Catharine Gets Updates from Municipal Authority

Williamsburg Municipal Authority member and Catharine Township’s representative for the Authority Daryl Cole attended the Thursday, June 15, meeting to give an update on projects the authority is working on. Cole talked about the PVC pipe sewer replacement project affecting two customers that the authority approved. The PVC pipe will be replaced with the correct sewer pipe at a cost of $64,000 for the authority. Cole said the authority is hoping to bid out the project in about three months.

Over the last several months, the township has been working with residents on River Front Drive to get it up to the 33-foot threshold for PennDOT to take over the road. Ultimately, once the township takes over, it will receive liquid fuels for the road. Roadmaster Michael Fay said it would cost $1,000 to get it up to par with what PennDOT wants. Ken Brenneman made a motion to approve funds for the project with Ralph Rispoli seconding. The motion passed.

“It just gives us an idea,” Chairman Heather Flaig told supervisors following the results of the community survey that was sent out last month. Only 42 of the 280 surveys were returned to the township, and the results showed that the main problems the community feels the township faces are roads, specifically the conditions and maintenance of the roads and speeding. Of those 42, 30 favored a tax increase when it came to improving the quality of roads in the township.

Township supervisors discussed adding a flagpole outside of the township building. Supervisors agreed on a 21 1/2 foot pole at a cost of $539 with installation being an additional cost. Ken Brenneman made the motion to purchase flagpole with Heather Flaig seconding. The motion passed.

The bids for Etna Furnace Road were opened at a special meeting held on Thursday, June 22, at 5 p.m. There was only one bid from Grannas Bros. The cost potentially could be over $113,000. Because the bids did not match up with what the supervisors wanted and there was no permission granted to cross bridges, Chairman Heather Fay tabled the discussion.