Whitman Housing Authority accepts $25,000 low bid for Bedford Street deck project

WHITMAN — September 8, 2025 — Whitman Housing Authority accepts $25,000 low bid for a Bedford Street deck replacement, pending contractor reference checks. The board voted unanimously at its September 8 meeting to award the project to Katco of Fall River, the lowest of 12 bids that ranged from $25,000 to $62,000 against a $37,500 estimate; a local bidder, DeMelo of Whitman, came in third. The board also authorized Executive Director Eileen and maintenance supervisor John to begin scoping a potential replacement of failing fire doors, utility doors, and door frames at Harvard Court, tapping Gorham Richardson Lewis Architects, the firm that handled a previous siding and window project. August vouchers included a $7,000 power-washing contract across all five Harvard Court buildings and a $5,220 water heater replacement, with legal fees of $2,810.54 to Driscoll and Driscoll paid by the state. The board voted to amend its grievance policy to name a new grievance officer — the former director of the East Bridgewater Housing Authority — and accepted the state's FY2026 budget guidelines, which include a quick-turnover incentive pilot offering an additional 5 percent in formula funding on top of the authority's current $140,000 to $150,000 annual allocation.