It took them two tries, but the North Huntingdon Commissioners finally accepted the lowest bidder out of a group of consulting engineering firms.

By a 5-2 vote, the board chose Senate Engineering Co. of Pittsburgh to oversee and inspect plans and construction during the township's annual road repairs for a cost of $18,900. Senate's bid was the lowest out of a group of six that ranged as high as $35,000.

Although the township is not required to get different bids for professional engineering services, township engineer Andrew Blenko contacted a number of area firms and asked them to submit a bid. Blenko told the commissioners all of the bidding firms were capable of doing the work.

Commissioner Rich Gray made a motion to go with the lowest bidder, Senate. But the motion failed when commissioners Angelo Furlin, David Herold, Anthony Martino and Donald Austin voted against it.

The vote left the remainder of the commissioners confused.

"I don't understand why we didn't take the lowest bid," said Lee Moffatt.

"I guess everyone has their own personal reason why," said Herold, which prompted Moffatt to respond that he thought the taxpayers might want to know that reason.

Herold said he wanted to make sure the job was done properly, as lower quality inspection service would cost the township money down the road. He pointed to problems in the past with roadwork.

"We were paying for an inch and a half and we were only getting an inch," he said.

When Herold asked Blenko about Senate's fitness for the job, Blenko responded that he had worked with Senate in the past and was confident in its ability to do the work. He also said Senate provided engineering services for a number of area municipalities.

Herold then questioned why the township had spent nearly $30,000 for the same service last year. Blenko explained that the township had not asked different companies for bids and had simply chosen a firm based on a recommendation.

Moffatt pointed out that the selection had been made just after Blenko started working for the township, and there had not been time to go to different firms.

The matter came to a vote again when Moffatt made a second motion to accept Senate. This time commissioners Herold and Martino switched their votes and joined Gray, Moffatt and Fred Patter to pass the motion.

Michael Pochan, who came to the meeting with a number of other residents to express their concern about how the commissioners were handling taxpayer money, praised the commissioners for eventually going with the lowest bid, but said they should have done so in the first place.

"We're glad to see that some commissioners are willing to speak up and others are willing to re-consider," he said.