Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Stormwater Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Borough staff push to rehab failing culvert using ARPA funds and CoStars contractor
Summary
Staff presented a proposal to rehabilitate a deteriorated corrugated metal culvert on North Everhart Street with a CoStars contractor (AEL Recon) for $198,000, with 75% reimbursable by ARPA (net borough cost ~$49,500); timing is constrained by a Sept. 30 ARPA reimbursement deadline and a pending solicitor procurement opinion.
Will Williams, presenting a stormwater repair proposal to the committee, said the culvert under North Everhart Street has “rotten” corrugated metal and the stream now runs below the pipe grade, creating a structural risk to the road. He asked the council to approve using a CoStars vendor, AEL Recon, to install a 950-mil spray-applied structural liner and perform external grout stabilization for a total cost of $198,000.
The proposal relies on an unspent balance of ARPA funding. "We have $234,000 in ARPA grant funding left over after completing this project," Williams said, and his presentation said the grant program will reimburse 75% of the culvert work, leaving the borough with an estimated net cost of $49,500.
Why it matters: engineers and staff told the committee the pipe is structurally compromised and could collapse if not addressed, and the ARPA funding carries a hard reimbursement deadline (Sept. 30, 2026) that compresses the procurement and permitting timeline. Williams said the urgent schedule makes use of an existing state contract (CoStars) the only viable option to meet the deadline.
Council members asked for a solicitor’s written opinion that the CoStars purchase complies with borough purchasing rules before proceeding. Williams said Pennoni (the project manager) is handling permit work and that a solicitor’s letter confirming the CoStars procurement pathway would check the borough’s purchasing policy box.
No formal recorded vote appears in the transcript; staff said the item will be on the finance agenda and they would “report back” to council after legal review and permit progress. If approved, the work would include bypass pumping of the stream, interior cleaning, repair of deteriorated pipe, injection of grout behind the pipe and installation of the spray-applied structural liner to extend the culvert’s service life.
The committee flagged two procedural tasks before contracting: (1) obtain the solicitor’s written concurrence on using the CoStars contract as the procurement vehicle and (2) ensure the DPW/permit path is clear so the work can be completed before the ARPA reimbursement deadline.
Next steps: staff will seek the solicitor’s letter and bring procurement paperwork and permit updates to finance and full council; the project’s schedule is driven by the September ARPA deadline.
