Supervisors may Hear Ruling on Pension Firm Appeal Tonight

The Upper Milford Board of Supervisors learned at its Aug. 2 meeting that its selection last month of Municipal Retirement Trust as a provider of township pension services had been put on hold by an objection filed by another company bidding for the job.

The board may hear a ruling tonight.

Integrated Capital Management, the firm that filed the appeal, was one of three companies, including Municipal Retirement Trust, that submitted pension providing proposals. The firm’s objections center on whether Municipal Retirement Trust has “clearly articulated their bottom-line price to the township,” according to Township Solicitor Marc Fisher.

Fisher assured the supervisors at the Aug. 2 meeting that Integrated Capital Management's objection is in line with an appeals process set up by state law and explained that according to that law, it is up to Fisher to decide if the company's objections have any merit.

“Is this just a sour grapes vendetta because they didn’t get the job?” asked Supervisor George DeVault. Supervisors Chairman Daniel Mohr asked for confirmation as to whether the board is obligated to choose the lowest bidder for pension services. Fisher said the board does not have such an obligation.

Fisher then told the supervisors there was nothing they needed to do about the appeal and that he expected to have a decision at the board’s Aug. 16 meeting -- that's tonight.

The board meets on the first and third Thursdays of the month at the . The regular meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. and is preceded by a 7 p.m. workshop meeting.