Spring could be a bustling time for several municipalities in northern Dauphin County in need of infrastructure upgrades.
The Dauphin County commissioners announced Feb. 18 to award of more than $11 million in gaming grants to benefit more than 50 projects, including many in The Citizen-Standard coverage area.
Elizabethville is in line to receive $70,000. According to Elizabethville Authority Plant Superintendent Nick McCarron, the funds will be used to erect a new building for chemical storage. McCarron said the borough has to add chemicals to its wastewater treatment system in order to meet Chesapeake Bay requirements. The new structure would be built to house the chemicals, which are currently being stored on the second floor of the authority building in 55-gallon drums. Currently, when the chemicals are needed, employees need to use a crane to get to the products.
The new chemical building, he said, will bring several advantages.
"It's going to be a lot safer and cheaper because we will then be able to get chemicals at the bulk rate," McCarron said.
A 25-by-25-foot block structure with a metal roof is anticipated. If all goes as planned, the borough will probably accept bids in March, with plans to have the building erected sometime this summer.
"We wanted this building completed nearly a year ago. We did a presentation before the gaming board and told them how we're financially strapped," McCarron said.
Meanwhile, Williamstown is also benefitting from the most recent gaming fund disbursement, and is scheduled to receive $125,000 for water system improvements. Williamstown Borough Council Vice President Ron Umholtz, who also serves as president of the Williamstown Development Authority, said the funds will be used to finish storm drains and street upgrades.
Umholtz said the borough had finished work on Grant Street and this latest funding will be put toward the ongoing West Street project - installing storm drains and paving the roadway.
"Winter has been terrible on some of our streets," Umholtz said. "We need to fix the storm drains so they don't leak into the sewer system."
Although this latest project hasn't been put out on bid yet, Umholtz anticipates bids will be sought this spring and crews should be able to complete the project this summer.
According to a release from the county commissioners, the grants are funded through the county's share of slots gaming revenue generated from Hollywood Casino at Penn National in East Hanover Township. Under state law, the county must use the grant funds for projects that improve local infrastructure, such as water and sewer, transportation, public safety and help human services and public interest initiatives.
"Our goal is to use the money where it will do the most good," commissioners Chairman Jeff Haste said in a prepared release. "Especially when you look at the water and sewer projects being done in the smaller communities, these are necessary projects that area residents would never be able to afford without assistance."