Jul 14, 2011 By Steve Ferrisheraldstandard.Com 4 min read

?Uniontown City Council was encouraged to attend a meeting to discuss low-interest government financing to cover the city’s share of a match for a $1 million state grant for the first phase of a sewerage project.

City engineer Terry McMillen encouraged city officials at Wednesday’s council meeting to meet with the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PennVEST) on July 27 to discuss a loan to cover the city’s $270,000 portion of the required grant match for the Redstone Creek interceptor improvement project.

South Union Township and North Union Township, which also use the interceptor, would pay an estimated $165,000 and $65,000, respectively, to cover their portions of the match, McMillen said. The combined match would provide $500,000 for the project.

He said he estimated the match amounts using a preliminary count of equivalent dwelling units (EDUs) connected to the interceptor. Uniontown would be responsible for 54 percent of the match, South Union would be responsible for 33 percent and North Union would be responsible for 13 percent, McMillen said.

Work would be done on slightly more than one mile of the interceptor. A new liner would be placed in part of that section and part of the pipe would be replaced, he said.

“That would go a long way toward improving the sewage system in the city,” McMillen said.

The $1 million grant came from the Department of Economic and Community Development and must be spent by June 30, 2013, he said. McMillen said the rest of the line could be upgraded in phases.

In another infrastructure project, council unanimously approved a maintenance agreement with the state Department of Transportation (PennDOT) for new sidewalks that are a part of the Route 21-Easy Street intersection improvement project.

Joseph Szczur, the executive of PennDOT’s District 12, which encompasses Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland counties, and assistant executive Rachel Duda asked council to accept the agreement so work can begin. Szczur said a contractor has already been hired and PennDOT has issued a notice to proceed.

Duda said she realizes the city has an ordinance requiring property owners to maintain the sidewalks at their properties, but PennDOT rules require it to have maintenance agreements with municipalities.

The agreement was discussed at last month’s council meeting, but council took no action on it after Councilman Blair Jones Sr. voiced objections to it. On Wednesday, Jones said he met with Szczur and Duda and they answered his questions about the agreement.

Turning to a separate matter, council adopted a resolution proclaiming July as “Uniontown Fire Department and International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 955 Month” for their annual fundraising efforts for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA).

“Hats off to the fire company,” Mayor Ed Fike said.

Firefighter Brian Vansickle encouraged residents to donate during the department’s annual boot drive for the MDA from 11?a.m. to 1?p.m. July 23. He said firefighters and volunteers will be at intersections in the city asking motorists for donations.

Kendle Haught, 9, a wheelchair-bound muscular dystrophy patient from Washington, and her mother, Kristy Haught, told council about how donations pay for research and for summer camp for patients, and encouraged everyone to donate.

In other business, council:

n Approved medical benefits for recently hired firemen Christopher Hughes and Michael Deems, who completed their 90-day probationary periods.

n Introduced an amendment adding social service agencies to the zoning ordinance and agreed to consider adoption at the Aug. 3 meeting.

n Authorized Fike to sign an agreement for a perpetual easement over a small piece of the rear of Matthew Dowling’s property at 55 Charles St. for a walking trail at Bailey park.

n Approved the purchase of six computers and an operating system for the police department at a cost not to exceed $7,000.

n Agreed to hire three temporary workers for summer grass cutting at minimum wage from a pool of applicants from a previous hiring.