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New MS4 and floodplain coordinator outlines stormwater projects; borough remains behind on 2020–2025 PRP targets
Summary
The borough’s new MS4 and floodplain coordinator introduced upcoming stormwater work including the Middle Mission Park riparian buffer, the Orange Street Basin retrofit, and an adopted-drain program; the coordinator said the borough did not meet 2020–2025 pollution-reduction-plan targets but has renewal while showing due diligence.
A newly introduced borough staff member who self-identified at the workshop said they are the borough’s MS4 and floodplain coordinator and reviewed stormwater responsibilities, recent projects and planned work to meet pollution-reduction obligations.
"My name is Real Lover. I'm the new MS4 and flood plan coordinator," the staff member said, describing duties under the municipal separate storm sewer (MS4) permit and the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDS) requirements. They summarized recently completed work, including the Middle Mission Park riparian-forest buffer and a live-staking event, and described upcoming projects such as an Orange Street Basin retrofit into a wet pond and stormwater BMPs at Cornwall Park.
The coordinator acknowledged permit performance shortfalls: "We did not meet the requirements for the 2020 to 2025 permit," they said, but added the state allowed renewal provided the borough demonstrates due diligence—seeking funding and progressing projects. Council members pressed for timelines; the coordinator said Orange Street Basin and Thornwald Park are the largest projects in the pipeline but that exact completion numbers were "not specified" in the update.
Nut graf: The presentation combined outreach and project management details with a candid compliance update: the borough is working through a multi-year PRP backlog and expects to rely on upcoming projects and evolving state permit changes to meet long-term requirements.
The coordinator also previewed community engagement: an Earth Day nature-trail walk with educational stations, a planned adopted-drain mapping tool for residents, and rain-garden maintenance. The council discussed the borough’s permit strategy and possible impacts if state MPDS permit rules shift toward volume controls. No new funding or enforcement action was decided at the workshop.
Ending: Staff will continue project design and seek funding; council members asked staff to provide ballpark project timelines and stepwise progress toward PRP milestones at future meetings.
