By MICHAEL HIRSCH

Special to The Press

John Carson, of the Pelorus Group gave an update to supervisors regarding the North Whitehall Township Municipal Building renovations.

He told the board, at the Jan. 6 meeting, the project is progressing well.

Initially set for completion by the end of June, they are now tracking for the end of May, Carson said.

Winter weather might introduce some variables, he noted, but they are optimistic about staying on track.

The building is being framed, and structural work is moving forward.

There were changes to the roof schedule, Carson said.

Framing will be completed first to make the building weather-tight, allowing them to manage heating better during the winter.

Some thermostat issues were identified, with voltage discrepancies, but these are being resolved, and the thermostats should be installed soon. Heating systems are mostly in place, with just some control issues to finalize.

Carson said the project is currently about $215,000 under budget, which includes expenditures on change orders, furniture, IT services and security-related items (phones, access control).

In the next few weeks, they will begin awarding contracts for various owner-provided equipment such as furniture, security systems and phones.

There was a truss collapse just before Christmas 2024, but the situation was quickly resolved, with new trusses installed within six days.

The contractor was required to hire a third-party testing agency to inspect the new installation.

This did not significantly impact the overall schedule, although the holiday period did cause a minor delay.

The team is confident in the roof drainage system and, Carson said snow won’t accumulate due to the design of the insulation and roof drains.

The next steps are roofing and framing.

They will continue working on closing in the building, installing roof panels and completing exterior framing.

For interior work, the drywall installation should begin within the next two to three weeks.

They will also start installing temporary heat to allow work to continue during colder weather.

They expect contracts for security systems, phones and IT infrastructure to be awarded soon, which will lead to further activity on-site.

There are no major concerns about load bearing in existing structures, particularly around the basement area.

No additional insulation in the ceiling of the former garage area is planned but the roof has been insulated.

Carson said the team plans to keep providing regular updates on the project and intends to check in with the board once a month.

The annual supervisors reorganization meeting for the new year occurred during the meeting.

Dennis Klusaritz will be board chairman and Al Geosits will serve as vice chairman.

Jess Koenig was appointed secretary, deputy treasurer and right-to-know officer.

Seth O’Neill was approved by the board to serve as finance director and treasurer.

Bond was set at a limit of $2 million for 2025.

Depositories for township funds are Neffs National Bank and First Northern Bank & Trust.

Aubrey Miller was appointed zoning officer and building code officer.

Jeff Mouer was appointed alternate zoning officer and alternate building code officer in the absence of the primary officer.