Mifflin County planning staff told commissioners they will seek approximately $1.1 million in competitive Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to replace a corroded, suspended 12-inch water main serving Juniata Terrace and adjacent residential areas.

Carol Carney, a project coordinator working with the county's planning and development office on CDBG-funded projects, outlined the engineering and public-health rationale: an April 2021 camera inspection found "excessive tuberculation, corrosion" and reduced flow from 12 inches to as little as 5 inches in places, she said. The existing pipe is suspended beside a gas line under a bridge, which makes repairs dangerous and current installation under the bridge impermissible. "The health and and safety of residents... is at risk as the existing water system is inadequate not only to supply clean water, but also to supply water at pressures necessary to suppress fires," Carney told the board.

Carney said the Midland County Municipal Authority and engineering firm HRG prepared preliminary designs with an estimated construction cost of $873,227.50; additional professional and administrative costs bring the total to about $1.1 million. Staff said their demographic sampling found approximately 400 single-family homes in the service area, with more than 72% of respondents qualifying as low to moderate income, which meets a national CDBG objective.

To strengthen the competitive application the county must allocate at least 75% of its non-entitlement CDBG funds toward the project as a local match; staff said they intend to dedicate 75% of Mifflin County's 2025 allocation for the first phase. Carney also highlighted required environmental reviews, an anti-displacement plan, Section 504 accessibility considerations and the funding schedule: a second public hearing in January (proposed Jan. 22) and an application deadline of Feb. 6. She cautioned that even if awarded in 2026 the funds would be slow to arrive and project construction could start only in 2026 at the earliest.

Commissioners invited public comment; no formal vote on allocation changes occurred at the meeting. Staff said additional local funding needs, if any, would be determined after DCED (state) reviews both the entitlement and competitive applications.