Butler Township Chief of Police John Hays carries a bag full of stuffed animals to his car at Lowrie Place in February. Hays has announced his retirement. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

BUTLER TWP — Commissioners accepted a retirement notice from township police Chief John Hays during a meeting Monday, May 20. Hays has worked for the township for 44 years and spent 11 of those years as chief of the department, said township manager Tom Knights.

Hays’ retirement is effective June 14, but a letter he wrote to the commissioners said he would use his remaining vacation time until that date.

“I spent my entire career of 44 years with Butler Township Police Department,” the letter said. “I have been fortunate to have worked with so many talented colleagues over the years.”

Knights said the township will begin searching for a new chief, and in the meantime, the lieutenant with the department will fulfill the duties of the role, as per the chain of command.

The commissioners also accepted construction bids for the recreation complex it is building by the Pullman Center Business Park. The first phase of the project, which was the one put out to bid by the commissioners, includes the installation of a field with artificial turf, a parking lot, restroom facilities and a concession stand.

Commissioners received bids Friday: two for site construction, four for building construction, one for electrical work, four for plumbing work and two for HVAC work.

The site construction bid, which the township’s engineer, Daniel Deiseroth, said included grading, paving and drainage work associated with “everything outside of the building,” went to W.K. Thomas and Associates at a cost of $458,675. Commissioners awarded the building construction to TBI Contracting for $734,000; electrical construction to Right Electric for $398,300; plumbing to Newman Plumbing for $164,890; and HVAC to Central Heating & Plumbing Co. for $37,265.

The contracts as bid required a completion date of Sept. 1, Deiseroth said. According to Deiseroth, the contracts have to be completed subsequently, so he recommended to the commissioners that they accept the bids at Monday’s meeting.

“The way Pennsylvania makes us bid projects with multiple prime contractors, the general contractor is responsible for coordination,” he said. “That means they coordinate scheduling, and everybody’s schedules are different. It’s an aggressive time to finish it.”

The field with artificial turf is visible from the Picklegate Bridge, but Knights said it won’t be usable until construction makes it accessible. However, he said schools have reached out requesting use of the field for sports in the fall semester.

“The date in and of itself is kind of envisioned to hopefully be in position to be field-usable right after Labor Day weekend,” Knights said. “Obviously we want everything done as quickly as possible.”