Fairmont Park substantially complete; council flags sinkholes, stormwater grant gap and repair financing

Red Lion Borough’s engineer told council Aug. 4 that Fairmont Park is substantially complete and that staff will request final payment once outstanding items are addressed.

Engineer Jeff Shue displayed photos of the park and noted remaining work on a pole and a water fountain. On stormwater, Shue said the Franklin Street and Country Club storm‑sewer work would be unlikely to qualify for PennDOT‑administered grants because the project cost does not meet the program’s typical $1 million threshold, leaving limited external funding options. "It would be hard to get that with the cost of the job not meeting $1 million," Shue said.

Council members and staff also discussed road‑repair needs: Public Works prepared a prioritized list, and council noted four sinkholes at Neff St., N. Main St., High St. and W. Chestnut St. Dennis Klinedinst suggested borrowing at roughly 2.5% to address multiple repairs at once, while Brett Patterson asked whether curb and sidewalk work would be included in any package.

Separately, council discussed water damage reported by a resident (previously shown at an earlier meeting) and the need to coordinate code enforcement and stormwater mitigation to limit property impacts during heavy storms.

Next steps noted in the session included preparing final paperwork and the payment request for Fairmont Park, evaluating borrowing options for road repairs, and following up on stormwater alternatives for Franklin Street. No formal borrowing motion or funding award was taken at the work session.