Chester Council ratifies bridge amendment, authorizes PECO road work permit and several routine resolutions

The Chester City Council on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, approved a slate of resolutions and routine items that include an amendment to a PennDOT agreement for the Lloyd Street Bridge project, authorization of a PECO utility road-opening permit with conditions, ratification of a one-year electricity supply contract and a series of administrative appointments and schedule resolutions.

The most consequential action was the council's vote to execute a letter of amendment to a PennDOT agreement for the Lloyd Street Bridge over Amtrak (MPMS 57773). The amendment increases final design costs and raises the total project estimate from $5,459,000 to $5,596,650 and adjusts the city's required local match to $279,838. According to the resolution summary presented at the meeting, the project funding is split 80% federal, 15% Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and 5% local city match; the amended design cost figures were approved pending final review by the city solicitor.

Council also granted a road-opening permit to PECO for new natural-gas service in the area of 24th, Chestnut, Walnut and Upland streets. The permit requires PECO to perform full mill-and-overlay restoration on openings exceeding 100 feet or more than three patched areas within 100 feet, to provide appropriate traffic control, to obtain all required permits and to comply with conditions set by the city engineer. Council resolved the permit on the condition that the work be performed to the council's satisfaction.

The council ratified a fixed-rate electricity supply agreement with Constellation New Energy, Inc., for a 12-month term beginning December 2024 at a fixed rate of $0.06139 per kilowatt-hour. The resolution notes the rate was the lowest bid returned from a Dec. 3, 2024 auction and that it is lower than the local default (PECO) rate; the agreement is contingent on final solicitor review.

Other items approved by the council included: - Installation of two handicap parking zones (addresses specified in the resolution). - Appointment of three block-captain committee members with specified term expirations. - Scheduling and advertising of the council's reorganization meeting for Jan. 6, 2025, and the regular 2025 meeting schedule and deliberative-only meeting dates. - Adoption of the city's official 2025 list of legal holidays. - Authorization for release of escrow funds for two completed development projects (escrow amounts listed in the resolution). - Rejection of an RFP for an animal-control services options study; staff reported there was a single respondent whose proposal totaled approximately $116,000, which exceeded the city's estimate. - Designation of Santander Bank as a city depository and authorization of several city finance officers as authorized signers.

All listed resolutions were adopted by recorded roll call votes; the clerk recorded affirmative votes from the councilors present for each item.

Why it matters: The PennDOT amendment commits the city to an increased local contribution tied to final design adjustments for a bridge project that crosses Amtrak tracks and will require further federal, state and local coordination. The PECO permit and the electricity contract are near-term operational items that affect street restorations and the city's utility budget. The rejected animal-control study and escrow releases affect contracting and development closeouts.

The council set the reorganization meeting for Jan. 6, 2025, and instructed the city clerk to advertise required notices. Several matters adopted at the meeting are contingent on final review and approval by the city solicitor, as noted in each resolution.