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Union City council approves emergency pipe repair after sinkhole and failing galvanized storm line
Summary
Council authorized Mansfield to replace a degraded galvanized storm pipe at 98 East High Street for $14,500 and to open a municipal lot sinkhole with up to $6,000 in spending after inspections found collapsed pipe and a backyard sinkhole; work is framed as emergency stormwater repairs.
Union City Borough Council on July 9 approved emergency stormwater repairs after borough staff described a sinkhole and a failing underground storm line behind 98 East High Street.
Streets Supervisor Bob Phillips told council a camera inspection showed the first 50 feet of pipe south from East High Street is cement and in good condition but that roughly 90–100 feet of galvanized pipe downstream had deteriorated. The inspection camera fell into the failed section and could not be retrieved, Phillips said, and a sinkhole about 3 feet wide and 8 feet deep had opened in the property's backyard.
After reviewing Mansfield’s quote, Councilor Steadman moved and Councilor Kerns seconded a motion to have Mansfield replace the degraded galvanized run with plastic pipe at a cost of $14,500. The motion carried unanimously. Council also authorized Mansfield to cut concrete and inspect a separate sinkhole in Municipal Lot No. 1, authorizing spending up to $6,000 after obtaining quotes and availability from McLallen Construction; that motion also carried unanimously.
Resident Anthony Hickey had earlier raised broader stormwater concerns, saying heavy rains send water down East High Street onto Bridge Street and into his property and that "there is no crown on Bridge Street." Solicitor Tim Wachter said the condition has existed for years and noted the state (PennDOT) is often the responsible party for some road drainage, but that the state "most likely won’t" make the repair; Wachter indicated that, practically, the borough must address the immediate problem.
Borough officials said the repairs are necessary to stabilize failing infrastructure and to prevent further property damage. The council did not specify a timeline for completion beyond authorizing the contractor work; Mansfield’s quotes cover replacement of the identified damaged sections and an inspection/opening of the municipal lot sinkhole.
Council instructed staff to pursue the contracted repairs and to seek competing availability and pricing for the municipal lot work before Mansfield proceeds.
