Tyrone Borough is the remaining piece of the puzzle that’s expected to put an additional $562,500 in its coffers.
The other piece fell into place earlier this week when the Northern Blair Regional Sewer Authority agreed to purchase an additional 450,000 gallons of capacity from the borough.
The authority signed off on the agreement on Monday and it will now need to receive approval from Tyrone Borough Council. The approval may need to wait since the council is not scheduled to meet at a regular session until July 12.
Last week, Clapper indicated the sale of the capacity comes at a time when it would aid both parties.
“It’s a very welcome addition to the borough’s assets, said Clapper. “It really helps both parties. They need capacity, while the borough needs the infusion of money. It will permit development to go forward in northern Blair.”
Clapper said he was hopeful of presenting an agreement for council to vote on as soon as the next scheduled meeting on July 12. Previously, council approved the sale of 50,000 gallons to the regional authority on June 7.
The sale of the extra 50,000 gallons in sewer capacity at the Tyrone Wastewater Treatment Plant was for the amount of $62,500 or $1.25 per gallon.
“The amount (for the additional 450,000 gallons) should be about the same,” Clapper told The Daily Herald.
The pending agreement will mean an estimated $562,500 to the borough in addition to the $62,500 in the completed deal.
Clapper indicated any funds from the completed sale or the pending one are earmarked for the borough’s wastewater treatment plant.
Northern Blair needs the extra capacity so it can make a request to the Antis Township supervisors to get approval for an amendment to the township’s sewage facility’s plan.
The authority is seeking the approval to go forward with plans for a pump station and a main collection line close to the Pinecroft interchange of I-99.
Last week, Jason Moore, Northern’s Blair’s engineer with the EADS Group, explained the various ways the recently acquired and pending capacity will be used.
“The 50,000 gallons was purchased by the authority because they exceeded their capacity at the Tyrone treatment plant in 2003,” said Moore.
Part of the additional 450,000 gallons would be used for the authority’s plan to build the facility at Pinecroft. Moore also indicated the additional capacity would also be used for other purposes including further growth and development.
With the capacity issue close to being resolved, the authority is expected to make their request to Antis Supervisors next month.
Antis supervisors would receive the request no sooner than their Aug. 5 meeting, according to Moore.
“We are hoping to submit it for review on Aug. 5, but generally the supervisors would not adopt it until allowing for a public comment period,” said Moore. “The best case would be a September approval.”
Earlier this year, the authority received $400,000 in grant money toward the project which is estimated to cost $850,000.
Additional funding could be sought through PENNVEST. However, Moore said it hasn’t been determined who the funding source will be for the remainder of the money needed.
“If everything falls into place, we are looking to have it(the Pinecroft facility) built in a year,” said Leo Matuszewski, the authority’s secretary/treasurer. “The bonus of this is it allows the I-99 interchange to be opened for development.”
The current facility at Pinecroft is owned by Logan Township which has granted Northern Blair 150,000 gallons of capacity a day. Matuszewski confirmed Northern Blair exceeds that capacity on a regular basis.
“We didn’t want to stretch our relationship with Logan Township anymore than we had to,” said Matuszewski.
Upon the completion of the project, Northern Blair is hoping to transfer sewage for about 200 customers to the Tyrone facility.
Meanwhile, Matuszewski said the new facilities will allow for the potential of public sewer service going into areas such as Sugar Run Hollow and Riggles Gap.
