomery Plaza at 425 Swede St. in Norristown.

While Gale acknowledged the need for overall system improvements, he added the $149,749.75 price tag was too costly.

“I cannot justify that expense if asked by a taxpayer,” Gale said.

Nevertheless, the contracts were both authorized in a 2-1 vote with Montgomery County Commissioners’ Chairwoman Valerie Arkoosh and Vice Chairman Ken Lawrence Jr. in favor, while Gale voted against.

A d d i t i o n a l l y, a $1,540,035.82 agreement between the county’s I.T. department and Pomeroy Technologies Inc., of Hebron, KY, was approved for an “upgrade to the virtual desktop environment.”

The contract, which covers “maintenance and support” is “available through the PA Costars program.”

In other business, county leaders authorized roughly $180,000 in contracts through June 30, 2021 related to spreading awareness as this year’s flu season gets underway.

The Montgomery County Office of Public Health launched the Montgomery County Immunization Coalition and were in need of a communications manager, according to a contract. The request for proposals received 17 views and two responses, according to the contract. To that end, the county’s health and human services department recommended obtaining consultant services, not exceeding $80,000, from Beth A.

Till, of Royersford.

An agreement not exceeding $100,000 between the county’s health and human services department and DRD Creative LLC dba Outright Agency, of Gaithersburg, Md., covered “media services” for the coalition’s influenza media campaign.

The request for proposal was accessed by 30 companies, and four firms submitted bids on the public portal, according to the contract.

Arkoosh also encouraged area residents to get prepared and get a flu shot.

“If you do have the flu shot, even if you do get the flu, which some people will, you’ll have a less serious course of the flu and you’re much, much less likely to be hospitalized, and I know everyone will remember this from the spring, the symptoms are very similar between the flu and COVID[-19], and so if you have the flu shot, it will help your health care provider more quickly get to the proper diagnosis should you develop these symptoms,” Arkoosh said.

T he physicia n and elected official informed meeting attendees of the free walk-up and drivethrough f lu clinics that people six months of age or older living, working or attending school in Montgomery County can take advantage of.

The walk-up locations are open on Thursdays in the same spots as the COVID-19 testing sites, which are located at the following addresses:

• Pottstown: 364 King St.

• Green Lane: 2144 Snyder Road

• Willow Grove: Fairview Ave. 1678

• Lansdale: 421 W. Main St.

• Norristow n: Green St.

• Ardmore: In the parking lot next to IHOP at 114 W Lancaster Ave.

The drive-through clinics take place on Fridays and Saturdays at the following locations:

• Oct. 17 and Oct. 18 at Cheltenham High School, at 500 Rices Mill Road in Wyncote

• Oct. 23 and Oct. 24 at Montgomery County Community College, at 340 Dekalb Pike in Blue Bell

• Oct. 30 and Oct. 31 at the Oaks Convention Center, at 100 Station Ave. in Oaks

To make an appointment, visit montcopa.org/ flu or call 610-278-5145.

The next Montgomery County Board of Commissioners meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Oct. 29. 1433