Collins Electric in Chicopee has been awarded the athletic field lighting contract.
EAST LONGMEADOW – School Committee members are expecting the East Longmeradow High School athletic field lights to be up by April now that they have awarded a contract.
The committee voted earlier this week to award the lighting project contract to Collins Electric Co. based in Chicopee.
“Collins has been around for a long time,” said outgoing School Committee member Joseph Cabrera.
Cabrera spearheaded a petition for a special Town Meeting article to fund the lighting project out of the town’s free cash instead of leasing the project. Initially the rest of the School Committee was not in agreement with the article, but before the Town Meeting they approved the article along with the Capital Planning and Appropriations committees. Cabrera failed to make the cut for re-election in Tuesday's preliminary town election.
Theresa Olejarz, the district’s assistant superintendent for business, said the contract was awarded to the second lowest bidder after the first bidder did not turn in three references.
Collins was awarded the contract for $104,880. The article requested the use of up to $115,000.
Musco Sports Lighting will be providing the lights. School Committee Chairman Gregory Thomspon said he wants to confirm Musco is offering a guaranteed 25 year warranty on the lights before the project gets underway.
Currently the field cannot be used at night because the lights are too dim and could cause player injuries, according to Superintendent of Schools Gordon C. Smith who made the decision to eliminate night games.
Cabrera said he is looking forward to seeing the lights up by the first week of April. He said the athletic director could start scheduling night games for late spring.
During the meeting the board also approved an increase in mileage reimbursement of $ 0.55 cents, per mile, which is the federal average. The Select Board initially voted to raise the mileage for town employees last month.