Union City council authorizes up to $100,000 CDBG application for Municipal Lot #1 stormwater repairs

Union City Borough Council voted unanimously on Sept. 16 to authorize submitting an application to Erie County for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds of up to $100,000 to cover a portion of stormwater repairs in Municipal Lot #1.

Streets Supervisor Bob Phillips told the council he and Borough Manager Cindy Wells met with borough counsel about sinkholes in Municipal Lot #1 and recommended immediate remedial work. Phillips said Mansfield will fill a sinkhole, replace approximately 10 feet of damaged pipe and install a new catch basin; smoke-and-dye testing to verify system integrity will be performed after that construction work is complete. The borough is awaiting paving quotes from JT Patching and Paving and Cross Paving, and business owners in the area and the UCVFD will be notified before the smoke testing is scheduled.

Councilor Steadman moved to approve submitting a county CDBG application for up to $100,000 for the stormwater repairs; Councilor Osborn seconded the motion, which carried unanimously. Council documents and discussion indicate the requested grant would fund only a portion of the repairs and that final work will proceed after contractor quotes and testing.

The repairs address an active sinkhole and pipe failure in a municipal parking area used by nearby businesses and emergency services. The next procedural steps are procurement of contractor quotes, completion of pipe replacement and catch-basin installation, scheduling and conducting the smoke-and-dye test, and then paving the affected areas once funding and quotes are confirmed.