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Darby Creek Joint Authority outlines sewer operations and grants; council flagged zoning appeals
Summary
Darby Creek Joint Authority representative Mark Campbell described DCJA operations, municipal membership and two grants totaling $700,000 that eased costs for member boroughs; council also discussed Glenwood single‑lot development, a Clifton Heights tap‑in fee and authorized the solicitor to oppose two Palmer Avenue zoning applications.
Mark Campbell, identified as the Darby Creek Joint Authority representative, told the Clifton Heights Borough Council that DCJA is a municipal sewer authority created under the Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Act and described its role conveying sewage from member municipalities to regional treatment, routine inspections, maintenance, and emergency response.
Campbell said DCJA’s regular board meetings are scheduled on the third Wednesday of each month at the Clifton Heights Municipal Building for the coming year and listed member municipalities served by the authority. He said DCJA recently secured two grants—one for $450,000 and another for $250,000—totaling $700,000, which Campbell said helped avoid raising rates for member boroughs.
The presentation noted DCJA’s responsibilities include planning and managing capital improvements, securing financing through loans, grants and bonds, and addressing stormwater inflow that affects sewer billing. “We hired strategies to get grant money,” Campbell said, noting the two awards that “keep our price to our borrows low so we don't have to raise prices.”
Separately, redevelopment staff and the borough engineer described a review of a single‑lot development on Glenwood Avenue. Staff said the project will require a building permit, site‑plan approval for stormwater, and an approved planning module for sewer connection before a tap can be installed. The meeting record shows a Clifton Heights tap‑in fee for a single unit recorded in the discussion as $10,000 (transcript phrasing: "For single edu").
Council also voted to authorize the borough solicitor to attend the April 28, 2026 zoning hearing board and oppose applications for 43 West Palmer Avenue and 29 East Palmer Avenue. The motion passed by voice vote.
The council did not record further debate in the meeting minutes about the merits of the Palmer Avenue applications. Staff said outstanding tasks for the Glenwood lot include addressing planning‑module compliance for sewer service before any construction can proceed.
