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Wilkes-Barre officials flag emergency repairs to collapsing culvert and Horton Street sewer; financing sought
Summary
City staff briefed council on emergency repairs to a collapsing corrugated metal culvert serving Colebrook and a failing combined sewer on Horton Street, outlining a proposed financing package up to $600,000 and coordination with the sanitary authority; formal action was not taken at the work session and items are scheduled for Thursday.
City staff told the Wilkes-Barre City Council at a Oct. work session that the city faces two emergency sewer and stormwater repairs — a failing corrugated metal culvert carrying Colebrook under Scott Street toward Cunningham Avenue and a separate failing combined sewer on Horton Street — and that staff is seeking short-term financing and coordination with the sanitary authority to cover costs.
The repairs are being presented as emergencies because the culvert has experienced a major cave-in and the combined Horton Street line has required multiple repairs in the past two years, staff said. “We have to basically realign the realign the old culvert,” staff said, and described the culvert as “an old, corrugated metal” pipe that is collapsing. Staff said the city expects to assemble financing “not to exceed $600,000” to address emergency repairs and to coordinate payment timing with the sanitary authority.
Why it matters: The culvert and Horton Street sewer carry stormwater and sanitary flow from parts of the city and from adjacent township areas. Staff said repeated, short-term fixes have failed and the reported failures now require larger reconstruction work to avoid ongoing repeated repairs. Council members indicated concern over funding and timing during the discussion.
Details offered in the work session included: staff’s request for authority to “take any and all necessary action related to retaining a finance finance package not to exceed $600,000” to fund emergency repairs; a statement that the Horton Street sanitary project involves a multi-year payback arrangement with the sanitary authority that results in about $600,000 being fronted to the city over three years; and staff’s estimate that the two emergency projects together represent roughly half of a $1.2 million total cost scenario the city is piecing together.
Council questions focused on whether the sanitary authority could assist directly and on the timing and budget impact. Councilmember Barrett asked whether the sanitary authority could assist; staff replied, “we're gonna be tapping that with the sanitary authority,” and said an agreement with the authority is contemplated. Staff also told council the proposed lease/financing payments would not begin until next year, which could push the majority of payment obligations into the following fiscal year and create a partial-year budgetary need for the city.
No formal motion or vote was recorded during the work session on this item; staff said the measures are being prepared for council consideration at the regular meeting on Thursday. Councilmembers asked staff to provide more precise estimates and the financing plan before taking final action.
