Bowmanstown council discusses road projects

The Lime Street construction project has moved to the next step. Bowmanstown Borough engineer Jessica Rehrig told the council at its meeting Tuesday night that the project is being reviewed by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Municipal Services representative.

She said the borough will need to address the reviewer’s minor comments on the bid package and provide more information on funding sources. He was concerned about the sources of funding for the project, she said.

“It looked like a lot was coming out of Liquid Fuels,” Rehrig said.

The Lime Street connection project is being funded in part by a Local Shares Grant (Liquid Fuels) and the state Multimodal Grant. Funds from “Liquid Fuels” come from the state through the gasoline tax.

This project involves paving the section of gravel roadway from where Lime Street ends at Green Street to where it begins again at Spring Street.

Borough council member Robert Moyer disagreed with the reviewer’s assessment and said that 2 mills have been saved for street projects and the remaining $62,000 would come out of the borough’s general fund.

“Is that the only thing holding it up?” Moyer asked.

Rehrig said the water line is also a factor. The borough’s Water Authority is planning to relocate 150 feet of the water line before the roadwork begins because the roadwork would disturb the ground around the water line. The borough’s streets department was out on Tuesday placing stakes to designate the curb area for the water line adjustment. She had told the council at its meeting in April that the paving project should be ready to go out to bid later this summer.

She also told them at that meeting that the cost to move the water line would be about $15,000, which would include the labor cost, surveying and stakeout, engineering and the like. Rehrig suggested the cost be split equally between the borough and its Water Authority.

Council member Darren Thomas, who is the Sewer, Sanitation and Water Liaison, said the Water Authority had discussed the cost sharing idea and agreed with it. He added that the cost may drop another $10 to $12 per linear foot, because a contractor wouldn’t have to break through the pavement to do the work.

After some discussion, the council approved doing a cost sharing agreement with the Water Authority.

Former mayor and current council member William Ravert asked if the cost of the project is known yet, and Rehrig said once the line is exposed, then they will know how much work will need to be done. She also said the Water Authority approved in its April meeting that it would contribute a fixed amount of $5,500 toward the project.

“If we agreed to pay half and if the $5,500 doesn’t cover it, then we are on the hook for it,” Ravert said. “If we are going to cover half, I would like to see something that they are going to cover half of it, too.”

In regards to street projects, some council members and borough Mayor Zachary Snyder have asked state Sen. John Yudichak, state Rep. Doyle Heffley, and county commissioners to come take a look at some roads in Bowmanstown and discuss any possible funding opportunities to fix the roads. The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Faith Alive United Methodist Church on Pine Street. Borough council President Kara Scott said the public is invited and encouraged to attend.