$75,000 grant to be used for system engineering
BROWNSVILLE – The Brownsville Municipal Authority will use a $75,000 grant obtained through state Rep. H. William DeWeese’s office by the Luzerne Township Sewage Authority for the preliminary engineering work for sewerage to serve the Swan Plan and Telegraph Road areas. The authority last month agreed to pursue funding for the project in Luzerne Township through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development program. Engineer Art Brower said the grant from DeWeese (D-Waynesburg) would ultimately reduce the amount of money that will need to be borrowed to complete the project that will serve 59 homes and Patsy Hillman Park.
Joe Terravecchia of the Luzerne Township Sewer Authority said he must submit paperwork by Sept. 15 declaring how the grant money will be used
Solicitor Ernie DeHaas said he would contact the Luzerne authority’s solicitor to iron out the service area agreement for Brownsville to provide sewerage for that portion of the township.
In an unrelated matter, the authority formally ratified a contract with BAK Contracting Inc. to take gas well wastewater for treatment at the sewage plant. The authority had agreed to take the wastewater last month, directing DeHaas to draft a contract.
Plant manager James Knisley said the company has already begun bringing in tankers of wastewater from Atlas gas wells, with no ill effect on the plant.
“We’re taking that gas well wastewater and have been taking pH levels daily. It hasn’t affected us one bit,” Knisley said.
The authority also voted to purchase a John Deere tractor with high lift and backhoe through the state’s piggyback purchasing program at a cost of $24,705.
“I think the tractor will pay for itself in little jobs we can do ourselves and not contract out to Lee’s Plumbing,” said Fred Provance, the chairman of the authority.
Brower said his company, Fayette Engineering, is still waiting for a meeting with the state Department of Environmental Protection regarding the proposed demolition of the holding tanks at the old treatment plant. The tanks were damaged by flooding. The DEP originally required the tanks to be held for use as equalization tanks for the new treatment plant if needed, so a change in the DEP order is necessary before the damaged tanks can be removed, Brower said.
Brower also reported that paving and concrete sidewalk work along Water Street should be completed this week.
Brower said the contractor intends to start the work Thursday and it should take two days to complete.
Brower told Brownsville Borough Councilwoman Tracy Sheehan Zivkovich that he would review a list of restorations the borough believes have not yet been completed form the sewer line installation project done last year, though some of the items on the list are in areas where sewer work was not done.
In other matters, customers are now able to pay their municipal authority bills automatically through National City Bank. Anyone wishing to pay through the direct checking account withdrawal system must first fill out a form at the municipal authority office authorizing the withdrawals and selecting the date for the monthly payments.
Payments will also be accepted in person at the walk-in branch of National City Bank on Old National Pike and at the municipal authority office. Payments cannot be made at the drive-through bank.