Shaler paid $12,500 to settle litigation a township resident brought over construction of the new bathhouse at Crawford Pool in Kiwanis Park.
Catherine Shepherd sued the township and TBI Contracting in Allegheny County Court in January, alleging the township violated the First Class Township Code and the Pennsylvania Separations Act by awarding a single general contract for construction of the bathhouse to TBI of McKeesport.
The township should have sought separate bids for plumbing, heating, ventilating and electrical work, Shepherd’s suit said, citing the township code and act.
Shepherd, a Shaler resident since 2003, brought the suit “to protect the integrity of Pennsylvania’s public bidding laws and prevent the unlawful expenditure of public funds by the township of Shaler,” her complaint states.
Shaler commissioners approved the settlement agreement with Shepherd at their March 10 meeting. The township on March 17 asked for a right-to-know request to release it, which TribLive filed on March 18.
On March 25, the township invoked a 30-day extension to respond to the request. The township provided the agreement on April 24.
Shaler commissioners awarded the bathhouse construction contract to TBI on Oct. 28. The company was the lowest of 10 bidders at about $2.21 million.
Although township Manager Judy Kording said the bids came in higher than expected, the township had enough money in its capital improvements fund to pay for it.
According to Shepherd’s complaint and a Nov. 21 letter to her from township Solicitor Anna Jewart, an attorney for Plumbers Local Union No. 27 contacted the township on Oct. 30. The union said the township violated the state’s public bidding laws by not getting separate bids for plumbing and electrical work and said it would take legal action if the township moved forward under the single contract.
A representative of the union did not respond to a request for comment. It did not file suit against the township, according to Allegheny County court records.
According to Jewart’s letter, Jewart on Oct. 31 directed the township “to take action to remedy the failure to separately bid and award the plumbing and electrical work for the project.” Jewart said counsel for the union agreed with her that the violations could be fixed by issuing a change order for the general contract and awarding separate contracts for plumbing and electrical.
On Dec. 9, Shaler commissioners awarded a $221,500 plumbing contract to East End Plumbing & Mechanical of Richland. The electrical contract, $145,000, was awarded to TBI.
The changes lowered the original contract with TBI by about $390,463 to $1.82 million. With the new contracts totaling about $366,500, the township saved about $24,000.
While the township allowed TBI to remove the plumbing and electrical parts of its general contract, other bidders were not given the same opportunity, Shepherd’s complaint states. Had that happened, she argues TBI would not have been the low bidder.
The township’s attempt to fix the problem was only partial because it did not rescind and rebid the general construction contract, and the TBI contract still included HVAC, Shepherd argued.
“The township’s partial ‘cure’ fails to correct the core defect because the general contract was competitively bid and awarded on an improper and inflated scope, undermining competitive integrity and prejudicing other bidders,” Shepherd’s complaint states.
The original bathhouse was demolished at the end of the 2025 pool season, and the township sought to have the new facility ready in time for opening day in May.
In her letter, Jewart said any delay in the project would delay the pool’s opening for the 2026 season, inconveniencing township residents and community swim clubs.
“While the bidding process for this project occurred in an unconventional manner, we believe it is not fully compliant with applicable law,” Jewart’s Nov. 21 letter says. “The township has attempted to respond swiftly to potential violations while also ensuring that the best interests of the Shaler Township community are not compromised.”
As of April 27, the pool’s opening date had yet to be determined, Kording said. A dedication for the bathhouse is scheduled for July 4.