McFarland Offers Options for Ganister Sewer

“This was the easy way to go,” Blair County Planning Commission’s Dave McFarland told Catharine Township Supervisors during the meeting Thursday evening, Sept. 21, in regard to getting funding for the Ganister Sewer project.

McFarland is referring to the CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) funding. In previous years, surveys garnered a 49 percent low-income result, with only two homes needing to complete surveys and supervisors were hopeful to get the 51 percent to qualify for CDBG funds.

However, this wasn’t the case.

A new round of surveys were sent out and with four surveys not turned in. The 49 percent score dropped to 29 percent. CDBG, according to McFarland, “is now not an option.”

McFarland suggested some other grant funding avenues but they have a 50-percent match option. He suggested getting with PennVEST for municipal loans.

Assistant Chief Steve Lane from Station 90 Volunteer Fire Company attended to ask the township for their backing with the local shares grant to get a new tanker/engine for the fire company. The borough is going to back the grant application but the fire company would like to get letters of support from the two townships it serves. Catharine agreed to write a letter.

Chairman Heather Flaig gave an update on River Front Drive. Of the five residents on River Front, only one response came back about deeding the land to the township. Flaig said the township doesn’t want to get the engineer more involved with the project, citing costs. Roadmaster Michael Fay said more discussions were being held on expanding the project about 100 more yards.

The township received the Etna Furnace invoice for paving and it was higher than what was quoted. The township was quoted $83,000 and the invoice came in at a little over $91,000. The reason given for the higher invoice was needing more material.

Roadmaster Michael Fay said the township’s 2008 red truck that is currently sitting in a repair shop will cost $10,000 to repair the current engine and over $20,000 to get a new engine installed.

“I don’t recommend putting more money into truck,” Fay said.

A brand new truck fully loaded, Fay explained, would cost the Township $110,000. Vice Chairman Ken Brenneman discussed looking for grant funding for a new truck. Ralph Rispoli made the motion to bid out the 2008 truck with Brenneman seconding. The motion passed.

Fay asked if there was any money left from liquid fuels to work on paving Cross Valley; Chairman Flaig said there wasn’t. Fay said that Cross Valley would be a top-priority project for the township going into next year.

Flaig also said the budget was coming into the works for 2024. The supervisors agreed to work on the budget following the next meeting.