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Council to borrow money for capital projects

LOCK HAVEN — City Council intends to borrow upward of $3,852,000 through general obligation bonds for various capital improvement projects.

Just how much money is actually borrowed and spent remains to be determined based on the actual cost of the work.

Some of the work is complicated because it involves critical city infrastructure.

The vote to borrow the money was unanimous Monday night after a motion made by Councilman Richard Conklin was seconded by Councilman Doug Byerly. All council members were present.

The first project is multi-faceted and consists of repairs and improvements to Tidlow Dam on the West Branch of the Susquehanna River.

That work involves inspecting the dam, which requires that the water level be lowered, to see what concrete “panels” need to be replaced to hold back the river.

It’s believed that a middle panel is damaged, evident because of a whirlpool that formed in front of the dam about halfway across, officials said.

That work likely involves building a causeway.

The contractor will have to rely on the cooperation of Mother Nature to some extent, Conklin explained.

Other work planned within this phase involves the levee, replacement of the Second Avenue garage roof and construction of salt shed there, too.

Approximately $1,060,000 is to be allocated for this phase.

The second involves improvements to the self-fueling station and a hangar at William T.Piper Memorial Airport at a cost of about $292,000.

The third is upgrades to the dam and spillway at Warren H. Ohl Reservoir (known as Rosecrans Reservoir) over the mountain in Greene Township, a critical part of the city’s public water system, and development of supplemental supply water wellfields.

About $2,500,000 will be allocated to this project.

Council has previously discussed improvements to the dams at both Ohl Reservoir and at Keller Reservoir near McElhattan.

The spillway at Ohl must handle significantly more water than it’s currently capable of. This work could take upward of five years. The water wellfields are be completed first.

All of the estimates are just that .. estimates, Conklin asserted.

Concord Public Financial Advisors, Inc. will serve as financial advisor and will solicit bids for the bonds.

A representative of Concord Financial is scheduled to attend council’s Oct. 8 meeting to answer questions council may have.

In other business, council:

– Learned that the city has received $260,202 from the General Municipal Pension System State Aid Fund to help defray the costs for police, paid firefighters and non-uniformed pension costs. City Manager Gregory Wilson said this is a big help because the city usually budgets $14,961 to the fund, but now will only need to contribute $921.

– Authorized Keystone Central Tax Office to begin collecting the city’s Local Services Tax. The annual tax costs $52 for anyone employed in the city, Wilson said. That is an estimate of $1 a week per person.

The annual cost to have the tax office collect the LST would be around $8,000, he said. The estimated cost for the city to collect the tax is around $8,600, so the resolution will still save the city money, he said.

– Accepted a $1,000,000 transportation grant for the East Church Street streetscape project.

r Awarded a contract to Wolfe Coal & Excavating Inc. for street patching at a cost of $38,900.

– Learned that city workers will no longer be contracted to repair sanitary sewer plants in the area. The city requested that the Clinton County Sewer Authority hire outside contractors for the job, Wilson said. This frees up city workers for more city projects, he said.

– Heard that the International Organization for Standardization recently completed a Public Protection Classification survey and has changed the city from classification 04 to 03. This change may result in better fire insurance rates for city residents, Wilson said.

– Appointed Councilman Bill Mincer to multiple boards, including City Employee Retirement Board, Police Pension Fund Board, Alternative Representative for the Central Clinton County Water Filtration Authority and alternate representative for the county Sewer Authority.

Mincer also will replace Byerly as liaIson to the Ross Library. Byerly stepped down from the position and offered it to Mincer due to his familiarity with the library, Wilson said. Mincer previously served on the library board.

– Announced that the Lock Haven Fire Department’s annual Halloween parade will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 27, with line-up beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the corner of East Main and North Henderson streets. Refreshments will be available and prizes will be awarded following the parade behind the Hope Hose Fire Co. on East Church Street.

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