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Engineer warns new county deadlines for liquid fuels funds could strain municipal projects
Summary
Borough engineer said Delaware County has imposed deadlines on county-administered liquid fuels and County Aid funds that may be difficult for municipalities to meet and could force use-or-lose spending timelines.
Borough engineer Mr. Kelly told council that Delaware County has begun imposing deadlines on County Aid and liquid-fuels-funded projects that may be onerous for small municipalities.
"They want all projects completed by September 30," Mr. Kelly said, and that all final payments and the 999 report must be submitted by Nov. 28. He said the county no longer permits municipalities to defer liquid-fuels funds to the following year: "You have to advise the County whether or not you want your liquid fuels ... and then you have to use them that year."
Kelly said the change effectively prevents municipalities from aggregating two years of funds for a single project and described the timeline as "an absolute" that could be "almost impossible for every municipality to make that happen," especially when multiple contractors and typical contract disputes can delay final sign-off and payments.
Council members raised concerns about the risk of losing funds if projects do not meet the new schedule. One council member asked whether unused municipal funds would revert to the county; the engineer answered that there was a way to assure against that but that contractor disputes and withheld retainage create practical scheduling risks.
Kelly said Clifton Heights will take advantage of its County Aid liquid fuels allocation and that staff will need to develop project scopes promptly and push projects out to bid earlier in the year to meet the new timetable.
Ending
Council did not take formal action during the caucus but instructed staff to accelerate planning for liquid-fuels projects and to monitor county deadlines and contractor schedules.
