Staff reported that the borough’s MS4 stormwater program work is advancing, that one previously funded project (Matterhorn) is nearly complete, and that an attempted reallocation of a $190,000 Growing Greener grant to the Fish Run project was denied.

Why it matters: The MS4 program and related stream-restoration projects affect flood control, water quality and grant-funded capital investments. Permit approvals and landowner easements are prerequisites to beginning construction.

Staff said Matterhorn is close to completion but the borough will not be able to reallocate an earlier $190,000 Growing Greener grant to Fish Run; the grant program does not generally allow reallocation from one project to another. For Fish Run, staff said land-ownership documentation and two remaining easements must be secured before the borough may apply to DEP for the necessary permits. Once the borough assembles land control and permit materials, staff said they planned to reapply for the permit and that the pollution-reduction-plan (PRP) process will need to account for the changed scope. Staff noted the borough submitted a PRP in February 2022 that the department approved for prior projects and that a new PRP reflecting the revised Fish Run and other projects will be resubmitted; staff estimated the PRP and permitting process could take roughly six months and that construction could start early next year if permits and easements are secured.

On trails and greenway grants, staff clarified that the current resolution for Greenway Trails differs from a 2023 DCNR grant application for bridges and trails (the borough did not receive the 2023 grant). Staff said the borough holds a DEP permit from earlier work that is still valid for parts of the project and that the current grant application is a new attempt to secure funding for the bridges and trail elements.

Staff also reported that LSSE (a consultant) reviewed the stormwater ordinance and concluded it meets the 2022 DEP requirements, and that the annual MS4 report will be filed on schedule. Staff said a prior plan prepared in 2017 required update when project scopes changed, which is why the PRP resubmission is necessary for the new Fish Run approach.

Ending: Staff identified land-control steps and permit applications as the next actions and said they would return with updated permit materials and grant applications once the easements and ownership issues are resolved.