Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Infrastructure Utilities Bypass 301 topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Bradford County approves MOU with Stark to extend water, sewer to US‑301 bypass
Summary
Bradford County commissioners voted unanimously to approve a memorandum of understanding with the City of Stark to extend water and sewer infrastructure to the US‑301/State Road 16 bypass, with county payments to the city to be remitted within seven business days of request.
Bradford County commissioners on March 4 approved a memorandum of understanding with the City of Stark to extend water and sewer utilities to the 301/State Road 16 bypass, a project county and city officials said is intended to spur economic development along the corridor. The vote was unanimous.
City and county engineers told the board the effort builds on recent city investments — including a nearly completed $25 million upgrade to Stark’s wastewater treatment plant and roughly $5 million in collection‑system work — and seeks to place utilities where none currently exist along the bypass to unlock commercial and industrial development opportunities.
Justin DeMello, vice president and engineer with Woodard & Curran, reviewed the planning history and said the city has already completed surveys and geotechnical work needed to accelerate design. DeMello said sewer design could be finished by late summer and that bidding could begin this fall, with construction awards possible January 2026 and a targeted completion in early 2027. County Manager Scott Kornegay and DeMello told the board the city and county had exchanged a draft MOU and that the county requested one wording change related to payment timing.
County Manager Scott Kornegay said the county asked that city payment requests be met within seven business days so the city could meet contractor cash‑flow needs. Kornegay told the board the county’s chief deputy clerk had confirmed the county can meet that turnaround. After discussion and brief remarks by multiple commissioners praising the city’s downtown and infrastructure investments, a motion to approve the MOU with the 7‑business‑day remittance language carried 5–0.
The commissioners and Stark officials framed the agreement as a partnership: Stark is committing substantial capital for water and sewer improvements to support the bypass, and the county used federal ARPA funds and legislative appropriations to help extend utilities. County and city speakers described the work as a foundational step that could enable future economic projects if utilities are in place.
The county manager said the City of Stark planned to take the same MOU to its commission later the same evening for approval.
What happens next: county staff and city representatives said they would finalize the MOU language and proceed with design and funding steps. Officials described the timeline as design this summer, bid and award next winter, and construction through 2027.
