SEVEN FIELDS — Borough Council voted to advertise proposals for the Town Park pickleball courts a second time Monday after receiving no bids for the project.

“I think with pickleball, most guys who do that work probably have their summer schedule and fall schedule filled and aren’t looking for something (additional),” engineer John Balewski said. “It’s like paving — you’ve got to get it at the right time.”

Two new pickleball courts are planned for behind the borough’s community center. The project will include soundproofing.

Township manager Tom Smith said the borough has earmarked $125,000 for the project.

Balewski said if the project fails to receive a bid the second time, the borough can legally negotiate with any contractor.

The vote was 3-2.

President Kimberly Regan-Koch, vice president Dawn Servello and council member Jeff Smouse voted in favor. Council members Morgan Hardesty and Michael Trotta were against.

“Before I get a motion, would it be better to hold off on this until the fall and make it contracted for the next season?” Trotta asked.

While Balewski was unsure whether the project would receive responses, he said bidding the project now would help the borough get out in front of the project.

“The advantages of bidding it now and not getting a price is that you can negotiate whatever you want,” Balewski said. “If you get a price, then you’ll at least have an idea what the costs are and go forward that way.”

Additionally, Balewski told council that a second advertisement for the borough building’s Storefront Replacement project also saw no bids.

“It’s something that’s become a little bit endemic in the last year and a half, like there aren’t many contractors and a lot more work out there than can be done,” he said. “I’ve been doing this 32 years, and I probably had three times in my career — before the last year — where I had no bids.

“I probably got 15 in the last year where I got no bids.”

The borough has earmarked $100,000 for the project, according to Smith, which will replace the windows and part of the facade, which has deteriorated.

As this is the second round of bids without proposals, Balewski said he was in the process of negotiating for the project.

“I called and reached out to a couple of guys who didn’t put in for the bid,” he said. “And we’re trying to get a price for that work.”

Smith and council also offered praise to the staff and public works department for their part in the borough’s recent Community Days Carnival.

“I want to thank the staff, especially the public works, and everyone for such a successful community carnival,” Smith said. “I think it was, wall-to-wall, just an incredible event.”

Seven Fields Community Days Carnival ran Thursday through Sunday and featured rides, games, food and music in the town park.

“Public works, they were fantastic — I was down there three nights in a row and everything was clean,” Hardesty said. “Couldn’t have asked for a better turnout; everything went perfect.”

Servello said she had received compliments on the recent improvements to the Town Park Pool during the festival.

“They were flabbergasted; they couldn’t believe how good it looks,” she said. “Great job, it looks great. It was a good time.”