MAHANOY CITY - Additional planning and legal work will be needed before the stormwater drainage enhancements can begin in the Mahanoy Township village of Park Place.
The Mahanoy Township supervisors heard a brief report on the project status at Thursday's meeting. Township Secretary Cheryl Backo read the written summary report from William N. McMullen, project manager with ARRO Consulting Inc., the township's consulting engineers.
The planned project involves replacing drainage culverts along Park Place Road - Route 1014 - at two locations, along with installing pipes to cross the road to alleviate road flooding during heavy rains. The problem with stormwater drainage along the highway is due to very old metal pipes that are collapsing.
Funding of $70,000 for this project has been awarded through the county Community Development Block Grant.
The supervisors appointed Arro as the township engineering firm at their February meeting. Since that time, Arro has been receiving plans and documents from the former firm, Alfred Benesch & Co., on a variety of projects for review on how to proceed.
"We have reviewed the design information received from the previous engineering firm," McMullen said in his written report. "The project bid documents prepared in December 2013 included both phases of the project."
The main portion of the project is Phase I, which includes most of the construction work. Supervisor Chairman James Stevens said after the meeting that Phase I will be up for bid, and after the award, the construction would begin. The cost of Phase I is about $70,000. The second phase may be done with township employees.
Easements will be required from property owners before any work begins.
"A review of the files identified easement requirements for the project in August 2013, although no easement acquisition has been instituted," McMullen wrote. "We discussed the easement acquisition for Phase I of the project with attorney (Eric) Lieberman (township solicitor) and will schedule a meeting to start the easement acquisition process."
McMullen said the erosion and sediment control and the GP-4 permit approvals have been received. The GP-4 is a permit required by the state Department of Environmental Protection through its Bureau of Waterways Engineering and Wetlands that deals with construction, operation, and maintenance of intake and outfall structures in, along, across or projecting into the regulated waters of the commonwealth.
"Easement acquisition plans, construction plans and specifications will be prepared utilizing current design and bid documents to the maximum extent possible," McMullen said in the report.
In other business, the supervisors adopted a resolution declaring their intent to follow the schedules and procedures for disposition of records in the Municipal Records Manual approved on Dec. 16, 2008, by the Local Government Records Committee.
"The manual is 105 pages, and it basically sets forth statutes for the disposal of records," Lieberman said.
Lieberman reported that the Schuylkill County Tax Claim Bureau has received a repository sale bid of $300 on a property at 331 Roosevelt Drive in New Boston.
"The current amount to satisfy the costs to the county to go through the process of putting it on the repository list was $1,681," Lieberman said. "In accordance with the rules, the supervisors could either approve or disapprove the bid of $300."
The supervisors unanimously voted against approving the sale due to an insufficient bid.
Stevens reminded residents who have their garbage collected by Kreitzer Sanitation that 2014 holiday pick-up schedules are available at the municipal building. The schedules are for Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.