In the middle of its first meeting of 2014, the Schuylkill County Municipal Authority learned it had received a $4 million loan to help finance its Mahanoy Area Business Park project.
"I have a very important piece of new business that was just emailed to us," SCMA Executive Director Patrick M. Caulfield said at 11:24 a.m. Tuesday at the meeting, held on the second floor board room of the authority headquarters at 221 S. Centre St., Pottsville.
"Mark Smith, our office manager, was (called to) the PennVEST meeting via WebEx. So he was basically sitting at the meeting in Harrisburg while sitting at his desk here on Centre Street," Caulfield said.
Reading an email from Smith, Caulfield said, "SCMA's drinking water project for the Mahanoy Area Business Park has been approved for $4 million."
"Yes!" authority board Chairman Franklin K. Schoeneman said with a burst of enthusiasm.
On Tuesday morning, the Pennsylvania Infrastructure and Investment Authority, Harrisburg, gave SCMA a 20-year loan, with a 1-percent interest rate for the first five years and a 1.743-percent interest rate for the remaining 15 years, Caulfield said.
"That is excellent, excellent news," Caulfield said.
The authority plans to install water lines and a new 500,000 gallon water storage tank to service businesses at Mahanoy Business Park in Mahanoy and Ryan townships, Caulfield said.
"This project will provide public water service to one of the few remaining prime economic developable areas along the I-81 corridor in the northern portion of Schuylkill County," Caulfield said in a recent press release.
"Specifically, the project will include the installation of 20,000 linear feet of 8-inch and 12-inch waterline and a new 500,000 gallon water storage tank to service the business park. Schuylkill County Municipal Authority applied for the funding through PennVEST. SCMA agreed to extend their system to serve the Village of Vulcan located near the business park," Jon Hopcraft, executive director of the state Senate Urban Affairs and Housing Committee, said in a press release Tuesday regarding the loan.
"The park currently has three businesses that utilize the existing private wells, but do not provide adequate yields. The park has approximately 11 industrial lots available for development on the north side of I-81 and one large parcel of prime industrial land that is a designated Keystone Opportunity Zone on the south side of the highway," Hopcraft said.
"The state is committed to grow private sector jobs right here in northern Schuylkill County. These infrastructure upgrades will help turn a once-vacant property into the newest job site along the I-81 corridor," Sen. David G. Argall, R-29, said in the release.
"I would like to thank all the local officials who worked so closely on obtaining this funding. It will go a long way toward bringing water and sewer into this part of my legislative district. It will also help the 400-acre Mahanoy Business Park become a true job creator. This funding could not come at a better time," state Rep. Neal P. Goodman, D-123, said in the release.
The estimated cost of the project was $4 million, former state Rep. Bob Allen, R-125, a consultant to SCMA, said previously.
On Nov. 21, the authority received a $1,147,928 grant for the project from the Commonwealth Financing Authority through its PennWorks program.
Taking the reins as authority chairman Tuesday, Schoeneman said one of his goals is to embark on a strategic plan for SCMA.
"I think we need to start the strategic planning process again because things change. We did it, if I remember correctly, four years ago or between four and five years ago. So I'd like to develop some kind of strategic planning initiative," Schoeneman said.
Also at the meeting, the authority approved salary increases, which average 5 percent, for its office staff, Caulfield said.