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LEWISTOWN -- During the latest Lewistown Borough Council meeting held on Wednesday, developments unfolded impacting the borough's governance and environmental management.
The meeting focused on the election of a new council member and discussions surrounding the Department of Environmental Protection Corrective Action Plan Version No. 2.
In a move to fill the recent vacancies within the Lewistown Borough Council, the board voted on several nominations. Scott Gutshall was elected to replace former member Bobby Hammond, filling one of the two empty seats on the Council.
The decision regarding the second vacant seat, previously held by Bill Wilson, was deferred. The Council announced that a Special Counting Meeting would be convened to discuss and vote on this matter, with the date of the meeting to be determined by the Council president.
In a noteworthy development, the new council approved none of the three former members to fill a vacant seat.
A major topic of discussion at the meeting was the approval of the DEP Corrective Action Plan Version No. 2. This plan, crucial for the environmental health of Lewistown, is a comprehensive strategy to address the Infiltration and Inflow (I&I) issue that has been a concern for the borough. The approved plan will eventually be converted into a DEP Consent Order, which will act as a directive outlining the steps and phases of the remediation process.
The Corrective Action Plan will be implemented in six phases, spanning from 2024 to 2029. The current estimated cost of this extensive project stands at nearly $7,000,000. However, funding options for the project are yet to be finalized and will be the subject of future committee meetings.
The major components of the DEP Corrective Action Plan include:
Video inspection and cleaning of the entire sanitary and stormwater systems.
Complete Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping of these systems.
Smoke and dye testing of the system to identify and address any abatement requirements.
Repairing defects found within the systems.
Establishing and tracking flow meters in the three municipalities involved in the plan.
The urgency of putting this plan into practice is underscored by the ongoing fines the Borough is incurring because of Sewer System Overflows (SSOs). The Borough experienced six SSOs during the last snow, rain, and subsequent snow melt event, leading to penalties.
The exact amount of these fines is yet to be determined by the DEP, further emphasizing the need for a prompt and effective response to the I&I issue.
In other news:
• The CY2024 budget is still open for review and public comment;
• Council discussed the repair of Digester No. 1. The next step is working with the Borough Engineers on the way forward. The Council is looking at options to remove the 500,000 gallons of sludge;
• The request for the Sip and Shop event at Rec Park in May has been sent to the Recreation Board for discussion, and their next meeting is Feb. 6. The concerns of the Council are the possible consumption of alcohol, ongoing sporting events, and setting a precedent of this type of event on public property;
• The Council is still discussing the abolishment of the streets committee and Parking Authority and then combining them in the formation of the Streets Parking Board. More research is being done;
• The police department's Teamster Contract ends Dec. 31, and the new personnel committee must begin negotiations soon. The committees are expected to be established in the near future;
• Council approved former Council member Nelson Rieffannacht as the chairman of the vacancy board;
• Council accepted the resignation of Councilman Bill Wilson;
• Council voted to discuss the planning commission board. This discussion and voting resulted in the removal of two planning commission board members for normal operations reasons. They appointed Willie Baumgardner to replace one of the vacant seats. One seat remains open;
• The Council voted to discuss the hiring of a full-time human resources coordinator. After discussion, the Council approved the hiring of the candidate with an effective date of Jan. 1.
• The Council voted to discuss the Police Chief's new contract. After discussion, the contract was approved on a 4-1 vote;
• A Borough employee requested the Council to pursue a PA DCED COVID-19 ARPA Capital Projects Fund Multi-purpose community facilities program grant. The grant would renovate the Community Center into a modern local government facility. This facility will be open to the public and directly support work, education, and health monitoring. This could include an internet café and classrooms. Grant requests must incorporate a viable strategy that extends beyond initial investment. The strategy must include plans for maintaining, repairing, and upgrading the facility. It must also include a financial sustainability plan that does not rely on additional federal funding. The Council will discuss the possibility at the next finance meeting on Jan. 25. The grant is open for application beginning Jan. 22 to April 20.