Council approves easement at 104 East High; property owner to maintain ditch

Council approved a retroactive easement regarding stormwater infrastructure at 104 East High Street that assigns installation and maintenance responsibilities among PennDOT, the borough and the property owner.

The minutes describe the arrangement: PennDOT is installing a catch basin; the borough will install a second catch basin and accept responsibility for the two basins and about 60 feet of pipe between them; the property owner, Anthony Hickey, will dig and maintain a ditch and install a pipe between the PennDOT basin and the borough basin. The motion was recorded in the minutes as a retroactive approval: "RETRO-ACTIVE MOTION TO APPPROVE AN EASEMENT BETWEEN ANTHONY HICKEY AT 104 EAST HIGH STREET AND THE BOROUGH. THE BOROUGH WILL INSTALL A CATCH BASIN AT 104 EAST HIGH STREET WITH THE PROPERTY OWNER INSTALLING A PIPE BETWEEN THE PENNDOT CATCH BASIN AND THE BOROUGH CATCH BASIN. THE PENNDOT BASIN WILL EMPTY INTO A DITCH, DUG BY THE PROPERTY OWNER, AND THE PROPERTY OWNER TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DITCH. THE BOROUGH WILL ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE TWO CATCH BASINS AND APPROXIMATELY 60’ OF PIPE BETWEEN THEM. Motion by Councilor Osborn and seconded by Councilor Kerns. Motion carried unanimously."

Implication: The easement formalizes maintenance responsibilities for stormwater flow on private and public property; the solicitor will prepare the agreement and the property owner bears responsibility for ongoing ditch maintenance per the motion.